These Lesser Known Photos From History Hold Stories We Didn’t Know About

In a Toronto hospital ward in 1922, a group of children lays comatose and nearing the end of their lives from diabetic ketoacidosis. With their families already believing them terminal, in walked a group of scientists – including the famous duo of Banting and Best, who just that past summer had been working on an insulin extract. They began to inject the children, and as they moved from bed to bed, each child gradually emerged from their coma! 

Back in 1985, the mom in this photo had nothing but unconditional love – and some excellent homemade T-shirts – for her son on their way to an LGBTQ+ Pride walk. Pride parades and walks began small with community support in 1970, a response to the Stonewall incident of 1969, when police raided a gay bar on Christopher Street, NYC. Fast forward to the Pride parade of 2016 in New York City, which saw 2.5 million attendees!   

Kane Tanaka turned 119 in January 2022, making her the world’s oldest living person, according to the Guinness Book of World Records! Kane was born in Japan, where she lives today. She was married at 19, had five children, and worked in her family’s noodle shop until age 103. She was due to take part in the Olympic torch relay of 2021 but was worried about spreading Covid-19 to the other residents in her nursing home. 

Have you ever heard of the Harlem Hellfighters? This may only have been a nickname, referring to the 369th Infantry Regiment who fought in both world wars. Many African-Americans were keen to fight in WWI but were turned away by the US military. In 1917, all decorated soldiers were called up to fight, and the 369th was formed – made up mostly of African-Americans but also men from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the West Indies.

This little fellow clearly felt called to spread the word! This dentist who claimed to be “painless” was apparently far from it, and so this child vandalized his building with the word “liar.” Given the dental practices of the 1920s, his protest was more than likely justified. In one area of history that has changed quite dramatically, people used to wait years to see a dentist. Bear in mind that they also didn’t have toothpaste back then!

That’s right; we’re not the first to wear masks during a pandemic! The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, or ‘Spanish flu,’ which killed over 50 million people, included some markers of our current pandemic – including stores and schools closing, mask mandates, quarantine, and the eventual rollout of inoculations. Masks were made mandatory when the Spanish flu arrived in California, and refusal to wear a mask could result in a fine or jail time. 

It’s reassuring to know that people were still obsessed with their pets even a century ago. The dog in this photograph was obviously loved so dearly that their human simply had to have an early photograph of them –  and was even given a prop to pose with! Unfortunately, in early pet photography, animals were often sedated in order to pose for their picture.   

We love this photo from 1955 of a father – or maybe uncle or grandfather – moments before gifting a sweet little boy with a puppy. The photograph truly captures the anticipation of the little boy – dressed in the style of the period; hands clasped together – on the precipice of life before owning a puppy of his own. 

In 1933, Marlene Dietrich stepped off a train in Paris, France, to considerable controversy, having flown across the Atlantic for a vacation with her husband. Dietrich’s style – her fierce suit, short hair, and shoes – reflected the changing fashions for women during that period. But at the time she arrived in Paris, women in France were forbidden – by law – to wear pants.

Juliane Koepcke was 17 years old when her plane flying from Lima, Peru to the Amazon crashed – leaving no survivors but her. The plane was hit by lightning and broke into pieces, and – still strapped to her chair – Juliane fell 10,000 feet down into the middle of the rainforest. The teenager spent the next 11 days in survival mode, tending to her wounds with gasoline and eating sweets from the pockets of a dead passenger she found while walking. 

This photo from1940 shows how peeking back into history can reassure us that people have always been people. In the picture, a boy lies in a field with a small newborn lamb cuddled up to his shoulder; the boy’s eyes are closed in blissful slumber, and the lamb embraces him. That little hoof slung over his shoulder gets us every time! 

Power to the People is one rebellion slogan that has definitely not diminished with time! With the police in the background and the elaborate poster calling for rights for gay people, Black people, women, and students, this rare photo makes for one awesome glimpse into history. The photo is likely to have been snapped during Christopher Street Liberation Day in 1970, which marked the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Thousands of people gathered and marched together through New York City in what is now thought of as the first Pride parade.  

This photo of Princess Diana and Rowan Atkinson, the British actor and comedian, joking around with each other was snapped in 1984 at a lineup following the Royal Variety Show – an annual charity performance given in the United Kingdom. Both of these now world-famous figures had only just stepped into their spotlights. Diana had married Prince Charles just three years earlier, while Atkinson shot to fame starring in the hit comedy series Blackadder in 1983.   

Halloween in Honolulu! A young Barack Obama in 1964 is pictured here with his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, presumably in Hawaii, where he was raised. The 44th president, and first African-American president, of the United States of America was raised in Hawaii until he moved with his mother to Indonesia when he was six. Stanley Ann Dunham was an accomplished anthropologist who Obama says was the dominant figure in his formative years and had the biggest influence on his life. 

