With her violet-hued eyes, delicate facial features, and voluptuous body, Elizabeth Taylor is one of the screen sirens of Hollywood. With her start as a child actress in the 1940s, it seemed she would follow the usual trajectory and end up married with children. But not for Taylor. As an adult, she blossomed, as did her beauty and career. In 1999, Taylor was named the 7th greatest screen legend by the American Film Institute and frequently tops lists regarding the Golden Era of Hollywood.
Whilst she often played the seductive yet quick-witted woman in her roles, she also had a soft spot. For cats. In this image, captured in 1953, you see her coyly posing with an adorable kitten poking its head and mittens out of her pocket! At the time, she was filming “The Girl Who Had Everything.” But let’s be real here; that’s one pretty lucky kitty!
Hollywood Royalty Meets Real Royalty, 1956
Below, the Queen of Hollywood at the time, Marilyn Monroe, met the late Queen Elizabeth II. To think that the pair of influential women were the same age is quite astonishing. But that also made the late Queen the longest-reigning monarch, seeing many decades pass and being present for countless historical landmarks.
You might think the Royals are locked away in their age-old fortresses, guarded by the highest security and constantly moping about, but that was certainly not the case. The pair actually met one another at a film premiere, to which Monroe was accompanying her husband at the time. The women in this photo were both just 30 years old. A meeting of two legends in their own right. Quite remarkable.
The Beginning of an Era, 1999
Google is a household name these days. It’s even become a verb. But something this huge had to start somewhere, and here’s the photographic evidence. This photo was taken of two early Google co-founders and heavyweights, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in one of the server rooms.
Google has gone on to become the dominant search engine with access to billions of web pages. It is the most-used search engine worldwide. Both Page and Brin each have a net worth of over $100 Billion. Fun fact, Google was originally called "Backrub..." Yes, you read that right.
The Beatles, 1964
Harry Benson, the iconic photograph below, is one of those that people just can’t get enough of. The subject of the image? Only the hottest pop-rock band in the world at the time: The Beatles! Staying in the obscenely expensive George V Hotel in Paris in 1964, the Beatles were only just getting a taste of the fame to ensue. The night this photograph was taken was the same night the “Fab Four” found out that their song “I Want to Hold Your Hand” went No.1 in the United States.
But perhaps the best part about this photograph’s story is that Glasgow-born Benson wasn’t interested in the band at all and wanted to cover a story in Africa instead. But after an encounter with the band and their music, Benson was mesmerized, so he stuck it out with them, taking countless photographs. This is just one of many, but it perfectly captures the excitement and happiness of the moment.
Shirley Temple, 1949
One of history’s most iconic and endearing child actresses, Shirley Temple's spirited acting and singing routines provided a welcome escape from the darkness of the Great Depression. At 21, Temple posed for a number of publicity photographs, such as this wonderful yet bizarre photo snapped in 1949. Below we see Shirley in a Thanksgiving-themed photo, with none other than the crowning dish of the feast: a turkey.
This probably wouldn’t fly as good marketing with vegetarian and vegan activists today, but back in the day, this was perfectly comical! With a career beginning at age three, she, unlike many other child actors, managed to grow her career in another direction. Temple went into diplomacy and served as the U.S. ambassador to Ghana under the Ford administration, as well as later on to Czechoslovakia under George H.W. Bush.