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“Lost In History”: 50 Pictures That Might Change Your Perspective On The 20th Century (New Pics)
History is one big treasure box full of unforgettable moments, incredible people, encounters, places, events, incidents, you name it. But with time flying at the pace of a hadron collider, they easily slip under the dusty blanket of time and oblivion.
Thanks to this incredibly entertaining Instagram page titled “Lost In History,” though, many of these rare moments that got captured on camera were dug up from the past and brought to the present time. Dedicated to 20th-century people and culture, the account is sharing pictures with its 1.2M followers that illuminate history in this entirely new perspective.
Psst! After you're done reading this one, don't forget to check out our previous feature with more "Lost In History" pics.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
"My Parents On Their Wedding Day In 1964 And Then Again At Christmas 2021"
#2
Simone Segouin, Mostly Known By Her Codename, Nicole Minet, Was Only 18-Years-Old When The Germans Invaded
Her first act of rebellion was to steal a bicycle from a German military administration, and to slice the tires of all of the other bikes and motorcycles so they couldn't pursue her. She found a pocket of the Resistance and joined the fight, using the stolen bike to deliver messages between Resistance groups. She was an extremely fast learner and quickly became an expert at tactics and explosives. She led teams of Resistance fighters to capture German troops, set traps, and sabotage German equipment. As the war dragged on, her deeds escalated to derailing German trains, blocking roads, blowing up bridges and helping to create a German-free path to help the Allied forces retake France from the inside. She was never caught. Segouin was present at the liberation of Chartres on August 23, 1944, and then the liberation of Paris two days later. She was promoted to lieutenant and awarded several medals, including the Croix de Guerre. After the war, she studied medicine and became a pediatric nurse. She is still going strong at 96.
#3
Hattie Mcdaniel Accepting Her Oscar In A Segregated "No Blacks" Hotel In Los Angeles For Her Role In Gone With The Wind
“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 in a previous interview.
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.”
#4
German Anti-Nazi Political Activist, Sophie Scholl, Was Executed In 1943 For Leading Non-Violent Student Resistance Against Hitler
She was 21 years old. Her last words: "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause. Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?"
#5
This Is A Photo Of Dr. Eugene Lazowski, A Polish Doctor Who Saved 8,000 Jews By Creating A Fake Typhus Epidemic In Stalowa Wola (Nazi Occupied Poland), 1943
Lakota Wolf 1 year ago (edited)
I have only one-third as many cats as the good doctor did. I must gather more.
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Marie 1 year ago
On a similar type of story, 3 doctors from an hospital in Italy created a fake desease "syndrome K". They made up horrific symptoms, got people to cough whenever soldiers were around. The soldiers were too scared to catch it to get anywhere near and the (Catholic) hospital's staff was able to hide away jews and political dissidents.
Jacqueline Quackenbush 1 year ago
A Catholic In Québec Here: Would Be Great If I Could Show This To My "Jehovah Friend'. One Of The First Things He Informed Me Of When We Started Comparing Faith Communities Was That "The Catholic Church Fully Supported Hitler During WWII". Not Only Did He Type Those Very Words But He Doubled Down On The Position After I Had Systematically Unpacked The Statement
Load More Replies... J Adams 1 year ago
How many people on earth will know his story, not many, yet how many will know the entire biography of every Kardashian. The world is completely f’d
Mary Peace 1 year ago
I don't know anything about the Kardashians, (except I've heard them talked about) nor do I want to.
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Turnip and a Frog 1 year ago
Brave man and a real hero. Great respect to Dr Eugeniusz Łazowski. I have to mention here Irena Sendlerowa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler.
Mary Daniel 1 year ago
It's not about the cats, it's the genius idea he came up with to save thousands of lives.
Jacqueline Quackenbush 1 year ago
Thanx For Trying To Get Us Back On Track
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Ingrid Jeffers 1 year ago
"What are the names of Eugene Lazowski's cats?"
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Ingrid Jeffers 1 year ago
Yes, and if the cats are obviously very happy, even better because that means he cares for them and gives them what they need, want, and loves them.
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Mauricio A.Rivera 1 year ago
More of these brave people's stories need to be brought to the forefront of our moral and historical compass and knowledge. Now more than ever!
Aksa 1 year ago
Research into a typhus vaccine was started in 1920 by parasitologist Rudolf Weigl. Weigl and his wife Zofia Weigl were some of the earliest lice feeders. During the Nazi occupation of the city, louse-feeding became the primary means of support and protection for many of the city's Polish intellectuals, including the mathematician Stefan Banach and the poet Zbigniew Herbert. While the profession carried a significant risk of infection, louse-feeders were given additional food rations, were protected from being shipped to slave labour camps and German concentration camps, and were permitted to move around the occupied city.
