25 Iconic Pop Culture Moments Frozen In Time, Including Britney Rehearsing With VMAs Yellow Python

Marilyn Monroe has been etched in our collective memory as a blonde bombshell and icon of 1950s cinema.

This photo taken in 1946 captures Norma Jeane Mortenson with her natural hair color at the age of 20, before she became Marilyn.

The same year the photo was taken, Ben Lyon, an executive at 20th Century Fox, suggested she adopt a stage name. 

She chose Monroe because it was her mother’s maiden surname, while Lyon came up with Marilyn because the actress reminded him of Marilyn Miller, a Broadway musical star.

It would be another decade before the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes star legally changed her name to Marilyn Monroe on February 23, 1956.

In the summer of 1983, the late actress, then 26 years old, posed for a Star Wars: Return of the Jedi photoshoot for Rolling Stone.

Princess Leia had fun at the beach with Darth Vader, an Ewok, and one of Jabba the Hutt’s hefty henchmen.

“Most of what drove it was Carrie herself, because she was such an incredible person, full of positivity and energy,” Los Angeles-based photographer Aaron Rapoport told SFGATE about the photoshoot.

“I have done a lot of cover shoots but this one was really different. It was very joyous.”

It’s not clear who is meeting whom in this photo.

In 1956, when Marilyn Monroe was filming The Prince and the Showgirl in the UK, she was invited alongside other celebrities to the Royal Film Performance.

Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn were both born in the same year and were 30 years old when this photo was taken.

The former First Lady sat on Mr. T’s lap during a Christmas party at the White House in 1983.

“Wow! Now that’s gonna start some scandals,” the actor, dressed up as Santa Claus, quipped after Reagan kissed him on the head, a remark that prompted her to laugh. 

“I like scandals,” he added. “Wow! She kissed me, and nothing seems the same.”

The unlikely friendship between the bouncer-turned-actor and actress-turned-First Lady reportedly began after the photo was taken, when Reagan invited Mr. T to be involved in her program, Just Say No, designed to prevent substance dependence issues.

In 2014, Betty White described Lucille Ball as one of her “dearest friends.” 

This photo shows the late actresses at a book signing for White’s autobiography in 1987, two years before Ball passed away.

“She was dynamite. Everything you saw was what you got,” White recalled, adding that the two often played backgammon together.

“She used to teach me the game but she used to move the pieces so fast. I used to say ‘How are you teaching me if you move the pieces so fast?’ and she would say, ‘I want to win!’”

Disneyland first opened its doors on July 17, 1955, featuring 20 attractions. Unfortunately, the day proved more chaotic than fun-filled.

The park's opening day became known as Black Sunday, as the company encountered many issues, including rides breaking down, restaurants running out of food and drinks during the hot summer day, and a gas leak in Fantasyland that forced the area to close to the public.

The original plan was to invite a limited number of people, from press personnel to celebrities and dignitaries who would be greeted by Walt Disney. However, many attendees were able to forge invitations or simply break in, resulting in an estimated 28,000 people entering the park.

This behind-the-scenes photo shows Henson rehearsing for an episode of Sesame Street in 1970 with his most famous creation, Kermit the Frog.

The first Kermit puppet appeared in 1955 in the TV show Sam and Friends. His body was fashioned from an old green coat, with two ping-pong ball halves used for eyes. 

The endearing frog is believed to have been named after one of Henson’s childhood friends, Kermit Scott, though some accounts link it to Kermit Kalman Cohen, a sound engineer who worked with the creator.

Henson performed Kermit for 35 years until his passing in 1990, after which Steve Whitmire took over the role.

Jim Henson was the creative force behind many of the characters most closely associated with puppeteering, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Big Bird.

This photo shows the Muppets creator (center) rehearsing a Bert and Ernie scene for Sesame Street with puppeteers Daniel Seagren (left) and Frank Oz (right) in 1970.

Seagren also played Big Bird for several episodes of the show. Meanwhile, Oz performed many different characters, including Miss Piggy in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster in Sesame Street, and even Yoda in the Star Wars film series.

“The most sophisticated people I know - inside they are all children,” Henson said.

