The year was 1997. It was a simpler time. "High tech toys" didn't cost thousands of dollars, hashtags didn't exist, and the movies were pure gold. It's pretty crazy to think that this was 20 whole years ago. Do you feel old or what? Times have without a doubt changed, and looking back, that's probably for the best. (Especially the fashion, that was a trainwreck that lasted over a decade). Prepare your mind because it's about to be blown, here are 15 nostalgic things that happened 20 years ago.
15 Nostalgic Things That You Will Be Surprised To Know Are Turning 20 This Year
1. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Yep! It's true, we got 144 episodes of Sarah Michelle Gellar until it went off the air in 2003.
2. Recess
Didn't we learn all of our life lessons from this show? It ran from 1997 until 2001 and I'm still mourning the loss.
3. Smart Guy
Believe it or not, THIS is what our favorite little T.J. Henderson (played by Tahj Mowry) looks like today! How crazy is that?
4. Teletubbies
This show was canceled in 2002, but it was brought back in 2014. Did anybody else get freaked out by these guys?
5. Semi-Charmed Life
This song is contagious. Even just thinking about it got the lyrics stuck in my head.
6. Barbie Girl
Another catchy song that we want stuck in your head. Hi, Ken! Do you wanna go for a ride?
7. Spiceworld
The Spice Girls were on top the world through the '90s. In 1997, they released Spiceworld, which included their hits "Spice Up Your Life" and "Stop."
8. Aaron Carter
Yep, Aaron Carter released his self-titled album 20 years ago! Who remembers "Crush on You?" He was just 10 years old when it came out.
9. Nintendo 64
This super popular console was released in Japan in 1996 and in North America soon after. By 1997, EVERYBODY needed to have this and all the games that came with it. Personally, I spent my days playing Donkey Kong. Does anyone else remember the words to the DK Rap?
10. The Tamagotchi and Giga Pets.
The Tamagotchi was released in 1996, so by '97 they were all the rage. Meanwhile, a similar version of the toy, the Giga Pet, was released in 1997 and was just as successful.
11. Teenie Beanies
If you were lucky enough to convince your parents to get you a Happy Meal at McDonald's, you'd find a Teenie Beanie for your toy. I'm still waiting for their worth to skyrocket so I can make my millions.
12. Ellen DeGeneres coming out
Ellen appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and came out as lesbian, which was a pretty big deal back in the day because her show, Ellen, was at the height of its popularity. She faced a lot of criticism but got through it and now hosts her own talk show!
13. Titanic
This was without a doubt one of the biggest movies of 1997 and is still so popular today. That's timeless for you!
14. Hercules
This was one of Disney's biggest movies of the year, but sadly other classic films like Mulan and Tarzan overshadowed the movie in the following years.
15. Air Bud
Can you even believe that this movie was ever made in the first place, let alone had ELEVEN spin-off movies?