Although worn beforehand, the modern bikini was invented by a French engineer in 1946. The beach attire has since swept the globe, oftentimes considered a symbol of the impact of fashion and the power of women.
It was on this day, August 8th, in 1960 that Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” hit number one on the Billboard charts.
This song was Hyland’s first and biggest hit single, which he achieved at the age of 16. The song sold nearly a million copies just in the first two months of its release, and it went on to sell two million copies overall.