40 Fascinating Historical Photos That Capture Moments from the Past

Nathan Johnson Published 07/09/2024 in ftw

History is full of all sorts of wonders, you just need to know where to look to find them.

People often mistakenly conflate history with being boring. This couldn't be further from the truth. Just because our history lessons were boring, that doesn't mean the real thing was any less exciting than our lives today. In fact, you could argue the exact opposite. We'll let you be the judge of that though.

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1.
"A Boy Sits Reading In A Bombed Bookstore, London, 1940"
2.
"One Of The Worst Mining Accidents In History, The Fraterville Mine Disaster In Tennessee, Killed Over 200 Miners In 1902"
3.
"This Exceptional Babylonian Clay Tablet World Map Stands As The First Documented World Map In History. The Script On The Map Is Inscribed In Akkadian Cuneiform, Dating Back To The 6th Century Bce"
4.
"Before And After The Excavation And Restoration Of The Great Ziggurat Of Ur, Built Approximately 4000 Years Ago"
5.
"Gavrinis Is A Small Island In The Gulf Of Morbihan In Brittany, France. It Contains The Gavrinis Tomb, A Neolithic Passage Tomb Built Around 4200–4000 Bc, Making It One Of The World's Oldest Surviving Buildings"
6.
"The Best Preserved And Most Intact Lorica Segmentata Roman Armour In Existence. This Armour Discovered In Corbridge Roman Town Near Hadrian’s Wall Is Of International Importance"
7.
"Derveni Krater; A Masterpiece Of Hellenistic Art, Thessaloniki, 4th C. Bc"
8.
"Nice View Of The Temple Of Hatshepsut A Mortuary Temple Built During The Reign Of Pharaoh Hatshepsut Of The Eighteenth Dynasty Of Egypt (1550 Bce - 1290 Bce). A Masterpiece Of Ancient Architecture"
9.
"Portrait Of Life’s First Hired And First Female Staff Photographer, Margaret Bourke-White. She Was On Assignment In Algeria, Standing In Front Of Flying Fortress Bomber In Which She Made Combat Mission Photographs Of The U.S. Attack On Tunis, 1943"
10.
"The Soldiers Fed The Polar Bears With Condensed Milk Tins. Soviet Union, 1950"
11.
"Re-Excavation Of Lamassu, Kursbad, Iraq; Assyrian Deity Depicted With Human, Avian, And Bovine Or Leonine Elements. The City Was A New Capital Built By King Sargon II In 721 Bc"
12.
"The Goshen, Indiana Farm Boy Here Again Among His Chickens With A Toy Wheel Barrow That He Might Have Used To Deliver Corn To Feed Them. 1930s Or 1940s"
13.
"Soldiers Wearing Gas Masks While Peeling Onions At Tobruk, 15 October 1941"
14.
"Audi Workers Demonstrating The Body Strength Of The Audi 920 (1938)"
15.
"Bronze Age Frescoes From Knossos (In Crete) , Thera (Santorini) And Mycenae (In Peloponnese); 17th - 13th Century Bc"
16.
"The Koh Ker Pyramid, Located In Cambodia, Standing At Over 35 Meters Tall, It's One Of The Largest Pyramid Structures In Southeast Asia"
