1920s

Between 1920 and 1929, John finally fell out of the top spot, as the most popular name for boys was Robert, with 576,373 entries. Robert, like William, dates back to English royalty and translates to “bright with fame” or “shining.” Mary stayed strong for girls, with 701,755 registered applications. The 1920s saw continued population increases both in the U.S. and worldwide. This is sometimes credited to a baby boom that occurred after World War I and the Spanish influenza, but is largely due, as in the previous decade, to better health care. 

1930s

Between 1930 and 1939, Robert and Mary stayed at the top of the list, with 590,787 Roberts and 572,987 Marys. Though there were more Roberts born this decade than in the previous one, there was a decline in the birth rate overall due to the strain that the Great Depression placed on families. (The overall population was still higher in 1940 than in 1930, at roughly 132 million versus 123 million people.) A few new interesting names entered the runner-up positions in the 1930s. In female names, Betty and Barbara grew in popularity. Betty is a nickname for Elizabeth, a versatile name with Hebrew origins that is also found in English royalty (namely, Queen Elizabeth I). Barbara, like Helen, comes from Greek, and is also the name of St. Barbara, the patron saint of armorers, miners, and artillerymen. For boys’ names, the runners-up after Robert were James, John, William, and Richard.

1940s

Between 1940 and 1949, the name Robert fell to the second spot after James, which had 795,753 entries. Mary remained the most popular name for girls at 640,066 entries. The name James derives from Hebrew, and, like John, stems from a number of uses in the Bible. Like many other popular names, James is also found in the English monarchy, as well as the Scottish monarchy. Though it’s fallen out of the top slots in recent years in the United States, James remains one of the most popular baby names in Scotland. The next most popular boys’ names in the 1940s were Robert, John, William, and Richard; for girls, the list included Linda, Barbara, Patricia, and Carol. Interestingly, while Linda was never the most popular name in any given year, it is the most popular American baby name of all time, translating to “beautiful” in Spanish and Portuguese. Patricia, on the other hand, had been popular in England long before its time in the states, as it was the name of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter. 

1950s

Between 1950 and 1959, the names James and Mary remained at the top of the list with 843,711 and 625,601 entries, respectively. Not far behind James, however, was a new popular name: Michael. Michael, like James, stems from the Hebrew Bible, and variations of the name exist across a number of languages, such as Miguel in Spanish and Micha in German. After James and Michael, Robert, John, and David topped the list for boys’ names, while Linda, Patricia, Susan, and Deborah followed Mary for the most popular girls’ names. 

1960s

Between 1960 and 1969, everything changed, as is fitting for this revolutionary decade. Both James and Mary were unseated from the No. 1 slot: Michael became the most popular name for boys at 833,102 entries, and Lisa for girls at 496,975 entries. In fact, there were almost 150,000 more Lisas than Marys in the 1960s. The name is another variation on the popular moniker Elizabeth, and even Elvis Presley picked it for his daughter, Lisa Marie, who was born in 1968. While not much else changed in boys’ names this decade, popular girls’ names saw the addition of newcomers Susan, Karen, and Kimberly.

1970s

Between 1970 and 1979, Michael remained the most popular name for boys, topping out the decade with 707,458 entries, while Jennifer unseated the short-lived reign of Lisa with 581,753 entries. There were more new names that cropped up in the second and third slots, however, including Christopher and Jason for boys. The name Jennifer, meanwhile, grew so popular, it became known as the “standard” name for a baby girl. The initial spike in Jennifers started 50 years prior with the appearance of the name in a George Bernard Shaw play called The Doctor’s Dilemma. After Jennifer, the most popular ’70s girls’ names were Amy, Melissa, Michelle, and Kimberly.

1980s

Between 1980 and 1989, Michael retained its title as the most popular name for boys, with 663,827 entries, while Jessica just barely unseated Jennifer as the most popular name for girls — there were 469,518 Jessicas versus 440,896 Jennifers. Jessica stems from the Hebrew Bible, where its original spelling was “Jeska”; the common spelling in English comes from William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. The top five boys’ names in the 1980s were Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Joshua, and David, and the top five for girls were Jessica, Jennifer, Amanda, Ashley, and Sarah. 

