We often think that we’re cooler than our grandparents simply because, well, they’re old and we’re young. But that’s not the case! In fact, chances are our grandparents are actually way cooler than us. We can only aspire to reach that level of awesomeness.
And if you’re thinking, “pics or it didn’t happen,” we have 60 photos to prove it. These old photos of our grandmas and grandmas just go to show that they really were living their best lives way back when. See it for yourself.
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Shareably
1. My grandmother, 1940s
We know this is apparently someone’s grandma but… Are we sure this isn’t actually a movie star? I mean, she looks like she came straight out of Hollywood!
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Reddit
2. Hard to believe
Adventurous grandma! “Last year I posted a pic of my Granny on the wing of my Dad’s cropduster plane ‘seconds’ before takeoff and people didn’t believe it…”
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Imgur
3. Day before the Marines
This is someone’s grandpa the day before he shipped out with The Marines in 1941… And he also looks like a movie star! What everyone a movie star in the 40s? Sure seems like it.
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Reddit
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4. Plane down
“From what my dad told me was that when his plane was shot, it was leaking fuel so he had the ability to escape from fire. He tried to make his way back to ship but fell short and one of the photographers on the ship snapped the photo.”
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Reddit
5. True inspiration
“My grandmother right after she ran away from communistic Bulgaria to Germany (1978).” That’s crazy. Are we sure she’s not actually posing for a Gucci ad?
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Reddit
6. Paving the way for women
“My granny – nicknamed Kidd – wasn’t allowed to join the Air Force because she was a woman. So she taught young men to fly in Stephenville, TX during WWII – 1940’s.”
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Reddit
7. Going out with attitude
“I see your granduncle and raise you my grandmother. This picture was next to her coffin at her funeral (late 60s or early 70s).” That’s the most bad ass thing we’ve ever heard.
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Reddit
8. Gender norms were even overrated back then
Here’s a photo of someone’s grandparents wearing each other’s clothes. Even back in the 1940s, gender norms were so boring!
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Reddit
9. No big deal
“My great grandfather gave Einstein violin lessons.” Brag, why don’t ya! That must be the smartest family ever.
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Reddit
10. Definitely at a different phase in life
“Grandma sent me a picture of my grandpa at my age to make me feel like shit.” Those steel cut abs will definitely have that effect on you!
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Reddit
11. Great great grandfather
“My great-great grandfather, the samurai of a small coal mining town in Kyushu, posing with my grandmother and one of her sisters ~1900.”
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Reddit
12. Horse trainer
“My great grandfather showing off one of the horses he trained for World War 1 – Petawawa, ~1922.”
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Reddit
13. “Your grandmother was Suzy Parker?!”
“My grandmother with then-Mercury 7 astronauts John Glenn, Gus Grissom, and Alan Shepherd (September 14th, 1959).” Looks like all the men are happy to be around this gorgeous model!
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Reddit
14. What a beautiful memory
“I recently lost my grandmother to cancer. This will always be one of my favorite photo of her.” So, so beautiful!
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Reddit
15. Bad ass
“WWII – my badass Grandpa with a car he stole from Nazis.” The ‘ole pops doing nothing but changing the world for good. We love a rebellious moment!
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Reddit
16. Bad Ass No. 2
Way back in 1938! “My grandma smoking her cigarette on the farm. Wearing pants and doing whatever the hell she wanted.”
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Reddit
17. Cigarettes were all the rage back then
Here’s further proof. “My very cool grandpa in the 1950s holding a fish, smoking a cigarette, with a book tucked into his pants and cigarette pack in his sleeve.” And he… also looks like a supermodel? Okay, what’s the deal here?!
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Reddit
18. Cluck you
This person’s grandfather may not look as “cool” as the others fashion-wise, but we love his hilarious personality as he plays dress up in this photo! “My grandfather was into cosplay before it was the thing to do.”
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Imgur
19. My crazy grandfather
“This is my crazy grandfather. Hands down, the funniest old coot that’s ever existed. On his deathbed, he told us (his grandkids), ‘Don’t be cheap. Spend 25 cents and buy the paper. The Times promised me a big spread.’ He worked as a photographer for the LA Times for 50+ years and had many famous photos, including the first published photo of an atomic bomb explosion.”
