Russian soldiers prepare chlorine cylinders for a gas attack against German positions near Ilukste, 1916. These soldiers are part of the Russian Fifth Army of World War One. They are preparing a chemical attack against the German positions in Ilukste area (modern Latvia). Chlorine gas was first introduced on the battlefield by the German Army in 1915. It was pioneered by a German scientist later to be a Nobel laureate, Fritz Haber of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin, in collaboration with the German chemical conglomerate IG Farben, who developed methods for discharging chlorine gas against an entrenched enemy....

Oil derricks line the coast of Venice, California. 1920. The Golden State got its nickname from the Sierra Nevada gold that lured so many miners and settlers to the West, but California has earned much more wealth from so-called “black gold” than from metallic gold. When Europeans finally arrived in California, petroleum had already been in use by Native Americans for about 13,000 years, and they relied on its utility albeit not for energy sources....

The quintessential image of wartime Saigon often centers on the figure of the bar girl: a young Vietnamese woman, dressed to captivate in a halter top and mini-skirt, offering cigarettes, liquor, or even her company to passing American GIs, all in broken English. What brought her to the city? How did she navigate life in this chaotic, wartime hub? From the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, much of South Vietnam’s economy and society pivoted around the American military presence....

The high school fashion of 1969. These photographs, taken for LIFE magazine in the fall of 1969, explored the “freaky new freedoms” of fashion seen on high school students across the United States. Some of the women show the strong influence of the “hippie” movement—long hair, beads, fringes, and bell-bottoms. Others wear outfits that connect to psychedelia—luminous colors and loud patterns. Some have even fused elements of both—and more—to create their own personal expression....

Original caption: “In New York’s Times Square a white-clad girl clutches her purse and skirt as an uninhibited sailor plants his lips squarely on hers”. Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt. After four years of blackout, all the lights in Times Square went on as Mayor LaGuardia announced the Japanese surrender. In a celebration mirrored around the world, the New Yorkers took to the Square to celebrate a new era of peace, and hope, the image of which was captured on Alfred Eisenstaedt’s picture of an unknown couple kissing....

Chindogu, the Japanese art of crafting quirky and impractical gadgets, literally translates to ‘valuable’ or ‘priceless tool.’ It’s a unique cultural phenomenon where creativity meets eccentric problem-solving. These gadgets, though clever, often tread the line between ingenious solutions and the potential embarrassment of public use. Now, there are some inventions that actually make sense and people wouldn’t mind using. No shame! It’s like finding playful ways to solve problems in daily life....

This photo collection shows cool and vintage gadgets from the past invented to improve the smoking experience and provide solutions to mundane problems. Inventors introduced and advertised several cigarette accessories, such as automated lighters, remote smoking apparatus, double-barrel cigarette holders, umbrella smoke holders, waterproof puffs, carry-on ashtrays, etc. Cigarette smoking grew rapidly in America in the early part of the twentieth century, following the invention of automatic cigarette rolling machines and the rise of advertising and promotion on an unprecedented scale ....

In American history, the term “whipping” brings to mind a harsh and haunting punishment from the past. It was a brutal practice that left physical and emotional scars on countless people. Whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o’ nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Whipping was a common form of punishment during the early colonial period in America....

The famous book smuggler (knygnešys) Vincas Juska. After the Polish-Lithuanian insurrection of 1863, the Russian Imperial government intensified its efforts to Russify the Lithuanian population and alienate it from its historic roots, including the Roman Catholic faith, which had become widespread during the years of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. During the summer of 1863, Tsar Alexander II issued Temporary Rules for State Junior Schools of the Northwestern Krai, ruling that only Russian-language education would be allowed there....

Original caption: Indian viewing railroad from top of Palisades. 435 miles from Sacramento. In this photograph by Alfred Hart taken between 1865 – 1869, a Native American looks down upon a newly completed section of the Transcontinental Railroad, 435 miles from Sacramento, California. The stark composition of both man and progress facing a distant haze conveys emotions as complex as the cultural impact behind America’s westward expansion. The railroad was a massive undertaking, with three companies building the 3,069 km (1,907 mi) line over six years....

