Often, history holds a strange sense of fascination for all of us. Looking at old photographs, forgotten places, and moments frozen in time can feel almost magical, like peeking into lives that existed long before ours. But not every part of history is inspiring or beautiful. Sometimes, history can be unsettling, heartbreaking, mysterious, or even deeply disturbing. And yet, those darker moments are just as important because they remind us of what humanity has survived, learned from, and sometimes repeated.
Today, we dived into an Instagram account that shares historical photos offering glimpses into the past—from chilling moments and forgotten tragedies to bizarre snapshots that almost don’t feel real. Some pictures may leave you shocked, others emotional, and a few might simply stay in your head longer than expected. So scroll carefully, Pandas… history can be fascinating, but it can also send chills down your spine.
#61
Mictlantecuhtli, or Mictlāntēcutli, translates to "Lord of the Land of the Dead," and this menacing Aztec god of death was said to rule over the underworld, Mictlan. Often compared to the Greek god of the dead, Hades, Mictlantecuhtli was thought to be a keeper of the underworld who greeted nearly all who died, as the Aztecs believed that almost everyone faced the same destiny in the afterlife. Those who perished in childbirth, suffered an especially violent end, or met their demise in a storm or flood had their own path after death, but everyone else descended into the underworld and faced a four-year journey full of obstacles through the nine layers of Mictlan. When they reached the deepest level, they finally met Mictlantecuhtli — and were rewarded with eternal rest.
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5points
#62
"Finds like this highlight the rich history beneath our city."
While excavating for storm drain tank construction at Queen's Gardens in Hull, England, workers recently happened upon a massive cannon that could be as much as 400 years old. Measuring 8.5 feet long and weighing 2,200 pounds, the cannon is believed to come from either the 17th or 18th century. It had likely been moved to Queen's Garden during the 1920s or '30s and repurposed as fodder for dockside backfill or as a mooring post for ships.
While excavating for storm drain tank construction at Queen's Gardens in Hull, England, workers recently happened upon a massive cannon that could be as much as 400 years old. Measuring 8.5 feet long and weighing 2,200 pounds, the cannon is believed to come from either the 17th or 18th century. It had likely been moved to Queen's Garden during the 1920s or '30s and repurposed as fodder for dockside backfill or as a mooring post for ships.
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5points
#63
Travis Walton was working as a logger in Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest on November 5, 1975 when he and his crew noticed a glowing light in the forest. Walton got out of the car to take a closer look, and to the horror of the others, the light seemed to grab him, fling him into the air, and slam him back down again. The loggers fled, and when they returned a few minutes later, Walton was gone.
The loggers, who reported Walton missing, were suspected of m*rdering him. But they were adamant about what they had witnessed — and five days later, Walton reappeared in the town of Heber, about 12 miles from where he'd last been seen. Not only did Walton confirm the others' stories, he also claimed that the light had come from an alien craft and that he'd spent the last five days being examined by extraterrestrials.
Go inside the alleged alien abduction of Travis Walton, which later inspired the 1993 movie "Fire In The Sky."
The loggers, who reported Walton missing, were suspected of m*rdering him. But they were adamant about what they had witnessed — and five days later, Walton reappeared in the town of Heber, about 12 miles from where he'd last been seen. Not only did Walton confirm the others' stories, he also claimed that the light had come from an alien craft and that he'd spent the last five days being examined by extraterrestrials.
Go inside the alleged alien abduction of Travis Walton, which later inspired the 1993 movie "Fire In The Sky."
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4points
#64
In the early 1980s, Doreen Lioy lived a successful life as a magazine editor in California. Working for "Tiger Beat," she was a respected journalist who helped launch the careers of stars like John Stamos. However, her life took a baffling turn in 1985 after she saw a mugshot of serial k**ler Richard Ramirez on the news.
Almost immediately after Ramirez was arrested, Doreen Lioy realized she was attracted to him. Despite the horrific details of his 14 m*rders and his open devotion to Satanism during his trial, Lioy became his most persistent advocate. Over the next 11 years, she sent him 75 love letters and visited him at San Quentin State Prison about four times a week. By 1996, she had given up her career and her relationships with her family to marry the "Night Stalker" in a prison visiting room.
Almost immediately after Ramirez was arrested, Doreen Lioy realized she was attracted to him. Despite the horrific details of his 14 m*rders and his open devotion to Satanism during his trial, Lioy became his most persistent advocate. Over the next 11 years, she sent him 75 love letters and visited him at San Quentin State Prison about four times a week. By 1996, she had given up her career and her relationships with her family to marry the "Night Stalker" in a prison visiting room.
