Audrey Hepburn's simple yet elegant style was imitated by women the world over as a result of her appearance in Roman Holiday.

Roman Holiday was the first time most Americans were introduced to the Italian Vespa. It started a trend for American college students, academics and artists who began using the Italian motor scooter as their preferred mode of transportation.

Audiences were intrigued by the similarities in the story of Roman Holiday to the real life royal soap opera going on at the time with Britain's Princess Margaret (sister of Queen Elizabeth). Margaret was seeing a divorced commoner, but royal duty forced them to ultimately split up, a story that was romanticized by the press.

In 1960, Roman Holiday played at the Lenin Sports Palace in Moscow where it highlighted an American cultural exchange program with the Soviet Union.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, President John F. Kennedy reportedly requested a private viewing of the film at the White House as he awaited an answer to his blockade ultimatum.

In the 1970s, both Peck and Hepburn were approached with the idea of doing a sequel that would have seen Princess Ann and Joe reunite, but the idea never came to fruition.

Roman Holiday was remade for television in 1987 starring Catherine Oxenberg and Tom Conti.

by Andrea Passafiume