We all like to try and guess what the future will look like. It’s human nature to dream of the future, after all. So it shouldn’t be surprising that throughout the 20th century people were already looking to the 2000s and dreaming of what life would be like in the next millennium.

We’ve collected together ten of the most interesting—and funny—predictions of what modern life would look like. Sometimes they were surprisingly close to the mark, even scarily so. Most of the time, though, they were hilariously wrong.

See Also: 10 Ancient Predictions That Came True

10 A Woman May Even Be US President

In the 1950s, a group of experts took to the papers to tell people what life would look like in the year 2000. Some of their guesses were surprisingly accurate, such as the rise of the US as the world’s dominant power and the creation of the International Space Station. On the subject of women, though, they missed the mark somewhat.

According to them, the woman of the year 2000 would be six feet tall and wear a size 11 shoe, with “shoulders like a wrestler and muscles like a truck driver.” She would be doing the same work as men, so she would naturally have to conform to the same standards. She would have short, cropped hair and would wear practical clothing—only ‘going frilly’ after dark, as they put it.

Because science would have perfected a balanced ration of vitamins, proteins and minerals by the year 2000, her proportions would be “perfect, though Amazonian.” She would play the same sports that men do and would probably compete against them in football, baseball and wrestling.

They even thought she might be presidential material!^[1]

9 Schools Would Be Run By Robots

A series of pictures recently surfaced on a Japanese forum. Taken from a Showa-era newspaper, they were an attempt to predict what Japan would look like in 2011. Many of the scenes look like they’ve come straight out of 1950s science fiction comics.

In one of the images, a camera and some water jets create an automated fire extinguisher system, technology that is widespread today. In another, people stand around in spacesuits staring at screens that seem to show in-progress space exploration. In the distance is an elevated stadium which looks like a science fiction habitation biome, all things which are not common in the modern world. Beside it, however, aircraft are taking off vertically and the roofs of skyscrapers are covered in vegetation: these technologies have existed for years.

Perhaps the most disturbing scenes, though, are to be found in the picture of a 2011 classroom. In it, the teacher has been replaced by a slideshow showing a math question. The children have computers on their desks to input the correct answer: if they don’t, they are beaten by a robot, which is effectively a big club on wheels. In the corner, a child grins as it is restrained by some kind of time-out robot. Everything looks very clean though, so at least there’s that.^[2]

8Everything Would Be Plastic

Here is an 8-minute video from 1957 which explores a house of the future. Fortunately for us, our modern homes look nothing like it. For starters, everything is plastic. Yes, everything. The floors, the walls, the ceilings, the countertops and the windows—all plastic, as are the cups and plates.

In the kitchen, the dishes are cleaned by a retractable dishwasher which uses ultra-sonic waves while doubling as storage space. The cooking range, meanwhile, isn’t gas. It isn’t even electric: it uses radiation waves, though it doesn’t look like there’s a protective screen. Tasty.

The narrator claims the bathroom contains objects of ‘pure fantasy’. These turn out to be an electric toothbrush and an electric razor, which we’d hardly bat an eyelid at today. The main entertainment in the living room is a built-in stereo system, something so phenomenally outdated that it’s almost laughable.

There is a scene, however, where one of the actors is speaking to her friend over the phone while getting ready to go out, without having to hold the telephone to her ear—so they were right about loudspeaker at least.^[3]

7 We Would Have Pocket Computers

In 1977, a group of middle schoolers wrote to their local newspaper with their predictions of what life would be like in the year 2000. Most of their answers were surprisingly sensible, predicting the rise of things like electric cars and environmental issues while hoping for lower taxes and a better crime rate. They were clearly a product of their age: many expressed fears of a fuel shortage or another Great Depression.

A couple of their guesses, though, were much wilder. Marty Bohen said that by 2000 we’d all be living in round buildings. All workers would be robots and everyone would have a robot maid, and a button which would bring them anything they wanted. It all seems rather far-fetched until he casually slips in a prediction that we will have pocket computers containing everything we can name. With the rise of smartphones since 2007, he seems to have guessed that one perfectly.

John Vecchione thought that the year 2000 would look much better than 1977, predicting that the pollution problem would be solved and that cars would float on air. He himself would have a job designing ‘modern’ houses run entirely by solar power, with furniture that folded out from the walls and button-operated controls.^[4]

6 There Would Be Flying Firemen and Robot Maids

Between 1899 and 1910, a series of French artists produced a series of pictures showing what they thought life would be like in the year 2000, some of which were displayed at the World Exhibition in Paris. The idea was to predict what the 20th century would bring: none of them predicted the horrors of the first and second world wars or the rise of communism, but they did predict that automation would become a big issue—just not in the way they thought it would.

From the pictures, they clearly saw the robots of the future taking the place of the domestic staff they saw in the homes of the upper classes in their day. In one image a robot cuts customers’ hair in a barber shop, while in another a maid pilots a cleaning robot with a stick and a wire.

Every science fiction fan likes to dream of flying, though, and these artists were no exceptions. Another image shows an ‘aero-cabs’ port, where some well-dressed Victorian people are boarding a flying taxi—which looks like a yellow train with wings stuck on the sides. A flying car, complete with propeller, hurtles into view from the other side, just in case we didn’t get the message the first time.

In another picture, firemen with shoulder-mounted wings circle a burning building, removing people from the blaze. A steam train trundles by below, completely oblivious to the century of change that is supposed to have happened around it.^[5]

5Fashion Would Be Scientifically Practical

A short clip made in 1939 tried to predict what clothing would look like in the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, it is often wildly inaccurate—but in some ways it predicted the future bang on.

