26 words that were born in the 1960s

Affirmative action refers to policies designed to alleviate unlawful discrimination against certain demographic groups regarding opportunities like college admissions and hiring. The term entered the dictionary in 1961, when President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order that included a provision that government contractors should take "affirmative action" to ensure there were equal opportunities for applicants regardless of "race, creed, color, or national origin." A little more than 60 years later, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ended race-conscious college admissions with its 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

An afro is a Black hairstyle featuring tight curls in a rounded, full shape. The term was first recorded in 1966, and the style was worn by prominent civil rights activists such as Angela Davis and Kathleen Cleaver, symbolizing Black liberation, beauty, and pride.

Although the term "baby boom" dates to the 19th century, the term "baby boomer" was later used to refer to the generation of Americans born during the major spike in U.S. births between 1946 and 1964, which followed the end of World War II. The term was first used in a 1963 Newport News Daily Press article noting the impending spike in college applications now that this generation was approaching adulthood.

One early use of "Black Friday" dates back to 1869, when it was used to name the day gold prices dropped steeply, causing a U.S. market crash. The modern, post-Thanksgiving shopping meaning of the phrase originated in Philadelphia in the early '60s, when cops used it to describe the dreaded traffic jams surrounding retail stores on that day.

Beginning in 1969, bubblegum didn't exclusively refer to chewing gum anymore. It was also used to describe media specifically catered to preteens and teenagers, most notably music. An entire "bubblegum pop" subgenre emerged featuring upbeat, simple songs aimed at young audiences. Notable bubblegum pop artists of the time included the Archies, the 1910 Fruitgum Company, and the Ohio Express.

Cochlear implants are electronic devices that help give a sense of sound to deaf people and people with hearing loss. French researchers André Djourno and Charles Eyriès performed the first implant in 1957. American surgeon William House performed the first U.S. implants in 1961 in Los Angeles with neurosurgeon Dr. John Doyle. House later teamed with engineer Jack Urban to develop the first wearable device.

Cyborgs (part-human, part-machine beings) are abundant in science fiction, but the word itself only dates to 1960. That year, Manfred E. Clynes and Nathan S. Kline coined the term while hypothesizing about the future potential need to enhance humans as space exploration first took off.

Dance-offs consist of competitions between dancers who must out-dance their opponents. The term dates to 1967, the same year the dance and music program "American Bandstand" introduced a dance contest involving couples.

People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, leading their brains and bodies to develop differently. It was originally known as "Mongolism" or "Mongolian Idiocy" before geneticists and allies of the Down syndrome community lobbied for the name to be changed. The World Health Organization officially approved this designation in 1965.

Dragon fruit refers to the fruit of the Hylocereus cactus, which is native to Mexico and Central America. When the fruit began to be more widely consumed in majority-English-speaking countries, the word "dragon fruit" emerged in 1963, referring to its dragon-like red skin and green scales.

Dating back to British novelist-playwright Patrick Hamilton's 1938 play "Gas Light" and its subsequent 1944 American film adaptation, gaslighting describes an abuse tactic where a victim is manipulated to doubt the reliability of their own thoughts and perception of reality. An early use outside of fiction came in 1961, when anthropologist Anthony F.C. Wallace's book "Culture and Personality" described gaslighting as a potentially "mythical crime."

These popular family dogs officially received their name in 1961, but they've been around since they were originally bred by English clergyman John "Jack" Russell. An avid huntsman, Reverend Russell bred these terriers to have great stamina and courage, perfect for chasing game.

Knockoffs, a term dating to 1966, are copies of popular goods, such as fashion brands or artwork. Knockoffs aren't illegal as long as consumers don't mistake them for the original brands. Counterfeits, however, use a well-known brand's trademark and closely resemble the original. These are illegal and can set copycats back millions of dollars.

In the age of "The Jetsons," it's unsurprising that magnetic levitation came into the lexicon. In 1966, Brookhaven National Laboratory physicists James Powell and Gordon Danby proposed a superconducting maglev train design, which they patented in 1969. Their work became the basis for Japan's SCMaglev system. Maglev trains have since come to life commercially in places like Shanghai, whose line, built with German Transrapid technology, began service in 2004.

Upon entering middle age, it's not uncommon for people to experience a period of turmoil marked by a fear of mortality and a desire for change. The term was coined in a 1965 paper published by Canadian psychoanalyst Elliott Jaques, who noted that people during this period are forced to confront their limitations regarding their futures.

A military-industrial complex forms when the military forges informal alliances with defense contractors and politicians. It gained popularity after President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the phrase during his 1961 farewell address, warning of the dangers of misplaced power.

Monkeypox (now known as mpox) was brought back into the mainstream in 2022, when the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over a multi-country outbreak. WHO declared a second emergency in 2024 and reported more than 61,000 confirmed cases between January 2025 and May 2026 alone. First coined in 1960, mpox is a disease transmitted to people through close contact with infected people or animals, including contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids, or respiratory droplets.

The term ob-gyn combines the fields of obstetrics (concerning all things pregnancy and childbirth) and gynecology (concerning all things reproductive health), referring to medical professionals who work in both fields. Although the word was coined in 1960, gynecology is one of the oldest medical specialties, dating back to ancient Egyptian times.

If you've ever delivered a witty, short joke, you've uttered a one-liner, a popular comedy term that became official in 1962.

The word "sleepover" dates to 1965, but the modern concept was popularized in the 1950s and 1960s, alongside the rise of suburban communities. According to Paula Fass, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, children could have friends stay overnight now that they commonly had their own bedrooms.

Sudden infant death syndrome, commonly called SIDS, was coined in 1969. The term describes the unexpected death of a seemingly healthy infant before one year of age. The condition is also called "crib death," since these deaths often occur while babies are in their cribs.

Telenovelas are popular Latin American dramas whose melodramatic storylines and abundant plot twists have much in common with their American soap opera counterparts. First popularized as radio dramas in the 1930s, telenovelas took off in countries like Brazil and Cuba in the 1950s. The word first appeared in English in 1961, and by the end of that decade, telenovelas featured storylines tackling taboo onscreen topics.

In 1960, "theme park" was first used to describe amusement parks whose attractions and structure involved a specific theme. The term's rise in popularity coincided with the popularity of Disneyland, which opened in 1955. Amusement parks had long offered people a variety of rides and games, but at Disneyland, rides, shops, venues, and games were all coordinated around a central theme.

Vibe has had a colorful history. In 1935, it first meant the musical instrument vibraphone. In the late 1960s, "vibe" meant a distinctive feeling or quality given off by a place, person, or thing. The term became popular as a way to respond to fears that conforming to societal norms took away the excitement of life. By 1971, it took on yet another sense, which meant to jive or be in harmony with someone.

Life without Ziploc bags can be hard to imagine these days, but they were only test-marketed in 1968 (the same year "ziplock" was added to the dictionary). Getting there took nearly two decades. In 1951, Steven Ausnit's company Flexigrip acquired the rights to Danish inventor Borge Madsen's plastic zipper. By 1962, the prototype included a plastic bag and a separate zipper attachment. It was in 1965 that the zipper and bag finally came together with the iconic press-and-seal function.

This term dates back to the 1930s, when it developed in diners and restaurants as a way to signify that a menu item was out of stock. But "86" became more widely used in the 1960s, thanks to the popular TV show "Get Smart," which followed the incompetent Agent 86. Nowadays, the term is seen as slang for getting rid of something unwanted or even as a euphemism for murder. That reading drew national attention in 2025, after former FBI Director James Comey posted a photo of seashells arranged to spell out "8647."

Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Paris Close.