Jacqueline Quackenbush 1 year ago
Fascinated In Québec And Excuse My Ignorance But: How Did They Feed The Lice??
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Dubsτep🅱️lade NS 1 year ago (edited)
I’ve heard of this! So in Poland, there was a fake typhus epidemic, and all of the families that were presumed dead snuck out
Terry Tobias 1 year ago
I want to know how he created a fake typhus epidemic. It must be a great story! (Also, yea for the kittens! )
Azazels Child 1 year ago
I thought he was great and counted the cats. And then the disturbing look on his face made me panic that he's going to eat them.
gilded panda 1 year ago
kill thousands of anti jews to save jews, check. haves about 20 cats, check. be an awesome doctor, check.
Alison Ferguson 1 year ago
OMG....my twin...I love cat too....I have 7; BABYCAKE, ZELDA, SYLVIA, OREO, FATTYBIMBUM, FATTAIL and Smokey
Larezza Truman 1 year ago
Awwww luv the pic with the kitties!!! What an amazing human being he was.
Vera Sankovic 1 year ago
Quality Human , HERO . I like this cats . So many things tell us what kind of heart Dr Eugene Lazowski had .
Jacqueline Quackenbush 1 year ago
I Think A Lot Of People Commenting On This Post + Pic Are Forgetting That A.H. Was Himself An Animal Lover To The Point Of Being Végétarien. Ive Also Read That (Apparently) The Animal Welfare Laws In Germany At That Time Were Considerably Advanced. Not Trying To Give The Man Props (Or Single Out Your Comment). Just An Observation
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Araceli Johnstun 1 year ago
He has the right to hold that namy cats. Not many people do, but this man......
Jacqueline Quackenbush 1 year ago
I Think There's A Big Difference Between Faking An Epidemic And Faking A Global Pandemic Where-I Dont Know-People Actually Died
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PandaPops 1 year ago
Wow downvoted that much? Here's an upvote as i'm embarrassed to say I sniggered at your crude humour
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Holocaust Survivor And The Soldier Who Rescued Her In 1944
During World War 2, John Mackay was part of the Scottish commando unit that rescued a group of prisoners from the Nazis as they were being marched from Auschwitz to another concentration camp. Little did he know that amongst the prisoners was a young Hungarian woman by the name of Edith Steiner. He would see her again at a dance, which was organized to celebrate the liberation. John asked a friend to ask Edith if she would dance with him, but she sent his friend back with the message that she would only do so if he asked her out himself. So John worked up the courage to go up to her and ask her in person, and she accepted. In 1946, they married and returned to Scotland where they owned and operated a small hotel in Pitlochry before retiring in Dundee. After celebrating their 71st Valentine's Day together, Edith passed away in June of 2017, just three weeks before their wedding anniversary. She was 92 years old.
“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.
#7
An Iconic Image Showing Aboriginal Rights Activist, Gary Foley With A Sign Reading, “Pardon Me For Being Born Into A Nation Of Racists”, 1971
#8
This Is Shavarsh Karapetyan, A Retired Armenian Swimmer. In 1976, He Had Just Completed A 26 Km (16 Mile) Run When He Heard A Loud Crash
A trolleybus had lost control and had fallen into a reservoir. It was 25 meters (82 ft) off-shore and had sunk to a depth of 10 meters (33 ft). Karapetyan immediately dived into the sewage-infested waters and managed to kick the back window of the trolleybus with his legs, despite zero visibility from the silt that had risen from the bottom. Of the 92 passengers onboard, Karapetyan pulled out 46 people. 20 of whom survived. The combination of cold water and the multiple lacerations from glass shards led him to be hospitalized for 45 days. He developed pneumonia and sepsis. While he was able to recover, damage to his lungs prevented him from continuing his career as a swimmer.
#9
This Is Franca Viola, An Italian Woman Who Became Famous In The 1960s For Publicly Refusing To Accept The Twisted Tradition Of Marrying Her Rapist
Yaszek argues that even when shot by the most amateur of photographers, these images have a unique effect on our modern minds. “These 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.
