Rare photo of US President Woodrow Wilson in which his famously bad teeth can be seen, 1910′
Wilson suffered from severe dental problems most of his life. He avoided smiling broadly in public photos, which is why images of his teeth are extremely rare.
During his presidency, his health deteriorated so badly (including strokes) that his wife Edith quietly took over many presidential duties — sometimes called the first acting female president.
Soviet cosmonauts Georgy Beregovoy and Pavel Popovich present a hunting rifle as a gift to Neil Armstrong. June 1, 1970.
This friendly exchange happened during a brief period of détente in the Space Race, symbolizing respect from rival superpowers.
Popovich later claimed UFO sightings during a 1978 flight — making him one of several Soviet pilots who reported the phenomenon.
Winston Churchill perched on the remnants of Hitler’s chair in 1945.
Churchill toured Hitler’s private offices shortly after Berlin’s fall. British newspapers later described the moment as symbolic domination of fascism.
Churchill brought his own cigar and brandy to the ruins of the Führerbunker.
Paris, circa 1900
Paris at the time was at the height of La Belle Époque — electricity, metro lines, and cabarets like Moulin Rouge blossomed during this era.
The city hosted the 1900 World’s Fair, which introduced escalators and talking films to many visitors for the first time.
Captain Herbert Sobel, of Band of Brothers infamy, with his infant son, ca 1946
Sobel was a real officer in Easy Company, portrayed as harsh and disliked. Many veterans admitted he pushed them to physical excellence despite their resentment.
After the war, he served in the Army Reserve and later suffered lifelong depression and isolation.
Japanese politician Inejiro Asanuma was assassinated with a sword during a televised debate live on TV by 17-year old nationalist Otoya Yamaguchi, 1960
The assassination was broadcast live, shocking millions. The broadcast later won a Pulitzer Prize for photography.
Yamaguchi used a traditional samurai dagger called a wakizashi, invoking symbolism of “cleansing” Japan of perceived communism.
Vietnam resistance fighter wearing mask to hide their identity in a private meeting of the VietCong 1972
Masks were necessary because traitors and infiltrators were common, and revealing a face sometimes meant death for your family.
These meetings often took place in underground bunkers or remote jungle clearings guarded by sentries.
The only known photo of Buddy Bolden and his band, c. 1905
Bolden is credited as one of the inventors of Jazz’s earliest forms — “hot” New Orleans music.
He was said to play so loudly that crowds gathered outside venues just to hear him through open windows.
Anton Drexler, Founder of the Nazi Party, 1920
Drexler initially led the German Workers’ Party, which was tiny and obscure until Adolf Hitler joined and transformed it.
He eventually grew critical of Hitler’s extremism and was pushed aside, dying in relative obscurity.
Adolf Hitler saluting the body of Reinhard Heydrich, 1942
Heydrich was one of the chief architects of the Holocaust and chaired the Wannsee Conference, which coordinated the “Final Solution.”
His death was one of the most successful Allied covert assassinations of WWII, carried out by Czech paratroopers trained by the British.
Tsar Nicholas II and his daughters aboard the Imperial yacht, c. 1912
The daughters were affectionately known as OTMA: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia — their initials.
The Imperial yacht, the Standart, was once the largest yacht in the world, staffed by 350 people.
Jayne Mansfield poses with her mother, Vera Jeffrey, 1950s
Mansfield was fluent in five languages, including German and Spanish — not common for Hollywood sex symbols of the era.
She was one of the first celebrities to understand and weaponize publicity stunts intentionally.
A woman walks through Berlin after the Battle of Berlin, May 1945
More than 80% of Berlin’s buildings were destroyed or damaged by May 1945.
A civilian woman walking alone in this environment was rare — Berlin women faced mass assaults from occupying forces.
Preparing models and set to film the first ‘Godzilla’ movie, 1954
The original Godzilla suit weighed nearly 200 pounds and caused the actor to faint multiple times during filming.
The miniature city sets were smashed repeatedly to achieve the perfect collapsing shots.
A German member of a “Trench Attack Squad” poses in steel body armor and two stick grenades
These squads performed dangerous close-combat assaults against enemy trenches in WWI, often at night.
The armor weighed up to 24 pounds and restricted mobility, but provided protection against shrapnel and bayonet thrusts.
Chateau Wood, Ypres, 1917
Ypres was the site of the first large-scale poison gas attack in WWI.
Many forests in the region never recovered from the months of constant shelling.
The torpedo room of a WW1 German U-boat
Torpedo rooms often doubled as crew sleeping quarters — sailors literally slept next to live munitions.
Early torpedoes frequently malfunctioned, making submarine warfare incredibly risky.
Private box in Ford’s Theater where President Lincoln was assassinated, April 14, 1865
Lincoln’s assassination was the first successful presidential assassination in U.S. history.
John Wilkes Booth was a well-known actor, and his knowledge of the theater’s layout helped him escape initially.
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