17.
"The Pyramid Of The Niches Is A Stunning Architectural Feat Located In The Ancient City Of El Tajín, Veracruz, Mexico"
18.
"U.S. Marine Provides Water To A Stray Kitten Found Hiding Under A Knocked Out Japanese Type 95 Ha-Gō Light Tank On The Tarawa Atoll On November 24, 1943"
19.
"Large Epitaphic Attic Geometric Amphora (Large Closed Vessel With Two Vertical Handles For Transporting Or Storing Liquid Or Solid Products), With A Scene Of Burial And Mourning"
20.
"Cleopatra's Pool"
21.
"Learning How To Swim In The 1920s"
22.
"A Roman Mosaic Portion Showing A Medallion Of The Personification Of Spring. This Was Made In Carthage (Modern Day Tunisia) In The 4th Century Ad And Is On Display In The British Museum In London, England"
23.
"This Shot Shows More Than 7,000 Bags Of Gold And Silver That Had Been Looted By The Germans During The War. It Was Stored Here, Inside The Merkers Salt Mine In Germany And Discovered On April 8, 1945. Included In This Discovery Was 8,198 Bars Of Gold Bullion And 2.76 Billion Reichsmarks"
24.
"The Children Had To Cross The River Using Pulleys On Their Way To School In The Outskirts Of Modena, Italy!! (1959)"
25.
"A Mother Teaching Her Daughter How To Use A Spinning Wheel, Ireland - 1904"
26.
"Bronze Painted Wild-Goose And Fish Lamp The Lamp, Used During The Han Dynasty 2000 Years Ago"
27.
"New York City 1940s"
28.
"A Roman Denarius Of Julius Caesar, After Whom The Month Of July Is Named, As Imperator In Front Of An Eight Rayed Star"
29.
"Marveling At The Breathtaking View Of The Pyramid Of The Sun At Teotihuacan"
30.
"The World Trade Center Under Construction, March 1972"
31.
"Sword From The Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo Ship-Burial, Dates To Approximately 620 Ad; Suffolk, England"
32.
"Ancient Roman Arches At The Base Of The Palatine Hill In Rome, Next To The Forum"
33.
"The Fairy Chimneys In Cappadocia, Turkey, Are A Surreal Natural Wonder. These Unique Rock Formations, Sculpted By Volcanic Activity And Erosion Over Thousands Of Years, Create An Otherworldly Landscape"
34.
"Menhir De Kerhouezel - Brittany - France"
35.
"The Gate Of The Sun In 1971"
36.
"An Ostrich Carriage Being Stopped By The Police For Crossing The Speed Limit, Los Angeles, 1930s"
37.
"Interior Of Helmbold’s Drug Store, On Broadway Near Prince St. It Is A Prime Example Of The Victorian Age. The Picture Is From 1886!"
38.
"Haldi (Khaldi) Was The Supreme God Of The Urartian Pantheon, And There Was A Temple Dedicated To Him At Ancient Erebuni. Bas Relief Reconstruction, K Gianjian. (Erebuni Historical And Archaeological Culture Preserve, Yerevan.)"
39.
"Antiochus I Theos Maintained His Legitimacy As A Persian King Via His Connection To Darius I"
40.
"Roma Settlement Along Ogden Avenue In Lyons, Illinois. Early 1900s"

