We can find a myriad of narratives in historical photos, and not all of them are pleasant. They can show us slices of life that we’d rather not think about, and startling images that we can’t look away from. The photos in this collection of chilling points in history will shake you to your core. Many of these shots will keep you up at night, while others will be impossible to look away from.
Be advised, some of these photos are going to be tough to look at, but others will take your breath away. You need to take a long look at each of these shots that show unnerving moments in history. Keep reading, and remember to use caution.
The dangers of space travel always seem so far away. We think of the astronauts running out of oxygen or bouncing off the moon into the cold blackness of space, but it’s the takeoffs that really pose a threat to astronauts. That’s never been more apparent than on January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after taking off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven astronauts on board. One passenger on board, Christa McAuliffe, was a teacher chosen for the flight by NASA’s Teacher in Space” program. All loss of life is tragic, but to lose non-professional personal is absolutely shocking.
Muhammad Ali talks a suicidal veteran down from a high rise, 1981
Muhammad Ali has always been an inspirational figure, and even when he was down on his luck he knew that he was destined to change the world. After returning to the world of boxing Ali fought in The Thrilla in Manilla against Joe Frazier, a bout that changed him irrevocably. He was no longer the wise cracking whipper snapper who could lay someone out with his fists and his words, he was an aging boxer, but that didn’t stop Ali from trying to make a difference.
On e of Joe was working up the nerve to jump out of a window in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. There were people on the street telling him to jump to his death while the police tried to coax him inside.
Continue reading “The crew of the Challenger, moments before their final flight on January 28, 1986”