In the spring of 1935, the United States was caught up in a chain letter frenzy. The chain letter craze clogged up postal offices nearly shutting down operations in several locations.
The “Send a Dime” Chain Letter craze of the 1930’s
The Kodak Brownie Camera (1900’s)
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.
The Hoochie Coochie Dance takes the United States by storm (1890’s)
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.
Roller Skating fad of the 1880’s
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.
The history of Croquet and the croquet fad of the 1870’s
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…
The Silly Bandz craze of the 2000’s
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).
The history of the Macarena Song and Dance fad of the 1990’s
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.
The history of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) Bracelets (1990’s) – how a single woman spawned a 15-million-sold fad without accepting a single penny for her efforts.
During the mid 1990’s, it was common to see a person wearing a brightly colored bracelet with the enigmatic “WWJD” letters printed on it. To those in the know, these four letters posed a question that would lead the person to a calculated moral decision. What would Jesus do?
Bernie Sanders mittens meme fad (2020)
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…
Fire challenge fad (2010’s)
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.