“He was a man of many stories and an unforgettable sense of humor. After laying his wife and two sons to rest, he stayed strong and kept his spirit high. He battled prostate cancer for 20+ years and lived to see his 92nd birthday and his great grandchildren. RIP Grandpa.” If this is what crazy is, we’re pretty sure being crazy ain’t so bad!
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Imgur
20. My favorite picture
Here’s this person’s grandmother in 1942! “She’s strong, raised six children on her own after leaving an alcoholic husband. Worked 7 days a week as a cook in a gas station from 3 am – 5pm. I would stay every weekend with her and sleep on the floor of the gas station back then. She’s amazing.”
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Reddit
21. Flight attendant or supermodel?
Here’s someone’s grandma working as a flight attendant back in 1972. But honestly, we think she might be on set for a Vogue photoshoot.
22. Flying was different back then
Back then, you could smoke and bring guns on the plane, and all of the flight attendants looked as if they stepped right out of Vogue! It sure ain’t like that anymore. “This photo always puts a smile on my face. Our 86-year-old grandmother back in the day.”
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Imgur
23. Casual new friend
“My Finnish grandfather smoking a cigarette and holding a wild fox that he befriended. (Circa 1975).” Oh you know, just super casual.
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Reddit
24. Epic swan dive
Why simply jump into a pool when you can approach it with a full on swan dive? If you grew up in the 40s, then we already know you’re bad ass and you wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s a picture of this person’s grandfather doing some seriously epic pool tricks.
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Reddit
25. Air traffic controller
“Your grandma looks like the kind of woman who would have seduced a private investigator and then shot him when he fulfilled his purpose…compliment, by the way,” said a Reddit user. They’re not wrong! She would have been 97-years-old on March 11.
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Reddit
26. Great Grandpa Eddie
Omaha 1939. “He looks like he wants to sell me something he knows damn good and well doesn’t work the way he advertises it,” someone commented on the photo. Again, they’re not wrong. We’re definitely getting those vibes.
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Reddit
27. If I could only be half as bad ass…
“If I could only be half as badass as my grandfather this Memorial Day, c. 1960,” this person wrote. Just going for a walk with his little pet tiger on his back. We love seeing all these super “casual” pets!
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Reddit
28. A long marriage filled with love
“My grandma recently passed. My Grandpa sent me this picture so I could know what man looks like when he is in love. They were married 60+ yrs.” You can absolutely see the love in both of their eyes.
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Imgur
29. My grandfather died today
“My grandfather died of a sudden heart attack today. He lived a long, awesome life. When he was a little kid, a bakery hired him to chase bats away from their loading dock. He had bad teeth as a teenager, so the dentist pulled a bunch of them without anesthesia… When the Korean War started, he joined the Navy as a diver. He worked off Key West, and when a test pilot would crash he had to dive and recover the pilot, living or dead.”
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Imgur
30. Welder grandma
This person’s great grandmother was working as a welder during WWII. What a huge feat. And she looks so happy to be doing it as well!
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Reddit
31. 98-years-old!
“My grandmother turned 98 this week. This is her in her full nursing uniform during WWII.” The best part is that she looks SO happy to be there. Truly enjoying life!
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Reddit
32. MLK Day
“My grandfather defusing a bomb on MLK’s porch. He was buried three years ago on MLK Day.” What an honor to have such a duty… Twice!
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Imgur
33. Wedding album
“The last photo in my grandparents wedding album (1954).” This is the perfect photo to put last in a wedding album! With the “Do Not Disturb” sign, it’s too funny.
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Reddit
34. Volvo model
“My grandmother demonstrating the Three-point belt as a model for Volvo in 1959.” See, now here is a legitimate model! They were all legit, but this is an actual photo of her actually modeling. Beautiful!
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Reddit
35. FBI Academy
“My grandpa’s FBI Academy photo. He worked as a spy recruiter during the Cold War.” It seems like everyone had the coolest jobs way back when!
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Reddit
36. Harley babe
Here’s a pic of someone’s grandmother riding a Harley back in 1926. What a babe! This seriously looks like the best time, and very cool.
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Bored Panda
37. Hello, bear!
“So, apparently my grandpa was a badass,” this Reddit user wrote. Then we see this photo of their grandpa chilling out with a bear who is standing on its two feet. It almost looks as if they’re having a conversation. Yep, we’d say that’s badass for sure!
