Groovy Photos: Heartwarming Moments In History

It was during the spring of 1964, that Sports Illustrated decided to mix things up a bit on their covers. On April 20th, they went from the same old to these lovely beauties with their big hair blown out, in full faces of makeup, crouched in sprint positions and ready to rock. Janis Rinehart (foreground), Paula Walter (middle), and Jeanne Ellison were the very first female track athletes in the U.S. to land the cover– and their look was not just for the lens.

These women were part of the Texas Track Club, a small group of young female sprinters who used style as a way to get others excited about the sport. Of course, their opponents always mocked and underestimated them, but they were no joke.

They were pioneers in women's track, they helped make it popular. After landing that cover, their number of male spectators (with binoculars) reached new heights. They were good, their flash brought people in, but their abilities and sportsmanship kept them coming. 

The hiring standards for stewardesses back in the 1970s was insane. These women were held to extremely high beauty standards even though looks have nothing to do with one's ability to hand out snacks and pillows.  She had to be slim, pretty, well groomed and as can be seen in this photograph, she also had to dress like a go-go dancer. This may not seem like a positive image but looking back at how things were, illuminate just how far we've come. Sure sexism still exists, but great strides have been made and continue to make sure this kind of blatant exploitation of women doesn't happen in your average workplace. You certainly won't see this kind of attire on a stewardess today.  

Joni Mitchell went from singing in small nightclubs in her hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to becoming one of the most important and influential female recording artists of the late 20th century.

She drew influences from various sources: folk, pop, rock and even jazz. Her lyrics often reflected social and environmental ideals as well as giving voice to a wide range of complex inner emotions. It’s no wonder she received so many accolades throughout her career, including 9 Grammy Awards.

Liz Taylor and Eddie Fisher, the couple who sparked what’s known as Hollywood's great betrayal. Eddie Fisher was married to Liz Taylor’s best friend Debbie Reynolds when they began their affair. 

After Taylor’s husband, Mike Todd died in a plane crash, Fisher stepped in to comfort her. He walked out on Debbie and their kids, leaving her to raise them alone. Taylor’s reaction to it all was simply, “You can’t break up a happy marriage, I’m not taking anything away from Debbie Reynolds because she never really had it.”

When the band arrived in Venice back in 1989, they were met by over 200,000 Italian fans. They ended up performing on a floating platform in the middle of the Venetian lagoon. As can be seen in the photograph above, the crowds worked around St. Mark’s Square, filling in every space they could including in the adjoining Piazzetta, and waterfront Riva degli Schiavoni, and even front row seats from boats.

Pictured here is a young Angelina Jolie at a time in her life when her career was just budding. The young actress was staring in her brother's film school projects in the early 90's and by 1993 she had landed her first professional role in the low-budget film Cyborg 2. Soon after came the classic tech-thriller Hackers (1995), in which she had a leading role. After that, the parts just kept coming in and by the end of the 90's she was already an academy award winning actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted (1999).

This 1982 classic photo of a 12-year old Warwick Davis with Carrie Fisher was taken while filming "Star Wars VI Return of the Jedi".

The now 46-year-old actor has released several photos from those days and has paid tribute to Carrie. He went on Good Morning Britain and credited her with paving the way for strong female protagonists. After Fisher’s death, Davis reminisced about working with her and discussing her lasting impact on the film industry. On her performance,

According to Davis “Carrie seemed to embrace the character and embrace the notoriety that came along with playing such an iconic character like Princess Leia” he went on to say, “She really paved the way for other very strong leading ladies in movies.”

Pictured here are little Venus and Serena Williams posing with former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy. This photo was taken at a Nancy Reagan Tennis Event on Oct. 6, 1990. This was at just the budding stages of what would become the Williams sisters’ career.

Both Venus and Serena Williams grew up to be highly successful professional tennis players after having trained from an early age with their parents Richard Williams and Oracene Price.

The fire which inspired the “Deep Purple” hit took place in Montreux, Switzerland on December 4, 1971. The fire broke out during a show at the Montreux Casino forever linking it to rock history. The concert was Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and about 80 minutes in, someone shot off a flare gun. It hit the wooden roof and began to spread rapidly.

Zappa warned everybody to calmly make their way to the exits and the staff helped escort people out. "They were very organized," Zappa said in an interview shortly after. "I was just lucky that many of [the fans] were able to speak English because I didn't know what to say to them in French." 

Pictured here are Diane Lane and director Francis Ford Coppola on the set of Rumble Fish. Rumble Fish came out back in 1983 and is based on the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton. The story follows the relationship dynamic between Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), a former gang leader who has changed his ways and his feisty teen brother, Rusty James (Matt Dillon), who wants the gang life. 

