The time-honored, eye-searing tradition of staring directly at a solar eclipse

The solar eclipse taking place later this August is expected to send millions of people flocking to communities along the phenomenon’s path. While all the excitement might be blamed on the moment-seeking Instagram generation, chasing eclipses is a time-honored tradition. Here’s a quick visual history of eclipse spectatorship around the world over the past century.

Solar eclipse in today’s Kazakhstan, 1907

Paris, 1911

White House lawn, 1925

New York City, 1932

Bucharest, 1961

Valdosta, Georgia, 1970

Thailand, 1995

Vatican City, 1999