Let's get right into our monthly look at pop culture history from 20 (2004), 25 (1999), and 30 (1994) years ago!
Below, you will find a little time capsule of what was significant in our lives back then. Hopefully, as you read these brief synopses of the past, you'll begin to remember the who, when, and where of your memories from those years.
POINTS OF REFERENCE
2004: The MESSENGER spacecraft launches from Cape Canaveral on August 3rd. MESSENGER would study the planet Mercury from 2011 to 2015. Also on the 3rd, St. Louis' 1st Baseman Albert Pujols becomes the first player in MLB history to hit at least 30 home runs in each of his first four seasons. That same day, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopens to the public for the first time since the 9-11 attacks. Greg Maddux, pitching for the Chicago Cubs, scores his 300th win on the 7th. John Elway is inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame the next day. On the 12th, New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevy comes out as gay. On the 13th, the 28th Olympic Games start in Greece. Also, on the 13th, Hurricane Charlie devastated the area surrounding Punta Gorda, Florida. On the 19th, American swimmer Michael Phelps beats teammate Ryan Lochte in the 200m individual double. Phelps won the 100-meter race the next day, beating fellow American Ian Croker. Phelps would win 6 Gold Medals during the Athens Olympics. On the 22nd, two paintings by Edvard Munch, "The Scream" and "Madonna," are stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Norway. On the 27th, Craig Kilborn makes his final appearance on "The Late Late Show" on CBS after 1,190 episodes. At the Republican National Convention, Barbara Bush, daughter of George W. Bush, makes headlines with her speech in support of her father's reelection campaign.
1999: The 2nd sees M. Night Shyamalan's hit "The Sixth Sense," starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, debut in theaters. St. Louis' Mark McGuire becomes the 16th MLB player to reach 500 home runs on the 5th. The next day, San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn collects his 3,000 hit. The 7th sees another baseball record, as Tampa Bay Rays 3rd baseman Wadge Boggs becomes the first player to cross 3,000 hits with a home run in a 15-10 loss to Cleveland. On August 9th, Russian President Boris Yeltsin fires his entire cabinet for the fourth time in his term. On the 11th, KISS earns their star on the Walk of Fame. That same day, a tornado hit Salt Lake City, killing one. On the 12th, Shakira recorded her first live album in New York City titled "MTV Unplugged: Shakira." On the 15th, Tiger Woods wins his second major title. On the 31st, the first in a series of apartment bombings occur in Moscow, killing one and wounding over 50.
1994: Cal Ripken, Jr. becomes the second player (since Lou Gherig) to play in 2,000 games on August 1st. The same day, the Rolling Stones began their "Voodoo Lounge" World Tour. Congressional hearings over White Water start on the 2nd. Tokyo hits a record high of 103* F on the 3rd. On August 4th, Howard Stern drops out of his run for Governor of New York. A truck carrying millions of bees overturns on the New York State Thruway on the 4th. The last British troops leave Hong Kong on the 10th, having been a presence there since 1841. August 12th sees the first NFL game on FOX. Also, on the 12th, the MLB Players Association goes on strike, canceling the World Series. Doc Gooden leaves the Betty Ford Clinic on the 14th. The Hubble telescope captures groundbreaking photos of Uranus and its rings. August 21st sees the final French troops leave Rwanda. The 22nd sees DNA testing link OJ Simpson to the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. On the 29th, British band Oasis released their debut album, becoming the fastest-selling album ever in the United Kingdom. The Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, opens on the 30th.
TOP MOVIES
2004: "Collateral"
Collateral is a neo-noir action thriller film directed and produced by Michael Mann. It was written by Stuart Beattie and stars Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. The supporting cast includes Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Javier Bardem, and Bruce McGill.
The movie follows Max Durocher, a Los Angeles cab driver, and his customer, Vincent. When offered a high fare for driving to several locations, Max agrees but soon finds himself taken hostage by Vincent, a hitman on a contract killing spree.
Film writer Stuart Beattie says he first thought of the idea while taking a taxi home from the Syndey Airport. He shared it with a producer friend, who pitched it to HBO. HBO declined, but DreamWorks purchased the film, even though it didn't see development for three years.
