55 Chilling Photos From History Explained

 An exotic dancer arrested by undercover police testifies in court, Florida 1983

Historical photographs often show us things we don't want to see, but we can't look away from. This collection of photos shows us extraordinary moments from our past that send chills down our spine. Some of these shots depict moments that are hard to watch, but others will give you goosebumps in the best way possible.

We're warning you, some of these photos are downright hard to see, and some will surprise you... They're all worth a closer look because they explain some of the happiest moments in history. Click next for more, but remember that the discretion of the audience is advised.

This stunning photo may look like it shows a woman disrespecting a judge, but it's actually an exotic dancer defending her case. After a group of exotic dancers were arrested for exposing their bits to a club in Florida, this woman testified that it would be impossible for anyone to see what was under their dance bottoms because of their size . Photographer Jim Damaske explained how he captured the image in the Tampa Bay Times:

I was shooting freelance for Clearwater Sun and UPI when Sun got a tip on what was about to happen. I got a call. The exotic dancers said their shorts were too big not to show what the undercover officers saw. After the dancers bowed down, the judge agreed to them. The photo went out over the UPI wire, thus getting picked up everywhere.

The photo later ran on Playboy and was chosen as "Magazine Pictures of the Year" by the National Press Photographers Association.

Judy met Jerry Griffin in 1969 at Woodstock

Hundreds of thousands of people went to the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, but how many people can say that they met their significant other while they were there? Judy and Jerry Griffin meet when Jerry's friends stop by to pick up Judy while she's high-hiking after a car breakdown. Judy was unsure about riding with Jerry's friends, but she and Jerry became fast friends after jumping into the VW Beetle. Judy told People:

I was just thinking, 'Hey, we can't go now,' and we were dying. Then Jerry and his friends pulled over. I tucked my head in and I saw a woman in the car. I'd never hitchhiked before, but I thought, 'Well, since there was a woman, it was pretty safe, and I should probably get in the car.'

That ride culminated in 50 years of marriage, two sons and five grandchildren. However it was not until 2019 when the two found this picture which was of them at the festival. They had known each other for less than 48 hours after they were photographed.

He is the "Man with the Golden Arm." James Harrison, ages 18 to 81, has donated blood 1,173 times

A true hero was inspired to start giving blood after a major chest operation when he was just a boy. He lost a lot of blood while under the knife and had to stay in the hospital for months. When he was 18 he vowed to give as much blood as possible to ensure that no child would ever go out without it.

Soon after his 18th birthday, doctors discovered that Harrison's blood contained antibodies that help fight rhesus disease, which made him one of the most important donors in Australia. Harrison told CNN after making his last donation:

It becomes quite polite when they say, 'Oh you did this or you did that or you are a hero. This is something that I can do. It's one of my talents, maybe my only talent is that I can be a blood donor."

Black police officer helps protester at KKK rally

Regardless of caste, gender or creed, the police are tasked with defending one's freedom of speech, whether or not they like what they are saying. In this instance, the officer was tasked with keeping Klan members safe during a rally in Austin, Texas after things got out of hand. According to the UPI, during a march near the Capitol in 1983, 2,000 protesters surrounded 70 elites and started pelting bricks.

During the rally, 13 people were arrested and 11 people were injured, including four officers and a journalist. Hopefully someone bought this official a cool one after a hard day.

A researcher stands at the top of the Portal to Hell in Kamokuna, Hawaii

While not a literal portal to Hell, this location in Kamokuna, Hawaii looks particularly intimidating because of the mass of various lava flows the USGS Astrobiology Center calls the "Lava Skylight". The cooling lava around the skylight has taken the form of shared bodies, giving the region a very frightening look.

The skylight is made possible by fragments of the area that break up and expose the tubes running beneath the area filled with molten lava which gives off an eerie glow. The area is worth visiting, but be aware that it is very dangerous.