San Francisco In Ruins

San Francisco pictured from an airship 2000 feet above the city on May 28, 1906.

Mind Destruction

While giving the Nazi salute, German students from some of the world's finest colleges gather in German cities, including Berlin on May 10, 1933 to burn books with "unGerman" ideas. 

Papal Transportation

Pope Pius IX once referred to himself as a 'Prisoner of the Vatican'. The private railroad car that he used for his frequent trips through the Papal States is pictured (circa 1859). Today, the car remains on exhibit in the Museum of Rome.

The Dakota: 1912

The Dakota Park Apartments, located in New York's Central Park West and West 42nd Street, is pictured in 1912. Built in 1880, it is perhaps best remembered today as the place where famed Beatle John Lennon was shot to death on December 8, 1980. In addition to Lennon, other famous celebrities who called The Dakota home included Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Garland, and Rex Reed. Today the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and also is a  National Historic Landmark.

RMS Queen Mary

The luxury liner RMS Queen Mary is pictured in New York Harbor on June 20, 1945. Although her maiden voyage was in 1936, the ship was fitted with anti-aircraft guns and used as a military transport vessel during World War II from 1940 to 1944.

 After the Queen Mary's retirement in 1967, the city of Long Beach, California purchased the ship and opened it to the public in 1971 as a hotel, restaurant, & museum exhibit.

Before & After

In this 1905 National Park Service photograph, Mt. Rushmore is seen before contruction of the Mt. Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota.

The completed carved figures in the side of Mt. Rushmore are seen in this undated picture.

Critical Error

In a recent article, Louise Patten, writer and granddaughter of Titanic's 2nd officer Charles Lightoller, tells of his lifetime silence on the real cause of the 1912 disaster. She stated that the family kept it quiet all these years in order to protect Lightoller's reputation and that of his fellow crew.

Lightoller stated that a steering mistake doomed the giant ocean liner and more than 1500 of the people on board. When the iceberg had been spotted, the ship could have been steered to the left and around it. However, panic on the part of a crew member at the helm resulted in the ship turning the wrong way and directly into the ice's oncoming path.

He also believed the Titanic could have stayed afloat much longer had the Captain not been convinced by a company executive to continue on after it was hit. The ship's sinking could have been delayed long enough for the rescue vessels to arrive and possibly saving all those lives.

What is believed to be the last known image of the Titanic as it leaves Queenstown on its' fatal voyage.

Old Meets New

Photographer William England snapped this photograph of the Niagara Suspension Bridge in 1859. Viewed as an engineering marvel in its' time, the structure not only accommodated the modern trains of the era, but also the old horse and buggy traffic, as seen on the lower level beneath the tracks.

Pope John Paul I

Albino Luciani was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church on August 26, 1978, and took the name John Paul I. He brought simplicity to the Papacy from day 1 when he refused the customary Papal Coronation ceremony to begin his reign. That reign only lasted 33 days, as he was found dead in his residence on September 28, 1978.

Much controversy has surrounded his death over the years, resulting in some conspiracy theories that exist to this day. The Vatican was not completely forthcoming on much of the information released on his death. For example, it was reported that his secretary found the body, when in fact, a nun did while bringing him his morning coffee. The Vatican also reported he had health problems due to heavy smoking, when in fact it was learned that John Paul had never smoked.

His body was embalmed within one day of his death, setting off suspicions of it being done to avoid an autopsy, raising the possibility to some that he may have met with foul play. An official death certificate on his death has never been found.

Curse of The Bambino

The Bambino

After winning the 1918 World Series, the Boston Red Sox shocked the baseball world by selling their star player Babe Ruth to their arch rivals, the New York Yankees. With this acquisition, the Yankees became a better team over the years, and the Red Sox would go an incredible 86 years without winning another World Series. Many blamed the sale of Ruth to New York for Boston's long lasting post season misfortunes, eventually referring to it as 'The Curse of The Bambino'.

In 2004 the curse would be finally broken, with Boston overcoming an 0-3 deficit and defeating the New York Yankees in four straight games. Boston would face St. Louis in the World Series, winning the series 4-0. Cardinals shortstop Edgar Renteria, who wore #3, which was Babe Ruth's number with the Yankees, hit into the final out of the game giving the Red Sox the Championship, finally putting 'The Curse of The Bambino' to rest.

The Royal Theatre

Royal Theatre pictured in 1960

Opened in 1922 on Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, the Royal Theatre featured films as well as live shows by black entertainers, many of whom would go on to become icons in show business. Among the list of greats hosted at the Royal are Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Supremes, Jackie Wilson, The Temptations, and James Brown.

The Royal Theatre was torn down in the late 70's after four decades of operation. Today, Marquee Plaza stands on the Royal Theatre's site, symbolizing its' great contributions to not only Black History, but to the music industry as a whole.

A Spy Story With Legs

In this rare undated picture, Marina Lee appears as no more than the ballerina star she was during the World War II years. However, recently declassified papers from British Intelligence present her otherwise. As a German secret agent with striking beauty, Lee was somehow able to infiltrate Allied Defense offices, stealing battle plans of attack and turning them over to the Nazis.