Diane Lane, who Andy Warhol once proclaimed as, "the undisputed female lead of Hollywood's new rat pack," played the role of Patty, the girlfriend of Rusty James. Patty is portrayed as one tough cookie, having once gone after a girl with a broken bottle because she got flirty with Rusty James.

Lesley Lawson, more commonly known as Twiggy (derived from her slim figure) was pretty much the first supermodel and was dubbed "The Face of 1966." She also had a singing and acting career but modeling is where she would really shine. 

She signed to a modeling contract as a teenager; her wide-eyed innocence, bobbed hair, and miniskirts culminated in the look of the swinging sixties. She stayed in fashion and entertainment her entire career and aged extremely well. She went on to launch her own line, the "Twiggy London" collection and she remains on the forefront of fashion today. 

Now, as creepy and somewhat alarming as this moment from 1979 is, this nor any other Dolly Parton lookalike contest will ever compare to the one Dolly herself entered and lost to a male drag queen.

The Country Music icon explained, "They had a bunch of Chers and Dollys that year, so I just over-exaggerated: made my beauty mark bigger, the eyes bigger, the hair bigger, everything," she said, laughing. "All these beautiful drag queens had worked for weeks and months getting their clothes. So I just got in the line and I just walked across, and they just thought I was some little short gay guy... but I got the least applause."

It's no secret that Sir Elton John has always had a flair for theatrics. So naturally, when costume designer offered a custom Donald Duck outfit for his 1980 Central Park gig, he readily accepted.

The concert was massive, over 400,000 people filled New York's Central Park to watch Elton John and his band perform for two-plus hours. It was one of the biggest shows of his career and yet, all most people vividly remember is the duck suit.

Pictured here are Richard Pryor, David Letterman, Robin Williams. These fellow comedians were longtime friends. Williams loved helping out other comics when he could, especially those just starting out. This is why he got Letterman a job on Mork & Mindy, even though Letterman felt he had no business on the show.

"I met him at the Comedy Store [in Los Angeles], he and I were kids… we wanted to make people laugh… In those days we were working for free drinks…” Letterman later reminisced.

Pryor also hung out at the comedy store on Sunset when he first moved out to Los Angeles back in the seventies. That’s where he met Williams.

Pictured here are legendary director Steven Spielberg and actor Harrison Ford between takes on the set of Raiders of the Lost Ark back in 1980. 

Star Wars, Witness, Patriot Games, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, American Graffiti…. Harrison Ford has certainly scored some epic roles throughout his extensive career and he shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Having just finished up with Blade Runner 2049 and yet another Indiana Jones project. The future of Ford appears to be brimming with large-budget, action-packed hits (as usual). 

Pictured here are Jaclyn Smith and Penny Marshall, on Battle of the Network Stars, playing for team ABC in February of 1977.

The series aired on ABC but featured teams of TV stars from all three major networks competing against each other in sporting events. ABC, CBS, and NBC would gather their teams, choose a team leader and let the games commence.

Regular occurring events included swimming, kayaking, volleyball, golf, tennis, outdoor bowling, cycling, running, and 3-on-3 football There was also the baseball dunk, the obstacle course and a game of "Simon Says".

This Grizzly Adams look Jeff Bridges rocks with pride secured his spot on the Best-Known Celebrity Beards List (yes that’s a real thing). Bridges has always embraced his facial hair at varying lengths over the years. Who could forget his Grizzly Adams of the 1970s, his disheveled Big Lebowski beard of the late 90’s, or the intense Bridges beard circa 2010 in "True Grit." Oh and let us not forget that time he went full Santa Claus and grew that exceptionally fluffy white puff across the front of his face. He’s no ZZ Top but his beard fame is well-deserved. 

It was 1985 when President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy hosted a White House gala dinner in honor of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and Princess Diana. It was there this iconic photograph of movie star John Travolta and the beloved Princess Diana twirling across the dancefloor at this prestigious event.

Americans fascinated with the Royals', they followed their every move. When they first touched down on American soil, there were around 4,000 people at the airport just hanging out, hoping to catch a glimpse of the glamorous couple getting off the plane. Needless to say, this photo of the world’s favorite Princess and heartthrob of the time Travolta, immediately became pop culture gold.

This charming photograph was taken on the streets of Paris in 1949 by Brassaï, the Hungarian–French photographer, writer, and filmmaker. In 1924, Halasz moved to Paris in 1924 and took a job as a journalist but he loved the city so much he’d often wander late at night, which is what led to his photography.

He was able to use his photos to supplement his articles for additional money, but eventually published entire collections on their own–The first of which was in 1933, entitled Paris de Nuit (Paris by Night). He rose to international fame in the 20th century and he is said to be one of few artists in Paris that were able to flourish between the World Wars.

