Check Out These Amazing Colorized Black-and-White Photos From The Past

Giving A Fellow Hollywood Star The Side-Eye

There’s nothing new about Hollywood rivals. Here’s a photo of Sophia Loren next to Jayne Mansfield’s bust, with her hat perched on top of it. They’d crashed a party, as it turned out! According to Paramount’s records, the photo was taken at a party to celebrate the Italian actor’s arrival in the United States. It happened in Beverly Hills in 1957. Clifton Webb’s assets were being hurled at the celebrant sitting next to him. This was probably a publicity stunt for Jayne Mansfield rather than Loren. Loren admitted that she couldn’t help but keep her gaze fixed on Mansfield. Additionally, she has refused to sign copies of this photograph in the past.

Giving A Fellow Hollywood Star The Side-Eye

Entering The Jaws Of Death Without A Clue

Soldiers from Canada, England, and the United States turned the tide of the war by storming the beaches of Normandy. Many enlistees were aware that once they entered battle, they might not be able to return home. As a sergeant, Tom Jensen served with the 626th Engineer Light Equipment Co. According to him, the other soldiers didn’t know where they were going until they arrived, according to the Chicago Tribune. The vet said, “They didn’t tell us anything we didn’t need to know. Heck, some of the guys on our ship thought we were headed to Japan, not Normandy. Just months earlier, we were either in high school or working odd jobs. We weren’t soldiers, at least not yet.”

Entering The Jaws Of Death Without A Clue

Marilyn Monroe Is Pretty In Pink

Harold Lloyd captured this sweet image of a movie star for Life Magazine in 1952. This was the first photo collaboration between the two, but it was far from the last. After a year, the two of them collaborated once again. It was for the spread of a swimsuit taken out at his estate, Greenacres, this time. Marilyn Monroe had a lot of fun with him because the estate provided her with the solitude she required. His daughter said, “She was my age, or maybe a year or two younger, but we came from very different worlds. She sat down to put on her makeup, and we just started chatting about our lives. She insisted on seeing the baby and talked about how she dreamed of having a child of her own one day.”

Teenage German Soldier In Distress After His Capture

It’s rare to come across a WWII photograph that isn’t emotionally charged. Take a look at this photo of a 16-year-old German soldier named Hans-Georg Henke. After being captured by the US 9th Army on April 3, 1945, this photo was taken. His parents had died the previous year, prompting him to join the Luftwaffe in order to help support the rest of his family. The boy was crying and shocked, according to the photographer, John Florea. Because he was a young boy who lived through the worst of the war, it’s understandable.

Teenage German Soldier In Distress After His Capture

The Fattest, Shortest, And Tallest Men In Europe

Isn’t it wonderful to see three people at the top of their game? These guys were once the world’s tallest, tiniest, and heaviest men. These images reveal a great deal about humanity! Isn’t it amazing to see how different people can be? Despite this, the guys seem to be getting along fine. This photograph dates from 1913, more than a century ago!

The Fattest, Shortest, And Tallest Men In Europe

Meet Jungle Pam

Jungle Pam enticed a lot of people into drag racing. When it comes to attracting fans, nothing seems to work better than a stunning bombshell in shorts. After meeting a drag racer named Jungle Jim in Pennsylvania when she was 18 years old, she got into the business. She dropped out of college in order to pursue a drag racing career! Her pal was there to help her learn the ropes. She was a quick study and quickly became the focus of their pit crew’s attention. To be fair, we understand completely why this happened.

Meet Jungle Pam

How The Mona Lisa Survived The Second World War

Does the Mona Lisa have a rival in terms of notoriety? Once before, during WWII, it was stolen from the Louvre and never recovered. The director of France’s National Museums, Jacques Jaujard, came up with a strategy to keep the collection safe from the Nazis. He closed the museum for three days “for repairs” after the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Non-Aggression Pact on August 25, 1939. All of the artwork was removed from the walls, the statues were relocated, and wooden crates were used to transport it. Red dots denoted the importance of the items in these boxes. Thousands of artifacts and crates were then transported to the Loire Valley using hundreds of trucks.

