18 Fascinating Photos Collected From History

1.

De Beer mine workers are X-rayed at the end of every shift before leaving the diamond mines. Kimberly, South Africa. 1954

2.

Atomic cloud over Nagasaki, Sept 8,1945, taken 15+ minutes after the explosion, seen from a distance of 15 km. Photo by Hiromihi Matsuda

3.

Apollo 1 Crew: Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee

4.

The crew of Apollo 1 relaxes during training, 1966

5.

The Apollo 1 Tragedy: the orbit with Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee on board. Tragically, however, the spacecraft was destroyed in a cabin fire during a launch pad test 50 years ago. On January 27, 1967 Apollo 1 was sitting on the launch pad atop a Saturn 1B rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34, the precursor to the Saturn V. It was set to perform a “plugs-out” test, during which both the launch vehicle and the spacecraft were not loaded with fuel and all pyrotechnic systems were disabled. The task was merely to prepare Apollo 1 for its launch on February 21, 1967 by running through various system procedures. During the second run through the checklist, the fire started. The 100% oxygen atmosphere fed the electrical fire, the increasing pressure rupturing the capsule wall. Shrapnel injured ground crew, while smoke billowed out to smother them. Within 26 seconds, the horrified ground team heard garbled voices yelling, and saw flame sweeping across the camera. It took five full minutes for the ground crew to peel open all three hatches, trading off as heat and smoke forced them to retreat.

6.

Note handed to President Johnson about fatal Apollo 1 fire

7.

The crew of the sinking Japanese air craft Zuikaku salutes as the flag is lowered for the last time on October 25, 1944. The ship would sink with the loss of 843 men

8.

A Japanese dive bomber’s final moments, 1945

9.

The torpedoed Japanese destroyer Yamakaze, as seen through the periscope of an American submarine, USS Nautilus, in June 1942

10.

A German submarines control room in 1918

11.

Two children wearing Ku Klux Klan robes and hoods stand on either side of Dr. Samuel Green, Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard, at an initiation ceremony. Atlanta, Georgia. July 24, 1948

12.

An Afghan mujahideen aims a FIM-92 Stinger missile at passing Soviet aircraft, 1988

13.

The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, 1946

14.

Auschwitz death camp guards on their day off

15.

Rudolf Hoess, the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, before getting hanged next to the crematorium at the camp, 1947

16.

US Marines returning fire during the battle of Hue, 1968

17.

Paper boys at 2 A.M. about to start their morning rounds. February 12, 1908

18.

Jim Morrison performing at Fantasy Faire and Magic Musical Festival, Northridge, LA. 1967