When Fidel Castro, Oliver Stone’s latest documentary subject, seized power in 1959, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president of the United States, which means the Cuban dictator is on his 10th U.S. administration. A look at other trends outlasted by the bearded one:
— Elizabeth Taylor marriages
1959: The actress married Eddie Fisher, divorced him in 1964, and went on to marry and divorce Richard Burton (twice), John Warner and Larry Fortensky during Castro’s reign.
Now: Liz is single after divorcing Fortensky in 1996. Some of Castro’s speeches have lasted longer than a couple of Taylor marriages.
— 8-track tapes
1965: Debuted as an option in Ford’s 1966 model cars.
Now: While still available on Web sites and through collectors, 8-tracks were largely replaced with cassette tapes by the mid-’80s and compact discs shortly thereafter.
— VCRs
1977: The first VHS video cassette was introduced, featuring a 2-hour recording time.
Now: Circuit City announced in the summer of 2002 that it was phasing out VHS sales because of increased DVD penetration.
— Bell-bottoms
’60s: Hippies adopted the bell-shaped pantlegs from Navy uniforms and turned them into their own counterculture statement.
Now: After fading out in the late ’70s, bell-bottoms experienced a resurgence in the ’90s before being officially replaced by the current boot-cut styles.
— Britney Spears
1981: The singer was born in Kentwood, La., 22 years after Castro seized power. She joined Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” at age 11 and released her first album, “Baby One More Time . . . ” in ’99, 40 years into Castro’s dictatorship.
Now: Experiencing a career downturn, what with the very public Justin breakup, the closing of her restaurant Nyla and the increasing popularity of the anti-Britneys Avril Lavigne and Pink.
— Unreal TV
1959: TV viewers tuned in to “Bonanza” for the first time, finding an escape in the wholesome tale of widower Ben Cartwright and his three sons.
Now: Reality TV rules the day with 17 million of us finding an escape in the sordid tale of “The Bachelorette” weeding through 25 eligible men to find a soul mate.
