32 Historical Photos That Will Destroy Your Perception Of Time

Aaron Ant
·6-min read

Time is flying by, and that's especially the case the older you get. Sometimes, it's easy to forget how major milestones and historical moments overlap with one another.

Below is a round-up of 32 historically significant moments that you may or may not have been aware occurred around the same time.

1.The Titanic sunk in the same year that Fenway Park opened.

Historical photo of the RMS Titanic at sea with a small, smoking tugboat guiding it
Historical photo of the RMS Titanic at sea with a small, smoking tugboat guiding it
Historic baseball game at Fenway Park. Players on the field, spectators fill the stands. Advertising board reads
Historic baseball game at Fenway Park. Players on the field, spectators fill the stands. Advertising board reads

Mirrorpix / Mirrorpix via Getty Images, Transcendental Graphics / Getty Images

The Titanic tragedy occurred five days before the opening of Fenway Park in Chicago on April 20, 1912. The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, per USA Today.

2.Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa in 1994. That same year also marks O.J. Simpson's infamous car chase in the white Bronco.

Nelson Mandela is raising his right hand while speaking at a podium, with people and South African flags in the background
Nelson Mandela is raising his right hand while speaking at a podium, with people and South African flags in the background
A white SUV is being followed by police cars on a highway in Los Angeles, with road signs indicating directions to the airport, Long Beach, and Santa Monica
A white SUV is being followed by police cars on a highway in Los Angeles, with road signs indicating directions to the airport, Long Beach, and Santa Monica

Walter Dhladhla / AFP via Getty Images, Ted Soqui / Sygma via Getty Images

On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated into office, a historical moment that marked the first Black president in the history of South Africa, per Al Jazeera. A month later, in the US, O.J. Simpson went on a low-speed police chase through Southern California that made headlines across the world following the murder of his wife.

3.In 1997, the world mourned the death of Princess Diana, who passed away in a car accident on August 31 in Pont de l'Alma, France. Just two months before, J.K. Rowling changed the landscape of children's literature by releasing Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone in the U.K., per Time Magazine.

A heavily damaged car with shattered windows and a collapsed roof, indicative of a severe car accident. No people are visible
A heavily damaged car with shattered windows and a collapsed roof, indicative of a severe car accident. No people are visible
The cover of
The cover of

Pierre Boussel / AFP via Getty Images, Getty Images

4.John F. Kennedy was assassinated just months after Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.

John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy ride in a motorcade in an open-top car, with Secret Service agents and a large crowd of onlookers
John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy ride in a motorcade in an open-top car, with Secret Service agents and a large crowd of onlookers
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a speech at the March on Washington, waving to a large crowd near the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a speech at the March on Washington, waving to a large crowd near the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive, - / AFP via Getty Images

John F. Kennedy was murdered at 43 years old in a motorcade driving through Dealey Plaza in Texas on November 22, 1963. On August 28, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where he delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech in front of 250,000 people.

5.1980 marked the murder of John Lennon and the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

Two women are in a crowded place. One holds a newspaper with the headline
Two women are in a crowded place. One holds a newspaper with the headline
A large volcanic eruption with a massive ash plume rising into the sky, occurring over a forested mountain landscape
A large volcanic eruption with a massive ash plume rising into the sky, occurring over a forested mountain landscape

Keystone / Getty Images, John T. Barr / Getty Images

John Lennon was killed on December 8, 1980, after he was shot in front of his apartment building in New York City, per People. Earlier that year, the most disastrous volcanic eruption in American history took place on May 18 that left 57 people dead, according to USA Today.

6.Hitler's rise to power in 1933 coincided with the end of Prohibition in the US.

Adolf Hitler delivers a speech to a large, uniformed crowd, raising his arm in a salute, during a rally
Adolf Hitler delivers a speech to a large, uniformed crowd, raising his arm in a salute, during a rally
Historic image of a truck loaded with beer barrels surrounded by cheering men in suits and hats, representing the end of Prohibition in the U.S
Historic image of a truck loaded with beer barrels surrounded by cheering men in suits and hats, representing the end of Prohibition in the U.S

Keystone-france / Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images, Ullstein Bild Dtl. / ullstein bild via Getty Images

Though he didn't become a dictator until 1934, Paul von Hindenburg appointed HItler as counselor in January 1933, which ultimately became the pretext to his dictatorship, per History.com. By the end of the year, the US finally repealed Prohibition laws.

7.Just a few months after Marilyn Monroe's death, the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted.

A covered body is being transported on a stretcher by a uniformed person outside, near a vine-covered wall
A covered body is being transported on a stretcher by a uniformed person outside, near a vine-covered wall
John F. Kennedy delivers a televised address from the Oval Office, surrounded by cameras, press, and technicians
John F. Kennedy delivers a televised address from the Oval Office, surrounded by cameras, press, and technicians

Keystone-france / Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images, Keystone / Getty Images

On August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died from an overdose. Months later, in October, the Cuban Missile Crisis nearly led the US and the Soviet Union to war.

8.McDonald's established its first franchise restaurant under Ray Kroc in 1955 — the same year Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

A 1950s McDonald's restaurant with a
A 1950s McDonald's restaurant with a
Rosa Parks, wearing glasses and a formal jacket, holds a sign with the number 7053 during her arrest
Rosa Parks, wearing glasses and a formal jacket, holds a sign with the number 7053 during her arrest

Hulton Archive / Getty Images, Universal History Archive / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The onset of a fast food empire, Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's location in 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois, per their website. And while it was a massive step forward for the future of America's food industry, that year also marked Rosa Parks's courageous act of protest against segregation, as reported by History.com.

