Geeks are not a new phenomenon — they've been around for decades! Take a look at how geeks have changed.

1920s
“The word ‘geek' originates from the Latin word geck, which means ‘a fool or freak,'” Brahm Wiseman from Heroes Comics (186 Dundas St.) explained. The word was first used in the 1920s to describe circus sideshow acts that would perform bizarre acts like biting the heads oˆ of small animals and eating live insects.

1950s
In the '50s, “geek” was adopted into post-World War II slang, and came to mean “a person who is extremely interested and knowledgeable about computers, electronics, technology, and gadgets.” Geeks often worked as engineers and scientists, developing these machines out of pure passion.

By now, this word had planted its roots firmly into culture and its meaning would continue to be shaped for years to come.

1960s
By the 1960s, the word geek was starting to gain popularity in pop culture. It was not only used to describe someone interested in technology, but its meaning had expanded to include anyone who was intelligent, especially in the fields of math and science. Geeks were infiltrating college campuses and starting their own academic clubs and fraternities. They were seen now as the short-sleeved shirted, pocket-protector wearing, comic book reading, asthma-puˆer inhaling, four-eyed classic geeks that are parodied in countless television shows and movies.

1970s
The show Happy Days had huge influence on popularizing the word geek, using it many times to pick on their nerdier friend and describe the uncool kids.

By now, geeks were getting much more involved in hobbies like trading cards, tabletop games and fantasy novels to transport them to other lands. It was a great time for geek culture: Dungeons and Dragons was released in 1974 and Star Trek and Star Wars were released to a massive following of geek fans. Geeks began dressing up as their favourite characters and snapping up all the action figures, lunchboxes other memorabilia they could get their hands on. Now, the word shifted its meaning again, and now included any geek who had a strong passion for science fiction.

1980s
Geek culture was at an all-time high in the '80s, and for the first time, much of geek culture was embraced by others.

Video games started to become very popular during this time, and from this came a new kind of geek: the gamer. Geeks began filling up arcades, spending an allowance's worth of quarters and buying the newest Atari and Nintendo systems to play at home. The geeks' new pride was being the guy who mastered the game and had their high scores posted in magazines.

With computers slowly becoming readily available in middle-class households, geeks were trying their hand at mastering these machines. Movies like WarGames, Ferris Bueller's Day O and Weird Science showed average teens as “hackers,” breaking into secure government databases, changing their grades and, somehow, creating women. People began to emulate these computer whizzes and the computer geek was born.

1990s
At this point, computers were no longer just huge paperweights; they were becoming much more complex. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack were busy designing their Microsoft and Apple products, showing the world the full potential of what computers could do. These geeks broke away from the white-collar approach to working on computers, having long hair and wearing flip-flops and shorts year round. They took the industry by storm, making millions of dollars very quickly and are considered pioneers in the field, dubbed the Pirates of Silicon Valley. Many geeks realized the future was in computers and started getting jobs in website design and IT.

With the Internet boom, Geeks were not only making tons of money, but also sharing ideas and swapping information on message boards and forums. People being able to talk to each other across the globe gave way for music and movie geeks, who could discuss their favorite albums and films online.

Geeks now
“Geeks were seen as sociably acceptable” beginning in the 2000s, according to Wiseman, and they have become the driving force behind modern life. Everything from your o¢ce to your home is run daily by computers, which rely on geeks to develop and maintain them.

Now, geekdom has become an inescapable part of our culture: many average people have chosen a side in the Mac vs. PC war and will defend it proudly; superhero movies rake in millions of dollars at the box o¢ce on a regular basis; and online role-playing games like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty are drawing players from around the world.

You might even call ‘hipsters' the newest evolution of the geek. They wear the “geek chic” look, including thick glasses and quirky outfits, and snag the newest technology as soon as it comes out. They're interested in obscure culture, trying to find movies and music that are far away from the mainstream before anyone hears about it.

The word (geek) is no longer considered an insult; it's used to describe someone who has a passion for a particular interest. “The word has been distinguished over the years as something that is quite cool,” said Wiseman.