Find out how X-rays were discovered, see the earliest X-rays, learn where the name came from, and meet Wilhelm Röntgen – the man behind the innovation.
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How the Salk vaccine works to fight polio (from 1955) By Herman N Bundesen, MD – The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania) May 13, 1955 The
Ovaltine promised better sleep, more energy and extra nutrition in vintage ads from the 1920s to the 1980s — see how this chocolate drink made its case.
1950s TV sets brought bold design and big features into American homes, reshaping how families watched, gathered and spent time together.
Separate beds in the 1950s weren’t just for movies — real couples, doctors, and censors all had opinions on how married people should sleep.
See how famous inventions like the phonograph, microscope and sewing machine were featured on early 1900s cigarette cards collected across America.
See candid 1935 photos of Franklin Delano Roosevelt at work in the White House, captured before a major diplomatic event.
Explore teen fashions through the decades and see how high school style shaped identity, cliques, and culture from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Romper Room brought preschool to TV screens across America — explore how this unique show shaped early childhood learning for millions of kids.
Amelia Earhart’s daring 1937 world flight ended in mystery. Explore her life, her last journey and the historic search that followed.
Take a nostalgic look back at the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, the school tests, badges, and certificates that defined PE class from the 1960s to 1980s.
The 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people – the majority of deaths from pneumonia following an attack of influenza.
Who would’ve thought humble roots, herbs, and bark could spin such an effervescent tale? The history of root beer is both intriguing and surprising – take a look!
How much does real story of The Sound of Music differ from the movie version of the von Trapp family? Take a look back at the hugely-successful musical based on their lives, and find out both fact and fiction.
Old playgrounds were risky, thrilling and full of sharp edges — see how kids from the past played hard and (mostly) survived.
If you were a mid-century suburban kid you likely had a tubular metal swing set like one of these! Check out this nostalgia trip back to the backyards of your childhood.
The basic concept hasn’t changed much in 100 years, but vintage Erector Sets like these are still popular, still inspiring creativity, and still being used to build everything from mini roller coasters to motorized robots.
What did people think of autism in the 1960s? Here’s a look back at some of the attempts to understand In the 1960s, autism was
When you look back at how people talked about and used computers in the 1960s, it’s easy to get a feel for how exciting the technological advances were at the time. It was a whole new wild frontier.
Join us as we journey through futurism history, exploring predictions made about the future by those from the past!
In “Young Frankenstein” Mel Brooks did for the horror movie what he did earlier for the Western in ‘Blazing Saddles.’ The result is a very, very funny movie.
The Bob Newhart Show turned the world of comedy upside down with its straight-faced humor and wry wit – let’s take a look back!
We found a treasure trove of letters to Santa dating back to the 1930s (and they are adorable!). Come see what kids were asking for back in the day.
See what was needed to put you in the running for a coveted stewardess job back in the ’50s and ’60s! Some requirements were grounded in reason, but many were just plain sexism in action.
Years ago, old-fashioned clock radios like these were on pretty much every bedside table around America, both lulling us to sleep with music and radio shows, and getting us up for work in the morning.
Nestled between the spectacular Maui coastline and the rolling green hills of a lush pineapple plantation was Maui’s luxurious original Kapalua Bay Hotel and Bay Villas. Take a look back!
These are some of the very first reports of the Loma Prieta quake back on October 17, 1989 that devastated so much of the San Francisco Bay Area.
David Cassidy of ‘The Partridge Family’ TV show invaded the concert field with the force of an atomic bomb and emerged from his debut as a new teenage idol.
After hitting the market in the early 1980s, it didn’t take long for the Rubik’s Cube to become one of the most popular toys ever. Here’s a look back!
Back in the 50s, a group brainstormed ideas to help a woman catch a man… and the dating tips are as cringeworthy, soul-crushing & outdated as you can imagine.
If you think there couldn’t be much that’s changed about vintage baby bottles in the past 100 years or so, you may be surprised. Here’s a look!
Step back in time with Michael J Fox. From Back to the Future hero to Parkinson’s advocate, discover his enduring legacy in our exclusive vintage collection.
The insecticide DDT was introduced in the 1940s, and originally thought to be safe for people and pets. It was marketed with happy cartoon characters and family-friendly products, but, as we eventually discovered, the poison was bad for people and animals, too.
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Explore how vintage drugstores and the pharmacy apothecary once sold not just tonics and elixirs, but also narcotics like cocaine & heroin with ease.
Hop in the time machine for a whirlwind tour of 20th-century hotel rooms that are like stepping into a living history book!
