Numerous pieces of information are within our awareness, albeit not always comprehended as they should be. This is largely due to the prevalent form in which historical information has been transmitted to us — primarily in textual accounts, with photographs being relatively uncommon. In the forthcoming article, our focus will be directed towards precisely these types of photographs, ones that possess an exceptional rarity.
Niagara Falls Frozen Solid, 1848.
The river and falls experienced their sole recorded freeze-up due to an ice jam on March 29, 1848. For up to 40 hours, there was little to no water flow, causing waterwheels to cease and mills and factories to halt due to the absence of power.
In 1912, the American Falls were entirely frozen, while the other two falls continued to flow. Although the falls typically ice over most winters, complete freezing of the river and falls is uncommon.
Noteworthy instances of partial freezing occurred in the years 1885, 1902, 1906, 1911, 1932, 1936, 2014, 2017, and 2019.
Some years saw the formation of an ice bridge at the base of the falls, serving as a crossing for individuals prior to the construction of bridges.
In select winters, the ice layer reached thicknesses of 40 to 100 feet (12 to 30 m), but such substantial thickness hasn’t been observed since 1954.
The ice bridge from 1841 was reportedly over 100 feet thick.[65] On February 12, 1912, the ice bridge that had formed on January 15 began to break apart while people were still on it.
Although many managed to escape, three individuals lost their lives in this incident, which later became known as the Ice Bridge Tragedy.
A German Zeppelin Floats By The Famous Empire State Building, 1936.
Celebrating The End Of Prohibition, 1933.
From 1920 to 1933, a sweeping constitutional measure was enacted in the United States, forbidding the manufacture, importation, transit, and commercialization of alcoholic drinks.
This initiative led to significant limitations on the alcohol industry through a series of state-level legislative actions.
Ultimately, the nationwide prohibition was solidified by the adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, officially ratified on January 16, 1919.
However, this era of prohibition came to an end with the approval of the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, which effectively nullified the Eighteenth Amendment and brought an end to the prohibition period.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt Addressing The Nation After The Pearl Harbor Attack, 1941.
The speech known as the “Day of Infamy” address, often simply referred to as the “Infamy speech,” was given by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the United States at the time.
He delivered this speech before a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941. The preceding day had witnessed an assault by the Empire of Japan on American military installations at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Philippines.
Japan declared war on both the United States and the British Empire as a result of this attack. The speech is especially well-known for its first line: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy…”
Experimental Armor For WWI Trench Warfare, 1915
Trench warfare refers to a form of ground combat characterized by the use of fortified lines consisting mainly of military trenches.
In this strategy, soldiers are effectively shielded from the enemy’s small arms fire and enjoy significant protection from artillery attacks.
This tactic became most prominently linked with World War I (1914–1918), particularly during the Race to the Sea, a phase of the conflict that saw the rapid proliferation of trench utilization along the Western Front, commencing in September 1914.
Breakfast Of Apollo Astronauts, 1969.
Space food refers to a specialized category of food items developed and treated for astronauts to eat while they begin their journeys to outer space.
These edibles are designed to meet the distinct demands of maintaining a well-rounded diet and sufficient nourishment for individuals operating in the zero-gravity settings of space missions.
Moreover, they are crafted to be effortlessly storable, preparable, and ingestible within the confined, machine-filled confines of spacecraft. The majority of space sustenance undergoes a freeze-drying process to guarantee extended durability on the shelves.
Nikita Khrushchev, the secretary of the Communist Party, and Richard Nixon tried Pepsi for the first time in 1959.
During the 1959 American National Exhibition opening in Moscow, Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev engaged in a renowned “kitchen debate” about capitalism and communism.
As part of cultural exchanges, both nations had exhibitions. Nixon hosted Khrushchev on July 24 in Moscow.
While touring, tensions escalated. Khrushchev criticized a U.S. resolution condemning Soviet control over Eastern Europe and ridiculed American technology. Nixon provoked Khrushchev, who retorted on communism and nuclear threats.
The debate intensified in a model home’s kitchen, with finger-pointing and raised voices.
Nixon warned nuclear threats might trigger war, while Khrushchev spoke of dire consequences. The media covered the encounter widely, highlighting the clash between the systems.
This episode showcased the ideological struggle of the Cold War, though no clear winner emerged, except for media enjoying the spectacle.
