The 20th century was a whirlwind of unforgettable moments, filled with triumphs, tragedies, and transformations that shaped the world as we know it today. From groundbreaking achievements in space exploration to cultural revolutions that redefined art, music, and fashion, these snapshots of history capture the essence of a bygone era. This gallery dives into some of the most iconic moments from the past, offering a glimpse into the people and events that left an indelible mark on our collective memory. Let’s take a nostalgic journey through the decades and revisit the milestones that continue to inspire and fascinate us.
Musician and actor Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed’s style of country music included a good blend of humor and some wonderfully catchy hooks. While rocking his trademark seventies sideburns, the singer, songwriter, composer, guitarist, and actor had such memorable hits as “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” “A Thing Called Love,” and “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft).” You may even remember him from “East Bound and Down,” the theme song to the 1977 movie, Smokey and the Bandit. Reed also appeared in that movie as well as about a dozen more. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame.
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Devo at The Chili Dog Mac in Akron 1978
Devo caught people’s attention in 1977 with their first single, “Mongoloid” and their cover of The Rolling Stone’s hit, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, but 1978 was their breakout year. Very cleverly, their released an album of apparent demo songs that was claimed to be a bootlegged album, but was, in fact, a marketing ploy to stir up interest in the band. David Bowie and Iggy Pop recommended the band to Warner Bros, who offer Devo a recording contract. Their first album was titled Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Everyone knew their name after their 1978 appearance on Saturday Night Live.
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Talented singer-songwriter friends, Warren Zevon and Jackson Browne in 1976
Singer, songwriter, and musician Jackson Browne, known for his hit songs, “Somebody’s Baby,” “Running on Empty,” and “Doctor, My Eyes,” has had a lifetime personal and professional friendship with Warren Zevon, a fellow singer and songwriter. Browne even served as a mentor to Zevon. It was Jackson Browne who strongly encouraged David Geffen of Asylum Records to give Zevon’s music a listen which led to a recording contract. Asylum Records produced Zevon’s first two albums. On the personal front, Jackson Browne is the godfather of Zevon’s daughter Ariel.
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Joanie Labine was the first female DJ at the Whisky A Go-Go in 1965
Joanie Labine was the first female DJ at the famed Whisky A Go Go, but got be too quick to label her as an icon of women’s rights and equality. At the time, the DJ booth was in a cage suspended over the stage. One night, she was spinning one of Johnny Rivers’ albums. Caught up in the music, she started dancing to the music, wearing one of her favorite outfits, tall white boots and a short, fringed dress. The crowd loved it. At that moment two new trends were born – dancing girls in cages and go-go boots — and neither of them helped advance the feminist movement.
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Iron Maiden, with their mascot Eddie, on a battleship in 1981
As scary as it was, Eddie the Head was the longtime mascot for the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. Eddie joined the band on tours and had a prominent role in their concerts. The band sold Eddie merch, too. There were t-shirts, posters, and even an action figure based on this controversial character. Eddie, who was called a zombie, a cyborg, a deranged mental patient, and an ancient Egyptian mummy all rolled into one, also appeared on all the album covers for Iron Maiden. Artist Derek Riggs drew various illustrations of Eddie for the band’s promotional use.
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Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt and John Prine at Opryland in 1974
When this photo was taken of Bonnie Raitt with Tom Watts and John Prine in 1974, Raitt was on the cusp of stardom. Just a few years earlier, she was performing with her brother in a folk festival when a Newsweek reporter saw her show. The reporter spread the word about her when ed to her being offered a recording contract with Warner Bros. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1971. That album, and her nest two, Give It Up in 1972 and Takin’ My Time in 1973, were met with critical acclaim but were not fan favorites. It took her a bit longer to build up her loyal fan base, but when she did, she was unstoppable.
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Surf’s Up, Batman!
It couldn’t get any campier than this. The writers of TV’s Batman decided hop on the surfing craze that was sweeping across the country by having the Caped Crusader hang ten. In an episode that aired in 1967, Batman must thwart the arch-villain, The Joker, by … you guessed it — surfing. You see, The Joker has captured the word’s best surfer and used his “Surfing Experience and Ability Transferometer” machine to suck the talent out of the poor surfer dude and into his own body so that he can become the king of surfing and, thus, take over the world. It is up to Batman to out-surf The Joker and save Gotham City.
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Tim Curry lounging on the streets of London, 1969
When this photo of English actor Tim Curry was taken in 1969, Curry had recently graduated from the University of Birmingham with a combined bachelor’s degree in English and drama. In a few short months, he would land his first full-time acting role as a member of the original London cast of Hair, the 1968 musical. It was during his time with Hair that Tim Curry met Richard O’Brien, a fellow actor, writer, and producer. A few years later, in 1973, O’Brien tapped Curry for a new film he was writing. He wanted Curry to play the role of the flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
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Teri Garr guest-starring on Star Trek in 1968
Actress Teri Garr appeared in one episode of the original Star Trek television series, but it was not a positive experience. In the episode called “Assignment: Earth”, Garr was cast as a secretary, Roberta Lincoln. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had Garr wear an incredibly short skirt for the role. But part the way through filming, Roddenberry called for Garr’s skirt to be made even shorter. Furious, Garr walked off the set in protest. She did eventually return to finish the role but she had such an unpleasant experience that she rarely spoke of her Star Trek appearance.
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