31 Incredible Photos Of Historic Moments

History – never more awesome and fascinating than in photo form. Here are 31 incredible photos of historic moments:

1) JFK meets a young Bill Clinton

If JFK had known what Clinton was going to get up to I expect he would have slapped him silly… either that or given him a high-five?

2) Flow over Niagra Falls stopped for maintenance in 1969

Well, that can’t have been easy can it?

3) Beatles prepare to cross Abbey Road

The build up to one of the most iconic photos of all time, quite possibly.

4) Steve McQueen and James Coburn as pallbearers at Bruce Lee’s funeral – 1973

5) Einstein chilling in 1932

There is nothing I don’t like about this dude. Here’s a quick quote while we’re at it: “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits”.

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6) Only known photo of Einstein lecturing with E=MC2 written on the board

Another Einstein quote? OK: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new”.

7) Coloured German soldiers 1932

8) Search lights on Gibraltar

This was taken during an air-raid practice on Gibraltar, 20 November 1942.

9) Hitler feeding deer

This photo was supposed to be one of the very few times Hitler was filmed without his prior knowledge. The softer side of a genocidal maniac.

10) Houdini exposing the fakery behind spirit trickery

Houdini doing what would now be described as a “Derren Brown”.

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11) Dinosaurs on the Hudson River going to the World Fair 1964

The Sinclair Oil Corporation sponsored “Dinoland” at the World Fair which featured life-size replicas of nine different dinosaurs, including the corporation’s signature Brontosaurus.

12) JFK’s family leave his funeral

13) Lion in the sidecar of a wall of death Massachusetts – 1929

Yup, a lion in the sidecar. He looks completely unphased by it all.

14) Mark Twain 1883

Author of Huckleberry Finn looking a little racey. Here’s a quote from the good man: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt”.

15) Vladimir Putin and friends 1969

He hasn’t aged a bit. Apparently none of them have been seen since this was taken but I don’t believe that.

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16) Stephen Hawking marries Jane Wilde – 1965

Hawking quote: “Women. They are a complete mystery”.

17) Kids mob sweet store after rationing ends 1953

Well you would wouldn’t you?

18) Only known photo of an African-American Union Soldier with his family – 1860’s

19) Whitehouse – 1865

20) Only known photo of Chopin – 1849

Poland’s greatest composer, wrote his first piece of music at the delicate age of 7, performed his first concert at 8 and died aged 39 of TB.

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21) Execution by cannon – Iran

Yes, this really happened. Here’s a description written by someone who has witnessed it in action: “The prisoner is generally tied to a gun with the upper part of the small of his back resting against the muzzle. When the gun is fired, his head is seen to go straight up into the air some 40 or fifty feet; the arms fly off right and left, high up in the air, and fall at, perhaps, a hundred yards distance; the legs drop to the ground beneath the muzzle of the gun; and the body is literally blown away altogether, not a vestige being seen…”

22) Turkish sniper in camouflage captured by two Anzacs, Gallipoli – 1915

Wow, that is a thorough outfit.

23) Harry Houdini -1912 in chains, about to be lowered into the East River

24) Ida Fuller of Vermont receiving the first ever US Social Security cheque

This cheque was the first ever of its kind. The payment amounted to $22.54 and was the first step away from poverty for the old folks of America. Before 1940 they had basically lived in squalor.

25) Last known photo of Lenin – 1923

He looks fairly unstable doesn’t he? He’d had a number of strokes by this point so we won’t hold it against him.

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26) Marilyn Monroe meets Queen Elizabeth – 1956

The chap in the centre is doing a wonderful job of keeping his gaze at eye level.

27) Miss New Zealand faints during the 1957 Miss Universe Pageant

The competition was held in California, I guess she wasn’t used to the heat.

28) Russian peasants get electricity for the first time 1920

29) Teddy Roosevelt riding a moose – 1920

Unfortunately this has recently turned out to be a fake, but I thought I’d put it in so that if someone else shows it you, you can say they are an idiot for being taken in by it. The photo was created by the photography firm Underwood and Underwood and used in a collage titled ‘The Race for the White House’ in a newspaper covering the election race.