48 Items from the Depths of History That Seem Quite Strange to Us Now

If you’re afraid of clowns, this historical image probably isn’t for you. This photo of the original Ronald McDonald is what nightmares are made of. As you can tell, this first version of Ronald is completely different from his later look. These images are stills from Ronald McDonald’s first TV commercial, which debuted in 1963. 

“Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown” was originally played by Willard Scott, who also played Bozo the Clown. This early version of the famous McDonald’s mascot was heavily based on Scott’s time playing Bozo. Although terrifying to many of us today, Bozo and Ronald were wildly popular with children.