Throughout history, there have been many factors that have played important roles in the ever-changing economic and physical landscapes of the world, most notably, the human factor. Some changes take centuries to notice, while some take shape in a much shorter time. Not all these changes are for the best, however, as due to war and greed, many places have taken steps back, instead of forwards. Here are 40 "then and now" photos of places from all over the world that help to show us how much the world can, and has changed over time.
1. "City Of The Gods"
With a recorded history that dates back more than 3,400 years, Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been inhabited constantly since its founding in 508 BC.
Over the past 150 years, the Athenian central business district has almost doubled in size, and many of the city's ancient landmarks have been refurbished, which has resulted in approximately 6.5 million tourists visiting the city every year.
2. "He Does Have A Pretty Cool Hat"
Founded in 1929, as a place from which the government of the Roman Catholic Church could rule, Vatican City has become one of the most frequented cities in the world.
People travel from far and wide for the slightest glimpse of the pope. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, upwards of 100,000 people were known to pack themselves into the Vatican's courtyard during Easter Service, and more than 5 million tourists usually visit St. Peter's Basilica annually.
3. "Croissant?"
Some places change so much that they are barely recognizable, but others, like Paris, have been around for so long, that as the decades pass by, the changes are barely noticeable.
Other than the new bike path, freshly paved roads, and some renovations to the church and apartments, nothing much has changed along the Boulevard des Batignolies in Paris since 1908.
4. "Tokyo Drift"
Following World War 2, Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution was drawn up, which forbade the island nation from developing a military for the purpose of warfare. It was, however, still permitted to create a defense force to protect itself in case attacked by a foreign enemy.
Three-quarters of a century later, and Tokyo has since been rebuilt as one of the world leaders in the high-tech industry. It's amazing to see what a country can do when its economy, and not its military, is at the forefront of importance. Looking at the picture of Tokyo now, it's easy to understand how with almost 40 million people, the Japanese city is the most populated in the world.
5. "The Vertical City"
After the conclusion of World War 2, and with Japan mostly in ruins, China (more specifically Hong Kong) became the epicenter of Asia's industrial world. The 1960s were when Hong Kong began to thrive.
Hong Kong has exploded over the past half-century. Its population has more than doubled from 3.5-7.5 million people, and the industrial boom that began in the 60s doesn't seem to have stopped. Hong Kong's GDP is an astonishing $368 billion, and they have the world's largest stock exchange the HKEX. I'd say they're doing something right.
6. "Tear Down This Wall!"
For 3 days in February of 1945, Dresden became hell on Earth for all those who lived there. In a joint assault during World War 2, the Allied nations of Britain and America dropped just under 4,000 tons of explosives on the city. The result of the destruction was the death of an estimated 22,000-25,000 people and almost irreparable damage to the city itself. By 1958, little to no work had been done to fix what had been destroyed.
In fact, it wasn't until the 90s, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, that the international community answered the call and began to help rebuild many of the monuments that had been destroyed. In 1999, a society was founded in Dresden that has committed itself to the reconstruction of as many of Dresden's historical landmarks as it can.
7. "The Home Of The Kings"
Not only did the kings of ancient Greece call the Acropolis home but it was also believed to be the mythological home of Zeus, Athena, and the other gods of ancient Greek mythology.
The Acropolis has survived wars, earthquakes, and countless looting. In ancient days it was where people went to pay tribute to kings and gods, and now, 2,500 years later, more than 10 million people still visit the site every year. Some things never change.
8. "The Six"
In the 1960s, Toronto was still a relatively new city. The immigration boom that followed World War 2 was still ongoing, and the city's planners were working hard to keep up.
In less than 60 years Toronto was transformed from a large Canadian city into a large international city. By the end of the 1970s, the construction of the monumental CN Tower had been completed, which until recently was the world's tallest free-standing building. Over the following few decades, the entire lakeshore of the city was given a facelift, complete with the first retractable roof stadium, otherwise known as the SkyDome (now the Roger's Centre).
