It’s easy to forget that our grandmas were young once. But just because they don’t know who Drake is or can’t figure out how to use Instagram, doesn’t mean they weren’t cool in their time!
In fact… there’s a good chance your grandma was actually cooler than you. The women of generations passed broke down gender barriers in the military, learned to fly, and did other incredible things in their day.
1) This elegant silent film star
“My Great Grandma (second from right) and her sister (far left) as actresses in a silent movie in the 1920s.”
Surely that means this amazing great grandma was one of the first film stars! They all looked so glam. Why are yoga pants trendy now when this was the style 100 years ago?
2) This hard working physicist
“My grandma in 1930s China. She grew up in an era where girls were still getting their feet bound and went on to become a college physics professor.”
It must have been incredibly hard to break away from those societal expectations and get an education in physics! Only about 15% of women had a post secondary education by the late 1930s. She must have been such an inspiration to other women around her.
3) This Rock n’ Roll lover
“My grandmother and Elvis 1950’s.”
I don’t even know who we could use by today’s standards that compares to this. The King of Rock n’ Roll! I wonder if they were friends or if she was just lucky to catch a meet and greet after a concert.
4) This communications expert
“Great-grandma Elsie (seated, right) and co-workers operating the town’s telephone switchboard in Scottsburg, Indiana, about 1910.”
Those switchboard operating jobs have always seemed like they were pretty complicated and high stress.I mean, look at all those cables and connection plugs! It would have been such a trail blazing job in the early 1900s – at the forefront of a new technology that we all now take for granted.
5) This early flight attendant
“My Japanese grandma, back when she was a flight attendant. (1960).”
Ah, flying. It’s changed so much over the years, and was once such a glamorous thing to do. Now they stuff hundreds of us into as many seats as they can fill without any leg room and nothing but a free bag of peanuts.
The role of a flight attendant was so sought-after, and they had to abide by strict grooming rules. It’s still a pretty cool job today, but it was on another level in the 60s!
6) These fashionable mask-wearing women
“Spanish flu in Budapest, 1918.”
These women were setting an amazing example of how to turn wearing a mask for safety into high fashion before some people decided it was all a big hoax… Maybe if protecting yourself from COVID looked this fabulous, we’d hear less complaining!
7) This bowling champion
“My great grandmother (second from the left) and her team at the Ohio State Bowling Championship in 1979.”
Bowling isn’t the most rock n’ roll sport of all time – but it’s totally underrated. It’s hard! We’ve all tried it, don’t lie. You’re telling me you haven’t sunk some gutter balls?
8) This rap queen
“My grandma meeting Eminem in the early 1990s.”
Not many grandmas are into heavy rap music. I can promise you my grandmother has never even heard of Eminem. And yet someone out there has a super cool g-ma who was into early Slim Shady.
9) This biker chick
“71 years later. Still has that smile.”
Same bike, same smile, same wild and free soul. She and that cute pooch must have gone on some epic adventures together!
10) This young pilot
“My grandma after learning to fly in 1949 or 1950! She was around 19 years old in this.”
Even now with modern technology, hundreds of different plane models, various aviation education programs, and the ability to work as a pilot (at least pre-COVID)… learning to fly is an epic undertaking.
So a 19 year old woman learning to pilot in the 1950s when it was still considered a masculine profession… super cool. Go girl, break down those gender stereotypes!
11) This veteran
“My wonderful Grandma Lola. Marines, 1954.”
Did you know only 8% of the 180,000+ US Marine Corps personnel are women? And that’s by today’s statistics, not in the 50s! Women were never drafted to go to war, so we know Grandma Lola here was dedication to fighting for her country enough to enlist on her own terms. Pretty badass!
12) This pre-meme comedian
“My grandma being a meme innovator. ~1940s Oklahoma.”
Why is this joke still funny 80 years later? Why do we all love self-deprecating humor and calling ourselves trash? Humans are mysterious. This grandma’s comedy was ahead of her time.
13) This grandma who was “buddies” with Babe Ruth
“1940-My Great Great Grandma with Babe Ruth. She had a boat in New York that was docked next to his. She’s wearing his captains hat. They were buddies. This is my favorite picture ever.”
I-I- I’m just going to say it… is this person sure they’re not a descendent of Babe Ruth? I wonder if they had a natural talent for baseball.
14) This roller skating queen
“My Grandma in the 1920s. Stories of her skating were my favourite to listen to.”
I had to double take and make sure this wasn’t a young Marilyn Monroe! Am I the only one who saw that?
15) This typist
“My grandma was the Underwood Typewriter girl. It’s one of her favorite stories that she tells everyone within 10 minutes of meeting her. She got her hands on one recently and took it for a spin. Original picture from 1945.”
