Curious who the most prominent male icon was the year you were born?

We look up to our idols for an array of reasons: They star in massive films and on hit television shows; they land on the top of the music charts; they lead social movements; and they may even break world records with their athletic prowess. Throughout the years, the world’s biggest male icons have ranged from singers and A-list actors to presidents and civil rights leaders. Curious who the most prominent male icon was the year you were born? From Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant to Michael Jordan and John F. Kennedy, we’ve rounded up the most famous men in pop culture history—one for every year since 1940—to create one seriously iconic list.

A 1940 Time cover story on vaudevillian Mikey Rooney deemed him “Hollywood’s No. 1 box office bait … not Clark Gable, Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power, but a rope-haired, kazoo-voiced kid with a comic-strip face.” Yes, in 1939, 1940, and 1941, Rooney was the biggest box office star in the world; in fact, per the Time story, in 1939 alone the actor brought in some $30 million (more than $549 million in today’s terms).

In 1941, baseball player Joe DiMaggio accomplished one of the greatest sports feats of all time: a 56-game hitting streak. The New York Yankee was later inducted into the Hall of Fame, with the first line of his Cooperstown plaque paying homage to his iconic streak, which is still a record to this day.

In 1942, Bing Crosby crooned the ever-popular holiday song “White Christmas” in his movie Holiday Inn and it quickly rose to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Since then, the record has sold more than 50 million copies globally, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.

James Cagney’s ability to embrace both comedic and dramatic roles made him one of Hollywood’s top stars. In 1943, he took home the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Yankee Doodle Dandy—and in that same year, he also starred in Johnny Come Lately.

Humphrey Bogart was one of the biggest male icons of the ’40s. Following his appearance in 1942’s Casablanca, Hollywood finally saw that Bogart could play something other than a hardcore gangster, leading to him being cast in the 1944 film To Have and Have Not. It was during the filming of this flick that he met Lauren Bacall, who he fell in love with and married.

Dana Andrews was a leading actor throughout the decade. But 1945’s massive hit State Fair showed that the typically dramatic actor had some musical chops too.

Following his notable performances in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Philadelphia Story, James Stewart truly solidified his place as a leading actor in Hollywood when he starred in 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life. That film is still one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.

In 1947, Jackie Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. But that first game—and Robinson’s subsequent career in professional baseball—was about so much more than athletics. He broke down barriers for all Black players.

1946: James Stewart

Following his notable performances in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Philadelphia Story, James Stewart truly solidified his place as a leading actor in Hollywood when he starred in 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life. That film is still one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.

The Ed Sullivan Show first aired on national television in 1948. Hosted by reporter and TV personality Ed Sullivan, the show brought live music to American homes every Sunday night. The show—and its host—continued to be household staples for 23 years.

1949: Laurence Olivier

English actor Laurence Olivier was a well-known presence on the British stage throughout the ’30s and ’40s. And in 1949, he officially infiltrated Hollywood when he won an Oscar for his performance in the film version of Hamlet.

1950: Kirk Douglas

Following his first Best Actor nomination for Champion at the 1950 Oscars, Kirk Douglas’ career took off. All throughout the 1950s, Douglas was dominating the big screen in flicks like Ace in the Hole, Detective Story, and Lonely Are the Brave, as a self-assertive and daring bad boy. But it was the start of the decade that really set the tone.

In 1951, newcomer Tony Bennett released “Because of You,” a pop ballad that topped the charts for weeks after it was released. In that same year, he also had hits with his covers of Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart” and Bernie Wayne’s “Blue Velvet.”

1952: Gene Kelly

In 1951, actor Gene Kelly made waves with his performance in An American in Paris, but the following year is when he got his even bigger break, starring in the classic film Singin’ in the Rain. In his review, Roger Ebert called the film “a transcendent experience” and noted that “Kelly and [Donald] O’Connor were established as stars when the film was made in 1952.”

There are so many years one could say belonged to crooning sensation Frank Sinatra, but we’re giving him the 1953 spot to acknowledge the year that his career was revitalized following a bit of a slump. In

addition to starring in the movie From Here to Eternity in ’53, Sinatra also released hit singles like “I’m Walking Behind You” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.”

In 1954, William Holden won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in the film Stalag 17. At the time, The New York Times noted that Holden’s character, J.J. Sefton had “nerve, ingenuity, and a certain valor. Mr. Holden plays him exceedingly well.” Also in 1954, Holden starred in the notable films Executive Suite and Sabrina.

In 1955, Bill Haley & His Comets saw their song “Rock Around the Clock” top the charts, thanks to its inclusion in the film Blackboard Jungle. According to Rolling Stone, the song was essentially the “first No. One of the rock & roll era.” Before another man took over the title, Haley was briefly king.

1956: Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley dominated the music world for years, but 1956 is when he first crossed over into the mainstream. It was during this year that he released “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog” and made his first hip-shaking appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. As Rolling Stone put it, “1956 became the summer of Elvis… and the rest is history.”

1958: Ricky Nelson
In 1958, teen heartthrob Ricky Nelson released his self-titled album; it includes the song “Poor Little Fool,” which became the very first song to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. At the same time, Nelson was also a regular on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and the following year, his success as a recording artist led to his starring role in Rio Bravo alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin. Not too shabby for an 18-year-old kid!

1959: Johnny Horton
The year 1959 was a good one for honky tonk singer Johnny Horton. It was when he released such hits as “When It’s Springtime in Alaska (It’s Forty Below)” and “The Battle of New Orleans,” the latter of which turned him into an international sensation. Though he went on to win a Grammy for “The Battle of New Orleans” in 1959, the following year, his life was cut short by a car crash. Horton died at just 35 years old.

1961: John F. Kennedy

Though he was only president for a few years, John F. Kennedy made a lasting impact during his short time in the White House. When Time made him “Person of the Year” in 1961, they wrote that he “showed qualities that have made him a promising leader … Those same qualities, if developed further, may make him a great president.”

Indeed, Kennedy was a progressive president who fought against segregation, started the Peace Corps, and put the moon mission into action before his assassination in 1963.

Sam Cooke, an icon in the world of soul music, was everywhere in the ’60s prior to his untimely death in ’64. In 1962 specifically, he released the popular songs “Bring It on Home to Me” and “Twistin’ the Night Away,” all while working with the artists signed to his record label, SAR Records.

1963: Cary Grant

Though Cary Grant was known throughout the ’40s and ’50s for working with suspense master Alfred Hitchcock, the actor changed things up in the ’60s when he decided to take on more romantic leading roles. In ’63 specifically, Grant starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Charade, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.

1975: Al Pacino

Al Pacino was easily one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood in 1975. That year, he was up for an Oscar for his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather: Part II. Though he didn’t win, the buzz surrounding his talent was high, particularly thanks to his starring turn in 1975’s Dog Day Afternoon, which would eventually earn him another Oscar nod.

1977: Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford starred as Han Solo in the very first Star Wars movie in 1977, one that would go on to inspire a franchise and international fandom. Though he saw some success in the early ’70s with films like American Graffiti, it was ultimately George Lucas‘ sci-fi flick that made Ford a global sensation.

Robert De Niro won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1981 for his work in Raging Bull, another collaboration with Martin Scorsese, whom he’d worked with on The Godfather: Part II in 1974.

proc. BY MOVIES