9. "No Spitting In Public!"
1998 was not a great year for Singapore. The country was hit with the tail end of "The Asian Financial Crisis" that began in 1997, and although its economy took a hit, the city was able to rebound.
In just 2 decades, Singapore has become almost unrecognizable. A lot of money and hard work went into reimagining Singapore, and it was not for nothing. The Marina Bay Sands Singapore is one of the most beautiful hotels in the world with a rooftop infinity pool 57 floors up, and Singapore's Changi International airport has been voted the world's best for an unprecedented 8 years in a row.
10. "Going In Reverse"
Although the political landscape has been a bit rocky in Syria for decades, its economy was in a state of growth through most of the 1990s and 2000s.
The civil war that began in 2011, has led to most of Syria, including many of its historical sites, being reduced to rubble. More than 6 million people have been displaced within Syria as a result of the fighting with another 6+ million refugees seeking asylum in other nations.
11. "Biblical Times"
In 1865, only about 20,000 people lived in Jerusalem, almost all of whom lived inside the walls of the Old City. It was only 5 years earlier, in 1860, when the first neighborhoods were built outside the city walls and the expansion, of one of the world's oldest cities, truly began.
Today, there are almost 1,000,000 people who call Jerusalem home and only about 40,000 of them live inside the walls of the Old City. The expansion of the city began to take off following the defeat of the Ottomans in World War 1, and in the century that followed The Great War, Jerusalem has evolved into more than just the religious epicenter for the world's oldest religions.
12. "The First City Down Under"
When the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge became operational in 1932, traveling from Dawes Point to Milsons Point became much easier for the 1.3 million people who called this east coast city home.
With more than 5 million people Syndey is the most populated city in Australia (although Melbourne's population is getting closer every year). The beauty of the city was one of the factors that played into Sydney hosting the 2000 Summer Olympics, during which the marathon passed over the then 68-year-old Harbour Bridge. Try and catch the new year's eve firework show over the bridge, it is amazing.
13. "The Lost World"
Brazil has long been something of a mystery to most people. Its forests, vast and undiscovered, and until recently very difficult to get to.
Brazil's major cities have thrived since the country's return to democracy in the 1980s. Sao Paolo is one of the most populated cities in the world, and as far as their economy is concerned, it has the largest in South America and the 12th largest in the world...not too shabby.
14. "Oil Money"
This is the first of two Dubai comparisons on our list. In 1991, Dubai was a small city in the Persian Gulf that was trying to recover from the economic windfall that resulted from the Gulf War.
As of 2017, Dubai was home to almost 3 million people, the tallest building in the world (The Burj Khalifa), and the amazing Palm Jumeirah man-made islands.
15. "Meltdown"
Most people have never heard of the northern Ukraine city of Pripyat, probably because no one lives there, but they have heard of the Chernobyl Power Plant that turned the city into the ghost town that it is today. In the mid-1980s, Pripyat and the surrounding area were home to hundreds of thousands of people, and then disaster struck. In the early hours of the 26th of April, 1986, Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded...
The explosion at Chernobyl resulted in the entire population of Pripyat being evacuated 36 hours after the incident. Later, everyone within an 18-mile radius of the plant was also evacuated. In total, more than 125,000 square miles of the European and Russian landscapes were affected by the radiation of the blast, and even though millions of people still live in the "contamination zone", close to 300,000 people were resettled outside of the zone.
16. "Fear And Loathing"
Dating back to the 1930s, Las Vegas has been the place to go in order to get into some mischief in America. As decade after decade passed, casino after casino had begun to open, and by the 70s organized crime was everywhere in the city.
"What happens in Vegas, Stays In Vegas" - The slogan that has shaped this desert city into what it is today. The beam of light that now protrudes from the Luxor Hotel on the Vegas strip acts as a beacon of debauchery for whoever is drawn towards the light.
