nostalgia

Believe it or not, these popular things are turning 100 years old

Chuck Taylors and Girl Scout Cookies are that old?!

Jan 9, 2017, 12:05PM By MeTV Staff

We're assuming nobody reading this remembers the year 1917. (If you do, may we tip our cap to you and learn your secrets?) Woodrow Wilson was sworn into his second term as President and the United States entered World War I. Babe Ruth was still on the Red Sox.

While that seems like ages ago, some of the things introduced into the world in 1917 remain essential pieces of pop culture. (That includes Perry Mason star Raymond Burr!) Let's take a look at some sweet treats, iconic clothing and educational aides turning the big 1-0-0 in 2017.

1. Girl Scout Cookies

The Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, deserve all the merit badges for coming up with the brilliant scheme of selling cookies. Five years later, the Girl Scouts organization suggested cookie sales as a fundraiser in its official magazine. It wouldn't be until 1936 that the GSUSA commissioned a commercial bakery to whip up batches of official cookies. We still miss some of those old ones. Check out 7 discontinued Girl Scout cookies we want to come back.

Image: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

2. Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars

The Converse Rubber Shoe Company launched its canvas and rubber athletic footwear in 1917. In Indiana, a high school basketball player named Chuck Taylor soon began wearing the all-black shoes. Four years later, Taylor was working for Converse, where he suggested some tweaks to the sneaks. The rest is history. During WWII, GIs wore Chucks in training, which helped turned the humble sneaker into an American icon.

Image: AP Photo/Grant Halverson

3. MoonPie

The chocolate-covered marshmallow sandwich was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The round treats quickly became a go-to treat in the South, typically accompanied by a cool RC Cola. In the 1950s, they became a Mardi Gras tradition, and a decade later they were the perfect food for celebrating the Apollo 11 mission.

Image: the_great_american / eBay

4. Cheerwine

Speaking of Southern staples, this cherry soft drink was first concocted by the Carolina Beverage Corporation that same year. These days, the soda, perfect for washing down some pimento cheese, finally has a presence around the country. At least, we were excited to see a six pack of Diet Cheerwine bottles in the grocery store this past weekend.

5. Clark Bar

Indeed, this peanut butter candy is named for somebody named Clark, David L. Clark, an Irish immigrant who formulated his eponymous chocolate bar in 1917. It was first made in Pittsburgh.

Image: Candy Favorites

6. World Book Encyclopedia

This is what the internet looked like in 1960. If you were lucky enough to get the 20-volume set, you were basically the Google of your block. Originally, the World Book contained a mere eight volumes. Wikipedia be damned, the company has just printed a commemorative 100th anniversary set.

Image: christianmontone / Flickr