20 Insane Photos throughout History

1.

Two ladies get ready to entertain US troops in France a few weeks after D-Day in 1944. Almost immediately after getting a foothold in France, the US had showgirls entertain troops with songs and dancing. After the liberation of major cities, especially Paris, big name movie stars, comedians, and music acts came to entertain troops during USO shows. The Soviets also entertained their troops, normally with acrobatic routines or bands. The Germans also entertained their troops as well, but usually with organized events in occupied cities. Troop moral was vital by all parties in WWII, and keeping them entertained and knowing what the common soldier was fighting for was paramount. Each side did it in different ways, but it was done. The US just documented it much more during WWII due to the huge names involved.

2.

Costume parade in Charleville, Queensland, Australia in 1920.

3.

Tourists being assisted by their guides as they climb one of the Pyramids at Giza in the 1890s. Tourism at the Pyramids is thousands of years old, with people from the empires of Macedon, Rome, French, British and many more coming to Egypt to see them. They climbed them, took pieces, and this was before the sites were even excavated. Eventually, in the 1980s Egypt stopped people from climbing them, as such wear and tear was causing significant damage to the outsides of the Pyramids. It can be possible to still do so, perhaps with a pass for a fee, but not freely and easily as it was before the restrictions.

4.

Prostitutes play cards and drink between clients in a brothel in New Orleans, US in 1912. Prostitution was fairly common across the US up until the women's movement in the US in the early 1900s. Eventually, every state outlawed it. Once they became a state, only Nevada would eventually allow it. As with any service job, much of an average day can consist of no activity. Alcohol and gambling, also legal at the time, could take up much of a prostitutes free time. Whats also interesting is it was not uncommon for a frequent customer to marry a prostitute, and possibly the prostitute would still work despite being married. One of the most famous example of this situation is Wyatt Earp and 2 of his brothers who all either married or had extended relationships with prostitutes.

5.

French soldiers build shelters at Saint-Agnant-sous-les-Cotes in eastern France in 1915. Shelling locations during sieges in WWI was a major strategy. Soldiers often built complex trenches, with many underground areas for shelter during times of being shelled. These shelters also led to the forward trenches, allowing troops under cover to move to and from key areas near the front. This was not uncommon in many areas during much of the stalemate of the battles at the Western front in WWI.

6.

A man walks by a dead whale after the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, US in 1989. During the disaster, nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. Nearly 1300 square miles was covered in oil. This disaster caused the deaths of up to 250,000 seabirds, around 2,800 sea otters, approximately 12 river otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles, and 22 orcas, and an unknown number of salmon and herring. It was at the time the worst oil spill in US history, before the 2010 deep water horizon disaster. The accident was entirely avoidable. Human error along with the ship not being fixed properly made this happen and also made it much worse than it ever should have been. To this day, parts of Alaska can still feel the effects of the disaster.

7.

People head to see the Olympics in Berlin, Germany in 1936. Germany won the rights to host the games in 1931 and The Third Reich planned it to be the greatest public event in history at that time. Other countries even considered boycotted the games fearful of what Germany would do with their propaganda if they did well at the games. Hitler even had the event broadcasted for the first time, with the most powerful signal ever sent into space at that time. It was a display of power and wealth from the rebuilt German economy.

8.

Continuing from the previous picture, many statues were built and buildings decorated for the Olympics in Berlin, Germany in 1936. The 1936 Olympics was a huge success for Hitler, and may have ensured he could move forward with his plans of conquest and convincing Germans of their superiority.

9.

A street in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1900. It's interesting that the entire street posed for the picture, even from considerable distance in the background.

10.

Models pose before a fashion show in New York City, US in 1932. As with any decade, some fashion took off, and others would flop. The outfit on the right became quite common around the US, but the outfit on the left not so.

11.

The University of Michigan playing Michigan State University in American Football in Michigan, US in 1913. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, clubs and colleges started changing the rules of American Rugby which developed into American Football. The biggest change that made the game something completely different was the addition of the forward pass, which was added in 1906. As you can see, the goal post is at the touchdown line, some of the players are not wearing helmets, but the referee does still have a whistle. Football evolved drastically and is the most popular sport in the US. The rest of the world still does not really care for this sport, and with the deadly consequences of all the hits and concussions, the sport may have reached its peak.

12.

