45 Rare Historical Photos - WorldLifestyle |

Have you ever wondered about how Bill Gates grew up or how the Red Hot Chili Peppers looked like during their first year as a band? Do you want to see Adam West before he became the Caped Crusader and Dolly Patron before she got her fake boobs? Well, look no further because we have photos that will shock your perception and allow you to see some of your favorite figures in history in a different light. See the greats when they first started out and read about both their victories and tragedies. From murder to a sexual incident with a mud shark – it is all here. Enjoy as you see the stars like you’ve never seen them before.

Ever wondered who Demi Moore was before she was in the film Ghost? Well, so did we. Apparently, Moore made her start as a model. Born in New Mexico, Moore got picked up by a modeling agency in Europe and worked there for most of her teenage years. She even was a little sneaky in her young years, lying to a magazine photographer by saying she was 18 when she was 16. These days, Moore is a bit more recluse, not taking on any major roles in quite some time. However, after her whirlwind romance/heartbreak with Ashton Kutcher, Moore might want to take a little break from the spotlight.

David Bowie has gone down in history as one of the greatest artists. Known for being a bit on the eccentric side, this photo only adds to his unique legacy. Known for his music as well as his style, Bowie was also known for struggling with a drug addiction. His cocaine problem became such an issue that he even took it on stage with him when he accepted an award, slurring his speech, making it obvious to the audience that he was not entirely in his right mind. Later in an interview, he blamed it on the cocaine. Unfortunately, drugs are something that Bowie had always struggled with, with his battle ending in 2016, passing away from liver cancer.

You may know Jamie Lee Curtis from Freaky Friday or the lady on the Adkins yogurt commercial. Back in the 70s, when Curtis’ career took off from her role in Halloween, it can’t be denied that she was a serious looker. Starring in the first Halloween movie in 1987, Curtis went on to be known as the screaming queen. Since then, Curtis has starred in many different roles since her encounter with killer Mike and has enjoyed a life of success. Though she has aged since then, now 60, Curtis is still as confident in herself as she was when she was younger. Rightly so given that she is still beautiful!

Going down as one of the most horrible space crashes in history, the Challenger was a space shuttle that exploded 73 seconds in its ascension. In this case, this take off was especially disheartening because of a woman by the name of Christ McAuliffe. She joined the space mission, taking part in the Teacher in Space Project, which sent teachers to space. She willingly applied for the position, saying that, “I watched the Space Age being born and I would like to participate.” As a result of her daring expedition, many schools took part in watching the takeoff, making it only more heartbreaking when the shuttle exploded, killing everyone inside. This picture was taken moments before the incident that changed the world and landed Nasa’s shuttle program for three years afterwards.

Andre, or better known as Fezzik the friendly giant in The Princess Bride, had a genetic hormone called gigantism, causing him to be about 7 feet tall. Rather than hiding away, Andre embraced his size and used it to his advantage by starting a career in wrestling. One of the most memorable matches he had was with Hulk Hogan at Wrestle Mania III. After he conquered the wrestling world, Andre chose acting to be his new challenge, which he ended up conquering as well. Sadly, Andre has died on January 27, 1993 in his sleep, due to congestive heart failure. Though the world is a little dimmer due to the loss of the beloved giant, he has left behind a memory no man is big enough, literally, to replace.

Speaking about WWE, known mostly for her overly catchy song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, Cyndi Lauper is partly responsible for starting WWE. She has since then been apart of the worldwide phenomenon, working alongside wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan. However, Lauper was never one to just sit on the sidelines, and there were times where she jumped into the ring herself. Boisterous, bright, and fun to watch; Lauper fit right into the wrestling world and soon became a fan favorite.

Born Norma Jean Mortenson, Marilyn Monroe started her career in modeling. After getting plastic surgery done on her nose and chin and changing her natural brown hair to blonde – Monroe transformed to the sex symbol that we know today. Here Monroe is posing in her home in 1962 sitting pretty in pink. Though most remember her for her body, her mind was also a force to be reckon with. It is reported that she had the IQ of 168, which is higher than that of Albert Einstein. Though long gone, Monroe continues to have a major influence on today’s culture, continuing to inspire many with her story and accomplishments.

Before Trump became President in 2016, he was a self-made billionaire and host of the popular TV show Apprentice. During that time, his daughter, Ivanka Trump spent most of her free time studying rather than partying like a typical teenage girl would. Ivanka even compared her time in boarding school as a prison, which could be a result of all the studying. Obviously, all the studying must have paid off because she is now a successful businesswoman, author, television personality, and fashion designer. Though her success has come with a lot of haters, it can’t stop her rising influence.