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Reddit
38. Magazine-worthy date
“My grandparents in 1960, on a date. My favorite picture.” No wonder why it’s her favorite picture — with a bottle of wine, cool sunglasses and cigarettes — it’s totally magazine-worthy.
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Reddit
39. Stud
“My stud grandfather circa WWII. He watched Pearl Harbor happen in Hawaii, joined up and fought on a gunboat at Iwo Jima that was hit by enemy fire. He surfed with legends in Honolulu. He was a barber for 60 years.” Are you sure he wasn’t a model though?
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Reddit
40. Just Ernest Hemingway, that’s all
“Ernest Hemingway and my grandma having a chat in Havana, Cuba 1952.” That’s like saying we hang out with Stephen King or something. Crazy.
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Reddit
41. Too hot to handle!
This might just be the hottest couple we’ve seen so far! California in the 40s… What a time to be alive.
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Reddit
42. Arya Stark
This person’s grandmother looked like Arya Stark in the 30s. Who knows, maybe she is!
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Reddit
43. Baller on a bike!
“My grandfather on a motorcycle he stole from a Nazi, weeks after American troops liberated him from a concentration camp in Landsberg, Germany (May 1945). He had spent 4 years in concentration camps around Poland and Germany.”
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Reddit
44. She doesn’t even look the least bit scared
“My grandmother (again) with Sultan, her favorite lion from her troop, in front of her plane she flew just after WW2. 1947.”
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Reddit
45. Best beard ever
“My grandfather after winning 1st place in the county beard contest. The hat was his prize. Circa 1954.” We can see why he won.
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Reddit
46. Sweet memories
“I would always call my Grandmother on Mother’s day, and have missed that call for a few years now. Thought I would share this in her honor.” So sweet.
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Reddit
47. Another war hero
They just keep coming. Everyone seems to have done their part in the war back then. It is so inspiring.
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Reddit
48. Don’t mess with this lady!
“Don’t mess with my great grandmother Emma Hagen, woman homesteader in North Dakota. 1910s.” After looking at this photo, I think it’s safe to say that no one will even try to mess with her!
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Reddit
49. BFFs
Here’s a photo of someone’s grandmother kissing Louis Armstrong. So cool! And the picture is so perfect — it’s so animated and filled with such great energy. Everyone looks so ecstatic, even Louis.
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Imgur
50. This was flirting back then
“A photo of herself that my grandmother sent to my grandfather when he was away at war, 1943.” We’re sure her grandfather noticed that leg action!
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Reddit
51. This grandmother was actually a star
How do we know? Oh, because here she is, singing backup vocals for Frank Sinatra in 1949.
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Reddit
52. More exotic animals
Some grandfathers chose bears or tigers as their pets while this guy chose… Flying squirrels. “My grandfather in 1958 with his fresh new haircut and 5 pet flying squirrels.”
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Reddit
53. Mysterious!
“One of the only photographs of my Grandmother. I only wish I had the pleasure of meeting her.”
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Imgur
54. Fancy
“My great grandfather, clearly quite impressed with himself, had just built his Perkins County, South Dakota homestead when this photo was taken in 1909.”
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Reddit
55. Brooklyn gal
This is Constance, someone’s grandmother who was living it up in Brooklyn in the 20s. We’re pretty sure she stole her clothing from Madonna.
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Reddit
56. Tough work
“Apparently my grandpa was a badass – he dove under submarines in the north Atlantic carrying heavy welding equipment.”
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Reddit
57. Actual model
Everyone on this list is a model in our eyes, but here is an actual, professional model. This is actually a magazine clipping from one of her shoots!
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Imgur
58. World travelers
“My grandparents travelled the world in the same Volkswagen Beetle, twice. They inspire me. Here is a selection of photos taken on their 1961 and 1996 journeys.”
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Reddit
59. This one takes the cake for ultimate bad assery
“My Great-Grandfather Albert. He was shot, stabbed, gassed, and on this day in 1917, was the only man to return from a trench raiding party. It earned him my Origin user-name: ‘The Devil Dodger of Ypres.'”
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Reddit
60. Another talented model
Beyond talented, check out this pose! “My nana, my best friend, passed away last week at the age of 77. Here she is at 18 during her modeling days.”
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Imgur
We think these photos are enough proof that our grandparents were way cooler than us!
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