It says the skirt will disappear entirely, with women going on to wear trousers. While dresses are still popular, the vast majority of women today tend to wear jeans as their main choice of casual wear. In the clip, though, this new outfit for women is also accompanied by an electric belt, which would supposedly adapt the body to climatic changes. No, we have no idea, either. Elsewhere, it predicts that women will wear dresses made out of net—and while their version, with weird coils of metal over the breast, never became fashionable, shirts made out of fabric mesh are a fashionable part of the modern wardrobe. Aluminum dresses and flashlights as hair accessories never caught on (un)fortunately.

Men’s fashion in the year 2000 is concluded in just over ten seconds. Men’s clothes won’t have any collars, ties or pockets: he will instead wear a strange set of overalls. He will carry a radio, telephone, and a set of small containers at all times, along with “candy for cuties”, something that might get you arrested today.^[6]

4Barcoded Money and Futura-Rock

In 1988, the Los Angeles Times magazine published a special issue predicting what life would be like in 25 years’ time. Their visions of the distant year of 2013 are surprisingly accurate in some areas: they even correctly predicted the internet when they said the world’s computers and electronic devices would all be connected to the Integrated Services Digital Network.

In other ways, though, they missed the mark completely. For instance, the article also predicts that bills would have barcodes on them, to avoid corruption and crime. The city of LA would have to make businesses stagger their working times to cut down traffic (though they were right when they said traffic in LA would still be a problem). And, no, most of us haven’t replaced our pets with robotic versions and robot butlers still aren’t a thing, even though they’ve been predicted by science fiction fans for decades.

In their view of 2013 LA, multiple families would have to cram into single homes because of a housing shortage. Drivers are taxed for using their cars in the city, and none of us have to brush our teeth because we’ll all use ‘denturinse’. Oh, and all the kids will listen to a new genre of music known as ‘futura-rock’. Of course, none of these things actually happened, though they were very plausible at the time.^[7]

3 Back To The Future 2 Was Plausible

This one is a little different: in 2014, Business Insider asked people over the age of 40 what they used to think the future would look like when they were young. The conclusion? Most people thought the 2000s would look a lot more like ‘Back to The Future 2’ than it actually does.

One respondent wrote that, when the film first came out, it seemed like a fairly reasonable—if slightly optimistic—view of what like in the 2000s would be like. They genuinely thought that by now we’d have discovered a way to feed ourselves with just nutritional pills, and that flying cars and fusion power would be a common sight. Another user said they thought the hoverboards in the film would certainly exist as a toy by now, and that they had expected jetpacks to exist as a form of transportation.

It seems rather funny to us, but when you consider that the film was released a quarter of a century ago, it’s reasonable for someone then to assume that we’d have a manned base on the moon by now, or that we’d all be riding in self-driving cars. After all, wouldn’t we in the present expect those things to exist 25 years from now?^[8]

2 Cities Suspended By Balloons

A report by the UK’s Office for Science, prepared for the British government, has recently revealed what people in the past thought the cities of now could look like. Titled ‘A Visual History of the Future’, it reveals some of the innovative plans put forward in the past for dealing with the problems of the modern city. Some are crazier than others.

Coastal problems are a legitimate issue in the modern world, but so far we haven’t found an ambitious solution. For the most part, our answer is to use hard engineering techniques like flood walls to protect our cities from coastal damage.

In the past much more ambitious ideas were put forward, such as this plan for a so-called sky city. In this plan, chosen communities would be hoisted into the air with huge helium balloons to protect them from damage. These contraptions would make use of cloud skippers, which would float on the jet stream, allowing them to be maintained in the air with minimal resources. The idea was a competition entry, designed as a housing solution to be used in the aftermath of a coastal disaster.^[9]

1 Multi-Level Traffic

Another unusual solution from the same report was drawn up by Colin Buchanan in 1963. At the time, car ownership was growing in the UK, and was only expected to grow quicker. The Ministry of Transport was worried about the effect this would have on roads, so they began thinking of potential solutions.

They came up with a plan that would fundamentally alter the look of cities in the UK. Alongside more conventional solutions, such as using speed bumps to encourage slower driving, they came up with a plan to separate pedestrian and vehicle traffic by building raised walkways for pedestrians. Multi-level traffic would allow the city to handle a much higher volume of traffic without having to tackle high levels of congestion or using too much space. The sheer cost of building these new concrete tiers probably meant the plan was never truly possible, but it’s an interesting vision of what the UK’s cities could have looked like. It would almost certainly have improved things, too—unless you were a cyclist.

Anyone over 40 knows how nostalgia can creep up on us. One minute you’re the single 20-something at the concert, the next you’re a parent hearing those same songs on classic rock radio.

Pop culture loves loving back two decades. The 2000s saw an 80s resurgence, while the 90s craze of the 2010s is just now subsiding. So we’re due for a fond look-back on… 2001?

God, I’m getting old. The following rings in 2021 with the best albums of 2001, in no particular order.

10 Strange Collaborations In Music

10 Is This It (The Strokes)

The Strokes occupy an odd place in rock history. Detractors might say they were merely a decent band amid a barren post-grunge wasteland dominated by mediocre, derivative acts like The Foo Fighters and Third Eye Blind. Fans might counter that by asserting The Strokes were among a handful of bands who popularized a stripped-down, casually discordant genre loosely referred to as hipster rock.

