20th Century decades resources
Throughout my list of 20th-century resources, you’ll often find links to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Some older websites, though still accessible, may be blocked by browsers or labeled as insecure due to their outdated HTTP protocols. This doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the content itself. Many sites are no longer updated or have disappeared, yet still contain valuable historical information. As of 2025, with numerous government websites becoming increasingly unavailable, I've included links to archived captures made before January 20, 2025. Thank you Internet Archive for preserving our important resources.
GENERAL
- 20th Century Innovation Timeline - The Great Idea Finder
The site is still http. To save historical content find it on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. - Advertisements of the 20th century
- AD Access Duke University Libraries (Print ads from 1911-1957)
- Adclassix.com (Vintage advertisements under a variety of categories)
- Classic TV Commercials (Internet Archive)
- American Cultural History: The 20th Century
No longer available on the LSC-Kinwood site, this resource can now be found on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. The content is a great summary of every decade and in the past was a reliable resource. Some links may not work, but it is something to investigate. - American Experience (PBS - features, films, and videos)
- American Masters A-Z List (PBS) (American cultural artists past and present)
- American Presidency Project (UC Santa Barbara)
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive - Authentic History Center - 20th Century (Artifacts and sounds of popular culture)
- Biography Resources
- 10 Most Influential Technologies Invented by Women (MakeUseOf)
- Academy of Achievement
- American Authors
No longer available on the WSU website, this resource can now be viewed on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. - American Masters (PBS - Outstanding cultural artists past and present)
- American Presidency Project (U. of California at Santa Barbara)
- Biography.com
- Black Inventor Online Museum
- Black Inventors Through American History
- Encyclopedia of World Biography
- Famous Black Americans of the 20th Century
- Illinois Authors Directory
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- U.S. Presidents (History.com)
- U.S. Presidents (University of Virginia Miller Center)
- Web Museum, Paris
- Women's International Center Biography Index
- Consumer Electronics (Computers. Media, Internet)
- Before Netscape: the Forgotten Browsers
- Brief History of Computers (Explainthatstuff)
- Computer History Museum
- History of Mobile Phones (U Switch)
- History of Mobile Phones 1973-2008 (Know Your Mobile)
- History of the Internet (Internet Society)
- Internet Archive Software Collection
- Multimedia: Video and Television Resources
- National Museum of Computing
- Old Web Today
- Time Travel the Internet (Howchoo)
- Triumph of the Nerds (PBS)
- Video Game History (History.com)
- CrazyFads.com
- Digital Comic Museum
- Ellis Island
- Ellis Island (National Park Service)
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Immigration (Library of Congress)
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Interesting Facts about Ellis Island (Family Search)
- Ellis Island (National Park Service)
- Eyewitness to History
Site remains http and saved to the Internet Archive. - Famous Trials by Professor Douglas O. Linder
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive.
Many (but not all) individual trials of the century are posted under individual decades.
- Fashion and Food Resources
- 20th Century Fashion
Site saved to the Internet Archive - 100 years of American Food
- Fashion History and Costume Era
- The Food Time Line (Morris County Library, Whippany, N.J.)
- 20th Century Fashion
- FBI History
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Google Cultural Institute (Exhibits of artifacts, photos, manuscripts and video of cultural history from 1905-2013)
- Historical Dictionary of American Slang
- History Matters: the US Survey Course
Site was saved to the Internet Archive. - History of Comics
- The History Place
- Humans in Space: History (NASA)
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Infoplease.com Year by Year
- Landmark Cases of the Supreme Court
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Library of Congress Digital Collections
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Life Magazine (Time-Life Historic Moments)
- NAACP (History.com)
- NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - National Archives Research
If sites becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive - Native American Heritage (Library of Congress Exhibits and Collections)
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Olympic Games
- Picturing the Century ( National Archives and Records Administration)
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Prices and Wages by Decades
If the site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Skooldays: Home of Nostalgia
- Science and Technology Resources
- History of Vaccines (College of Physicians - Philadelphia)
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
If site becomes unavailable viwe on the Internet Archive. - Sweetsearch History
- UShistory.org
MULTIMEDIA: Audio/Music/Radio Resources
Remember free doesn't mean copyright free. Copyright is implied!
Remember free doesn't mean copyright free. Copyright is implied!
- 78 RPM Records Digitized (Internet Archive)
- 100 Years of Rock Visualized
- American Popular Music
No longer available on the LSC-Kinwood site, this resource can now be found on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
American Popular Music 1900-1950
American Popular Music from 1950-2000 - American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank
- Citizen D.J.
Make music using the free-to-use audio and video resources from the Library of Congress. - Golden Age of Radio (Digital Public Library of America)
- Greatest Speeches of the 20th Century (Archive.org)
- History of the Radio Industry to 1940
- Jazz (Ken Burns Video - PBS)
- Library of Congress National Jukebox
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Music Playlist Sites (Decades Project Tools)
- Musicals 101 (The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, TV and Film)
- Nostalgia Machine (Get your childhood jam 1951-2015)
- Old Radio Shows
- Super Cartoons
- Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century ( American Rhetoric)
- Paul's Video Jukebox (Songs from the 40s to 80s)
- Voices of the 20th century (Eyewitness to History)
The site is still http. To save historical content find it on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. - World Radio History
MULTIMEDIA: Image Resources
Remember free doesn't mean copyright free. Copyright is implied!
Remember free doesn't mean copyright free. Copyright is implied!
- Biography Channel Photo Gallery
- Digital Public Library of America
- Getty Images
- In Focus: The Evolution of the Personal Camera (Digital Public Library of America)
- Library of Congress Historic Newspapers and Photos on Flickr
- Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Catalog
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Life Photo Collection
MULTIMEDIA: Video and Television Resources
Remember free doesn't mean copyright free. Copyright is implied!
Remember free doesn't mean copyright free. Copyright is implied!
- 50 Famous Firsts from TV History (Stacker)
- American Experience On-Line VIdeos (PBS)
- Biography Channel Videos
- Brief History of Television by Decade (Stacker)
- CBC Digital Archives (Canadian Broadcasting Centre)
On the left side click on Archives Timeline to select historical events - Citizen D.J.
Make music using the free-to-use audio and video resources from the Library of Congress. - Classic TV Database
- Crazy About TV (Show information by decade or genre from 1940's through 2013)
- Film History by Decade (Filmsite.org)
- History Channel
- Internet Archive Movie Archive (Searching required - not arranged chronologically)
- Library of Congress Moving Image Resource Center: Digital Collections
If site becomes unavailable view on the Internet Archive. - Museum of Broadcast Television (Search the Archive!!!!)
- My Retro TV 1950s-2000
- Paul's Video Jukebox (Songs from the 40s to 80s)
- TV Party
- We Didn't Start the Fire Official Billy Joel Video (YouTube)
- We Didn't Start the Fire Flash Video by Ye Li
The site is still http. To save historical content find it on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. - WGN - Chicago Tribune Broadcasting (Historical website)
Updated May 26, 2025