Back in My Day
Back in my day, this household device required you to memorize seven digits, and sometimes even the area code if you were calling someone fancy
Rotary/Landline Phone
This artist’s global reach was so vast that his televised performances became international events, and his choreography set a standard that pop stars still imitate decades later.
Michael Jackson
This mode of personal transportation was confidently predicted to replace cars by the early 2000s, despite the minor issue that gravity still works.
Flying Cars
This event began after a royal figure was assassinated in Sarajevo and soon pulled most of Europe into war.
World War 1
This 1939 Technicolor epic became one of the most famous films ever made, known for its tornado, ruby slippers, and a journey far from Kansas.
The Wizard of Oz
Back in my day, this analog technology required you to physically return to the place where you left a message to hear it.
Answering Machine
This late‑night host’s monologue functioned as a national temperature check, and missing it meant missing the country’s unofficial daily debrief.
Johnny Carson
This utopian prediction assumed that by the 21st century, nations would abandon conflict entirely, a theory disproven almost immediately.
World Peace
This 1989 event happened after a mistaken announcement, leading crowds to tear down a concrete barrier dividing a city.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
This 1972 crime saga redefined the gangster genre and made an offer Hollywood couldn’t refuse.
The Godfather
Back in my day, this financial tool required carbon paper, a steady hand, and absolute trust that no one would steal your number.
Writing a Check
This actress was so synonymous with glamour that a single raised eyebrow could command a room, yet her most enduring legacy might be the diamonds she convinced the world were a girl’s best friend.
Marilyn Monroe
This household machine, imagined as a metallic butler, was expected to handle chores by 2010.
Domestic Robot/Robot Servant
This small beeping satellite launched in 1957 and shocked the United States, kicking off the Space Race.
Sputnik
This 1977 blockbuster changed special effects forever and launched the modern era of franchise filmmaking.
Star Wars
Back in my day, this recording format forced you to predict the future by pressing ‘record’ at exactly the right moment.
VHS Tape/ VCR Recording
This actress’s career spanned six decades, but she is most remembered for a role that required her to age backward — a feat she accomplished without a single special effect.
Betty White
This once‑popular belief held that by 2020, humans would live in these modular, climate‑controlled structures in the clouds.
Sky Cities/ Floating Cities
This 1954 Supreme Court decision ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
Brown v. Board of Education
This 1997 epic tied the record for most Oscars and became the highest‑grossing film of the century.
Titanic
Back in my day, his once‑ubiquitous household item doubled as a weapon, a pointer, and a way to fix the TV signal.
Antenna/Metal Rabbit Ears
This performer’s transition from vaudeville to television was so seamless that his deadpan delivery became a national comedic dialect.
Bob Hope
This futuristic travel system was expected to make cross‑country trips in minutes, yet remains mostly a concept drawing and a billionaire’s hobby.
Hyperloop
This 1918 global crisis infected one‑third of the world’s population and killed more people than World War I.
Spanish Flu pandemic
This 1941 film revolutionized cinematography with deep focus, low‑angle shots, and a mysterious sled.
Citizen Kane