Seventy-eight years ago, David Ben-Gurion declared Israeli independence—and the fledgling Jewish state went on to repel invading Arab armies and cement itself as a dominant power in the Middle East.

Throwback: The powerful moment when the State of Israel was declared in 1948, and the Jewish people's long-awaited dream to regain their autonomy in their ancestral and indigenous homeland became a reality.

Happy 78th Birthday, Israel!