*Gasp* A woman exposing her body!? It’s 1907, and boy, was there a change a-coming. Australian professional swimmer, actress, and writer (and clearly very accomplished woman) Annette Kellerman are pictured here as a fearless female leader. One of the first to bravely wear the one-piece swimsuit, she became something of a fashion designer too, with demand increasingly high for her swimsuits!
Labeled the “Annette Kellermans,” these bathing-suit-wearing divas were a topic of controversy, which took over the radio waves across the world. In 1907, in Revere Beach, Massachusetts, the Australian was arrested for “indecency.” But they say there’s no such thing as bad publicity because this occurred at the height of her popularity, which sent sales flying! If those officers saw the swimsuits kids are wearing these days, they’d go into cardiac arrest.
Babe Ruth, 1927
George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. is remembered as one of the legends of the game. With a 22-season career, the New York Yankees’ star outfielder began his long career as a wondrous left-handed pitcher. But funnily enough, he actually made his debut with the Boston Red Sox. The Baltimore-born Ruth was nicknamed “The Bambino” or the “Sultan of Swat” and was actually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the founding members.
With 714 career home runs, 2,062 bases on balls, and a slugging percentage of .690, there are some stats that even the modern-day greats can’t contest. Regarded as one of the greatest sportsmen in all of American history, Ruth is also considered to be the best player of all time. He remained a part of American culture and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Hippos Can Surf Too!
While, at first sight, you might find this image amazing or even hilarious, there was an even deeper message in taking and distributing this photo. Michael Nichols captured this alongside National Geographic Society explorer Michael Fay while they trekked an exhausting 2,000 miles from the Congo to Gabon. Seeing these two hippopotamuses swimming in the Atlantic Ocean was surely quite bewildering, and Nichols had a message to deliver.
With their rivers and lakes destroyed, the hippos have been pushed out to the oceans, forced to adapt and live in an area that they are not biologically constituted for. This image is truly one in a million but actually led to real change. Former President of Gabon, Omar Bongo, upon seeing this image, was inspired to create a national park system. This move sees 11 percent of Gabon being protected, ensuring that the wild animals are able to continue living untouched and peacefully.
The iPhone and its Maker, 2007
This image, taken in 2007, was accompanied by a famous line, “Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.” CEO and Apple founder, Steve Jobs, made history on that platform and did indeed transform the way we use and understand phones. Over ten years down the line, Apple is still reinventing the phone.
Phones have evolved from simply being used for talking and texting to practically becoming minicomputers with a price tag to match. With a sleek design and a portal to the rest of the world at your fingertips, this photo was just the beginning of phone technology. Who knows what Apple will come up with within another ten years.
Hollywood Royalty Meets Real Royalty, 1956
Below, the Queen of Hollywood at the time, Marilyn Monroe, met the late Queen Elizabeth II. To think that the pair of influential women were the same age is quite astonishing. But that also made the late Queen the longest-reigning monarch, seeing many decades pass and being present for countless historical landmarks.
You might think the Royals are locked away in their age-old fortresses, guarded by the highest security and constantly moping about, but that was certainly not the case. The pair actually met one another at a film premiere, to which Monroe was accompanying her husband at the time. The women in this photo were both just 30 years old. A meeting of two legends in their own right. Quite remarkable.