McDonald’s shamrock shakes have been a St. Patrick’s Day favorite for decades. Here’s the surprising history behind this minty green fast-food classic.
Step back in time with our collection of retro St Patrick’s Day cards, capturing the lively spirit and celebrations of the 1970s and 80s.
Misheard lyrics have fooled music fans for years — turns out, “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” was never right. See the funniest lyric mistakes from classic hits!
Prell shampoo was popular since its introduction in the 1940s, and was best-known for being bright emerald green. Here, see how the product – and the brand’s message – changed from the ’40s to the ’80s!
The 50s and 60s were the glory days for old drive-in movie theaters, when there were about 4000 such venues spread across the country. Take a look back!
This original Grasshopper Pie recipe creates a delicious and refreshing no-bake dessert, made up of a chocolate mint cream filling (with alcohol) in what’s basically an Oreo crust.
The ’70s TV classic ‘Match Game’ redefined the modern game show. It went against convention, appealed to a younger, hipper audience and ushered in a new era of television.
In the 70s, stainless steel or copper cookware wasn’t enough – people wanted retro pots and pans for their kitchen in all of the latest colors and patterns. Take a peek inside those old kitchen cabinets!
From meat glazes to unique salads and totally vintage-style jello molds, the most iconic tropical fruit can make itself useful in so many ways. Here are some weird – and some good – retro ways to serve pineapple.
With warm, rich flavors and tender pieces of meat and vegetables, New England beef stew is the perfect choice for a cozy dinner on a cold winter evening!
Try your hand at these traditional patterns for Americana quilts – the pride of America’s past, and adaptable for many uses today.
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.
The vintage Spirograph toys let you create millions of colorful, startlingly beautiful extraordinarily intricate designs in infinite variety – all you needed were pens, paper and the kit’s plastic gears and wheels. Take a look!
Way back when, it’s what every girl wanted: A cedar-lined Lane hope chest for linens and her trousseau. In upper-middle-class homes, giving a teen cedar chest was a longstanding tradition — and practically a requirement for marriage.
Everyone knows the pastel little Valentine’s Day sweets that say Hug Me, Cutie and more. Where did those candy heart sayings come from? Look back here!
Have a look at these 70s fashions, and then tell us: Are couples who dressed in matching unisex clothing sweetly romantic or just cheesy?
Do you remember any of these adorable 1970s & 1980s vintage Snoopy Valentine’s Day cards, featuring the Peanuts gang?
Starting back in the ’50s, women were encouraged to start their own businesses, hosting Tupperware parties, and demonstrating how to use those popular plastic containers. Here’s a look back!
Try this tasty and easy recipe from the early 1960s for old-fashioned rolled sugar cookie cutouts, accompanied below by step-by-step photos!
Join us as we journey through futurism history, exploring predictions made about the future by those from the past!
Raise your glass for some warm and wonderful classic hot chocolate recipes from across the years! Try cocoa mixtures with a variety of flavors and even some international flair.
The Courtship of Eddie’s Father was a TV sitcom about a widower and his son, Eddie that debuted in 1969. The memorable theme song was by Harry Nilsson.
No man embodies the spirit of country music quite like Willie Nelson. Born during the Great Depression in 1933 in a small Texas town, Nelson’s
What were vintage 1970s supermarkets like – and how do they compare to today’s grocery store options? Take a look back several decades to see!
Monty Hall brought charm and suspense to Let’s Make a Deal, the game show that had America guessing. Explore its quirky history and lasting appeal!
Because not everything was baked from scratch, see some Vintage slice ‘n’ bake cookies, frozen cookie dough, mixes and other semi-homemade cookies from long ago!
Take a look back at some of the most popular vintage 1970s cereals that we loved – including many discontinued products we still miss. (And don’t forget about the free toys that were inside kids’ cereal boxes!)
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!
Frosty, the famous snowguy turned into a jolly, happy soul, starred in the vintage animated Christmas special, Frosty the Snowman, narrated by Jimmy Durante.
Let Christmas stocking stuffers of yesteryear inform your Christmas list THIS year! We’ve rounded up over 30 vintage Christmas stocking stuffers we loved in days gone by.
With a little thought and care – plus the inspiration of these lush holiday table settings of yore – you can create unforgettably nostalgic Christmas table settings that will be remembered for years to come.
Dick Van Dyke interviews and personal appearances can be hard to come by, but we found a few times the talented actor and comedian talked about his life and career.
People of all ages will love these cute vintage Christmas cookie houses, which can be made easily and inexpensively. See examples and get directions here!
