While nearly everything today is caught on video—whether by one of the many surveillance cameras around the world or from the phone of a passerby—this didn’t use to be the case.
Fifty, twenty, ten, and even five years ago, catching historical moments on camera was a rarity—and something to be treasured. Luckily for us, there were a few major historical events caught on video that continue to provide us and future generations with a look into the past.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech
One of the most iconic, rousing, and moving speeches of all time was thankfully captured on camera. Because this video has been preserved, we can continue to spread the words of Dr. King’s speech to stem the tides of hate and promote a future of peace and equality.
Japanese Surrender Ceremony
After nearly six years of bloodshed, the Japanese officially surrendered to the Allied powers aboard the battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945. Fortunately, this day was filmed and provides us with a rare glimpse into the final moments of a war that nearly ripped our world apart. Although this film is silent, you can almost feel the anticipation among the troops.
Apollo 11 moonwalk
Ferdinand Magellan led the first European voyage to circumnavigate the globe; Christopher Columbus set sail and discovered a “new world,” but it was the crew of Apollo 11 who became the first true explorers to go where no man or woman had ever gone before. Furthermore, these 20th-century explorers also managed to capture their discovery on video. We can re-live the first small step and giant leap with the click of a button.
Beatles Arrive at JFK airport.
Take a look at the first days of pop-culture madness through this video that’s wrought with screaming fans and a heated press. It’s interesting to see the group’s beginnings that would go on to revolutionize the music industry as we now know it.
Bigfoot
Whether you believe it or not, there’s no denying that this piece of footage created a phenomenon that has gone down in history. Even to this day, there are bigfoot hunters and shows about finding the rare beast—all because of this one shaky piece of footage (pun intended).
While these videos are iconic, there are so many other old films out there that can give us a glimpse into long-forgotten days.
Send them our way if you have Old boxes of 8mm reels or VHS tapes collecting dust in an attic, basement, or closet. We can transfer them to DVD, preserving these moments for future generations to watch and enjoy.