How The Mona Lisa Survived The Second World War

Carl Akeley And The Leopard That Attacked Him

In our opinion, taxidermy is a fascinating profession in and of itself. Carl Akeley is cooler than most people! During his African safaris, the jack of all trades had numerous encounters with wild animals. He was very serious about his job. He didn’t just use whatever he had on hand to stuff the skins. Instead, he examined their bodies to ensure the accuracy of the final products. While hunting for ostriches in Somaliland in 1896, he came face to face with a leopard. After a life-or-death battle, he barely made it out alive.

Carl Akeley And The Leopard That Attacked Him

Brigitte Bardot At Her Peak

Brigitte Bardot was once regarded as the most beautiful woman alive. The actress enchanted the audience and excelled in her roles. She was arguably one of the most popular women on the planet during the 1950s and 1960s. Unfortunately, her celebrity has made maintaining any semblance of privacy impossible. She once told The Guardian, “I don’t know what it means to sit quietly in a bistro, on a terrace, or in the theatre without being approached by someone.”

Brigitte Bardot At Her Peak

Arsenal Goalie Jack Kelsey On A Very Foggy Day

Jack Kelsey of Arsenal stares into the fog in this 1954 picture. The image below is frequently misidentified as coming from a Christmas Day viral story from 1937. According to this report, a game between Chelsea and Stamford Ridge took place on a foggy day. After only 61 minutes, the game was called off, but no one told the goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.

He expressed himself as follows: “I paced up and down my goal-line, happy in the knowledge that Chelsea were being pinned in their own half. ‘The boys must be giving the Pensioners the hammer,’ I thought smugly, as I stamped my feet for warmth… After a long time a figure loomed out of the curtain of fog in front of me. It was a policeman, and he gaped at me incredulously. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ he gasped. ‘The game was stopped a quarter of an hour ago. The field’s completely empty’. And when I groped my way to the dressing-room, the rest of the Charlton team, already out of the bath and in their civvies, were convulsed with laughter.”

Arsenal Goalie Jack Kelsey On A Very Foggy Day

Little Ruby Bridges And Her U.S. Marshal Escorts

Amazing, isn’t it, that a young girl was so crucial in the civil rights movement? Ruby Bridges was the first black elementary school student in the South to be desegregated. Federal marshals had to accompany her to William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans even though it was only a few blocks from her house. But the little girl had to deal with racists every day. White parents threatened to pull their children out of school if she studied with them, so she had to study alone. More than a decade later, she graduated from a desegregated high school. In 1999, she established the Ruby Bridges Foundation with the goal of promoting tolerance and change through education.

Little Ruby Bridges And Her U.S. Marshal Escorts

A Utility Worker Delivering The Kiss Of Life

This amazing picture was taken in 1967 by Rocco Morabito. When J.D. Thompson, a utility worker, tries to save his colleague Randall G. Champion, it’s called “The Kiss of Life.” His coworker had just made contact with a low-voltage line prior to this. The unfortunate individual was instantly knocked out. Thompson had the good fortune of being a quick thinker. Morabito reportedly saw the incident while driving down West 26th Street.

He shared, “I heard screaming. I looked up and I saw this man hanging down. Oh my God. I didn’t know what to do. I took a picture right quick. J.D. Thompson was running toward the pole. I went to my car and called an ambulance. I got back to the pole and J.D. was breathing into Champion. I backed off, way off until I hit a house and I couldn’t go any farther. I took another picture. Then I heard Thompson shouting down: He’s breathing!”

A Utility Worker Delivering The Kiss Of Life

A German Soldier In His Dugout During The Great War

One of the most important aspects of World War One’s trench warfare was trench warfare itself. This military tactic, which dates back to the Civil War, has soldiers dig ditches as a means of defense and as a last-ditch effort. Troop movements in Belgium and northern France necessitated weeks-long stays in trenches. The First World War’s massive number of casualties was directly related to trench warfare. These were the men who had to come out of the trenches to face the oncoming forces. Because they were in a “no man’s land,” they were easy targets for the attackers’ gunfire.

