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In our times, most of humanity’s effort is set on exploring the future and the advancements that come with it, whether it’s technology or science. But delving into the past can be just as if not more entertaining.

Luckily, there’s a whole corner of Reddit dedicated to joining history aficionados together and sharing some of the most intriguing, rare and unique moments that happened a long time ago. Being home to a whopping 3.3M members, this subreddit is one of the biggest powerhouses on the platform!

Think of the moment Marlon Brando rejected his Oscar and gave the stage to Sacheen Littlefeather to protest Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans. Or the sunny afternoon when Che Guevara and Fidel Castro went fishing in 1960. Or a day in 1992 when Michelle and Barack Obama were giggling while getting married.

Thanks to photography, special moments like these were forever carved in our memories and so today, we invite you on a walk down memory lane. Scroll down and upvote your favorite ones!

#1

When They Realized Women Were Using Their Sacks To Make Clothes For Their Children, Flour Mills Of The 1930s Started Using Flowered Fabric For Their Sacks (1939)

When They Realized Women Were Using Their Sacks To Make Clothes For Their Children, Flour Mills Of The 1930s Started Using Flowered Fabric For Their Sacks (1939)

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#2

Albert Einstein Defying The Prevailing Racial Climate At The Time By Visiting Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

Albert Einstein Defying The Prevailing Racial Climate At The Time By Visiting Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

The first degree-granting black college in the US - to teach a class. He was an outspoken civil rights advocate for black Americans. Photographed in 1946 

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Cactus McCoy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being a jewish refugee from nazi Germany he knew a thing or two about the matter.

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#3

Johnny Depp Saved The Old Horse Goldeneye From Sleepy Hollow Who Played Crane’s Companion, Gunpowder

Johnny Depp Saved The Old Horse Goldeneye From Sleepy Hollow Who Played Crane’s Companion, Gunpowder

The one-eyed horse was originally set to be euthanized after production was completed. But Depp stepped in and adopted Goldeneye after finishing the movie - 1999 

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Rosy Maple Moth
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why would you use a horse for a movie only to kill it afterwards? This is absolutely disgusting!

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“Photographs bring history to life in an immediate and visceral way,” Lisa Yaszek, a Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech where she researches and teaches science fiction as a global language crossing centuries, continents, and cultures, told Bored Panda.

Yaszek explained how it’s different from exploring history through written sources. “When we read books, we get lots of detailed information about historical events: who was involved, where the event happened, what factors led to and resulted from it, and so on.”

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#4

"Happiest Man In China"

"Happiest Man In China"

Taken in 1901 by British anthropologists after deciding to document the Chinese. The Chinese didn't know photos were a "serious matter" and decided to be goofy, hence the pose and smile

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#5

Tokyo Residents Mourning Hachiko

Tokyo Residents Mourning Hachiko

He would regularly meet his owner, professor Ueno, at Shibuya station after he returned from work. Sadly, Ueno died on May 21, 1925, & never returned. However, Hachiko would return to the station every day for 9 years, waiting for him to come back, 1935

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#6

In 1973, Marlon Brando Rejected His Oscar For The Godfather To Allow Sacheen Littlefeather To Protest Hollywood’s Portrayal Of Native Americans

In 1973, Marlon Brando Rejected His Oscar For The Godfather To Allow Sacheen Littlefeather To Protest Hollywood’s Portrayal Of Native Americans

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Moreover, “Sometimes such information can be vividly detailed and prompt us to imagine what historical events might have looked like in ways that make us feel more connected to them, but sometimes we are so overwhelmed with dry or technical details that we actually feel more removed from the event than ever before,” the professor explained.

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On the other hand, photos rarely have this problem. “Even when shot by the most amateur of photographers, images of people living in and through various moments in history provide a sense of immediate emotional connection—we think, ‘wow, so that’s what it would feel like to experience that moment of history!’” Yaszek explained.

#7

Six-Year-Old Austrian Boy “Werfel” Receiveing A New Pair Of Shoes At The Am Himmel Orphanage

Six-Year-Old Austrian Boy “Werfel” Receiveing A New Pair Of Shoes At The Am Himmel Orphanage

Donated by the junior red cross in America (colorized). Published in The Life magazine in 1946

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PickleRick
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We take so much for granted. I'm happy for his joy. I hope it was onward and upward from there.