Pictured here is a young Meryl Streep, back in the 1970s. This was around the time she made her film and stage debut and she’s been stunning audiences ever since. It seems she just doesn't have a bad performance in her, even in recent years she’s had numerous hits on her hands. The Devil Wears Prada, Into the Woods, and she currently has three films in the works: The Papers, currently in post-production and releasing this year. Mary Poppins Returns is also in post-production, but not coming out until 20118. And Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! Which will also be released in 2018.

In the McCartney household, it was an I cook, you clean kind of arrangement for the couple. Pictured here is King of Pop Michael Jackson, helping his pal Paul with his chores. Unfortunately, the two friends had a falling out not long after this was taken.

Sadly, Jackson bought ATV, the company that owned the rights to 251 Beatles songs and McCartney couldn’t afford to buy them back. As McCartney explained, "The trouble is I wrote those songs for nothing and buying them back at these phenomenal sums … I just can't do it."

The former Beatle told the New York Post, "I wrote [Jackson] a couple of letters and I said, 'Michael, don't you think that — even if I was just a writer on the payroll — after 30 years of being reasonably successful to this company that you now own, don't you think I could have a raise?” Jackson's reaction was "Oh Paul, that's just business." According to McCartney, "He won't even answer my letters, so we haven't talked and we don't have that great a relationship."

This adorable vintage photograph features the lovely Polish actress, Barbara Lass cuddling up with a gorgeous leopard cub. Barbara was raised in the Polish countryside but chose the glamorous life of a Hollywood actress after winning a competition called "Piekne dziewczyny na ekrany" ("Pretty Girls onto the Screens").

As part of the main prize, she landed the title role of "Ewa Bonecka" in the comedy Eve Wants to Sleep in 1958. It was during the filming that she met Roman Polanski, whom she later married. She left Poland in the 1960s, decided to go by the name Barbara Lass, and soon she was starring in major films. 

Pictured here is The Wonder Years star, Fred Savage cuddling his co-star for Season 3 episode 13, “The Powers That Be”. Or as it’s more commonly known as, "The Puppy Episode". In it, Kevin's grandfather pays the Arnold family a visit and decides to give Kevin a puppy. Of course he didn’t actually clear this living, breathing gift with Kevin’s parents so naturally tensions rise, family drama ensues, and lessons are learned. As per usual in The Wonder Years.

The Wonder Years pushed the boundaries of the sitcom format and utilized an entirely new mode of storytelling". Throughout the course of its run, the series won an impressive 22 awards and was nominated for an astounding 54 more.

This vintage schoolhouse picture was taken in by Henry Burroughs in Berlin Germany, on September 29, 1945. It features a German schoolgirl writing on the blackboard during an English lesson. Her school was one of over 200 schools that were being maintained by the allied occupational government in the American sector of the German capital. Maintaining institutions of education was a standard for post-conflict nation-building.

The efforts put into rebuilding and transforming both Germany’s and Japan’s social, political, and economic systems after WWII has not been matched since. As of 1989, policy states societies should be “encouraged to transform themselves.”

Pictured here are actors Sean Connery and Rowan Atkinson, back in the 1983 James Bond movie Never Say Never Again. In this second adaptation of Ian Fleming's creation, (the first being in 1965 of the same name), Connery played the role of James Bond for the seventh and final time.

Appropriately enough, the storyline features an aging Bond brought back into the fold to investigate the theft of two nuclear weapons by SPECTRE. Connery was 52 at the time of filming, and it marked his return to character after taking a 12-year hiatus once wrapping up the film Diamonds Are Forever in 1971. 

While this image does feel a little “film set-ish” it is an actual photograph of real-world people gathered on the observation deck of the Empire State Building back in 1932. They wanted to watch the of August 31, 1932, and there really is no better spot in New York City to do so. As you can see, the skywatchers are all dressed up for the event, even sporting hats and ties... or perhaps people were just always better dressed back then. In lieu of the proper solar-safe specs, you see many of the viewers squinting at the sun through a protective film. 

Pictured here is the legendary musician Stevie Ray Vaughan, who, in spite of a fairly short-lived mainstream success before his untimely death, managed to become one of the most influential guitarists during the 1980s blues revival.

Vaughan was inspired by both, American and British blues-rock. He was meticulous and tended to favor clean amplifiers with high volume, and often combined several different amplifiers together and used effects pedals sparingly. He was crisp

Guitar World’s Chris Gill described Vaughan's guitar tone as “dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante, the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom.”

Vaughan received several music awards during his lifetime and posthumously including earning six Grammy Awards, ten Austin Music Awards, and he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000. Then in 2014, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. He ranks as the twelfth greatest guitarist of all time according to Rolling Stone.