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4points
#65
In 1981, Janis Miranda fell for Randy Roth’s charm at a social event for single parents. To Janis, Randy seemed like a devoted father who shared her deep love for family — but just weeks after their whirlwind wedding, she fell to her death during a hike at Beacon Rock. Roth, the only witness, collected a $100,000 life insurance policy just months later. For a decade, it was treated as a f***k accident, but in 1991, history repeated itself. His fourth wife, Cynthia Baumgartner, drowned during a trip to Lake Sammamish while alone on a raft with Roth. Once again, he was the sole witness, and once again, a massive insurance policy was involved. These parallel "accidents" eventually forced investigators to look past the coincidences and into the shrouded history of a man who appeared to view marriage as a financial investment.
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4points
#66
After he was k**led in the early morning hours of May 2nd, 2011, Osama bin Laden's body was disposed of at sea that same night.
Since then, a single DNA test has been released confirming the body was that of bin Laden, but no other supporting evidence has since been provided.
Since then, a single DNA test has been released confirming the body was that of bin Laden, but no other supporting evidence has since been provided.
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4points
#67
For more than 20 years, Helen Ackley and her family lived in this stately Victorian home perched along the Hudson River in Nyack, New York. Though the house was spacious and charming, the family soon came to believe that it was also haunted. Their terrifying accounts included everything from beds rocking on their own to spirits floating through the living room to a lieutenant from the Revolutionary War lurking in the basement.
But after a man named Jeffrey Stambovsky signed a contract to purchase the house in 1989, Ackley wanted him to know that it was haunted, prompting Stambovsky to pull out of the sale. His refusal to honor the signed contract went to trial and eventually made its way to New York's Supreme Court, which decided in Stambovsky's favor, allowing him out of the sale and declaring, "As a matter of law, the house is haunted."
Learn more about the only house in America to ever be legally declared haunted at the link in our profile.
But after a man named Jeffrey Stambovsky signed a contract to purchase the house in 1989, Ackley wanted him to know that it was haunted, prompting Stambovsky to pull out of the sale. His refusal to honor the signed contract went to trial and eventually made its way to New York's Supreme Court, which decided in Stambovsky's favor, allowing him out of the sale and declaring, "As a matter of law, the house is haunted."
Learn more about the only house in America to ever be legally declared haunted at the link in our profile.
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3points
#68
One of modern history's more popular conspiracy theories claims that the 1969 Moon landing was all a hoax. Skeptics point to several photos to prove their point, such as the famous image of Buzz Aldrin standing next to an American flag that's seemingly blowing in the wind. Because there is no wind on the lunar surface, proponents say that fans were used to make the flag wave. However, upon closer inspection, it's clear that there's a horizontal pole inserted along the top of the fabric to make it stand out.
In another photo, Aldrin stands against an inky black background with no stars, sparking debate about the authenticity of the setting. But it was daytime on the Moon when the picture was taken, so the sunlight made the stars too dim to be seen on camera. Nevertheless, these rumors have continued to circulate, and as many as six percent of Americans still believe the lunar landing was a hoax. Some have even harassed the Apollo 11 astronauts about the conspiracy — and Buzz Aldrin famously punched a heckler in 2002.
In another photo, Aldrin stands against an inky black background with no stars, sparking debate about the authenticity of the setting. But it was daytime on the Moon when the picture was taken, so the sunlight made the stars too dim to be seen on camera. Nevertheless, these rumors have continued to circulate, and as many as six percent of Americans still believe the lunar landing was a hoax. Some have even harassed the Apollo 11 astronauts about the conspiracy — and Buzz Aldrin famously punched a heckler in 2002.
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3points
#69
On April 18, 2016, a 45-year-old Texas mom named Missy Bevers was m******d by an unknown assailant while setting up a fitness class at a church in Midlothian. But authorities think that her k**ler, who was dressed in head-to-toe police gear, may have been someone she knew. Bevers' cellphone records from March 1st to April 24th revealed that she was having "an ongoing financial and marital struggle as well as intimate/personal relationships external to the marriage." And three days before her m*rder, Bevers had shown her friend a LinkedIn message from an unknown man that they both agreed was "creepy and strange," leading investigators to believe that Bevers' k**ler had contacted her before her death.
