Helen Keller

The above image shows Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan taken in Brewster, Massachusetts on Cape Cod in July, 1888. The then 8 year old Keller is shown holding one of her many dolls, while seemingly being attentive towards Sullivan. The photo, which was discovered 120 years after it was originally shot, is believed by experts to be the earliest picture taken of Helen Keller.

Pablo Escobar

Born Pablo Emilio Ecsobar Gavaria on December 1, 1949, Escobar was a Columbian drug lord who, at one time, headed the famous Medellin Drug Cartel. His life of crime made him, according to Forbes Magazine in 1989, the 7th richest man in the world. One day after his 44th birthday in 1993, Pablo Escobar met up with his fate, as he was killed in a gun battle with law enforcement agents on a roof top in Medellin.

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and jazz orchestra leader. Born in Washington, DC on April 29, 1899, his award filled musical career resulted in his being largely recognized as one of the greatest figures in the history of jazz. Ellington died in New York City on May 24, 1974 at the age of 75. His image appears on the back of the Washington, DC quarter, which was released in 2009.

The History of Paper

One of China's greatest contributions to the world was the invention of paper. During the Han Dynasty (around 200 B.C.), the Chinese used plant materials and silk rags to make paper. They made durable, long-lasting paper by 105 A.D. This paper became the common form of writing materials for records and books. The Chinese also used paper for creating landscape and figure paintings, windows, lanterns, umbrellas, and fans.

Roll The Dice

Archaeologists from Iran have unearthed the world's oldest backgammon from beneath the rubble of the ancient Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchistan province near Southeastern Iran. This backgammon appears to be older that the one previously discovered in Mesopotamia, leading experts to believe that the famous board game may have originated in Burnt City.

Iran Hostage Crisis

Iranian Islamist students parade a blindfolded American hostage outside the American Embassy in Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis. The students held 53 hostages in the embassy for a total of 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981 in support of the Iranian Revolution. The plane with the released hostages was not allowed to takeoff from Tehran until moments after the newly elected US President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office. Every evening during the crisis, ABC would televise a half hour special, updating the status of the ongoing crisis. This news programming continued after the crisis and became known as Nightline.

Dealy Plaza

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade passed thru Dealy Plaza in Dallas, Texas. The famous plaza is pictured above 1n 1969, appearing virtually unchanged from that fateful day six years earlier. The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, fired the fatal shot from the top floor, far right window of the Texas School Book Depository building.

Old Ironsides

This is the oldest known picture of the USS Constitution, which was taken in 1858 while undergoing repairs at the Navy Yard in Portsmouth, NH. The 44 gun frigate was launched in 1797 in Boston, MA, and was one of six original wooden hull three masted frigates built. The ship was named by President George Washington. Based at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, the Constitution remains on the Navy's active list.

USS Nautilus

The USS Nautilus (SSN-571), The world's first operational nuclear powered submarine, is pictured passing under the George Washington Bridge in 1956 as part of an Armed Forces Week visit to New York harbor. The Nautilus was launched on January 21, 1954 at the submarine base in Groton, CT. On May 10, 1955 the Nautilus traveled fully submerged for 84 hours from New London, CT, to San Juan Puerto Rico. It is also best known for having completed a submerged voyage across the North Pole. The vessel was decommissioned in 1980, and is currently a museum at the Groton Sub Base in Groton, Ct. The USS Nautilus has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Civil Rights in the 60's

The Reverend Martin Luther King is pictured in the center of this picture leading 8000 people in the 3rd Selma Civil Rights March on March 21, 1965. Three marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama were defining moments in the American civil rights movement, which challenged black people's voting rights.