Once a time...

#odds #History

This photograph, taken in 1900, captures a woman whose presence defied every expectation of her time. She wasn’t a maid or a nanny, as many assumed she was a personal bodyguard to the King of Dahomey, a powerful West African kingdom in what is now Benin, known for its elite all-female warriors:

the Dahomey Amazons.

Standing over 2.5 meters tall by some accounts, she was said to possess extraordinary strength able to lift a grown man with a single arm and her combat skills were the stuff of legend. But rather than honoring her legacy, the colonial gaze reduced her to spectacle. British newspapers spoke of her not as a warrior, but as a novelty:

“This dark-skinned beauty… will soon visit our major cities,” they wrote, blind to the remarkable history standing before them.

Her name was Ella Abomah Williams, also known as Madame Abomah. Today, she is largely forgotten by mainstream history.

But her story endures as a powerful reminder: sometimes, heroes are hidden in plain sight., overlooked not because they lack greatness, but because the world never learned how to see it.

Credits: osagie_ero

The Osmanoğlu family ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, and the photo depicts young descendants, including children of Ayşe Gülnev Osmanoğlu and possibly cousins, living in the UK.

Find them now in the kitchen business

Credits: historyinmemes

An incredible piece of #history

The oldest subway station in the world is located in London and is part of the historic London Underground system, inaugurated on January 10, 1863.

This underground network, known as The Tube, began with a section between Paddington and Farringdon, operated by steam trains.

While innovative, it also posed challenges due to smoke accumulation in the tunnels.

Since then, the London Underground has expanded significantly, becoming one of the most extensive and advanced transit systems in the world.

It remains an iconic symbol of urban history and development.

Credits: Sorpréndete

You’re looking at an image of the first black hole ever photographed.

This supermassive black hole resides at the heart of galaxy M87, about 55 million light-years from Earth.

In April 2019, it made history when the Event Horizon Telescope project released the first-ever direct image of a black hole.

Over the past two decades, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has observed M87 multiple times, deepening our understanding of this cosmic giant - an object with a mass 6.5 billion times that of the Sun.

#Science #NASA #blackhole

The Forbidden City

Exploring Beijing, one of China’s most beautiful cities immerses you in history, and at its heart lies the Forbidden City.

Once an imperial residence, it spans the Ming to Qing Dynasties, showcasing grandeur and cultural richness.

Beyond clichés, it’s a must-visit, being among the world’s largest and best-preserved ancient palaces.

#Beijing #China

Curious strange facts:

https://www.historyextra.com/period/general-history/strange-weird-historical-facts/