Long before we became obsessed with charcuterie boards, we had Hickory Farms Food Gift Paks. Remember those? Here, we have a round up of vintage Hickory Farms ads for your reminiscing pleasure!
They have gelatin on the inside… and the outside. Try making this vintage 1970s Jell-O fruity cookie recipe, and see if you can capture a little bit of that retro vibe!
Get seven sassy snack mix how-tos from yesteryear, including the granddaddy of them all: the original Chex mix recipe!
These vintage touch-tone phones – featuring push buttons, speed and musical tones – represented a totally new signaling system, and opened the way to increased versatility in communications.
Cranberries have become traditional for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners — and these 20 homemade cranberry sauce recipes will help you deliciously add the ruby-red jewel to your feasts!
Take a look back at the evolution of Thanksgiving traditions — and holiday meals — from the 1940s through the 1990s, plus see how the best parts of the past have influenced our modern-day celebrations!
On these pictures of Christmas trees in the 70s, cuddly creatures, lace, ribbons, flowers, Santas and toys, were all radiantly spotlighted with the gleam of shining ornaments. Take a look back here, and get a little retro inspo for your holidays!
A shrimp Christmas tree appetizer is a scene-stealer and a real buffet beauty, certain to cast a special charm over any holiday party – yet so easy to do! Here’s how.
For more than 100 years, if you needed a new pair of sneakers or sandals, oxfords or saddle shoes, you had to visit one or more vintage shoe stores. Through more than 100 photos, see what it was like!
These old ‘insert dime’ money gift cards filled with coins were very popular – and a super fun way for friends and family to give a kid a dollar!
Here’s a look back at the history of the multi-talented entertainer Gene Kelly, the award-winning star of the ’40s, ’50s & ’60s.
Though many have tried, no cook has ever been able to improve upon the taste of traditional pumpkin pie. Carnation’s famous pumpkin pie recipe is a Thanksgiving classic – and we have the ’50s recipe right here.
These 44 kid-friendly Christmas cookie decorating ideas evoke the cozy charm of vintage traditions. Baking fun for the entire family!
Take a look back at some sweet vintage Christmas dresses for little girls from the 60s and 70s captured in vintage ads and photos.
These two Libby’s pumpkin cheesecakes are rich with cheese and pumpkin and brown sugar, flavored with maple, topped with sour cream and cinnamon – truly delicious desserts.
Remember retro Halloween costumes like these, from back when all the kids were wearing cheap and ill-fitting Hulk, Wonder Woman, and Bugs Bunny costumes from the drugstore or made their own creations?
The melted plastic Halloween decorations popular in the ’70s were ‘delightfully different’ and ‘captured the happy Halloween spirit.’
Old Halloween songs never die – they just reappear on the chart every decade or so! Such is the case with Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett’s million-seller, ‘Monster Mash.’ Here’s the story – and meet the singer!
See the quirky history of vintage Taco Bell — from a tiny taco stand to a fast-food empire — and see vintage photos, ads and articles from the past!
Try not to be too creeped out by this collection of vintage Halloween party ideas spanning over a century!
Take a look back at vintage Pizza Hut restaurants, and some of the popular foods they served over the years – plus find out the history of the chain!
The iconic Breck shampoo ads were meant to look sweet & wholesome, and a few of the Breck Girls went on to become famous actresses. Take a look!
These cheap vintage Halloween masks & costumes proved that when you spent a couple bucks to get ready for trick-or-treating, you got what you paid for. But the kids? They loved it.
They weren’t cheap, but these vintage Kodak movie cameras were really popular, and helped people save moving-picture memories on fiolm.
Discover the story of Mr Whipple and his famous “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin” commercials, one of the most memorable ad campaigns of the 20th century.
Who remembers these popular vintage Fisher Price baby toys from the 70s and 80s — iconic, durable and full of fun. Check out our nostalgic collection!
Millions of cute ’70s kitchen accessories like these appeared in homes from all across America back in the day.
Gunsmoke, one of the longest-running TV shows in history, gave viewers a look at the old west – saloons and sheriffs, cowboys and horses.
Between Saturday morning cartoon shows, animated Schoolhouse Rock was on TV from 1973-1985. Here’s a Grammar Rock classic, Schoolhouse Rock: A Noun Is a Person, Place or Thing!
What did vintage Target stores look like? Take a look back here at dozens of in-store pictures from the company’s start in 1962 through the end of the 20th century!
Look back at these 70s outfits for girls and relive the polyester & bell bottoms, plaids & dots, florals & stripes, denim & corduroy, gingham & seersucker and much more.