9.The death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Duchess of Hohenberg, catalyzed WWI in 1914, according to historians. However, that same year, Charlie Chaplin made history when he debuted his most famous character, The Tramp, in The Kid Auto Races At Venice.

Charlie Chaplin in his iconic bowler hat and suit, Stan Laurel, and Roland Totheroh appear engaged in a discussion on a movie set with filming equipment
Charlie Chaplin in his iconic bowler hat and suit, Stan Laurel, and Roland Totheroh appear engaged in a discussion on a movie set with filming equipment
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, walk towards a car, surrounded by men in traditional and military attire
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, walk towards a car, surrounded by men in traditional and military attire

Hulton Archive / Getty Images, Universal History Archive / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

10.The attack on Pearl Harbor and the completion of Mount Rushmore occurred a few months apart from each other.

Historical photo of Pearl Harbor attack showing smoke, damaged airplanes, and people
Historical photo of Pearl Harbor attack showing smoke, damaged airplanes, and people
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln sculpted on Mount Rushmore during its construction phase
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln sculpted on Mount Rushmore during its construction phase

Fox Photos / Getty Images, Keystone-france / Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

The Pearl Harbor attack killed over 2,400 Americans on December 7, 1941 following a surprise attack by Japanese fighter jets. A little over a month before, Mount Rushmore was completed after nearly 14 years of work, according to NPS.

11.The year The Beatles bid farewell to their fans with a final performance was the same year Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

The Beatles perform a rooftop concert with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. A crowd of onlookers and bandmates surround the musicians
The Beatles perform a rooftop concert with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. A crowd of onlookers and bandmates surround the musicians
Astronaut Neil Armstrong stands on the moon next to the American flag with the lunar module in the background
Astronaut Neil Armstrong stands on the moon next to the American flag with the lunar module in the background

Mirrorpix / Mirrorpix via Getty Images, Photo 12 / Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The final public performance of The Beatles occurred on top of the Apple Studio in London on January 30, 1969, uDiscover reports. Fast forward to July, the US made massive strides in space exploration when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.

12.Disney's first full-length feature film, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs debuted in 1937, according to Britannica. A year later, the Spanish Civil War began.

Poster of Walt Disney’s
Poster of Walt Disney’s
A large group of soldiers and civilians celebrate together on top of an armored vehicle, holding rifles and flags, during a historical military event
A large group of soldiers and civilians celebrate together on top of an armored vehicle, holding rifles and flags, during a historical military event

Lmpc / LMPC via Getty Images, Hulton Deutsch / Corbis via Getty Images

13.1950 marked the beginning of the Korean War, and Marlon Brando's film debut in The Men.

Soldiers walking down a dirt path toward the hills with a line of civilians, including a person carrying a large sack, walking in the opposite direction
Soldiers walking down a dirt path toward the hills with a line of civilians, including a person carrying a large sack, walking in the opposite direction
Marlon Brando's stunning performance in The Men
Marlon Brando's stunning performance in The Men

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty, Sunset Boulevard / Corbis via Getty Images

The Imperial War Museum notes that the Korean War began on June 25, 1950, and ended on July 27, 1953. A month after the war started, Marlon Brando made his film debut in Fred Zinneman's The Men, per Turner Classic Movies.

14.The US boycotted the Olympics in 1980 in response to the Soviet-Afghan War — one of the biggest protests in Olympic history. That year also marked one of the greatest feats in video game history: the debut of Pac-Man.

A person holds a protest sign that reads
A person holds a protest sign that reads
Screenshot of a Pac-Man game showing Pac-Man eating pellets while being chased by Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde with a cherry at the bottom of the screen
Screenshot of a Pac-Man game showing Pac-Man eating pellets while being chased by Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde with a cherry at the bottom of the screen

Steve Powell / Getty Images, Ilbusca / Getty Images

15.Considered the deadliest shooting by a lone gunman at the time, per PBS, the University of Texas tower massacre occurred on August 1, 1966. Just days later, The Beatles released their album, Revolver on August 5, according to their official website.

Beatles album cover for revolver
Beatles album cover for revolver
Three people are in a corridor. One is lying on the ground, covered with a blanket, being attended to by two others who appear concerned
Three people are in a corridor. One is lying on the ground, covered with a blanket, being attended to by two others who appear concerned

Michael Ochs Archives via Getty, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive

16.The first IBM PC, known as IBM Model 5150, changed the technology landscape when it debuted in 1981, per Computer History. That same year also marked the infamous moment where Barbera Walters asked Katharine Hepburn the million-dollar question: "what kind of tree are you?"

Vintage IBM personal computer setup with a monitor, CPU, and keyboard set against a plain background
Vintage IBM personal computer setup with a monitor, CPU, and keyboard set against a plain background
Katharine Hepburn and another person are in a room with bookshelves. Hepburn is seated, wearing a sweater and scarf, looking at the other person
Katharine Hepburn and another person are in a room with bookshelves. Hepburn is seated, wearing a sweater and scarf, looking at the other person

Science & Society Picture Librar / SSPL via Getty Images, ABC / Via youtube.com

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