Back to the Future was rejected 44 times before becoming the #1 film of 1985. Here’s the wild true story behind Marty, Doc and the DeLorean.
Culture & lifestyle
Vintage entertainment, crafts & pop culture from the past – it’s the retro life!
Marilyn Monroe’s death: What the coroner found, what the investigation concluded, and why questions about that August 1962 night never fully went away.
The Victrola turned a record player into a household word — here’s how it rose, dominated American parlors, and lost out to radio.
The Electric Company’s secret weapon for getting kids to read in the 1970s (hint: it was very funny)
The Electric Company ran on PBS from 1971-77 with Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno & Bill Cosby — and actually worked as a reading tool for millions of kids.
Dinah Shore’s Beverly Hills home, as seen in the 1960s and ’70s — with her commercial kitchen, guest cottage and the life she built between TV shows.
Victorian etiquette for men was no joke — 129 rules covered everything from soup spoons to sidewalk conduct. Here’s what the 1889 rulebook actually said.
1970s Playskool toys like Dressy Bessy, Tyke Bike & Alphie didn’t happen by accident — here’s the story behind the brand that taught a generation through play.
Adam-12 leaned on real LAPD codes, ride-alongs and an actual police dispatcher to make this 1968 cop show feel like the real deal.
The old-fashioned Lustre-Creme shampoo was famous for hiring famous actresses to promote their product. Here’s a look at some of the stars!
Explore the heartwarming legacy of the Benji movie, a 1974 dog film that turned a shelter pup into a Hollywood star and charmed a generation.
Bonanza almost didn’t survive its first season. Here’s how the show went from near-cancellation to the No. 1 Western on TV — and what ended it for good.
Juneteenth is a celebration of Black freedom, marking the day enslaved people in Texas at long last learned of their emancipation. But if you aren’t very aware of this Federal holiday, you’re not alone. Find out more here!
The TV remote control went from a wired ankle-hazard in 1950 to an ultrasonic curiosity to an infrared staple — here’s how it all happened.
Jerry Mathers was Beaver Cleaver. Tony Dow was Wally. Here’s what really happened after the cameras stopped rolling in 1963.
The ’70s Chevy Nova went from muscle car holdover to police fleet favorite — here’s the full story of this decade’s most dependable compact.
Jigsaw puzzles: The fun & addictive fad that took over American living rooms — more than once (1908)
Jigsaw puzzles swept America not once but twice — first in 1908, then again in the Great Depression. Here’s the wild history behind the hobby.
Hawaiian luau parties swept American backyards in the late ’50s and ’60s — here’s the real history behind the roast pigs, paper leis and pineapple punch.
Little House on the Prairie ran on NBC for nine seasons starting in 1974 — and now it’s back on Netflix. Here’s the full story.
Portrait miniatures were how Americans kept loved ones close before photography — tiny watercolors on ivory that fit in a locket or a palm.
The Doors turned every concert into something unpredictable. Here’s what it was actually like to see Jim Morrison and the band perform live in the 60s and 70s.
Full House ran 8 seasons, launched the Olsen twins and nearly got canceled in week one. Here’s the real story behind TV’s favorite San Francisco family.
Vintage jukeboxes ruled American bars, diners and drugstores for decades — here’s the full story of the machines, the makers and the music that defined an era.
Bad News Bears, about a drunken ex-pitcher who transforms a bedraggled group of kids into a winning little-league baseball team, won raves for showing kids as real people.
Haight-Ashbury in 1967 drew 100,000 people to 25 San Francisco blocks — and collapsed under the weight of its own mythology by October. Here’s the full story.
Walt Disney spent a decade on Alice in Wonderland, called it a disappointment in 1951, then watched college kids turn it into a midnight cult hit.
Mad magazine launched as a 10-cent comic in 1952 and grew into America’s most influential humor mag. Here’s the wild story behind Alfred E. Neuman.
Wacky Packages were the sticker craze that outperformed baseball cards in 1973. Here’s the full story behind the parody packs that kids couldn’t get enough of.
Her name is Carol Burnett, and her elongated, restless, expressive and oddly beautiful face is one of show business’s favorite funny valentines.
Vintage Converse shoes outfitted Olympians, NBA legends and baseball stars for decades. Here’s the full history of America’s original athletic shoe brand.
Life expectancy in the 1800s hovered around 40 years — but that number is misleading. Here’s what it really meant to grow old in 19th-century America.