The Hollywood co-stars were photographed acting goofy at the Texas State Fair during a weekend break from filming their movie Giant in 1955.

James passed away later that year in a car accident at just 24 years old. He earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film, making him the only actor to receive two posthumous acting nominations after being recognized for East of Eden.

Taylor, who had developed a very close friendship with Dean, said at the time, "He was so alive, he was so vital. He was only 24 and it seemed impossible — I had just been with him that day, driving around the studio in his Porsche. I couldn't believe he was d*ad."

The Golden Girls was a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1992.

It featured an ensemble cast led by Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty.

The show, which won two Emmy Awards, centered on four older women who shared a home and explored themes such as friendship and aging.

The photo above offers a behind-the-scenes look at the famous series.

The Queen of Pop and 2Pac briefly dated in 1994, two years before the rapper was fired at while riding in his car. In this photo, the couple is seen chatting with Raquel Welch at a party in New York City.

Madonna famously shared that she was “feeling very g*ngsta” when she said the word “f**k” 13 times on air in David Letterman, citing her relationship with the rapper as inspiration for her carefree attitude.

Their romance continued to attract attention years later. In 2019, a handwritten apology letter that Tupac wrote to the Material Girl after they broke up was auctioned for $100,000.

In the letter, he apologized for making hurtful comments and admitted that race was a significant factor in their split. He wrote that being seen with a white woman would have meant “letting down half of the people who made me what I thought I was.”

Part of the reason he wrote the note, he explained, was because he wanted to tell her how he felt “in case anything happened to me.”

Usually, it’s the people meeting famous cartoon characters who are most excited to see them. But in this 1988 snapshot, it was undoubtedly Roger Rabbit who couldn’t hide his joy at seeing Lady Di.

The sweet image was captured at the London premiere of Robert Zemeckis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit, set in a world where humans and cartoon characters (or “toons”) coexist.

Diana, whose life was cut short in a fatal car crash in 1997, met many celebrities during her time as a princess, including David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and John Travolta—who famously shared a dance with her.

For her first appearance in Saturday Night Live in 1985, Madonna wore a light blue dress and a tiara to portray Princess Diana. The musical guests that week were Simple Minds.

The skit featured Lady Di visiting the Reagans with Prince Charles, played by Jon Lovitz.

The Like a Virgin hitmaker returned in 1993, this time as a musical guest, and performed Fever and Bad Girl.

When people think of Britney Spears, the image of the Princess of Pop holding a yellow python at the MTV Video Music Awards is likely to come to mind.

This photo captures the star rehearsing I’m a Slave 4 U before one of the most iconic performances of her career in 2001.

"One of my favorite performances was with an albino python," Britney said on Instagram in 2023 alongside a clip of the moment. "I still remember how scared I felt when I was handed this snake and took the stage!!!"

The snake, Banana, gave Britney quite the fright as she performed in her 2000s outfit. 

The singer recalled in her memoir, "In my head I was saying, Just perform, just use your legs and perform. But what nobody knows is that as I was singing, the snake brought its head right around to my face, right up to me, and started hissing."

In the late 1990s, anticipation for The Phantom Menace was through the roof, as it marked George Lucas’ first Star Wars film as director since the original, released two decades earlier.

Everyone wanted to get their hands on the toys, including Leonardo DiCaprio, shown above shopping for his Star Wars merch at Toys "R" Us on the night of its release in 1999.

The collection included 375 different products and, according to a report by The Guardian at the time, saw grown men wrestling 3-year-olds for Obi Wan-Kenobi models.

This photo captures Steven Spielberg in action, directing Henry Thomas on the set of his 1982 film E.T: the Extra-Terrestrial.

The film's concept was reportedly based on an imaginary friend the filmmaker created after his parents' divorce.

“I thought, ‘What would happen if a child of a divorce or a family of a divorce with a huge hole to fill, filled the hole with his new best extra-terrestrial friend?'” Spielberg said.

He added, “I wanted the audience to have the same journey as Elliott — to be scared at first and then embrace E.T. completely.”

The sci-fi film received nine nominations at the Academy Awards, winning Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing.

The Beatles made several appearances in The Ed Sullivan Show. The first, in 1964, was reportedly watched by a staggering 73 million viewers.

