1970s
How the Rubik’s Cube puzzle toy became a worldwide sensation
After hitting the market in the ’80s, it didn’t take long for the Rubik’s Cube to become one of the most popular toys ever. Here’s a look back!
After hitting the market in the ’80s, it didn’t take long for the Rubik’s Cube to become one of the most popular toys ever. Here’s a look back!
Henry Ford developed assembly lines for automobile factories, and mass production sparked another industrial revolution. See here how Ford churned out Model T cars!
Through observation, experimentation and genius, scientist Louis Pasteur was able to create the first rabies vaccine – even though he didn’t exactly know what caused the disease.
This unusual home in the hills of Oakland, California is tree house of Dave Brubeck, known as ‘Mr. Jazz’ to his fans.
Back in the sixties and seventies, curious kids loved experimenting with vintage science kits like these. From space and the earth to machines and medicine, there were countless things to explore.
This is the new, wonderful 45 rpm changer unit that lets you enjoy distortion-free music. It’s yours for the unbelievably low price of only $12.95.
When vintage Instamatic cameras were introduced in 1963, they came along with the invention of the quick-load film cartridge – and both were so affordable and easy to use that they were instantly successful. Take a look back here!
The pocket Instamatic 110 cameras introduced by Kodak in 1972 were – by ’70s standards – incredibly small, and super-affordable, which led to their huge popularity. See some of these old cameras here!
These vintage personal computers from the ’80s weren’t just expensive, but some had hard drives so small that just one of these old PC ad images would have maxed them out.
When King Tut’s tomb was discovered – and then opened – people all over the globe were riveted by the mysterious Tutankhamun and his golden treasures. Here’s what they found.
Kodak’s disc camera was was lightweight, foolproof (with auto-exposure and built-in flash), affordable, and used a brand new kind of film cartridge… but it was only sold for six years.
With better quality than fixed-lens Instamatic-style cameras, but far less complicated than standard SLR cameras, these vintage point-and-shoot 35mm cameras were just what people were looking for in the ’80s.
Although penicillin was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, real research and production started in earnest in mid-1941, thanks to World War II.
It’s the personal computer revolution, as those ingenious devices that put men on the moon, revolutionized science and perplexed millions are finding their way into the home.
Anyone who lived through the great videotape format war of the late 1970s to early 1980s will never forget the big question: VHS or Beta? Here’s the Betamax side – the player that ultimately lost.
Some microwave oven questions & answers from the early 1970s! Plus tips like: “Just plug it in and turn it on. The food gets hot. The oven stays cool. If you want, you can even cook on paper plates.”
Walkmans and other portable cassette tape players – ‘personal stereos’ – were hugely popular in the ’70s and ’80s, and packed more sociological punch than a load of hula hoops.
Advance easy-to-read Colorstick pregnancy test sticks (1987) Now you can be positive… even if it’s negative. Easy-to-read Colorstick Only Advance has an easy-to-read Colorstick that
Want to know how to make an old-fashioned rotary dial phone work? Here’s your handy guide, straight from the fifties!
It was different then, The old enemy of distance prowled everywhere. And people were separated by the bigness of this land. That was what started
The dance music of the Edison Phonograph is irresistible. It offers the most fascinating waltzes and spirited two-steps of the world’s, great composers as well as the popular dance music of the hour.
Henry Ford fit a lot of ambition, drive, innovation and industry into his 84 years! Here’s a look back at his career, his beliefs, and how the famous industrialist changed the world.
Imagine getting paid to create retro-futuristic space-age inventions. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, that is exactly what commercial artist and futurist Arthur Radebaugh got to do.
Despite a spectacularly expensive launch, the Ford Edsel was one of the greatest business failures of all time. Take a look back at these vintage cars here!
Imagine being able to call someone when you *weren’t at home*! It was a big deal back in the day. See the history of vintage payphones & phonebooths here!
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.
