Decades

1950s

100

This "King of Rock and Roll" had his first major hit with "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956.

Elvis Presley

200

In 1955, the vaccine for this disease created by Jonas Salk was declared safe.

Polio

300

Elected in 1953, he became the 34th U.S. President after serving as a five-star general in WWII. He is famous for the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and for protecting the Little Rock Nine students integrating Central High School.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

400

This popular amusement park opened in 1955 in Anaheim, California.

Disneyland

500

The year that the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite.

1957

1960s

100

Famous for their songs "Hey Jude" and "Come Together," this British band became a global phenomenon after appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

The Beatles

200

In July 1969, this American astronaut became the first person to walk on the moon.

Neil Armstrong

300

This iconic, three-day music festival drew over 400,000 people to a dairy farm in New York in August 1969.

Woodstock

400

This landmark 1965 law was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson to overcome legal barriers preventing African Americans from exercising their right to vote.

Voting Rights Act

500

This iconic first lady popularized the pillbox hat and oversaw a famous televised restoration of the White House in 1962.

Jacqueline Kennedy

1970s

100

This 1975 Steven Spielberg film about a man-eating great white shark became the first official summer blockbuster.

Jaws

200

This political scandal led to the historic resignation of US President Richard Nixon in August 1974.

Watergate

300

This 1977 sci-fi space opera that takes place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," directed by George Lucas, shattered box office records and became a cultural phenomenon.

Star Wars

400

This Swedish pop group won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with their hit song "Waterloo" and many of their songs are featured in the movie Mama Mia.

Abba

500

Invented by Gary Dahl in 1975, this humorous product came in a cardboard box with air holes and an official training manual.

Pet rock

1980s

100

This 1982 album by Michael Jackson became the best-selling album of all time, featuring hits like "Beat It" and "Billie Jean."

Thriller

200

This major physical barrier and symbol of the Cold War was opened in November 1989, leading to the reunification of Germany.

The Berlin Wall

300

This arcade game featuring a yellow, circle-shaped character became a global pop culture phenomenon after its US release in 1980.

Pac-Man

400

This portable Sony cassette player, introduced to the US in 1980, allowed people to listen to music on the go for the first time.

Walkman

500

This term describes the economic policies of the 1980s that were based on supply-side economics, featuring widespread tax cuts, decreased social spending, and domestic market deregulation. The philosophy is sometimes referred to as "trickle-down economics."

Reaganomics

1990s

100

This political leader was released from prison in 1990 and went on to become the President of South Africa in 1994.

Nelson Mandela

200

This 1997 epic romance and disaster film directed by James Cameron and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet became the first movie to gross over $1 billion worldwide.

Titanic

300

Originally released in 1993, these small, plush toys with names like "Crunch the Shark" became one of the biggest toys of the decade.

Beanie Babies

400

In 1991, this enchanted Disney musical became the first full-length animated film to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and contains the hit "Be Our Guest."

Beauty and the Beast

500

This iconic 90s girl group popularized "Girl Power" fashion, including platform sneakers, union jack dresses, and leopard print.

The Spice Girls