Last Updated on 04/18/2019 by FilipiKnow

Historical photos are like our window to the past–they are one of the tangible links we have with the events that made us who we are.

They are also the reason why I fell in love with both Philippine and world history. After all, studying for your history exam would be a pain in the ass without pictures to break the monotony.

Photos from history can also be entertaining, especially the rare ones. Below are some of the most intriguing pictures we’ve found so far:

1. Historical photos can reveal how far we’ve come when it comes to sports….

2. Technology…

3. And even the way we create fast food mascots that are 100% child-friendly.

4. Vintage photos can also show us the lighter side of people who are considered trailblazers and icons of history. They include Albert Einstein…

5. Albert Einstein (again)…

6. Bruce Lee…

7. Che Guevara…

8. Mark Twain…

9. Our very own President Elpidio Quirino…

10. Ninoy Aquino…

Fast fact: According to photographer Honesto T. Vitug, Ninoy probably did this because he was “ashamed to come home without a scratch.”

11. The late President Diosdado Macapagal and his daughter, Gloria, who would later become the 14th president of the Philippines and now the Representative of the Second District of Pampanga….

12. Barack Obama…

13. Bill and Hillary Clinton…

14. Prince Charles….

15. And yes, even Adolf Hitler…

16. And Osama Bin Laden…

17. Thanks to whoever invented photography, we now know what Ernest Hemingway looked like when he was younger…

18. Or how ridiculously handsome Winston Churchill was….

19. Do you know what Mt. Rushmore looked like before it became the Mt. Rushmore of today?

20-21. How about the Statue of Liberty?

22. Or the Niagara Falls…

23. And, of course, the Eiffel Tower in Paris…

24. A picture really paints a thousand words. Sometimes, it can bring you an inexplicable sadness, just like Titanic’s final photograph…

25. Amelia Earhart’s final haircut before she vanished in the Pacific Ocean…

26-27. Or these two kids who would face senseless deaths…

28-33. Pictures also constantly remind us about the darkest chapters in the history of human existence…

34. And then there are those that never fail to fascinate us. Like The Beatles before they crossed the world-famous Abbey Road…

35. This iconic lion before it became an official part of the MGM logo…

36. You won’t believe this was one of the first diving suits….

37-42. Here are some of the most famous people in history like you’ve never seen them before…..

43-47. Whoever took these gems needs some serious recognition….

48-51. These photos definitely belong to the “creepy” category….

52. Pre-war Filipinas wearing Japanese kimono? Manila floods (that still exist today)? Only in the Philippines…..

53-64. Now, for the last part, here are some of the most important historical figures we never knew had crossed their paths before…



