Believe it or not, your parents weren't always, well, your parents. They too were young and for the most part, carefree before you came into the world. They went on adventures and did things you would never believe they'd even be into, much like any other teen or youngster. Check out these throwback photos of super cool grandparents and parents way back when, proving that they were much cooler than you will ever be.
This future Mom Was The Only Girl In Her Welding Class
Someone has found a gem in their family album, featuing their mom during her high school years. Apparently, she was the only woman to enroll in her welding class, back in 1984 in Louisiana. This future mom defied the odds and showed what equality looks like when it comes to education. The way she stands proud, and right in the middle of her peers, shows that this woman exudes boss energy.
This is what determination and self-confidence look like. It must not be easy to be a trendsetter, and we can’t help but smile along with this fiercely bright woman. This is what determination and self-confidence look like.
A Helicopter Pilot Will Always Be A Helicopter Pilot
If you are looking to get inspired, then look no further. This woman trained and became a helicopter pilot during the '80s. Unfortunately, we know it’s harder for women (unjustly!) to get this type of work in the military, so for this person to achieve this goal is nothing short of amazing. Her road to becoming a pilot was a lot harder than if she were a man. We applaud her.
What’s truly sad is in current days not much has changed in the militaries around the world when it comes to acknowledging women's capabilities. There’s progress, but it isn’t enough, and there is a lot more to be done.
The Rad Skater From The '90s And Her Double Handstand
This is one cool chick! During her late teens, this woman showed her skills by doing a handstand on not one, but two skateboards. Last we checked, this stunt is hard enough doing it with just one skateboard, so if add another and don't forget, these are moving objects. Her acrobatic skills are one of a kind. We have a hunch that, even twenty years later, this person remained a badass.
Where do you even learn to do that? She must have put in the hours of skateboard training because this should be considered an Olympic sport. It is that impressive. The coordination, the balance, and her energy.
The Solider Who Made It Home And Started A Family
Whenever a soldier returns home, it is cause for celebration. But to have your loved one sent off to war might be one of the toughest experiences to go through. Luckily this soldier who fought during the Vietnam war did return home and start a family. Years later, their grown-up child somehow managed to find a picture online of their father’s squad during their time in Vietnam. This coincidence feels like fate.
We can’t get over the peace sign drawn on of the soldiers' equipment. There is a universal truth to every war, there are no real winners. Peace is achieved through communication, and not on the battlefield.
Maybe it’s Not The Moon, But It’s Close Enough
This man made his dream come true when he started working for NASA. Yes, the NASA. The high standards and rigorous screening process of the famed governmental organization are known as one of the toughest in the entire world. If you’re planning on working for NASA, you got to start young. So seeing him sitting in his office, you know his path was a long one, but he overcame the hardships.
This man looks ready to take over the world, or more appropriately, the entire universe. His face is the face of a dream coming true, and their child, posting this picture online decades later, is still proud as can be.
This Isn’t Chuck Norris Joke, Just Ask The Man Who Pinned him Down
Do you remember there was a time when there were only chuck Norris jokes? It seemed like every day someone would come up with another impossible feat that only Mr. Norris could do. Here's something Chuck Norris couldn't do, however—pin this person's dad down. Looks like dad is effortlessly winning over the only man who can divide by zero. Now that's one dad potential boyfriends will run away from!
Chuck Norris has proven over the years of his career, he is not one to mess with, and even though we know that one person managed to floor him, we'd still not risk it.
Not All Heroes Wear Capes. Some Raise Lions Instead
Everyone wants a pet growing up. This young kid got his wish when his mother, a veterinarian, brought home a lion cub to live with them. This probably made this kid the coolest on the block, but let’s take a moment to appreciate his mom. We can't imagine how difficult it must be to care for a lion cub while at the same time, working full time and raising kids!
The kid ended up becoming a father, and their child posted this picture on Reddit for the entire world to adore. We bet they're sorry they had to give the lion away!
