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1 week ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
The supermodel Iman, the widow of the late David Bowie, commemorated what would have been the couple’s 33rd wedding anniversary on June 6, 2025 with a touching Instagram post that included the comment, “My memory loves you; it asks about you all the time.”Millions of fans could relate, even if they only knew the man through his music. Bowie, who died from liver cancer in 2016 at the age of 69, remains as inspirational and beloved as ever.
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1 week ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
Sunglasses, as a concept, have been around for centuries—the early Inuit wore eye masks with slits cut through them to protect their eyes from the rays of the sun. But it wasn’t until the 20th century that sunglasses made the transition from protective wear to fashion accessory, even for those who were nowhere near the beach.
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2 weeks ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
Today the name “Gidget” brings to mind a series of films and a TV show about a plucky teenage surfer girl. But did you know that Gidget was, in fact, a real person? Her name was Kathy Kohner, who as a teenager was given her now-famous nickname by the surfer boys at the beach in Malibu. She was only transformed into a fictional character after Kohner’s father, an author, decided to write a book inspired by his daughter’s adventures.
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3 weeks ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
In 1947 America was in the midst of an ongoing wedding boom, owing to soldiers returning from World War II.
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3 weeks ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
The following is from LIFE’s new special issue on Pope Leo XIV, available at newsstands and online:JESUS AND the early Christian evangelists did not necessarily have something called a papacy in mind 2,000 years ago, but they did imagine a church that would persevere through time. So, yes, when Christ handed the keys of leadership to Peter, he likely hoped that Peter would find a successor, and that many more good leaders would follow.
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3 weeks ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
In the 21st century no sport has grown faster than lacrosse. While the game began in this country—it was invented by Native Americans long before the arrival of Europeans—for much of the 20th century lacrosse remained regional and niche, with little participation outside traditional hotbeds in the Northeastern United States. During LIFE’s original run from 1936 to 1972, the sport was rarely covered in the magazine.
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4 weeks ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
As Independence Day approached in 1952, LIFE magazine commemorated America’s birthday with a story that celebrated the country in images and words—and not just any words. Actor Charles Laughton selected literary passages that related to the American landscape. Then LIFE staff photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt shot images to pair with those passages. LIFE turned to Laughton because the actor was known for entertaining audiences by reading aloud to them from classic literature.
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1 month ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
The magic of photography is that it takes people to places they could never go on their own—whether it’s the front lines of battle or the home of Marilyn Monroe. The power of the photograph to transport its viewers is what made LIFE magazine so popular in its early heyday, when photography was the principal means for gaining a window to the world.
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1 month ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
Written By: Richard Jerome The following is excerpted from LIFE’s new special issue on The Karate Kid, available at newsstands and online: The title was ridiculous. So ridiculous nobody thought it would stick. It was a name fit for a silly Saturday morning cartoon, a sappy after-school special, a flop. It certainly wasn’t a title for a movie that could launch an enduring Hollywood franchise. No, “The Karate Kid” had to go.
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1 month ago | 
life.com | Bill Syken
In his wonderful 2010 autobiography Life—hey, nice title—Keith Richards wrote that “We age not by holding on to youth, but by letting ourselves grow and embracing whatever youthful parts remain.”His philosophy seems to be working, because Keith Richards has moved through the decades with a spirit that remains remarkably untouched by time. He is first and foremost known as a member of The Rolling Stones and for his guitar work on classics such as Sympathy for the Devil.
