The cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is a familiar enough name, but Vladimir Kamarov’s name is not as well-known. The two cosmonauts had been friends. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev wanted to make a statement about Soviet superiority. On April 23, 1967, the space capsule Soyuz 1 was sent to orbit the Earth, and Kamarov was the intended pilot.
The problem is that Soyuz 1 was not safe. If Kamarov did not join this mission, Brezhnev would have assigned Gagarin, so Kamarov went on the mission. And in this photo, these are the remains of Kamarov as the space capsule crashed into the earth.
The Boston Marathon 1967
Kathrine Switzer is an American television commentator and author, and she is also a marathon runner. She changed history in 1967 by becoming the first-ever female runner to complete a marathon as an official registered participant. This next photo has gone viral, especially since gender inequality has become a big discussion.
Trainer John Semple is caught on the camera trying to remove her and stop her from running, as up until then, women were forbidden to participate in any competitive sports. Fortunately, Switzer is supported by her boyfriend and running partner, Tom Miller. Switzer finished the marathon in just over 4 hours and became the first woman to have completed this marathon.
The Berlin Wall 1961
This photograph is a memento from earlier days in Berlin. When the city was still split in two, we see the grave consequences of this wall dividing the city. On May 9, 1961, we see a couple holding up two babies who live in West Berlin. On the other side of the wall are the babies’ grandparents living in East Berlin. While this photo shows a divided city, it also demonstrates unbreakable family ties.
The Berlin Wall stood tall for more than 30 years, keeping families and loved ones apart. In 1989, as the Iron Curtain was being ripped apart, the Berlin Wall came down with it, joining the East and West parts of the city back together again.
Frida Kahlo
For a couple of seconds, you might be wondering which of the people in this photo is of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The correct answer is the center one. Here we see a picture of Kahlo dressed up like a man. Though the Mexican painter was only 19 years old in the photo, we already saw a side of Kahlo that is both open and experimental.
This photo was taken by Guillermo Kahlo on February 6, 1926, in Mexico. She was best known for her uncompromising and unique self-portraits and her ongoing interest in diversity, identity, and the human body.
Repainting the Eiffel Tower
Completed on March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower is the quintessential image of Paris. But to keep that image in tip-top shape, the tower needs to be maintained and repainted. Here, we see a group of painters who take on the risky job of repainting the Eiffel Tower. Needless to say, it is not a job for the faint-hearted.
This photo was taken in 1924, about 35 years after the tower was finished. These days the tower is regularly maintained, and a fresh layer of paint is put on every seven years, just like Gustave recommended when he first designed the Parisian iconic symbol.