How much of today’s tech did Nikola Tesla predict a century ago? Here’s a look back at some spot-on predictions from Nikola Tesla — along with a few, that, well… we haven’t quite seen yet.
Ulcers bothering you? Try Silly Putty (1951) by Glenn Williams Well, sir, I’m here to tell you that in the past couple of days, I’ve
Vintage cordless phones were the essential step between wired pushbutton phones and today’s modern cell phones. Here’s a look back at the telephone tech from the ’80s!
During World War II, the railroad companies had to devote their resources to the war effort by transporting troops around the country. Here’s a look back at some of what the railroads were offering to entice passengers back in the late ’40s!
Fax it! That phrase became as much of a cliche in the ’80s as ‘We’ll do lunch.’ Look at how vintage fax machines quickly outgrew fad status.
Once part of everyday life, now only people of a certain age will remember this stuff. Here are 25 things most people under 25 have never seen in real life!
Did Coca-Cola once have cocaine in it? Amazingly, yes. Originally marketed as a health drink when it debuted in the 1880s, Coca-Cola was said to cure everything from a migraine (aka “sick headache”) to physical exhaustion to depression.
“Wooden doll” illness noted at university (1960) The Valley News (Van Nuys, California) October 7, 1960 A recently recognized type of emotional illness characterized by
Never having to come up from underground? Cars routinely going 130 MPH? Completely automated cleaning? Solar power dominant? See these and many more predictions from 1906!
The car of the future will be weather-proof, and that the sides, front, rear, and roof will probably be made of glass. The entire control of the machine will be simplified, and perhaps located in a set of push buttons.
Who remembers Peter Coddle, Shoot the Hat, and Snap? They were old-fashioned games that provided hours of entertainment before radio and TV. Find out more here!
Swatch (short for “Swiss watch”), an up-to-the-minute quartz marvel introduced in 1983 with bold colors and zappy graphics, is gambling that clunkiness will become the byword in chic, or reverse chic, for the 1980s.
Vintage IBM electric typewriters from the ’60s, like the Executive and the Selectric, were marketed to help executives and their secretaries manage an increasing business workload at a time when more and more white collar jobs were being created.
The new technology of 1930: Television unveiled by Robert Joyce Tasker Imagine a fire… hot, blistering, roaring and raging through a tenement district, impelled on
What can we do with this horrible old kitchen? Frigidaire saves her from covering leftovers. A special storage area in this Frigidaire Frost-Proof Food-life Preserver
It took only 12 seconds and covered 120 feet, but the Wright Brothers’ first flight made the moon as reachable as sailing ships once made America.
Wherever you look today, electric service makes good things possible. Imagine what it’ll do for you tomorrow. Maybe there will be flying cars – or even flying campers that can plug in for recharging.
Range: Anywhere on Earth — and your Air Force has it! The Consolidated B-36 can carry a 10,000 pound atomic bomb to a target 5,000 miles away, drop it, then return to base.
Have a look at 126 of the most popular toys from the ’40s that millions of kids found under their Christmas trees back in 1948, courtesy of Santa… or from mom and dad.
The smallest member of the gun family, the revolver, which is held in one hand as it is fired. The ancestor of this weapon was the pistol.
Jell-O salad gelatin came in two flavors, celery or mixed vegetable, and both savory salad gelatin mixes made to be a base for vegetables and meats.
Remember that little round toy from the seventies where you pressed on the back with your finger to squish stuff around and it changed colors? They were called Space Fidgits, and you can find out more about ’em here.
Maxell was long one of the leaders in the cassette tape world, and produced one of the most iconic ad campaigns of the era, featuring the man fondly (now) known as ‘blown away guy.’
Radium face cream made its debut in 1905: ‘The radium in the cream energizes the cells of the skin so that they throw off impurities… producing the charming glow of delicate color.’
How did America get its name? The man from whom the continents got their names was an especially fascinating character of the late 15th century.
Every year, hundreds of children were stricken with polio. Before testing iron lung machines on humans, two dozen cats had to die under anesthetic.
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Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic. Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis.
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