15 rare photos of world leaders when they were young and mostly innocent

Before they were thrust into the spotlight of national and foreign affairs, world leaders were once kids just like the rest of us.

Hard to believe, right?

These old photos give us a rare glimpse into the young lives of the people whose actions and decisions would help shape the world, for better or worse.

Who knows, perhaps that stranger with the kid next to you is holding the next president.

1. Isoroku Yamamoto, 1905

Born on April 4, 1884, Yamamoto is said to be Japan’s greatest strategist. He is the man who carefully planned and crafted the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941.

US forces ambushed his plane in 1943, shooting him down over Bougainville Island.

Wikimedia Commons
Source:

Wikimedia Commons

2. Vladimir Putin, 1960

Putin was born in 1952 in St. Petersburg (then known as Leningrad). He began his career working for the KGB before rising to the government under Boris Yeltsin’s administration in 1998.

Putin was Prime Minister in 2008 before being reelected in 2012. But here he’s just a little boy with big ambitions.

Wikimedia Commons - Kremlin.ru
Source:

Wikimedia Commons - Kremlin.ru

3. Dwight D. Eisenhower playing football, 1912

He was the supreme commander of the Allied Forces but it’s not often that people see leaders in their free time.

Eisenhower kicking a football turned into him leading forces to kick German soldiers out of Nazi-occupied Europe on June 6, 1944.

4. John J. Pershing’s West Point Cadet photo, 1886

General John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing rose through the ranks of the US Army thanks to his efforts during the Spanish-American war and the Philippines.

He was born in 1860 near the small Missouri town of Laclede. Pershing was a teacher before signing up for the army.

5. Mao Zedong, 1913

Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893, in Shaoshan, Hunan province, China.

The son of a farmer, Mao took his education seriously. He left his family, eventually going on to lead his country’s Communist Revolution. He died on died September 9, 1976, in Beijing.

Here, he just looks like a serious young man.

6. Ronald Reagan and his older brother in 1912

Before becoming the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan found himself under the protection of his older brother, John Neil.

But big brother kept a low profile when his sibling led the country.

Source:

Wikimedia Commons - Reagan White House Photographs/White House Photographic Collection

7. Charles de Gaulle’s class photo, c. 1900, 3rd row, 2nd from left

Charles de Gaulle was a French soldier, writer, statesman, and architect of France’s Fifth Republic.

But before all that, he was once a young man full of dreams and ambitions.

The young Charles had a passion for military matters. He served, wrote, then entered politics eventually becoming president.

8. Margaret Thatcher, c. 1938

This 13-year-old girl would go on to become the United Kingdom’s first female prime minister. Thatcher was nicknamed the “Iron Lady,” opposing Soviet Communism and becoming the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century.

9. Baby Justin Trudeau with Pat Nixon, 1972

This adorable little baby was born December 25, 1971. He went on to become a teacher before joining politics after his father’s death in 2000.

The younger Trudeau was born into the world of politics, but he didn’t see it coming quite yet in this photo.

Source:

Wikimedia Commons - White House Photo Office Collection

10. Nelson Mandela, 1937

This is a 19-year-old Nelson Mandela. The stories of his elders inspired the young man, motivating him to study hard before becoming involved in politics.

Mandela passed away in December of 2013 after serving as South Africa’s first democratically-elected president.

Wikimedia Commons - Unknown
Source:

Wikimedia Commons - Unknown

11. Elizabeth II, 1937

Here’s the young queen attending the opening of the National Maritime Museum.

Elizabeth II is currently the longest-serving monarch in British history. She has traveled and met with world leaders, devoting her time and efforts throughout the many changes her country has faced.

Even at this age, she knew she had huge responsibilities.

Source:

Wikimedia Commons - National Maritime Museum

12. Winston Churchill, 1881

Churchill is just 7 years old in this photo.

His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was descended from the First Duke of Marlborough, so young Winston came from a long line of English aristocrat-politicians.

Wikimedia Commons - British Government
Source:

Wikimedia Commons - British Government

13. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1893

FDR, as he was known, guided America through domestic and foreign crises.

This young boy grew up and led for 12 years during an economic depression that sapped the nation of its health and wealth. Roosevelt was politically savvy, confident, and optimistic.

14. Tsar Nicholas II with his mother, 1870

Born on 18 May 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo, near St. Petersburg, Nicholas II was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Fyodorovna, who is also pictured here.

He grew up to be a charming young man with the ability to socialize easily with others.

Nicholas II and his family have drawn the fascination of many scholars and historians the world over. The Romanovs were shot and killed at Ekaterinburg in July 1918.

Wikimedia Commons - Georg Emil Hansen
Source:

Wikimedia Commons - Georg Emil Hansen

15. Joe Biden, c. 1953

The current leader of America was an adorable 10-year-old kid who was born on November 20, 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States of America.

He was first a lawyer before transitioning to politics becoming a senator at the age of 29. He was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021.

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Article Sources:

Britannica

History.com

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