Who else can hear this little girl’s laugh straight out of this photo?! Show us the father who hasn’t wanted to boast his “skills” for his children. Sometimes with more than embarrassing effects. Not this dad, though – this one’s highly impressive! Snapped in Melbourne, Australia, sometime during the 1940s, this little girl was clearly delighted with the show and the handstand.  

Right next to Shibuya Train Station in Tokyo, Japan, stands a bronze statue of Hachiko, the Akita dog, whose story is known all across Japan. His owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, adopted him in 1923, and for two years, the human and dog duo was inseparable. Every day, Ueno would leave for work via the Shibuya train station, and Hachiko would wait there for him to return at the end of the day. This was their ritual until one day, Ueno did not return.  

Technological innovations for keeping women safe are not a new idea. Check out these shoes, designed in Italy in the 1950s, intended to keep unwanted attention at bay. Look closely, and you’ll spy sharp spurs on both the heels and toes for getting rid of sexual predators! Inevitably, press coverage for the shoes was negative (let’s not forget that women did not work as journalists in the 1950s), reflecting only on the ‘impression’ that women wearing the shoes might exude.  

History might be in the past, but one thing has never changed: babies and toddlers have always been cute. And we have a feeling it’ll stay that way well into the future. Take a look at these bundled-up toddlers in their cozy-looking onesies in this photograph from 1968. The picture was taken during a freezing Russian winter. It’s a good thing they have their warm outfits and adorable cheeks to keep them warm!

Even way back in 1918, this suffragette didn’t have many good things to say about marriage. Or any good things, really. In fact, her advice is pretty brutal! According to the anonymous suffragette, marriage was really best avoided at all costs. Let’s be honest; a lot of the things she warns the young ladies of 1918 about remain relevant today. Avoid those Bounders, but don’t let a Yard Swiller pass you by. Take note, ladies. The suffragettes, of course, fought for women’s equality at the time, and tensions were high. 

How did they do it – almost 75 years of marriage! Unlike most royal marriages whose partnerships are arranged, Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip were a love match. After eight years of dating, they married, and they were loyal companions until Prince Philip’s death in April of 2021. We love this photo side-by-side of the royal couple, how gracefully they aged, seemingly no less in love after 70 years than on the day of their wedding. 

This fantastic photo from the 1994 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is serving us iconic looks and costumes – and a totally astonished bystander perspective. The moment the photographer captured in time is a fun dichotomy: the thunderbolt look of surprise on her face stopped in her path and the unchoreographed mass of bodies right next to her.   

The ink stains and creased corners only add to the loveliness of this rare photo from the past – grandparents, captured in their youth. Her white broderie top, his bashful smile, her dimples, their bountiful hair; oh, to be young and flying high on love! The summer after high school graduation – the whole world is at your feet. Could there be any feeling better in the world for a pair of lovebirds in the 1950s? 

The iconic moment in this photo is a rare sighting of a celebrity and a royal authentically enjoying themselves! Back in 1985, before scripted Instagram reels or TikTok videos existed, Princess Diana and John Travolta danced together at a White House party with pure abandon, with President Reagan and wife Nancy looking on in the background. The ‘people’s princess’ looked beautiful in a long black dress and pearl choker, Travolta dandy in a tux. He can’t keep his eyes off of her! 

In 1935, the Nuremberg Race Laws were enacted, outlawing – among other things – the marriage of Aryans to Jews. The man in this photo is thought to be August Landmesser, who joined the Nazi Party in desperate hope of employment, but eventually fell in love with a Jewish woman. They were denied the right to marry under the Nuremberg laws but stayed together, had two children until they were eventually forced apart by Nazi race law. His wife was sent to prison and later murdered in a concentration camp in 1942, while Landmesser was forced to pay for his crimes and went to fight in Croatia, where he was killed in 1944. 

Look at a sweet moment on the otherwise bloody battlefield of the Battle of the Bulge, 1944. Historians tell us this was the most crucial battle of WWII, which took place during freezing rain and icy conditions. Tanks had to be cut out of ice, veterans recall eating snow to survive, and injured soldiers froze to death before they could be treated. Where did this little fellow come from, we wonder? No doubt, this pup brought a moment of joy to this US soldier during a treacherous time! 

Theories of relativity aside, Albert Einstein himself was a case study. His famous wayward hair came from the self-neglect that happens when you become a parent (he had no time to visit the barber). Fun facts: Einstein loved to sail, enjoyed playing violin and piano to clear his mind, and was partial to all rich foods. While we’re used to seeing photos of the famous genius in front of a chalkboard or at his desk, this shot captured him in an everyday moment enjoying one of his hobbies.

Celebrities – they’re just like us. Who better to remind us of this than Diana, the “people’s princess.” People across the world adored Princess Diana; they loved her for being ‘just like us.’ She showed her emotions openly, giggled with her kids, ran races at school sports days, and did very un-royal, endearing things. Like falling asleep during official royal engagements! We love this photo of her all beautifully dressed up, dozing in her chair.

