Photograph of John F. Kennedy on top portion of button.  White text in red center portion.  White text and illustration of airplane on black bottom portion. 

JFK, born John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from January 1961 until his assassination on November 22, 1963. Before becoming president, JFK served in both the House of Representative and the Senate for the state of Massachusettes. His time in office overlapped with the Cold War, the creation of the Peace Corps, and the Civil Rights Movement. After his death in 1963, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office and the New York International Airport, built in 1948, was renamed the John F. Kennedy International Airport to honor his memory. 

Black text and red heart symbol on a white background.

Girl Scout Cookies are sold by members of the Girl Scouts as a major fundraising for individual troops. The funds are used to support different experiences and adventures for local troop members. The first cookie sales began with the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1917, five years after Juliette Gordon Low started the organization. In 1934, The Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia became the troop to sell commercially baked cookies. Two years later, the national organization began licensing commercial bakers to make cookies to be sold by troops around the nation. By 1937 more than 125 troops were selling cookies. By 1951 three varieties were available — sandwich, shortbread, and chocolate mints. Since 1998, eight varieties have been available for sale.

This is a variation of the I heart NY logo that was created in 1977 by Milton Glaser for an ad campaign created by advertising agency Wells Rich Greene. The marketing campaign was sought by then-Deputy Commissioner William S. Doyle to increase tourism in the state of New York. The campaign was a wild success. The original sketch of the logo is permanently on display at the MOMA. The logo has become iconic in pop-culture and has been imitated in many forms around the world.

Blue and white text in a red center circle.  White text on a blue outer border.

The Yonkers Industrial Exposition and Pure Food Show was held at the State Armory on Maple and Waverly Streets in Yonkers, New York. The Yonkers Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event. It featured roughly 75 booths representing almost all of the manufacturers of Yonkers. The slogan for the expo “Industry Unites Us With the World” was selected from nearly 5,000 entries for a slogan contest that was held. Featured entertainment at the expo included musical performances and vaudeville acts direct from New York City.

Illustration of guitar head and neck forming the Woodstock logo being held by hand.  Outline of white dove is perched to the right of the hand.  Green and black text on a yellow background.

This button doubles as a Bill Clinton for president campaign item and a promotional button for a Woodstuck Reunion concert, which was eventually canceled. In 1992, Bill Clinton was running for President of the United States again President George H.W. Bush. Bill Clinton won and became the 42nd president.

Illustration of gold-colored snowflake with black text.  Gold text on a black background.

A group of Whitefish, Montana, residents launched the first Whitefish Winter Carnival in 1960, basing it on the Saint Paul Winter Carnival in Minnesota. The festival celebrates the local lore of Nordic god Ullr, who is said to have lived in the mountains near Whitefish. Humans eventually moved to the region and helped Ullr drive away the yetis that would at times steal Ullr’s queen, the Queen of Snows. Activities for the weekend festival each February include a torchlight ski parade, a penguin plunge, and the crowning of new royalty, among other events. 

Illustration of pink and red flower on a black background.  Green text on a white outer border.

Rochester, New York has been known as "The Flower City" since the mid 1800s, when the horticultural industry boomed as seed businesses and nurseries began to take hold in the city. In 1840, German immigrant George Ellwanger and Irish immigrant Patrick Barry established the Mt. Hope Botanical and Pomological Gardens, which by 1870, had become the largest nursery in the world. Rochester retains the nickname today as they boast several large gardens throughout the city and have hosted an annual Lilac Festival since 1898. 

Photograph of man wearing shirt and tie.  Black text on a white outer border.

Douglas Corrigan was a famous American aviator and aircraft mechanic. In the 1930s, Corrigan flew from Long Beach, California to New York City and then from New York City to Ireland. However, his transcontinental flight broke aviation safety regulations and Corrigan's pilot certificate was suspended for 14 days. Regardless, upon his eventual arrival back in New York City, he was celebrated for his travels. Corrigan is also known for his aircraft mechanic expertise which allowed him the opportunity to work on Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis in the 1920s.

Black line drawing of geisha's head and shoulders encircled by black text on a white background.

Profile illustration of a horse's head on a white background encircled above and below by black text.

Twenty Grand was an American racing horse in the 1930s and 1940s. He was owned and bred by Helen Hay Whitney's Greentree Stable and won 14 out of 25 races in his lifetime, including the Kentucky Derby. He is notable for being part of the "big four," which were the top four racing horses at the time. Twenty Grand was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and is also ranked at number 52 in the top 100 US thoroughbred champions of the 20th century in Blood-Horse.

Illustration of circle with curved green and orange stripes on a green and white striped background.  Black text on one of the white stripes.

The Balloon Farm was a psychedelic garage-rock band from New Jersey formed during the late 1960s. Their only hit single, “A Question of Temperature,” peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 37 in 1968; however, the band broke up later that year. Since then, they have appeared on several psychedelic garage-rock compilations and box sets. Their song has been covered by numerous bands, including Brownsville Station and The Lords of the New Church. The geometric design featured on the button is called Op Art or Optical Art. Popularized during the 1960s, contrasting colors and warping or swelling patterns give the optical illusion of movement.