Her accomplishments are credited with contributing to the fall of Norway to the Nazis early in the war. Intelligence from the French included the entry: Very nice legs.

Civil War Navy

The USS Monitor was a single turret naval vessel that was launched during the Civil War and saw battle until it was lost at sea on December 31, 1862. Over the years, several other monitors were added to the fleet and joined in the war.

It should be noted that the word 'monitor', while reflecting the name of the Navy's original vessel, became a reference term for all shallow-draft type vessels. The US Monitor Onondaga, a double turreted vessel, is pictured in 1864 near Aikens Landing, Virginia along the James River.

Harpers Ferry, WV 1862

The Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers come together in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where the railroad bridge is pictured in ruins after the Battle of Harpers Ferry in September 1862.

The Shot Heard 'Round The World!

At the Polo Grounds on October 3, 1951, Bobby Thomson, with his hand raised, is greeted at home plate by his New York Giants teammates after hitting what was to become known as the most famous home run in baseball history. Hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, the home run resulted in a series victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers, and would send the Giants to face the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Bobby Thomson passed away on Monday August 16, 2010 at the age of 86 in his Savannah, Georgia home. His famous home run will always be remembered as the shot heard 'round the world!.

City Gate

Kalgan, a gate to the Great Wall of China-1899

In his memoirs about a family trip to China in 1899, Herbert Hoover recalls his Christmas Eve stop in the town of Kalgan. While there, he met an American medical team doing missionary work. He describes the Christmas dinner he had there as a 'good one, but the fine American faces were a better tonic'.

Coventry Cathedral

Winston Churchill tours the roofless ruins of Coventry Cathedral after it was almost completely destroyed by a World War II bombing in November of 1940. Located in West Midlands, England, St. Michael's Cathedral, as it became known, was constructed between the late 14th and early 15th centuries.

In the post-war years, a new cathedral was erected directly adjacent to the old cathedral ruins, as seen in the above picture. 

First Communion

For decades, NASA kept quiet the fact that Apollo 11 Lunar Pilot Buzz Aldrin made history of his own shortly after he and Neil Armstrong landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. Aldrin held a prayer service in the lunar module and actually took Communion from a small communion kit, provided him by his pastor at the Webster Presbyterian Church in Houston.

Atheist Madelyn O'Hare had filed a lawsuit against NASA shortly after astronauts read from the Bible during the Christmas Eve 1968 orbit of the Moon by Apollo 8. In order to avoid another lawsuit and to preserve the historic value of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, NASA imposed a radio blackout during Aldrin's private service, unbeknownst to the rest of the world.

A Symbolic Journey

In 1930, Dr. Clyde William Tombaugh, pictured above, was credited with discovering the dwarf planet Pluto. On January 19, 2006, nine years after his death in 1997, NASA launched the New Horizons, a robotic spacecraft which is currently on its' way to Pluto. The craft, which is expected to fly by Pluto on July 14, 2015, is carrying several non-scientific articles of symbolic relevance including some of Clyde Tombaugh's ashes.

A small circular cylinder containing some of Dr. Tombaugh's ashes is pictured attached to the inside of the New Horizons spacecraft.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Opened on October 25, 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia was the largest public building project of its' time. The wheel shaped structure was designed to primarily keep inmates isolated from each other as well as the outside world, the belief being that this would be beneficial to their spiritual rehabilitation. Economic reasons as well as overcrowding eventually led to the prison closing in 1971. Today, Eastern State's massive walls provide tourists with their own original form of deteriorating beauty as a result of being abandoned for many years.

Thru the years, Eastern State housed such famous criminals as Willie "The Actor" Sutton, and Alphonse "Scarface" Capone, and was also the setting for many television shows as well as Hollywood movies. In order to safely protect visitors from its' ongoing decay, the penitentiary is currently maintained in a state of  'preserved ruin'.

Hockey Comes Indoors

The first organized indoor game of ice hockey was played on March 3, 1875 at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal, Canada. In 1893, this photograph was taken by William Notman during a game in the same building.

Nellie Bly

Female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), who was widely known by her pen name Nellie Bly, is pictured in 1890 after having traveled around the world in a record setting 72 days. In addition to her famous voyage, she was also known for her report in which she faked mental illness and was admitted to an asylum in order to expose corruption in the institution. 

Tokyo Rose

Iva Toguri was an American who participated in propaganda broadcasts by Radio Tokyo to Allied soldiers in the South Pacific during World War II. On her program, 'Zero Hour', Toguri referred to herself as 'Orphan Ann', but she quickly became known as 'Tokyo Rose' to Allied troops.

When she tried to return to the United States, she was tried on 8 counts of treason, and eventually convicted on one count. Iva Toguri was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and was paroled after serving 6 years and 2 months. In 1974, an investigation into her trial revealed that a key witness had lied in their testimony. In 1977, President Gerald Ford issued her a full pardon. She died of natural causes on September 26, 2006.

Leaders' Private Moments

General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry Truman are photographed thru the back window of their automobile on Wake Island, US Territory in the North Pacific in October 1950.

Pope Saint Pius X

Pope Pius X pictured in the Vatican Gardens in December 1904.