This Person's Dad Took A Plunge From A Submarine
The child of this expert submarine diver discovered how cool their dad was during his younger years when they found this picture of him jumping into the pacific ocean from the starboard fin of the submarine he was stationed on. You got to admit, back then a lot of things were considered acceptable, while today they just wouldn't fly. Still, not a lot of dads can say they jumped off a submarine.
1983 was a different time for sure. There is a possibility the diver turned into a different person over the years. Hopefully, he passed those diver genes to the next generation.
Working Mom Does It All And Gives Up Nothing
Back in the day, it was expected for women to stay at home and raise the kids. If a woman had a job, once she met her husband, then society expected her to leave it and raise the kids. You see, it couldn’t have been easy either way. This woman here proves that she can do whatever she wants and is not defined by other people's expectations of her.
The child this woman is holding while writing her Master's Thesis ended up posting this picture on Reddit, and is most definitely super proud of her. Go mom!
Mom And Dad Deeply In Love Way Back When
Some couples know right away when it’s right, and they need to bother with anybody else. The two lovebirds photographed here have been married for 47 years! That’s a long time. Their love story is an impressive one because, during the '70s, it must not have been easy for a black man and a white woman to be seen together, let alone date. We salute them for staying strong, and looking extremely cool while doing so.
You know you want to be friends with them! They look so good together, and share the same badass attitude. They showed the world, they are the real deal.
This Grandfather Could Have Been A Movie Star
Say hello to the sexiest grandfather out there. Well, at least when he was younger and in what only can be described as his prime. Look at those abs! You didn't get those at the gym back then. This person's wife showed this picture to their grandson, who is now that exact age, in an attempt to make them get out of the house and work out more. Talk about body goals!
Grandmother probably misses the young stud she married, but marriage is also about growing old together, and seeing who the person you married turns into. Did her husband keep his physique over the years? We wonder.
This Person's Grandfather Actually Taught Einstein Something
You would think Albert Einstein was so smart, he didn't need any lessons in anything. But that is not the case. Even though he's contributed so much to science and society, the ultimate genius needed someone to teach him something he simply couldn't pick up on his own—the violin! In this picture, this Redditor's grandfather is pictured next to his violin student, Albert Einstein himself.
What a cool thing to brag about! Being the person to teach Albert Einstein violin lessons, must be a great conversation starter. When going on a first date, that would be the first thing to mention.
Grandma And Grampa Swapped Clothes In 1943
A couple who swaps clothes together stays together. Okay, we may have made up that phrase, but aren’t they the cutest? Let’s just put it this way, they actually both look good in each other’s garments. Grandma looks poised and ready to lead an army in her husband’s military uniform, while her husband is giving us a fiercer look and he is definitely ready to strut the runways of 1943.
What really is surprising about this entire situation is the fact that their clothes fit them both, and they fit pretty well, too! We wonder what reactions they got from their surroundings in 1943.
This Grandma Isn’t A Hollywood Actress, If you Can Believe It
Seeing this, it kind of feels like the world missed a great golden-era Hollywood actress. She looks the part, the camera loves her, and you can tell she loves the camera too. It’s a match made in heaven. We can envision her playing the part of a femme fatale or even the detective who solves the gruesome murder of her lover. Whatever the role would be, she can do it.
She really nailed the glamorous and poised look from A to Z, and she is captivating us with her wondrous gaze into the distance. A star was born and we missed it.
Grandma Was And Still Is A Daredevil
This blew us away, but apparently not this grandmother! How and why this started, is beyond us but we can’t ignore how brave this is. Some people usually tremble at the thought of a plane taking off while they are in it, where they are seated safely. This woman seems to forget that she's a mere mortal, as she sits atop the plane's wing. She is so fearless it's astounding.
The Redditor who uploaded this picture said Grandma, even though she is quite literally holding on for dear life here, pulled this stunt a number of times. It was Grandpa's plane, and she is beyond brave.
We’ll Always Remember Grandma As A Total Rebel
This is so much sass for somebody's grandmother. This was a small act that would later define her in life. This picture was placed next to her coffin at her funeral. The family chose it because it really shows off who she was, a rebel at heart, at any age. We're just loving how much personality this exudes, and regret not knowing this cool lady when she was still around.