17. "The Windy City"
In the 1920s and early 1930s, organized crime was running rampant across America. This was partly due to the effects of "The Great Depression" and partly due to the prohibition on alcohol nationwide. Chicago was notorious in the crime world because of crime boss Al Capone, who had made the move from New York to Chicago.
From high-rises to residential areas, Chicago's development has been seemingly endless over the past century. Willis Tower (formerly The Sears Tower) and other skyscrapers are not the only changes to the "windy city". The city's world image has also changed just a bit over the years, as gangsters like Al Capone have been replaced with sports heroes like Michael Jordan and Sammy Sosa.
18. "London, Baby!"
By 1920, London's population was already north of 7 million people, and the city was as roaring as the decade itself. The end of The Great War brought with it a booming economy. At the time, most of what London would import would come via the River Thames, which it was strategically built upon hundreds of years ago.
Just shy of 9 million people from all over the world now live in London. London's population has not increased as much as some of the other places on this list, however, thanks to the numerous highrises and historical reconstructions of landmarks such as Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the city itself has been transformed.
19. "Not So Deserted Anymore"
Eilat, in the 1960s, consisted of a handful of settlements and a whole lot of desert. The entire city was essentially a small kibbutz at the time.
Located on the northern part of the Red Sea, Eilat has become Israel's "resort city". This tropical oasis at the southern tip of Israel has become, not only an international tourist hotspot but also a favorite destination for Israelis to escape to, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
20. "A Class Above The Rest"
Melbourne has been one of the world's wealthiest and largest metropolises since the late 19th century, which is why when Australia gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1901, it became a test of sorts to see if the development of Melbourne could be maintained.
Melbourne has been voted as the best city in the world to live in on multiple occasions over the past decade, and deservingly so. It is no longer simply a southern port city on the world's largest island, it is also Australia's most cultural and interesting city.
21. "Bottom Line Is, He's Gone"
With the fifth-largest oil reserves in the world, Iraq's economy should be thriving in similar ways to Saudi Arabia and the UAE's, but due to former dictator Saddam Hussein's 24-year reign of terror, Iraq is decades behind its neighbors' economic advancements.
Similar to other nations in the region, Iraq has had a difficult time maintaining any real type of stable, reliable government, and has been involved in a number of wars over the past few decades. In 1990, Hussein invaded Kuwait thus kicking off the Gulf War ("Operation Desert Storm"). 2 decades later, George W. Bush (under other pretexts) called for the American invasion of Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein from power. Hopefully, Iraq can rebound from decades of turmoil to rebuild the, once great, Gulf nation.
22. "What Goes Around, Comes Around"
As a result of the income the country was receiving from the oil industry throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Libya's economy was thriving for most of those two decades.
The Arab Spring of 2011 was the end of the line for the "father" of the 1969 Libyan Revolution, Muammar Gaddafi. After leading a revolution of his own 42 years earlier, karma finally caught up to Gaddafi. The two civil wars that followed the people's revolt and overthrowing of the Libyan dictator have left many people wondering about the stability of Libya's future.
23. "Think Of The Children"
For decades, Yemen has been going through economic and political turmoil. In 1995, Yemen was only a few years into the reunification of the country and had a population of around 15 million people.
The Yemeni Civil War broke out in 2014, and since then the country has been in a downward spiral. Close to 100,000 children have already died due to the war and its ensuing famine that has plagued the Gulf nation.
24. "One Word...Balagan"
When Israel gained its independence in may of 1948, there were only around 200,000 people living in Tel Aviv, and almost nobody living further than a kilometer from the Mediterranean Sea.
In less than 100 years, Tel Aviv has become one of the best, and most expensive, cities in the world to live in. The city has become one of the start-up capitals of the world and has gained a reputation as the "Middle East's city that never sleeps".
25. "Shapeshifting"
Over the past 30 years, few cities have developed more than the eastern coastal Chinese city of Shanghai. It has truly become one of the largest and most advanced cities in the world.
