Ronald McDonald used to look pretty unlike – and he was n’t even McDonald ’s first mascot !
1.Here’s what the McDonald’s arches and logo used to look like. Oh, and did you know there was a mascot before Ronald McDonald? His name was Speedee!
2.Ronald McDonald didn’t debut until 1963. Here’s what he looked like then.
3.Before Dennis the Menace, Little Miss Dairy Queen was Dairy Queen’s mascot. Here’s what she looked like!
4.Mr. Potato Head used to look a little different. The “potato” wasn’t included – and was a real potato — and he was advertised for use on any fruit or vegetable.
5.Here’s what Monopoly used to look like. This was before the design of Mr. Monopoly we all know and love today.
6.Here’s what the original footage for Shrek looked like.
7.And here’s an early version of the Cookie Monster that was green and had teeth.
8.Looks like Ken got some major plastic surgery over the years.
9.Here, you can see an even earlier Ken — along with Alan.
10.Here’s their storage box, along with some accessories.
11.And here’s the original Barbie! (You may recognize that striped bathing suit from the beginning ofBarbie!)
12.Original designs for Voldemort (on the back of Quirrell’s head) inHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonewere MUCH scarier than the one they ended up using.
13.Here’swhatfire extinguishers used to look like. They had salt water inside, and in later versions, fire suppressant.
14.Did you know that Return of the Jediusedto be calledRevenge of the Jedi? Here’s a poster from before it was changed.
15.Here’s what Guess Who looks like today compared to how it used to look…it was certainly less diverse back then.
16.Here’s what Tigger used to look like. Was no one going to tell me he didn’t always look like the Tigger we know and love???
17.Here’s what Trojan condoms used to look like.
18.This is what yearbooks and yearbook quotes used to look like. It’s kind of a power move to call yourself a “saucy minx” in your yearbook, but I’m here for it.
19.Here’s what old Valentine’s cards looked like. They’re low-key creeping me out.
20.Microwaves used to give the same energy as that one alarm clock everyone’s dad had.
Y’know, this one.
21.Here’s how report cards used to look. Tag yourself, I’m “inclined to mischief.”
22.This is how much iPhone cameras have changed over the years. Soon, we’ll be able to use them as microscopes or something.
23.The difference between laptops over time is also wild.
24.This is what an old version of Old Spice looks like. I didn’t know Old Spice wasactuallyold.
25.Jergens has been around for a while, too. Here’s what a bottle used to look like.
26.And here’s what Head & Shoulders used to look like.
27.I don’t know why it never occurred to me that batteries would’ve looked different back in the day, but these kind of blew my mind.
28.It also genuinely never occurred to me that dollar bills would’ve once looked different.
29.Here’s what the $5 bill used to look like in 1950. Did you know “In God We Trust” wasn’t printed on US currency until 1957?
30.Similarly, the original Pledge of Allegiance didn’t have “under God.” President Eisenhowersigneda law in 1954 adding the phrase to the pledge, in part due to the Cold War ideas of Communists being “godless” and Americans being morally superior.
31.TIL that phone numbers were once four digits.
32.Here’s what credit cards and pay stubs used to look like. The fact that credit cards were once metal and paper is also really throwing me off.
33.And driver’s licenses were, too. Weren’t people worried about spilling???
34.Here’s what Starbucks gift cards used to look like.
35.And here’s what McDonald’s gift cards used to look like. I feel like both of these examples would be super easy to copy?
36.Speaking of McDonald’s, this old coupon is genuinely kind of terrifying.
37.Here’s what Nerds used to look like. They didn’t have the flavors we have today, either.
38.Twix wrappers used to look pretty different, too. I just hope they still tasted the same!
39.I kind of prefer the original Pringles can design.
40.Though the old Fanta logo is kind of boring.
41.This is what Sprite cans used to look like.
42.And this is what the original Mountain Dew looked like.
43.At least Pepto-Bismol has always been that same shade of pink!
44.Here, you can compare a thermostat from 1957 with a modern one.
45.Here’s how much cell phones have changed. I’m old enough to remember all of these, but are you?
46.I’m also old enough to remember what Mac computers used to look like, but I feel that today’s youth needs to be educated.
47.I kind of love how TVs used to look.
48.Prescription pills used to come in much prettier containers.
49.Have you ever wondered how National Geographic used to look? I gotchu!
50.I’m not going to lie—this cash register is pretty sick, and I think we should go back to using ones like this.
51.I also think old calculators should make a comeback. They look cool and retro.
52.Here’s what a child’s car seat looked like in the 1930s and ’40s. It looks just a little unsafe to me.
53.Here is what the first Taco Bell looked like. You can find it at their headquarters in California.
54.And here is one of their original menus.
55.Speaking of old menus, here’s the original McDonald’s menu.
56.Here’s what a ticket to Disneyland looked like in 1997 — and how much it cost.
57.Here is one of the original 1930s Shell gas stations.
58.Did you know that the original Hollywood sign actually used to say “Hollywoodland”?
59.Reclining seats on airplanes used to be MUCH nicer than they are today. They actually reclined.
60.First-class also used to be much nicer. Here’s a first-class lounge on a 1960s airplane.
61.New York subway cars used to look a little different. You can actually visit them at the New York City Transit Museum.
62.Times Square also looked super different back in the day. This photo is from 1940.
63.TheoriginalXbox prototype looked pretty different from the Xbox we know and love today.
64.This old one-game Nintendo gaming console from 1982 actually doesn’t look that different from the Switch.
65.This is what the first karaoke machine looked like, along with its inventor, Daisuke Inoue.
66.Here’s what suits used to look like a century ago.
67.And here’s what a black wedding dress from the 1860s looked like.
68.This is what a pharmacy looked like 100 years ago.
69.And here’s what old medicine used to contain. Along with things like arsenic and heroin.
70.Here’s what personal ads used to look like in the late 1800s….or really, the equivalent of the modern dating bio.
71.And finally, here’s what a test for an eighth grader looked like in 1912. Could you ace it today?
