Calling all history buffs! Every month, we dive into our archives for editorial content—finding top-quality, timely inspiration for your marketing calendars, news, or documentary projects. Leave behind the here and now with unforgettable events from April’s gone by.
In this editorial piece, we remember the sinking of the Titanic, the first McDonald’s Franchise, the founding of Rome, the first Earth Day, and the Chernobyl accident.
April Events
Titanic Sinks
April 15, 1912
She was once called unsinkable but went down in history as unforgettable when the White Star Line’s most celebrated stern and bow succumbed to North Atlantic waters instead of reaching New York City. The world’s fastest ship had struck an iceberg, flooding more than the four compartments her buoyancy could bear. Explore the RMS Titanic with our curated media collection, including colorized original footage and images of the ship at sea, her grand interiors, crew, fortunate survivors, and more.
Timely Tip: This year marked the 25th anniversary of James Cameron’s Titanic, and cinema audiences embarked on an emotional journey with a remastered release in 3D 4K HDR. Seasoned veterans relived their trauma of Jack not fitting on the door, while younger generations experienced it for the first time.
1912 – Massive Crowds Wave From The Dock… by retrofootage.
First McDonald’s Franchise Opens
April 15, 1955
Ray Kroc sold restaurant owners Richard and Maurice McDonald eight blenders. Intrigued by what kind of establishment required a sale this size, he visited their spot in California to find an innovative assembly-line format capable of preparing and selling a large volume of hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes. A year later, this salesman-turned-franchise agent opened the first McDonald’s franchise in Illinois. Dig into a curated media collection of tasty archival footage and images of the world’s biggest fast-food chain. Want fries with that?
Timely Tip: The Founder stars Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc. With a raw portrayal of his ruthlessness and business mind, the film ranked among the top 10 movies on Netflix in February 2023. It appears this fast food giant’s story never gets old.
Michael Keaton Premieres Mcdonald’s Movie, ‘The Founder’ by Reuters.
Rome Founded
April 21, 753 BC
Legend goes that Mars, the god of War, had twin sons, but they were orphaned and left to die at the hands of a power-hungry king. However, as fate would have it, Romulus and Remus were saved by a she-wolf and raised by shepherds. They returned to this fated spot once they had grown to establish a town— albeit one that wasn’t big enough for the both of them, as Romulus killed his brother and named it Rome. The saga by no means ends there, and centuries of history remain to be explored in this empirical city loved worldwide for its enduring food, fashion, and culture. Discover Rome for yourself in this curated editorial footage and photo collection.
1939-Pius Xii / Pope / Rome / Vatican City / 1939 by TheArchivalCollection.
First Earth Day
April 22, 1970:
Millions of environmentally-minded Americans flooded the streets, pushing environmental issues onto the national political agenda. Called Earth Day, the event was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson. He highlighted the need to unite the grassroots environmental movement to make a systemic impact. This notion was confirmed when Earth Day efforts led to the subsequent EPA, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. The environment is still an issue of mass concern, and a fair number of monthly searches center around the topic! Explore this media collection for coverage of Earth Day and the world it works to protect.
Firefighter With A Drip Torch Walks Through A Wildfire In Australia by cavanimages
Chernobyl Disaster
April 26, 1986
A reckless experiment at a Soviet nuclear power station ended 32 lives, injured scores more, instigated countless illnesses, and rendered land uninhabitable for thousands of years. The world was none the wiser until April 28, when Swedish monitoring stations reported a 40% increase in radiation levels over 800 miles from the site, prompting a Soviet news agency to acknowledge the major nuclear accident. HBO released the powerful Chernobyl mini-series in 2019—but how do the scenes compare to the genuine coverage? Find out with our gripping curated collection of editorial footage.
A Newscaster Announces The Nuclear Accident At Chernobyl In The 1980S. by retrofootage.
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That’s April wrapped up. Thanks to partners such as Reuters, Life, Global News, and other top agencies, Pond5 offers the world’s most extensive library of Editorial and archival footage. Remember, new content is added daily to the Pond5 Editorial collection, so keep checking back for new surprises.
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