#10
This Is Margaret Ann Neve At Age 110 In 1902. She Was Born In 1792 And Died In 1903, Making Her The First Proven Person In Recorded History To Have Lived In 3 Different Centuries
#11
Lena Baker Was A Black Maid That Was Put On Trial For The Killing Of Her White Employer Earnest Knight For Trying To Rape Her
Though she claimed self defense, she was sentenced to death by an all white male jury. Her trial only lasted one day! Sitting in the electric chair, this is what she said: "What I done, I did in self defense or I would've been killed myself. Where I was, I could not overcome it. I am ready to meet my God''. She was executed on March 5, 1945 as the only woman ever executed in Georgia. She left behind 3 children. Her last words, along side with her picture are displayed near the now-retired electric chair at a museum at Georgia state prison in Reidsville. She was Pardon 60 years after her Murder.
Interestingly, by looking at historical images, viewers may develop an emotional bond. “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?’,” Yaszek told us.
#13
This Is 18-Year-Old Alice Roosevelt And Her Long-Haired Chihuahua Named Leo In 1902
She also had a pet snake named Emily Spinach who she would wrap around on one arm and take to parties. Alice was extremely independent and unlike many women of her time, she was known to wear pants, drive cars, smoke cigarettes, place bets with bookies, dance on rooftops, and party all night. In a span of 15 months, she managed to attend 300 parties, 350 balls and 407 dinners. A friend of Alice’s stepmom once remarked that she was “like a young wild animal that had been put into good clothes.” Her stepmom went a step further and described her as a “guttersnipe” that went “uncontrolled with every boy in town.” William Howard Taft banned her from the White House after Alice buried a voodoo doll (of Taft’s wife) in the front yard. Woodrow Wilson also banned her after she told a very dirty joke (sadly no record of the joke exists) about him in public. Her father, Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both.” Alice once told President Lyndon B. Johnson that she specifically wore wide-brimmed hats around him so that he could not kiss her. During an interview in 1974, Alice described herself as a “hedonist.” She died in 1980 at the age of 96.
#16
In 1948, A Man Wore 30-Pound, Three-Toed Lead Shoes And Stomped Around A Florida Beach During The Night
The footprints lead people to believe that a 15-foot tall penguin was roaming their lands. He kept up the prank for 10 years, visiting various beaches. The hoax wasn't revealed until 40 years later.
#17
The Indigenous People Known As The Huichol First Appeared In The High Highlands Of Central Mexico Some 15,000 Years Ago
According to their ancient traditions, both men and women would experience the pain of childbirth. This is how it would be done, the father would position himself on the rafters with rope tied around his scrotum while the mother would pull on it while giving birth.
#19
A Lion Walks Alone In The Desert
This is a 1925 photo of possibly the last Barbary lion in the wild before its extinction. It was taken by French photographer Marcelin Flandrin while he was onboard a flight on the Casablanca-Dakar air route.
#26
On September 30th, 1956, During A Drunken Argument In A New York City Bar, A Man Named Thomas Fitzpatrick Claimed He Could Fly An Airplane From New Jersey To New York In Under 15 Minutes
To prove himself, Fitzpatrick left the bar, stole an airplane from a New Jersey airfield at 3am, flew without lights or radio completely intoxicated, and landed the airplane in the street in front of the bar.
#27
Photograph Of Two Women Kissing Captioned "Um-M! That Kiss! Guess I Still Love You! Jus' Can't Help It!", 1930s
#28
The Lovers Of Valdaro Were Two 6,000-Years-Old Skeletons Who Appeared To Have Died In A Lover's Embrace, Face To Face With Their Arms And Legs Entwined
#30
Office Life Before The Invention Of Autocad And Other Drafting Softwares
Prior to the release of AutoCAD in 1982, engineering drawings were all done by hand using different grade pencils, erasers, T-squares and set squares. Even after all the manual labor, if a change was required, the engineers and toolmakers had to start from scratch and make the sketches all over again. Nowadays, architecture designers and other drafters are mainly just clicking their mouse and keyboard and not hunched over on a giant desk wondering if any changes will be made to their final drafts.
#31
In 1938 Bruce Mozert Took The First Underwater Photos And They Are Brilliant
Bruce invented the world’s first underwater camera, and it was at Silver Springs, Florida where he would put his invention to renowned use.
