These Historical Photos Will Make You Wish You Could Turn Back Time

Reading a textbook or listening to a lecture is one way to learn about history. But there’s something about looking at a photograph taken decades ago that will give you a better perspective of what life was like back in the golden days.

In some instances, these historical photos will make you wish you could turn back time. But other times, they will make you wish you could rewrite history and avoid these events all together.

But whichever way these photos make you feel, one thing you won’t need is a time machine to appreciate the past.

Size of the Donut Hole

This guy was photographed holding a chart that documented the size of the donut hole over the years. In 1927, the hole was visibly larger. In fact, it looked more like an onion ring than a donut.

But by 1936 and 1948, the hole had shrunk significantly. The hole shrinkage is reportedly the result of donut machines punching smaller holes.

But eventually, they became the standard size that donut shops model these tasty treats after.

Governor Bill Clinton’s Cat

Socks the cat, also known as the “First Pet” when Governor Bill Clinton won the United States Presidential Election in 1992, can be seen surrounded by paparazzi in Arkansas.

Unlike some cats, Socks was a major celebrity. Not only was he featured on the kid’s version of the White House website, but he had his own video game.

So naturally, he couldn’t take a stroll out in Clinton’s hometown without being mobbed by the paparazzi.

Jean Bugatti Standing with the Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster

This colorized photo of Jean Bugatti was taken in 1932. He was standing next to the Bugatti Type 41 Royal Esders Roadster. The vehicle was one of his father’s Ettore Bugatti’s ingenuities.

The elder Bugatti thought he was going to make a ton of money selling this model car to high-end clients like European royals.

But the Great Depression hit hard and even royals couldn’t afford to invest in such a model. So, only 7 Type 41 vehicles were built instead of the intended 25.

Barbara Walter

Long before Barbara Walters made a name for herself as a major 20th-century journalist, she was just an English student at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, but she had the potential.

This photo from 1949 shows her hard at work. She eventually earned a Bachelor’s degree in 1951 and moved to New York to work for an ad agency.

Then she landed a job at an NBC affiliate and produced programs for the network before hopping to CBS in 1955. From there, the rest was history.