The Kodak Brownie Camera (1900’s)

"Boulevard du Temple", the first ever photograph of a person 1838

With the introduction of the Brownie camera, an inexpensive, quality camera for the masses, a photography boom began that has continued through the present day. But the invention of photography came long before the Brownie camera hit the streets and in fact, can be traced back as early as the year 1021.

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The Hoochie Coochie Dance takes the United States by storm (1890’s)

Little Egypt exotic dancer Chicago World's Fair 1893

In 1893, the United States was introduced to a radical new form of dance. Although the public was initially shocked to see the sensual and titillating movement of the dancer, the Hoochie Coochie (or Hootchie Kootchie) belly dance caught on and became the precursor to the striptease type dances that would arrive generations later.

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Roller Skating fad of the 1880’s

A Young man on roller skates that are pedaled, 191

Skates mounted to wooden rollers had been produced since the 1860’s (in Holland) but several innovative inventions during the late 1870’s and early 1880’s served to fuel the roller-skating fad of the 1880’s.

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The history of Croquet and the croquet fad of the 1870’s

Croquet at Wimbledon 1870

Croquet’s origins The origin of croquet is unknown. Although the game has been played in roughly its present form for about one hundred years, its antecedents extend back many centuries. As long ago as the fourteenth century, peasants in Brittany and Southern France amused themselves playing a game called Paille Maille, in which crude mallets…

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The Silly Bandz craze of the 2000’s

Lucky Cascadia Cup Silly Bandz

They come brightly colored and in shapes of animals, letters, princesses, mythical creatures, logos and more. Kids trade them, collect them, and shoot them across the room (which is why some schools have banned them).

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The history of the Macarena Song and Dance fad of the 1990’s

Macarena dance at the 2012 CCP4 Study Weekend, University of Warwick

The “Macarena” song and dance grew into an incredibly popular fad during the 1990’s. The song and subsequently the Macarena dance spread like wildfire throughout the mid-1990s. The song and dance remain an often-referenced piece of 1990’s pop-culture, mentioned in TV shows, movies, books, and even by a United States presidential candidate.

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Bernie Sanders mittens meme fad (2020)

Bernie Sanders mittens meme

In January 2021, Bernie Sanders, the popular US senator and far-left activist, was photographed seated during the inauguration of Joe Biden. Wearing distinctive chunky mittens (hand knitted by Vermont elementary school teacher Jen Ellis.) and bundled in a thick coat and wearing a surgical mask (it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic), the…

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Fire challenge fad (2010’s)

Fire challenge screen shots

The aftermath is posted to social media sites and firefighters, police officers, and media sources have spoken out against the dare game which has become to be known as the Fire Challenge.

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