History in Pictures

History in Pictures Rare historical photographs, forgotten stories and the history behind them.

September 1954, the Sabrina premiere in Los Angeles: a young James Dean shows up on Terry Moore's arm — not by choice, b...
09/03/2026

September 1954, the Sabrina premiere in Los Angeles: a young James Dean shows up on Terry Moore's arm — not by choice, but by studio decree.

Hollywood's publicity machines regularly paired up rising stars for the cameras, manufacturing romances that never actually existed off-screen. In this shot, Moore beams for the photographers like a natural, while Dean stands beside her looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

He hated the whole game — the forced smiles, the manufactured couples, the studio pulling the strings. That scowl wasn't an act. It was the same raw, don't-tell-me-what-to-do energy that made him a legend, captured just months before his life was cut short in 1955.

A petition to rename Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton has blown past 78,000 signatures, and the moment...
09/03/2026

A petition to rename Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton has blown past 78,000 signatures, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

Started on Change.org by everyday Nashville locals, the campaign caught fire almost overnight as fans across the country jumped in to show their support for the country music icon.

Supporters say "Dolly Parton International Airport" would be the perfect way to honor her legendary music career, her massive charitable footprint, and her lifelong love for the state of Tennessee.

In 1995, premature twins Kyrie and Brielle Jackson were born 12 weeks early at the Medical Center of Central Massachuset...
09/03/2026

In 1995, premature twins Kyrie and Brielle Jackson were born 12 weeks early at the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts in Worcester, each weighing only about two pounds. They were initially placed in separate incubators, which was standard practice at the time to reduce the risk of infection.

Several weeks later, Brielle’s condition suddenly worsened. Her oxygen level dropped, her heart rate rose sharply, and she struggled to breathe. Nurse Gayle Kasparian decided to try an approach then largely unfamiliar in U.S. neonatal units: placing Brielle in the same incubator as her stronger twin, Kyrie.

Soon after they were reunited, Kyrie wrapped an arm around her sister. Brielle’s breathing and vital signs began to stabilize, creating the unforgettable image that became known as “The Rescuing Hug.” The photograph later appeared in publications including Life and Reader’s Digest and helped draw wider attention to the practice of co-bedding premature twins.

The moment remains one of the most memorable photographs in neonatal-care history—a simple embrace between two tiny sisters that came during a medical crisis and captured worldwide attention.

King Harald V of Norway, who died on August 28, 2026 at the age of 89, leaves behind one of Europe’s most enduring royal...
09/02/2026

King Harald V of Norway, who died on August 28, 2026 at the age of 89, leaves behind one of Europe’s most enduring royal love stories.

Harald first met Sonja Haraldsen in 1959. She was a commoner, and at the time Norway’s future king was expected to marry someone from European royalty or nobility. Their relationship therefore became deeply controversial and remained unresolved for nearly nine years.

Harald eventually made his position clear: if he could not marry Sonja, he would not marry anyone else. As the sole male heir, that decision could have created a serious succession problem for the monarchy. King Olav V ultimately consulted Norway’s government and parliamentary leaders before giving his consent in March 1968.

Harald and Sonja married at Oslo Cathedral on August 29, 1968. King Olav himself escorted Sonja down the aisle. They remained together for nearly 58 years, eventually becoming King and Queen of Norway in 1991.

A royal relationship once considered potentially damaging to the monarchy ultimately became one of its longest-lasting marriages.

By 1977, Elvis Presley was still performing, but the physical strain of years on the road and worsening health problems ...
09/02/2026

By 1977, Elvis Presley was still performing, but the physical strain of years on the road and worsening health problems had become increasingly visible.

Photographs from his final months show a very different side of the man once presented as an almost untouchable symbol of rock and roll. Away from the stage lights and carefully controlled publicity images, Elvis appeared tired, heavier, and increasingly fragile.

His final concert took place in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977. Less than two months later, on August 16, he died at Graceland in Memphis at the age of 42.

Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding his final years, Elvis left behind a musical legacy that permanently changed popular culture and continues to influence artists decades after his death.

Before she became Marilyn Monroe, she was Norma Jeane Dougherty—a young woman whose life was about to change dramaticall...
09/01/2026

Before she became Marilyn Monroe, she was Norma Jeane Dougherty—a young woman whose life was about to change dramatically.

During World War II, Norma Jeane worked at the Radioplane aircraft factory in California. In 1944–45, photographer David Conover photographed her while documenting women working in wartime industry. The images helped lead her toward professional modeling and, eventually, Hollywood.

At the time, she still wore her naturally darker hair and had not yet adopted the platinum-blonde appearance or the name that would make her one of the most recognizable stars of the 20th century.

This early portrait captures Norma Jeane before the fame—years before Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, and the creation of the Marilyn Monroe image known around the world.

In the 1890s, American sideshow performer Chauncey Morlan became widely known as the man billed as the “heaviest in the ...
09/01/2026

In the 1890s, American sideshow performer Chauncey Morlan became widely known as the man billed as the “heaviest in the world.” By age 17 he reportedly weighed 474 pounds, and in later years his weight was said to exceed 700 pounds.

Morlan toured with major circus attractions, including Barnum & Bailey, where crowds paid to see him as one of the era’s most famous sideshow performers. Nicknamed “The Human Freight Car,” he turned public fascination with unusual bodies into a successful career.

His story reflects a time when traveling shows made spectacles out of human difference, and performers like Morlan became both entertainers and curiosities in the eyes of the public.

Stan Beaton of Mirfield, West Yorkshire, lost his wife Ruby to cancer in 2003. After her death, one of the things he tre...
09/01/2026

Stan Beaton of Mirfield, West Yorkshire, lost his wife Ruby to cancer in 2003. After her death, one of the things he treasured most was the voicemail greeting she had recorded on their home phone.

For years, Stan would call the number just to hear Ruby’s voice again. He even avoided changing phone providers because he feared the recording might disappear.

Then the message was accidentally lost during technical changes at Virgin Media.
Stan was devastated.
After hearing his story, Virgin Media assigned a team of 11 engineers to search old systems for the recording. After three days of work, they managed to recover it.

BBC Radio Leeds later captured the emotional moment when Stan heard Ruby’s voice again for the first time after believing it was gone forever.
Virgin Media also gave him a permanent copy so he would never have to risk losing it again.

For Stan, it was more than a voicemail. It was one of the last remaining ways he could still hear the voice of the woman he had loved for decades.

This selfie marks the final known photo of 26-year-old John Allen Chau, an American Christian missionary who attempted t...
08/31/2026

This selfie marks the final known photo of 26-year-old John Allen Chau, an American Christian missionary who attempted to convert the uncontacted Sentinelese tribe.

In 2018, Chau bribed local Indian fishermen to illegally smuggle him into the protected, off-limits waters surrounding North Sentinel Island. Despite initial hostile warnings from the indigenous inhabitants, he paddled ashore carrying gifts and a Bible.

Shortly after landing, the isolated tribe fiercely defended their island territory; local fishermen later observed the tribespeople dragging Chau’s body along the sandy beach after shooting him repeatedly with arrows.

For eight years, Gary Box’s family had no idea that one final photograph of him even existed. The FDNY firefighter disap...
08/30/2026

For eight years, Gary Box’s family had no idea that one final photograph of him even existed. The FDNY firefighter disappeared while responding to the September 11 attacks, and like so many first responders, he never came home. It wasn’t until years later that his family discovered a powerful image showing him running toward the World Trade Center as thousands of others were desperately fleeing in the opposite direction.

Address

Los Angeles, CA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when History in Pictures posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category