1.
"A Boy Sits Reading In A Bombed Bookstore, London, 1940"
2.
"One Of The Worst Mining Accidents In History, The Fraterville Mine Disaster In Tennessee, Killed Over 200 Miners In 1902"
3.
"This Exceptional Babylonian Clay Tablet World Map Stands As The First Documented World Map In History. The Script On The Map Is Inscribed In Akkadian Cuneiform, Dating Back To The 6th Century Bce"
4.
"Before And After The Excavation And Restoration Of The Great Ziggurat Of Ur, Built Approximately 4000 Years Ago"
5.
"Gavrinis Is A Small Island In The Gulf Of Morbihan In Brittany, France. It Contains The Gavrinis Tomb, A Neolithic Passage Tomb Built Around 4200–4000 Bc, Making It One Of The World's Oldest Surviving Buildings"
6.
"The Best Preserved And Most Intact Lorica Segmentata Roman Armour In Existence. This Armour Discovered In Corbridge Roman Town Near Hadrian’s Wall Is Of International Importance"
7.
"Derveni Krater; A Masterpiece Of Hellenistic Art, Thessaloniki, 4th C. Bc"
8.
"Nice View Of The Temple Of Hatshepsut A Mortuary Temple Built During The Reign Of Pharaoh Hatshepsut Of The Eighteenth Dynasty Of Egypt (1550 Bce - 1290 Bce). A Masterpiece Of Ancient Architecture"
9.
"Portrait Of Life’s First Hired And First Female Staff Photographer, Margaret Bourke-White. She Was On Assignment In Algeria, Standing In Front Of Flying Fortress Bomber In Which She Made Combat Mission Photographs Of The U.S. Attack On Tunis, 1943"
10.
"The Soldiers Fed The Polar Bears With Condensed Milk Tins. Soviet Union, 1950"
11.
"Re-Excavation Of Lamassu, Kursbad, Iraq; Assyrian Deity Depicted With Human, Avian, And Bovine Or Leonine Elements. The City Was A New Capital Built By King Sargon II In 721 Bc"
12.
"The Goshen, Indiana Farm Boy Here Again Among His Chickens With A Toy Wheel Barrow That He Might Have Used To Deliver Corn To Feed Them. 1930s Or 1940s"
13.
"Soldiers Wearing Gas Masks While Peeling Onions At Tobruk, 15 October 1941"
14.
"Audi Workers Demonstrating The Body Strength Of The Audi 920 (1938)"
15.
"Bronze Age Frescoes From Knossos (In Crete) , Thera (Santorini) And Mycenae (In Peloponnese); 17th - 13th Century Bc"
16.
"The Koh Ker Pyramid, Located In Cambodia, Standing At Over 35 Meters Tall, It's One Of The Largest Pyramid Structures In Southeast Asia"
17.
"The Pyramid Of The Niches Is A Stunning Architectural Feat Located In The Ancient City Of El Tajín, Veracruz, Mexico"
18.
"U.S. Marine Provides Water To A Stray Kitten Found Hiding Under A Knocked Out Japanese Type 95 Ha-Gō Light Tank On The Tarawa Atoll On November 24, 1943"
19.
"Large Epitaphic Attic Geometric Amphora (Large Closed Vessel With Two Vertical Handles For Transporting Or Storing Liquid Or Solid Products), With A Scene Of Burial And Mourning"
20.
"Cleopatra's Pool"
21.
"Learning How To Swim In The 1920s"
22.
"A Roman Mosaic Portion Showing A Medallion Of The Personification Of Spring. This Was Made In Carthage (Modern Day Tunisia) In The 4th Century Ad And Is On Display In The British Museum In London, England"
23.
"This Shot Shows More Than 7,000 Bags Of Gold And Silver That Had Been Looted By The Germans During The War. It Was Stored Here, Inside The Merkers Salt Mine In Germany And Discovered On April 8, 1945. Included In This Discovery Was 8,198 Bars Of Gold Bullion And 2.76 Billion Reichsmarks"
24.
"The Children Had To Cross The River Using Pulleys On Their Way To School In The Outskirts Of Modena, Italy!! (1959)"
25.
"A Mother Teaching Her Daughter How To Use A Spinning Wheel, Ireland - 1904"
26.
"Bronze Painted Wild-Goose And Fish Lamp The Lamp, Used During The Han Dynasty 2000 Years Ago"
27.
"New York City 1940s"
28.
"A Roman Denarius Of Julius Caesar, After Whom The Month Of July Is Named, As Imperator In Front Of An Eight Rayed Star"
29.
"Marveling At The Breathtaking View Of The Pyramid Of The Sun At Teotihuacan"
30.
"The World Trade Center Under Construction, March 1972"
31.
"Sword From The Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo Ship-Burial, Dates To Approximately 620 Ad; Suffolk, England"
32.
"Ancient Roman Arches At The Base Of The Palatine Hill In Rome, Next To The Forum"
33.
"The Fairy Chimneys In Cappadocia, Turkey, Are A Surreal Natural Wonder. These Unique Rock Formations, Sculpted By Volcanic Activity And Erosion Over Thousands Of Years, Create An Otherworldly Landscape"
34.
"Menhir De Kerhouezel - Brittany - France"
35.
"The Gate Of The Sun In 1971"
36.
"An Ostrich Carriage Being Stopped By The Police For Crossing The Speed Limit, Los Angeles, 1930s"
37.
"Interior Of Helmbold’s Drug Store, On Broadway Near Prince St. It Is A Prime Example Of The Victorian Age. The Picture Is From 1886!"
38.
"Haldi (Khaldi) Was The Supreme God Of The Urartian Pantheon, And There Was A Temple Dedicated To Him At Ancient Erebuni. Bas Relief Reconstruction, K Gianjian. (Erebuni Historical And Archaeological Culture Preserve, Yerevan.)"
39.
"Antiochus I Theos Maintained His Legitimacy As A Persian King Via His Connection To Darius I"
40.
"Roma Settlement Along Ogden Avenue In Lyons, Illinois. Early 1900s"

