40+ Before-and-After Pics Showing How These Amazing Cities Changed Over Time

Have you ever imagined what the world's most famous cities used to look like in the old days? In the last hundred years, architecture, technology, town planning, and transport have changed our metropolises. So, join us as we hop in our time machine and travel back through the years on a globe-hopping adventure to see how our cities have grown and evolved beyond recognition.

Sawadee Krap! Welcome to Thailand, the Land of Smiles. The ancient city of Bangkok began as two small trading posts - Thonburi and Rattanakosin - during the 15th century Ayutthaya Kingdom. Siam avoided colonization but the late 20th Century Asian investment boom transformed the cityscape into an intoxicating mix of new and old as Bangkok expanded to 10 million inhabitants.

Few parts of the Big Apple have changed as much as this beloved thoroughfare. Originally named Longacre Square, Times Square began life as a small, old-timey village and became the center of NYC's horse carriage industry thanks to William Henry Vanderbilt's American Horse Exchange.

Tokyo began life as a small fishing village called Edo, which became the Eastern Capital in 1868. This first photo seems to show Japan's capital city laid bare after a Godzilla attack or after the city was leveled by the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. But, it actually comes from 1945, specifically from raids during World War II.

Can you believe William the Conqueror built the Tower of London over a thousand years ago in 1078 AD? The modern Tower Bridge was added in 1886, but much of London has changed since this 1920 photo. In fact, the UK capital has changed a lot in the last 20 years.