By the looks of this, this future grandmother was a joy to be around, and we're sure her children and grandchildren miss her greatly.
This Grandmother Showed The Men Around Her How It's Done
Talk about being extraordinary. The U.S. Air Force rejected this woman because of her gender (infuriating, we know), they wrongfully thought she couldn’t match the male pilots. Instead of taking no for an answer and leaving it at that, she continued to forge a new path for herself, one that wouldn’t lean on stupid men who told her no she couldn’t do something. She ended up teaching young men how to fly in Texas during WW2.
Boys and girls, take note of this proper role model. She could have listened to those who doubted her, who saw her as weak. But instead, she taught them how it's done.
Granddad Was Known For Breaking A Few Hearts
This young fella fits the heartthrob typecast perfectly, with his thick hair, smoldering eyes, and that slightly vulnerable expression. He could have been a model or an actor, but this guy went to the marines. One of the toughest things to do in the military was his destiny. God knows where he ended up, but we’ll always remember the young man who stole our hearts without even trying.
We secretly (not so secretly) hope those genes passed on to the current generation, and somewhere in the world walks a carbon copy of this handsome man. Who knows!
The Grandmother Escaped Communism To Live How She Wanted
No, you are not looking at a model. This woman just fled Communist Bulgaria to Germany in 1978, and is about to start a new life journey. It is not easy to leave your life behind, your family, your friends, and everything you knew. this woman gave this all up so she could live her life freely, and although the circumstances are terrible, her real power really shows. This is someone who doesn’t let others dictate their life, and we're impressed.
Look at this image and you see a woman who is ready to live life to the fullest, and she ready to take on the rest of the world after escaping Communism.
This Person's Grandfather's Plane Got Shot Down
What an exciting life this soldier must have had throughout his military service. Surprisingly, one of those moments was caught on camera as this soldier left his aircraft, in the middle of the ocean, after the enemy forces shot it down. If your plane goes down, the chances of surviving to go higher if it crashed in the water, right? Well, this soldier knows it.
To be honest, this looks like a set for a period drama and the story takes place during WW1. We’re crossing our fingers that this man wrote a book about his adventures, and we want to read about all of them.
Groovy Girl Rides Without A Care In The World
This young mama knows how to ride downhill on her skateboard, with or without shoes on. She just looks so effortlessly cool, with her hair blowing in the wind and groovy 1970s fashion. Looks like she's a pretty skilled skateboarder, too. Who would think their mom could ride a skateboard? She was clearly one of the cool kids back in the day, and we bet her children look up to her.
She for sure looks like a poster child for the '70s, and we're impressed. We wish we'd look this cool on a skateboard!
Ain't Nothing Like Barbecuing On A Submarine
The military seems to have been a little more relaxed back in the 1970s. Back then, this submarine crew brought out their grill and had themselves a nice BBQ on top of their submarine, in the middle of the ocean. Nothing would stop these men from having grilled ribs, not even being out at sea. One of them ended up having kids, and one of those kids proudly posted this picture on Reddit.
The quantity needed to feed the entire submarine crew makes it clear, these guys came prepared, and they have been preparing for a while. Maybe it was even ordered by the submarine's captain as a surprise for his crew.
Artist Dad Makes His Wife Out Of Clay
This artist created a lovely reminder of his love for his wife and future mother of his children. This looks like it was taken right out of a movie, the lighting is dimmed down, it is so romantic. We can only assume, the shadow and light balance was incredible for the dad, as he shaped out his wife's face with clay. This is intense, especially with the longing gazes of the couple at each other.
It is endearing seeing the artist so captivated by his beautiful muse, his own wife. He looks so focused on making this artwork, we just hope it's on display somewhere.
This Person's Dad Telling Off A Klan Member
One of the most despicable groups in the entire history of humanity is, without any shadow of a doubt, the Ku Klux Klan. Seeing this guy flipping off a Klan member is inspiring, and we are all for it. You go, random Redditor's dad, we're rooting for you in your just battle against the KKK.
