21 Photos Taken Moments Before Major Historical Events

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 11/14/2024 in wow

Photographers spend their entire careers trying to capture a shot of the critical moment, but not one person behind these cameras knew they'd taken the money shot until after the fact.

These 21 photos were all taken moments before major historical events, and while I'm sure every photographer here would have liked to wait for what was to come, these preemptive moments tell an entirely new story.

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1.
John F. Kennedy in Dallas, just a few minutes before the assassination.
2.
Alan Shepard on Freedom 7, the first American spaceflight, a few minutes before launch. 1961.
3.
Captain Paul Tibbets in the "Enola Gay," minutes before takeoff to drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 1945.
4.
Tiananmen Square, just before the massacre, June 4, 1989.
5.
The last photo ever taken of rapper Tupac Shakur, just 20 minutes before his death in a drive-by shooting, 1996.
6.
The exact moment before seventeen-year-old Otoya Yamaguchi used a foot-long sword to kill the leader of the Socialist Party of Japan, Inejiro Asanuma, on a public stage in Tokyo, October 12, 1960.
7.
A 747 boards. Soon, it will collide on the runway with another 747 resulting in the biggest aviation disaster in history. Tenerife, March 27th 1977.
8.
Ronald Reagan waves just before he is shot by John Hinckley Jr.
9.
John Lewis and 600 other civil rights activists facing off Alabama state troopers who were giving them a two minute warning to disperse before beating them in 1965.
10.
The Argentine football player Diego Armando Maradona, right before scoring the infamous “Hand of God” goal.
11.
August 12, 1985. The last photo taken inside Japan Airlines Flight 123, minutes before the deadliest single airplane crash in history. The photo was recovered from a camera found at the crash site.
12.
Moments before British paratroopers fire on Irish protestors. The Troubles, January 30th, 1972.
13.
The last photograph taken of US President William McKinley minutes before he was assassinated. September, 14 1901.
14.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife minutes before assassination that would lead to WW1, 1914.
15.
The crew of the ill-fated Challenger, right before boarding on January 28, 1986.
16.
Langley Aerodrome No. 5, mounted on top of a houseboat in the Potomac River, minutes before becoming the world's first heavier-than-air, unmanned, engine-driven aircraft to fly, 1896.
17.
“Last Two Minutes of Fighting,” Taken at 10:58 AM, 11th of November, 1918, just before the Armistice went into effect.
18.
Rick Rescorla using a megaphone to organize the evacuation of workers from the World Trade Centre in New York moments before its collapse. He saved the lives of thousands, and died during the collapse after refusing to leave. September 11th, 2001.
19.
Teddy Roosevelt becoming the first US president to fly in an airplane, 1910.
20.
This picture of James Dean at a gas station in 1955 was taken just a couple of hours before his fatal car accident. He was only 24 years old.
21.
Photo of United Airlines Flight 175 just a mere second before hitting the south tower of the World Trade Center. September 11, 2001.

1.
John F. Kennedy in Dallas, just a few minutes before the assassination.
2.
Alan Shepard on Freedom 7, the first American spaceflight, a few minutes before launch. 1961.
3.
Captain Paul Tibbets in the "Enola Gay," minutes before takeoff to drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 1945.
4.
Tiananmen Square, just before the massacre, June 4, 1989.
5.
The last photo ever taken of rapper Tupac Shakur, just 20 minutes before his death in a drive-by shooting, 1996.
6.
The exact moment before seventeen-year-old Otoya Yamaguchi used a foot-long sword to kill the leader of the Socialist Party of Japan, Inejiro Asanuma, on a public stage in Tokyo, October 12, 1960.
7.
A 747 boards. Soon, it will collide on the runway with another 747 resulting in the biggest aviation disaster in history. Tenerife, March 27th 1977.
8.
Ronald Reagan waves just before he is shot by John Hinckley Jr.
9.
John Lewis and 600 other civil rights activists facing off Alabama state troopers who were giving them a two minute warning to disperse before beating them in 1965.
10.
The Argentine football player Diego Armando Maradona, right before scoring the infamous “Hand of God” goal.
11.
August 12, 1985. The last photo taken inside Japan Airlines Flight 123, minutes before the deadliest single airplane crash in history. The photo was recovered from a camera found at the crash site.
12.
Moments before British paratroopers fire on Irish protestors. The Troubles, January 30th, 1972.
13.
The last photograph taken of US President William McKinley minutes before he was assassinated. September, 14 1901.
14.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife minutes before assassination that would lead to WW1, 1914.
15.
The crew of the ill-fated Challenger, right before boarding on January 28, 1986.
16.
Langley Aerodrome No. 5, mounted on top of a houseboat in the Potomac River, minutes before becoming the world's first heavier-than-air, unmanned, engine-driven aircraft to fly, 1896.
17.
“Last Two Minutes of Fighting,” Taken at 10:58 AM, 11th of November, 1918, just before the Armistice went into effect.
18.
Rick Rescorla using a megaphone to organize the evacuation of workers from the World Trade Centre in New York moments before its collapse. He saved the lives of thousands, and died during the collapse after refusing to leave. September 11th, 2001.
19.
Teddy Roosevelt becoming the first US president to fly in an airplane, 1910.
20.
This picture of James Dean at a gas station in 1955 was taken just a couple of hours before his fatal car accident. He was only 24 years old.
21.
Photo of United Airlines Flight 175 just a mere second before hitting the south tower of the World Trade Center. September 11, 2001.

