When you’re happy, everything seems better: the sun feels brighter, the food tastes nicer, even that one neighbor is less annoying on happy days. The feeling not only makes the world seem like a better place, but it can actually make us feel better physically, too!
So, seeking to make you feel great inside and out, today we’re focusing on all things happy. Well, more like, all pictures happy. On the list below you will find a bunch of smile-inducing photos, as shared by the ‘Lost In Happiness’ Instagram account, which we invite you to browse and enjoy the rush of serotonin they bring. If you know someone who could use an influx of wholesome, don’t miss the chance to spread happiness and make sure to send this to them, too.
#1
A California teacher teaching the physics of surfing, 1970.
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#2
California, USA, 1954. Photo by Nat Farbman
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#3
The wives of the astronauts on the Apollo 8 mission at the moment they heard their husbands voices from orbit, 1968
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American adventurer Christopher Johnson McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp, whose story you might know from the movie Into The Wild, said that “Happiness is only real, when shared.”
And while the things that make people happy differ from person to person, sharing them—be it food, music, a smile, a kind word, or anything else—is likely to lift others’ spirits regardless. A study carried out with the help of some happy 3- and 5-year-olds found that when not forced, sharing is emotionally rewarding, which means it promotes happiness. The latter, as we know, is only real when shared, so feeling happy and spreading happiness can seemingly create a circle of positive emotions, which can have a positive effect on a person’s well-being.
#4
Happiness has never been out of style. (1930s)
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#5
A little boy has a surprise for his girlfriend.. :)
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Being happy can have a positive effect not only on those around you, but on you and your body, as well. The American Heart Association emphasizes that happiness is an important component to maintaining physical health.
According to Dr. Laura Kubzansky, co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, the connection between mental and physical health is reflected in many factors. In a study Dr. Kubzansky co-authored, she linked an optimistic mindset to a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as a lower risk of death.
"The evidence is increasingly strong," she told the American Heart Association. "What we do about it will be an interesting question. Long before you get to the cardiologist, you and your primary care physician should be talking about your psychological state."
#6
Michelle and Barack Obama on their wedding day, October 1992.
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#7
Fred Astaire teaching his son some moves at their home in 1940.
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#8
A newly-born lamb snuggles up to a sleeping boy. March 16, 1940
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Being mindful of your psychological state and looking for ways to be happy in life is now arguably more important than ever. According to a report from 2022, nearly 45% of surveyed respondents—over 12,000 of them in 14 different countries—have not felt true happiness for more than two years, which might negatively affect both their mental and physical well-being.
#9
A few seconds before happiness, 1955.
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#10
Elvis with a young polio patient, 1958
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#11
Truly lost.. in happiness!
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According to the aforementioned report, people are seeking to turn things around, though, and taking action to bring happiness back in their lives – as much as 88% of respondents said they were looking for new experiences to make them smile or laugh.
Moreover, the majority of respondents shared trying to prioritize their health, personal connections, and experiences in order to become happier.
#12
Students at Oxford University celebrating the end of their examinations (1976).
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#13
Happy friends, 1920s
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#14
Meryl Streep, New York, 1979.
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In some countries, people seem to be more successful in their pursuit of happiness than others, and, according to data from 2019, crowning the list of the latter is The Land Down Under, together with the Great White North. Yes, according to the Global Happiness Study from six years ago, Australia and Canada were the two happiest countries, where as much as 88% people said they were either “very” happy or “rather” happy. The two were followed closely on the list by China and Britain (both 83%) and France (80%).
First on the other end of the list were Argentina, Spain, and Russia with only 34%, 46%, and 47% of “very” or “rather” happy people respectively.
#15
"You can choose to live your life with the joy of the front row or solemness of the third row. The choice is yours".
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#16
Animals being used as part of medical therapy, 1956
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#17
Young love in the 50s.
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According to the Global Happiness Study, the main source of the fuzzy wonderful feeling people experience is their health. Data suggests that it’s the greatest source of happiness for more than half of the respondents, followed closely by their children, their relationship with their partner or spouse, as well as a sense of meaning and a sense of safety and security in life.
#18
Woodstock, 1969.
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#19
Happy French Girl and Her Cat, 1958. Photo by Jean Philippe Charbonnier
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#20
9th Armored Division technician with a little French girl on Valentine’s Day, 14 Feb 1945.
