1917 WWI Draft Card

George Herman "Babe" Ruth's World War I draft card (1917)

The Eduard Bohlen

The Eduard Bohlen ran aground in heavy fog on September 5, 1909 along the Skeleton Coast of Namibia. Over the years, the wreck sits half burried in the sand, a result of having drifted far inland.

Madame Curie

Marie Curie won the Nobel Peace Prize for physics and chemistry, the only woman ever to do so for both categories. She did so for her discovery of the theory of radioactivity. Her work kept her constantly exposed to radiation throughout her working life, contributing to her death on July 4, 1934 from aplastic anemia. She was 66 years old. To this day, her papers have been stored in special lead lined boxes, and anyone wishing to research them must do so wearing protective clothing.

This Is Not A Drill

The U.S.S. Ranger's Naval Dispatch from the Commander in Chief Pacific (CICPAC) announcing Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December, 1941.

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.