100 years from now, space travel might be as common as hopping on a plane. Maybe self-driving cities will be a thing, or AI will be running entire businesses. Who knows, we might even have vacations on Mars! While we can only guess what the future holds a century from now, we don’t have to wonder about what life looked like 100 years ago.
Today, the Bored Panda team scoured the internet to uncover some fascinating photos from 100 to 110 years ago. These snapshots capture moments from a completely different era, giving us a glimpse into the world as it once was. Keep scrolling to see a stunning collection of old photos that might just make you appreciate how much (or how little) has changed!
#1 My Great-Grandmother Was A Stunt Pilot In 1924
Image credits: songdogtactical
#2 My Friend's Great Grandma Posing In Traditional Maori Cloak C. 1920
Image credits: Tuhawaiki
#3 My Grandmother And Her Brother In Their Hometown, Langensalza, Thuringia, Germany. C. 1924
Image credits: MisterMcFlyXXVI
We’ve all heard the saying “Change is the only constant,” and in today’s fast-moving world, that couldn’t be more true. One day, you have the latest phone, and the next, it’s outdated. A gadget that seemed revolutionary just a few years ago is now collecting dust in a drawer. With new technology, trends, and innovations shaping our lives at lightning speed, it makes you wonder—just how different was life 100 years ago?
To gain firsthand perspective, Bored Panda spoke with Kiran Devi Pincha, a 90-year-old great-grandmother from India who has lived through nearly a century of change. She has seen four generations grow up before her eyes and has experienced more transformations in one lifetime than most of us can imagine. She shared her thoughts on how much the world has evolved.
#4 A Pretty Girl And Her Cat, 1922
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#5 My Great-Grandfather Circa 1920’s
This dapper lad was a Baker who eloped to Australia with a few £ in his pocket and made a life for himself baking bread.
Image credits: dyslexicmikld
#6 My Grandparents, About To Embark On A Trip After Their Wedding - Riga, Latvia, 1922
Image credits: JoelAK
She smiles and says, "When I look around today, I can hardly believe how much things have changed. It feels like I’ve lived in two completely different worlds—one where everything was slow and simple, and another where everything moves at the speed of light. Sometimes, I wonder if I was meant to be born in this era instead!"
#7 African American Girl Of The 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#8 My Great Grandpa Wearing His Grandfather's Armor Circa 1920
Image credits: Burkinator_
#9 My Grandpa In The 1920’s In Hualien, Taiwan
Image credits: otromundialista
"Growing up, things were so different," she continues. "We didn’t have fancy gadgets, we didn’t have screens to stare at all day, and we definitely didn’t have food being delivered to our doorstep in 10 minutes. If we wanted something, we had to go out and get it ourselves."
"Families spent more time together because there was no other distraction, no phones, no television, no internet. People lived in the moment, and life had a certain charm to it."
#10 My Grandma’s Maid And My Grandma. 1922, Wales, UK
Image credits: Fuckyhurryuppy
#11 My Great Grandma, Probably At Coney Island (Ca. 1920's)
Image credits: MCofPort
#12 A Canadian Cree Indian In 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
Speaking about technology, she recalls, "I still remember the first time I saw a car up close. It felt like seeing magic. And now, I see electric cars that drive themselves! When I was young, having a landline phone in the house was a big deal, and computers were something only big offices had. Now, even little children carry smartphones. It’s like living in the future I never imagined!"
#13 My Great-Uncle's Wedding. Egypt - 1923 [1788 X 1319]
Image credits: Rocker13666
#14 African American Girl Of The 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#15 Wedding, 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
Technology has changed things in ways she never expected. "My great-grandkids post me on social media sometimes, and they tell me that thousands of people see my pictures and videos. I laugh because I don’t understand it at all. In my time, if someone wanted to see you, they had to actually come visit you. Now, they can just send a message or watch a video, and it feels like they’re with you even when they’re not."
#16 My Great Grandmother, Age 20, August 1920. The Gloves. The Coat. The Hat
Image credits: SewSewBlue
#17 My Great Grandfather And His Best Friend In 1920. They Met And Fought Together In Wwi, And Their Eldest Children Married Each Other
Image credits: senkidala
#18 My Grandfather, Part Of An Amateur Theater-Troupe, In 1924
Image credits: 7evenstar
She also speaks about how much gender equality has evolved. "In my time, women had very limited choices. They were expected to get married, take care of the house, and that was it. Education for girls wasn’t a priority, and working outside the home was rare. We didn’t question it because that was just how things were. But I always wished for more, for myself and for the girls of the future."
