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Klu Klux Klan
Forrest claims that his mother named him after Civil war hero, Nathan Bedford Forrest. This man was the person who founded the Klu Klux Klan during the 1800's. In the movie, Forrest Gump is actually superimposed onto a picture from the movie, Birth of a Nation of Nathan Bedford Forrest as can be seen in the picture on the left. -
Elvis Presley
In the movie Elvis Presley comes to stay at the Boarding Home that the Gumps run. Young Forrest dances in a very odd way while Elvis plays the guitar. This eventually inspires Elvis Presley to find new dance moves similar to those that Forrest showed him. -
The Hippie Movement
fter Jenny leaves Forrest, he soon finds her associating herself with the Hippie Culture in an Anti-Vietnam War rally. The Hippie movement did actually occur in the Untied States. During the mid-1960's a hippie subculture started to emerge among the youth population. The main belief that they expressed was their anti-sentiments towards the war in Vietnam. The Hippie's created their own social groups, listened to psychedelic rock, embraced the sexual revolution and used drugs. -
The Black Panther Party
Jenny takes Forrest to a meeting of the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was an African American revolutionary leftist organization from 1966-1982. They believed in preventing racism against blacks, and that all blacks deserved to be treated equally to whites in society. -
John Lennon
Forrest is asked to sit in on a television interview with John Lennon and Dick Carret. John Lennon was an English musician and singer who was one of the founding members of The Beatles. With Beatle Fellow, Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. The Beatles were very famous in the pop culture world. Lennon was known for his rebellious nature and his criticism of the Vietnam War. -
Smiley Face
In the movie, a man asks Forrest for ideas of T-shirt designs. Forrest wipes his muddy face on a T-shirt and the movie shows a smiley face on the T-shirt. which soon becomes a famous and very popular symbol in the United States It is during the 1970's that the smiley face was invented to show a stylized representation of a smiling human face. It is also attributed with the quote "Have a Nice Day!" which also became a very popular saying in American Society. -
Ping Pong Diplomacy
Forrest becomes very adept at playing ping pong. In fact, he is so good that he is asked to play on the American team against the Chinese. This is a clear parallel to the term Ping Pong Diplomacy which was used between the Americans and the Chinese. The term comes from an incident when American Ping Pong player, Glenn Cowan missed his team bus during the 31st World Table Tennis Championship. -
Watergate scandal
Forrest witnesses the Watergate Scandal from the Watergate hotel. The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970's which involved a break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office Complex in Washington D.C. After investigation it was found out that President Nixon was aware of this and that several members of the Committee to Re-elect the President had participated in this break-in. -
Hurricane Carmen
Hurricane Carmen was the most intense tropical cyclone of the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season. A destructive and widespread storm, Carmen originated as a tropical disturbance that emerged from Africa toward the end of August. -
Vietnam War
Forrest enlists in the army where he is sent to the front line in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial armed conflicts during the 20th century. Many people were against the war as they believed that the soldiers were only being sent to their deaths, and that the war was not very productive for the United States. Many of the soldiers returned home only to be called by protesters as "baby killers." The war first started towards the end of the Cold War. -
Assassination attempt on Gerald Ford
Forrest sees the murder attempt in the news.
Gerald Ford was the 38. president of USA (1974-1977).
He was in Captiol Park where he talked with the people that was gathered near the Capitol building, where he was going. Lynette Fromme was in the crowd and she raised her gun and pointed it against Ford but luckily she couldn't get it to off -
President Carter heartattack
Jimmy Carter survives heart-attack Forrest is also running the run.
Jimmy Carter was the 39. president of USA (1971-1981).
While running a six-mile run President Carter collapses. Several witness thought he was having a heart-attack, but the doctors at the White House declares that it's just a heatstroke. Just a couple of minutes later he is handing out trophies at the end of the run. -
Aids Epidemic
1981 Outbreak of HIV/Aids Jenny ends up getting the horrible HIV retrovirus, resulting in AIDS. The outbreak of the disease during the 80's caused much catastrophe. It was thought to be as contagious as the common cold! The outbreak of AIDS can be related to how the Swine Flu scare was around, however, AIDS still is around today, but thankfully efforts are being taken to prevent it. The change of decades also came along with a change of pathogens. AIDS had come to ruin the 80's. -
Ronald Reagan assasination attempt
Assassination attempt on
Ronald Reagan Forrest sees the murder attempt in the news.
Ronald Regan was the 40. president of USA (1981-1989).
The president was on his way to his limousine from Washington Hilton Hotel. When John Hinckley shot and hit him in his lounge. He had severe internal haemorrhages. Luckily he survived. Later he said to his wife "Honey i forgot to duck" -
"S@#$ happens"
The first use of the
slang phrase is unknown
"Shit happens" While Forrest is running across America the slang phrase is seen at a sign.
The slang phrase is very regular today just like "You only live ones". "Shit happens" basically means that life is full of unknown and sometimes bad moments, and you never know when it's gonna happen, and that there ain't always a reason for it to happen.
