20 Facts That Will Make You Feel Like Decades Passed While You Weren't Looking
They say that time passes more quickly the older you get, and considering that with every passing year I get increasingly jealous of how well Betty White has aged compared to me, I'm starting to feel like that's a legit thing.
And as we get older, there are all sorts of interesting facts that start popping up to remind us that time is slipping away from us, and clearly it's all the younger generation's fault. Here are some of the things that are forcing us to ask "just where has the time gone?"
1. Today's 18-year-olds have never lived in a world without emojis
It's hard not to love emojis, especially for those of use who remember a time when our fastest option for texting was T9. Nothing makes you appreciate a tiny cartoon poop symbol like having to press a button 4 times just to get the letter S.
The first emojis were used in Japan in the late '90s, but they've since gone on to make up about 96% of any given text message. Also, they officially have their own movie because 2017 was a lawless wasteland.
2. The future in Back to the Future Part II is now in our past
The second movie in the massive Back to the Future trilogy should now probably be called Back to the Future Part 2+ Years Ago, since 2015 has long come and gone.
To make things worse, the 2015 featured in the movie was significantly better than the 2015 we actually got. After all, our "hoverboards" don't actually hover
We don't get basically instantaneous pizza
And our outfits don't look like this
Actually on second thought maybe our 2015 was at least better in terms of fashion. Barely.
3. 9/11 is now closer to the Challenger Disaster than the present day
There are certain events that are so powerful they go on to define a generation. Everyone remembers where they were when these events happened and suddenly history gets separated into what happened before, and what happened came after.
For some of us our first experience with something of that scale was the Challenger Disaster in 1986, but that would later get eclipsed by the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. While 15 years separate the Challenger Disaster and 9/11, this year will mark the 17th anniversary of the September 11th.
Considering the massive impact 9/11 had on us, it's almost impossible to imagine what it would be like to have no memory of the experience, but we've reached the point where the next generation - who were mostly born after 9/11 - are approaching adulthood.
As of 2016, there are high school students learning about 9/11 as a historical event they were not alive for. Not to mention all of the even younger kids who will be headed to high school in the coming years.
4. 1995 is farther away from 2018 than 2040 is
In my head whenever I think of "10 years ago" I'm thinking of the '90s, but that's just...no longer right. In reality, 2018 is as close to 1990 as 1990 was to 1962.
Even if we correct our brains to associate the 2000s with "10 years ago," we're still not safe, especially once you realize that 2006 is as far away as 2030.
5. There are no more '90s "kids"
As of January 1st, 2018, every single person born in the '90s is at least 18, and therefore all '90s kids are officially adults.
While all the kids born in the later years of the '90s are definitely too young to even remember what that decade was like, it still hurts to think about it.
6. The kid in Big is older than Tom Hanks was when they made the film
And not just a little bit older, either. Young Josh in the movie was played by David Moscow, who at the time was 14. He was born in 1974 which means he'll be turning 44 when he celebrates his birthday on November 14th.
HOWEVER, Tom Hanks was born in 1956, so when he was playing Josh he would have only been 32. That means young Josh is now over a decade older than big Josh was when the movie was made. Try not to scream.
7. The dancing Ooga Chaka baby is old enough to legally drink
Well not really, it's a 3D animation of a baby not a real person. It did, however, turn 21 last fall, because it was first created in 1996.
Just in case that doesn't make you feel old enough, it's also been 20 years since the baby made it's "acting" debut as Ally McBeal's hallucination.
8. And so is Lilo from Lilo & Stitch
This is almost more shocking then realizing that Lilo and the creepy girl from The Ring are played by the same actress.
In the original movie, Lilo is 6 years old. Well, Lilo & Stitch came out in 2002, which means it's been 16 years. That would make Lilo 22 years old today.
9. We're further from the release of The Phantom Menace then it was from the release of Return of the Jedi
If you grew up loving Star Wars (and really, who didn't) then you'll remember just how big a deal it was in 1999 when we could finally go back to that galaxy far, far away with Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Of course, it didn't really live up to our expectations, but the excitement we felt was so very real. It's been 19 years since we were introduced to the horror that is Jar Jar Binks, but The Phantom Menace only came out 16 years after Return of the Jedi.
10. The Furby is older than today's high schoolers
We all remember the Christmas where the Furby was the fight-inducing, must-have toy taking the world by storm. While they have since gone on to haunt our nightmares, no seemingly-possessed Furby could possibly be as scary as realizing just how old they are now.
