20 Photos That Seem Ordinary Until Your Know Their Story

Photography is a wonderful thing that can capture the emotions and excitement on one single fleeting moment forever in history. However, sometimes a photograph shows something that seems normal but is actually the complete opposite…

To really understand the impact a photo has, you need to understand the contextual background behind it. These photos seem so mundane and every day, however, the backstories are anything from strange to shocking and even sad. A picture can say a thousand words, as long as you know the backstory!

1.) Tadeusz Zytkiewicz holds a picture of himself

Tadeusz Zytkiewicz is holding a photo that was voted the best picture of 1987 by National Geographic. Tadeusz Zytkiewicz is lying on the operating table as Dr. Zbigniew Religa keeps watch after completing the first ever heart transplant in Poland. The surgery was considered impossible at the time but in the end, Tadeusz Zytkiewicz even out-lived the doctor that saved him!

2.) Cher Ami the pigeon

This may look like an ordinary pigeon but it actually delivered a message from a trapped battalion of soldiers in WWI, ending up saving over 200 men! She was shot many times and lost a leg and an eye. They decided to keep her memory alive, mount her and call her Cher Ami which means dear friend.

3.) What happens behind closed doors

Photographer, Donna Ferrato, took this photo in 1982, the couple got in a fight whilst Donna was taking pictures. Unfortunately, it escalated quickly and he hit his partner. Donna wanted to get the pictures published but all magazine editors refused. However, Donna wasn’t about to give up, she wanted these disgusting actions to be brought to light. So, in 1991 she published a book called ‘Living With the Enemy’ which displayed evidence of domestic abuse and the aftermath. It stirred up such anger that in 1994 Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act

4.) Awful display of racism

This heartbreaking and fury-inducing photo was taken in 1963. From left to right, at the whites-only counter sits three protesters: John Salter, a sociology teacher and students Joan Trumpauer and Anne Moody. It’s awful that such a counter even existed but what’s worse is the horrific white mob who covered them in ketchup, mustard and sugar. These three protesters deserve a reward for their bravery and making the world the much more accepting place it is today.

5.) Childhood friends in a heartbreaking situation

In 1972 workers from the company Joint Français went on strike and the French riot police intervened. This photo shows a confrontation between two men, Guy Burmieux, a worker and Jean-Yvon Antignac, a riot policeman. The two were childhood friends and actually recognised each other. Jacques Gourmelen, the photographer, said, “He wept with rage and told him, ‘Go ahead and hit me while you’re at it!’ The other one (policeman) didn’t move a muscle.”

6.) Pure unfiltered joy

This photo of pure happiness was taken in 1973 at the Travis Air Force Base in California. The photo shows United States Air Force Lt Col Robert L. Stirm reuniting with his family after spending over five years in captivity as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. This photo symbolises how love will always shine and stay strong in such dark times.

7.) The youngest mother in history

Lina Medina was just 5-years-old when her parents brought her to the hospital, complaining of extreme abdominal growth and pain. Shockingly, the doctor discovered that she was 7 months pregnant! Lina was born with an incredibly rare condition called ‘precocious puberty’ which causes her to develop sexually very young. She gave birth to the boy by caesarean on  May 14, 1939. The child was very healthy with no medical problems! The dad remains a mystery, although, he is a terrible person, who could do that to a five-year-old?

8.) Draw what you call home

The photo was taken in a home for emotionally disturbed children in 1948. The children were asked to draw their ‘home’ on a chalkboard. Sadly, Terezka grew up in a concentration camp, so whilst the other children drew houses, she drew these manic scribbles. Perhaps they depict the horrors poor Terezka endured, you can see the pain in her eyes.

9.) Two brothers

This photo of brothers Michael and Sean McQuilken was taken on Moro Rock in California’s Sequoia National Park in 1975. The seemingly fun photo was captured by their sister just seconds before they were struck by lightning. After the photo was taken they were struck by lightning, they collapsed with smoke coming out of their backs. Thankfully, everyone managed to survive the terrifying incident.

10.) Motel manager pours acid into a swimming pool

This photo depicts a group of white and black people swimming in the Monson Motor Lodge motel pool in 1964 as bleach is poured onto them. Seven days before this horrific incident, Martin Luther King Jr was arrested at the same Monson Motor Lodge after being asked to leave from its segregated restaurant.

A group of protestors fought back by swimming in the pool designated for ‘whites only’. The white people actually invited them to join them in the pool as a form of protest. The manager wanted to make them leave and so poured muriatic acid all over them.

11.) A tragedy at sea

In 1954, photographer John Gaunt was in his garden when he heard his neighbour shout, “something’s happening on the beach!” John grabbed his camera and rushed to shore when he arrived this couple were clutching each other. Their 19-month-old son had been playing in the yard before wandering off to the beach and vanishing into the water. This photo captures such an emotional and heart-wrenching moment.

12.) A dark glimpse into the future

This seemingly innocent class high school picture was taken in 1999. If you look closely you can see Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold and their friends in the top left corner pointing imaginary guns at the camera. Weeks after this photo was taken, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot 12 students and 1 teacher in the Columbine school shooting.

13.) Atomic bomb detonation captured

At the beginning of 1947, Harold Edgerton was comissioned to photograph atomic bomb tests in Nevada and the Pacific. This is one of the photos that captured the detonation in a millionth of a second, a blink later and those trees in the distance would have been dust.

14.) A young Osama bin Laden

This is a photo of a large family on holiday in Sweden in 1971. However, the boy second from the left in the brown shirt was a 14-year-old boy who would grow up to become Osama bin Laden, who brought horrific acts of terror into the world.

15.) Rajiv Gandhi

This was the very last photo ever taken of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This was simply moments before the suicide bomber with the orange flowers in the bottom left would hug him and detonate her bomb. Sadly, the photographer was also killed in this awful attack.

16.) Soviet Soldiers harassing a poor German woman

Sadly, this was not an isolated incident at the time, mass rapes took place in Germany by the Soviet Soldiers during and after the war. Historians estimate that around 2 million German women suffered rape attacks during this time. It is truly disgusting and saddening to think about what these women were put through.

17.) A young mill worker

Captured in 1912, this picture shows Giles Edmund Newsom who was injured working at the mill at just 11-years-old. Machinery fell on his foot which resulted in him falling on the spinning machine, tearing out two of his fingers. Sadly, due to living and working conditions, Giles ended up passing away at just 18-years-old.

18.) Rodney Alcala

Rodney Alcala was a serial killer in the 1970s. He was known as the ‘dating game killer’ due to his appearance on a dating game show. In court, he represented himself and would cross-examine himself, speaking in different voices as if he were more than one person. He was sentenced to death.

19.) Enjoying a shared joke

Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were two murderers, pictured here only moments after they found out that they were sentenced to death. They killed a family of four, including two children after planning to rob them. The unconcerned casual smile makes the photo all the eerier.

20.) Argument on the streets

This photo was taken in Iran in 1978, the rioter is holding the shoes of his dead friend. The military opened fire on the crowd and took down his friend, the soldier is arguing with the man, telling him that it was not his unit who opened fire.

These photos show emotionally charged, poignant moments in history that we could otherwise disregard as normal every day photos. Which one shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!

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