Illustration of an American flag with a yellow ribbon on a black background

A yellow ribbon tied around a tree or pole represents thoughts for military soldiers and troops deployed to active duty. The use is unofficial, but over the years, it has become part of the tradition to indicate a loved one is serving during wartime.

Thought to have been started around the Civil War, tying a yellow ribbon is a much more modern concept. A Reader's Digest story, printed in 1971, told the tale of a prisoner returning home after a long sentence. He asked his family to tie white ribbons to a tree in the yard to signify if they wanted him to return. If he saw no ribbons, he would understand and move on with his life. In the story, the prisoner returns, relieved to find the tree overflowing with ribbons. It was a clear welcome from his family, and they were grateful for his return. This story was made into a T.V. movie in 1972 and then a hit song in 1973.

During the late 1970s, displaying a yellow ribbon or tying one around a tree showed concern for American hostages held in Iran. It would again appear during the Gulf War in the 1990s.  The symbolism of a yellow bow or ribbon has since become synonymous with support for American soldiers.

Green and white photograph of grassy field with white crosses

Rows of white crosses, or war memorial markers, are found at U.S. military cemeteries. Although the standard crosses are common representing Christian faith, there are also Star of David to represent Jewish faith, Lutheran Cross, Russian Orthodox Cross, Cross and Crown (First Church of Christ, Scientist), Presbyterian Cross, and white pillars to represent other religions.

Fields of crosses have been used to represent memorial day, patriotism, as well as dissent with war in the media and pop culture. The musical Oh! What a Lovely War notably used the field of crosses as their main promotional image. The Chicago III album depicts soldiers posing in front of crosses as an anti-Vietnam statement from 1971.

White block text with a black outline on top of an illustration of French fries in a red box.

McDonald’s was founded in 1948 by Dick and Mac McDonald. The hamburger stand was located in San Bernardino, California. In 1955, Ray Kroc opened the first franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois. The building with its distinctive golden arches, which would become the logo for McDonald’s, was designed by architect Stanley Meston. By 1965, there were over 700 McDonald’s restaurants throughout the United States. McDonald’s introduced a new "supersized" option in 1992 but removed the option in 2004 to simplify their menu and offer healthier food choices. McDonald's phrase “super-size it” was used to allow customers to upsize their fries and soft drinks to an extra-large size.

White text on a red background

The campaign "Say yes to Michigan" is part of the state's intent to draw tourists to its various attractions and locations throughout. This bright red button is part of that campaign, and is just one of several variations that are handed out.

Black text on a tan stripe across the middle on top of a yellow circle with an outer black edge with yellow text

The Crepes-Plus pan began sales by the Ekco Flint company in 1975. It was made of stainless steel inside and out for easy clean up. The pan was displayed as being flipped over to heat up so that the wide-open lip of the pan was face down over the eye of the stove. Then the cook would flip the pan to dip the bottom in crepe batter, then flip it back over so that the open lip would face down over the eye and what is usually considered the “bottom” of a pan is on top cooking the crepe. Then, once it was cooked, you would flip it over to put your crepe on a plate. The Crepes-Plus pan was titled the “everything pan” and was advertised as being useful for cooking other things besides crepes. The 7-inch crepes plus pan cost $6.99, and the 8-inch size pan was $8.99.

Black illustration of a smiley face with shamrock shaped eyes

This button was most likely produced for people to wear on Saint Patrick's Day, a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on March 17, the day of Saint Patrick's death. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and the day commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and the heritage and culture of the Irish people.  According to legend, Saint Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans, which accounts for the use of the shamrock to depict the eyes of the face on this button. It is customary to wear shamrocks and the color green on Saint Patrick's Day. Celebrations around the world include parades, feasts, festivals and drinking alcohol. 

Black smiley face on a bright yellow-green background

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.

The design and concept are quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

In internet culture, the smiley face is often represented by a colon and a parentheses. :)

Black jack-o-lantern face on an orange background

The jack-o-lantern has been a common Halloween symbol for centuries. They originated in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, where faces were carved into turnips and placed outside the home in order to keep out ghosts and ghouls. The tradition has become much more complex in many regions, where faces, intricate silhouettes, designs, and landscapes are carved into pumpkins. 

Brown text on an outer white edge with an illustration of two arms holding wheat on a blue background

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Black and red text on a white background

The Peoples Coalition for Peace & Justice (PCPJ) organized a November 6, 1971 group of regional anti-war rallies in 15 major U.S. cities. Posters and buttons were widely circulated promoting the rallies. Over 100,000 people participated, with the greatest turn-outs being in San Francisco with 40,000, New York with 30,000, and Denver with 15,000 in attendance.

PCPJ was formed in 1970 to protest against the war in Southeast Asia and to confront social issues such as poverty, labor, repression and sexism in the United States. PCPJ was created as a successor to the Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, which itself was formed by members of the Communist Party USA. The group organized several campaigns including the People's Peace Treaty, Citizen's Action Pledge, and Nixon Eviction campaign.