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1. John F. Kennedy in Dallas, just a few minutes before the assassination.

2. Alan Shepard on Freedom 7, the first American spaceflight, a few minutes before launch. 1961.

3. Captain Paul Tibbets in the "Enola Gay," minutes before takeoff to drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 1945.

4. Tiananmen Square, just before the massacre, June 4, 1989.

5. The last photo ever taken of rapper Tupac Shakur, just 20 minutes before his death in a drive-by shooting, 1996.

6. The exact moment before seventeen-year-old Otoya Yamaguchi used a foot-long sword to kill the leader of the Socialist Party of Japan, Inejiro Asanuma, on a public stage in Tokyo, October 12, 1960.

7. A 747 boards. Soon, it will collide on the runway with another 747 resulting in the biggest aviation disaster in history. Tenerife, March 27th 1977.

8. Ronald Reagan waves just before he is shot by John Hinckley Jr.

9. John Lewis and 600 other civil rights activists facing off Alabama state troopers who were giving them a two minute warning to disperse before beating them in 1965.

10. The Argentine football player Diego Armando Maradona, right before scoring the infamous “Hand of God” goal.

11. August 12, 1985. The last photo taken inside Japan Airlines Flight 123, minutes before the deadliest single airplane crash in history. The photo was recovered from a camera found at the crash site.

12. Moments before British paratroopers fire on Irish protestors. The Troubles, January 30th, 1972.

13. The last photograph taken of US President William McKinley minutes before he was assassinated. September, 14 1901.

14. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife minutes before assassination that would lead to WW1, 1914.

15. The crew of the ill-fated Challenger, right before boarding on January 28, 1986.

16. Langley Aerodrome No. 5, mounted on top of a houseboat in the Potomac River, minutes before becoming the world's first heavier-than-air, unmanned, engine-driven aircraft to fly, 1896.

17. “Last Two Minutes of Fighting,” Taken at 10:58 AM, 11th of November, 1918, just before the Armistice went into effect.

18. Rick Rescorla using a megaphone to organize the evacuation of workers from the World Trade Centre in New York moments before its collapse. He saved the lives of thousands, and died during the collapse after refusing to leave. September 11th, 2001.

19. Teddy Roosevelt becoming the first US president to fly in an airplane, 1910.

20. This picture of James Dean at a gas station in 1955 was taken just a couple of hours before his fatal car accident. He was only 24 years old.

21. Photo of United Airlines Flight 175 just a mere second before hitting the south tower of the World Trade Center. September 11, 2001.

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1.
John F. Kennedy in Dallas, just a few minutes before the assassination.

2.
Alan Shepard on Freedom 7, the first American spaceflight, a few minutes before launch. 1961.

3.
Captain Paul Tibbets in the "Enola Gay," minutes before takeoff to drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 1945.

4.
Tiananmen Square, just before the massacre, June 4, 1989.

5.
The last photo ever taken of rapper Tupac Shakur, just 20 minutes before his death in a drive-by shooting, 1996.

6.
The exact moment before seventeen-year-old Otoya Yamaguchi used a foot-long sword to kill the leader of the Socialist Party of Japan, Inejiro Asanuma, on a public stage in Tokyo, October 12, 1960.

7.
A 747 boards. Soon, it will collide on the runway with another 747 resulting in the biggest aviation disaster in history. Tenerife, March 27th 1977.

8.
Ronald Reagan waves just before he is shot by John Hinckley Jr.

9.
John Lewis and 600 other civil rights activists facing off Alabama state troopers who were giving them a two minute warning to disperse before beating them in 1965.

10.
The Argentine football player Diego Armando Maradona, right before scoring the infamous “Hand of God” goal.

11.
August 12, 1985. The last photo taken inside Japan Airlines Flight 123, minutes before the deadliest single airplane crash in history. The photo was recovered from a camera found at the crash site.

12.
Moments before British paratroopers fire on Irish protestors. The Troubles, January 30th, 1972.

13.
The last photograph taken of US President William McKinley minutes before he was assassinated. September, 14 1901.

14.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife minutes before assassination that would lead to WW1, 1914.

15.
The crew of the ill-fated Challenger, right before boarding on January 28, 1986.

16.
Langley Aerodrome No. 5, mounted on top of a houseboat in the Potomac River, minutes before becoming the world's first heavier-than-air, unmanned, engine-driven aircraft to fly, 1896.

17.
“Last Two Minutes of Fighting,” Taken at 10:58 AM, 11th of November, 1918, just before the Armistice went into effect.

18.
Rick Rescorla using a megaphone to organize the evacuation of workers from the World Trade Centre in New York moments before its collapse. He saved the lives of thousands, and died during the collapse after refusing to leave. September 11th, 2001.

19.
Teddy Roosevelt becoming the first US president to fly in an airplane, 1910.

20.
This picture of James Dean at a gas station in 1955 was taken just a couple of hours before his fatal car accident. He was only 24 years old.

21.
Photo of United Airlines Flight 175 just a mere second before hitting the south tower of the World Trade Center. September 11, 2001.