Having just formed two years prior in 1960, the Beatles were still a relatively small rock band but were making significant headway. They decided to play the “underground club scene” and embarked on several mini-tours in and around Britain. Sure we all know they went on to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world… they even coined their own term for the condition their very special breed of mega fans suffered from; "Beatlemania". It is heartwarming to see them back before all the fame and madness kicked in, which was only just one short year after this photo was taken. 

Pictured here are some of television’s most beloved actors: Robin Williams, Ron Howard, Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, Henry Winkler and Pam Dawber back in 1979. Or as they can fondly be referred to, “The Garry Marshall Posse”.

Featured front and center here is television's own genius, the prolific producer-writer-actor-director Garry Marshall. Marshall has a legacy that is both long and rich and these actors shared a big chunk of it with him. Not only did he write for The Van Dyke Show, but he also co-created favorites such as The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy.

He was the driving force behind family television comedies that were meant to make you happy, with simple and straightforward lessons. Marshall kept his shows warm, and full of wholesome fun and parents who always gave the best advice.

The Addams Family only aired for two seasons on ABC from 1964, to 1966, for a total of 64 episodes. It was in direct competition with The Munsters on CBS, which ran for the same two seasons but secured higher Nielsen ratings. Both show feature close families with decidedly macabre interests.

The Addams Family consisted of the very wealthy Gomez Addams (John Astin), his wife and obsession Morticia, née Frump (Carolyn Jones); their daughter Wednesday (Lisa Loring), and their son Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax). Extended family included the odd Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan), and Grandma (Blossom Rock).

Their gloomy but ornate mansion on Cemetery Lane was attended by servants: Lurch (Ted Cassidy), the intimidating and towering butler, and Thing which was really just Cassidy’s hand.

So here we have a seemingly amused Bill Gates being photographed by the Albuquerque, New Mexico police department back in 1977. The details of the arrest are unknown but allegedly the co-founder of Microsoft was arrested for a traffic violation… sounds a bit off, but okay. He had already been arrested two years prior for speeding and driving without a license.  This time he still didn't have his license on him and he didn't come to a complete stop at a stop sign. The look on his face pretty much sums up the ridiculousness of it all. Best of all, someone later noticed the outline of Gates' mugshot matches the photo outlines provided on various Microsoft applications. Which is even more amazing than that spiffy collar on his shirt.  

Here we have a snapshot of Bob Marley, Mick Jagger, and Peter Tosh hanging out backstage at a Rolling Stones concert held at the Palladium in New York on June 19th, 1978.

Tosh was a Jamaican reggae musician; he Bob Marley, and Bunny Wailer made up the core members of the band The Wailers (1963–1976). Tosh went on to establish himself as successful solo artist. Bob Marley as we all know, remains one of the biggest names in the Reggae genre. And Mick Jagger is still going strong and remains one of the biggest names in Rock music history.  

Pearly Kings and Queens, also known as the ‘other Royals”, are a charitable tradition of working-class culture in London, England. Donning colorful feathered hats and pearl button suits, these Pearlies work to help those in need.

It began when orphan turned street sweeper and rat catcher, Henry Croft decided to mimic the attire of other sales and tradesmen in the Victorian London marketplace. Croft made his own version of their attention-grabbing wardrobe– covering an entire three-piece suit and top hat with pearl buttons to attract would-be clients. It worked.

He ended up getting a lot of attention and was soon earning more than enough money to support himself. Instead of ferreting his money away, he began donating much of it to charity, helping to fund the London orphanage where he grew up. This tradition continued after his death. Croft appointed a Pearly King and Queen before he died and the Pearlies have continued handing down their titles and duties in each supsequent generation.

Music legend David Bowie got himself arrested while in upstate New York back in March of 1976. He was at a Rochester hotel after a concert with his friend Iggy Pop and two others when he got nabbed on a felony pot possession charge.

They only held him a few hours at the Monroe County jail before releasing him. This gem of a mugshot was actually taken by the Rochester Police Department three days after the arrest when Bowie appeared at City Court for arraignment.

The only thing better than all that hair is the painfully obvious side-eye Miles Davis is shooting Kenny G’s way. The two musicians were on the road together for many months at a time, and according to Kenny G, Davis didn’t talk all that much but he did pull one over on him and taught Kenny G a big lesson.

They had two shows scheduled in one night at Lincoln Center. Kenny G was opening up for Davis. After the first show, Davis paid Kenny a visit and said, “Man that was great. You were great. I’m going to open for you second show.”

So there Kenny G was thinking he finally ‘made it’ but by the time he got his chance to go back out on that stage, there were only 100 people left out of the 3,000 in original attendance.

“That guy knew what he was doing. He just didn’t want to stay there late.” Kenny G later said.