Whether new or classic, millions still love vintage Corelle dishes from the Corning company (also behind Pyrex & Corningware). See some of the dish patterns available during the ’70s & ’80s!
After launching their career in the ’60s, in the early ’70s, Sonny and Cher turned to television, and to everyone’s surprise, they were a huge hit – leading to adventures both good and bad.
What were vintage Magic Slate Paper Savers about? Think of them like a really low-tech tablet – you could draw and then erase… and do it over and over.
Whether wet-look vinyl or fur-look polyester, these vintage ’70s toadstool ottomans & gull-wing chairs were the epitome of budget home style for trend-followers.
Remember having fun in vintage playhouses & forts like these? Take a look back at some of these retro play structures through the decades, from the ’50s through the ’80s!
This charming upper-middle-class home – a vintage 1970s designer dream house in Denver – was compact and neatly designed, the surfaces were hardy, the wallpapers were bold… and the style was so very seventies.
Vintage View-Master reels offered a trip into another dimension – ‘with stereo color pictures so real, you’ll feel you are actually part of the scene!’ Take a look!
Get some retro Cheez Whiz recipes for fondue, casserole and other cheezy dishes like ham & rice roll-ups, Mexican bean dip and more.
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is filled with 999 retired spooks and spirits who have taken up permanent residence at this California theme park. Sneak a peek!
Old paper welders were small metal presses that essentially embossed two or three pieces of paper together – no staples or paperclips needed. Here’s a look back!
See how gazebos became one of America’s favorite outdoor retreats with a look back at some vintage styles and backyard designs!
In the Brady Bunch family’s home-screen-home, the comedic power of the classic TV show came from combining a zany maid, two grown-ups, six kids, a dog and a cat.
This recipe for savory crescent chicken squares was a winner at the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest in the ’70s because it was tasty and so easy to make.
Smokey the Bear, the friendly brown bear that said, ‘Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires,’ was a powerful force in stopping forest fires. Here’s his story.
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.
Remember these vintage above-ground pools – the kind that were big enough to actually swim in, but that you didn’t need to dig a big hole for?
Remember these vintage fruit-flavored drinks in flavors like pineapple-grapefruit, apple, and Florida punch? Reminisce about Hi-C Drink flavors here.
Teens and girls were wild about having blonde hair in the ’70s, trying at-home methods and a variety of new products to lighten and brighten their hair.
Vintage bean bags were so popular in the 70s because they were fun and super comfy – filled with pillowy-soft polystyrene beads. Here’s a look back at dozens of old-fashioned styles and retro fabrics that were available back in the day.
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!
The old-fashioned Dymo label maker was easy to use and affordable – which meant that these colorful plastic sticky labels used to be seen almost everywhere and on everything.
Known as the speaking clock or POPCORN, calling the phone company for the time was a handy service helped people reset clocks years ago.
While many of us recall Dean Stockwell most fondly for playing Al Calavicci on Quantum Leap, he actually started out as a child actor and appeared in several films alongside well-known stars through the decades. Here’s a look!
Pepperidge Farm remembers… but do you recall all of these classic cakes, cookies, breads, turnovers & other treats they made years ago? (And did you know they once made canned soup?)
Use our inflation calculator to see how prices have changed over time. Discover the value of money across decades with this easy-to-use tool.
Peanut butter cookies are an American treat that have been a favorite for generations. Check out our huge collection of this classic recipe and its variations!
To help you remember the heyday of the Xerox, check out some vintage copy machines here – and be grateful that email and scanners have made running a business nowadays so much simpler.
Check out the charm of these vintage bath towels. This collection of classic ads showcases the unique designs and craftsmanship from back in the day.
Laugh In got people talking about television again. Its rapid-fire gags, many of them dreadful, were repeated by millions every Tuesday morning.
In the ’70s, the popular choice was shag carpet – with bouncier colors and more interesting textures and originality in designs than ever before.
Was Red Lobster restaurant where you got your first taste of seafood? The first Red Lobster restaurant was in Lakeland, Florida, and opened its doors
Explore the rich history of famous catchphrases that shaped generations and discover their timeless charm in our culture today!
Kellogg’s wasn’t the first to invent fruit-filled toaster pastries, but Pop Tarts have dominated the market for 60 years and are more popular than ever.
Back in the 1960s & 1970s, if you asked someone on the mainland about Hawaiian music, chances are the first (and probably only) songs they’d know would be by Don Ho. The singer’s smooth, laid-back style delighted millions. Find out how it all began here.
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Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Now that you know, have fun looking around!