Vintage Christmas TV specials were as much a part of the holiday as gifts and Christmas trees. Millions of people – especially kids – looked forward to them year after year. Look at more than 100 of these classics.
Dive into the nostalgia of 80s toys! From Transformers to Strawberry Shortcake, explore the iconic playthings that made the 1980s a decade of fun.
Hello, and welcome to Click Americana! Whether you’re a history buff, a lover of vintage anything and everything, or simply curious about something that was
Quincy had a massive impact on the landscape of television, and set the foundation for many detective dramas we love today. Here’s a look back!
Many well-known serial killers don’t quite compare to the exploits of Herman Webster Mudgett, alias Dr H H Holmes, perhaps one of the most fiendish mass murderers in American history. See diagrams of his infamous murder house, and images of his victims.
Check out this extensive interview with a young Dolly Parton (only 24 years old!) that was published back in 1970.
Throughout the 20th century, the nursing profession and vintage nursing uniforms evolved in step with society.
The vintage ambulance has a history rooted in far simpler designs than we know today. Here’s a look back at how they’ve changed over time!
Gain insights into the struggles and aspirations of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Join us as we explore the fascinating history of George Washington’s life – a true testament to the power of determination, leadership, and an unwavering belief in the potential of a young nation.
Christopher Reeve’s accident was a shock to the nation, but he survived — then he got to work in pursuit of a better life for others in his situation
Based on the state of plastic surgery in the 1920s, and with regular improvements in science, one journalist suggested in 1922 that soon women wouldn’t have to age – ‘I mean shriveled or waddling old and all that.’
When Florence Nightingale died, tributes poured in from around the world — including ones from American sources like this one.
Find out how some of the earliest color photography was created using potato starch!
Lee Majors starred in the Six Million Dollar Man TV series as astronaut Steve Austin, who, after a crash that nearly killed him, was remade in a bionic man – essentially a cyborg – and turned into a government agent.
Ayds candy debuted in the 40s, and was basically a piece of caramel or fudge that contained an appetite suppressant. For years, the diet candy called Ayds was a big seller… and then came AIDS.
Capitalizing on the success of The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman was a spin-off that ran for three seasons from 1976 to 1978. The show starred Lindsay Wagner as the physically augmented Jaime Sommers.
Back in the 1920s, footwear manufacturers and merchants decided that X-ray shoe fittings could bring in lots of customers – people who would be thrilled to let a recent scientific advance help them find the perfect shoe. There was just a little problem…
Candy Land, the vintage board game that made millions of kids dream of an ice cream & lollipop world
Here, take a look back at some of the game pieces, cards, and several game boards for the vintage Candy Land game. Which ones do you remember most?
Take a look back at dozens of the most popular cereals from the 1980s, along with some really random varieties that didn’t last long.
Look back at the biggest news in the universe on July 20, 1969 – the day we first landed on the lunar surface, walked on the moon, then went for a drive.
Here’s some eye-opening insight into the invention of contact lenses! The contacts were made of glass, and although they worked much like they do today, they were thick, uncomfortable, and even a little dangerous.
The Picturephone, an electronic moving picture device that debuted in the late 60s, let you video chat long before the internet, and way before Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime et al.
100 years ago, famous actress and soprano Lina Cavalieri said she thought women would rather have beautiful necks than almost any other feature, and offered her tips on how to improve the curve and beauty of the neckline.
In the ’30s, Chicago gang leader Al Capone was imprisoned for income tax evasion, and served most of his time on Alcatraz, where he faced constant death threats.
Although penicillin was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, real research and production started in earnest in mid-1941, thanks to World War II.
Indoor malls might be fading, but what hasn’t faded is our fondness for this vintage relic. Take a nostalgia trip back with us to some of the best indoor malls of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
The official pictures of kids with Santa – once called ‘sitting on Santa’s lap’ – has been around for generations. Here’s a look back at this Christmas ritual!
Here, see vintage lots of 1960s lingerie – including girdles, corselets, bras, garters, pantyhose, nylons, bras, slips, panties, underwear, foundation garments and more from vintage catalogs from the sixties!
Dragnet was one of the original police procedurals, which began as a radio show, then as a (now-iconic) TV show from 1951-1959 — later followed by a faithful reboot from 1967 to 1970. They all starred Jack Webb as police sergeant Joe Friday.
Olc cash register history goes back to the Victorian era, and were used to both streamline accounting, and to keep cashiers from stealing money. Find out more here!
