19 Things That Happened 20 Years Ago That Will Make You Say "No Fucking Way"

    Well, now I feel old.

    Hilary Mitchell
    by Hilary Mitchell

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. This little-known book was published.

    2. GoldenEye made its debut on Nintendo 64.

    Nintendo

    It was the third best-selling N64 game of all time, after Mario 64 and Mario Kart.

    3. And so did Diddy Kong Racing.

    4. Whereas PS1 fans were all about Final Fantasy VII...

    Eidos Interactive

    It took three years to make, and was originally going to be a Super NES game.

    5. ...and Crash Bandicoot 2.

    Naughty Dog / PlayStation

    It sold over 5.17 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling PlayStation games of all time.

    6. The first episode of South Park hit our screens.

    Comedy Central

    It was called "Cartman Gets An Anal Probe", and it first aired in August 1997.

    7. And Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on the WB.

    The WB

    The first episode "Welcome To The Hellmouth" aired in March 1997, and followed on from an unaired pilot that had someone else playing Willow. Weird.

    8. Natalie Imbruglia released Torn.

    RCA / Giphy

    Natalia Imbruglia's version is actually a cover of a Danish song "Brændt" (Burned) first recorded in 1993. All together now "I'M ALL OUT OF FAITH, THIS IS HOW I FEEL.."

    9. Hanson unleashed "MMMbop" on the world.

    PolyGram / Giphy

    Thanks, Hansen.

    10. And Radiohead released OK Computer.

    11. Ellen Degeneres came out as gay.

    Ebay

    In an interview with Diane Sawyer, she said, “I decided this was not going to be something that I was going to live the rest of my life being ashamed of.”

    12. The first BBC News site was launched.

    BBC

    It looked like this, and there weren't many pictures. "Emu" stands for "Economic Monetary Union", by the way. They weren't planning to use flightless birds as currency.

    13. Age of Empires came out on Microsoft Windows.

    Ensemble Studios / Microsoft

    Kids, this is what people did on PCs before the internet really took off.

    14. Teletubbies set off Christmas toy stampedes.

    BBC

    The felt aliens first showed up on TV in March 1997, and the dolls were the top-selling Christmas toy in the UK in 1997. Some desperate parents camped outside toy stores overnight to get one, and shops rationed them to one per customer.

    15. And Tamagotchis were first released in the U.S.

    Bandai

    Many people who played with them now have real life pooping babies to take care of.

    16. Disney's Hercules was released in cinemas.

    Disney

    Fun fact: The Spice Girls were originally considered for the roles of the Muses.

    17. So was the first Austin Powers movie...

    New Line Cinema

    Yeah baby, Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery is 20 years old.

    18. ...Men In Black...

    Columbia Pictures

    It's still the top-grossing buddy action comedy film of all time, and made $250,690,539.

    19. ...and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion.

    Buena Vista Pictures

    A.k.a. the best film Lisa Kudrow has ever been in, a.k.a. the movie everyone watched at sleepovers when we were still young and carefree.

    Bye. If you need me, I'll be browsing nursing homes.

    Giphy

    Join me, won't you.