A cultural icon is a famous individual who has transcended "mere" celebrity to come to represent a given Zeitgeist to a sizable part of the world. As such, a cultural icon is not simply a famous face but a complex, multi-layered personage who reflects the conflicts and contradictions of his or her time. While cultural icons aren't by definition a phenomenon of the 20th century, modern mass media and popular culture have contributed greatly to the creation of these symbols.

On July 22, 2003, US Cable TV Channel VH-1 named Oprah as number one pop culture icon, followed by Superman and Elvis.

Some cultural icons of the 20th century

• Carlos Gardel
• Maria Callas
• Eva Perón
• James Dean
• Elvis
• Ernesto "Che" Guevara
• Jimi Hendrix
• Diego Maradona

As the above list indicates, Argentina, owing to its particular cultural schizophrenia, has been fertile ground for the development of cultural icons.