Old-fashioned dentistry in the early 1900s had come a long way since the Wild West days, but, compared to what we have available in the 21st century, it might as well have been the Dark Ages. Take a look!
Vintage bumper stickers have been a common sight for decades, and were more than just a decoration on the back of a car or truck – they were there to make a statement. Here’s a look back at a few!
Many critics were surprised that the ‘Emergency!’ TV show was a success. One factor for sure: actors Randy Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, who played paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto, made indelible impressions on viewers.
When famed dancer Isadora Duncan was killed in a most unusual automobile accident, it was a sudden end to the life of a woman who had seen incredible success as well as unimaginable tragedy.
What do your dreams mean? How much significance should you give to the symbols in your dreamscapes? See what Sigmund Freud, famously known as the father of psychoanalysis, had to suggest back in 1916.
From the middle of the destruction after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, these detailed accounts of the damage were published in the city’s newspaper the very next morning.
Here, see what experts then were saying a century ago about how the height of women has changed over the years. They suggested that women were indeed growing taller – and modern data backs that up.
After years of living in casual separates, these stylish women’s suits from the ’70s offered a new way to dress: in a suit jacket and skirt or pants made for each other, with a tailored menswear-like flair.
One of the most unusual ad campaigns of the seventies featured gruff Western star John Wayne pitching Datril, a pain-relief medicine that was competing against Tylenol. Find out more about the ads here.
The demand for ’60s computer programmers was huge as business, industry, science, education and government all raced to reap the benefits of new technology. Here’s a look!
The old-fashioned benefits of breastfeeding are many, no matter what century you’re living in. Here’s a look back at some of what experts were saying about nursing babies back in the early 1900s.
“A frightened, crying child’s ability to dial 0 for the operator in case of emergency could save a life. Your child’s life. Maybe yours.”
In the ’70s, there were millions of people using Vintage CB radios – having a world of conversations and learning about the important reasons to keep citizens’ band radio active.
This vintage ad featured the tagline ‘I had a headache this big… and it’s got Excedrin written all over it.’ That sentence ended up becoming one of the most enduring slogans of the eighties.
More than 100 years ago, Victorian corsets were practically required for women – to emphasize certain parts of the body, and to minimize others. Here’s a look back to what ladies back then were wearing!
This article bids adieu to the man whose name countless millions of people have worn: the one and only Levi Strauss, creator of Levi’s riveted denim blue jeans. Find out more about the man here.
Edward Jenner, the discoverer of vaccination – including the smallpox vaccine – and one of the greatest benefactors of the human race, performed his first test experiment in 1796.
Back in the seventies, the vintage soap operas ‘Another World’ & ‘Days of Our Lives’ escaped the short half-hour program format, and were the first to hit the airwaves in one hour blocks.
Here are three old-fashioned plum pudding recipes – classic Christmas desserts full of fruit, booze, and other good things that there is little room for the dough.
When this article was published, touting the wonders of c-section deliveries, they stated that the cesarean rate was one out of 20 births. And that
In August of 1969, actress Sharon Tate and four others were found dead in what police said resembled a ritualistic mass murder. Four months later, Charles Manson and the Manson ‘family’ would be charged with the crime. Here’s how it all happened.
The measles vaccine was invented because it was a common but dangerous disease that could cause inflammation of the brain – and could also be fatal.
Women’s Army Corps recruitment ads and posters during WWII tempted the ladies with things like, ‘Are you a girl with star-spangled heart? Join the WAC now! Thousands of Army jobs need filling!’
Explore how Nikola Tesla’s inventive genius powered the world, from AC motors to wireless electricity, and why his legacy continues to shine bright today.
On the evening of December 9, 1977, a single punch altered the way the NBA regarded fighting forever when Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjanovich ended up in a fight on the court.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, set in the 24th century, the updated USS Enterprise boldly went where no one had gone before – and enthralled millions.
See clips of past Civil Defense films from the ’50s & ’60s, plus how to make a bomb shelter, what to stock, and more details from the Cold War era.
Radium earned Marie Curie worldwide fame, and changed the face of medicine. Here, she describes how this historic scientific discovery was made.
In the years after Mary Jo Kopechne died in a car accident on Chappaquiddick Island, questions, investigations, doubts and rumors dogged the career of Edward Kennedy. Here’s a look back.
What were vintage school and scout fundraisers like years ago? Here’s a look back at a few dozen of the things that kids used to sell – including candy & candles, popcorn & peanuts.
In the early morning hours of July 23, 1967, police in Detroit raided an unlicensed, after-hours bar in what they assumed was just another routine