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NEXT GALLERY 28 Funny Tweets Worthy of a Laugh

1. "A Boy Sits Reading In A Bombed Bookstore, London, 1940"

2. "One Of The Worst Mining Accidents In History, The Fraterville Mine Disaster In Tennessee, Killed Over 200 Miners In 1902"

3. "This Exceptional Babylonian Clay Tablet World Map Stands As The First Documented World Map In History. The Script On The Map Is Inscribed In Akkadian Cuneiform, Dating Back To The 6th Century Bce"

4. "Before And After The Excavation And Restoration Of The Great Ziggurat Of Ur, Built Approximately 4000 Years Ago"

5. "Gavrinis Is A Small Island In The Gulf Of Morbihan In Brittany, France. It Contains The Gavrinis Tomb, A Neolithic Passage Tomb Built Around 4200–4000 Bc, Making It One Of The World's Oldest Surviving Buildings"

6. "The Best Preserved And Most Intact Lorica Segmentata Roman Armour In Existence. This Armour Discovered In Corbridge Roman Town Near Hadrian’s Wall Is Of International Importance"

7. "Derveni Krater; A Masterpiece Of Hellenistic Art, Thessaloniki, 4th C. Bc"

8. "Nice View Of The Temple Of Hatshepsut A Mortuary Temple Built During The Reign Of Pharaoh Hatshepsut Of The Eighteenth Dynasty Of Egypt (1550 Bce - 1290 Bce). A Masterpiece Of Ancient Architecture"

9. "Portrait Of Life’s First Hired And First Female Staff Photographer, Margaret Bourke-White. She Was On Assignment In Algeria, Standing In Front Of Flying Fortress Bomber In Which She Made Combat Mission Photographs Of The U.S. Attack On Tunis, 1943"

10. "The Soldiers Fed The Polar Bears With Condensed Milk Tins. Soviet Union, 1950"

11. "Re-Excavation Of Lamassu, Kursbad, Iraq; Assyrian Deity Depicted With Human, Avian, And Bovine Or Leonine Elements. The City Was A New Capital Built By King Sargon II In 721 Bc"

12. "The Goshen, Indiana Farm Boy Here Again Among His Chickens With A Toy Wheel Barrow That He Might Have Used To Deliver Corn To Feed Them. 1930s Or 1940s"

13. "Soldiers Wearing Gas Masks While Peeling Onions At Tobruk, 15 October 1941"

14. "Audi Workers Demonstrating The Body Strength Of The Audi 920 (1938)"

15. "Bronze Age Frescoes From Knossos (In Crete) , Thera (Santorini) And Mycenae (In Peloponnese); 17th - 13th Century Bc"

16. "The Koh Ker Pyramid, Located In Cambodia, Standing At Over 35 Meters Tall, It's One Of The Largest Pyramid Structures In Southeast Asia"

17. "The Pyramid Of The Niches Is A Stunning Architectural Feat Located In The Ancient City Of El Tajín, Veracruz, Mexico"

18. "U.S. Marine Provides Water To A Stray Kitten Found Hiding Under A Knocked Out Japanese Type 95 Ha-Gō Light Tank On The Tarawa Atoll On November 24, 1943"

19. "Large Epitaphic Attic Geometric Amphora (Large Closed Vessel With Two Vertical Handles For Transporting Or Storing Liquid Or Solid Products), With A Scene Of Burial And Mourning"

20. "Cleopatra's Pool"

21. "Learning How To Swim In The 1920s"

22. "A Roman Mosaic Portion Showing A Medallion Of The Personification Of Spring. This Was Made In Carthage (Modern Day Tunisia) In The 4th Century Ad And Is On Display In The British Museum In London, England"

23. "This Shot Shows More Than 7,000 Bags Of Gold And Silver That Had Been Looted By The Germans During The War. It Was Stored Here, Inside The Merkers Salt Mine In Germany And Discovered On April 8, 1945. Included In This Discovery Was 8,198 Bars Of Gold Bullion And 2.76 Billion Reichsmarks"

