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The Sydney City Mission was established in Sydney, Australia by English immigrant Benjamin Short in 1862. Short’s efforts were inspired by the London City Mission in London, England, as well as Sydney’s own poverty and lack of government assistance programs. Focusing on those in need of basic resources and social services, the mission has aided Sydney residents with food, addiction services, and crisis intervention for over a century. A Vocational Employment Training Scheme was established through the Sydney City Mission in 1979, and the following year, the Missionbeat service was introduced to address homelessness and mental illness.  

Blue, green, and black geometric representation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Yellow text appears around the illustration on a black background.

After Vietnam veteran Jan Scruggs’s conception of a Vietnam memorial, a nationwide competition was conducted to find a designer. The winning design was by Yale architecture student, Maya Lin, and her now iconic memorial features two 200-foot-long walls engraved chronologically with over 58,000 names of deceased or missing people who had served in the war. 

After seeing how the wall affected people emotionally, The Friends of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial was established as a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to extending free services such as name rubbings, Father’s Day Remembrances, and other services related to the memorial. 

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Did you know that prunes are made up of chlorogenic acids, phenolic acids, and select flavonoids that help reduce bone loss? No wonder these healthy fruits were popular and consumed regularly in the early 1900s. However, much to the dismay of California farmers, prune consumption began to decline in the 1940s. This decline continued steadily and, as of 2023, consumption of the fruit is still low compared to the early 1900s.

However, prunes had their moment in the 1980s, thanks to an increase in demand for fiber and intense advertising from the prune industry. While some laughed off marketing strategies such as passing out “I Prefer Prune” buttons in Grand Central Terminal, the strategies proved to be effective enough to increase prune consumption in the 1980s.

An illustration of a toad dressed as a captain. A piece of rope encircles the illustration and red text appears below and above the illustration. 

Captain Toady’s Tasty Products was established in 1987 and is one of the brands of Puget Sound Foods. Puget Sound Foods primarily produces seafood and meat seasonings and rubs and the Captain Toady’s products include tartar sauce, horseradish, and cocktail sauce. 

A photo of David Copperfield, a magician, his hands stretched out in front of him and surrounding the Stature of Liberty. A close-up of the statue's face appears above him along with white text. 

 David Copperfield, born in 1956, is an American magician. He has over 40 years of professional performances and is still practicing as of 2024. In 1983, Copperfield performed one of the most famous illusions in the history of magic in front of a live audience. The illusion was also broadcast on television on the show The Magic of David Copperfield. During the illusion, Copperfield explained he would make the Statue of Liberty disappear and reappear. An audience was seated on a platform facing the statue as it was illuminated by spotlights. He explained to viewers at home that he would not use camera tricks or editing as everything would be done live. A curtain was then raised that covered the statue from view and after a few moments it was lowered, and the statue was gone. The spotlights were shining into an empty space. The live audience and viewers were amazed by the illusion. It was later revealed that the trick was performed by moving the audience and not the statue. The illustration seen on this button was created by Jeff Wack to promote The Magic of David Copperfield. 

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Hot flashes are sudden bursts of intense sweating and skin hot to the touch, associated with menopause and perimenopause for women as early as 40. These flashes can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. These bursts can cause fatigue, irritability, and forgetfulness. The face and neck may turn red, and the heart rate will increase, causing increased sweating. Women may face up to 10 to 15 years of living with hot flashes.

Birthday cards for women reaching their late 40s feature jokes and cartoons centered around hot flash humor. Referring to hot flashes as “power surges” pokes fun at the side effects of growing older while simultaneously empowering women as they age. 

A humanoid frog sits atop a lily pad and snatches a bug with its tongue. The creature is wearing a striped t-shirt and sneakers. 

Garbage Pail Kids is a series of trading cards first released in 1985 as a humorous alternative to the widely successful Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. Comic artist Art Spiegelman (best known for his seminal graphic novel Maus) developed the idea for the Garbage Pail Kids while consulting with the trading card company, Topps. Each card has a unique character with grotesque features, engaging in typical "gross-out" activities. Toady Terry (also known as Croakin' Colin), seen here, was part of the original third series of the cards, released in 1986. Dead Ted, Bad Breath Seth, and Jay Decay are a few of many gross-out cards still collectible today. 

The cards were loved by children, but often viewed warily by parents and adults. The cards' over-the-top illustrations became a distraction in classrooms, resulting in many schools banning the trading cards. Garbage Pail Kids backlash reached a peak In 1988, when Mexico and Australia both prohibited the importation of the cards. The company was also sued for copyright infringement by Cabbage Patch Kids' parent company; the lawsuit was settled out of court. 

Despite all the controversy surrounding the cards, Garbage Pail Kids became a huge commercial success. International versions of the cards were developed in many countries around the world. A short-lived animated series and a live-action movie were released in 1987 and have become cult classics. As of 2024, the cards are still highly collectible: a mint condition version of the rarest card, Nasty Nick, is valued up to $11,000! 

An illustration of a purple dragon named Figment dressed as a chef holds a pot. The pot has blue text on it and a rainbow bursting out of it. Illustration appears on a blue background with yellow rim. 

Figment is the unofficial mascot of the Disney World Epcot park. Figment first appeared as part of the Journey Into Imagination ride and meet-and-greet in 1983. The ride has undergone multiple revisions and has not always been well-received by guests of the park. Figment was created by Tony Baxter and Steve Kirk.