After the 13th Amendment was passed, the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute was opened with the sole mission of educating those who were previously enslaved. However, it broadened its mission to simply provide African Americans with an education. In this instance, the students are busy learning the ins and outs of telephone assembly.
With Benjamin Franklin Johnston’s photograph, we witness a historical landmark – the true impact of Lincoln’s 13th Amendment. This photograph was taken some 30 years after the 13th Amendment became a constitutional right and made a significant change to the nation. Slavery was banned, and as a result, more than four million people were free.
John F. Kennedy's Funeral
This famous photo is one of the most famous ones in history. Very young John F. Kennedy Jr. saluted his father alongside his mother, Jacqueline Kennedy, during his father’s funeral. What is most captivating in this photo is that such a young boy is reflecting such a sad moment and devastating experience.
Jacqueline's half-hidden face is something that can't be ignored or stay oblivious to, as it only enhances and strengthens the agony and bitter feelings this family was going through. Stan Stearns, who took this photo, encapsulates not only this family's most difficult hours but also the nation's grief.
Women Hunger Marches
Following the Great Depression, unemployment became rampant in Europe and the USA. In this photograph from 1934, we see a group of women who had joined a hunger march in Great Britain. These women, in particular, wished to see Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald, but he refused them. The main focus of the hunger strikes was to get rid of the Means Test, which had specific requirements about who qualified for social welfare.
With unemployment of just under 2.8 million in 1932, these women believed the Means Test should be abolished. Even today, the Means Test still exists in Britain, and it is generally used to assist citizens with care costs if one has no or little savings.
Brooke Shield Graduates
While this actress has become a household name after her success in sitcoms such as “Suddenly Susan,” Brooke Shields also had much success in academics at Princeton. Quite surprisingly, the actress took a degree in French Literature. She also joined several of the university’s clubs, including the theater club Princeton Triangle and the Cap and Gown club, not knowing that she had a bright future ahead of her in the movie industry.
In 1987, she graduated from a prestigious university. This photo is of her graduation day. Though she would go on to achieve much more in her life, the young actress looks proud of her accomplishment here.
Nikola Tesla in His Laboratory
You have probably seen this iconic photo. This scene captured here looks like something out of the movie “The Prestige.” Or rather, the movie seems to resemble Nikola Tesla’s Laboratory. What is interesting is that the scientist/inventor took this photo to demonstrate how safe alternating current is. Two hundred fifty thousand volts of alternating current, to be more precise!
Clearly, it was safe because Tesla had time to write, perhaps a bit of journaling or a crossword puzzle. Who knows? Tesla may have proved how reliable this type of electricity was, but sadly, we went with Edison’s invention. To this day, Tesla still stands for prestige and innovation.