Vintage Everyday

Before his breakout roles in Risky Business and The Outsiders made him a household name, a 20-year-old Tom Cruise starred in the teen comedy Losin’ It (1982). Directed by Curtis Hanson, the film follows a group of teenagers who take a road trip to Tijuana, Mexico.

In the film, Cruise plays a shy, clean-cut kid named Woody. In a rare twist for a Tom Cruise movie, his character actually loses a quick bar fight against his co-star John Stockwell. After Cruise’s character tries to defend Shelley Long’s character, Stockwell’s character promptly slugs him, and Cruise is forced to walk away.

Taken during the onset of World War II, this image became highly recognized for its depiction of childhood innocence and serenity. Amidst the global turmoil and daily chaos of the era, the photograph provided a brief, comforting escape, reminding audiences of a universal longing for peace and gentle companionship.

It was published during the early months of 1940, just as Europe was entering the difficult years of the Second World War. The peaceful scene contrasted sharply with the anxieties of the era. The composition is unusually tender and natural, making it one of those photographs that has been repeatedly shared in books, magazines, and online collections of historical images.

The Prague astronomical clock, or Prague Orloj, is a medieval astronomical clock attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of the city’s Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square.

The clock mechanism has three main components – the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; statues of various Catholic saints stand on either side of the clock; “The Walk of the Apostles,” an hourly show of moving Apostle figures and other sculptures, notably a figure of a skeleton that represents Death, striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. According to local legend, the city will suffer if the clock is neglected and its good operation is placed in jeopardy; a ghost, mounted on the clock, was supposed to nod its head in confirmation. According to the legend, the only hope was represented by a boy born on New Year’s night.