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#8

Mass Demonstrations Against Soviet Union In Baku, The Capital Of Azerbaijan, 1989

Mass Demonstrations Against Soviet Union In Baku, The Capital Of Azerbaijan, 1989

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Fabian Bernard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These years were crazy, was a western Europe child, lived everything live on TV ( Berlin's Wall fall, the Ceaucescus been shot...) Big generational memories

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#9

Nakano Takeko (Onna-Musha Of The Aizu Domain) In Imperial Japan

Nakano Takeko (Onna-Musha Of The Aizu Domain) In Imperial Japan

She and other women fought in the Battle of Aizu in October 1868 during the Boshin War, when on October 16th, she was killed in battle by a rifle shot. Shown in full samurai armour, c. 1860 - 1868

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The professor pointed out that “as the comments from posters on the ‘Exploring the Past through Historical Photos’ Reddit indicates, images of people from the past connect us to history in another, related way as well.”

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In this sense, we’re not just mere viewers. Yaszek explained that “once we feel an emotional bond with the people in historical photos and perhaps even begin to imaginatively empathize with them—we forge new intellectual connections to history itself, asking ourselves: ‘Why are the people in this photograph in this situation in the first place? What happened leading up to this photo—and what happened afterward?’”

For viewers like us, this can be an empowering moment. “We begin to actively research and share what they know about events and people represented in specific photos,” Yaszek told us.

#10

African-American Boys On Easter Morning, Southside, Chicago, Illinois, April 1941 [colorized]

African-American Boys On Easter Morning, Southside, Chicago, Illinois, April 1941 [colorized]

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#11

A Group Of Samurai Went On A Tourist Tour In Egypt And Took A Photo In Front Of Sphinx, 1864

A Group Of Samurai Went On A Tourist Tour In Egypt And Took A Photo In Front Of Sphinx, 1864

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#12

Arnie Supporting Disables Athletes In The Early 1990's

Arnie Supporting Disables Athletes In The Early 1990's

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Panda Boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read "Arnie Disables Athletes In The Early 1990's", had me worried for a bit!

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Moreover, looking at historical photographs is an opportunity to both learn history from experts and to become an expert yourself, Yaszek argues. It’s because they give us an opportunity to “work with others to re-create the real story behind the image.”

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“Sometimes, especially powerful photos can even prompt action in the real world, as we even begin to wonder, ‘how much does my own historical era have in common with this moment from the past?’ and ‘what can I do to make sure we do—or do not!—ever experience something like this again?’ And so by looking at historical photos, we can become agents of history!” the professor told us.

#13

Shoemaker’s Lunch, 1944. By Bernard Cole

Shoemaker’s Lunch, 1944. By Bernard Cole

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#14

A Young Barack Obama Spending Time On The Beach With His Grandfather 1963

A Young Barack Obama Spending Time On The Beach With His Grandfather 1963

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#15

A Selfie Taken By Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918)

A Selfie Taken By Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918)

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Sandie Shaw
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tragic what happened to him and his family. He was a clueless Tsar. But NO ONE deserves what happened. And those poor children.

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#16

Anne Frank And Her Sister Margot At The Beach, Zandvoort - August 1940

Anne Frank And Her Sister Margot At The Beach, Zandvoort - August 1940

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#17

Tiananmen Square Just Before The Massacre, June 4, 1989

Tiananmen Square Just Before The Massacre, June 4, 1989

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Thor Haugen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's so scary that the most populous country on earth has such a repressive government and so sad the people living there have been taught that it's normal to have a government like that.

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#18

This Boy’s Photo Was Taken In Los Angeles, California, Circa 1920s. A Stately Pose. From My Glass Negative Collection

This Boy’s Photo Was Taken In Los Angeles, California, Circa 1920s. A Stately Pose. From My Glass Negative Collection

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#19

112 Year-Old Teimruz Vanacha (Left), Veteran Of WWI And The Russian Civil War, With His Son Ivan, A Veteran Of WWII, In 1980

112 Year-Old Teimruz Vanacha (Left), Veteran Of WWI And The Russian Civil War, With His Son Ivan, A Veteran Of WWII, In 1980

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#21

The Ethiopian Negus Menelik II Who Defeated The Italians In The Battle Of Adawa And Thus Saving His Nation From Colonisation. 1913

The Ethiopian Negus Menelik II Who Defeated The Italians In The Battle Of Adawa And Thus Saving His Nation From Colonisation. 1913

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#22

Cannabis Rights Activist Ben Masel Smoking A Joint While Voting In The 1976 Presidential Election. Taking Advantage Of An Apparent Law That Prohibits Arrest While Voting

Cannabis Rights Activist Ben Masel Smoking A Joint While Voting In The 1976 Presidential Election. Taking Advantage Of An Apparent Law That Prohibits Arrest While Voting

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#24

Rarely Did Photographers Make It To Frontier Families But When They Did Families Wanted To Show How Well They Were Doing Out West By Stripping The House & Pose For The Camera

Rarely Did Photographers Make It To Frontier Families But When They Did Families Wanted To Show How Well They Were Doing Out West By Stripping The House & Pose For The Camera

This family would like you to see their big melons are & a cow that appears to be able to climb your house! The 1870s 

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Elise Hilton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The house is a dugout, "dig out" mostly into the side of that hill. The cow isn't standing on the roof of their house, but rather grazing on the hill. The dugout home had several advantages, but mainly it was inexpensive and it wasn't exposed to severe weather the same way a clapboard house would be.

