A former Gurkha (special forces soldier), Nirmal Purja, takes a selfie at the start of his attempt to scale the world’s 14 highest peaks in seven months to break a 31-year-old record. Nirmal Purja, known as Nims, aims to smash the current record – which stands at seven years, 11 months and 14 days – set by Polish climber Jerzy Kukuczka. On the way, he also plans to defeat at least seven speed world records on mountains over 8,000m high. (Photo by Nirmal Purja/PA Wire Press Association)

A Thorneycroft motor van as used during World War I. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images). August 1914

Patients from Rady Children's Hospital hug a bottlenose dolphin after being invited to swim and interact with dolphins at Sea World in San Diego, California August 27, 2015. Sea World has hosted Dolphin Interaction Program for seven years. It was started by dolphin trainer Joy Soto who battled and overcame non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets on a custom made World Trade Center inspired motorcycle in front of the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site on October 5, 2011 in New York City. The motorcycle was designed by Paul Teutul Jr. of the television show “American Chopper” and was built to commemorate the rebuilding of the World Trade Center Site. Another motorcycle, nearly identical to the one unveiled, will also be built by Paul Jr. and raffled to raise money for the 9/11 Memorial. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

“RoboCup is an international robotics competition founded in 1997. The aim is to develop autonomous soccer robots with the intention of promoting research and education in the field of artificial intelligence. The name RoboCup is a contraction of the competition's full name, «Robot Soccer World Cup», but there are many other stages of the competition such as «Search and Rescue» and «Robot Dancing»”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Humanoid robots of the children size league compete during the RoboCup 2006 football world championships final at the Congress Centre on June 18, 2006 in Bremen, Germany. (Photo by Malte Christians/Bongarts/Getty Images)

A design studio has launched its own dogs of war – by cleverly blending iconic Second World War planes with their canine counterparts. Photo: Wellington bomber with Golden Retreiver camoflage. A design studio has launched its own dogs of war – by cleverly blending iconic Second World War planes with their canine counterparts. (Photo by BNPS)

A wrestler from the Nuba Mountains tribe is seen during a celebration of their cultural heritage, as part of ongoing events to commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, in Omdurman August 15, 2015. The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on August 9 annually. (Photo by Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)

A small series by illustration Alex Solis remembering those things that used to rule the world.