Color illustration of the head and shoulders of the cartoon character Olive Oyl: a woman wearing a red shirt with a white collar; she has a distinctive nose and black hair pulled back into a horizontal ponytail

Olive Oyl is a classic cartoon character who first appeared in Elzie Crisler Segar’s Thimble Theatre comic strip in 1919. Although Olive Oyl was the main character for nearly a decade, Popeye the Sailor was introduced later, on January 17, 1929, and soon became the main focus. Over time, Olive shifted from being Ham Gravy’s girlfriend to becoming Popeye’s. She later became best known as the quirky, tall, and outspoken love interest often caught in a love triangle with Popeye and his rival, Bluto. She is portrayed as independent and temperamental, yet frequently finds herself in a damsel-in-distress situation. Recognizable by her slender build, bun hairstyle, and distinctive voice, Olive Oyl remains a cultural icon in American cartoons, appearing in comics, animated shorts, TV shows, and movies. 

Kellogg’s Pep cereal, introduced in 1923, included 13/16” lithographed paper-pinback buttons of a popular comic character as in-box prizes from 1945 to 1947. These collectible “Pep pins” came in five series of 18 comic-character buttons each, totaling 86 unique buttons. Authentic pins will have Kellogg’s Pep stamped on the back. Olive Oyl’s Pep pin was created in the 1940s, at the height of the character’s popularity. 

A black and white simplified illustration of the Chicago skyline divides the button in half with black text on a red background on the top and white text on a blue background on the bottom 

The Chicago White Sox are an American Major League Baseball team affiliated with the American League. Originally founded in 1894 as a minor league team, the Sioux City, Iowa Cornhuskers, the team moved to Chicago—and the major leagues—with the new name, The White Stockings. In 1904, the team name changed a third, and final, time to the White Sox. 

In the 1960s, potato chip companies like Crane Potato Chips sold bags of chips containing an MLB memorabilia button like this one. These buttons could be collected and redeemed for a fitting prize: a baseball! Crane Potato Chips, originally founded in 1928 as Licek Potato Chip Co., operated out of Decatur, Illinois. Each baseball button has DECATUR, ILL. proudly stamped on the backside.

Illustration of the dome of the United States Capitol in the center with two black stars on the left and right sides; red text on a white background above and white text on a red background below

The Washington Nationals are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team from Washington, D.C., but their history stretches back through earlier franchises. Baseball in the nation’s capital has had a unique past; Washington was home to two different teams called the Senators. The first Senators (1901–1960) eventually moved and became the Minnesota Twins, while a second Senators team (1961–1971) was later relocated to Texas, where they became the Rangers. That left Washington without an MLB club for over three decades, until 2005. The Nationals’ franchise actually started as the Montreal Expos, Canada’s first major league team, in 1969. When the Expos moved to D.C. in 2005, they became the Nationals, marking the city’s return to big-league baseball after 34 years. By 2012, the team had captured its first major league title and went on to be a regular playoff contender throughout the 2010s.

Crane Potato Chips, once based in Decatur, Illinois, has its own distinctive story. The company got its start in 1938 under Licek Confectioners and changed hands a few times before Ollie Crane purchased it in 1944, running it for nearly three decades. One of the brand’s most memorable features was its creative packaging—chips sold in large beige cans that doubled as handy storage. But what really stuck with fans were Crane’s baseball promotions in the 1960s. Each summer, the company handed out collectible pins featuring bright team logos and names, with Crane’s branding stamped on the back along with a promise of a free baseball. These colorful pins became a summertime tradition for kids and collectors, with the only dated set known from 1961.

Illustration of the head of a German shepherd dog in profile in front of a blurred natural landscape; the dog is alert with its tongue out

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Black text on a yellow background

The "breezy button" collection from Armour Star meat packing company had 24 buttons, each with a catchy "breezy slogan." The buttons were given free in every package of Armour franks (hot dogs) during the 1950s.  

Armour and Company was founded in Chicago in 1867 by Philip Danforth Armour. Its success made Chicago's meat packing industry the central meat packing location for the country and helped the city of Chicago grow in prominence. 

This particular “breezy button” was likely inspired by the song “Crazy Man, Crazy,” a 1953 song by Bill Haley and the Comets.