#19 Fabulous Lady, 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#20 My Great Grandmother And My Grandfather 1925 In The French Caribbean
Image credits: wooddrasill
#21 Farm In Kurrawaara Sweden 1920s - Drying Meat On The Roof
Image credits: saamiblog
"Now, I feel proud when I see women leading businesses, running countries, and chasing their dreams. Women today have so many opportunities, and they’re using them well. My great-granddaughters have big dreams, and they don’t think twice about going after them. It makes me happy to see that the world has changed for them in a way that it never did for me."
#22 “To A Darned Good Sport - Blanche 1928”
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#23 My Great Grandfather | New York City, 1920
Image credits: morgan0734
#24 My Wife's Grandmother (Center) With Her Sisters, 1925
Image credits: Yoojay
"Looking back, I feel lucky to have seen the world change in so many ways. Some things are better, some things I miss, but it’s been an amazing journey. The only thing I hope never changes is the love families have for each other. Everything else will keep evolving, but love is something that should always stay the same."
#25 My Grandparents' Wedding, 100 Years Ago Today
Image credits: earspasm
#26 My Great Great Grandfather, Circa 1920
Father of 12 children, was in his late 70's early 80's in the photo. Worked harvesting flax to mill into fibre to make rope.
Image credits: Leaping_FIsh
#27 Woman Member Of The Secret Service, Olive H. Doyle., 1920
Image credits: National Archives Catalog
Well, one thing is for sure—100 years ago, the world was a completely different place. Hearing stories from someone who has lived through these changes makes us realize how much has transformed in such a short time. Which of these posts made you nostalgic or made you appreciate the present? Let us know!
#28 My Great Grandfather Looking Out Over The Lake On His Estate In What Is Now Belarus Sometime Between 1920 And 1930
He eventually became a victim of Stalin's regime. According to my grandmother, he buried a chest full of valuables on this land before the Soviets came. It's never been found.
Image credits: Edit_Red
#29 My Great Grandfather, Battle In 1920. Charlottesville, Va
Image credits: East_Car_3168
#30 Check Out My Great Grandfather Circa 1920- Yesterday Would Have Been His 107th Birthday!
Image credits: de_1337_ed
#31 My Great Grandparents Wedding In 1924. Would Love If Someone Could Remove The Crease In The Middle!
Image credits: _dercrimedog
#32 Malamut Indians In Alaska, 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#33 Sylvia Hammerling - Taken At Mercunda, S.a. - 10 June 1920
Image credits: Aussie~mobs
#34 Wedding, 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#35 Ottoman Empire: My Great-Great-Grandfather, Died During The Last Pandemic Around 1920. Notice The Yatagan (Daggers) In His Belt
Image credits: man_in_silver
#36 My Second Great Grandparents And My Great Grandmother, Circa 1920 Eastern Europe, Transylvania
Image credits: Katalanpult
#37 My Grandfather As A Toddler, In About 1922. He Would Later Go On To Fight In The South Pacific In Ww2, Raise A Large Family, And Live Into His Nineties
Image credits: Gr4ph0n
#38 My Grandmother, Born In Havana, Cuba 1924, Walking Home From Work Circa 1944 In Greensburg Pa
Image credits: dsiegel2275
#39 Indigenous Woman Pictured In Front Of Wigwam, Between 1923 And 1925
Image credits: ArchivesOfOntario
#40 Fabulous Lady, 1920s
Image credits: Vintage Everyday
#41 My Great-Great-Grandparents With Six Of Their Eight Children At Their Farm In Uppsälje, Sweden Ca 1925
Image credits: affecoffee
#42 Afternoon Refreshment, Taken Sometime In 1925
Image credits: State Library of South Australia
#43 Champion Butter Fat Test Cow Tulip Of Morden, Queensland Times, 13 August 1926
Image credits: Queensland State Archives
#44 My Great-Grandmother On Her Wedding Day. A Village In Mexico. Circa 1920
Image credits: annieme
#45 Handwritten Note On The Back Of This Snapshot: "This Is Me & My Flock Of 1921 Turkeys. Just Part Of The Flock." Location Unknown
Image credits: reddit.com
#46 Woman With Fox Cubs At Woodland Park Zoo, Circa 1920s
Image credits: Seattle Municipal Archives
#47 My Twice Great Grandmother (Left) And Her Sister Posing In Front Of Their Brand New Model T. (Michigan 1920)
Image credits: a_complex_kid
#48 My Great-Grandfather At The Cawston Ostrich Farm In South Pasadena, California, Ca 1920
Image credits: casselhag
#49 Basketball, 1921. My Great Uncle Sitting Down On The Far Left
Image credits: AlainasBoyfriend
#50 Women Riding Camel At Woodland Park Zoo, Circa 1920s
Image credits: Seattle Municipal Archives