We wonder who snapped this picture back in 1985, and what the situation was like after the brave man gave them the finger. Did it escalate? Did he simply walk away? Who knows.
The Tall, Dark, And Handsome Horseman Ended Up Being A Dad
This man looks like a 70s version of a knight in shining armor, ready to slay the dragon and save his one true love. Our groovy rider checks all the boxes of the dark and mysterious rider, and we can all swoon over him. Look at him! He is in control, and he takes charge of the wild stallion, makes for a very seductive knight. Everything about this works perfectly together, and we are talking about all three stallions, The rider, The horse, and that car.
The rider is giving us strong Inigo Montoya vibes from the film The Princess vibes, as he searches for vengeance for his father's murder. and he will stop at nothing!
Super Rad Dad Surfs The Peruvian Waves
In 1977, this future dad was caught riding a sick wave in the Peruvian ocean, and looking mighty fine while doing so. Not only is he a great surfer, but he became so good, someone thought they should put him in their magazine targeted for surfers. There is something quite special when you ride waves, for a single moment, it is just you in the world, and you're alone, in your quietness.
Kudos to the photographer too! They had to be at the right time and in the right position to capture the man riding perfectly, who is making it look easy, Which might be for him.
If James Dean And Clint Eastwood Had A Son
This guy knows what he is doing, posing barefoot while sitting on his bike, and that full head of hair, you know he knows he looks like a movie star. We think so too. Those cheekbones can cut diamonds, and those eyes can make any heart melt over to him. He looks like the love child of two known actors known for their sultry and seductive look, Clint Eastwood and the late James Dean.
Good looks or not, it is always about the attitude, if you haven't guessed it by now. What captures hearts is knowing your worth, and we all should take note of self-confidence.
This Mom Looks Like A Possible Russian Spy Visiting Moscow In The 70s
Are we looking at a poster for a new spy thriller movie, or this could be a real person taking a serious-looking pose to the camera? It is the latter. This woman apparently traveled all over the globe, going off on vacations, and creating suspicion with her child, who believes her to be a covert spy. Does this woman work in the shadows? Is she trying to bring down governments? Probably not.
If she is, then we would definitely not know about it either, that is the definition of a spy. That would make her a pretty bad one if we did know anything.
This 11-Year-Old Future Dad Takes His Car For A Ride
Next on our list is this little guy, who during the year 1948, while at the very early age of 11 years old, bought his first car. Ever wondered how easy it was to live back then? This is proof, that in the past the value of money was a lot different than what it is today. Even a child could save up his money from farming, and buy himself a pretty nice car to drive, which this kid actually drove to work, every day!
This young man knows he is on the track of becoming super-rich if he succeeded in saving his money to buy the thing he wants most. That's a future entrepreneur.
This Dad's Balancing Act Is So Impressive
We have another skater for you, this time a young boy showing his balancing skills as he rides his skateboard while doing semi handstand. The way his face is close to the pavement might terrify us, but he looks in control as he rides down the street. Again, in the 70s, skateboards were a big thing, and if you couldn't do any special moves, you wouldn't stick out and shine bright.
He does look like a seesaw, ready to go back and forth as he rolls down. That takes impressive upper body strength and a pretty tight core to pull this off.
Mama Knows How To Build Her Bike
It's one thing to know how to ride a bike, and you would still be considered cool. However, it is a completely different story when you go and build your own bike and then ride it, that makes you pretty legendry, who is also a complete badass, ready to take on the road. Nothing can stop this biker from doing anything she has set her mind to do. That bike is a beast of metal, and the hard work really shows.
This is how you look cool in front of anyone, by using your talent and head to create something one of a kind, that only you can do. This woman is iconic!
This Mom Bravely Protesting The KKK
Here we have another way of dealing with the most disgusting group in the world, this time this young woman took her right to counter-protest a KKK rally, with a sign saying to people should learn to live with each other, we couldn't agree more, and to oppose the KK, again we couldn't agree more. If you want to take the civil route against them, this is how.
If you're interested in being a little meaner, you can just flip them your middle finger! Anyone could do it! These people deserve to get back all the hate they give.
