On February 12, 1946, hours after being honorably discharged from the United States Army, Isaac Woodard was attacked while still in uniform by South Carolina police as he was taking a bus home.

 It’s truly horrible to see something like this, a man who served his country honorably beaten and blinded. It’s sickening. While riding the bus from Georgia to North Carolina on February 12, 1946, Sgt. Woodard was beaten so badly by the South Carolina police that he was permanently blinded.

Woodard’s assault occurred after he asked his bus driver if he could use the restroom at a scheduled stop. The driver cursed at him and kicked him off the bus at the next stop. There, the Batesburg, South Carolina chief of police was waiting to carry out a beating.

After he was beaten, Woodard was arrested for drunken and disorderly conduct, fined $50, and he was refused medical treatment. Woodard took the local chief of police, Lynwood Shull, to trial, but Shull was cleared of any wrongdoing. In response Woodard said:

The Right One hasn’t tried him yet... I’m not mad at anybody... I just feel bad. That’s all. I just feel bad.

A Women Air Force Service Pilot during World War 2

 Now this is a cool shot. During World War II, the WASPs (that’s Women Airforce Service Pilots) were tasked with taking noncombat military flights, making them the first women to take charge of U.S. military aircraft. There were about 1,100 of them in all.

The WASPs logged more than 60 million miles in the skky behind every possible military aircraft. They were living proof that women can do everything that men can - and look better doing it.

After England insured a victory over Germany in December 1944 the WASP program was dismantled, but people never forgot the importance that these women played in the final World War.

Flight Sergeant James Hyde with mascot dog "Dingo." Hyde was killed when his Spitfire was shot down by German fighters near Nijmegen, Holland, on 25 September 1944

 To be a pilot during wartime is to look death in the face and dare it to give you a try. It’s not a task for the faint a heart, and it’s one of those positions that almost insures loss of life or at the very least an injury.

Sergeant James Hyde gave his life fighting for freedom during World War II, and even if you ignore the fact that he had to leave his little doggo buddy in the care of someone else it’s sad to think that his family was never able to see him again. The knowledge that Hyde is forever a war hero must have brought some solace, but it’s still heartbreaking to think about all the men we lost during such an awful war.

Ernest Hemingway and his son Gregory, Sun Valley, Idaho. October, 1941

 The youngest son of Ernest Hemingway, Gregory was every bit the spitting image of his father when he was just a boy. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Gregory was said to be a great athlete and a “crack shot,” it makes sense as he grew up the son of one of the most macho writers of the 20th century.

Gregory and his father often decamped to the Club de Cazadores in Cuba where they went shooting for live pigeons. When he wasn’t vacationing in Cuba with his father he was attending the Canterbury School, a Catholic prep school in Connecticut, where he graduated in 1949.

Sadly, he and his father were estranged following Gregory’s first marriage, although he’s said to have enjoyed his father’s portrayal of him in 1970's Islands in the Stream.

Mark Twain was actually a redhead, taken in 1870

 We should have known that when Mark Twain said, “While the rest of the species is descended from apes, redheads are descended from cats,” that something was up. More often than not photos of Twain show him as a wily, white haired elder statesman of the written word, but this photo supposes that he was actually a ginger.

It’s fascinating to think that such a small detail can change the way we think about a person, especially an extremely important historical figure. When black and white photos are colorized it adds an entirely new level of detail that puts life into an entirely different perspective. What do you think Twain would think of seeing himself like this?

Marilyn Monroe

 

The always stunning Marilyn Monroe has never looked better than when she’s in full color. As a rising star in Hollywood in the early ‘50s Monroe scintillated with her trademark look of platinum blonde hair, pale skin, bright red lips, and a beauty mark. Close your eyes, isn’t that what you think of when you think about Monroe?

Her looks were such a topic of conversation that she practically created the concept of the blonde bombshell. Following her performance in Niagara young women started bleaching their hair and trying to find the perfect form fitting outfit.

Even though Marilyn’s mantra was “gentlemen prefer blondes,” she was actually a natural brunette. Her scalp must have been constantly on fire.

Errol Flynn

Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia de Havilland, and reputation for his womanizing's and hedonistic personal life.