Former Soldiers Study Cake Decorating at a Vocational School in Puerto Rico, April 1951

When these Puerto Rican soldiers left the U.S. military, they were encouraged to enter technical schools to learn new skills. In this photograph in 1951, a group of men gather around a pastry chef to learn how to decorate a cake.

(Photograph by Justin Locke, National Geographic)

For centuries, Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony. However, after the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain to the United States and became a U.S. territory. In March 1917, all Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship. Despite this, Puerto Ricans were not given the right to vote in U.S. elections.

Since Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans have served in the U.S. Army.

During World War I, about 20,000 Puerto Ricans served. In World War II, approximately 60,000 Puerto Ricans fought in Asia and Europe. During the Korean War, about 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the U.S. Army.

Lisa Gaye: The Graceful Starlet of 1950s Hollywood

Lisa Gaye (1935–2016) was an American actress, dancer, and singer whose radiant charm and versatility made her a familiar face in 1950s and 1960s film and television. Born Leslie Gaye Griffin in Denver, Colorado, she began performing at a young age and soon became known for her graceful presence, expressive eyes, and effortless glamour.

Gaye appeared in a wide range of productions, from Technicolor musicals to television dramas and westerns. She starred in films such as Rock Around the Clock (1956), Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1956), and Drums Across the River (1954), often embodying the vivacious energy and optimism of postwar Hollywood. On television, she was a frequent guest star on popular series including Perry Mason, 77 Sunset Strip, and Have Gun – Will Travel.

Though never a headline star, Gaye’s blend of beauty, poise, and charisma made her a beloved presence on screen. Her career reflects the golden glow of mid-century Hollywood — a time when talent and charm came together to define an era of timeless entertainment. These vintage portraits capture the charm, elegance, and radiant spirit of Lisa Gaye — a true embodiment of 1950s Hollywood glamour.

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16 Rare Polaroids Taken During the Filming of “Top Gun” (1986)

Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an article titled “Top Guns,” written by Ehud Yonay and published in California magazine three years earlier. It stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his radar intercept officer, Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), are given the chance to train at the United States Navy’s Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer and Tom Skerritt also appear in supporting roles.

Scott insisted on using real F-14 Tomcat fighter jets and filming on location, primarily on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier and at the Naval Air Station Miramar (the real TOPGUN school). The production paid the Navy a substantial amount—reports suggest up to $7,600 to $10,000 per hour—for the use of the planes, ships, and personnel.

In one famous anecdote, Scott was filming a spectacular take-off/landing sequence on the carrier when the ship changed course, ruining the lighting. When he asked the captain to return, he was told it would cost $25,000 to change course and continue filming for five minutes. Scott reportedly wrote a personal check on the spot to get the shot.

Tom Cruise and other actors were flown in real F-14s to capture their reactions, though much of the initial footage was unusable due to the actors getting sick from the intense G-forces. Anthony Edwards (Goose) was rumored to be the only actor who didn’t throw up. The real Navy pilot who flew the jet for the famous scene where Maverick flips off the enemy pilot was future NASA astronaut Scott Altman.

Cruise initially turned down the role of Maverick. Jerry Bruckheimer and Simpson arranged for him to take a ride with the Blue Angels (the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron), and the experience convinced him to join the film. Val Kilmer, who played Iceman, was reportedly forced into the role due to a contractual obligation with the studio and was not initially enthusiastic about the project. Kilmer and Cruise’s on-screen rivalry was partially fueled by Kilmer’s use of method acting. He purposefully kept his distance from Cruise to make their animosity feel more authentic.

The U.S. Navy heavily influenced the script. They insisted on changes like moving the opening dogfight from Cuba to international waters, toning down the pilots’ language, and changing the cause of Goose’s death from a mid-air collision (which the Navy didn’t approve) to a more realistic (though still tragic) accident from ejecting.

The film is dedicated to stunt pilot Art Scholl. During filming of a flat spin maneuver for the film, he lost control of his Pitts S-2 camera plane and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. His body and the plane were never recovered.

When Top Gun was released on May 16, 1986, although its visual effects and soundtrack were universally acclaimed, the film initially received mixed reviews from film critics. Despite this, four weeks after its release, the number of theaters showing it increased by 45 percent, and it overcame initial critical resistance to become a huge commercial hit, grossing $357.4 million dollars globally against a production budget of $15 million. Top Gun was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1986, as well as the highest-grossing film of 1986 worldwide.

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Henry John Sylvester Stannard: Painter of the English Countryside

Henry John Sylvester Stannard (1870–1951) was a celebrated British landscape painter, best known for his idyllic watercolors that captured the charm and tranquility of the English countryside. Born into a family of artists in Bedfordshire, Stannard inherited both talent and sensibility, developing a refined style characterized by delicate color harmonies, luminous skies, and meticulous attention to rural detail.

His paintings often depicted peaceful village lanes, blossoming orchards, and pastoral meadows — scenes suffused with gentle light and nostalgia. Working primarily in watercolor, Stannard combined technical precision with a poetic touch, creating works that evoked both realism and romanticism.

During his lifetime, his art was widely exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious institutions, earning admiration for its grace and serenity. Today, Henry John Sylvester Stannard’s work endures as a quintessential reflection of early 20th-century English pastoral beauty — a tender tribute to a vanishing rural world.

These lovely paintings capture the timeless peace and gentle beauty of the English countryside, as seen through the poetic eye of Henry John Sylvester Stannard.