1990s

Between 1990 and 1999, Michael and Jessica stayed the most popular names for each gender, with 462,390 Michaels and 303,118 Jessicas. Still, there were fewer entries for both than in the previous decade, in part because a handful of newer, trendy names cropped up as well, such as Matthew, Justin, and Andrew for boys and Ashley and Tiffany for girls. Andrew, like James, is a popular name with links to Scotland, while Matthew goes back to the Bible. Ashley and Tiffany, meanwhile, reflect the trend of girls’ names ending in “y” — names such as Brittany, Courtney, Emily, and Kelsey took off in the beginning of the 21st century.

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“Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You” (1961)

President John F. Kennedy assumed office during a tumultuous time in America’s history. But right from his inaugural address, he conveyed a spirit of hope and idealism in a resonant quote that went on to define his presidency. “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country,” he famously said. 

JFK’s inauguration, the first to be broadcast in color, was watched by some 38 million people. The speech, although credited principally to Kennedy, was also written by Kennedy’s longtime aide (and later, principal speechwriter) Ted Sorensen. Kennedy wanted a speech that would “set a tone for the era about to begin,” and he got just that. America was on the precipice of great social change, and the inaugural address encapsulated the country’s need for unity and the civic engagement the moment would call for. 

“Do You Believe in Miracles?” (1980)

One of the most iconic moments in sports history happened during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. In the last few minutes of the men’s ice hockey medal round match between the United States and Soviet Union, the U.S. was, improbably, ahead by one goal. The Soviets were seasoned players known for their dominance in international hockey; they placed in the top three in every world championship and Olympic tournament they had played since 1954. The U.S. team, by comparison, was made up primarily of young college players who averaged 21 years old, making them the youngest players of any American Olympic hockey team in history. 

No one expected a U.S. victory. A New York Times columnist even wrote that “unless the ice melts,” the USSR would once again be victorious. As the clock counted down, with just five seconds left and the U.S. still up by one, ABC sportscaster Al Michaels remarked, “Do you believe in miracles?” before letting out an elated “Yes!” as the clock ran out and the U.S. won 4-3. The victory was soon dubbed the “Miracle on Ice.” Two days later, the U.S. went on to clinch the gold medal after defeating Finland. A TV documentary about the road to gold used Michaels’ quote for its title, and in 2016, Sports Illustrated called the victory the “greatest moment in sporting history,” proving that a good underdog story can be better than fiction.

“Tear Down This Wall” (1987)

On June 12, 1987, during a ceremony at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate for the city’s 750th anniversary, U.S. President Ronald Reagan delivered the now-famous line, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” The Berlin Wall, which had divided East and West Berlin since 1961, was more than just an imposing physical barrier; it symbolized the ideological divide between communism and democracy across Europe during the Cold War.

Reagan’s speech became a defining moment in his presidency — eventually. Although reactions were mixed at the time, the address gained favorable traction when the Berlin Wall finally fell two years later, on November 9, 1989. The line now stands as a pivotal moment in history, capturing an era of tense political dynamics — and, of course, solidifying Reagan’s legacy as “the great communicator.” The fall of the Berlin Wall was a historical turning point, signaling victory for democracy and peace. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his role in putting the Cold War to an end.

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Enslaved Women Founded America’s Oldest Secret Society of Black Women

The annals of history are filled with the names of secret societies whose membership was exclusive to men, but women have also had a role in creating these clandestine groups. The United Order of Tents is the oldest organization of Black women in the United States, founded by two formerly enslaved women, Annetta M. Lane and Harriet R. Taylor, in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1867. The organization, which still maintains chapters throughout the United States, is believed to have supported operations of the Underground Railroad. During the turbulence of the Reconstruction era, the group  provided mutual aid and support to the Black community, serving as a “tent of salvation” turning their time of need.   