24. "The Children Had To Cross The River Using Pulleys On Their Way To School In The Outskirts Of Modena, Italy!! (1959)"

25. "A Mother Teaching Her Daughter How To Use A Spinning Wheel, Ireland - 1904"

26. "Bronze Painted Wild-Goose And Fish Lamp The Lamp, Used During The Han Dynasty 2000 Years Ago"

27. "New York City 1940s"

28. "A Roman Denarius Of Julius Caesar, After Whom The Month Of July Is Named, As Imperator In Front Of An Eight Rayed Star"

29. "Marveling At The Breathtaking View Of The Pyramid Of The Sun At Teotihuacan"

30. "The World Trade Center Under Construction, March 1972"

31. "Sword From The Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo Ship-Burial, Dates To Approximately 620 Ad; Suffolk, England"

32. "Ancient Roman Arches At The Base Of The Palatine Hill In Rome, Next To The Forum"

33. "The Fairy Chimneys In Cappadocia, Turkey, Are A Surreal Natural Wonder. These Unique Rock Formations, Sculpted By Volcanic Activity And Erosion Over Thousands Of Years, Create An Otherworldly Landscape"

34. "Menhir De Kerhouezel - Brittany - France"

35. "The Gate Of The Sun In 1971"

36. "An Ostrich Carriage Being Stopped By The Police For Crossing The Speed Limit, Los Angeles, 1930s"

37. "Interior Of Helmbold’s Drug Store, On Broadway Near Prince St. It Is A Prime Example Of The Victorian Age. The Picture Is From 1886!"

38. "Haldi (Khaldi) Was The Supreme God Of The Urartian Pantheon, And There Was A Temple Dedicated To Him At Ancient Erebuni. Bas Relief Reconstruction, K Gianjian. (Erebuni Historical And Archaeological Culture Preserve, Yerevan.)"

39. "Antiochus I Theos Maintained His Legitimacy As A Persian King Via His Connection To Darius I"

40. "Roma Settlement Along Ogden Avenue In Lyons, Illinois. Early 1900s"

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1.
"A Boy Sits Reading In A Bombed Bookstore, London, 1940"

2.
"One Of The Worst Mining Accidents In History, The Fraterville Mine Disaster In Tennessee, Killed Over 200 Miners In 1902"

3.
"This Exceptional Babylonian Clay Tablet World Map Stands As The First Documented World Map In History. The Script On The Map Is Inscribed In Akkadian Cuneiform, Dating Back To The 6th Century Bce"

4.
"Before And After The Excavation And Restoration Of The Great Ziggurat Of Ur, Built Approximately 4000 Years Ago"

5.
"Gavrinis Is A Small Island In The Gulf Of Morbihan In Brittany, France. It Contains The Gavrinis Tomb, A Neolithic Passage Tomb Built Around 4200–4000 Bc, Making It One Of The World's Oldest Surviving Buildings"

6.
"The Best Preserved And Most Intact Lorica Segmentata Roman Armour In Existence. This Armour Discovered In Corbridge Roman Town Near Hadrian’s Wall Is Of International Importance"

7.
"Derveni Krater; A Masterpiece Of Hellenistic Art, Thessaloniki, 4th C. Bc"

8.
"Nice View Of The Temple Of Hatshepsut A Mortuary Temple Built During The Reign Of Pharaoh Hatshepsut Of The Eighteenth Dynasty Of Egypt (1550 Bce - 1290 Bce). A Masterpiece Of Ancient Architecture"

9.
"Portrait Of Life’s First Hired And First Female Staff Photographer, Margaret Bourke-White. She Was On Assignment In Algeria, Standing In Front Of Flying Fortress Bomber In Which She Made Combat Mission Photographs Of The U.S. Attack On Tunis, 1943"

10.
"The Soldiers Fed The Polar Bears With Condensed Milk Tins. Soviet Union, 1950"

11.
"Re-Excavation Of Lamassu, Kursbad, Iraq; Assyrian Deity Depicted With Human, Avian, And Bovine Or Leonine Elements. The City Was A New Capital Built By King Sargon II In 721 Bc"