The Oldsmobile sedan dominated American roads in the late ’70s. See the Delta 88, Cutlass Supreme, 98 Regency and Omega Brougham up close.
Drive-in movie theaters were everywhere in the 1950s and ’60s — but how did they rise, and what finally brought them down? Here’s the full story.
A multi-million-dollar family amusement park – Six Flags Over Texas – has brought millions of people to a former strip of pasture.
Hawaii Five-O ran 12 seasons on CBS and made Jack Lord a TV icon. Here’s the full history of one of America’s greatest cop shows.
Happy Days starred Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham and Henry Winkler as Fonzie, and showed life in 1956 – or at least the 1956 some like to believe existed.
Full service gas stations were once the American standard — attendants, windshields, oil checks and all. Here’s the history of how they rose, ruled and faded.
For years, curious kids have loved experimenting with vintage chemistry sets and science kits like these with countless things to explore!
Check out the classic Ford Pinto, a coupe hatchback auto that was super popular, that Ford said proved a small economy car didn’t have to be ugly. (They didn’t have to explode, either, and we cover that, too.)
Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland opened in 1967 — see what the original looked like before Disney made some major changes.
Wonder Woman hit TV in 1975 at exactly the right moment — here’s the story behind the show that made Lynda Carter a household name.
80s arcade games took over America one quarter at a time. See the vintage ads & photos that capture that golden era of Pac-Man, Space Invaders & more.
Old-fashioned Granny squares are easy to do and multiply so fast, you can turn out an afghan fast. And since you crochet a square at a time, you can carry them anywhere.
James Garner rose from Oklahoma to become a beloved TV and film star, known for Maverick, The Rockford Files and a career built on authenticity.
Dungeons & Dragons changed how a generation played — and socialized. See vintage ads, photos and original articles from the game’s heyday.
Lizzie Borden, a double murder, and a verdict that stunned the nation. See original 1892 news coverage and decades of follow-up on America’s most infamous case.
Debuting in 1976, the classic TV series Charlie’s Angels was widely popular with viewers, eventually becoming a cult classic favorite and spawning feature films and reboots.
The word ‘flapper’ as used today in reference to a woman from the 1920s, has a much broader definition than how the term was originally used. So what is a flapper, then? Find out here.
Meet Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia in Golden Girls — where friendship knows no age. A TV classic with wit, heart, and a whole lot of cheesecake.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Hollywood’s biggest gamble of 1937. See how critics, artists & audiences really reacted when it hit theaters.
The range of 1950s board games surprises people — cold war strategy to Candy Land. See the vintage ads and box art from a prolific decade of family game night.
Who’s behind those Foster Grants? See the popular vintage sunglasses of the stars in the 1960s & 70s
Foster Grants sunglasses built one of the most iconic ad campaigns of the ’60s & ’70s, starring Mia Farrow, Raquel Welch & more.
James Brown went from shining shoes in Augusta to selling out arenas nationwide. See the vintage photos & press clippings that tell his real story.
Ford LTD took a defiant stance as rivals downsized in the late ’70s. See the original ads that tell the whole story.
Explore the legacy of Police Woman, a groundbreaking show that introduced audiences to Sgt. “Pepper” Anderson and inspired a generation of female-led dramas.
Golf ball history goes from hand-stuffed feathers to rubber cores to space-age solids — and the story is wilder than you’d expect.
Phonograph history comes alive with Edison’s original ads & the story of how a talking machine changed everything about sound.
Nash cars were unlike anything else on the road in the 1950s. See the ads and photos that show what made the Airflyte, Metropolitan and Ambassador so unforgettable.
CBS radio shows in the 1950s & ’60s had news, comedy, drama and sports — and they basically invented the formats we still love today.
Spaceballs, Mel Brooks’ 1987 sci-fi spoof, took aim at Star Wars & Hollywood itself. See the original poster, stills & a period review.
VW bus nostalgia is real — here’s the history behind the iconic van that won over families, road-trippers and everyone in between.
Vintage license plates tell the real story of American car culture — from wild state designs to a 50-state size standoff. See 200+ examples here.
Rolling hoops were a go-to childhood obsession for generations — here’s the fascinating history behind this classic outdoor toy.
Somewhere in Time (1980) blended time travel and sweeping romance at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.
Jeep Cherokee grew from a 1960s trail-ready wagon into a defining 1980s SUV. See vintage models and classic ads from its early decades.