Back to the Future introduced the idea of time traveling and helped launched Michael J Fox’s career. With the movie being based in 2015, one of the futuristic devices in this future included and hoverboard and the flying car. However, the most prominent item that captured the audience’s attention was the Nike self-lacing shoe. In 2011, Nike finally stepped up to the plate and decided to make this fictional item into the real thing. The shoes were sold on Ebay and the money was donated to Fox’s charity for Parkinson’s disease. Meanwhile, we are still over here waiting for hoverboard’s to become a thing.

Before she became a star, Amy Winehouse enjoyed dressing up like Minnie Mouse, who she was obsessed with as a child. Since then, she has blossomed into the singer that we know today. Unfortunately, she died in 2011 due to a drug overdose. Though her death was greatly mourned, her career and influence continue to flourish. A hologram of the star is set to go on tour. Though it is great to see that Winehouse’s music will still be sung through her lips, it can’t be denied that there is something a little unnerving about seeing your favorite artist, who is dead, onstage. Due to these sensitives and more, the tour, which was set for late 2019, is currently cancelled. BASE Hologram, the company behind the tour, stated that the tour is “on hold until we determine the best path to creatively spectacular production that would properly honor Amy’s legacy at its highest caliber.” Before she became a star, Amy Winehouse enjoyed dressing up like Minnie Mouse, who she was obsessed with as a child.

Since then, she has blossomed into the singer that we know today. Unfortunately, she died in 2011 due to a drug overdose. Though her death was greatly mourned, her career and influence continue to flourish. A hologram of the star is set to go on tour. Though it is great to see that Winehouse’s music will still be sung through her lips, it can’t be denied that there is something a little unnerving about seeing your favorite artist, who is dead, onstage. Due to these sensitives and more, the tour, which was set for late 2019, is currently cancelled. BASE Hologram, the company behind the tour, stated that the tour is “on hold until we determine the best path to creatively spectacular production that would properly honor Amy’s legacy at its highest caliber.”

Jimi Hendrix will always go down in history as one of the most best guitar players that there ever was. Though today he is a legend, he wasn’t always like that. Before he broke into the music world, Hendrix was caught stealing a car. As a result, he/. was given two options: go to jail or go in the army. Hendrix chose the army. After he got out, he started a band called the Hendrix (check name) and even got the opportunity to open for the Monkees on their tour. Unfortunately, his band only stayed on the tour for six shows since the Monkees fans didn’t know what to quite make of his music. Rather than learning to appreciate his unique musical talent, many choose to dislike it, prompting him to leave. Thankfully, Hendrix didn’t let that stop his dream of being a musician.

Dolly Patron came from humble roots, living in a one-room cabin in Tennessee. Though her life was simple, Patron always knew she was destined for more. She started singing while she was young and by 1967, she got the role on a television show. Soon afterwards, she released a song that went to country’s top 10. From then on, Patron has built a powerful name for herself, and even has an entire theme park in Tennessee dedicated after her called, Dollywood. Patron is a prime example of how it doesn’t matter what you start out in life with, it matters how you choose to use what you got.

This picture pretty much sums up how he liked to live on the edge, enjoying the life with a drink in one hand. He goes down in fame for his velvet voice, but there is more to this blue-eyed singer than a handsome face. Sinatra was heavily involved in the mob and had full reign in Las Vegas. Living like a king, it was even rumored that he would pay prostitutes so he could eat scrambled eggs off their bodies. In The Godfather, it is said that the wedding singer was based off Sinatra, both devilishly handsome with money and influence too spare. In 1998, Sinatra had a heart attack and died, but his name and music live on to this day.

Judging from this picture, most wouldn’t believe that a nerdy kid with an awesome bike would become the richest man in the world. When really thinking about it though, it was all in the genetics. His father was a lawyer and his mother a businesswoman. Smarts just ran in the family, apparently, and Gates was no different. Therefore, when his school got a computer when he was in the eight-grade, he became fascinated with the technology. His fascination prompted him to write his first computer program, which was playing tic-tac-toe with the computer, beginning the road to Microsoft, changing the way the world operated forever.

Ever wondered where Daisy Dukes came from? Well, wonder no more because all the credit goes to Catherine Bach, who played Daisy Duke in the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard. Originally, the producers of the show wanted a Dolly Patron look-a-like to play Bo and Luke’s very attractive cousin. That all changed, however, when Bach walked in. Not only did she flip the script and got the job, but she changed the face of pop culture by creating the iconic look of Daisy Duke, who was meant to wear knee high boots and a poodle skirt. When asked to bring her clothes in on the set, Bach wore a pair of cut off shorts, high heels, and a T-shirt, creating the famous figure that the world knows today.