A German Soldier In His Dugout During The Great War

The Gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor While Taping Giant In 1956

Elizabeth Taylor lived a life that few people will ever forget. It wasn’t until the 1950s that she really broke through as an actress, starring in the film Giant alongside Rock Hudson and James Dean. The actress once confessed that she didn’t watch her own films, preferring to savor the memories of the making of them instead. She shared, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Giant. I don’t look at old movies of myself. I don’t even look at new ones of myself. But I loved Jimmy and I loved Rock. And I was the last person Jimmy was with before he drove to his death…But that was a private, personal moment.”

The Gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor While Taping Giant In 1956

Hawaiian Night Fishing, 1948

What a spectacular photo! Imagine wading into the water while a live flame is hovering above your head. This feat is even more incredible when you consider he was spearfishing. For generations, Hawaiians have fished in shallow waters with spears. Koai’e, uhiuhi, o’a, and kauila are all strong woods that are frequently used. They have a pointed end and are usually 6 to 7 feet long. To attract fish, the fishermen used torches made from coconut leaves stuck to their homemade poles. When they needed it to be brighter, they burned nuts in bamboo.

Hawaiian Night Fishing, 1948

Charlie Chaplin And Albert Einstein At The Premiere Of City Lights

You’d be mistaken if you assumed Albert Einstein spent his days with other scientists! He was a witty and imaginative person who considered himself to be an artist. After being introduced by Universal Studios’ head, Carl Laemmle, we can see why he and Charlie Chaplin hit it off. In 1931, the scientist and the comedian were both there at the premiere of City Lights! Einstein is said to have confessed that he envied his friend’s ability to communicate with the rest of the world without saying a single word. Chaplin replied, “But your fame is even greater… the world admires you when nobody understands you.”

Charlie Chaplin And Albert Einstein At The Premiere Of City Lights

Paratroopers Of Easy Company Chilling At Adolf Hitler’s Home

Even though the guys in the photo appear to be having a good time, it’s even better! The men of Easy Company were chilling at Adolf Hitler’s house in the Bavarian Alps when this photo was taken in 1945. This scene will be familiar to anyone who has seen the miniseries Band of Brothers. Hitler amassed a number of homes across Europe, including this one in Obersalzberg, Bavaria. It was bombed on the 25th of April, 1945. SS troops set it on fire just hours before the French 2nd Armored Division and the US 3rd Infantry Division entered through the secret tunnels. The Allies retaliated by looting the house and stealing the remaining booze!

Paratroopers Of Easy Company Chilling At Adolf Hitler’s Home

Vivien Leigh In The Role Of Scarlett O’Hara

Even though she was English and had no Southern Belle, actress Vivien Leigh starred in Gone with the Wind. In any case, this was a crucial role in her professional life! When she arrived in Los Angeles for taping, people thought she was hysterical and difficult to work with. At the time, she and her co-star Laurence Olivier thought the film would be a flop. He even noted to her, “You have got to justify yourself in the next two or 3 films (or even 2 or 3 years) by proving that the presumable failure of Gone W.T.W. was not your fault and you can only do that by being really good in the following parts. To make a success of your career in pictures [is] ESSENTIAL for your self-respect, and our ultimate happiness, therefore. … If you don’t, I am afraid you may become just — well boring.”

Vivien Leigh In The Role Of Scarlett O’Hara

Lawrence Of Arabia In Real Life

Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence was in an unusual situation during the First World War. He was a British demolition artist who worked with Arab rebels to destroy Ottoman Empire depots and bridges. Lawrence of Arabia owes his existence to him! He attacked 79 railway bridges, according to him, forcing them to be demolished and rebuilt. He completely wrecked the railways, and some of the ruins can still be seen today. The Turkish military decided to leave some of the rubble rather than tearing it down!