John Stamos rose from 1980s soap star to Full House icon and touring musician. Here’s how his career shaped modern TV nostalgia.
The Outsiders starred several young actors on their way to fame: Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, C Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise.
Daylight Savings Time reshaped American work and leisure in 1918. See how it was sold to the public and why it mattered.
Look back at The Rockford Files, the classic James Garner detective series that reshaped TV crime drama — plus what to know about the newly announced reboot.
Explore the history of vintage beaded curtains — from early room dividers to their 1960s surge — and see why this flexible decor trend never fully went away.
H G Wells interviewed civil rights leader Booker T Washington, and wrote: ‘Every such man stands… fighting against foul imaginations, misrepresentations, injustice, insult, and the naive unspeakable meannesses of base antagonists.’
The Pet Rock concept traces the 1975 fad that made millions — and now includes its 2026 comeback sparked by Taylor Swift’s Opalite video.
If you were alive in the 1970s & 1980s, you know that vintage 7-Eleven stores were the corner grocery — as well as a place for kids to hang out. Here are dozens of old photos so you can take a look back!
In this vintage Peanuts TV special from the sixties, You’re in Love, Charlie Brown, only two school days remain before summer vacation starts, and time is running out. See the cartoon here!
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.
How to choose a husband? Whatever you do, do not marry a man who claims to be a saint. He lives too much in his own imagination of himself. He is nearly always an unconscious or a subconscious hypocrite.
For Valentine’s Day or any day, you can re-create these pretty heart cross-stitch patterns with these designs and directions from 1955.
Find out about The Muppet Show, an all-family comedy-musical-variety TV series from the ’70s & ’80s, and see the opening credits and theme song lyrics here!
Joe Namath’s guarantee before Super Bowl III became one of the most famous moments in football history after the Jets upset the Colts in 1969.
See classic 1960s Ford Mustangs and discover how this pony car became an enduring symbol of style, performance and American automotive culture.
There’s a lot of magic and humor practiced in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Written and directed by John Hughes, this energetic and offbeat comedy captures the best feelings about being young.
George Takei looks back on playing Sulu, the rise of Star Trek fandom and how the series influenced his life long after the Enterprise left TV screens.
Barbra Streisand’s rising star in the early 1960s changed what Broadway stardom looked like — see how her career took off before the icon era began.
The original REO Speedwagon truck was a sturdy work vehicle long before it was a band name — see vintage ads and photos from the 1920s and 1930s.
Vanning has become an American craze. Today it means to personalize a common van and build a lifestyle around it. Throngs of Americans are doing it. A key feature of the outing is the mutual admiration of vans and the adorning artwork.
Houdini escaped jails, handcuffs and questions — and never gave up how. Here’s the story of the man who built a career out of staying untouchable.
The fans voted, the mailbags were full, and these were the hottest teen stars of the 80s — straight from Teen Beat’s first Teen Star Awards in 1984.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks mixed wartime England with magic, music and animation in a film that flew into theaters in 1971 with Angela Lansbury at the helm.
Take a look back at 1950s Cadillacs — the bold, bright cars that became a symbol of American style, luxury and success.
Dick York on Bewitched made Darrin Stephens a TV icon. See the story behind his run from 1964 to 1969, plus a look at vintage photos from the set.
Explore the rise of the VCR, from high prices to home entertainment staples, and see how they reshaped how we watched TV in the 1970s and ’80s.
In 1915, The Day Book profiled “million dollar babies”—children of Astor, Vanderbilt and McLean—describing the care and wealth shaping their early lives.
Here, take a look back at the Xanadu movie – an ’80s musical that has become best known as a campy cult classic.
Do you remember Shrinky Dinks? They were DIY crafts that could be made by coloring on a plastic sheet, cutting out the various shapes, and then shrinking them down using heat.
How The Misfits became the last film for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe — capturing final performances shaped by real-life turmoil and change.
Explore antique car accessories from 1913, when clocks, vases and “Speed Imps” were all part of the motoring experience.
Maverick reshaped the 1950s TV Western with humor, poker and self-aware scripts. See how the series stood apart from the pack.
This vintage printable calendar clipart from 1964 includes month-by-month retro icons you can use in planners, crafts, or to decorate your own calendar.
Flower meanings played a big role in 1897 New Year’s greetings. See how bouquets carried wishes, feelings and social signals.
