Remember when Friday nights meant walking the aisles of Blockbuster, picking out a movie and hoping your favorite wasn't already rented? On this day in 1985, the first Blockbuster opened in Dallas, Texas, kicking off a video rental phenomenon that became a staple of American life. The store launched with roughly 8,000 VHS tapes and eventually grew into a worldwide entertainment giant, before streaming and changing technology helped bring the Blockbuster era to an end. Today, only one Blockbuster store is still standing. Swipe through the iconic Blockbuster era.