#32
In The Olden Days, Santa Claus Would Gather Up Naughty Children, Toss Them In His Basket And Whisk Them Away To The North Pole To Serve As His Slaves. That’s Where The Legend Of Santas Elves Came From
#33
An Unemployed Lumber Worker And His Wife In Oregon, August, 1939. Photo By Dorothea Lange
#34
In 1902, A French Company Decided To Make Playing Cards That Imagined "Women Of The Future"
#35
Three Young Women Eat Spaghetti On Inflatable Mattresses At Island Of Capri, 1939
#36
To Appear Headless While Taking A Photo, Aka "Horsemanning" Was A Popular Way To Pose In The 1920's
#37
A United States Soldier Holds Up A Giant Jungle Centipede During The Vietnam War, 1967
#38
In 19th Century England, Wealthy Farmers Would Commission Paintings Of Their Cows, Pigs And Sheep As A Way To Flex Their Wealth And Status
#40
Former Beauty Queen, Miss Wyoming Winner 1973 Joyce Mckinney Being Arrested By Police After Kidnapping Mormon Missionary Kirk Anderson From His Church, Forcing Him To Be Her Sex Slave For 3 Days. 1977
#41
3,000 Year Old Pair Of Pants Found In China. The Pants Were Discovered In A Tomb In Northwestern China
#42
The Man In The Picture Is Dina Sanichar, Widely Believed To Be Raised By The Wolves
He was born in India and was found in the deep jungles of Uttar Pradesh by the hunters in 1872. They found him hunting alongside the wolves and noted that he was walking on all four of his limbs.
#43
Mexican Actress Maty Huitrón Photographed By Nacho Lopez In 195
This series was one of the multiple social experiments of the Mexican photographer to understand human behavior. In this case, it was about seeing the average reaction to an exuberant woman, the model chosen was the burlesque dancer Maty Huitron, who would later become an eminence of the performing arts in Mexico. The impact was so provocative that Nacho López's photos were awarded in 1957 by UNESCO, and later exhibited in stations of the Paris and Munich Metro.
#44
The Original Michelin Man From 1898. The Michelin Man Is White Because Rubber Tires Are Naturally White
#45
Reese Witherspoon With Ryan Phillipe And Their Daughter On The Set Of Legally Blonde
Reese said in an interview in 1998 that she met Ryan at her 21st birthday party. She recalled the moment as embarrassing, saying she went over to Ryan when she was drunk and said “I think you’re my birthday present!”
#46
Bonnie And Clyde's Last Kiss A Few Hours Before They Were Killed, May 23, 1934
#47
Kate Middleton And Prince William's Post-Clubbing Taxi Pics From The 2000s
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What do you think ?
Lindy Mac 1 year ago (edited)
If Wandaluzt ( you can't reply to their comment) doesn't' like BoredPanda they should go back to Grinder.
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K- THULU 1 year ago
And certainly don't reflect "lost history" of the 20th century ...... Especially celebrity pics post 2000....
Luna Crow 1 year ago
And yet some of those made the cutoff, while some of the actually historically relevant pics are in the culled section 🙄
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VonBlade 1 year ago
I wish I was allowed to create these types of posts. I've hundreds of history photos that are far more than a mere "here is someone you might have heard of, taken 2 years before they became mildly famous".
scag$y 1 year ago
I think we may have a different view of what is 'interesting' and of 'historical relevance'. I'm thinking 'how they made the pyramids', but you're showing me Carol Smillie's bottom. I'm not against bottoms but there is a time and a place for them, and I don't think this is it.
the Return of Bruno 1 year ago
Topic: Photos which give historical perspective. Top posts: Holocaust, judicial murder of a black woman, anti-Nazi gorilla fighters, rape survivor. Current photo on link: SWIMSUIT COMPETITION!!!!
renee brack 1 year ago
Superb scroll for me. Love pondering each photo and the historical questions as well as commentary they provoke.
Lindy Mac 1 year ago (edited)
If Wandaluzt ( you can't reply to their comment) doesn't' like BoredPanda they should go back to Grinder.
Load More Replies... K- THULU 1 year ago
And certainly don't reflect "lost history" of the 20th century ...... Especially celebrity pics post 2000....
Luna Crow 1 year ago
And yet some of those made the cutoff, while some of the actually historically relevant pics are in the culled section 🙄
Load More Replies... VonBlade 1 year ago
I wish I was allowed to create these types of posts. I've hundreds of history photos that are far more than a mere "here is someone you might have heard of, taken 2 years before they became mildly famous".
scag$y 1 year ago
I think we may have a different view of what is 'interesting' and of 'historical relevance'. I'm thinking 'how they made the pyramids', but you're showing me Carol Smillie's bottom. I'm not against bottoms but there is a time and a place for them, and I don't think this is it.
the Return of Bruno 1 year ago
Topic: Photos which give historical perspective. Top posts: Holocaust, judicial murder of a black woman, anti-Nazi gorilla fighters, rape survivor. Current photo on link: SWIMSUIT COMPETITION!!!!
renee brack 1 year ago
Superb scroll for me. Love pondering each photo and the historical questions as well as commentary they provoke.
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