The British airship R33 in its hangar as it prepares for its first-ever flight at an aerodrome in Barlow, Yorkshire. 1919. The airship R33 was built by Armstrong Whitworth and was completed after the end of the First World War. Her first flight was in early 1919. She was sent to Pulham airship station where she clocked up over 300 flying hours in tests and the training of crews....

The snow-covered lands of the Arctic have long been home to the Inuit and Yupik people, two remarkable indigenous groups who have thrived in one of the world’s harshest environments. Among their many ingenious inventions, the humble snow goggles stand out as a fascinating example of human adaptability and innovation. These specialized eyewear, worn for centuries by the Inuit and Yupik, have not only protected their eyes from the blinding glare of snow but also offer a window into the rich cultural heritage of these remarkable communities....

Born in 1958 in Bay City, Michigan with the official name of Madonna Louise Ciccone, Madonna was the first daughter of Madonna and Silvio Anthony “Tony” Ciccone. She was nicknamed Nonno to avoid confusion with the elder Madonna, who was of French Canadian descent. Tony was a first-generation Italian American whose parents immigrated from Pacentro, Italy. Her mother’s early and sudden death affected the young Madonna deeply. She has stated that is because of her mother’s death that she is how she is today....

“Spring Chief.” In the early 1910s, photographer Harry Pollard traveled around Canada to take a series of photographs of the natives, who are one of the first people who settled in Western Canada and Alberta. These photographs capture, among others, people from Tsuu T’ina, Siksika, Kainai, Piikani. The number of Sarcee people (Tsuu T’ina) went down to 200 in the mid-20th century but has since gone up to 2,000. They are depicted in traditional dresses, feathered headdresses, and hunting bison....

Goebbels smiled at him until he learned that Eisenstaedt was Jewish – a moment Eisenstaedt captured in this photo. Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels was cheerful and without a care when he first met photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. In a close-up image, the Third Reich politician was caught off guard smiling at the League of Nations meeting in Geneva in September 1933. But when Goebbels found out LIFE magazine photographer Eisenstaedt was Jewish his expression was quite different....

German infiltrators lined up for execution by firing squad after conviction by a military court for wearing U.S. uniforms during the Battle of the Bulge. December 23, 1944. The soldiers in the picture were executed after a military trial found them in violation of the Hague convention concerning land warfare, article 23: “It’s especially forbidden […], to make improper use of a flag of truce, of the national flag or of the military insignia and uniform of the enemy” ....

In August 1896 when three men found gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory, they had no idea they would set off one of the greatest gold rushes in history. The idea of striking it rich led over 100,000 people from all walks of life to abandon their homes and embark on an extended, life-threatening journey across treacherous, icy valleys and harrowing rocky terrain....

Neil Armstrong immediately after his, and mankind’s, very first moon walk, 1969. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to ever walk on the moon, starting a new era on the space exploration. We’re often subjected to the standard shots taken by Buzz Aldrin of the grey, rocky surface with a few faceless spacemen standing still and posing. That’s why this photo, rarely seen, is such an impeccable piece of history....

The 19th century was an interesting time for hair and fashion in general. Many cultural changes were occurring, and Europe and America alike saw many integral style periods, all of which gave birth to hairstyles of their own. The women who lived during the Victorian era opted for more sober and subdue styles, in contrast to the trends prior to that time. The women earlier would go in for elaborate hairstyles, extravagance and pomp were the highlights of that time....

The first bananas in Norway, 1905 This is one of the first batches of bananas that was sent to Norway. It had a weight of 3,000 kilos and came in crates/boxes. One of the people in this picture is Christian Mathiessen, the founder of Norway’s biggest fruit importer, Bama. Norway was the second country to import bananas in Europe, after the United Kingdom. It’s very interesting that before global trading became as it is today, people really didn’t encounter many products that weren’t made locally....