Red text on blue over an illustration of a red and green truck on yellow ground with black text over it

The “___ do it better” slogan has existed since at least the 1970s, and has been customized for countless identifiers, like professions, hobbies, physical traits, and nationalities. Famously, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin wore a shirt onstage in 1977 that read “Nurses Do It Better!” in honor of his then-wife Maureen, who was a nurse. Legend has it, someone in the crowd threw the shirt to him during the performance, and after reading it aloud he laughed saying, “I know!”

Illustration of a green reptile on a white background with a red circle and line across. 

The famous Lacoste Izod crocodile logo contained within an interdictory circle on this button is most likely making a statement against the "preppy" look and lifestyle that rose to popularity during the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

The well-known Lacoste polo shirt and its crocodile logo were developed in the 1930s by French tennis great, Jean René Lacoste. Its association with the “yuppie” movement later in the century was initiated after it gained preference by country club members and Ivy League college athletes of the 1970s and 1980s. The Official Preppy Handbook which was published in 1980, declared the Izod polo to be "the sport shirt of choice" for anyone who considered themselves prep school elite. With the brand’s French origins and sizing as well as its historic associations with wealthy pastimes such as tennis, golf, and sailing, the crocodile-clad clothing became an instantly recognizable symbol of the well-to-do. 

Glow in the dark text on a black background under an illustration of a ghost with a red circle and cross over the image

According to its website,YEAHRITE appears to be the producer of unique graphic designs that both borrow from and alter recognizable pop culture images such as the Ghostbusters movie franchise logo shown here. The designs are applied to pin back buttons and t-shirts which are available for purchase. The company refers to its creator and owner as "Aimless J. Lackluster" and spoofs the modern start-up story on its website which states that the company's mission is "allowing people to purchase mementos" of the creator's "super rad (not dumb) ideas". Urban Dictionary's definition of "Nug": n. 1. A high quality bud of marijuana. 2. The Dank. 3. See ganja. 

Black text on a bright orange background

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Black text on a pink shape on a green background

A lobotomy is a form of brain surgery that became popular in the early 20th century as a means to treat a variety of mental health ailments. It was developed in Europe in the 1890s as a means to cure schizophrenia. The process involves severing the link between the frontal lobe, which is essential for many brain functions including language and cognitive abilities, and other parts of the brain. Reducing the functionality of the frontal lobe often resulted in apathy, lack of initiative, euphoria, and a drastic change in personality, but the results varied widely.

Because this procedure generally produced calmer patients, its perceived success led to widespread use throughout the US for a myriad of mental health conditions and intellectual disabilities. The majority of patients were women. Criticism began to mount that lobotomies did not actually cure these ailments, but rather made the patients easier to manage. These criticisms, along with the rise of medication use and psychotherapy, caused lobotomies to lose favor by the 1950s.

Blue text and an illustration of a wagon on a white background

Waukegan, Illinois was founded in 1829 and reached cityhood by 1859. It is the 9th largest city in the State of Illinois and boasts a population of a little under 90,000 people. The citizens celebrated a Centennial festival in 1959 to commemorate the establishment of Waukegan as a city. The festival was shaping up to be a big deal in the city with some men even being encouraged to grow beards as a way to honor the city’s founders. Famous Waukegan resident Jack Benny, a comedian, was invited to attend the event as a promotional stunt to bring in a larger crowd. The event was held again in 2009 for the 150th anniversary of Waukegan. 

Sepia tone photograph of a church building over an illustration of a banner with brown text on it

California Avenue Congregational Church stood at 101 S. California Avenue at the corner of Monroe Street. The congregation was founded in 1883 and built the church shown here in 1887. Although thriving for years, the church found it difficult to maintain a congregation as, “foreigners and Roman Catholics moved in.” In 1918, they formed a federation with Monroe Street Church of Christ (one block West at Monroe and Francisco) to form Monroe Street Federated Church. Under that arrangement, Sunday services were held at the California Avenue site while weekday services and social events were held at the Monroe Street site. The congregation seems to have lasted until 1935. The building demolition date is unknown at this time.

Illustration of two nude characters and black text on a green background

Created by New Zealand artist Kim Casali in the 1960s, "Love is..." comics were little love-type notes for her then fiancé Roberto Casali. The cartoons are one frame, drawn in black and white with “Love Is “ in the upper left corner, and then a drawing with the sentiment underneath. The couple in the comic are nude and the woman always has light long hair and the man has short dark hair. They are seen doing things together, being happy, thinking of each other when apart, and just being in love. 

The comic strip was first published in 1970. Each one is individual, there is no series or continuation. In 1972, the most popular of the comics appeared: "Love Is...being able to say you are sorry" and was marketed internationally. Today the comic strip is distributed through Tribune Media Services. 

Illustration of Peanuts character, Franklin facing right with a blue and purple background.​

First introduced in the July 31, 1968 edition of Peanuts, Franklin Armstrong is a friend of Charlie Brown and is the first African-American character to appear in the comic strip. Franklin's creation came when Harriet Glickman, a Los Angeles schoolteacher wrote to the comics creator, Charles Schulz, and asked him to include African-American characters into the comic. Though initially hesitant, Schulz continued to stay in contact with Glickman over the next few months and eventually, Schulz agreed to include an African-American child into the story. Upon his introduction, Franklin was presented as a classmate to Peppermint Patty and Marcie. First introduced to each other on a beach, Franklin immediately strikes up a friendship with Charlie Brown and from there remained a permanent addition to the Peanuts cast. Though the comic ended in 1999, Franklin, like the rest of the Peanuts characters, has continued to be seen in other media, such as animated specials and movies. ​

Blue text on a white background with blue and silver letters in the center with blue lightning bolts coming out of the sides

The Wagner Act of 1935 acknowledged workers’ right to bargain collectively and form unions. Workers at the Allen-Bradley factory in Milwaukee unionized in May 1937 as Local 1111 of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers. Repeated strikes and periodic contract negotiations with the company, which thrived after World War II, led to better pay and benefits for workers. Over time, the plant shifted industrial production to rural areas of Wisconsin and other countries. Rockwell International bought Allen-Bradley in 1985, and moved more production out of Milwaukee. The last union contract with Local 1111 ended in July 2010, and the union no longer exists.