Let’s not beat around the bush, if you remember the ’60s, then you’re getting on a bit. Many things from this time period helped to shape the world, but we’re going on 60 years now. Flashbacks about any of the following 16 things proves that you’re officially old.
Party Lines on the Telephone
Just thinking about this one will make you feel like you’ve massively aged. If you had a party line, you had to share your phone connection with neighbors. That meant picking up the phone and hearing someone else’s conversation.
You had to wait your turn to make a call, and if you picked up while someone was already chatting, you were expected to quietly hang up.
Sitting in the Back of a Station Wagon
This was a rite of passage for a lot of kids. You weren’t really going anywhere fancy, but you were definitely sliding around in the back of a giant station wagon. Parents up front didn’t even check if you were buckled in because, well, no one was.
Watching TV with Rabbit Ears
Honestly, younger folks today wouldn’t believe what you went through just to watch the news. When you wanted to watch TV in the ’60s, you needed rabbit ears, which were those thin metal antennas that you had to constantly adjust just to get a halfway decent picture.
Sometimes you’d have to wrap foil on the ends or hold them just right while leaning sideways, all so you could catch the evening news or your favorite sitcom.
Drive-In Movie Theaters
When you look back now, this one still feels kind of magical. There was nothing cooler than pulling up to a drive-in on a warm summer night. You’d hang the little speaker on your window, maybe grab a root beer and popcorn, and kick back with friends or a date.
Metal Roller Skates That Clipped to Your Shoes
You know what? These things were downright dangerous, and we still loved them. Most weekends, you were probably strapped on a pair of metal roller skates that clipped right to your sneakers with a little key. And let’s be clear, these things were loud and wobbly.
Tang
For what it’s worth, Tang really made you feel like you were doing something futuristic. It was the orange drink that astronauts supposedly took into space, which made it automatically cool, even if it tasted like a vitamin. Kids in the ’60s had cabinets full of powdered Tang, and it showed up at breakfast more often than real juice.
Actual Milkmen
It’s almost hard to believe this was once just part of everyday life. Most days, a man in a white uniform dropped off glass bottles of milk right on your porch. You’d leave out your empties, and the milkman would replace them with fresh, cold milk, sometimes even chocolate or cream.
Jell-O in Everything
You go to a holiday dinner, and there’s a neon-colored mold on the table. In the ’60s, putting everything in Jell-O was somehow considered classy. Fruit, vegetables, marshmallows, and shredded carrots, nothing was safe. People brought Jell-O salads to parties and holidays like it was a gourmet dish.
Using Encyclopedias for Homework
Still to this day, the thought of carrying them makes your back twinge. Before Google, kids had to do school projects using a giant set of encyclopedias.
You flipped through pages and hoped the information wasn’t outdated. If your family didn’t have a full set at home, you were making a trip to the library.
Smoking in Restaurants and Planes
Hard to imagine now, but this used to be completely normal. In the ’60s, people lit up cigarettes pretty much everywhere. You didn’t need to sneak outside or find a special area. Smoke just drifted through the room like it was no big deal. There were ashtrays on every table, and cigarette ads on TV were totally normal.
Playing Records on a Console Stereo
There was just something about the ritual of it. Any time you wanted to hear your favorite songs, you dropped a needle on a vinyl record inside a massive wooden console stereo, one that doubled as living room furniture. Kids today just press a button on their phone, but back then, listening to music was more hands-on.
Polaroid Cameras
To capture a moment in the ’60s, you didn’t just snap a pic on your phone. You used a bulky Polaroid camera, waited for the photo to spit out, and then waved it in the air like a mad person while it developed. You got one shot, and you treasured those grainy, slightly off-color memories like they were gold.
Pencil Sharpeners Screwed to the Wall
Raise your hand if this noise still lives in your brain. Back in school, there was always one sharpener bolted to the wall that every kid had to use.
You’d walk to the front of the class, jam your pencil in, and crank the handle while everyone else stared at you. The noise was loud, and half the time you over-sharpened the pencil until the tip broke.
Gas Station Giveaways
Believe it or not, gas stations used to hand out freebies, like actual, usable stuff such as dishes, glasses, or even toys. Fill up your tank, and you might get a commemorative coin or a full place setting. People actually collected these things and used them proudly at home.
TV Sign-Offs at Night
You knew it was time for bed when the national anthem played and the screen faded to static. In the ’60s, TV didn’t run 24/7. Channels signed off late at night, and nothing aired until the next morning. You watched what was on, when it was on, and when it ended, that was it.
Sock Hops and School Dances
Lastly, here’s a memory that’ll probably make you smile. Sock hops were the thing, usually held in the gym, with a live band or DJ spinning 45s. Everyone dressed up and danced the night away on the hardwood floor. You might’ve nervously asked someone to slow dance or just hung out with your friends hoping the music never stopped.
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