The animatronic toys were released in time for Christmas in 1998, which means they are now 20 years old. That makes them older then any of the kids who would currently be in high school.
Still feeling young and fancy-free? Well the next few facts will probably change that...
11. Rickrolling has been around for over a decade
Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" seemed destined to be just another entry on a list of '80s one hit wonders, then in 2007 - 20 years after the song's release - someone on 4chan Rickrolled for the first time by posting what they claimed was a mirror of the trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV (which was unavailable thanks to heavy traffic).
Soon, no link was safe and Rick Astley's dulcet tones were only a click away. While it's not nearly as popular as it once was, it's clear that when it comes to rickrolling the internet's response is "I'm never gonna give you up."
12. Jonathan Taylor Thomas is almost the same age as Tim Allen was when Home Improvement started
Home Improvement was one of the best sitcoms of the '90s, and it made one of its young stars, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, a household name and teen heartthrob for an entire generation of girls (and even some guys, let's be real).
While he hasn't been in the limelight as much as he was in the '90s, he's definitely all grown up now. In fact, next year he'll be the same age Tim Allen was during the first season of their show.
In 1991, when the show started, Tim Allen was 38 years old. When he celebrates his birthday on September 8th this year, JTT will be turning 37. That just hurts.
13. There are people who joined Twitter as teenagers who are now in their 30s
Considering how important social media has become to basically everyone, it's hard to believe that they've only really exploded in the last decade.
Twitter first appeared in July of 2006, so anyone who signed up at 18 would now be turning 30.
14. Macaulay Culkin is now older than Catherine O'Hara was when she played his mom
While Macaulay Culkin will always be a kid in our memories, it's been a very long time since he played the precocious Kevin McCallister who was always getting left behind.
When she first played his mom in the original film, Catherine O'Hara was 36. But, as of August 26th, Culkin will be 38 making him officially older than his movie-mom.
In case that didn't hurt enough to think about, Culkin is also almost 5 years older than would-be robber Marv (Daniel Stern) was when he was subjected to all of Kevin's booby traps. In 1990, Stern would have been 33.
15. CK One is the same age as Justin Bieber
CK One was one of the scents of the '90s, and the fact that it was marketed to be for both men and women made it kinda a big deal.
Justin Bieber is one of the most polarizing figures in music, though I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone likes him considering his goal in life seems to be acting as unlikeable as possible.
What this iconic perfume has in common with a divisive pop star is as simple as it is painful: a birth year. Justin Bieber's birthday and CK One's launch both happened in 1994. Meaning they're both turning 24 this year.
16. The kid from Karate Kid is now older than Mr Miyagi was in the movie.
Pat Morita, the actor who played Mr. Miyagi was 52 when The Karate Kid came out in 1984. Ralph Macchio, who played the titular kid Daniel is currently 56.
So he's really not a kid anymore, I guess.
17. There are adults who were born after Roseanne ended
Honestly, if could only pick one sitcom to define the '90s, it would be Roseanne. It ended it's run 20 years ago, in 1997, after 9 seasons.
That means that there are now 20-year-olds who have never lived in a world where there are new episodes of Roseanne. Well, at least until that Roseanne return ABC announced finally starts.
18. Kids who are graduating high school this year were born AFTER TRL started airing
A whole 2 years after, in fact. Most kids who graduating this year would have been born in 2000, while the beloved MTV show TRL started in 1998.
The show sadly came to an end back in 2008, however MTV announced back in April that they would be bringing the show back...kind of. So maybe that will help us feel a little less ancient.
Though I sincerely doubt it will be as good as the fake-TRL in Josie and the Pussycats.
19. Mila Kunis is older than Tetris
Maybe it's because she was so young when we first saw her on That 70s Show, but in my head Mila Kunis will forever be at most 20 years old.
Turns out, she is in fact 35 as of this year, which is one whole year older than the classic game Tetris. She was born in 1983, while Tetris was first released in 1984.
20. Speaking of That 70s Show...
That 70s Show was both a staple of '90s television, but also a testament to the popularity of all things '70s during the '90s. The show debuted in 1998, and was set 22 years before, in 1976.
That means that if a similar show started today, and was set a similar number of years back, it would be called That 90s Show and be set in 1996. Actually that would make a really awesome show, someone should totally do that.