The variety show helped introduce the legendary British group to American audiences, launching Beatlemania across the Atlantic.

“We were aware that Ed Sullivan was the big one because we got a telegram from Elvis and the Colonel,” said George Harrison at the time. “And I’ve heard that while the show was on, there were no reported crimes, or very few.”

Most fans have only seen black-and-white footage of the performance, but this image shows the group in full color while being filmed for the show.

Bob Dylan posed with Sonny & Cher, one of the most popular duos of the 1960s and early 1970s, in this 1965 photo taken at Atlantic Studios in New York City.

The duo’s first and only chart-topping single, I Got You Babe, was inspired by Dylan’s folk song It Ain’t Me Babe. Sonny reportedly copied Dylan’s use of the word “babe” to write his pop song.

Cher’s first solo single under her famous mononym also reflected her admiration for Dylan, as it was a cover of his song All I Really Want to Do. She later covered more of his songs, including Blowin’ in the Wind and Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.

Most people associate Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews, but there was another actress who portrayed the beloved nanny first.

Mary Wickes, pictured above, played the magical character in 1949 during a one-hour TV adaptation that was part of CBS’s Studio One series.

The famous Disney film starring Julie Andrews— also based on P. L. Travers's book series—was released in 1964 and earned the lead an Oscar for Best Actress.

The 90-year-old actress was later nominated for The Sound of Music and Victor/Victoria.

Andrews said she received “an awful lot of teasing” from her family due to her sugary-sweet image after Mary Poppins. “I must be truthful,” she told the BBC. “I don’t regret it at all.”

Truman Capote was friends with some of the biggest names in show business, including Diana Ross.

The pair celebrated together at the 1978-79 New Year's Eve party held at the legendary New York disco Studio 54, where nothing was taboo.

Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Taylor, and Cher were among the regulars at the exclusive nightclub.

In the pre-social media era, celebrities could party whoever they wanted without fear of being recorded and exposed. 

Warhol famously declared the club to be “a dictatorship at the door and a democracy on the dance floor.”

In 2012, Miss Piggy appeared in Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live.

During her segment, she played Plead the Fifth and joked with OC Housewife Vicki Gunvalson

The famous Muppet was dressed to the nines, wearing a cocktail dress specially designed for her as part of a Project Runway challenge.

“I can't believe I'm stanning a Muppet, but Miss Piggy is everything she thinks she is,” reads a YouTube comment from a fan. Another marveled that “Miss Piggy NEVER ages,” while a third praised “the ultimate diva.”

In 1967, the music duo starred in an episode of Kraft Music Hall, an NBC series sponsored by Kraft Foods. 

During the episode, hosted by comedian Phyllis Diller, she and her mentor, Bob Hope, portrayed two old hippies holding on to the flower power movement in a future setting—the year 1997.

Friends ran for ten seasons on NBC from 1994 to 2004, defining an entire generation and later captivating a new one who discovered the sitcom on streaming platforms.

The final episode was reportedly watched by around 52.5 million Americans, making it the fifth-most-watched series finale in TV history.

The above photo offers a behind-the-scenes look at Monica and Rachel’s apartment, where many of the sitcom’s iconic scenes took place.

In 1990, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo sat down with Oprah Winfrey.

The episode has since been included on the list of 14 Most Unlikely Oprah Shows published on the host’s official website.

The turtles, who were promoting their Coming Out of Their Shells stage musical, answered questions from the audience and made Oprah dance to their song, Pizza Power.

At one point, a mother in the audience shared that she had walked backward down Michigan Avenue with a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles underwear on her head to win tickets for her children.

Before he was famous, RuPaul appeared in The Geraldo Rivera Show in 1990 as part of an episode about New York City nightlife, particularly the Club Kids, an artistic youth movement known for its gender-bending fashion.

The Drag Race creator had his goals clear from the start, along with the determination to pursue them.

“I’m from San Diego, Calif. I knew that for my star to shine, I would have to move to New York, become an Andy Warhol superstar and then make my way back to Hollywood,” the entertainer told The Post.

“I didn’t become an Andy Warhol superstar, but everything else is pretty much how it worked for me.”