12.
"The Goshen, Indiana Farm Boy Here Again Among His Chickens With A Toy Wheel Barrow That He Might Have Used To Deliver Corn To Feed Them. 1930s Or 1940s"

13.
"Soldiers Wearing Gas Masks While Peeling Onions At Tobruk, 15 October 1941"

14.
"Audi Workers Demonstrating The Body Strength Of The Audi 920 (1938)"

15.
"Bronze Age Frescoes From Knossos (In Crete) , Thera (Santorini) And Mycenae (In Peloponnese); 17th - 13th Century Bc"

16.
"The Koh Ker Pyramid, Located In Cambodia, Standing At Over 35 Meters Tall, It's One Of The Largest Pyramid Structures In Southeast Asia"

17.
"The Pyramid Of The Niches Is A Stunning Architectural Feat Located In The Ancient City Of El Tajín, Veracruz, Mexico"

18.
"U.S. Marine Provides Water To A Stray Kitten Found Hiding Under A Knocked Out Japanese Type 95 Ha-Gō Light Tank On The Tarawa Atoll On November 24, 1943"

19.
"Large Epitaphic Attic Geometric Amphora (Large Closed Vessel With Two Vertical Handles For Transporting Or Storing Liquid Or Solid Products), With A Scene Of Burial And Mourning"

20.
"Cleopatra's Pool"

21.
"Learning How To Swim In The 1920s"

22.
"A Roman Mosaic Portion Showing A Medallion Of The Personification Of Spring. This Was Made In Carthage (Modern Day Tunisia) In The 4th Century Ad And Is On Display In The British Museum In London, England"

23.
"This Shot Shows More Than 7,000 Bags Of Gold And Silver That Had Been Looted By The Germans During The War. It Was Stored Here, Inside The Merkers Salt Mine In Germany And Discovered On April 8, 1945. Included In This Discovery Was 8,198 Bars Of Gold Bullion And 2.76 Billion Reichsmarks"

24.
"The Children Had To Cross The River Using Pulleys On Their Way To School In The Outskirts Of Modena, Italy!! (1959)"

25.
"A Mother Teaching Her Daughter How To Use A Spinning Wheel, Ireland - 1904"

26.
"Bronze Painted Wild-Goose And Fish Lamp The Lamp, Used During The Han Dynasty 2000 Years Ago"

27.
"New York City 1940s"

28.
"A Roman Denarius Of Julius Caesar, After Whom The Month Of July Is Named, As Imperator In Front Of An Eight Rayed Star"

29.
"Marveling At The Breathtaking View Of The Pyramid Of The Sun At Teotihuacan"

30.
"The World Trade Center Under Construction, March 1972"

31.
"Sword From The Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo Ship-Burial, Dates To Approximately 620 Ad; Suffolk, England"

32.
"Ancient Roman Arches At The Base Of The Palatine Hill In Rome, Next To The Forum"

33.
"The Fairy Chimneys In Cappadocia, Turkey, Are A Surreal Natural Wonder. These Unique Rock Formations, Sculpted By Volcanic Activity And Erosion Over Thousands Of Years, Create An Otherworldly Landscape"

34.
"Menhir De Kerhouezel - Brittany - France"

35.
"The Gate Of The Sun In 1971"

36.
"An Ostrich Carriage Being Stopped By The Police For Crossing The Speed Limit, Los Angeles, 1930s"

37.
"Interior Of Helmbold’s Drug Store, On Broadway Near Prince St. It Is A Prime Example Of The Victorian Age. The Picture Is From 1886!"

38.
"Haldi (Khaldi) Was The Supreme God Of The Urartian Pantheon, And There Was A Temple Dedicated To Him At Ancient Erebuni. Bas Relief Reconstruction, K Gianjian. (Erebuni Historical And Archaeological Culture Preserve, Yerevan.)"

39.
"Antiochus I Theos Maintained His Legitimacy As A Persian King Via His Connection To Darius I"

40.
"Roma Settlement Along Ogden Avenue In Lyons, Illinois. Early 1900s"