Have You Met My Mom, The Tank Instructor?
In 1984 this woman was a tank instructor in the military. That is some heavy-duty machinery to work with and we are positive she did a great job passing on her knowledge to the next class of soldiers. For some of us, driving is hard, and this woman really puts us to shame as she drives away into the distance with her real-life tank. The future mom looks ready to ramble and go off on another mission.
We can't take our eyes off how cool this looks! She means business, and you know it. She is in control, and she is looking like a real badass driving around in her unique vehicle.
This Mom Was An Editor For A Magazine Before Graduating High School
Okay, hold up, because this young lady used to be one of the first editors of the well-known fan magazine, Tiger Beat, which was a magazine dedicated to fans bases since the early 60s. What makes this feat much more astounding, is the fact this woman, or we should actually write, this teen was an editor before even graduating from high school. She got to meet musical legends as part of her job!
Her kids must feel pretty bad for not believing her, because right here she looks ready to take on the world of music, with her inquisitive questions and eagerness to report about the biggest musical artists!
Dad Was Flying High Above The Ground As A Pilot
Look, being a pilot could very much be the coolest job in the world. You get to fly in the sky as your actual living, you get paid to fly. Did we mention yet, you get to fly? We all had the dream once of flying, where we leave through our bedroom window and fly out over the city we live in, feeling the breeze beneath our arms, and gliding through clouds under the moon's bright light. When you're a pilot, you get your cool badge.
This guy knows exactly what we mean. He gets to feel the experience of flying alone and being all alone in the sky, just him and his thoughts. Keep on soaring!
Another Skater From the 80s Who Makes It Look Easy
We have another one! This guy didn't need any tricks to look cooler, because his style does it for him. Wearing a slick suit, dark glasses, and holding a briefcase, (Yes! Because why not!), this rider definitely wins a lot of points for being totally awesome! This should be on the cover for an album because it looks almost like someone staged this, but the truth is, this guy is just that cool. This is how you go to work with style!
If you haven't noticed, take another look and look at his feet. You can see them because this guy is also barefoot because why wear shoes when you can do everything without them.
The Real Life Version Of Stranger Things Cast
These kids probably have kids of their own today, but back then, in 1982 to be precise, this group of friends eerily look similar to the cast of stranger things. Before they arrive at the upside-down, we wonder what other adventures the group went through, and if they have any experience fighting demon-like creatures. We hope they didn't (although it would make for a great story to tell from your childhood) because that would traumatic IRL.
Their version of Eleven might also have telepathic abilities that can take down monsters but we only have a place in our hearts for one Eleven, and that's the phenomenal Millie Bobby Brown.
A Model From Another Time And Place
This woman knows how to find her light, and the camera adores her. This model made a rather big change in her life after immigrating from Germany in 1958 to the United States, which means she came right after WW2 ended and the German people were still considered the enemy. Her life was miserable in Germany as a war bride, a term used for women who were forced to marry military personnel to save their own families and communities.
It must not have been easy to move to a country that has the potential to hate you because of where she came from, but she was courageous enough to leave her old life behind and build a new one.
The Mom Who Restarted Her Life
Immigration could be a blessing or a curse, but it always demands a leap of faith. Most hope for a better future, and starting a new life, just like everything else, is hardest at the beginning. This woman moved her life from Japan to California, United States. She worked hard for that car she's sitting on, and she knows if you want something in life, you work for it, no matter the cost. If this is something you want, you know how to get it.
We have so much respect towards immigrants because nobody wants to leave their entire life behind, it always has to do with wanting a better future. One they can't have in their home country.
The Queen Has Arrived To Her Wedding Day
This bride looks regal and is only missing her crown. On her wedding day, her photographer captured a very royal look as she sits on her throne made of wicker. We love seeing someone so in their element when they know they have the power to do whatever they want. It's the best type of feeling, and it's electrifying because she knows who she is, and that's all it takes to win over anyone and capture our hearts.
This level of confidence we should all take note of and try to use in future situations that might rise up. Try it, try walking down the streets with the same energy. It will change everything.