Writing for The Village Voice – a now-defunct but once highly influential NYC weekly – Robert Christgau may have come closest to an apt description. He saw the Strokes as a “great groove band” whose “beats implode, clashing/resolving with punky brevity and gnarly faux simplicity.”

Released in July 2001, “Is This It” was the band’s debut studio album, and its most commercially successful. Propelled by front man Julian Casablancas, whose vocals alternate between low-key and grating, the albums trifecta of singles – “Hard To Explain,” “Last Nite” and “Someday” – saw significant airplay on rock stations across North America, the UK and Australia.

Notably, the album also had an impact on fashion. In the UK’s Observer, Gary Mulholland considered it a “world-changing moment” with “immediate and dramatic impact” on both music and attire, while BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe suggests the album moved popular opinion from DJs and pop music to “skinny jeans and guitars.”

9 So Addictive (Miss E. Elliott)

The date was February 1, 2015, and Katy Perry was midway through the worst Super Bowl halftime show in history. She was strutting around with a bunch of dancing beach balls and sharks, for God’s sake.

Then one of the most talented female performers ever swooped in to save the day. Emerging through smoke, the trademark Timbaland beat erupted over the sound system, and Miss E. Elliott began a vintage, flawless version of “Get Ur Freak On.”

The smash hit, nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Song category, was the first single off Elliott’s third studio album, “So Addictive.” Released in May 2001, the album debuted at number two on the charts, selling a quarter million copies its first week en route to a million by mid-summer. The radio couldn’t get enough hits from “So Addictive,” whose four additional singles included “Lick Shots,” “Take Away,” “4 My People” and “One Minute Man” featuring Ludacris and Trina.

Critically, not a dissenting voice could be found. “So Addictive” boasts an 89/100 on critic aggregator Metacritic, with 16 positive reviews and exactly no negative ones (in fact, there aren’t even any “mixed” reviews). Playlouder sums Miss E.’s genius up well: “It’s not so much her actual rapping skills but her keen ear for a devastatingly simple track structure that makes her stuff so satisfying.” Almost anyone, including Michelle Obama, would agree with that sentiment.

8 White Blood Cells (The White Stripes)

Along with The Strokes, Jack and Meg White, a.k.a. The White Stripes, were the best of the post-alternative hipster rock scene that emerged in the early 2000s. Released in July 2001, “White Blood Cells” was the third album from the prolific duo in as many years, and arguably its best; in 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it #497 on its list of the Top 500 Albums of All Time.

The group’s first substantial commercial success, “White Blood Cells” showcases the diversity and playfulness of the duo, ranging between traditional rock and folksy, almost country-sounding ditties. An example of the latter would be “Hotel Yorba,” which despite being the first song released from the album would draw wider notice only in hindsight.

Rather, it was the album’s second single, “Fell in Love with a Girl,” that put the White Stripes on the mainstream map. The track exemplifies several of the band’s calling cards, including Jack’s inventive guitar playing and high-pitched voice and Meg’s intentionally carefree drum banging – which former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl praises as standing apart from the tidier, more metronome-esque style that has taken root.

In the album’s third single, “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” the pair sway between soft crooning and hard guitar riffs. Its fourth, “We’re Going to Be Friends,” imagines two schoolchildren walking to class with a simple, quiet melody that could be enjoyed anywhere from a rock station to Sesame Street.

7 The Blueprint (Jay-Z)

In 2001, the era’s best rapper released his latest album on the worst day of the year: September 11. For countless commuters – myself included – walking purposefully north from downtown Manhattan’s financial district (the subway was promptly closed), an oddball memory is the huge cardboard cut-outs in front of record stores. Jigga was back.

“The Blueprint” is arguably the greatest album from a rapper undoubtedly on the short list of greatest ever. A departure from the straightforward hip-hop beats at which he’d already excelled, “The Blueprint” sees Jay-Z sampling funk classics and adapting his unsurpassed lyricism accordingly. In “Heart of the City,” which samples Bobby Bland’s 1974 hit “Ain’t No Love,” Jay-Z cleverly places himself above the day’s rap rivalries: “Look scrappa I got nephews to look afta / So I ain’t lookin’ at you dudes I’m lookin’ past ya.” In “The Takeover,” he treats a feud with Nas like the child’s play it truly is to someone of Jay-Z’s stature: “The Takeova, the race ova, homey / God MC, me, J-Hova.”

A gifted storyteller, Jay-Z looks back on his drug-dealing days in “Renegade,” featuring a then-upstart Eminem. “By the bodega, iron under my coat / Feelin’ braver, doo rag wrappin’ my waves up, pockets full of hope.”

The Blueprint went double platinum, received a rare Five Mics rating from The Source, and in 2020 Rolling Stone ranked it the 50th best album of all time. Jay-Z capped off the year by going acoustic with The Roots in one of the best MTV Unplugged performances to date.

6 Word of Mouf (Ludacris)

Released in late November 2001, the third studio album from Atlanta rapper Ludacris took him from an artist respected within his genre to an internationally known superstar.

“Word of Mouf” is intentionally grandiose, dripping with a club-friendly braggadocio; Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic aptly called it a “superstar affair that aims for mass appeal.” Ludacris’ sole goal is blowing up and, as a result, many of the gritty, personal effects showcased on previous efforts fade to the background. In the foreground, however, is undeniable hip-hop brilliance. The album is so good that its boastfulness seems warranted, leaving listeners too busy nodding their heads to shake them in dismissiveness.