Police investigated a number of suspects, including Bevers' husband, whose alibi checked out, and her father-in-law Randy Bevers, who loosely matched the description of the suspect seen in the church's security footage — and who had gone to a local dry cleaner just days after Bevers' death with a woman's blood-soaked shirt. But a forensic analysis found that the blood was a dog's, seemingly confirming Randy's claim that it had come from an injured dog that he'd rescued from a fight. And years later, in 2019, detectives followed a tip regarding former police officer Bobby Wayne Henry, who, like the suspect in the church's security footage, owned tactical police gear and walked with a limp. But Henry's alibi also checked out, and he actually turned out to be taller than the person in the video.
Police investigated a number of suspects, including Bevers' husband, whose alibi checked out, and her father-in-law Randy Bevers, who loosely matched the description of the suspect seen in the church's security footage — and who had gone to a local dry cleaner just days after Bevers' death with a woman's blood-soaked shirt. But a forensic analysis found that the blood was a dog's, seemingly confirming Randy's claim that it had come from an injured dog that he'd rescued from a fight. And years later, in 2019, detectives followed a tip regarding former police officer Bobby Wayne Henry, who, like the suspect in the church's security footage, owned tactical police gear and walked with a limp. But Henry's alibi also checked out, and he actually turned out to be taller than the person in the video.
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3points
#70
An ace navigator, Fred Noonan got the opportunity of a lifetime in the 1930s when he was tapped to serve as navigator for Amelia Earhart's historic attempt to fly around the globe. At first, Noonan was supposed to be one of two navigators, but the other man dropped out of the mission after he purportedly got spooked by a minor crash. Then, Earhart and Noonan continued on their own. Though their flight went smoothly at first, they infamously vanished over the Pacific while trying to reach Howland Island in July 1937.
In the years since, some have laid the blame at Noonan's feet, suggesting that he was an alcoholic. Though allegations of his alcoholism didn't emerge until the 1960s, and seem to be based on a police report which has since disappeared, it is possible that Noonan made a fatal error during the flight. Later studies found that it was possible he was working with a faulty map that put Howland Island miles away from its actual location.
In the years since, some have laid the blame at Noonan's feet, suggesting that he was an alcoholic. Though allegations of his alcoholism didn't emerge until the 1960s, and seem to be based on a police report which has since disappeared, it is possible that Noonan made a fatal error during the flight. Later studies found that it was possible he was working with a faulty map that put Howland Island miles away from its actual location.
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3points
#71
In December of 1900, three lighthouse keepers stationed in Scotland's Flannan Isles suddenly disappeared. Investigators found that the island, Eilean Mòr, had been brutally ravaged by a recent storm. Inside the lighthouse, it was as if no one had left, with proper upkeep continued up until the moment the keepers vanished. The official story was that the men had been attempting to secure a box from the storm when they were swept out to sea by a massive wave, but speculation remained.
Outlandish explanations spread in the media: perhaps the men had been carried away by a sea serpent, or they had conspired to abandon the lighthouse together and sailed off to a new life. Maybe they had been kidnapped by foreign agents — or maybe it was a ghost. Over time, another seemingly more plausible theory emerged. Rumored logbook entries from one of the keepers reported one man crying and another irritable amid the storm. Many soon began to wonder if the men had not been k**led by a wave, but had instead m**dered one another.
Outlandish explanations spread in the media: perhaps the men had been carried away by a sea serpent, or they had conspired to abandon the lighthouse together and sailed off to a new life. Maybe they had been kidnapped by foreign agents — or maybe it was a ghost. Over time, another seemingly more plausible theory emerged. Rumored logbook entries from one of the keepers reported one man crying and another irritable amid the storm. Many soon began to wonder if the men had not been k**led by a wave, but had instead m**dered one another.
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2points
#72
On June 30, 1999, a passerby happened upon the body of 41-year-old Ricky McCormick in a cornfield 20 miles out of St. Louis. As police grappled with the baffling mystery of how McCormick died and why he ended up in that field, the case only grew more bizarre when investigators discovered several pages of notes in his pockets. They were written in a code so complex that it stumped local police and elite FBI codebreakers alike. And after failing to crack the code for 12 years, the FBI even turned to the public for help, posting the notes online to see if anyone could decipher them. But to this day, both the meaning behind the notes and the cause of McCormick's death remains a mystery.
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2points
#73
On January 7, 2011, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner of Tucson, Arizona left a cryptic message on a friend's voicemail saying, "Hey man, it's Jared. Me and you had good times. Peace out. Later."
The next day, he went out to buy ammunition at a local Walmart before heading to a political gathering hosted by Rep. Gabby Giffords in the parking lot of a nearby Safeway. On his way there, he was pulled over by an officer for running a red light — but he was allowed to proceed when the officer found no warrants for him and saw nothing suspicious in the vehicle. Finally, Loughner arrived at the event — and opened fire.
