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Dating’s Best And Worst Moments—Ever
We went spanning the globe—and the centuries—to bring you this highly opinionated timeline of romance’s highs and lows.
By Daniel Radosh
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Cleopatra
seduces Mark Anthony, circa 42 B.C.
The Queen of
Egypt and the leader of Rome had originally convened
to discuss state affairs, but ended up engaging in more pillow-talk than politics, showing that love truly can change the course of history. |
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The
Duke of Orleans pens the first Valentine, 1415.
While imprisoned
in the Tower of London, Duke Charles writes the first known Valentine’s Day poem for his wife. His amorous letters set the example for centuries of lovers, including those not behind bars. |
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Invention
of America’s first breath freshener, 1890s.
This honor goes to a licorice-and-herb concoction called Sen-Sen. Kissing
would get even sweeter after Certs arrived in 1956,
then Tic Tacs in 1969, and the minty breath spray Binaca in the 70s. |
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Debut
of the first movie date, 1921.
Before then, flicks were male-oriented Westerns and comedies; but The Sheik had elements of adventure for the
gents and romance (and actor Rudolph Valentino) for
the ladies. Was it a success? Well, it is the only movie with a condom named after it. |
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Creation
of Sadie Hawkins Day, 1937.Women were encouraged to (gasp) ask men out on dates. First celebrated in a Li’l Abner comic strip, Sadie Hawkins Day soon spread
to high schools and colleges across America. Sure, it was only one day, but you gotta start somewhere. |
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Introduction
of the Pill, 1960.
And with it came
the advent of a sexual revolution, in which women could
jump into bed whenever they were ready, with no break
in the action for contraception. |
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The
first computer dating service, 1965.
Launched by Harvard
and M.I.T., this service became an enormous success
as soon as people realized that the computers didn’t
just match you up with Harvard and M.I.T. students.
From there, it was a straight shot to the wonderful
world of online dating. |
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The
Stonewall Riots, 1969.
Raids on gay
bars had been a fact of life for the homosexual community.
But, after 2,000 people in New York City’s Greenwich
Village fought back when police tried to shut down the
Stonewall, the gay community banded together nationwide,
and dating became at least a little bit easier. |
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Starbucks
is born, 1971.
And the quick,
cheap, informal coffee date transforms into the cozy,
expensive, all-afternoon cappuccino date. Great for
a while, but there are now over 12,000 Starbucks worldwide,
meaning an invitation to one is the first warning sign
your date has no imagination. |
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Barry
White’s album I’ve Got So Much to Give is released,
1973.
The disk could
make the difference between a date ending in 10 minutes
or the next morning. |
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Creation
of the first mass-produced Valentine’s Day card, 1850.
Thank Esther
Howland for that. Why send a personal expression of
your devotion when you can send a cliché? |
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The
beginning of 14 years of Prohibition, 1919.
Dating is hard
enough, but without a little booze—to help things
along at the beginning, to celebrate in the middle,
to dull the pain afterwards—it’s damn near impossible.
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Debut
of The Dating Game, 1965.
At the time,
it was considered the most degrading form of televised entertainment imaginable (“Bachelor Number One, I play the trombone. If I blew you, what would you sound like?”) Now, we know its real crime was setting the bar so low for the countless bottom-feeding reality-dating shows to come. Average Joe, Third Wheel, Who Wants to Marry
a Millionaire? It all started here. |
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The
dawning of the cell-phone era, 1973.
Motorola employee
Martin Cooper places the first cell-phone call ever
to rival AT&T’s Bell Labs while walking the streets
of New York. What’s that got to do with the downfall
of dating? Soon, not showing up on time for a date becomes
excusable, just as long as you call. |
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Looking
for Mr. Goodbar, 1975.
The best-selling
novel and hit film based on a true story, portray the
dark side of dating: Singles bars and one-night stands
sure aren’t fun if you get stabbed to death. |
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Ladies’
Night is declared illegal in Long Island, New York,
1981.
A tavern offering
Ladies’ Nights is cited for discrimination against men,
unless it offers the same number of Gentlemen’s Nights.
In the coming years, several other states followed suit
with similar cases. (Let’s just say it’s one of those
laws many bar owners ignore.) |
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Karaoke
makes its U.S. debut, 1984.
Sure, it’s great
for a night out with friends, but the rise of the karaoke
date has been a disaster. Making a fool of yourself
and mocking other people does not equal romance. |
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My
date with Heather Jensen, senior year, 1987.
Don’t ask. |
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Speed-dating
starts to sweep America, 1998.
A California
rabbi invented the concept of rotating 3-to-10-minute
dates, but honestly, who wants to get to know someone
over a stopwatch? |
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Conspicuous
liquid consumption, 2002.
Sold for $50
a glass, a drink considered the world’s most expensive
cocktail becomes available at—where else?—New
York’s Trump World Tower. Nothing makes for a bad date
like trying too hard to impress. |
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| Daniel Radosh is contributing editor at The Week and a
freelance writer. He lovingly tends a blog at www.radosh.net. |
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How do you go from email to first dates? |
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46% |
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I try a phone call first, to gauge chemistry |
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21% |
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Instant messaging! The phone can be too awkward |
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33% |
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Easily, and it's best to meet as soon as possible |
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