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The Merkel Motor Co. was established by Joseph Merkel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1902. Merkel's motorcycle company came out with the spring frame motorcycle in 1906 and then patented the spring front fork which became popular among other motorcycle producers. Merkel also developed the monoshock rear suspension which is used on modern motorcycles, and pioneered the throttle-controlled engine oiler before brands like Harley and Indian.

The Flying Merkel motorcycle was manufactured from 1911 to 1914 and displayed a trademarked light on the body of the motorcycle. It is also recognizable by it's color, which was a shiny bright orange. The iconic orange color paint has been labeled "Merkel orange". A Flying Merkel from 1911 sold at auction in 2011 for over $200,000.

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In 1992, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Larry Bird, professional basketball players of the NBA, starred in a commercial advertising a “bet” that Adbul Jabbar made with Bird. The “Ups the Bet” phrase was based on the Lay’s potato chips slogan that a person can’t eat just one chip without wanting to eat more.  The slogan “Betcha can’t eat just one” has been used to market the snack food since the 1960s.

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Richard J. Daley was elected for his fifth consecutive term in 1975 and held the office of Mayor of Chicago for over 20 years. The shamrock on the button reflects Daley’s Irish heritage as well as the majority ethnic group of his neighborhood of Bridgeport.  Daley’s eldest son would go on to be elected Mayor of Chicago as well from 1989 to 2011 forging another Daley dynasty. 

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The Rolling Stones is a British rock band that formed in 1962. The iconic Rolling Stones logo, "Tongue and Lip Design," was created by John Pasche in 1971. Still active as of 2024, current band members include Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood. Drummer Charlie Watts passed away in 2021. The Rolling Stones are estimated to have sold over 250 million records over the years. The band was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame.

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Elvis Presley recorded “Don’t Be Cruel,” written by Otis Blackwell, in 1956. During the recording session for “Don’t Be Cruel,” Presley also recorded “Hound Dog” and “Any Way You Want Me.” “Don’t Be Cruel” was released as a single with “Hound Dog” on the B-side of the record. By the end of 1956 more than four million copies were sold. In 2002 “Don’t Be Cruel” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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The song “California Uber Alles” by the band Dead Kennedys became famous for its criticism of then Governor Jerry Brown (D-California) depicting him as a corrupt leader of an imaginary ‘hippie-fascist’ version of America. With references to Julius Caesar and George Orwell’s 1984 the song presents a scathing indictment of the complacent mentality embraced by former activists in post-Vietnam America. The song has been re-made several times to reflect contemporary political views for varying elections such as the 1980 election of Reagan and the 2004 California Recall Election.  

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jerry-browns-worst-enemy

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“Work is the curse of the drinking classes” is a quote famously uttered by Irish playwright and novelist Oscar Wilde. It is a humorous twist on the old saying “drink is the curse of the working class,” which was typically uttered by the upper classes to explain why the poor failed to climb up the socio-economic ladder. This quote captures a common sentiment that British aristocrats held about the working class, which was that they failed to improve their lot because they indulged too much. Ironically, Wilde believed that the rich were the ones doing the indulging and that their looking down their noses at the lower classes was awfully self-righteous. As Wilde saw it, work was a nuisance that seemed to be getting in the way of aristocrats’ regular drinking habit.

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The United Parcel Service (UPS) was chosen as the postal carrier of choice for the 1992 democratic national convention held in New York City. Members of the democratic party of the United States came together in July, 1992 to nominate a candidate for the 1992 presidential election. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was seen as the leading contender, and was formally nominated by New York Governor Mario Cuomo. After winning by 3,372 votes, Clinton chose Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his running mate, making them the youngest ticket in the 20th century.  

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"Tennessee…It Just Comes Natural" was a themed program by Bill Jenkins, a candidate for the Board of the Tennessee Valley Authority, to promote tourism by leveraging state recreational centers in 1972. The program included petitioning Congress to designate land as wilderness areas to support the theme of a natural Tennessee.