Ludacris is unapologetically out to get money, get laid and get into brawls. The album’s first single, “Area Codes,” finds Big Luda cruising around the country in a G4 treating lucky ladies “with perpendicular, vehicular ho-micide.” “The next single, “Rollout,” is a chest-thumping look-at-me-now anthem. “Where’d you get that platinum chain with them diamonds in it?,” he raps mockingly, “Where’d you get that matching Benz with them windows tinted?”

“Word of Mouf” went triple platinum, and was so huge that its fourth single, “Move Bitch,” became a summer smash the FOLLOWING YEAR. It took 2002’s “The Eminem Show” to deny it a Grammy.

10 Crazy Characters From The Wild World Of Music

5 Weezer (Weezer)

Also known as “The Green Album,” the self-titled release was Weezer’s third overall but the first following a five-year hiatus. After scoring big with hits like “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So” on their 1994 debut album, Weezer hit a sophomore sales slump with the darker (though to many more mature) 1996 follow-up, “Pinkerton.”

“The Green Album” takes pages from both predecessors, blending alt-pop with punkish punch. In the latter category falls its first single, “Hash Pipe.” While the title hints at defiant teenage pot-smoking, the song is actually about a transvestite prostitute coping with the profession’s indignities. “You’ve got your problems,” Rivers Cuomo croons in his moany, made-for-rock voice, “I’ve got my eyes wide. You’ve got your big Gs / I’ve got my hash pipe.”

Showcasing a dichotomy that might seem schizophrenic were it not for each song’s standalone appeal, the album’s next single, “Island in the Sun,” is the exact opposite. The sing-songy, strum-guitar ditty could be the soundtrack for a Caribbean tourism commercial. Fittingly, “Photograph” deftly marries the two, starting pep rally then drowning the pop with heavy guitars.

In Rolling Stone, music critic Rob Sheffield called the album “a totally crunk geek-punk record, buzzing through ten excellent tunes in less than half an hour, with zero filler.” Despite its contrasting styles, the effort showed a depth and diversity to what some see as an under-appreciated band.

4 Songs in A Minor (Alicia Keys)

It isn’t often a 20-year-old dropping her first LP wins Grammys for Song of the Year and Album of the Year, but that’s exactly what Alicia Keys did. Anchored by lead single “Fallin’,” which reached number one in the US, UK, New Zealand and several Western European countries, “Songs in A Minor” is among the most well-received debuts in R&B history.

“Fallin’” is one of those songs that becomes so popular it drowns out an album’s ensuing singles, but Keys proved far from a one-hit wonder. “Songs in A Minor” generated three additional radio releases. One, “A Woman’s Worth,” also reached number one on the US R&B charts, while the subsequent “How Come You Don’t Call Me” and “Girlfriend” also saw reasonable amounts of airplay.

Critically, a major theme was Keys’ beyond-her-years musical maturity. Writing for USA Today, Steve Jones noted that “Keys already has a musical, artistic and thematic maturity that many more experienced artists never achieve,” while Uncut called the album “frequently stunning” and compared Keys to “a young Aretha Franklin.” High praise indeed.

Though her career since “Songs in A Minor” hasn’t quite measured up to the Queen of Soul, Keys has had a slew of successful efforts and another mega-hit, 2009’s “Empire State of Mind.” The homage to New York co-stars legendary rapper and current list-mate Jay-Z.

3 The Royal Tenenbaums Soundtrack (various artists)

One of Wes Anderson’s finest films was anchored by far and away the best soundtrack of any motion picture released in 2001. The album weaves in original scores by prominent composer Mark Mothersbaugh, along with a mood-appropriate mix of songs from contemporary and classic-rock artists. The latter category includes mainstream acts like Bob Dylan, the Clash and Velvet Underground.

Both the song selection and Anderson’s use of them are masterful. In one scene, singer Nico performs a stripped-down version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days” as Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets off a bus. In slow motion, she moves toward her brother Richie (Luke Wilson), who is secretly in love with his adopted sibling. Later, a private eye reveals Margot’s sexual exploits to her estranged husband as the Ramones’ “Judy is a Punk” blares.

The most disturbing and perfectly paired song is saved for Richie’s attempted suicide. At a mirror, he chops off his thick locks and shaves his equally thick beard before turning the razor to his wrists. All the while, “Needle in the Hay” by Elliott Smith – a haunting song about the gifted songwriter’s lifelong struggle with drugs – strums as the scene switches from bathroom to emergency room. “You know what he did,” sings Smith, “but you idiot kid / you don’t have a clue.”

Elliott Smith, who died in 2003 at age 34, also is prominently featured (six songs) on the soundtrack to 1997’s Good Will Hunting. One track, “Miss Misery,” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

2 Gorillaz (The Gorillaz)

One of 2001’s top summer hits was, of all things, a hip-hop/funk song by a British band with no faces. “I ain’t happy, I’m feeling glad / I got sunshine in a bag,” it begins, deceptively childishly, “I’m useless, but not for long / the future is coming on.”

That song, “Clint Eastwood,” was the first single off the self-titled debut album from the Gorillaz, a UK virtual band. Also called cartoon bands, the term refers to a group whose members are not depicted as actual, physical musicians, but rather animated characters or avatars. Hence, the future coming on.

Oxymoronically, a band committed to having no human faces was fronted by the lead singer of a previously popular group – Damon Albarn of Blur, which rose to prominence in 1997 with the hit “Woo-Hoo.” Gimmicky or not, the Gorillaz were more than publicity-stunt anonymity. Displaying an impressive blend of new age, punk and hip-hop elements, the band followed up its summer smash with three additional singles: “19-2000,” Rock the House” and “Tomorrow Comes Today.”