First published in Life Magazine in 1945, this incredible photo shows movie star Marlene Dietrich kissing an American soldier returning from WWII. The troops on the USS Monticello had fought across Europe and were on their way to even more training when the boat docked in NYC, and Dietrich made her surprise visit to the boys on board. During WWII, the movie star was known for her anti-nazi activism, taking in French and German exiles – and she was clearly very passionate about the American troops! 

Back in the 1930s, there was no snooze button to drag your hand over, half asleep. There was also no alarm clock or phone chime to interrupt your sleep. Instead, for sixpence a day, a ‘knocker-upper’ was paid to wake people by tapping long sticks on windows, or as in this photo, a pea shooter! At the time, large factories or mills in England would even employ a pea shooter to go around waking their employees! 

We only noticed the fluffy ducklings at first glance, but the little girl lying prone in this photo encapsulates a rare moment in history – the treatment methods used during the polio pandemic. Today, animal-assisted therapy is common in hospitals but was a new idea in the 1950s. For kids stuck in hospital for long periods of time with infantile paralysis, as polio was known, animals proved to be a happy respite! 

A young woman in a fun outfit, slicing into her birthday cake, doesn’t seem to be that significant! But this photo from the 1970s is on the list for a reason – it captures a completely different side of history for the women of Iran. Prior to 1979, women had the right to vote, could wear what they wanted, served in parliament, on local councils, and were part of the workforce. Then came the revolution, and everything changed, including a massive regression of women’s rights. 

Spanish influenza infected a third of the world’s population, leaving millions dead. Just as during the current covid-19 pandemic, schools, theaters, bars, saloons, and restaurants were closed, and citizens were asked to wear masks to prevent the spread of further infection. And also, much like today, the mask mandates generated controversy, rebellion, and backlash. Mask refusers were called ‘slackers’ and faced fines and jail time for refusing to wear masks, even as millions died of the respiratory virus. Sounds familiar. 

Have we not all, at some point, taken a casual stroll through the streets with six bottles of wine and a giant baguette? No? Truthfully, if a picnic requires six bottles of wine, it certainly makes sense that a giant baguette might also be necessary! There are few foods as iconic as a French baguette. Traditionally eaten as a standard French meal with butter, cheese, and wine, it even has its own law – the French Bread law!

How great is this picture of a picture that someone thought to take? Lockets, much like the photos themselves, are a fascinating window into the past. Traditionally, a picture or lock of hair would go in a locket, although later on, they were also used for recreational drugs and poison! One of the very earliest types of lockets we know about belonged to Elizabeth I, who had a ring containing her own likeness, as well as her mother’s, Anne Boleyn. 

This one was a really wild union. Steve Irwin – best known for his wildlife and conservation work – and his wife, Terri Irwin, were the dream team. They had the ultimate “meet-cute,” that first meeting of people who are destined to fall in love, when Terri, 27, came from America to volunteer at the Queensland Wildlife Park in Australia, which Steve and his dad had been running for years. Their love of animals brought them together; they married in 1992 and together grew the park into what is today known as the Australia Zoo. It encompasses 1500 acres and employs 600 staff! 

At the height of David Bowie’s superstardom and with the release of his album ‘Let’s Dance,’ he went on tour – entitled Serious Moonlight – and played some of the biggest global venues at the time. During a hot July, Bowie played three shows at Milton Keynes, UK, in 1983, to some of the biggest crowds ever seen at a UK musical event. From afar, it looks like he’s playing with a field of flowers! However, attendees suffered for their dedication and experienced dehydration, heatstroke, and sunburn at the outdoor event.  

We heard a few things about koalas that should really be shared. Sadly for them, Koalas are not known for being among the more intelligent creatures on planet earth. It’s said that when presented with a plate of picked Eucalyptus leaves, their very favorite leaf to eat from a tree, they don’t know what to do with them! Given that fact, this photo of a koala lifting a spoon to its mouth, dated around 1900, seems all the more remarkable. 

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were just 25 and 27 when they wrote the screenplay for Good Will Hunting in 1994. The movie, about an unrecognized genius with a troubled past, was directed by Gus Van Sant on a budget of $10 million but went on to make over $225 million! It won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay the same year – an incredible achievement for two still largely unknown, unemployed actors from Boston. 

It’s no secret that the entire world loves Keanu. The man can do no wrong! The anti-celebrity, ageless actor was pictured here in Paris in 2003. Since his early roles in Bill & Ted’s Adventures through to Speed and The Matrix trilogies, Keanu has starred in his fair share of blockbusters. But it doesn’t seem to be that which has everyone enraptured. It’s off-screen Keanu, known for his giving, generous nature, and soft-spoken way with people. 

Sometimes a picture transcends time. Like this, a man protesting teacher’s salaries, which could have been taken in today’s modern times rather than in the 1930s. Even in many developed countries, teaching remains one of the most underpaid and yet, at the same time, highly valued professions. A glimpse back at the past reflects how far we have come, how many things have evolved and changed, but also how far we still have to go in so many other ways.