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In addition to health and relationships and other significant sources of happiness, there are plenty of little things that can make us happier, too, even if just a little bit. And if you ask me, lists like this one are among them. So, if you’ve enjoyed the rush of serotonin it brought, continue to browse our category of all things wholesome for more, and share it with your friends, to bring just a little bit of happiness into their lives.
#21
19 year old Jim Carrey in 1981.
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#22
A man gives a woman a helping hand as she takes a flying leap over a large puddle on the pavement, 1960.
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#23
Alain Delon and Romy Schneider, 1959.
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#24
Two couples holding hands, running on footpath, 1940s.
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#25
The Golden Trio
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#26
Audrey Hepburn on the set of Sabrina, New York, 1954.
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#27
Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.
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#28
The Grape-Vine Swing, 1895. Photo by Mary Morgan Keipp
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#29
Laughter, love, friendship, beauty. "Nothing is worth more than laughter" ~ Frida Kahlo
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#30
Audrey Hepburn, 1959, in the Belgian Congo for the filming of The Nun’s Story
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#31
Children play on the corner of Independent St in Belfast. 31st October 1974
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#32
Carrie Fisher watching her mother, Debbie Reynolds perform. 1963
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#33
Cat Stevens, 1969. Photograph by David Wedgbury.
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#34
Couple of Swingers, 1940s.
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#35
British Children Outdoor Games in London Suburbs, 1970. Photo by Terry Spencer.
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#36
Late night phone calls at the womens' dorm (1970)
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#37
A woman photographed in 1973.
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#38
Twiggy in a newspaper dress in London, 1967
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#39
Bob Dylan lifted by Joan Baez at concert after party, photographed by Daniel Kramer in New York City, 1964.
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#40
Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, and Corey Feldman on the set of "Stand By Me" in 1986.
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#41
Queen Elizabeth II in Ghana, 1961
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#42
Jim Carrey visiting Stephen Hawking.
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#43
New York City, 1968.
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#44
“My parents looked super happy before I came along… 1979″
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#45
Fun at the beach. Santa Monica, California, 1948. Photo by Loomis Dean
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#46
Couple laughing at something lost to time. 1950s
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#47
Pier Angeli, 1950s
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#48
Claudia Cardinale riding a bumper car, 1966
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#49
Eiffel tower 100th anniversary. Paris, 1989.
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#50
Woodstock, 1969.
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#51
The Beatles, a pillow fight at a hotel in Paris. 1964
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#52
New York City, 1970s.
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#53
Summer Rain, 1980. Photo by Alexander Steshanov
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#54
Rio de Janeiro, 1963. Photo by Frank Horvat
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#55
1950s, photo by Ed van der Elsken.
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#56
Alain Delon and Romy Schneider, 1960s.
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#57
End of summer Ice cream date, '55
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#58
“Happiness”, 1954. Photo by Vitaliano Bassetti.
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#59
Couple in love, London, 1960s. Photo by Kees Scherer
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#60
The Beatles meet Muhammad Ali at 5th street gym in Miami Beach on February 18, 1964.
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#61
Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara after the Oscar gala eating vegan burgers while sitting on the ladder, happy and smiling and so in love.
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#62
All About Peace: A girl makes hand signs at the ending of a song, Woodstock, 1969.
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#63
Emotions of girls after the ghost train, 1953. Photo By Robert Doisneau
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#64
A photo by Thurston Hopkins, East End, London, 1954
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#65
Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean on the set of Giant (1956)
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#66
Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy on the set of Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise.”
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#67
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, 1996
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#68
Hippie couple in the 60s.
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#69
Frank Sinatra poses with his wife, Ava Gardner, on their wedding day ~ November 07, 1951
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#70
Travelling salesman Robert Brooks says goodbye to his wife Caryl, 1949.
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#71
California; captured by Elliott Erwitt (1955)
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#72
Chandler and Rachel going over lines on the set of Friends
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#73
The Hug, Eyes Closed and Smile, 1982. Photo by Harvey Stein
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#74
Marilyn Monroe photographed by Sam Shaw, 1957.
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#75
Roman Polanski & Sharon Tate at their wedding, London, 20th January 1968. Photo by John Kelly.
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#76
The happiest place on earth, 1955.
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