Typically for so unique a project, the album received mixed reviews. Pitchfork called it a “conceptual failure,” while L.A. Weekly called it “hands down one of the best-produced albums of the year.” Regardless, the LP helped earn the Gorillaz an oddball distinction: the Guinness World Record for Most Successful Virtual Band.

1 Love and Theft (Bob Dylan)

The album on this list that received the least airplay was made by one of the most famous musicians of all time: Bob Dylan, whose 2001 LP “Love and Theft” ranks among his best. The Village Voice’s Robert Christgau compared “Love and Theft” to Dylan’s previous, less well-received effort: “If ‘Time Out of Mind’ was his death album… this is his immortality album.”

As with much of his catalogue, social justice is top of mind on “Love and Theft,” whose title was inspired by a 1993 book chronicling blackface minstrelsy in America. On “High Water,” Dylan dives into the American South’s deeply troubling racial history, and describes blues singing as a means of showcasing the biases ingrained in the region’s societal structure.

The final track, “Sugar Baby,” is a lengthy, classically-Dylan ballad, drenched in echoes and spattered with apocalyptic lyrics. “Just as sure as we’re living, just as sure as you’re born,” Dylan’s trademark nasally voice mocks, “Look up, seek your maker ‘fore Gabriel blows his horn.” Music critic Tim Riley praised the song as “built on a disarmingly simple riff that turns foreboding” – tragically ironic considering its release date: September 11, 2001.

“Love and Theft” won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. In 2012, Rolling Stone placed it #385 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, while Newsweek named it the second-best album of its decade.

Top 10 Musicians Who Were Ahead Of Their Time

The early 2000s were a remarkable era for cinema, characterized by the emergence of innovative storytelling, groundbreaking visual effects, and memorable performances. This period saw the birth of several films that have become iconic, influencing the industry and captivating audiences worldwide. From fantasy epics to thought-provoking dramas, these movies offer a glimpse into the creative prowess and cultural significance of this era.

Ocean’s Eleven

Ocean’s Eleven, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a stylish and entertaining heist film that combines an all-star cast, clever plot twists, and slick filmmaking. Led by George Clooney as the charismatic Danny Ocean, a group of eleven skilled criminals team up to execute an audacious plan: robbing three of Las Vegas’s most prominent casinos simultaneously.

With its sharp dialogue, intricate schemes, and a delightful blend of comedy and suspense, Ocean’s Eleven keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The film’s charm, wit, and stellar ensemble cast, including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon, make it a must-watch for fans of heist movies.

Vegas is doing just fine today, although most of the industry is online as players from all over the world enjoy their favorite casino games via a few keystrokes and clicks. Various markets in this sector cater to casino fans such as online casino Singapore sites, UK sites as well as US and Canadian operators. They offer a variety of games, promos, and other sorts of features to keep players around.

Despite this Vegas still hasn’t lost its charm and appears as a location or setting in many other films.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson and released between 2001 and 2003, is an unparalleled cinematic achievement that brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy world of Middle-earth to life. Comprised of “The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, this trilogy is a masterclass in storytelling, visual effects, and emotional resonance. The films transport viewers on a grand and immersive journey, following a diverse group of characters from different races and backgrounds as they embark on a perilous quest to destroy the One Ring and save Middle-earth from the clutches of the Dark Lord Sauron.

What sets the Lord of the Rings trilogy apart is its meticulous attention to detail in every aspect. From the awe-inspiring landscapes of New Zealand that stood in for Middle-earth to the intricately designed costumes and prosthetics, no expense was spared in creating a rich and believable world. The films seamlessly blend practical effects, such as impressive sets and stunning miniatures, with groundbreaking digital effects, resulting in breathtaking battle sequences, awe-inspiring creatures, and magnificent locations.

However, it is the storytelling and the way it captures the essence of Tolkien’s beloved novels that truly make these films stand out. Peter Jackson and his team managed to distill the epic scope and depth of the source material into a compelling narrative that resonates with both dedicated fans and newcomers alike. The themes of friendship, heroism, sacrifice, and the enduring struggle between good and evil are beautifully portrayed, evoking a range of emotions from exhilaration to heartache.

Not only did the trilogy receive critical acclaim, but it also garnered significant commercial success, earning a combined total of 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for The Return of the King. The film’s impact on popular culture cannot be overstated, influencing subsequent fantasy and adventure films and leaving an indelible mark on the collective imagination of audiences worldwide.

The Dark Knight  

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight redefined the superhero genre, delivering a dark and psychologically complex portrayal of the iconic Batman character. With the late Heath Ledger’s unforgettable performance as the Joker, the film delves into themes of chaos, morality, and the nature of heroism.

Through its thrilling action sequences, intense performances, and exploration of ethical dilemmas, The Dark Knight became a cultural phenomenon, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. This film showcased the potential for comic book adaptations to transcend their genre and delve into deeper philosophical questions, leaving a lasting impact on the landscape of superhero movies. Although it was released in 2008, you’ll still find it on more than one list of amazing films to enjoy.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a thought-provoking sci-fi romance that challenges our perceptions of memory and love. Starring the unforgettable Jim Carrey and charming Kate Winslet, the film follows the journey of Joel and Clementine, former lovers who undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories.

Through its inventive narrative structure and poignant performances, the movie explores the complexities of human relationships, the consequences of erasing painful memories, and the enduring power of true connection. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind stands as a testament to the creative potential of storytelling and remains a favorite among film fans seeking unconventional narratives.