In 1990, Shanghai's population was about equal to what New York City's is today. By 2010, there were more people in the city of Shanghai than there were in the country of Chile. Today, almost 28 million people call Shanghai home, which is actually a larger population than all of Australia. With all those people living in such a small space, it's no wonder the skyline of the city has transformed into a mountain range of skyscrapers.
26. "A Great Place For Herod The Great"
Upon its completion around the year zero, Caesarea replaced Jerusalem as the military and civilian capital for Rome in the region. The coastal city was the main residence and meeting place for many of the Roman governors and lawmakers of the time, including the man who would preside over the trial of Jesus Christ and set his sentence, Pontius Pilate.
In the mid-1900s, the excavation of the ruins of the old city of Caesarea began. Today, Caesarea's amphitheater, aqueducts, hippodrome, and a good portion of its port, have been restored, making it possible to step back in time and into the Ancient Roman Empire, while in Israel.
27. "A Quiet Place"
In 1988, the southern Norwegian village of Rysstad was nothing more than a few homes, a church, and a dirt road that led people, by horse, through town.
125 years between these two pictures and the Hylestad Church is still standing. The houses seem to have been upgraded a bit, and most notably, it looks as though the seedlings that were planted by early settlers have grown into a small local forest. It's always nice to see a community that focuses on nurturing nature, as opposed to destroying it.
28. "Do You Remember Where You Were?"
Surviving a fire in the 70s and a bombing in 1993, the World Trade Centre's towers were part of the iconic New York City skyline for 48 years until tragedy struck on that fateful day in September of 2001...
September 11th, 2001, is a day that the world will not soon be forgetting. When hijacked planes were flown into the two towers of the World Trade Centre there was nothing the world could do, but look on helplessly at the ensuing destruction. True to character, New Yorkers would not let this event destroy the city and tear people apart. The city, as well as a new trade center, have been rebuilt, and a memorial has been erected at ground zero to honor all those who were lost in the attack.
29. "The Birth Of Democracy"
The Roman Forum was the central hub of ancient Rome, and therefore, of the ancient world for the duration of the Roman Empire's rule. It was, what we would consider, the "downtown core" of the city. The forum was made up of government buildings, marketplaces, and some of the most frequented meeting places amongst the philosophers and leaders of the time.
An estimated 450,000 people lived in Rome during the time that the Roman Forum was serving its original purpose. Nowadays, more than 4.5 million tourists visit Rome every year and the forum has found a new purpose since its excavation began in 1898. The countless antiquities that have been found on the ruins have given us a glimpse into what life was like more than 2,500 years ago.
30. "Dubai: The Sequel"
In the first installment of Dubai on our list (#14), we saw what the Emirati city looked like in 1991 (which isn't so different from what it looked like in the year 2000). Following the Iraq/Afghanistan War of the early 2000s that destabilized the Gulf region for the second time in 2 decades, Dubai's leaders decided it was time for a change.
The UAE's GDP has increased from around $50 billion to more than $350 billion, and that is extremely evident through the visible changes to the city. To go along with the world's tallest building, Dubai also has one of the largest malls in the world that is fully equipped with a penguin petting zoo and the largest indoor ski run in the world.
31. "Perseverance Pays Off"
1903 was a very different time in Lithuania. The country was still years away from independence and trying to find its identity. The 40 years following the famine that struck Lithuania in 1868, 20% of the country's population moved away, mostly to the United States.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Lithuania finally regained its independence in 1990. After many years of hardships, the country seems to finally be finding its footing and a place of its own in Eastern Europe. Since gaining independence, Lithuania economy has grown by more than 500% and is now the largest economy of the 3 Baltic states.
32. "It All Happened So Fast"
Close to 70,000 people lived in Karachi, Pakistan in 1886, but after Pakistan gained its independence, in 1947, that all changed.
