International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Political Prisoners in the concentration camp at Sachsenhausen, Germany. Local ID: 242-HLB-3609-25 International Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated each year on January 27. The United Nations General Assembly designated this day as it is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet forces. The purpose of International Holocaust Remembrance Day is to serve as … Continue reading International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Camp Hale, Colorado: Training the 10th Mountain Division During World War II

Mountain Troopers carrying a Ski Cargo Sled (Local ID: 337-TNG-199-1) Found in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the peaks and valleys that surrounded Camp Hale forged the elite soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division—the Army’s first and only mountain infantry division. During World War II, the soldiers at Camp Hale trained in mountain … Continue reading Camp Hale, Colorado: Training the 10th Mountain Division During World War II

A Wartime Wedding at Versailles

Photograph of the Chapel at Versailles. Local ID: 286-MP-FRA-02033. National Archives Identifier Number: 19978495. On December 16, 1944, only months after American troops liberated the area surrounding the Palace of Versailles, a wedding ceremony was held in the Chapel of the Palace of Versailles. This year marks the 78th Anniversary of the wedding of M/Sgt. … Continue reading A Wartime Wedding at Versailles

60th Anniversary: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Local Identifier: 342-B-ND-018A-167731USAF; Original Caption: MRBM Field Launch Site, San Cristobal #1, October 14 1962. (This photo provided the first photographic evidence of Soviet offensive missile deployment in Cuba.) The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in October 1962. The international crisis escalated when American missiles were … Continue reading 60th Anniversary: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Captain Chuck Yeager: Breaking the Sound Barrier

On October 14, 1947, USAF Captain Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. Yeager flew a Bell XS-1, nicknamed "Glamorous Glennis" (a tribute to his wife), over Rogers Dry Lake located at Edward's Air Force Base (formerly named Muroc Air Force Base). The X-1 reached a speed … Continue reading Captain Chuck Yeager: Breaking the Sound Barrier

In Memoriam: Photographs of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

Queen Elizabeth II (April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022) served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms for 70 years up until her death at age 96, making her reign the longest of any British monarch. Here in the Still Picture Branch at the National Archives, we have a handful of photographs within our holdings of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her official travels to the United States.

The Wright Military Flyer Soars on Celluloid: Uncovering the Story of Our Oldest Government Film

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is well known for preserving the first written records of our nation. People come from around the world to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. But what about the first government films? The oldest known government-produced film in our holdings is First Army Aeroplane … Continue reading The Wright Military Flyer Soars on Celluloid: Uncovering the Story of Our Oldest Government Film

Sergeant Presley: Photographs of Elvis’ Time with the Army

During the peak of his career in 1958, "The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll" traded in his blue suede shoes for a pair of U.S. Government-issued combat boots. Sgt. Presley answering questions for the press during his last press conference in Friedberg, Germany before returning to the U. S. and civilian life. March 1, 1960. … Continue reading Sergeant Presley: Photographs of Elvis’ Time with the Army

How to Search Still Photographs for World War II Navy Personalities

For an overview of Military Personnel Photographs, please see our website https://www.archives.gov/research/still-pictures/military-personnel-photographs. Finding veterans who served in the US Navy during World War II just became digital. At the Still Picture Branch we have multiple indexes to search for various branches of the US Military. Our index, 80-GX: Index to Photographs of Personalities in the … Continue reading How to Search Still Photographs for World War II Navy Personalities