With the class of 2026’s graduation just a few weeks away, we can look back at events that helped to shape the people that we have become. Whether it’s Michael Jackson or O.J. Simpson, everything plays a role.
2007:
In January, Apple released the MP3 player.
On Feb. 4, Prince performed at Super Bowl XLI in the rain.
The boy who lived made headlines on July 21 when the film “Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix” made $44.2 million on opening day.
2008:
In February, Barack Obama became President of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the office.
Pixar stayed prominent as they put another hit film on the silver screen in “WALL-E.”
2009:
In January, Chesley Sullenberger (Sully) landed passengers safely on the Hudson River.
Where were you when the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, died in June?
2010:
On Jan. 21, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain.
On June 12, an animated movie starring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, “Toy Story 3,” became the first animated movie to earn $1 billion.
On Oct. 31, the zombie-apocalypse TV show “The Walking Dead” premiered on AMC.
2011:
On March 7, Charlie Sheen was fired from the CBS show, “2 and a Half Men.”
On April 17, the HBO TV series “Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin debuted.
On May 2, US military members killed the suspected leader of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Osama bin Laden.
2012:
In the 2012 Winter X Games, Sean White was the first snowboarder to ever get a perfect score of 100 in the Superpipe.
On April 14, at the 27th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, the Beastie Boys, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N’ Roses, and more were featured.
On May 12, the film “The Children’s Games” premiered in Los Angeles.
2013:
On Jan. 24, Vine was released.
On Sept. 20, Alex Rodrigez broke the MLB Record with 24 grand slams.
The famous campaign video, “Dumb Ways to Die,” encouraged safety around trains. This popular video had 4.7 million views after three days.
2014:
The “Frozen” movie was blowing up everywhere. This Disney animated film took the world by storm.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was the thing to do, and everybody was doing it. Pouring freezing ice water over yourself, for some reason, may just have been the trendiest thing to do with friends in 2014.
90s fashion trends were the hot commodity in 2014. From crop tops to baggy pants to dark lipstick, it felt like the fashion world had gone back in time.
2015:
“Star Wars” came back to the silver screen, and it was about time we went back to the galaxy far, far away.
Amy Schumer took the world by storm in a surprising fashion as she debuted on “Comedy Central.”
“Mad Men” may just be the most popular new TV show.
2016:
The teen horror Netflix show, “Stranger Things,” kicked off a large fandom that would continue for many years to come.
The Chainsmokers and Halsey performed one of the catchiest pop songs, “Closer,” and it quickly became a hit.
Two of the longest-running championship droughts in American professional sports came to an end in the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Cubs. The Cavaliers took down the Warriors in the NBA Finals, and the Cubs beat the Indians to win the World Series.
2017:
Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States.
Horror films were very popular this year, and one of the most notable was “Get Out.”
In music, political pop was the thing. Songs from artists like Harry Styles and Katy Perry could be found.
2018:
Bruno Mars’s third Studio Album, “24k Magic,” which was released in 2016, won awards in 2018. The album has hit songs such as “That’s What I Like,” “24k Magic,” “Chunky,” and many more.
The “Emoji Movie” was named the worst movie by movie critics. This animated movie was primarily known for these bad ratings.
2019:
Star Wars is back with what is likely the most popular show of the year, “The Mandalorian,” which sparked the Baby Yoda trend.
The VSCO girl lifestyle was off. From scrunchies to Hydro Flasks, you could point somebody out as a follower of the trend in a second.
Marvel brought out their most popular film, “Marvel End Game,” to wrap up the Infinity Stone saga.
2020:
Due to the COVID-19 virus, schools across America shifted to virtual schooling with Zoom or Google Meet.
Mask fashion became popular as everyone wore masks to cover their mouths and noses because of COVID-19.
Clorox wipes and toilet paper were going quickly. Many people bought tons of these products because of the virus, since it was unknown how long we would all have to quarantine.
2021:
The Nickelodeon show “ICarly” got a reboot, and fans went crazy online.
There is even more Marvel with an all-new show, “Wandavision.”
The popular video game “Roblox” had its stock go public.
2022:
Will Smith might be a good rapper, or the Fresh Prince, but for some, he’d probably be remembered for his Chris Rock slap at the Grammys.
The beloved TV family man, Bob Saget, who raised his three daughters in San Francisco in the TV show “Full House,” passed away.
Iceman and Maverick are coming back with the new movie, “Top Gun: Maverick,” a sequel to “Top Gun.”
2023:
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour kicks off as one of the longest tours for a singer.
Everybody in 2023 was trying their best to “Be Real” on the popular social media app
The biggest movie of the year, featuring Margot Robbie, was based on one of the most famous toys of all time, “Barbie.”
2024:
This was only the second time the NCAA expanded the BCS Playoffs, and this time it was to a 12-team playoff. This ended with the Ohio State Buckeyes winning, like back in 2014, which was the last time the playoffs were expanded to four teams.
Meta released new wearable technology in the Meta Smart Glasses.
The retired star athlete, famously known for a suspected murder, O.J. Simpson, passed away.
2025:
6-7 was the most popular brain rot that everybody was saying, and is still sometimes heard.
“Wicked for Good,” the second of the two “Wicked” movies, was the biggest movie of the year as fans waited a year to finish this two-part film.
2026:
At the Super Bowl, there was controversy over Bad Bunny’s halftime show performance.
Spirit Airlines officially closed its doors, and all flights were canceled, limiting the economically friendly flight options.
It took 10 years for Bruno Mars to release his fourth album, “The Romantic.” The album contains the hit single, “I Just Might,” which one day could become his most popular song.
While these are just some of the many events and pop culture references of our lifetime, there are many, many more.
State High senior Olivia Shen shared a movie that was a big part of her childhood: “Seeing Asian American representation was really cool to me as a kid, and so like the ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ movie, it was really nice to see it for the first time.”
For others, they have their own opinions on films.
“One of my favorites has to be the ‘Harry Potter’ Series. It probably is the one that I always rewatch,” State High senior Abdullah Rana said.
When it comes to fashion, there are many popular options.
“I think I was really into baggy pants, baggy jeans, jorts for a while,” Shen said.
Music is one of the biggest parts of pop culture.
As the 2026 class goes their separate ways, whether you know it or not, we will all stay connected. These events helped to craft the people we have become and the people we will be in the future. Years from now, we will look back on today, as we do on the days of our childhood, and think about what will one day be considered our glory days. I will leave you with this: look back at our memories, but continue to live life to the fullest because we never know how long we have. As we will soon walk the stage and say farewell to the State College Area School District, thank everybody associated with the ways they helped to make us the best people we can be. I cannot wait to see what the class of 2026 will do.