Before Jaimie Foxx and Tom Cruise were attached to the film, Russell Crowe and Adam Sandler were in talks to star as Vincent and Max.
Collateral was released in the United States on August 6th, 2004, and grossed over $220 million worldwide. The film received critical acclaim for the performances of Cruise and Foxx. Collateral was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2004. At the 77th Academy Awards, Foxx received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, while film editors Jim Miller and Paul Rubell were nominated for Best Film Editing.
1999: "The Sixth Sense"
This psychological thriller, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient (Haley Joel Osment) claims he can see and talk to the dead.
Released by Buena Vista Pictures through its Hollywood Pictures label on August 6th, 1999, The Sixth Sense received critical acclaim. It was praised for the cast performances (particularly those of Willis, Osment, and Toni Collette), atmosphere, direction, and its now-famous surprise ending. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay for Shyamalan, Best Supporting Actor for Osment, and Best Supporting Actress for Collette.
The film established Shyamalan as a predominant thriller screenwriter/director and introduced the cinema public to his traits, most notably his affinity for twist endings.
It was the second-highest-grossing film of 1999, behind Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace, making roughly $293 million in the US and $379 million worldwide.
1994: "Clear and Present Danger"
Clear and Present Danger is a 1994 action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce. It is based on Tom Clancy's 1989 novel of the same name. The film is a sequel to The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Patriot Games (1992) and is part of a series of films featuring Clancy's popular character, Jack Ryan.
It is the last film version of Clancy's novels to feature Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan and James Earl Jones as Vice Admiral James Greer. It is also the final installment directed by Noyce.
As happens in the book, Ryan is appointed CIA Acting Deputy Director of Intelligence (DDI) and discovers he is being kept in the dark by colleagues who are conducting a covert war against a drug cartel from Colombia, with the secret approval of the President.
The film was released in theaters on August 3rd and was a critical and financial success, earning $215 million worldwide.
TOP SONGS
2004: "These Words" by Natasha Bedingfield
1999: "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera
1994: "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
TOP TV NEWS
August 2004:
August 1st - Nickelodeon's "Rugrats" comes to an end, having been on air since 1991.
August 9th - David Muir resigns as co-anchor of World News Now on ABC and is replaced by Ron Corning.
August 10th - Blue's Room debuts on Nick, Jr.
August 10th - The Joe Schmo Show is canceled by Spike TV after its one controversial season.
August 27th - Craig Kilborn ends his five-year run as host of The Late Late Show.
August 27th - The animated series Johnny Bravo ends its run on Cartoon Network. It had been on the air since 1997.
August 28th - PBS Kid's show Bookworm Bunch ends.
August 1999:
August 16th - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire airs its first episode on ABC with Regis Philbin as host. It would become the television season's highest-rated series and one of ABC's most successful shows.
August 21st - WWF officially cancels Shotgun Saturday Night.
August 26th - WWF SmackDown! airs its first episode live from the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, on UPN. The main event saw Triple H defeating The Rock to retain the WWF Title thanks to interference from Shawn Michaels, who was the special guest referee.
August 30th - Countess Vaughn leaves the cast of Moesha to star in her own television spin-off, The Parkers with Mo'Nique. This made her the first female African-American comedian to receive a spin-off.
August 1994:
August 12th - The ABC soap opera All My Children broadcasts a memorial episode for original cast member Frances Heflin, who passed away in June. The memorial was in the form of a funeral for Heflin's character, Mona Kane Tyler.
August 12th: Fox broadcasts its first National Football League event, a pre-season game between the 49ers and Denver Broncos in San Francisco.
August 19th - Inside the Actors Studio debuts on Bravo.
August 21st - HBO broadcasts a Barbra Streisand concert, her first public show in 27 years.
August 25th - My So-Called Life debuts on ABC. The show was canceled at the end of the season for its "very narrow appeal."
August 28th - America's Funniest People, the video clip and scripted skit show hosted by Dave Coulier, was canceled after four seasons.
August 29th - Highlights from the NWA World Title Tournament air on ECW Hardcore TV. The event is famous for when Shane Douglas threw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and proclaimed the ECW Heavyweight Championship a World Title. Douglas' speech spurred the emergence of ECW as a national brand, renaming Eastern Championship Wrestling to Extreme Championship Wrestling.
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