Women Campus | Hello beautiful!: Then and Now: A Survey of History's Hottest Celebs

Where would the world be without hot male celebrities? It's painful to imagine a society without lust-worthy actors and singers adorning our bedroom walls. And surely it's not an exaggerated assumption that, without the existence of these memorable men, 90 percent of magazines would go out of business. People Magazine's annual list of the sexiest men alive, anyone? But this is far from a new phenomenon. While our view of the perfect man may have changed since the beginning of the 20th century, our obsession with him has not.

Here, I give you my picks for the hottest celebs of the last 80 years.

1930s:

Clark Gable- A movie star for our grandparents' age, he's best known for his role in Gone with the Wind. Even though gossip spread at a slower pace at the time, Gable couldn't keep his affair with actress Loretta Young private after the two had a child together.

IMDB Fun Fact: According to his biography, Hitler was a huge fan of Gable, who was in the Army at the time. Hitler put out a reward for his return from Germany and back to show business.

1940s:

Harry James- John Mayer is to dating what James was to marriage. This musician, whose parents were circus performers, said "I do" four times. His performances at the Paramount Theater made him a teenage heartthrob and his main claim to fame was the jazz band, The Music Makers.

IMDB Fun Fact: James discovered Frank Sinatra while he was working as a New Jersey waiter. Good work, Harry.

1950s:

Elvis Presley- With this "king of rock n' roll," the name really speaks for itself. Known for his version of blues singing, he also tried his hand at movies, much to the dismay of critics and the appreciation of his fans.

IMDB Fun Fact: Wonder if the members of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity use Elvis to promote pledging. That's right, the king of rock n' roll was an honorary member of the frat at Arkansas State College.

1960s:

Warren Beatty- If Time Magazine named him "Mr. Hollywood," he must have been a big deal. Professionally, he's known for his role in Bonnie and Clyde, but Beatty is also known for being quite the ladies man. Among his leading ladies of the moment were Madonna, Cher, Carlie Simon, and Goldie Hawn.

IMDB Fun Fact: Who doesn't love karma? Supermodel Stephanie Seymour said goodbye to this womanizer celeb because she had her sights set on Axl Rose instead.

1970s:

John Travolta- A celebrity for our parents' generation, John Travolta got his big break with Saturday Night Fever, which was shortly followed by his role as Danny Zuko in Grease. A bad boy of the 70s, Travolta dropped out of school at 16 to pursue his acting career.

IMDB Fun Fact: The first time he tried to marry Kelly Preston, the two found out that the French Scientologist who married them was not legally certified to do so. Ultimate fail or story to tell the grandkids?

1980s:

Rob Lowe- His early claim to fame was St. Elmo's Fire, a film about college graduates struggling with life in the real world. Sure he dealt with a sex scandal and substance abuse when he was younger, but this timeline is about looks, not morals.

IMDB Fun Fact: Also not an obstacle for talent or good looks, Lowe is deaf in his right ear.

1990s:

Nothing screams 90's more than the word "boy band". Whether you were on team BSB, team *NSync, or had a soft spot for 98 degrees, there's no denying that these were the hotties of our teenage years. So please forgive my inability to pick just one.

IMDB Fun Facts: "Backstreet Secrets Only A Girlfriend Can Tell" was a book written by an ex-girlfriend of Brian Littrel. Kevin Federline, now ex-husband of Justin Timberlake's ex-girlfriend, Britney Spears, was a backup dancer for N*Sync at the 2002 Grammys. Finally, Nick Lachey appeared on the show "Charmed" for a few episodes.

2000s:

Heath Ledger, the hottie we'll miss the most- No movie collection is complete without 10 Things I Hate About You, and the image of Heath dancing and singing on the bleachers is priceless. Starting off playing a teenager in every role, he eventually broke the mold and showed the world his true acting talents. If talent isn't enough, there was always that winning accent.

IMDB Fun Fact: His acting career started at 10 years old when he played Peter Pan in a local play.

Today:

Dispute me if you wish, but Robert Pattinson seems to be the man of the moment. This Twilight star's life is at the center of magazines and gossip TV shows, drawing in women from age 12 to 52. While Harry Potter fans knew him first as Cedric Diggory, fans now go crazy over the mere mention of vampire Edward Cullen.

IMDB Fun Fact: Check out this quote from the site: "Up until I was 12 my sisters used to dress me up as a girl and introduce me as 'Claudia'! Twelve was a turning point as I moved to a mixed school and then I became cool and discovered hair gel." We're glad you did, Rob.