Lawrence Of Arabia In Real Life

The Smallest Man And His Huge Pet Cat

What an incredible picture! When Henry Behrens was alive, he was the smallest man on the planet, standing only 30 inches tall. Furthermore, he weighed only about 32 pounds. He joined Burton Lester’s small people troupe and traveled with them around the world. We’re grateful he didn’t mind and even seemed to enjoy the attention. Take a look at this adorable photo of him dancing with his cat from 1956!

The Smallest Man And His Huge Pet Cat

Japanese-Americans Were Relocated To Internment Camps

The US military imposed restrictions on Japanese-Americans following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Internment camps, which were essentially glorified prisons, were used to hold them. The military had no reason to act in this way because the civilians posed no threat. Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga talked about meeting one near Death Valley. She said, “The only thing that was in the ‘apartments’ when we got there were army metal beds with the springs on it, and a potbellied stove in the middle of the room. That was the only thing. No chest of drawers, no nothing, no curtains on the windows. It was the barest of the bare.” How awful. In 1942, this picture of Japanese-American students was taken.

Japanese-Americans Were Relocated To Internment Camps

Lyndon B. Johnson Was Sworn Into Office Aboard Air Force One

The United States was without a president for about an hour and a half after John F. Kennedy was assassinated. While the country was in a state of confusion and chaos, VPOTUS Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office aboard Air Force One while it was parked at Love Field in Dallas. On his left are First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson. FBI agents and his new cabinet members are among the onlookers. They all had anxious and tense facial expressions, revealing the level of anxiety and tension present.

Lyndon B. Johnson Was Sworn Into Office Aboard Air Force One

A Japanese Military Commander In Traditional Armor

In 1863, Felice Beato took this photograph. In the first version, the photographer colored it by hand! To focus on the traditional costumes and cultural traditions that he found fascinating, he preferred to shoot full-length portraits in the studio. Vignetting around the edges of his photographs of Japan gave them a more painterly appearance. The subject of this photograph was Koboto Santaro, a military commander. We have no idea what he’s holding in his hand, but we’d stay away from him!

A Japanese Military Commander In Traditional Armor

Sally Field As Gidget

Sally Field’s big break came in 1965 with the film Gidget, in which she played a surfer girl who was always getting herself into trouble. At the time, she was 18 years old. The actress shared, “After the first night of my workshop, a casting guy asked me if I had an agent. I didn’t, but I still went in for an interview. The waiting room was filled with girls who looked like movie stars. They all had professional headshots; the only pictures I had were wallet photos of me with my friends. At my screen test, I walked in and said, ‘Which one is the camera?’ The crew members were like, ‘Oh, boy.’ But the casting director said, ‘You’re it.’ God was looking out for me. He thought he’d throw me in the ocean and see if I could swim.”

Sally Field As Gidget

The Red Army Liberated The Auschwitz-Birkenau

On January 27, 1945, the Soviet Army arrived at Auschwitz and discovered a warehouse full of the victims’ belongings. Among the items discovered were pans, pots, eyeglasses, prosthetic limbs, and shoes. They assumed the camp had been abandoned at first. They soon discovered that it was teeming with sick and starving people who had been left behind by the Nazis when they fled. One of the first soldiers to arrive at the camp was Georgii Elisavetskii. He said, “They rushed toward us shouting, fell on their knees, kissed the flaps of our overcoats, and threw their arms around our legs.”

The Red Army Liberated The Auschwitz-Birkenau

Oregon Man Thomas Cave With His Social Security Number Tattoo

Thomas Cave and his wife Annie were among the legions of people who struggled during the Great Depression. Dorothea Lange, a photographer, claimed the couple worked nonstop for a year to earn $550, which would be $10,000 today. They rented a teeny-tiny apartment for $12 a month, only to be laid off. The Social Security Act was signed into law just four months before he got his tattoo, in 1937. This act provided relief to people who opted in and received a social security number. Cave had the number tattooed on his arm to remind him of it. He wasn’t the only one who did this at the time.

