50 years ago from the August 22, 1969 cover story - THAT YOUNG NEW YORK LOOK - one of the classic LIFE photo essays by the great Vernon Merritt III. This image ran in the essay which started with the following caption: "New York City is a costume party for the young this summer, a party that is taking place outdoors, on the streets and in the parks. Long hair, long legs. The party is not always elegant, but it is completely alive." (Vernon Merritt III—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #NYC #1969 https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WNHn6g1if/?igshid=f58qs0gzqjpj

"LIFE'S COVER: The day American soldiers landed on Normandy to win back France's liberty, the great symbol of freedom that France had given America shone brightly again in New York harbor. Since Pearl Harbor, the Statue of Liberty has been dark except for a small beacon. At sunset on D-day, Liberty's light went on in full glory for 15 minutes, then went out once again until the war is really won." - LIFE magazine, June 26, 1944, 75 years ago this week. (photo by Dmitri Kessel—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #StatueOfLiberty https://www.instagram.com/p/BzGDPS3DTld/?igshid=rzi20z73l45k

60 years ago this week from the June 15, 1959 feature story "AMERICAN CLASSIC SINGS ANEW: Music is superb in movie Porgy and Bess." A similar image of Sammy Davis Jr. ran in the story with the following caption: "The sinister figure of Sportin' Life lurks always nearby. He has "happy dust" to tempt Bess and sweet talk about the wonderful life they might have in New York." (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #LIFElegends #SammyDavisJr https://www.instagram.com/p/ByiAOYmBML4/?igshid=c918ppwx3bhq

70 years ago this week from the July 25, 1949 cover story PLASTIC BEACH BOAT. According to LIFE, "The girl being pitched out of the plastic boat on LIFE's cover is 18-year-old Janet Sims, daughter of a merchant marine officer. A moment later Janet was upside down in the breakers with the boat on top of her. On other rides the waves bucked and spun the boat making her dizzy bu leaving her high and dry on the sand. Janet lives in The Bronx, New York and is proud of her ability to speak her parents' native Esthonian." This photo was shot in Daytona Beach, Florida. (George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #DaytonaBeach #VintageLIFE https://www.instagram.com/p/B0OFQ91jHM4/?igshid=qgobtw7zm5r

70 years ago this week, from the June 6, 1949 feature: "GYPSY JOINS THE CARNY." According to LIFE: " "I'm probably the highest paid outdoor entertainer since Cleopatra," announced Gypsy Rose Lee recently, "and I don't have to stand for some of the stuff she had to." Confidently taking her place among history's great ladies, Gypsy has for the first time in her life gone outdoors professionally. At Memphis, Tenn. last month she began a six-months' tour with the world's largest carnival, The Royal American Shows. For a minimum guarantee of $10,000 a week, plus a fat percentage of gross above that, Gypsy will do her celebrated strip tease on the "carny" route all across the country to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan." The image featured here opened the story. (George Skadding—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #GypsyRoseLee #LIFElegends https://www.instagram.com/p/ByP6pmcjMAh/?igshid=ade16rngnlvp

Happy 88th Birthday to LIFElegend "The Say Hey Kid" - Willie Mays - born today on May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama. He made is MLB debut for the New York Giants in 1951 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. He is pictured here in 1954 at spring training in Arizona. (Loomis Dean—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #LIFElegend #WillieMays https://www.instagram.com/p/BxH0ZeLDnBe/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=zhngb7q0j6qc

LIFE legend Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on this day in 1947. The baseball great is pictured here in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform during filming of The Jackie Robinson Story. (Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #LIFElegend #JackieRobinson https://www.instagram.com/p/BwRyyrpjmzu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1plnqpydw865c

80 years ago this week in the April 24, 1939 THEATER feature: "KATHARINE HEPBURN IN FRILLY CLOTHES TRIUMPHS IN NEW PLAY." According to LIFE, "Several weeks ago when the curtain rang down on the first New York performance of Philip Barry's 'Philadelphia Story,' Katharine Hepburn heard for the first time the intoxicating music of approving applause from a first-night Broadway audience." This image was featured in the story: she is in character as Tracy Lord, wearing a country-luncheon dress by Valentina. (Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #thisweekinLIFE #LIFElegends #VintageGlamour https://www.instagram.com/p/BwjyEeUjS-Q/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=g3sx0jlvsh8y