Born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto on June 2, 1835, he was the leader of the Roman Catholic Church from 1903 until his death on August 20, 1914.  He was canonized by Pope Pius XII on May 29, 1954, the first Pope to be canonized since 1712.

Millvina Dean

The last survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster, Millvina Dean is pictured holding a painting of the ship that would carry her and her family to a better life in America. At nine weeks old, Dean was the youngest passenger on the Titanic's maiden voyage in 1912.

Pictured (circa 1912/1913) with her older brother Bertram, Millvina Dean passed away on May 31, 1999 at the age of 97 in Southampton, England, the very port from where the Titanic would depart on her ill-fated voyage.

Gloria Swanson

American actress Gloria Swanson is pictured in this still from her 1919 movie "Don't Change Your Husband". Born Gloria May Josephine Swanson on March 27, 1899, she made her acting debut in 1914 during the silent film era. Swanson was also known for her affair with a married Joseph P. Kennedy, who was her business partner and father of the future US President John F. Kennedy. She died at the age of 84 on April 4, 1983 in New York City.

Ferris Wheel

The first Ferris wheel, invented by George Washington Gale Ferris, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania bridge builder, is pictured in 1893 at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The wheel became known as the 'Chicago Wheel'.

The Famous Second Flag

Marines of Easy Company carry what would become the most famous American flag in history up Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima February 23, 1945. The famous photograph of the second flag raising would ultimately become etched in the fabric of world history. 

July 4, 1826

John Adams

John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on October 19, 1735.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States, was born in Albemarle County, Virginia on April 13, 1743.

Coincidentally, both men died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Adams died on his farm in Quincy, Massachusetts, while Jefferson died in his Monticello, Virginia home. 

Adams' last words were 'Thomas Jefferson survives', never knowing that Jefferson had passed away a few hours earlier.                                           

Historic Gathering

For the first time in history, five US Presidents are photographed together. At the opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on November 4, 1991, Presidents George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon pose for this historic portrait.

Washington Monument

After its' construction had been halted for 25 years, the Washington Monument is pictured in 1860.

Johnny Weissmuller

Johnny Weissmuller is pictured (circa:1922) at an Illinois athletic club prior to his winning 5 Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928. In 1932 he signed an MGM movie contract that would propel him into an acting career that featured him as Tarzan.

Thomas Viaduct

Construction on the Thomas Viaduct began on July 4, 1833 and was completed July 4, 1835. Spanning the Patapsco River between Relay and Elkridge, Maryland, the world's first multi span railroad bridge is also the oldest continuously operational structure of its' kind. Pictured above in 1970, current efforts are underway to preserve this national landmark.

Trappers

In September 1908, a 15 year old boy is pictured at work as a trapper in a West Virginia coal mine. The trapper was responsible for opening and closing the ventilation door of a mine. When the motorman would approach, he would blink his lights, signaling the trapper to open the door so he could pass through. The trapper would then close the door and wait until the next train came, which was generally every hour. Probably the most difficult part of this young man's job was the long periods of loneliness, darkness and waiting.

Leonard Skinner

L to R: Former Lynyrd Skynyrd band member & R&R Hall of Famer Artimus Pyle,

Southern rock star C. J. Dubuisson, & Leonard Skinner

In the 60's, Leonard Skinner was a basketball coach and gym teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida. During his time there, he was a strict enforcer of the school's policy against males having long hair. In 1970 a group of musicians comprised of Skinner's former students decided to rename their band Lynyrd Skynyrd, a mock salute to their former teacher, who had often told them that they would never amount to anything.

One day, while patronizing one of Leonard Skinner's establishments, the band invited him to introduce them at their upcoming concert in their hometown, and he accepted. 

Eleanor Roosevelt

A strikingly beautiful Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is shown in this undated school portrait. Born in 1884 in an affluent New York family, she would go on to marry her 5th cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would eventually become the 32nd President of The United States.

Mystery Castle

After learning he had tuberculosis in the late 1920's, Boyce Luther Gulley left his wife and infant daughter in Seattle, Washington and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. During the 1930's, he built a castle for his daughter Mary Lou and called it Mystery Castle.

Gulley built the castle with found recycled items and materials he collected over time. The structure is said to be held together by cement, mortar, calcium and goat milk. It features 18 rooms, including a chapel, a cantina, and a dungeon.

After his death in 1945, his family learned thru an attorney that the daughter had inherited the house. Mary Lou and her mother moved in, and in 1992 added electricity and plumbing to the house, which was eventually opened to the public. 

Doing Her Part

This picture, titled "Bombs and Butter:1942",  shows a housewife bringing in her fats and grease to her local butcher shop. The waste, in turn, is sold to the appropriate manufacturers where it is processed into ammunition for the troops in combat.  

The Spite House

A 1924 picture of "The Spite House" in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. The house was built in 1830 by John Hallenbury in order to keep horse-drawn wagons and trespassers out of the alley between his two houses.

The Spite House, pictured today, is seven feet wide and twenty five feet deep. The two story structure has a total of 325 square feet of living space. The current owners utilize it as a second home.