Ever since the camera was invented it’s been a wonderful tool for documenting not just our daily lives, but the history of mankind, from our greatest moments to the worst atrocities.
We’ve collected some of the most interesting images of all time, taken throughout the decades and showing all sorts of visions of mankind throughout the ages.
Buzz Aldrin’s space selfie
You might know Buzz Aldrin as one of the first men on the Moon, but that wasn’t all he did. He also took one of the first space selfies when in 1966 he took this image of himself with the pilot’s hatch of the spacecraft open and Earth in the background.
A selfie from Mars
The human race might well be selfie-obsessed, but NASA would have us believe robots are too. This snap was taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars. An amazing, if slightly dusty view of another planet and a brilliant historic photograph.
The first rocket from Cape Canaveral
This image from NASA showsthe first rocketto be launched from Cape Canaveral in the 1950s.
The rocket would reach new record heights for the time and higher than the current orbit of the International Space Station. Bumper II would be the first of many rockets to launch from this spot and this is a brilliant photo to signify its importance.
Niagara Falls frozen
This photo from sometime in the early 1900s shows the Niagra Falls waterfall frozen over. Quite a spectacular sight, but something that actuallyhappens quite regularlyit seems, though not many get to see it in this full glory.
The first Disneyland ticket ever sold
In 1955, Disneyland opened its gates for the first time. The first ever ticket was sold to Walt Disney’s brother Roy O. Disney for $1.
The first real customer though was a college student named David MacPherson. Mr MacPherson achieved the honour by getting up at 2 am in the morning to join 6,000 other people queuing to enter the park. He was the first proper guest to enter the park and was given a lifetime pass as a reward.
A bicycle for two
In 1886, this couple posed for a photo outside the White House in Washington D.C. on this two-seater bicycle.
The tandem design has come a short distance since then as have the gear people wear when out and about on their bikes.
Galileo’s drawings of the moon
Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer who has been famously referred to as the father of several sciences including observational astronomy, modern physics, scientific method and modern science too.
In 1610 he famously published these images of the moon as he had observed it through a telescope. They were released in theSidereus Nuncius, an astronomical pamphlet which showed detailed observations of the moon and constellations of the stars. Not quite as incredible asthe photos of the moonwe have seen today, but incredibly impressive for the time.
Daredevil pilot
This photo from the 1960s appears to show an insanely brave pilot manually restarting his propeller in mid-air. It was actually part of an airshow stunt.
The photographer explained:
“I took this in November 1946 and it shows Merle Larson demonstrating a small air show stunt that he did. It appears that he is alone in the plane but there is another pilot (Gladys Davis) flying the plane from the back seat and he does have a rope tied around himself. Merle was a WWII B-24 pilot, flight instructor, inventor and builder of three unusual planes based at Buchanan Field, Concord, California.”
One man and his car
This image shows a gentleman aged over 100 years old who has been driving the same car, a 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom for well over 80 years. They don’t build them like they used to.
Harlem Hellfighters
During both the Great War and World War II, African American men and black soldiers fought for the freedom of the world against enemy forces.
These particular men were from the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters. They won the Croix de Guerre for gallantry in action during their fight and can be seen here proudly displaying the medals. The original image was black and white but has been colourised so the men can be seen in their full glory here.
