MYSTERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHS

INTRODUCTION

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The invention of photography allows modern day humans to capture the most precious, or tragic, moments of their lives. From weddings to funerals, the ability to save these memories as a small piece of plastic paper helps humans retain their deepest emotional experiences. Although, certain photos may raise some eyebrows - these photographs were taken at a perplexing time in history that remains questioned or unsolved to this day.

OCCURRENCE

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Here are some of the most well known mysterious photographs.

TIANANMEN SQUARE MAN

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Tiananmen Square was the site of a series of massive student protests against political corruption and the continued fight for democracy in China. The Chinese government responded ruthlessly, employing martial law and killing hundreds of protestors (an exact estimate is not provided).

The picture above depicts a man standing in front of tanks during the protest, barring them from continuing. The man’s identity remains unknown. His fate is also questioned: some sources say he was executed, and others believe he is still alive. Regardless, the photograph depicts the intensity and violence that occurred during the protests.

THE BABUSHKA LADY

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JFK’s assassination shook the entirety of the United States and the world. People became star-struck at this incident, and thus, the FBI, alongside other agencies, extensively investigated the incident. There are multiple recordings of the incident, and everyone who was in those recordings were interviewed by the FBI, Well, everyone but one - the Babushka Lady.

Named after her scarf, eyewitnesses, as well as footage, depicted that the lady was most likely recording the incident herself. She even stayed at the sight after the assassination. Despite this, the FBI were never able to identify and interview her.

SOLWAY FIRTH SPACEMAN

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If any of these photographs have an explanation, this one is the contender.

Jim Templeton was visiting Burgh Marsh in the UK with his wife and daughter. There, he took pictures of them and later had them developed. The photograph above startled the family as they were the only ones present at the marsh at the time. Behind Templeton's daughter, a sort of "spaceman" figure stood. Extensive research done on the photograph by Kodak showed that it was not tampered with in any way.

Templeton later stated that he was visited by government agents who identified themselves with numbers. The agents asked Templeton to take them to the site of the photograph. He did, but the agents quickly became agitated and left as they could not find an explanation to the photo.

The most accepted theory is that the “spaceman” is simply the mother turned away from the camera. She was wearing a light blue dress during that day, and it likely appeared white as a result of overexposure. Regardless, ufologists cite the photo as proof of aliens.

BLACK KNIGHT SATELLITE

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When the photo above was released by NASA, the general public became rife with theories. The photo depicts a piece of “space debris” near the orbit of Earth. Theorists believe that the object, deemed the “Black Knight Satellite,” is actually a piece of extraterrestrial technology. The photograph has been investigated and scrutinized by NASA and ufologists similarly, but no explanation has been birthed.

A host of mysterious photographs still lay outside this post, waiting to be explained. Yet, most will face the reality that an explanation would be naught but an impossibility.

SOURCES

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Remembering the Tiananmen Square Crackdown, and the “Tank Man” (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/remembering-the-tiananmen-square-crackdown-and-the-tank-man/)

Who Was the Mysterious Babushka Lady at JFK’s Assassination? (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/72245/who-was-mysterious-babushka-lady-jfks-assassination)

Solway Firth Spaceman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solway_Firth_Spaceman)

Black Knight satellite conspiracy theory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Knight_satellite_conspiracy_theory)