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#25

A Mob Pours Sugar, Ketchup And Mustard Over The Heads Of John Salter, Joan Trumpauer And Anne Moody

A Mob Pours Sugar, Ketchup And Mustard Over The Heads Of John Salter, Joan Trumpauer And Anne Moody

During a sit-in demonstration at a Woolworth's ‘whites only’ lunch counter in Jackson, Miss - May 28, 1963

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#26

On This Day 59 Years Ago, Soviet Space Mission Vostok 6 Was Launched With Valentina Tereshkova Onboard, Who Became The 1st Woman In Space

On This Day 59 Years Ago, Soviet Space Mission Vostok 6 Was Launched With Valentina Tereshkova Onboard, Who Became The 1st Woman In Space

This is her during the fifth earth orbit on June 16, 1963

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#27

A Smiling Girl In A Kimono On New Year's Day. Japan, 1914

A Smiling Girl In A Kimono On New Year's Day. Japan, 1914

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Charlene Elise
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Proof that wearing socks with sandals and be beautiful... uncomfortable but beautiful!!

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#28

Greenpeace Tries To Stop Radioactive Waste From Being Dumped In The Ocean, 1982

Greenpeace Tries To Stop Radioactive Waste From Being Dumped In The Ocean, 1982

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memeju1ce
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i think they recently put massive boulders in common fishing spots to rip up any nets to deter overfishing and pollution :)

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#29

Russian Conscript With His Family Before Being Deployed To The Front, Karachev, Bryansk, Russia, 1943

Russian Conscript With His Family Before Being Deployed To The Front, Karachev, Bryansk, Russia, 1943

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#30

Võ Thi Thang Smiling After Being Sentenced To 20 Years Hard Labour In A Prison Camp By The South Vietnamese Govt - 1968

Võ Thi Thang Smiling After Being Sentenced To 20 Years Hard Labour In A Prison Camp By The South Vietnamese Govt - 1968

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N Gregory
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Additional context (slight paraphrasing): After sentencing she said "20 years? Your government won't last that long". She was released six years later.

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#31

In The 1890s, The Congo State (Controlled By Belgian Settlers) Allowed The Companies To Maneuver Almost Entirely Freely

In The 1890s, The Congo State (Controlled By Belgian Settlers) Allowed The Companies To Maneuver Almost Entirely Freely

Which resulted in various atrocities, including the amputation of hands as punishment for those who refused to collect rubber

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#32

My Grandfather. 1933. In A Cornfield He Planted That Was Destroyed By Locusts

My Grandfather. 1933. In A Cornfield He Planted That Was Destroyed By Locusts

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MargyB
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am always amazed at how much destruction they do. However, as a child, I thought locust swarms would affect me more than they do

c Fuller
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

boll weevil 1927, pine bark beetle started in 1922 decimating the entire pine lumber crops in the south, stock market crash 1929. Drought and Dust bowl 1930-36. Locusts 1933. Early 20th century was hard on AMerica and most of the world. over 19" of top soil was lost across America then.

Kathy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine how he felt seeing the destruction of all of his hard work...such a loss

alex_with_adhd
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Grandpa owns cattle & plants wheat in a field to feed them. It’ll be AWFUL if/when it happens. He plants it to, presumably, fatten the bulls up so he can get more money to sell them.

Hobby Hopper
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know where this is, but locusts are extinct in the USA now. We still have grasshoppers but not locusts (locusts are pretty much just grasshoppers that swarm). Apologies to entomologists if this is an oversimplification.

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#33

Chinese-American War Worker In Los Angeles

Chinese-American War Worker In Los Angeles

Wore a handwritten sign in his back to avoid being mistaken for Japanese 1942

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Rachel Grig
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is actually so sad. I recently watched a Cold Case episode about life for American Japanese after Pearl Harbor. Heartbreaking.