A Bedfordshire Cottage

A Berkshire Homestead

A Country Lane

A Happy Corner near Oxford

A Mother With Her Child and a Kitten Before a Thatched Cottage

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26 Glamorous Photos of Markie Post in the 1980s

Marjorie Armstrong Post (November 4, 1950 – August 7, 2021), known professionally as Markie Post, was an American actress. In the 1980s, she became one of television’s most recognizable and beloved actresses, thanks to her charm, wit, and strong comedic presence.

Post gained wide attention playing Terri Michaels, a bail bondswoman who worked with Lee Majors’ character, in The Fall Guy (1982–1985). Her role combined brains, beauty, and humor, making her a standout on the action-adventure show.

Her most iconic role came when she joined the cast as Christine Sullivan, a compassionate and idealistic public defender, in Night Court (1984–1992). Her chemistry with Harry Anderson and John Larroquette became a key part of the show’s appeal.

She also made guest appearances on shows like The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Cheers, showcasing her versatility in both comedy and drama.

Markie Post embodied the quintessential 1980s TV star — bright, funny, approachable, and stylish. Her shoulder-length blonde hair, power suits, and warm smile became signature elements of her look. She was often described as “the girl next door with brains,” balancing professionalism with charm.

Post was admired for her professionalism and positive energy on set. She often spoke about how grateful she felt to be part of hit series during television’s golden sitcom era. By the end of the 1980s, Markie Post had become a familiar and much-loved face in American television, firmly cementing her place in pop culture through Night Court’s success.

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An FBI Agent Delivering $1,000,000 to a Plane Hijacker, in His Underwear, 1972

In 1972, one of the strangest moments in aviation history unfolded on the tarmac of Miami International Airport. An FBI agent, wearing nothing but his underwear, approached a hijacked Southern Airways DC-9 with a suitcase containing $1,000,000 in cash. This bizarre delivery was not a prank or a movie scene, it was a real-life demand from a desperate hijacker, and the FBI had no choice but to comply.

Delta Air Lines Flight 841 was an aircraft hijacking that took place beginning on July 31, 1972, on a flight originally from Detroit to Miami. There were 7 crew and 94 passengers on board the Douglas DC-8 for the flight from Detroit to Miami. Members of the Black Liberation Army took over the aircraft in flight using weapons smuggled on board, including a handgun hidden inside a Bible with its pages cut out to form a cavity. None of the hostages were killed during the hijacking.

Five hijackers who had boarded with three children took over the aircraft. It flew to Miami as originally scheduled, where the 86 passenger hostages were released. The aircraft was then flown to Boston, where they picked up a flight engineer who was qualified to fly the plane overseas.

Working with FBI agents on-site, Boston Delta airport maintenance foreman Ronald S. Fudge was chosen to refuel the plane and deliver the flight engineer to the plane. He also delivered a bag containing the $1 million ransom and other bags containing provisions requested by the hijackers, including cigarettes, apples, and ham and cheese sandwiches. After refueling and taking on the engineer and provisions, the plane was dispatched to the runway and flew to Algeria. Algerian authorities seized the aircraft and ransom which were returned to the U.S. with the crew hostages, but the hijackers were released after a few days.

On the evening of Wednesday, August 2, 1972, at a hurried 10-minute news conference after the DC-8’s completion of the 11,500 miles (18,500 km) trip in Atlanta, the captain said he realized the aircraft was being hijacked when he left the cockpit to go to the lavatory and noticed a man aiming a gun at a stewardess. One of the hijackers held a stewardess, Jamye Mays of Pell City, Alabama, at gunpoint throughout the incident. The stewardess had been with the airline less than two weeks. “They did it as a threat when they thought their instructions were not going to be carried out,” the captain said.

The crew had an overnight stay in Barcelona, Spain, after leaving Algeria. In addition to the ransom, a Delta spokesman said the trip cost $21,600 for fuel and salaries for the crew. Delta identified the crew members as Captain William Harold May, First Officer D.L. Henderson, and R.R. Kubal, and stewardesses Shirley Ann Morgan, Sherril Elsie Ross, Jamye Mays, and Leanne Marie Arnfield.

Four of the five hijackers were captured in Paris on May 26, 1976, and tried by the French courts. The remaining hijacker, George Wright, who had dressed as a priest during the hijacking, was arrested on September 26, 2011, in Sintra, Portugal. Wright was an accomplice in a 1962 armed robbery and homicide who had escaped from a prison in New Jersey before joining in the hijacking.

1950s Weddings: A Timeless Symbol of Love, Grace, and Classic Style

Weddings in the 1950s captured the spirit of postwar optimism, tradition, and classic style. After years of austerity, couples embraced a renewed sense of celebration — ceremonies became more elaborate, receptions livelier, and fashion more romantic than ever before.

Brides of the era were inspired by icons like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, favoring gowns with fitted bodices, cinched waists, and voluminous skirts that embodied elegance and femininity. Lace, satin, and tulle were the fabrics of choice, often paired with fingertip veils and pearl accessories. Grooms, on the other hand, maintained a timeless look with sleek tuxedos or tailored suits, emphasizing formality and grace.

Wedding photography in the 1950s began to evolve, capturing both the posed dignity of studio portraits and the candid joy of the day’s celebrations. The result was a perfect blend of refinement and sincerity — moments of love preserved with simplicity and style. These charming vintage photos beautifully capture the elegance, joy, and enduring romance of 1950s weddings.

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