TV Guide: 2000s
For six consecutive years during the 2000s, this TV series finished as the season's highest-rated show, creating overnight celebrities—even though many winners faded while several runners-up became superstars.
American Idol
On January 1, 2002, Europe said adieu to the franc and bonjour to this new currency.
the Euro
Featuring the voices of Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, this 2001 animated hit became an instant classic thanks in part to its unforgettable opening song, "All Star" by Smash Mouth.
Shrek
In 2004, this yellow silicone bracelet became a worldwide symbol of cancer awareness and fundraising.
Livestrong
If you forgot to feed, clean, or play with this handheld digital pet, it might "die," much to the disappointment of kids everywhere.
Tamagotchi
This popular game show, hosted by Joe Rogan, challenged contestants to perform stunts for cash prizes.
Fear Factor
He served as mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2002, earned the nickname "America's Mayor" after the September 11 attacks, and later worked on Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
Rudy Giuliani
In this Disney Channel movie set in Italy, Hilary Duff exposes her singing partner as a fraud by taunting him with the line, "Sing to me, Paolo!"
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Founded in 1980, this company became famous for its brightly colored school supplies, stickers, and rainbow-filled designs featuring unicorns, dolphins, and other whimsical animals.
Lisa Frank
Founded in 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, this company created a pioneering social networking platform that became hugely popular in the mid-2000s.
MySpace
Debuting in 2002, this Nickelodeon series follows a young inventor and his robotic dog, Goddard, in the town of Retroville.
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron
In the 2000 presidential election, these partially detached pieces of punch-card ballots became the center of controversy over voter intent.
Hanging Chad
Before starring as a singing corpse in The Weird Al Yankovic Story and appearing on Broadway in Merrily We Roll Along, this actor began his career as the boy who received a letter from Hogwarts.
Daniel Radcliffe
This sweet fashion brand introduced its iconic velour tracksuit, a favorite among women, in 2001.
Juicy Coture
With its swiveling display and thumb-friendly keyboard, this T-Mobile phone became the trusty companion of choice for many teens in the 2006.
Sidekick
Solange Knowles sang the original theme song for this Disney Channel animated series, with background vocals by Destiny's Child.
The Proud Family
In 1998, this snack brand made headlines when its Olestra ingredient in its “Wow Chips” caused some unfortunate side effects to both bottoms and bottom lines.
Lays
Starring in both Mean Girls and The Notebook, released just two months apart in 2004, this actress showed her range by making audiences love to hate her before making them hate to love her.
Rachel McAdams
This cool hairstyle, worn by celebrities like Justin Timberlake involved bleaching only the ends of the hair.
Frosted Tips
This popular online peer-to-peer file sharing service launched in 1999 and became famous for allowing users to share MP3 files.
Napster
The ZIP Code 02134 became famous thanks to this PBS children's show, where kids shared riddles, plays, recipes, and audience-submitted activities.
Zoom
Montenegro declared independence in 2006 after separating from its union with this Balkan country, whose famous natives include Novak Djokovic.
Serbia
From arrows to anvils, this actor became known for playing earnest, heroic characters in The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Orlando Bloom
A favorite accessory of surfers and celebrities in the 1970s and early 2000s, these necklaces use naturally worn shell beads named after the Hawaiian word for “hole.”
Puka Shell Necklace
This dance-based video game, first released in Japan in 2001, became a worldwide sensation and spawned numerous sequels.
Dance Dance Revolution