Born Laurence Tread, Mr. T got his start when he was spotted by Sylvester Stallone. Working as a bouncer and bodyguard in Chicago, he instantly caught the attention of Stallone, probably due to the gold chains that he wore and mohawk. The two men hit it off and Stallone later casted him as a rival boxer in Rocky III, starting Mr.T’s career. Since then, Mr. T has made a name for himself and created a style that is uniquely his one. When asked in an interview about the inspiration behind his haircut, he admitted that he got it from the National Geographic, specifically from the Mandinka people that have the same style. Having his haircut this way is how he embraces his African roots.

It is obvious from this photo that no one informed Susan Sarandon that if you have no shoes, no shirt then there is no service. Also, sitting on a ledge isn’t exactly the safest of ideas. All joking aside, Sarandon has had a successful career both on the small screen and the big screen. What many may not know about her is that she is also an activist, taking part in both social and political causes. In 1999, she was given a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006. Today she continues to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Sharon Tate and her husband, Roman Polanski, enjoyed a life of free love – I mean, it was the 60s. That love was directed towards Jay Sebring, a hairstylist to the stars. The two dated for a while but eventually called it quits as Tate pursued her acting career. Here the ex-couple pose for a picture. Little did they know that the next day they would be killed by the hands of the Manson Family.

The Manson Family was a desert commune and cult that was formed in California in the late 1960s. Besides hallucinogenic drugs, the cult leader was Charlie Manson, a psychotic man that gained about 100 followers, most of which were young women that came from a middle-class background. The girls in this picture were followers of Manson. Though they appear innocent, young women such as this and more would later be responsible for murdering Sharon Tate and four other people.

Sharon Tate was an up and coming actress who had already starred in a number of roles, such as the 1967’s film The Fearless Vampire Killers, which she co-starred beside her husband Roman Polanski. Though talented and beautiful, her life was tragically ended when she, and four others were murdered in their house by Mason’s cult. To make matters even more devastating, Tate was eight months pregnant with her and Polanski’s son. This picture was taken months before the murder which took not only her and her son’s life, but also rocked the world.

Believe it or not, John Travolta almost took the role of Prince in the film Purple Rain. Thankfully, the directors had some sense and changed their original plan, sending Prince into the spotlight, which he basked in from then on. Though the movie has seen major success, many people back in the day didn’t think it wouldn’t amount to anything. In fact, Prince was the only one for a while who believed in the film, thinking that it would be a box-office hit. Though people doubted the movie, Prince knew its potential and, thankfully, fought for it to get on the big screen.

Who would have guessed that the daughter of a funeral director from Minnesota would be the father of a woman first given the title of a supermodel? That is exactly what happened though. Cheryl Tiegs first got her break in Seventeen Magazine. Since then, she has adorned the cover of Sports Illustrated at three times and made nine appearances. Before her, no other model was given the title of super. It was only after her swimsuit photoshoot in 1979 that she gained the title as she was plastered on every young boy’s walls.

Alice Cooper was known for his theatrics when it came to his performances. For example, there was one time that he brought a guillotine on stage. Thankfully, he didn’t cut the head off anyone. Another time, he beat up Jolly Old Kris Kringle during the Christmas leg of his 1973 tour. It is reported that he did one time cut the head off a snake who was strangling him. Though he did it out of survival, it doesn’t explain the rumor that he bit the head off a bat. Cooper quickly denied this rumor and said that it was most likely a myth. Either way, for the animal’s sake, it’s probably best that Cooper stays away from wildlife.

Here’s a story of a lovely family! - The Brady Bunch was a hit TV show in the 1970s and captured the hearts of many people. Here, the Brady ladies were at the LA baseball stadium for a charity event. Jan, Marsha, Cindy, Carol, and Alice the maid all strike a pose for the camera, cheesing big as the fans in the stands go crazy for the beloved stars.

Led Zeppelin will always go down as being the band which has inspired the most myths and misinformation. One of them includes a mud shark and a groupie. As the story goes, the mud shark was used to pleasure to woman. With Led Zeppelin being known to buy out entire hotel levels for their eccentric partying, this story and more has continued to spread to the ears of many. If this story did happen to be true, one thing is for sure, there is a sweet old grandma out there with an extremely odd story to tell, but its hard to believe that she would ever want to come forward.

"Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth were the first professional couple in WWE history. Although they were married since 1984, the couple got remarried at SummerSlam in 1991 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Their wedding was aired, and it was called “A Match Made in Heaven”. From then on, they dominated the ring. Miss Elizabeth took on the title of the “First Lady” and won a Slammy award for “Women of the Year”. Miss Elizabeth had a successful wrestling career alongside her husbands. Unfortunately, in 2003, Miss Elizabeth died due to a drug overdose, ending her reign but her memory still lives on.

Ric Flair was mainly known for three things: alcohol, women, and wrestling. He was a man who certainly loved the life of luxury. During his career, he has reported to sleeping with about 10,000 women and drinking about 10 beers and five cocktails in one day. He did this for about 20 years. While dominating the wrestling world, he apparently had a difficult time with separating his performance in the ring to reality. He went through four marriages and later suffered from kidney failure, forcing him to undergo a life-threatening surgery. Obviously, those years of excessive drinking finally caught up with him. Little did he know that the drink in his hand was only the beginning of the problems he would face in his future.

The Playboy Mansion obviously didn’t suffice Hugh Hefner enough, prompting him to invest $5 million dollars into a private jet named, The Big Bunny. The outside of the jet is painted black with the Playboy emblem in white on the wing. Stewardess were dressed in black leather mini skirts and knee-high boots. They served lobster and roast beef while Hefner relaxed in his oval Tasmanian opossum fur bed. Of course, Hefner being the generous guy that he was, wanted to share all the fun. It was said that Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and James Caan were just some of the guests that rode on The Big Bunny. However, The Big Bunny didn’t stay airborne forever. In 1975, Hefner sold it Venezuela Airlines. Since then, it has been sold back and forth between different companies until it found a new purpose as a children’s educational tool in Queretaro, Mexico.

Living in the shadow of her older brother Eric Roberts – Julia Roberts finally broke away and made a name for herself with the help of her first screen role in the 1988 movie, Satisfaction. The film is about an all-girl band looking for – you guessed it – satisfaction and it helped her get her footing in Hollywood. However, Roberts credits the film Pretty Woman as being her breakout role. Ever since, Roberts has become a major celebrity figure with a smile that has captured millions.

You might know the Batmobile or the Munster Mobile. Well, in addition with those iconic cars, is the Monkee Mobile, which is a modified Pontiac GTO. Created by designer Dean Jeffries, the Monkee Mobile became a staple for the band, and they drove it often on their tours. In fact, they took it with them on their first tour, which had Jimi Hendrix as their opener. Unfortunately, not many people were fans of Hendrix due to the way he played the guitar. Many people, at that time, thought that his style was strange. Sad to say, Hendrix was not a fan favorite, causing him to leave the tour after a couple of shows. Hendrix’s departure from the tour was especially disheartening for the Monkees, who loved the musician.

The British actress began rising to fame with her the television show, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which ran for five years. However, the one role that really transformed her into one of the most desirable women in the 80s was her part in the James Bond movie, Live and Let Die. Unfortunately, Seymour, at one point, was hesitant on returning to acting after being sexually harassed by a famous film producer. Seymour has yet to reveal the name of the producer out of “respect” since he passed away some time ago. As she grew older, losing her youth didn’t disturb Seymour. In 2018, the 97-year-old Seymour posed for Playboy magazine, making her the oldest woman to be on the magazine, proving that beauty is ageless.

One of Robert Conrad’s very first acting jobs was standing outside of a Chicago movie theater as the film Giant was playing. This was because the theater manager thought that he bore a striking resemblance to James Dean, who was extremely popular at that time. He had hoped that by Conrad standing outside, it would attract crowds. Here, in this picture, he is sitting back enjoying a cold beer on the set of Baa Baa Black Sheep, which was a television show based off World War II. Happy to see that Conrad was eventually able to break away from the James Dean look-a-like job and start making a name for himself.

Sonny and Cher will always go down as the dynamic duo that took America by storm in the 1970s with their TV shows Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show. Cher started her singing career by being backup vocals for many stars, including the Ronettes. She married Sonny in 1964, and the rest was history. Unfortunately for the couple, they divorced in 1975. The divorce ended ugly, with Cher accusing Sonny of not giving her fair share of their earnings, and Sonny taking Cher to fight for full custody of Charity. Not only did their relationship with each other end, but career suffered as well because you can’t have Sonny without Cher and vice versa.

Known today as the famous Caped Crusader, Adam West wasn’t always . . . well, Adam West. Before he put on the batman suit, West put on army boots after being drafted into the US Army in the 50s. His time in the army wasn’t all bad because during his service he was able to be an announcer for American Forces Network television, beginning his love for entertainment. Once he got out of the army, he moved to Hawaii where he began an acting career. Since then he has starred in a lot of westerns and crime shows. It wasn’t until he became the greatest detective that he really takes his place among the greats.