In the first 3 months following Pakistan's independence from the British Raj in 1947, just over a million people immigrated from India to Pakistan, with half of that million deciding to settle in Karachi. Now one of the top 15 largest cities in the world by population, Karachi has over 15 million residents and the largest economy in Pakistan.
33. "Feel The Rhythm, Feel The Rhyme"
Calgary has come a long way from its days as a small city on the cusp of the Rocky Mountains. "The Calgary Stampede" first occurred in 1912 and has since become the largest rodeo held in the world.
Although Calgary is the most populated city in Alberta, it is not the capital of the Canadian province. The economic boom of the 70s and 80s was capped off when Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games (which is also the setting of the hit film "Cool Runnings").
34. "Concrete Jungle"
Broadway and 60th street in 1929 looks a little bit different than it does now. As the roaring 20s came to an end and The Great Depression was just beginning, Queens, New York, was mostly dirt roads and small buildings.
Over the next century, over 1 million people would immigrate to Queens and its population would increase from just under half of a million people to approximately 2.3 million. The city itself is home to the U.S. Open tennis tournament, the New York Mets baseball team, and 2 of New York City's 3, international airports.
35. "Absinthe Anyone?"
At the end of the 19th century, the Moulin Rouge was one of the hottest spots in Paris. The evening cabaret was unmatched by others in France at the time, as were the club's resident courtesans, who just so happen to be the first dancers to perform the modern "can-can". That's right, the birth of the modern "can-can" was at the Moulin Rouge, and the dancers would use it in order to seduce the evening's patrons.
Even though the original Moulin Rouge burnt down in 1915, nothing would stop the club from enduring the tests of time. It was rebuilt and re-opened in the 1950s, and by the 70s the club was the center of Parisian nightlife once more. The Moulin Rouge continues to operate as a cabaret to this day.
36. "Home On The Range"
In the late 19th century, the population of Zakopane, Poland, was no more than 3000 people strong. There used to only be one road in Zakopane, which was used to get from the center of town to Kuźnice, the next closest village.
There has clearly been an improvement in the quality of life in Zakopane, Poland. This southern Polish city is an excellent vacation spot for those who enjoy skiing and/or difficult hikes through the mountains. The town has been host to more than half a dozen ski and biathlon World Championships dating all the way back to 1929.
37. "End Of An Era"
Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, although it was the capital city, Moscow was a drab city that seemed as though there was always a cloud hovering over top of it.
Now, Moscow is one of the busiest and most bustling cities in the world. In 1995, a massive downtown project began that will reshape the city's skyline for years to come. The Moscow International Business Centre is still currently under construction, but should be completed and fully operational by 2024.
38. "War & Peace"
By 1945, more than 40% of Berlin's population was forced to flee the former Nazi capital after almost 75,000 tons of explosives were dropped on the city. In total, over the course of the 5 years between 1940-1945, 363 air raids were performed by the Allied Nations, leaving Berlin as a mere shadow of its former self.
After decades of reconstruction and a lot of repentance, Berlin has been rebuilt. Today, 3.6 million people live in Berlin, and although many people have moved back to Germany's capital, the city is still more than half a million people short of its peak population from before the Allied bombings began.
39. "The Big Apple"
The city of New York has been constantly expanding ever since the time Europeans first began to settle there. In the 60 years between 1962 and now, the population of New York has only increased by 1.5 million people, but the blueprint for the city is almost unrecognizable.
New York has changed drastically over the past century or so. There is a noticeable increase in skyscrapers, and the ports that were so frequently used in the past for trade, have decreased in number due to the increase in air travel.
40. "Canada's California"
Vancouver, British Columbia has become one of the most popular cities in the world in which to live. The Metro Vancouver area has more than 2.5 million residents, with 42.5% of that being those who have immigrated to the city from various places around Canada and the world.
In 1949, Vancouver was just beginning to grow into the city it is today, and boy has it flourished. Between 2002 and 2010, Vancouver was voted as the most livable city in the world, alongside Melbourne, every year except for 2003.