20 things that will be 20 years old in 2018

Chelsea Candelario

Updated 28 December 2017 at 2:19 pm

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2018 is nearly here. And while we wait to see what fresh joys and horrors it will bring, let's take a minute to rewind and see how far we've come.

From Google to Harry Potter, the most popular hits, movies and innovations are turning the big 2-0 in 2018. Here are some of the things that started way back in 1998, and how they've changed the way we live today.

1. Google says goodbye to their teenage years.

Google will finally become an adult in 2018. The search engine was launched on Sept. 4, 1998. That means Google is just another young millennial like the rest of us.

2. The iMac was born.

The desktop computer made its debut in Aug. 1998 and has since been remade with new colors, new styles, and hefty new price tags.

3. Saving Private Ryan was released.

The war drama starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, and Matt Damon premiered on July 24, 1998. Fun fact: it was the last film edited on a non-digital editing system and won the Academy Award for editing. Take that, technology.

Image: buyenlarge/Getty Images

4. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill was played over and over again.

The debut song off her Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album in Nov. 14 earned the artist two Grammy awards for the song (three more for the album), a Top 100 Billboard hit, and the anthem for so many of her fans.

5. Everyone tuned into Dawson's Creek.

The teen drama first aired on Jan. 20, 1998 on The WB (which is now the CW by the way) and it was way before The OC, Gossip Girl or even One Tree Hill was even a thing.

Image: Frank Ockenfels/Warner Bros TV/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

6. Seinfeld came to an end.

The final episode aired on May 14, 1998 and according to IMDb, cable channel TV Land honored the show by not airing any programming in their time slot.

7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was released in the United States.

After a year of watching the UK enjoy Harry Potter and Philosopher Stone, Scholastic finally released it to the American wizards in 1998. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was published in the UK this year as well.

Image: The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

8. Everyone's favorite toy Furby was created.

The robotic owl monster that unexpectedly made noise for many of us was created in 1998 and was the most popular toy that year. 20 years later, the toy is still haunting children and adults everywhere.

9. Disney's Animal Kingdom made its debut.

The theme park opened to the public on April 22, 1998 and became the fourth installment at Disney World. Also it's one of the best. You just can't go wrong with The Lion King or Avatar.

Image: CHARLES SYKES/REX/Shutterstock

10. "Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears became our favorite karaoke song.

This song defined a whole generation of people. The single made its debut on Oct. 23, 1998 and Britney was also 16 years old (just put it into perspective how old we really are).

11. There's Something About Mary made everyone laugh out loud.

This romantic comedy with stars Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz had us rolling in the aisles. The Golden Globe nominee was one of the highest-grossing comedies of that year.

Image: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock

12. Total Request Live aired on MTV for the first time.

Ignoring the reboot of TRL, Total Request Live first aired on Sept. 14, 1998 with host Carson Daly and we were gifted with guest stars like Britney Spears, NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys.

13. Armageddon became a blockbuster hit.

What do you get when you mix NASA, Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and a hit song by Aerosmith? The science fiction action film of 1998.

Image: Touchstone/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

14. That '70s Show graced our television with laughter.

On Aug. 23,1998, six teenagers from Wisconsin brought us comedy and scenes to dive into what it could've been like in the '70s. Also, we can't forget singing along to the theme song every time.

15. Holes brought readers into a new world.

No, not the movie starring Shia Lebouf. The book written by Louis Sachar is the young adult novel we grew to love and appreciate how one person's name can also be their last name. Trippy right?

Image: The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

16. Sex and the City introduced us to, well, sex and the city.

The HBO hit show followed four women in New York City that celebrated women empowerment and friendship. Let's be serious, we all wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw at one point in our lives.

17. Cranium helped us learn to use our brain for once.

In 1998, creators Whit and Richard were tired of playing games with no thinking involved, so they created a board game for players to essentially use their whole brain. 20 years later and the game still tears families apart and gets your mind turning.

Image: amazon

18. Game Boy Color made gaming so much more colorful.

The Game Boy might've been revolutionary in 1989, but the game boy color changed the way we played.

19. Baby Bottle Pop sweeten the candy deal.

One of the weirdest, but greatest candy idea of 1998. Although it's only pure sugar in a bottle, nobody can compete with the catchy jingle and sweet flavors.