Lost in Translation

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation is a poignant exploration of loneliness, connection, and cultural dislocation. Set in Tokyo, the film follows the chance encounter between Bob Harris, a faded movie star, and Charlotte, a young woman feeling adrift in her marriage. Together, they form a unique bond as they navigate their shared sense of isolation in a foreign land.

Through its subtle performances, atmospheric cinematography, and introspective screenplay, Lost in Translation captures the universal yearning for connection and the inherent complexities of human relationships. The film’s introspective approach and emotional resonance continue to captivate audiences and cement its status as a modern classic.

Conclusion  

The early 2000s provided a fertile ground for cinematic excellence, with a diverse range of films that pushed boundaries and captivated audiences. From the epic fantasy of The Lord of the Rings to the introspective drama of Lost in Translation, these must-watch flicks left an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

Through their innovative storytelling, compelling performances, and enduring themes, these movies continue to inspire and entertain audiences today. The early 2000s will always be remembered as a remarkable era that showcased the power of storytelling and the boundless possibilities of filmmaking.

Having reached the end of the first decade of the new millennium, it’s time to look back at all the things that helped shape the cultural heritage of our ever globalizing society. It seems amazing that it was nearly ten years ago when the entire world rang in the new millennium with style. From Tokyo to London, New York to Sydney, Rio De Janeiro to Cairo, the fireworks and celebrations were extraordinary. We’ve come a long way since. Did anyone think they would be holding a powerful phone in their pocket and take that power for granted today, ten years ago? Did anyone really grasp the ability for computers and the internet to permeate every aspect of our day to day lives? And did anyone think the Rolling Stones would still be touring? Well, here are the ten moments, ideas, and innovations which defined the decade. The list is broken into ten different categories, with at least one runner-up listed for each.

Runners-up: The Da Vinci Code, Oprah’s book club.

In 1997 an unknown writer named Joanne Rowling finally got her break upon the publication of a novel she had been working on for seven years, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. What followed was nothing short of mania. The series, with seven books planned from the start, became a global phenomenon. By the time the final book was published in 2007, the Harry Potter series had turned Rowling into a billionaire, one of the runners-up for Time’s “Person of the Year”, and easily the most influential children’s writer of her era. An entire generation grew up along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, reading thousands of pages in a time where most children are watching TV. Harry Potter became famous for its cult-like following, with millions of kids everywhere waiting outside bookstores for midnight parties on release dates. Over 400 million copies of the books have been translated into 67 different languages. Along with tie-in merchandise and movie deals, the franchise is worth an estimated £15 billion. Many groups attempted to ban the books, arguing that Rowling was brain washing kids into practicing magic and believing in the occult. Most of their criticism has been ignored, especially by the college students playing quidditch matches on campus, and Oxford English Dictionary, who in 2003 entered “muggle” into its lexicon.

Runners-up: Lost, The Sopranos, Family Guy.

Perhaps the most annoying of all entries on this list, reality TV has changed the landscape of television over the past decade. While different shows can fit the general description of reality TV, it really began with in the UK with Pop Idol in 2001. The winner of the first season was Will Young, who has had a modest career since. American Idol took off a year later, and every week gains more votes than the US presidential election. Other reality TV shows took off at the same time and have had a huge effect on television, such as, Survivor, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, and The Real World. Jeff Zucker, the Chief Executive of a rival network remarked that, “I think Idol is the most impactful show in the history of television”.

Runners-up: Hotel Rwanda, Brokeback Mountain.

Danny Boyle created a masterpiece in 2008 with his film Slumdog Millionaire. Based on the book “Q&A” by Vikas Swarup, the movie tells the tale of an impoverished young man and his chance to make millions on the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” He answers question after question based on chance encounters throughout his life, such as how he knows who is on a US 100 dollar bill. We learn that the young man, played by Dev Patel, is not interested in the money, but in finding his lost girlfriend. Slumdog Millionaire took the world by storm, grossing $377 million. It also won 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It has been acclaimed as being a small representative of the future of film, because of its international cast, crew, and audience. Joe Morgenstern called it the “world’s first globalized masterpiece”.

Runners-up: Spain Wins Euro 2008, Zinedine Zidane’s Headbutt, 2008 New York Giants.

Down three games to zero against their fiercest rival, the New York Yankees, in the American League Championship Series, the Red Sox were down to their final inning when the magic began. Even with superstar closer Mariano Rivera on the mound, the Red Sox were not going to be denied. They scored the tying run, and eventually won the game in the 12th inning. Game 5 went to 14 innings, and game 6 was decided by just two runs. In game 7 however, the Red Sox cut the Yankees loose with a 7 run victory to become the first team to ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit and win. But, their job was not done yet. The Red Sox had gone 86 years without a World Series title, and were not going to go home empty handed. In fact, they swept the Cardinals in 4 games to win the championship, in what analysts would later call “the greatest story baseball ever told”.

Runners-up: Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl Show, Live 8, Napster, death of Michael Jackson

Steve Jobs didn’t invent the mp3 player, but he did revolutionize it. In October of 2001, Apple introduced the world to the iPod, and perhaps they didn’t even realize what they were doing. Previously, mp3 players were unpopular because they were fragile, had short battery life, or were simply not sexy and fashionable. Apple saw the flaws of these products and attempted to fix them all. Eight years later, it’s hard to find a teenager or young adult without an iPod. Over 220,000,000 iPods have been sold throughout the world, making them the highest selling digital audio player. It has also changed the music industry itself. Any small musician, looking to make it big, can get his music in the iTunes store, and theoretically propel himself to stardom. Interestingly, there are studies being done that argue iPods are making kids more anti-social, because they can turn on their music instead of socializing. Even if you “are a PC”, you must admit that Apple was doing something right when they introduced the iPod.

