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While no one can remember much about their birth, it’s sometimes fun to find out facts about the year you came into the world. You may be wondering about the biggest movie of the year, the hottest TV show the year you were born, or perhaps even who the biggest Hollywood "it girl" was.
Of course, being a Hollywood it girl isn’t just about film success; the celeb in question also has to represent a significant cultural shift. Whether society was shifting towards sexual liberation, wholesome family values, or political activism, the it girl of the moment represented that change.
Jennifer Lawrence owned the spotlight in 2012, Megan Fox was all the rage in 2007, but who was the biggest Hollywood it girl the year you were born? They may have appeared alongside the biggest actor of the year, or perhaps they spearheaded a political movement that stretched beyond their acting career.
Whatever the case, the it girl from the year you were born usually represents so much more than simple stardom. She symbolizes the era's cultural mood, so learning about her may lend you a deeper understanding of your birth year.
By 1975, Julie Christie had already found fame from her roles in Doctor Zhivago and McCabe & Mrs. Miller, but her appearances in 1975’s Shampoo and Nashville made her the star of the year.
In particular, Shampoo became a cultural phenomenon, as its showcase of '60s sexuality and social satire charmed audiences. On top of that, Christie was dating her Shampoo co-star Warren Beatty, AKA Hollywood’s hottest playboy. Also, just look at her hair.
Farrah Fawcett was the face of two huge cultural moments in 1976. First off, she starred on Charlie’s Angels, one of the biggest shows to premiere that year.
Then there was the instantly recognizable Farrah Fawcett poster, for which she styled her own hair, did her own makeup, and posed in that infamous red swimsuit.
Fawcett’s girl-next-door appeal helped her become the biggest sex symbol of the year and one of the best-selling posters of all time with an estimated six million copies sold as of 2009. That's the power of an it girl.
In 1977, Diane Keaton’s star-making performance as Annie Hall captured everyone’s attention. Portraying the flighty, bubbly, and intelligent Annie Hall garnered Keaton her first Oscar nomination and only Oscar win.
However, it was the wardrobe Keaton wore that truly made an impact on 1977. The masculine twist – ties, vests, slacks – had a lasting impact for decades to come.
Even now, when a celebrity wears a pantsuit on the red carpet, it often feels as though the celeb is hearkening back to Keaton's style. The true mark of Keaton’s it girl status is how far-reaching her influence has been.
1978’s Grease is set in the 1950s, but it's still oddly relevant to 1978 culture.
In the film, Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy is a good girl—virginal and devoted. However, she evolves into a leather-wearing, cigarette-smoking woman who says things like, “Tell me about it, stud.” With the impending arrival of second-wave feminism and the rise of divorce, Newton-John’s turn symbolizes a cultural shift away from the “good girl” of the ‘50s.
Also, she looked reallygood in leather. Newton-John’s last look in Grease is so eye-catching, Gigi Hadid – arguably one of the biggest it girls of the 2010s – dressed up as her for Halloween.
Meryl Streep may be regarded as one of the most famous, most talented, and most acclaimed film actors ever, but that was not always the case. In the 1970s, Streep was just beginning her dominance over Hollywood.
1978’s The Deer Hunter lead to Streep’s first Oscar nomination, and 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer brought about her first Oscar win. Both these films investigate significant cultural issues of the time.
The Deer Hunter explores the effects of America's involvement in the Vietnam War, while Kramer vs. Kramer delves into the deep emotional wounds of divorce. Streep maintained her status as a celebrated actress throughout the years, but she's arguably never been more culturally relevant than she was in 1979.
Goldie Hawn has a long, impressive career as a comedic actress, even starring alongside Amy Schumer in 2017’s Snatched. But it was 1980’s Private Benjamin that earned Hawn her greatest cultural achievement.
In the film, Hawn plays a sheltered, high-society girl who joins the army on a whim. The performance earned her cultural recognition, as well as an Oscar nomination.
Oh, and Hawn also birthed Kate Hudson, who had her it girl moment in the early 2000s. Apparently, the it girl gene is hereditary.
