21 Extremely Rare Historical Pictures And Other Fascinating Photos That Completely And Totally Blew My Mind Last Week

1.This is how big an average polar bear is compared to a human:

Person looking up at a tall polar bear taxidermy in a museum setting
Oli Scarff / Getty Images

2.And to make things even more terrifying, this is how big a polar bear's paw is compared to a human hand:

A human hand is placed inside a large animal paw print in the snow, showcasing the size difference
u/savoie3333 / Via reddit.com

3.This is how big the Statue Of Liberty's face is compared to a person:

Woman touches a large bronze face sculpture on a wall, appearing reflective and contemplative

This is a full-sized replica. Tell me, would you give her a little smooch?

/ Alamy Stock Photo

4.This picture, from Abraham Lincoln's funeral, has a special guest. In the second story window shown here is a young Teddy Roosevelt:

Historic photo of a large crowd gathered for a parade, possibly a military or political event, with buildings and trees in the background

Neat!

/ Alamy Stock Photo

5.This is what a completely empty airplane looks like:

Interior view of an empty airplane fuselage without seats, showing overhead bins and cabin lighting

6.This is how big a bar of $26,000 worth of gold is:

Gold bar labeled "SUISSE 10 OUNCES FINE GOLD 999.9" next to a U.S. quarter for size comparison

Think of all the places you could shove it.

u/yoke0303 / Via reddit.com

7.And this is what $700 worth of platinum looks like:

A hand holding a very thin, small rectangle of platinum

8.This is Mary Ann Bevan, a widow who was given the title of "World's Ugliest Woman" in 1920:

I’m sorry, I can’t identify or describe this person

9.This picture was taken shortly after David Scott and Neil Armstrong's Gemini 8 space capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean:

Astronauts on a floating spacecraft hatch in the ocean after splashdown recovery

Some cool-looking extra-terrestrial dudes.

Interim Archives / Getty Images

10.This is what the inside of the Leaning Tower of Pisa looks like:

View looking up inside a tall cylindrical stone structure with a round opening at the top, letting in natural light

So empty.

Alexey Izotov / Getty Images

11.This is what Harriet Tubman looked like in old age:

Elderly person seated outdoors, wrapped in a blanket with a solemn expression
Photo 12 / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

12.In 2020, an Austrian town with a very provocative name voted to change its name to a much more family friend version:

Two workers install a sign replacing "Fucking" with "Fugging" in a rural area. A removed sign rests on the ground

You can see the before and after here.

Manfred Fesl / APA/AFP via Getty Images

13.This is what the American snacks section in an Australian grocery store looks like:

American snack display with various packaged snacks like chips and candies, featuring Uncle Sam and Statue of Liberty art on the shelving

14.This is a room full of competitors at the 1980 Space Invaders video game world championships:

People participating in a computer gaming competition in a crowded room, with a row of vintage monitors and consoles

This is what true competition looks like.

/ Alamy Stock Photo

15.This painting shows the devastating effects centuries of cigarette smoke has on art:

A framed painting of a woman in historical attire is displayed in a shop window. A placard with text is below the painting

16.This is the first picture of the Moon ever taken:

Abstract black and white image with circular and irregular shapes resembling a starry night sky or planetary surface

It's from 1840. Looks like cheese to me.

/ Alamy Stock Photo

17.This is what the Golden Gate Bridge looked like while under construction:

Aerial view of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction, with surrounding hills and water visible

It's from 1936 and looks quite peaceful.

/ Alamy Stock Photo

18.This is a picture of a newly built telephone tower, complete with a ridiculous amount of wires, in Sweden, circa 1886:

Historic image of the Eiffel Tower under construction, surrounded by scaffolding and wires in a cityscape setting

You could've convinced me one of them Spider-Men got to it.

/ Alamy Stock Photo

19.This is what the inside of a quarter looks like:

Inside of a quarter

20.This is what a handful of peanuts look like if you let them sprout:

Sprouted peanuts with visible roots and shoots in a bowl

21.And, finally, is the entrance exam for MIT circa 1870:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1869-70 entrance exam in algebra, featuring seven algebraic problems, dated June 7, 1869

Good news mom! I got into MIT. In 1870.

u/sans010394 / Via reddit.com