For those not familiar with the typewriter history, Underwood was known for producing millions of modern typewriters in the late 1930s. They were extremely successful… and it’s probably all thanks to this grandma’s modelling.
16) This biker grandma
“My Biker Grandma sometime during the 60s!”
Is there anything cooler than a woman on a motorbike? The 60s were such a wild and free era… what a time to be alive!
17) This grandma who had a book written about her
“My grandmother was a code girl during WWII. It was her best kept secret until 2017.”
The amazing story of the war’s “Code Girls” only came to light a few years ago. They were instrumental in some of the greatest triumphs during WWII, knew some top secret information, and kept it all to themselves for decades. Incredible.
18) This solider
“‘What did you do in the war, Grandma?’ My grandmother, Women’s Army Corps, 1942.”
Hard working soldiers need mid-day row boat naps too, you know!
19) This basketball star
“Grandma (third from left) on her girls high school basketball team ca.1915.”
Girls basketball (or any other sport for that matter) never gets as much credibility as the men’s team. And we’re still saying that in 2020! But in 1915 before women were even allowed to wear pants… these ladies were dunkin’ on hoops. I have never had so much respect for a stranger before.
20) This football star
“My grandma in her senior year of high school – 1971.”
That football says tom boy, but those cheekbones say high fashion model. Get you a grandma who does it all.
21) This journalist
“My grandma (17) interviewing Frank Sinatra for her high school newspaper – Honolulu, Hawaii 1952.”
This would be the first thing I said to any new people I met. “Hi nice to meet you I interviewed Frank Sinatra.”
They look like they’re having such a good time, too! She’s a natural.
22) This record producer
“My grandma with John Travolta, 70’s.”
This badass grandma was a record producer and got to meet tons of celebrities throughout her career. And it looks like she got along pretty well with them, too!
23) This parade feature
“My grandma driving a tractor in a parade, 1949.”
Not just cool for knowing how to drive a tractor, or driving down the street in the middle of a parade, but also cool because she was just 16 at the time! What a goddess.
24)
“Skating Granny late 1980’s maybe?”
I’ve never seen anything more fun and badass in my life. This woman is iconic – and I’m not just saying that on an emotional level. I mean it literally.
When this was posted the Reddit, the woman featured in the photo was almost immediately identified but another user.
“That is Skateboard Mama aka Liz Bevington.
Originally from Germany, Bevington learned to ride a skateboard at 53, taking lessons from her youngest son. A Venice and Santa Monica icon, she was still skating well into her nineties. If she were not on her board, she would pull out rollerblades.” – notbob1959
25) This hippie
“My grandmother in her hippie days. (70s)”
Of course we all know our grandparents lived through the free-flowing hippie days, but it’s hard to imagine them at Woodstock or wearing sweet head bandanas while throwing up peace signs. And sure, maybe not all of them did that… but the cool ones certainly did!
26) This crew member
“My Mexican grandma 1950s. Aeromexico flying crew.”
Some people just have an unescapable thirst for adventure. And in the 50s, working as a flight attendant was the most glamorous and exciting way to see the world!
27) This fisherwoman
“My grandma & the tuna she caught – 1956.”
Tuna can be absolutely massive. If you’re like me and have never been fishing, you probably just assume tuna is roughly the same size as a salmon. Am I saying that because they’re both popular sushi menu items? Perhaps. But they’re not small! And this cool grandma caught one on her own.
28) This flight hostess
“My grandmother working as America’s first flight hostesses, 1938.”
The uniforms for flight staff were on a different level back in the day! Just look at how classy and elegant this outfit was. And this epic grandma wasn’t just an early hire… she was the first!
29) This circus performer
“My totally ripped great grandmother in the circus 1950’s.”
It’s unclear exactly what her special circus talent was… but I have a feeling it was a bit of everything. She must have some absolutely wild tales from those travel and performing days!
30)
“This is my Grandmother when she was a meter maid, 1960’s. She was told she had to wear a dress and she didn’t like that. So she wore pants. She was the first woman to change the uniform and the first Meter maid to wear pants in this west Texas town.”
Never ever let someone else tell you what you can and can’t wear – even your employer. She wanted to wear what made her comfortable, so she fought for that right to do so. I wonder how she feels about her children and grandchildren getting in trouble at school for wearing ripped jeans, or a skirt slightly above regulation.
These super cool grandmas are inspirational. PSA: Do epic things. And not just to live your own life to the fullest, but to then pass your experience and thirst for more down to your kids and grand kids, who will then also do epic things.
What things do you think you’ve done in your life that may give you cool-grandma status in the future?
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