Color illustration of six brown horses pulling two people on a red cart; the sky is blue and the grass is green, with red text around the top rim and white, black, and red text in the lower-right corner

In 1917, Thomas E. Wilson, the head of Wilson & Co. meatpackers and Wilson Sporting Goods, introduced the Six-Horse Hitch of Clydesdales as part of a bold marketing campaign. The team quickly became famous, winning championships at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago and making appearances across the country, including the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. During World War II, the horses toured more than 150 cities to help sell war bonds, raising millions of dollars in the process.

In 1933, Anheuser-Busch purchased Wilson’s team to launch its own hitch, later known as the Budweiser Clydesdales. This button was part of Wilson’s promotional campaign, which was designed around the company’s six-horse hitch. 

Illustration of an ice cream cone with pink ice cream in the center on a background of three concentric circles—yellow, blue, and yellow—with white bubble-style lettering below. 

Ben & Jerry's started from humble beginnings in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont. Childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened an ice cream parlor with $12,000 and knowledge from a $5 correspondence course in ice cream-making from Penn State. Distribution of their delicious, original flavors grew steadily with major success, offering 98 flavors of ice cream as of 2025 with many options for non-dairy, gluten-free, and other alternatives ingredients.

Many flavors are named after pop culture icons, with an early and longstanding favorite being "Cherry Garcia," named after Jerry Garcia of the American rock band The Grateful Dead. Ben & Jerry's is also known for being outspoken for varying causes and movements, including environmentalism, racial justice, and Fairtrade initiatives.

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The term “Nervous Nellie” is often used to describe someone who is overly anxious, hesitant, or fearful, especially in the face of high-pressure scenarios. Even though the exact origin of the phrase remains unclear, the earliest known print appearance is credited to a Detroit Free Press article published in 1921. The nickname was assigned by Minnesota politicians to U.S. lawyer and senator Frank Billings Kellogg due to his cautious political approach.

It is theorized that the term likely caught on due to its catchy alliteration and the popularity of the name Nellie in the U.S. at the time, which peaked in 1902 at approximately 0.56% of the total female births documented by the Social Security Administration that year. The name remained within the top 100 U.S. baby names until 1925.

The phrase gained wider national recognition in 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson used it during a Democratic Party fundraising dinner to criticize those who were hesitant in their support of the Vietnam War. Johnson warned that there would be “Nervous Nellies” in the rough times ahead, and ultimately encouraged unity and courage. The line was widely quoted in the press and is believed to have inadvertently helped embed the term into the American lexicon. From newsrooms to political podiums, the phrase has endured, proving the lasting power of catchy language paired with public visibility.

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November 23rd is tied to several notable events. One of them is Fibonacci Day, which celebrates the famous sequence (1, 1, 2, 3…) with the date itself—11/23—reflecting its early numbers. The day highlights the sequence’s importance in nature, art, and mathematics.

However, judging by its age, design, and messaging, this button most likely dates back to the early 1960s and was likely created to promote the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Although the historic march ultimately took place on August 28, 1963, some early organizing materials and internal planning documents referenced November 23rd as the original proposed date. This initial timeline was later adjusted to better coordinate with other civil rights efforts, allow for broader participation, and avoid conflicts with the holiday season.

The march itself became a defining moment in the civil rights movement. It brought over 250,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where speakers—including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech—called for racial equality, fair employment, and freedom. Buttons like this one served as both promotional tools and keepsakes, helping to build momentum for a historic event that reshaped the national conversation around civil rights and economic justice.

Red background with an illustration of a tiger rendered in blue, red, white, and black in the center, white text above, and black text below

University of Missouri is the proud home of the Missouri Tigers football team. The team was established in 1890 and was named in honor of the Union militia known as the “Fightin’ Tigers.” During the American Civil War, the militia's small band of soldiers fought and protected Columbia, Missouri from the invading Confederate army. The football team and its mascot have remained a beloved part of the university’s culture, so much so, that in 1989 the University’s ice cream shop even named an official ice cream flavor after the team called Tiger Stripe. After many tries, the correct combination of a golden colored vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce was achieved, and the creators were able to make an actual tiger stripe effect throughout the ice cream. Since its inception Tiger Stripe ice cream has become a university tradition.