In today’s throwback journey through the photographic past, let’s take a closer look at festivities and celebrations around the world, from water melon eating contests as part of the 4th of July celebrations in the USA, to the cheerful music of Louis Armstrong, and Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrations.

“Girls competing in a watermelon eating contest on July 4th: White Springs, Florida” – State Library and Archives of Florida

“Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati Is a Public Square That Works for the City and Its People in a Myriad of Ways: Enjoying a Performance of the Elder High School Band, One of the Activities of the Catholic School’s 50th Anniversary Celebration 05/1973” – The U.S. National Archives

“May pole dance at Miami University May Day celebration 1914” – Miami University Libraries – Digital Collections

“Skirts whirl in the 33rd Annual Square Dance Festival, held in Pershing Auditorium, May 1973” – The U.S. National Archives

“17th of May celebrations in Stongfjorden.” – Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og Fjordane

“Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrations; School Children on Bridge identified as Belmore North School children and Isabella Watts (left) & Alice Walker aged 9 (right) in the foreground” – State Records NSW

“Portrait of Louis Armstrong, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. July 1946” – The Library of Congress

To join this series, tweet @flickr with your favorite photos, and include the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday. And if you’d rather not tweet, simply include the same hashtag in your Flickr photo title, or tag it with ThrowbackThursday. We can’t wait to see what time period and subjects show up next in pictures. From old scans to new photos of throwback memories, we like them all. In the meantime you can also find inspiration in The Commons on Flickr.

Last Thursday: Throwback Thursday: Costica Acsinte