A lot sure has happened since 2006. For those of you keeping track, that’s the year most of the guys and gals getting ready to graduate from Fountain Hills High School were dropped off for their first day of kindergarten.
In honor of this Friday’s commencement ceremony, it’s time to take a look back and remind everyone what was going on around the world 13 years ago.
For kids growing up in 2006, likely two of the most important events included the arrival of Disney’s “Hannah Montana” and “High School Musical.” Movie theaters were also especially kind to the kiddos that year, with the three top films including “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Night at the Museum,” followed by Pixar’s “Cars.”
A monumental moment for the increasingly-connected world was the expansion of Facebook. Until 2006, the social media lion was more of a kitten, only available on limited college campuses. The site opened to more schools early in the year and, by September, anyone who was at least 13 years old with a valid email address could join the site.
Another big tech moment was the purchase of YouTube by Google. Up to that point, the popular video sharing site was only just starting to gain traction, but Google saw its potential. That explains why they were willing to make the largest purchase in the company’s history, acquiring YouTube for a cool $1.65 billion dollars.
With all of this moving and shaking happening online, it’s no wonder the “Time Magazine” Person of the Year was “You,” specifically praising everyone in the world who had taken to emerging technology and run with it.
In the world of music, Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” was the top song of the year while top shows included “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars.” Also big were “House,” “Desperate Housewives” and no fewer than three different versions of “CSI.”
If you liked watching movies at home, 2006 was also the year that Blu-Ray became commercially available, eventually beating out HD DVD as the new standard.
In the world of sports, the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series while the Pittsburgh Steelers hoisted the trophy in Super Bowl XL. The Miami Heat was crowned the NBA champion while the Carolina Hurricanes claimed the Stanley Cup. Italy was victorious in the World Cup.
In sadder news, 2006 was the year the world lost Steve Irwin, better known as “The Crocodile Hunter,” due to a tragic accident. Also, a bunch of scientists decided Pluto was no longer a planet, something many of us refuse to accept.
And if you thought politics were crazy now, 2006 was the year Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a campaign contributor while hunting quail.
And speaking of our feathered friends, 2006 was the year of the infamous “Bird Flu,” which thankfully turned out to be less threatening than originally predicted.
Now that we’ve visited the past, it’s your turn to shine, class of 2019. Go make us a future.
