PoliticsgifsUS historynational archives

The History Of The United States Looks So Cool In GIFs

Some of history's most iconic moments are now immortalized in GIFs, courtesy of the National Archives.
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By 

Reporter, HuffPost

Social studies teachers across the country are celebrating right now.

The U.S. National Archives ― aka the official record-keepers of America ― uploaded a lot of historical GIFs on Friday. Teaching just got hella more fun!

The GIFs are based on historical videos, photos, animations and other media, and you can snag them all on Giphy. There are more than 100 GIFs to choose from, and new ones are being added daily.

Each animation includes a link to the National Archives database so you can educate yourself on the history behind the image.

You can also create your own GIF if you check out the Digital Public Library of America’s annual GIF IT UP challenge. Submissions will be open the entire month of October.

Here’s a collection of our favorites:

Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley at the White House, 1970

The eagle has landed: The flight of Apollo 11, 1969

Ice-skating chimpanzee, 1963

War news from the South Pacific featuring Clark Gable, 1943

Photograph of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915

Sammy Davis Jr. USO show, 1972

The Beatles in Central Park, 1964

Babe “The Great Bambino” Ruth, year unknown

Ernest Hemingway drinking to the news of the Invasion of Normandy, 1944

Celebrations in Times Square on V-E Day, 1945

For more history-in-action GIFs, check out the whole collection here.

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Before You Go

National Museum of African American History and Culture
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A visitor walks past a video montage of still and video clips at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as the new museum holds its media preview day on Sept. 14, 2016. The newest of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall will open on Sept. 24, 2016. (credit:Bill Clark via Getty Images)
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Visitors take videos as they ride the main elevator to the first level of the Museum of African American History and Culture during the media preview day on Sept. 14, 2016. Years count backwards as visitors are transported back in time during the elevator ride. (credit:Bill Clark via Getty Images)
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Sneakers with hand-painted images of President Barack Obama by the artist Van Taylor Monroe are on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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An airplane is seen during a press preview at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
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An art piece by the African-American abstract sculptor and artist Richard Hunt hangs in the lobby at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Journalists tour the David M. Rubenstein History Galleries on the lower levels of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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A statue of the Colorado pioneer and former slave Clara Brown is on display next to a preserved slave cabin. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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An interactive touch screen is part of a exhibit about civil rights lunch counter sit-ins. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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An exhibit is displayed during a press preview at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
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A helmet from the World War I Harlem Hellfighters is on display. (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
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Civil Rights pioneer Rosa Parks' dress is on display in the concourse galleries. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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Rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry's candy-apple red 1973 Cadillac Eldorado is on display in the Musical Crossroads section. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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Steel and glass create patterns and reflections inside the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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Platinum records, orginal posters and other artifacts are on display in the Musical Crossroads section. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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The P Funk Mothership is housed in the Cultures galleries. (credit:The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Visitors look at a Civil War display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:Bill Clark via Getty Images)
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A series of long ramps moves visitors up through the exhibits in the lower levels of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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One of retired U.S. Army Gen. Colin Powell's uniforms is on display in the Military History Gallery. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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A wooden sculpture, by the Nigerian artist Olowe Of Ise, wears a crown on which the museum's design is based. (credit:The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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The exterior of the Museum of African American History and Culture as seen during the media preview day on Sept. 14, 2016. (credit:Bill Clark via Getty Images)
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