permission to print image: Gale
2017
Oscargate – After La La Land was favored to win Best Picture – and was announced for the award – it was revealed that Moonlight was actually supposed to win the award. The presenters of the award got a lot of hate on social media, and the moment became one of the biggest memes of 2017.
Prince Harry and Meghan engagement – 2017 also began the Harry and Meghan story within the British royal family. Harry proposed to Meghan, they were married the next year, and had their first son Archie a year after.
#Metoo Movement – Harvey Weinstein was accused and convicted of sexual assault by over 80 women in the film industry, sparking the MeToo Movement, where women were encouraged to share their stories of sexual assault.
2018
Infinity War – Marvel’s Avengers began to come to an end with Infinity War coming to theaters. The three hour movie, with a built in bathroom break in Ant Man’s part, became a pop culture phenomenon.
Hawaii False Alarm – Early in the morning, the people of Hawaii were sent an emergency text message that a ballistic missile was coming fast. The text message turned out to be a false alarm and a mistake with the test software, but caused panic nonetheless.
Tide Pods – “Don’t eat Tide Pods” became the montra of the 2018 Spring with the Tide Pod challenge being introduced. Parents and principals alike did everything they could to ensure their children didn’t eat the forbidden fruit.
Yodel Kid – After being filmed at a southern Walmart, the Yodel Kid became an instant internet sensation with almost 80 million views on Youtube.
Yanny v Laurel – Which one did you hear?
2019
World Record Egg – A grassroots Instagram movement took to the internet when people tried to dethrone Kim
Kardashian for the most liked picture with… an egg. And succeeded.
Spongebob Superbowl – Spongebob went from the Bubble Bowl to Super Bowl 53, giving us “Sweet Victory” at the
Maroon 5 halftime show.
Women’s Soccer World Cup – The Women’s National Team united a nation when they brought home the World Cup, stamping a big win for women’s sports and the equal pay movement.
Old Town Road – Lil Nas X broke the charts with the introduction of Trap Country to Billboard. Old Town Road stayed number 1 for an unprecedented 17 weeks and broke radios across the world as Lil Nas rode until he couldn’t anymore.
Storm Area 51 – A petition reeled in hundreds of thousands of Americans to storm Area 51 on September 20th. Less than a hundred people ended up showing, but the meme became a national security threat nonetheless.
Baby Yoda – The world was introduced to everyone’s favorite cute Star Wars character when Baby Yoda teamed up with the Mandalorian to save the galaxy.
2020
Parasite – The movie became the first foreign language film to win best picture at the Oscars.
The Last Dance, Tiger King – Two Netflix Originals dominated the documentary stage when the world was stuck in quarantine. Tiger King split fans over the death of Carol Baskin’s husband and The Last Dance brought back 90s basketball to the public eye.
Royal Fam Leaves – Harry and Meghan left the British royal family for good after multiple alleged instances with the queen.
Billie Eilish – Billie Eilish was the hottest new artist of 2020, taking home 5 Grammys after the 2020 award show.
Zoom – As everyone was stuck at home with the pandemic, Zoom became the most popular form of communication. Late night talk shows had virtual guests and games, and much of entertainment and work as we know went virtual.
Joe Biden Wins Presidency – Joe Biden was elected the 46th president of the United States, and Kamala Harris became the first female and person of color to be Vice President.
NBA Bubble – Lebron James brought a championship back to the Lakers for the first time in a decade. In the Mickey
Mouse Bubble, Lebron took home the Finals MVP award as they sidelined the home state Heat after a long pause in the season.
design: Nick Allen