Soon, six innocent people lay dead: 63-year-old Chief U.S. District Court Judge John Roll, 30-year-old community outreach director Gabe Zimmerman, 76-year-old retired secretary Dorothy "Dot" Morris, 79-year-old homemaker Phyllis Schneck, 76-year-old retired construction worker Dorwan Stoddard, and 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green. Thirteen more people were injured, including Loughner's original target, Giffords, who suffered a critical head injury but narrowly escaped death.
The next day, he went out to buy ammunition at a local Walmart before heading to a political gathering hosted by Rep. Gabby Giffords in the parking lot of a nearby Safeway. On his way there, he was pulled over by an officer for running a red light — but he was allowed to proceed when the officer found no warrants for him and saw nothing suspicious in the vehicle. Finally, Loughner arrived at the event — and opened fire.
Soon, six innocent people lay dead: 63-year-old Chief U.S. District Court Judge John Roll, 30-year-old community outreach director Gabe Zimmerman, 76-year-old retired secretary Dorothy "Dot" Morris, 79-year-old homemaker Phyllis Schneck, 76-year-old retired construction worker Dorwan Stoddard, and 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green. Thirteen more people were injured, including Loughner's original target, Giffords, who suffered a critical head injury but narrowly escaped death.
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2points
#74
Over the years, countless people have embarked on the hunt for Mel's Hole, a mythical bottomless pit said to be hiding somewhere in Washington State's rural Kittitas County. Originally reported in 1997 by a man who called himself Mel Waters, the hole is supposedly over 80,000 feet deep and boasts a range of magical properties, like the ability to bring dead animals back to life. Portable radios held near the hole allegedly play programs and music from years past, and metals held close to the opening reportedly transform into other substances. Waters also claimed to have seen black beams emitting from the pit, and he said that his dogs were terrified to go near it. So far, no such hole has ever been found, though one geologist with the State Department of Natural Resource claims that it was likely a hoax inspired by an abandoned gold mine shaft in Washington State.
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2points
#75
On February 16, 1981, 19-year-old Arne Cheyenne Johnson m*rdered his landlord in Bridgeport, Connecticut. And although he had no criminal history, Johnson had started to exhibit strange behavior months earlier. According to his fiancée, he would frequently fall into a trance-like state and begin growling before returning to normal and having no recollection of what happened.
This was around the same time that his fiancée's 11-year-old brother, David Glatzel, underwent an exorcism while Johnson was present. David's symptoms of possession aligned nearly perfectly with Johnson's, leading his lawyer and several priests to make the conclusion that Johnson himself had become possessed by one of David's demons. It was the first time in the history of the United States that a defendant tried to plead not guilty by reason of possession.
This was around the same time that his fiancée's 11-year-old brother, David Glatzel, underwent an exorcism while Johnson was present. David's symptoms of possession aligned nearly perfectly with Johnson's, leading his lawyer and several priests to make the conclusion that Johnson himself had become possessed by one of David's demons. It was the first time in the history of the United States that a defendant tried to plead not guilty by reason of possession.
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1point
#76
In August 2015, construction workers demolishing an abandoned cabin in Woodland Park, Colorado, came across a disturbing sight: a partly mummified body stuffed into the chimney. It was Joshua Maddux, an 18-year-old who had vanished seven years earlier. A coroner determined that Maddux's death was an accident, likely occurring after he got stuck while trying to climb into the house from the roof. But evidence found inside suggested that something far more sinister had happened
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0points
#77
In May 1972, an Italian magazine stunned the public with a headline that seemed straight out of science fiction: "A Machine That Photographs The Past Has Finally Been Invented." The article centered on Father Pellegrino Ernetti, a Benedictine monk and scientist who claimed to have developed the "Chronovisor." According to Ernetti, the device didn't transport people through time but rather acted as a window that captured light and sound echoes from the past.
Made of cathode rays, antennae, and metals that received sound and light signals on all wavelengths, the Chronovisor purportedly allowed the team of scientists to document events of the past, including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Ernetti even provided a photograph he claimed was captured by the device — “evidence” that fueled a decades-long debate over what the Vatican might be hiding in its archives.
Made of cathode rays, antennae, and metals that received sound and light signals on all wavelengths, the Chronovisor purportedly allowed the team of scientists to document events of the past, including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Ernetti even provided a photograph he claimed was captured by the device — “evidence” that fueled a decades-long debate over what the Vatican might be hiding in its archives.
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-1point