Keep on Streaking

An illustration of a naked person's backside with black text on a hot pink background

Although the act of streaking has been popular since the mid-1960s, the term "streaking" was first used in 1973. The term was coined during a mass nude run at the University of Maryland. Streaking is different from nudism, because the streaker intends to be noticed by an audience. It is also different from "flashing" in that it is not intended to shock the victim. Perhaps the most widely seen streaker in history was 34-year-old Robert Opel, who streaked across the stage flashing the peace sign on national television during the 46th Academy Awards in 1974. The high point of streaking's pop culture significance was in 1974, when thousands of streaks took place around the world. A wide range of novelty products were produced to cash in on the fad, from buttons, patches, t-shirts, etc. Ray Stevens had a novelty hit called "The Streak" and Randy Newman even had a song about streaking called "The Naked Man."

Read more about the History of Streaking Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.​