Runners-up: HD TV, high speed internet, Wikipedia.

It was called just a fad, but others insist that social networking sites have become one of the biggest shifts in human interaction since the invention of the telephone. Social media has overtaken pornography as the #1 activity on the internet. Consider that it took the radio 38 years to reach 50 million users, but it took facebook less than 9 months to reach 100 million users. Twitter played a pivotal role in the 2009 Iranian elections, and yet all the popular news feeds were over taken on the day Michael Jackson died. With nearly 93% of college students using facebook or another form of social networking, these sites are already having a massive effect on human interaction. Social networking is fundamentally changing the way the world communicates.

Runners-up: Dotcom bust, real estate collapse.

The second most widely used currency in the world was formally introduced in 2002. The euro, primarily used by members of the European Union, is also used by millions of people on other continents. 16 members of the EU are obliged to adopt the euro eventually, with the United Kingdom and Denmark exempt. Many African counties have also adopted it unofficially and some countries have negotiated usage. There are now 23 countries using currencies directly pegged to the euro. Behind the US dollar, the euro has become the second largest reserve currency and the euro also has the more value in circulation than any other currency. With close to 500 million people worldwide using the euro, its use and expanding use will help shape our future and hopefully lead us into a stage of macroeconomic stability.

Runners-up: Darfur Genocide, Benazir Bhutto assassination, London train bombings.

On September 11, 2001, four airplanes in the United States were hijacked by Muslim extremists and crashed into various locations. Two were crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one was flown into the Pentagon Building in Washington DC, and in the fourth plane, civilians overtook the terrorists and the plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly three thousand people were killed in the attacks. Al-Qaeda, a terrorist group centered in the Middle East, and its leader Osama Bin Laden were blamed for the attack. The New York Stock Exchange, which makes its home only blocks away from the WTC, had its largest one day drop in history when it re-opened. Following the attack, President George W. Bush started his War on Terror, which has led to major conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The long term effects of the attacks are still being felt today, and will continue to shape the world for years to come.

Runners-up: Hurricane Katrina, Victorian Bushfire, Climate Change

The second largest recorded earthquake in history occurred on December 26, 2005, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami killed nearly 230,000 people and displaced over one million. Deaths occurred in fourteen different countries, and Indonesia suffered the worst fatalities. Tourists, mostly from Europe, were also killed during this peak travel time, with over 9,000 deaths. The tsunami is believed to have been the deadliest natural disaster since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. In the aftermath, entire cities had been destroyed. Rural areas had been completely wiped out. The rest of the world responded with relief aid estimated at over ten billion US dollars. Despite the efforts, the countries most affected are still in the process of rebuilding, and many may never be the same.

Runners-up: 2000 Bush/Gore Florida election, 2009 Iranian Elections.

In a nation still bearing the scars of its Jim Crow past, the people of the United States made a huge move toward true racial equality in 2008 by electing Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president. President Obama won the Electoral College by a staggering 192 votes over his opponent Senator John McCain. The triumph of “change” was approved all around the world. An international poll showed an average of 49% worldwide in favor of Obama, while McCain only garnered 12%. President Obama had some strong ideas and plans for the future, and only time will tell if he can truly come through with them.

As a child of the ’90s, I reached peak pop culture during the 2000s. Like many other millennials, the 2000s were packed with frosted tips, head-to-toe denim, and boy bands. Icons like Brittney Spears and Justin Timberlake were plastered all over the walls, with Saturday morning cartoons dominating our weekends. Damn, the nostalgia is hitting me! While there is plenty of stuff we remember about those days, here are ten things no one remembers from the 2000s.

10 Fashion Faux Pas

The fashion during the 2000s was a hot mess of layering perfection. We are each guilty of one or two or twelve of these fashion faux pas. The first half of the 2000s brought us oversized clothes, monochrome hues of brown, and lots of tracksuits, but not just any tracksuit, terry cloth, velour, or cashmere tracksuits. Usually with rhinestone embellishments across the butt proclaiming, “Juicy.”

During the latter half of the 2000s, we donned calf-high boots, fingerless gloves, layered tank tops, and then topped our ensemble with a black vest. Hairstyles showcased chunky highlights, and everyone considered themselves emo during the mid-2000s, even if all they listened to was Miley Cyrus.

Other fashion items that had a unique hold on the general public during the 2000s included:

• Suspenders, but only to hang down on the sides of our hips
• Studded belts
• Cargo pants
• Low rise capri pants with heels
• A baguette shoulder purse
• Dresses over jeans
• Von Dutch hats

9 Hit Clips were a HIT!

Before iPods became a thing, we had our CD players, but even those were bulky, so along came the iconic Hit Clips.

Hit Clips was a miniature way to listen to music. The device was no bigger than two inches square, with a space to insert a small chip. Once inserted, the music would begin to play. The music on each chip was only a 60-second clip of a singular popular song. While the quality was never the greatest, if you had Hit Clips, you were so cool.

You could also clip all your music chips and listening device together and then clip them to your pants or backpack. So instead of a bulky CD player, we carried a mess of square music chips on clips. Iconic.

When Hit Clips were first introduced in 2000, there were only three featured artists: NSYNC, Britney Spears, and Sugar Ray. While we now carry our songs on Spotify, each time a millennial sees Hit Clips, our soul flickers back to life.