Armenians, mostly children, wait to be deported in Malatya, Turkey in 1918 during the Armenian Genocide. Similar to what the Germans did with Hungarian Jews at the end of WWII, the Ottoman Turks sped up efforts to kill as many Armenians as possible in 1918 before the war ended. Losing all ability to continue to produce weapons and fight, the war was lost, but the ability to continue the Genocide by starving people to death was doable. Around 1.5 million Armenians were killed during the Genocide, with up to 400,000 dying in 1918 alone. Sadly, every Armenian in this picture would die within a month of this picture.

13.

An American soldier shares cigarettes and chocolate with his Japanese girlfriend outside of Tokyo, Japan in 1946. The soldier is in fact violating restrictions on giving Japanese civilians such rations. Many Americans stationed in Japan for the 10 years of the US occupation after WWII integrated with the locals. Around 2.3 Million Japanese soldiers died in the war, with another 326,000 wounded. Not only that, all surrendering soldiers were not allowed to return to a daily life so quickly. Over 4.4 percent of the Japanese population died, with their entire government, economy, and infrastructure broken down. This left many families, especially young women, no way to support themselves. But the hundred of thousands of American men stationed in the country had access to necessities which made such relationships commonplace and totally acceptable across the country.

14.

Businessmen from around the world are entertained by a dancer in Paris, France in 1958. Paris has been a key city for entertainment not seen around the world for hundreds of years, and the 1950s was no different. Many major European businesses would hire clubs in Paris to entertain investors or key executives. It was easier to do it in Paris where it was completely acceptable than try it in other countries which hadn't caught up sexually to the French. By the 1970s, that would all change as pornography, stripping and of course risque but acceptable images and films depicting adult material became available worldwide.

15.

A man wearing an Agaba mask in Achalla, Nigeria in 1946. This was part of a traditional dance from the local tribe in the area that had been around for thousands of years. The mask itself could be hundreds of years old, as many African tribes had masks, often reusing them for ceremonies. They have become collectible antiques from westerners. This one is one of the more detailed and scarier ones.

16.

Mannequins in a home near the Trinity Nuclear Test site in New Mexico, US in 1945. Most initial atomic bomb testing was done inside the continental US in the desert, usually in New Mexico, Arizona or Nevada. The US military built towns, adding all normal amenities of the time to each home, and then put mannequins in to try and determine the damage such an atomic bomb would cause if ever detonated on civilian population. As the weapons became more powerful and the radiation and dangers became better understood, testing was stopped inside the continental US and moved to islands by the 1950s. All the test sites still have significant radiation and cannot be visited for extended hours without suffering from exposure.

17.

Women mud wrestle at the Sand Box Lounge in Phoenix, Arizona in 1980. During the late 1970s and 1980s, many clubs came up with weird ways to entertain clients besides just attractive women stripping. A major reason for this was the mass production of nude magazines and the expansion of pornography. Strip clubs struggled to make money and as with any business, owners tried wild new ways to keep customers and to entertain. These gimmicks were entertaining and fun at first, but most patrons didn't care for them after a while, and they mostly died out by the early 1990s. Some places still do such things, but they are few and far between.

18.

The streets of Moscow, Russia during The Great Moscow Flood in 1908. Much of the city flooded, but it wasn't that deadly, mostly affecting the poor when it comes to deaths. It heavily impacted basic movement however and caused the Russian empire to make additions to the drainage of the Moskva River to prevent it from flooding again. It was a large project that was very successful. An unknown number died but it is believed to be less than 100.

19.

A wounded women is carried to get medical help after being shot during the general election in Haiti in 1987. During the restructure of the country, a massive general election was held. While people lined up to vote, military members posing as gangs led by Service d'Intelligence National member Lt. Col. Jean-Claude Paul drove around and shot people at the poles. Visibly dressed military personal themselves followed these vehicles, appearing to provide support. In some cases, even clothed military personal took part in the shooting of voters. This went on for a few hours until the poling stations were abandoned. The political strife went on for years afterwards, and the next public vote in 1988 saw just 4% of the country attend for fear of a repeat massacre.

20.

Continuing from the previous picture, people carry coffins of the victims of the massacres at poling stations in Haiti in 1987. The US condemned the shootings, but did hardly anything to fix the political strife in the country. Up to 300 people were killed, with as high as 1,000 wounded. Many Haitians fled the country, trying to reach the US. If they survived the journey, many would not be allowed to stay. Unlike Cubans, the US required far more from Haitians to be accepted in the US. Thousands died trying to flee in shark infested waters in the late 1980s alone. It would take many more years before Haiti had a free election process without reprisals of any kind.