Originally named “Smokey Bear,” the beloved public service icon was created as a collaborative effort by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council to educate the country about forest fires. Smokey made his debut in a public service poster released on August 9, 1944, and his iconic slogan “Remember… Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires” was coined later on in 1947. As the big brown bear turns 70, NewsFeed rounds up 10 choice photos to show how the image of the fire safety mascot has evolved over the years.
One of the earliest renditions of Smokey the Bear.US Forest Service/Time Life Pictures/Getty ImagesAn early poster of Smokey the Bear.US Forest Service/Time Life Pictures/Getty ImagesAn early poster of Smokey the Bear.US Forest Service/Time Life Pictures/Getty ImagesAn injured bear cub rescued from a forest fire in New Mexico in 1950 was named "Smokey Bear" and eventually sent to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. US Forest Service/Time Life Pictures/Getty ImagesYoung women pose on a giant statue of Smokey the Bear and his cubs in International Falls, Idaho in 1956.J. Baylor Roberts—National Geographic/Getty ImagesA Smokey the Bear balloon passes overhead during the 1966 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.NBC/Getty ImagesSmokey the bear at 50 in 1994.US Forest Service/Time Life Pictures/Getty ImagesA cut-out of Smokey the Bear in a forest in Vail Mountain, Colorado on May 31, 2002.Jeffrey Greenberg—UIG/Getty ImagesA Smokey Bear hot air balloon flies at the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM on Oct. 2, 2011. Russell Contreras—APU.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pose for a photo with Smokey the Bear at the U.S. Forest Services Honorary Forest Ranger ceremony on October 30, 2013 in Washington D.C.Paul Morigi—Getty Images