8 The Establishment of Homeland Security

September 11, 2001, was a devastating day for America and the world. The terrorist attacks that took place shattered our idea of security and safety. While many of us were still children, the changes that followed 9/11 have shaped how we travel and interact with the wider world.

In November 2002, just one year after the attacks, President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002. This act was to oversee the restructuring of all security measures that take place within the U.S.; this included public security, border control, cyber security, and disaster management.

President Bush said that with more than 170,000 employees assigned to Homeland Security, these “dedicated professionals will wake up each morning with the overriding duty of protecting their fellow citizens.” We tip our hat to these men and women that still seek to protect our lands from similar threats that took place more than 20 years ago.

7 My Scene Dolls

Barbie may have had a hold on the ’90s, but My Scene dolls soon took the stage as the main doll of the 2000s. At the time, Barbie’s diversification was limited, and Bratz’s were all-powerful, so Mattel launched My Scene dolls to compete.

My scene did not stick around for very long, ending their line in 2011 after the Bratz parent company MGA filed several legal suits claiming My Scene dolls copied their idea and branding.

6 Amanda Bynes: She’s the Man

There are a few contenders for the big screen queen of the 2000s. Some might crown Lindsay Lohan, but we will nominate another queen, Amanda Bynes. A true icon, Amanda Bynes deserves her own number on our list of forgotten things from the 2000s.

Amanda Bynes started her career with Nickelodeon on All That. The comedy sketch show, similar to SNL, was for kids and gave us characters leading to The Amanda Show. The Amanda Show ran from 1999 to 2002, earning her many Kids’ Choice Awards.

In 2002, Bynes made her switch to the big screen, becoming our new favorite leading lady for teen movies. But our favorite Bynes movie has to be her 2006 flick, She’s the Man, starring Bynes alongside the one and only Channing Tatum.

She’s the Man is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, where Bynes poses as her brother to play on an all-male soccer team. Hijinks, of course, follows Bynes as she falls for her teammate Tatum. The movie is packed full of hilarious and outrageous one-liners, mini skirts and high heels true to Y2K fashion, and of course, a happy fairy tale ending. A true classic of the 2000s.

5 Hair Gadgets We Begged Mom to Buy

While we may have mentioned chunky highlights that littered the 2000s, you may have forgotten about the hair gadgets promoted endlessly on TV.

Let’s start slow with the iconic butterfly hair clips, which, thank the maker, are back in style!

Next, we donned those deadly plastic headbands that you had to put over your head, then pull back up over your face, avoiding injury to your eyes, to stab your skull by pulling your hair back; phew, what a workout. I don’t know about you, but I can still feel the jabs on my neck and face as I tried to place my “flexy stretch hair comb” just right.

Following our hair fixation came clip-in features like clip-in colored hair or the gosh awful faux hair scrunchy, which usually did not match our actual hair color. Then came items like the Hairagami, the slap bracelet for your hair, and last but not least, the Conair Quick Gem, essentially a Bedazzler for your hair.

These hair gadgets latched onto our souls until we were ready to fry our hair with plain old hair straighteners. When did we get so boring? I say, bring back the hair bling!

4 The Reclassification of Pluto

While our generation was not super fascinated with space, we sure flipped when the scientific community removed Pluto’s status as a planet. In 2006, Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet due to not meeting various criteria, mainly size.

Pluto is smaller than our Earth’s moon, and since it lacks size, Pluto doesn’t have enough mass to disrupt space’s gravitational pull and cause nearby material to drift into its orbit. With the reclassification of Pluto, the general public was outraged, and many of us still consider our little friend a planet.

Dear Pluto,

We never truly forgot about you, we promise.

Your number one fan,

Millennials

3 Jelly Bracelets Lead the Way for Silly Bandz

Jelly bracelets were simple colored silicon bands you would wear in bulk. Jelly bracelets appeared in the ’80s, then again in the 2000s. While there was a rumor different colors meant that you were willing to perform or participate in certain sex acts, the rumor was never truly founded.

We wore dozens of jelly bracelets, sometimes up to our elbows, to complement our vest and chunky highlights, I’m sure.

Next came Silly Bandz. If you didn’t cover your arms in these things, you weren’t living. These bracelets are also made of silicon rubber but were made to look like specific shapes, not just circles. You could stretch out the band to wear it as a bracelet; then, when you took the Silly Bandz off, they shrunk back to their original shape.

Silly Bandz is still sold today, but the true 2000s comeback kid would be jelly bracelets.

2 Dance Dance Revolution Mat

Dance Dance Revolution was an iconic arcade game. The think platforms led to epic battles with your best friends on Friday nights at the roller rink. It even came with grab bars, so you didn’t lose your cool.

Then came the Dance Dance Revolution Mat that connected to your Playstation. What better way to dance than from the comfort of your home? This was right about when in-home technology started taking off, and experiencing things at home was new and exciting. The sensors were crappy, the songs were good, but the laughs were unforgettable.

1 We Were All Guitar Heroes

If Dance Dance Revolution does not remind you of Guitar Hero, you need to kindly leave. Guitar Hero was incredible, and every kid at school had it. We all know and still love the songs, and instant nostalgia hits us when we hear songs like Sweet Child O’ Mine, Carry on Wayward Son, I Wanna Be Sedated, and Iron Man.

Guitar Hero was introduced in 2005 and quickly became a success as we each felt like true rock stars using our guitar-shaped controllers to rock out to timeless rock classics. Now, if only we could get that feeling back as adults; I know I’ve been chasing the same high ever since.