We’re celebrating our 15th Anniversary here at NaturallyCurly and not to state the obvious, but fifteen years is a long time. For some (ahem, Willow Smith”> it’s a lifetime! So we found it particularly entertaining to look back fifteen years since the launch of NaturallyCurly.com at a few things, people, and technological developments that hadn’t yet been born in 1998.
1. Wikipedia, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
These highly addictive websites that seem second nature to us now were all non-existent in the early months of 1998. What did you use before them? You may have frequented an encyclopedia, a library, the telephone, and AIM.2. Sour Skittles
These tart and tangy delicious cousins of the original flavor may have caused us to deny a few friends the delight of getting a handful. They came out in 2000.
3. The iPod
While you are on the treadmill grooving out to your favorite tunes, remember this fun device was released in 2001.
What did you use before it? An old school Sony Walkman CD player.
4. Crocs
Brightly colored, super comfy shoes that both made you feel like you were walking on air and like a fashion target came out in 2002.
5. The Republic of South Sudan
South Sudan became an independent state July 9, 2011.
6. Bratz Dolls
Yasmine, Cloe, Sasha, and Jade are never afraid to style up any outfit and change up their hairstyle. We think maybe they visited NaturallyCurly.com few times for inspiration. The dolls were introduced to girls everywhere in 2001.
7. The Euro
The second largest economy in the world replaced the ECU on January 1, 1999.
8. Snuggies
Our best friend on cold lazy days came into our homes in 2008.They kept you warm while not limiting your ability to reach for the remote and popcorn. What did you use before it? A blanket.
9. The USB Flash Drive
This handy little device that saved your life when your computer crashed the night before a big paper was due was actually unavailable to you in 1998. What did you use before it? The floppy disk. Remember those?
10. The Segway
Before it’s famous debut with celebrities, city tours, and mall cops, Segways were just an idea in the mind of inventor Dean Kamen. What did you use before it? Your legs, or maybe a scooter.
11. Sequenced Human Genome
Determining the sequence of chemical base pairs (GATC”>, which make up human DNA, and mapping the total genes of the human genome was not declared complete until 2003.
12. The Matrix
This epic movie came out in the year 1999 just, when NaturallyCurly was starting to walk.
13. Game Boy Color
This childhood obsession was made even better in late 1998 with the introduction of color. What did you use before it? A regular old Game Boy.
14. Elmo’s World
The 5 year old you probably didn’t realize this, but our cuddly, talking puppet friend, Elmo, didn’t break out on his own until 1999. Elmo proved that if you can make on Sesame Street, you can make it anywhere.
15. Willow Smith
The talent daughter of Will and Jada wasn’t whipping her hair back and forth until 2000. You were most likely jamming her father’s hit single “Getting Jiggy Wit It”, which was released in 1998.