When the Discovery of Insulin Changed Lives
In a Toronto hospital ward in 1922, a group of children lays comatose and nearing the end of their lives from diabetic ketoacidosis. With their families already believing them terminal, in walked a group of scientists – including the famous duo of Banting and Best, who just that past summer had been working on an insulin extract. They began to inject the children, and as they moved from bed to bed, each child gradually emerged from their coma!
The scientists had spent the summer working on extracting insulin from pig and cow pancreas for the treatment of diabetes. Just try and imagine the parents’ reactions in that hospital room.
Mom and Son Celebrate Pride in 1985
Back in 1985, the mom in this photo had nothing but unconditional love – and some excellent homemade T-shirts – for her son on their way to an LGBTQ+ Pride walk. Pride parades and walks began small with community support in 1970, a response to the Stonewall incident of 1969, when police raided a gay bar on Christopher Street, NYC. Fast forward to the Pride parade of 2016 in New York City, which saw 2.5 million attendees!
This awesome mom and son duo with a sense of humor turn history on its head – not all parents in the 80’s rejected their LGBTQ+ – and beautifully articulates what unconditional love and support look like.
A Peek Into the Past of the World’s Oldest Living Person
Kane Tanaka turned 119 in January 2022, making her the world’s oldest living person, according to the Guinness Book of World Records! Kane was born in Japan, where she lives today. She was married at 19, had five children, and worked in her family’s noodle shop until age 103. She was due to take part in the Olympic torch relay of 2021 but was worried about spreading Covid-19 to the other residents in her nursing home.
Kane, who has lived through two World Wars, enjoys solving arithmetic problems and playing Othello. To mark her birthday, the Coca-Cola company made Kane a personalized bottle with her name and age on it – apparently, she is still drinking it at age 119.
One of the “Harlem Hellfighters” Cuddles a Dog
Have you ever heard of the Harlem Hellfighters? This may only have been a nickname, referring to the 369th Infantry Regiment who fought in both world wars. Many African-Americans were keen to fight in WWI but were turned away by the US military. In 1917, all decorated soldiers were called up to fight, and the 369th was formed – made up mostly of African-Americans but also men from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the West Indies.
During WWI, the ‘Harlem Hellfighters’ fought in US uniforms but on French soil. There, they experienced less racial hatred. The 369th is recorded as the unit that served the longest in the frontline trenches and also experienced the greatest number of casualties during WW1.
Dental Patient in 1920 Calls It Like He Sees It
This little fellow clearly felt called to spread the word! This dentist who claimed to be “painless” was apparently far from it, and so this child vandalized his building with the word “liar.” Given the dental practices of the 1920s, his protest was more than likely justified. In one area of history that has changed quite dramatically, people used to wait years to see a dentist. Bear in mind that they also didn’t have toothpaste back then!
Then when they finally did go see a dentist, there were no painkillers involved! Novocaine and laughing gas were sometimes used after they were introduced in 1905, but not always. For the little graffiti artist pictured, a tooth extraction without anesthetic was just one step too far.
Even Cats Wore Masks Back in the Day
That’s right; we’re not the first to wear masks during a pandemic! The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, or ‘Spanish flu,’ which killed over 50 million people, included some markers of our current pandemic – including stores and schools closing, mask mandates, quarantine, and the eventual rollout of inoculations. Masks were made mandatory when the Spanish flu arrived in California, and refusal to wear a mask could result in a fine or jail time.
With the world still involved in World War I, mask mandates were taken seriously in 1918, as evidenced in this family photo by the cat in a teeny tiny cat mask.
Doggy Portraits of the 19th Century
It’s reassuring to know that people were still obsessed with their pets even a century ago. The dog in this photograph was obviously loved so dearly that their human simply had to have an early photograph of them – and was even given a prop to pose with! Unfortunately, in early pet photography, animals were often sedated in order to pose for their picture.
As photography only began in 1816 with the invention of the camera, the desire for pictures of pets was a very early trend. The very first photo of a dog was taken in the early 1850s and was entitled ‘Poodle with Bow, on Table.’
A Priceless and Timeless Gift
We love this photo from 1955 of a father – or maybe uncle or grandfather – moments before gifting a sweet little boy with a puppy. The photograph truly captures the anticipation of the little boy – dressed in the style of the period; hands clasped together – on the precipice of life before owning a puppy of his own.
The photo is all the more special for its simplicity in comparison to today’s world. There is no big white box with a red satin bow, balloons, confetti, or social media ‘reveal’ – just the simple act of giving.
Marlene Dietrich’s Trousers Were Illegal
In 1933, Marlene Dietrich stepped off a train in Paris, France, to considerable controversy, having flown across the Atlantic for a vacation with her husband. Dietrich’s style – her fierce suit, short hair, and shoes – reflected the changing fashions for women during that period. But at the time she arrived in Paris, women in France were forbidden – by law – to wear pants.
The urban legend goes that Dietrich was detained, with the story later debunked as inaccurate. Meanwhile, the French ruling that women may not “dress like a man” was eventually overturned, but not until 2013!
The Teen Who Fell From the Sky
Juliane Koepcke was 17 years old when her plane flying from Lima, Peru to the Amazon crashed – leaving no survivors but her. The plane was hit by lightning and broke into pieces, and – still strapped to her chair – Juliane fell 10,000 feet down into the middle of the rainforest. The teenager spent the next 11 days in survival mode, tending to her wounds with gasoline and eating sweets from the pockets of a dead passenger she found while walking.
She walked for days before coming across a small hut where three missionaries found her and eventually took her to the hospital by boat. Out of 91 passengers on board, including her mother, Juliane was the sole survivor. At just 17, she survived 11 days in the Peruvian rainforest alone.
Man’s Second Best Friend Circa 1940
This photo from1940 shows how peeking back into history can reassure us that people have always been people. In the picture, a boy lies in a field with a small newborn lamb cuddled up to his shoulder; the boy’s eyes are closed in blissful slumber, and the lamb embraces him. That little hoof slung over his shoulder gets us every time!
While we don’t know who took this peaceful photograph, someone paused and took a moment to capture this loving scene. They may not have known the word for ‘mindfulness’ in 1940, but in a world of upset and disarray, with a terrible war breaking out, someone remembered that it’s the small things that count.
1970s Civil Rights Protester Looks Like She Could Be in 2022
Power to the People is one rebellion slogan that has definitely not diminished with time! With the police in the background and the elaborate poster calling for rights for gay people, Black people, women, and students, this rare photo makes for one awesome glimpse into history. The photo is likely to have been snapped during Christopher Street Liberation Day in 1970, which marked the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Thousands of people gathered and marched together through New York City in what is now thought of as the first Pride parade.
How does this photo show us a ‘different’ side of history? What could be more important than knowing that people have always been willing to stand up for basic civil rights!
When Princess Diana Met Blackadder
This photo of Princess Diana and Rowan Atkinson, the British actor and comedian, joking around with each other was snapped in 1984 at a lineup following the Royal Variety Show – an annual charity performance given in the United Kingdom. Both of these now world-famous figures had only just stepped into their spotlights. Diana had married Prince Charles just three years earlier, while Atkinson shot to fame starring in the hit comedy series Blackadder in 1983.
There was quite the celebrity turnout for the charity event, but as is evident from the adoring gazes of all those pictured, Princess Diana was the real star of the moment.