Oregon Man Thomas Cave With His Social Security Number Tattoo

The Effervescent Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren made her film debut in 1951, when she was only 17 years old, in Quo Vadis. She has since appeared in a number of films. She was once asked if there was anything she would change if she had the chance. She simply stated, “In a long, long career like I had—and by the way, I have—it’s very difficult to be able to criticize some of the moments that you do by yourself that you never tell to other people. It’s a very normal thing to do because you cannot every time have a big victory – no, there have been moments, maybe weak moments, where you did something that you are not really very happy about.”

The Effervescent Sophia Loren

A Soldier Heading Home After The War

Throughout his four-decade photography career, Ernst Haas straddled the line between photojournalist and artist. His photographs of soldiers returning home after WWII were filled with artistry. In a photo essay titled “Homecoming,” he captured the desperation and confusion that gripped Europe at the time, as people looked for relatives among the survivors. It was a successful collection that helped him reach even greater heights. He turned down every single one of them! He said, “What I want is to stay free so that I can carry out my ideas… I don’t think there are many editors who could give me the assignments I give myself.”

A Soldier Heading Home After The War

After The Engagement Of John F. Kennedy And Jackie Bouvier

Following their engagement, Jackie Bouvier and John F. Kennedy paid a visit to the Kennedy family’s Cape Cod home. A reporter who accompanied them took their engagement photos. Their engagement photos were featured in a special issue of Life Magazine! “Senator Kennedy Goes a-Courting,” read the headline in the July 20 issue. Jackie reflected on those times, saying, “Now, I think that I should have known that he was magic all along. I did know it — but I should have guessed that it would be too much to ask to grow old with and see our children grow up together. So now, he is a legend when he would have preferred to be a man.”

After The Engagement Of John F. Kennedy And Jackie Bouvier

A Civil War Veteran In Pennsylvania

Isn’t it odd that Civil War veterans lived into the twenty-first century? According to reports, the last of them died in 1956. The truth is that there were probably a few more nearby at the time. Young men had no choice but to fight if they could follow orders and hold a gun. Many of them still had a bright future ahead of them after serving in the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil. We’re sure they had a lot of interesting stories to tell the kids. In the year 1935, this photograph was taken.

A Civil War Veteran In Pennsylvania

Cornet Winston Churchill In The 4th Queen’s Hussar’s Cavalry

Winston Churchill is best known for his patriotism. He was a member of the 4th Queen’s Hussar’s Calvary when he was a young man, serving during “the august, unchallenged, and tranquil glories of the Victorian Era.” At the time, he spent the summer training and the rest of the year on extended leave. He went on a trip to Cuba during his leave in 1895! He and the rest of the regiment were then shipped to India. He was 21 years old when this photo was taken in 1895.

Cornet Winston Churchill In The 4th Queen’s Hussar’s Cavalry

The Real Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was widely regarded as a genius who lived in an ivory tower. That wasn’t the case at all! He saw himself as an artist who worked as a medium for his art. He used inspiration, imagination, and knowledge to come up with his theories. In an interview with the Saturday Evening Post in 1929, he stated, “I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am… [but] I would have been surprised if I had been wrong… I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

The Real Albert Einstein

Hitchhiking Was Common In The ’60s And ’70s

In the 1970s, people relied on hitchhiking to get around the country. It was a little risky, but the prospect of having more freedom enticed young people. Hitchhiking has, in fact, always been a part of human culture since the dawn of time. However, it was not until the 1970s that it gained popularity. Back then, these kids trusted strangers behind the wheel with their lives. However, in recent years, this has become much less common. People still hitchhike, but it isn’t as common as it once was.

Hitchhiking Was Common In The ’60s And ’70s

Geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor And Meteorologist Charles Wright Beside An Iceberg

At the turn of the century, when explorers took on the Arctic, people were awestruck. For the honor of being the first to reach the South Pole, people competed! In 1911, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott launched the Terra Nova Expedition to do just that. The group encountered difficult conditions on their way to the “pole hunt.” After nearly a year of waiting, they arrived on January 16, 1912. The story’s most tragic aspect was that a flag had already been placed there! Roald Amundsen of Norway beat them by a month.

Geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor And Meteorologist Charles Wright Beside An Iceberg

Charlie Chaplin When He Was 27 Years Old

Have you ever seen Charlie Chaplin when he wasn’t playing the Tramp? He wasn’t at all like the unlucky bowler hat wearer! He was born into poverty as the son of a failing actress. He, too, took to the stage and then relocated to America from London! On the other side of the Atlantic, he made a name for himself quickly. The Tramp was based on his father’s memories. He said, “It was just released whole from somewhere deep within my father, it was really my father’s alter ego, the little boy who never grew up: ragged, cold, hungry, but still thumbing his nose at the world.”

Charlie Chaplin When He Was 27 Years Old

The Seaforth Highlanders With A Dog In Their French Trench

Europe worked hard to defeat the Central Powers during the Great War, which was unparalleled in its brutality and carnage! Despite being woefully underprepared, soldiers from all over the world took part in massive battles. The Seaforth Highlanders of Scotland, founded in 1881, stepped forward to fight the fascists. It became known as the county regiment for various northern Scottish counties after the 78th and 72nd Highlanders merged. The men were originally stationed in India, but in 1914, they were reassigned to France to fight in the Battle of Givenchy. They were eventually relocated to Palestine and Iraq.

The Seaforth Highlanders With A Dog In Their French Trench

Salvador Dali Aboard The S.S. Normandie In New York City

Salvador Dali was a surrealist artist who seemed to exist outside of time and space. Despite this, in the 20th century, his surrealist paintings and experiments drew a lot of attention! Early trips to New York City, among other things, had an influence on him. He and his wife boarded the Champlain from Franc and were forced to stay on one of the lower decks near the machine rooms when they first visited New York. He only said that, according to Patroness Caresse Crosby, “I am next to the engine so that I’ll get there quicker.”

Salvador Dali Aboard The S.S. Normandie In New York City

A Young Woman Called Eunice Hancock With A Compressed-Air Grinder In An Aircraft Plant

Men were compelled to enlist in the fight against Germany and Japan during WWII. Women chose to work in utilities, transportation, and manufacturing to fill the void they left in the labor market! During WWII, nearly 2 million women worked in factories and on assembly lines to help the war effort by producing armaments and machine parts. At the time, the percentage of working women had risen from 27% to 37%! These women made just as much of a contribution to the war effort as the men.

A Young Woman Called Eunice Hancock With A Compressed Air Grinder In An Aircraft Plant

Pablo Picasso With Gifts From Gary Cooper In 1958

Picasso holding a revolver and a hat is one of the coolest photo ever. The artist relished the opportunity to interact with people from various walks of life and entertain them. Among his circle of acquaintances were writers such as Gertrude Stein, Julio Gonzalez, and even Andre Salmon. Almost everyone on this list has spent time in Paris at some point in their lives. Other than that, Picasso had a close relationship with Gary Cooper! In the 1950s, they were so close that the artist invited the actor and his family to stay at his ceramics shrine in Vallauris, where he worked on his own ceramics.

Pablo Picasso With Gifts From Gary Cooper In 1958

A Leading Stoker Called Popeye Who Was On The HMS Rodney

The guy in the photo looks exactly like Popeye, the Sailor Man! It turns out that E.C. Segar got the inspiration for the cartoon character from a local man. However, this was not the same individual. A man from the HMS Rodney in 1940 is depicted in this photograph. The nickname “Popeye” was given to him by the Imperial War Museum. Don’t get too worked up, though. Let us remind you that the HMS Rodney was a British ship, while Segar grew up in Illinois.

A Leading Stoker Called Popeye Who Was On The HMS Rodney

The Reunion Of Two German Brothers After The Border Pass Agreement

Look at this stunning photo of two German brothers. When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, no one was allowed to cross the border. This situation persisted until 1963, when a border pass agreement was passed. This enabled people to travel from West Berlin to the eastern side of the city. This was not a perfect solution, and it did not provide relief to those who felt helpless. For two years, some people were unable to see their loved ones. The wall was finally torn down after 25 years.