An Ancient Secret Society Inspired a Video Game Franchise

In the 11th century, the Nizari Ismailis were a group of powerful medieval Shiite Muslims in Persia and Syria. The group used guerilla tactics to outwit their enemies, including Christian Crusaders arriving in the Holy Land. Hated by other Muslim groups, they were given the name Hashishin, a pejorative Arabic word meaning “hashish user,” which was later westernized by Crusaders as “Assassins” and the English word came to mean a paid killer. The group fell to the Mongols in the 13th century, but the legend of the Nizari Ismailis lives on. The video game “Assassin’s Creed” creates a fictionalized world based around the Assassins and another ancient secret society, the Knights Templar, a military order established in the 12th century and endorsed by the Catholic Church. The Knights Templar served as protectors of Christian pilgrims and Crusader states in the Holy Land, but their objectives differed from those of the Nizari Ismailis. Though the timelines of the two groups overlap, there is no historical evidence to support that the two groups fought each other.

One Secretive Club Has Its Own Elite Summer Camp

Among all of the exclusive societies, the Bohemian Club may be the only one with its own elite summer camp. Founded in 1872 in San Francisco as an exclusive gentlemen’s club for journalists, artists, and musicians, the Bohemian Club expanded to include international political and business leaders as well. Bohemian Grove, the club’s privately owned 2,700-acre campground in the redwood groves of Sonoma County, provides a gathering place for a two-week summer encampment that includes secret rituals, performances, and private discussions that have changed the course of history. At the 1967 Bohemian Grove encampment, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan reportedly decided which of them would pursue the Republican presidential nomination. At a September 1942 gathering at Bohemian Grove, physicist Robert Oppenheimer attended an S-1 Executive Committee planning meeting to finalize details for the Manhattan Project, leading to the development of the atomic bomb. Given the privileged and private membership and traditions, it’s not surprising that the group has been the subject of conspiracy theories and protests and, most recently, a lawsuit alleging wage theft and labor violations.

New Secret Societies Are Finding a Home Online

Though secret organizations have existed for centuries, the internet has given rise to new ones in recent years. One of the most enigmatic is Cicada 3301, which appeared online in 2012. The group claimed to be searching for “highly intelligent individuals” by presenting a series of complex digital puzzles based on cryptographic techniques including ciphers, codes, and steganography. Solving the puzzles involved a wide range of knowledge about coding, programming, literature, art, and other disciplines. There was some speculation that the puzzles were being used as a recruitment tool for intelligence agencies, while others thought they might be part of the promotion of a new game, though no attempt was ever made to monetize the puzzles. Those who solved the early puzzles were presented with additional challenges and login credentials for a darknet site. The group’s identity remains unknown and they have been largely silent since 2014.

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More Than 1 Million Immigrants Were Processed in 1907

On April 17, 1907, Ellis Island processed its highest number of immigrants in one day: 11,747 individuals. That year was the immigration facility’s most prolific, and it processed just over 1 million new arrivals. The island’s heyday ended after 1924, when the National Origins Act (part of the Immigration Act of 1924) restricted the number of immigrants who could come to the United States. 

Some 40% of Americans Can Trace Their Roots to Ellis Island

The majority of immigrants who came through Ellis Island arrived from Southern and Eastern Europe, escaping a number of difficulties ranging from poverty to religious or ethnic persecution. Today, it’s believed that almost half of Americans can trace part of their ancestry back to Ellis Island. Modern visitors can stop by the Family History Center at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to explore their families’ roots.

Ellis Island Is Located in Both New York and New Jersey

Ellis Island sits in New York Harbor between the states of New York and New Jersey, and though it is technically owned by the federal government as a historically protected site, it is officially located in both the Empire State and the Garden State.  In 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that both New York and New Jersey could lay claim to the island: The main building that tourists visit is located in New York, and a 21-acre portion of the island that was filled in later is located in New Jersey. 

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