The wit and wisdom of humorist, author, and orator Mark Twain has secured his place as the father of American literature. Today is the mustachioed writer’s birthday. In the process of revisiting his writings and photographs — images of a bushy-haired gent in a white linen suit that matched his locks — we spotted a pic of a barely recognizable, handsome young Twain. We went searching for other photos of historical figures (and a few pop culture icons for good measure) who looked vastly different when they were younger and decided to make it a game. See if you can guess the identity of these historical oldheads, several who have always seemed eternally ancient in our minds, by looking at their photos as fine young things. Feel free to confess your new crush, below.
Albert Einstein (Highlight or double-click to view)
Maya Angelou (Highlight or double-click to view)
Charlie Chaplin (Highlight or double-click to view)
Henry Miller (Highlight or double-click to view)
Georgia O’Keeffe (Highlight or double-click to view)
Mark Twain (Highlight or double-click to view)
Thomas Edison (Highlight or double-click to view)
Langston Hughes (Highlight or double-click to view)
Louise Bourgeois (Highlight or double-click to view)
Colin Powell (Highlight or double-click to view)
Janis Joplin (Highlight or double-click to view)
Joseph Stalin (Highlight or double-click to view)
Pope John Paul II (Highlight or double-click to view)
Richard Nixon (Highlight or double-click to view)
Lucille Ball (Highlight or double-click to view)
Gloria Steinem (Highlight or double-click to view)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Highlight or double-click to view)
Sigmund Freud (Highlight or double-click to view)
Luciano Pavarotti (Highlight or double-click to view)
Martha Stewart (Highlight or double-click to view)