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#34

Commuters In New York On The Evening Of November 22, 1963

Commuters In New York On The Evening Of November 22, 1963

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#36

Jaques Biederer, The First Photographer In History Specializing In Erotic Photos. This Photo Was Taken In Paris In 1928

Jaques Biederer, The First Photographer In History Specializing In Erotic Photos. This Photo Was Taken In Paris In 1928

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#37

An Enthusiast For Men's Dress Reform Walking Down The Strand In London. The Mdrp (Men’s Dress Reform Party) Was Formed In The Interwar Years In Britain, 1930

An Enthusiast For Men's Dress Reform Walking Down The Strand In London. The Mdrp (Men’s Dress Reform Party) Was Formed In The Interwar Years In Britain, 1930

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#38

Santa Claus With The Children During Croatian War Of Independence. Vukovar, 1992 (Colorized)

Santa Claus With The Children During Croatian War Of Independence. Vukovar, 1992 (Colorized)

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#39

[colorized] Three Scout Girls Collect Peach Pits, Which Will Later Be Processed To Make Gas Mask Filters During World War I. Washington, 1917-1918

[colorized] Three Scout Girls Collect Peach Pits, Which Will Later Be Processed To Make Gas Mask Filters During World War I. Washington, 1917-1918

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#40

UPS Worker Delivers Packages In New York City During The Attacks Of 9/11 2001

UPS Worker Delivers Packages In New York City During The Attacks Of 9/11 2001

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#41

Memorial Day 1945: French Teen Helene Chapelle And Her Mother Kneel At The Grave Of James Simonian Who Was Killed During The Normandy Invasion

Memorial Day 1945: French Teen Helene Chapelle And Her Mother Kneel At The Grave Of James Simonian Who Was Killed During The Normandy Invasion

She is reading a letter from Simonian’s mother who asked that it be read at her son’s grave. La Cambe Cemetery, France

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Nathan Pogorzala
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The American (and British and Canadian) cemeteries of Normandy and Brittany are such sad but beautiful places. All so young.

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#42

Queen Elizabeth; The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret And A Bored Prince Charles Watching The Coronation Ceremony Of Queen Elizabeth II. Westminster Abbey, 1953

Queen Elizabeth; The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret And A Bored Prince Charles Watching The Coronation Ceremony Of Queen Elizabeth II. Westminster Abbey, 1953

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#43

Dr. Erich Salomon Faked A Broken Arm So He Could Hide A Camera In His Cast To Photograph The Us Supreme Court - 1932

Dr. Erich Salomon Faked A Broken Arm So He Could Hide A Camera In His Cast To Photograph The Us Supreme Court - 1932

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#44

Captain Lewis Nixon Of The 101st Airborne Wakes Up After A Night Of Celebrating Courtesy Of Goerings Private Liquor, Wine And Champagne Collection, Austria May 4th 1945

Captain Lewis Nixon Of The 101st Airborne Wakes Up After A Night Of Celebrating Courtesy Of Goerings Private Liquor, Wine And Champagne Collection, Austria May 4th 1945

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#45

J. Robert Oppenheimer And Albert Einstein, 1947

J. Robert Oppenheimer And Albert Einstein, 1947

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#46

Anton Dostler, Nazi General Moments Before Being Executed For War Crimes. Aversa, Italy. 1 December, 1945

Anton Dostler, Nazi General Moments Before Being Executed For War Crimes. Aversa, Italy. 1 December, 1945

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Katy McMouse
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a feeling that we will be returning to this, but with Russian officers.

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#47

P.t. Barnum & Bailey's Combined Circus Performers, New York 1924

P.t. Barnum & Bailey's Combined Circus Performers, New York 1924

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Summer Mason
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So this is the one that had the albino twins who where told their mother was dead and then they saw her in the crowd?

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#48

Photo Of A British Man Wearing A Chain Around The Neck Of Aborigines, Who Are Natives Of Australia. 1900's

Photo Of A British Man Wearing A Chain Around The Neck Of Aborigines, Who Are Natives Of Australia. 1900's

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#49

Mohawk Warrior Attacks Canadian Soldiers During Oka Crisis July-Sep 1990

Mohawk Warrior Attacks Canadian Soldiers During Oka Crisis July-Sep 1990

Which began when the Canadian government approved the seizure of Mohawk land for a private golf course - a 14 yr old Mohawk teen was bayoneted in the chest and almost died

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Paul Macdonell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A Gross exaggeration of what happened. A municipal government gave approval for construction on a disputed property and the Mohawks reacted. A police officer was shot and killed and then he ensuing standoff was resolved after a lot of time passing, by the army who were filmed and showed immense tolerance. I never heard about any bayoneting, perhaps it happened but was overshadowed by the police officer being murdered. No one was found responsible. Don't attempt to rewrite history while some us of lived it.

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#50

Ms. Lee Merlin, The Winner Of The “Miss Atomic Bomb” Pageant In Las Vegas, 1950s

Ms. Lee Merlin, The Winner Of The “Miss Atomic Bomb” Pageant In Las Vegas, 1950s

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Tamra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Am I the only one to think this pageant was in extremely poor taste? "Miss Atomic Bomb"? Damn.

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Note: this post originally had 94 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.