The Reunion Of Two German Brothers After The Border Pass Agreement

Mata Hari Blew The French Firing Squad A Kiss

Mata Hari, we’d like to show you again because her story is so compelling. She began her career as a dancer before becoming a spy during World War I. This woman combined espionage and sexuality in her pursuits. Before she became famous, she was a natural impersonator. Despite dancing in an Eastern style, she pretended to be Lady MacLeod, the daughter of an English lord. Her spy days were legendary, but they were brief. She was shot and killed by a firing squad on October 15, 1917. Before they murdered her, she did not appear to be blindfolded and blew a kiss to the men.

Mata Hari Blew The French Firing Squad A Kiss

Photographers Used Backdrops To Hide The Devastation In Warsaw

Europe was in shambles after WWII, regardless of which side they fought on. Poland, like the rest of Europe, was devastated. The country was once known for its magnificent structures, but many have since been demolished. Survivors wished to return to their previous lives, but finding a way to do so was difficult. By pretending that nothing had happened, photographers attempted to restore some semblance of normalcy to the citizens. Thanks to backdrops like this one, they were able to do so! The contrast is astounding.

Photographers Used Backdrops To Hide The Devastation In Warsaw

American Soldiers Look At The Tricolor Flag Flying From The Eiffel Tower Again

For four years, the Nazis occupied Paris. After a long struggle, it was liberated on August 25, 1944. The Nazis did not fight back after the arrival of the US 4th Infantry Division and the French 2nd Armored Division. Hitler allegedly ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz to set fire to Paris and demolish the Eiffel Tower, according to legend. Rather than destroying the beautiful city, he simply gave up. To commemorate the event, a liberation march was held through the Champs d’Elysees two days later.

American Soldiers Look At The Tricolor Flag Flying From The Eiffel Tower Again

Men Of The 1st Infantry Division Leaving England For Normandy On D-Day

The Battle of Normandy was a difficult battle that lasted from June to August 1944. The parties fought for Western Europe, and the soldiers had a difficult time doing so. We doubt that the 156,000 troops from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom had any idea that the battle would last nearly a month! It began on June 6, despite the fact that it was supposed to begin a day earlier. The operation had to be postponed due to bad weather. Dwight Eisenhower addressed the brave troops, saying, “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.”

Men Of The 1st Infantry Division Leaving England For Normandy On D Day

Crow Native Americans Observing The Rodeo At The Crow Fair

The first Crow Fair was held in 1904! Because it brings together all of the Great Plains Native American tribes, it’s essentially a huge family reunion for the Crow Nation. Hundreds of thousands of people attend the event! It takes place in the third week of August near Billings, Montana. It’s similar to a county fair, but it’s heavily influenced by Native American culture. The rodeo featured youth events as well as professional bull and horse riders on a daily basis. If you ever have the opportunity, you should go see it.

Crow Native Americans Observing The Rodeo At The Crow Fair

Drought Refugee From Missouri Waiting For Orange-Picking In California

Americans fled to the Pacific Coast in search of seasonal work after the Dust Bowl destroyed their homes. These hardworking Americans were mistook for intruders seeking to exploit the government. At the time, California was in need of crop workers, but the locals were not welcoming. Because this occurred during the Great Depression, everyone was down on their luck. Many immigrants were poor, but those who were fortunate enough to find low-paying jobs picking vegetables and fruits were fortunate.

Drought Refugee From Missouri Waiting For Orange Picking In California

Dutch Resistance Fighters On The Streets Of Breda After Its Liberation

The world was stunned when Germany invaded Europe to begin World War II. The Nazis moved much more quickly and brutally than anyone had anticipated. Resistance fighters from all over the continent came together to aid in the liberation of their homelands. Allies got counterintelligence, communications, and domestic sabotage from the Dutch resistance. In 1944, the south was freed. It took an extra eight months to liberate the north.

Dutch Resistance Fighters On The Streets Of Breda After Its Liberation