Kathy Ireland is one of the top supermodels, dominating both the 80s and today. Her career in modeling was extremely successful, having appeared in 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues. In 1989, at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit’s 50th Anniversary, Ireland received the award and title of the “The Greatest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Of All Time”. Since then, Ireland has taken a break from modeling and has focused no, instead, on her brand company kathey Ireland Worldwide (kiWW). Her business has made her one of the wealthiest former models in the world, proving that brain is also as profitable as looks, perhaps even more so. By 2015, Ireland has made a $420 million personal fortune. Wow!

Dean Martin was a nightclub singer and Jerry Lewis was in the beginning stages of his comedian legacy when the two met in 1945, starting a friendship that will go down in history. Martin and Lewis rose to stardom for their hilarious acts. Martin was the suave, smooth-talking sidekick while Lewis was the quick-witted front man. Their shows were such a big hit and caused so much laughter that soon Martin and Lewis were appearing in television and movies together. After a wonderful ten years, Martin and Lewis both agreed that it was best that they parted ways to pursue solo careers. Though parted, they maintained their friendship.

Before this ad came out, Goldie Hawn had already established herself as a star. She has worked in the industry for about three decades, appearing in many movies, such as Butterflies are Free (1972) which has maintained her star status. Since then, she has built herself a family with husband Kurt Russell, which she has been married to since 1983. In 2003, Hawn founded The Hawn Foundation, with its main goal being to help underprivileged children. Way to go Goldie!

Known now for their great music and diverse style, the Red Hot Chili Peppers did not always have the loyal fan base that they do today. They first formed when they went to Fairfax High School. At their first gig, they barely rounded up 30 people. That all changed though when MTV helped them build an actual fan base. With the release of the first album, and their popularity growing, the Red Hot Chili Peppers became the crazy fun band that has created history.

The hills are alive, and the romance here is blooming! Heather Menzies, who played Louisa in the critically acclaimed musically The Sound of Music, and Robert Urich, the star of the action TV show Vegas, got hitched in 1975. For years they experience a happy marriage, but things took a turn fot eh worse when Urich was diagnosed with cancer. Sadly, he lost his battle in 2002 and passed away. After that, Menzies started The Robert Urich foundation, which focuses on raising money for cancer research. Unfortunately, Menzies soon became diagnosed with cancer. She later passed away in 2017, finally reuniting with her husband.

George Harrison was doing the selfie before the selfie was even a thing, proving how much of a trendsetter he really was. Besides taking pictures of himself, another thing that he loved was India. The country had always inspired him, especially it’s music. Because of his passion for the culture, it helped connect the Beatles to India as well. When on the set for the film Help, there was a scene were Indian music was playing. Not one to miss on an opportunity, Harrison took up the sitar and never wanted to put it down.

Mullet, Ms. Pacman, and frizzy hair screams nothing but the 80’s. This is exactly when the Joradche jean brand thrived, even though it went up in flames. The Naccahe brothers were the ones who started the jean business. In 1977, New York experienced a city-wide blackout, resulting in their store being looted and then set on fire. Starting back completely at the bottom, the brother decided to use the insurance money to start a new store, creating the Jordache brand. Though it took a while for them to get their brand up and running, it eventually led into a successful business, making up for the great loss that they experienced in the past.

In the sportscaster world and beyond, Jim McKay has gone down as a legend for his impressive 37-year career as host of the ABC’s Wide World of Sports. He also covered 12 Olympic Games. His most noteworthy of performances was when he reported on the Munich massacre at the Summer Olympics in 1972. McKay stayed on the air for fourteen hours with no break, proving that he was not only dedicated to his work but dedicated to getting news out there.

This beautiful photo was on the cover of Linda Ronstadt’s album: Hasten Down the Wind, which topped the Billboard for three weeks in a row. In addition, she also became the first female artist to have received her third straight million-selling album. If that wasn’t good enough, she also earned a Grammy in 1977 for ‘Best Vocal Pop Performance – Female’. Breaking barriers and winning records – Ronstadt certainly was a force to be reckon with.

Being on the cover of over 500 magazines and being on the Sports Illustrated cover for three consecutive years, Brinkley was one of the greatest supermodels in the business back in the 70s and 80s. One of her most iconic roles, which many still recognize today, is when she starred in the National Lampoons Vacation as “The girl in the Red Ferrari”, opposite of Chevy Chase.