1. External hard drive
   USB flash drive
2. Optical discs
   Floppy disk

Floppy disks were used much like the external hard drives used today. They could provide a user with a means to back up their computer, as well as transfer data from one location to another.

1. Nokia 3310
   Motorola Timeport
2. Ericsson R290
   Siemens C25

In addition to their supreme ability to handle falls and excessive wear, the Nokia 3310 was one of the first of its kind to attract a younger market. With the color-changing covers, mobile game and early picture messaging options, it was a top choice among teens and young adults.

1. Tic-Tac-Toe
   Hangman
2. Snake
   Solitaire

First released in 1997, "Snake" was a popular pre-installed game on most Nokia brand mobile devices. As it stands, it is estimated that the game has been installed on over 350 million devices around the world.

1. "7th Heaven"
   "All That"
2. "Home Improvement"
   "Angel"

The popular sitcom, "Home Improvement," was on-air for almost 8 years between 1991 and 1999. Starring Tim Allen, the show is said to have been the launching pad for Pamela Anderson's "acting" career.

1. Return on time
   Rewind
2. I'm fragile
   Look inside

Before the creation of Netflix and other video-streaming services, movies were watched on VHS tapes. Some of the movies released on VHS in 1999 include "Antz", "101 Dalmatians" and "Mighty Joe Young."

1. Digital projector
   Smartboard
2. Overhead projector
   Chalkboard

Overhead projectors enabled educators and presenters to write and draw things at a normal size and then project it up onto a screen that made things appear bigger. Towards the '90s, these were made so they could be attached to a computer output.

1. Record over music tapes
   Burn CDs
2. Download MP3s and email them
   Swap vinyl records

Burning CDs became possible with the creation of the CD-RW, which stands for Compact Disc-ReWritable. Anyone with a modern enough computer was able to load their favorite songs on the disk and then take it anywhere.

1. Telenet
   CompuServe
2. Prodigy
   AOL

At one point, AOL was a large contender in the internet servicing business. Nowadays, people are still able to get their internet service through AOL, with more than 2 million rural subscribers using it for dial-up service.

1. Internet routers
   Dial-up modems
2. Bluetooth devices
   Landline telephones

Dial-up modems used to be a common way to connect to the Internet. They worked by dialing a phone number that belonged to an Internet Service Provider, which would then connect the device.

1. "The West Wing"
   "The Sopranos"
2. "Futurama"
   "Friends"

The popular series, "Friends," was on the air until 2004 and ran for an astounding 10 seasons. When it finished, there had been a total of 236 episodes in the series, and it's still a staple to American television today.

1. Mail-order encyclopedias
   Encarta encyclopedias
2. Google
   Ask Jeeves

Encarta encyclopedias were created by the Microsoft Corporation. They began as a CD-ROM that was pre-populated with digital encyclopedias that could be viewed on any computer they were loaded onto.

1. 8-Track player
   Sony Walkman
2. Generation I iPod
   Zune

Sony Walkmans were the go-to device to listen to portable music. By the end of 1999, there had been over 186 million of the devices sold. Production stopped on the devices in 2010, as they grew obsolete with the changing music formats of the 21st century.

1. Printing directions from MapQuest
   Having an in-car GPS
2. Using your mobile device
   Google Maps

MapQuest was first introduced to the public in 1996, making it the first commercial online mapping service of its kind. It was bought by AOL in 2000 and then sold to Verizon Media, its current owner, in 2016.

1. "Fight Club"
   "Being John Malkovich"
2. "The Sixth Sense"
   "The Matrix"

Released on March 31st, 1999, "The Matrix" hit the screens and captured the attention of many. The iconic movie went on to win four Oscars, including Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

1. A bouquet of dahlias
   A CD player
2. A pager
   A disposable camera

Before the advent of digital cameras, disposable cameras were a quick and convenient way for people to capture memories without the price of an expensive device. They were common at weddings to encourage guests to take pictures of their own.

1. A car stereo
   A boombox
2. Dolby Surround Sound system
   Bluetooth speaker

Boomboxes were a popular choice for events that required loud music. The bulky music players were able to play cassette tapes, CDs and be used to tune into AM and FM radio stations.

1. Cars would stop running.
   Computers would stop working.
2. Stock markets would collapse.
   Hospitals would lose power.

Also known as the Year 2000 Problem and the Millennium Bug, Y2K was an occurrence at the beginning of the 21st century that caused computers to not recognize the difference between 2000 and 1900. It ended up being much ado about nothing, as programming fixes were installed far ahead of time.

1. City Pages
   DexKnows
2. Yellow Pages
   Hibu

Prior to search engines, people used to use phone books to find the contact information for local businesses. Yellow Pages began in 1999 and is still functioning, but it is getting away from printing physical phone books.

1. Movie King
   Redbox
2. Rental Palace
   Blockbuster

Blockbuster used to be at the top of the movie rental business. However, in 2017 the majority of their stores were all but shut down. The single Blockbuster left is located in Bend, Oregon.

1. Nintendo cartridges
   Atari controllers
2. GameCube consoles
   PlayStation cords

The first iteration of the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985 and maintained popularity into the late 90s. Some of the popular games were "Duck Hunt", "Ice Climber" and "Hogan's Alley."

1. Super Smash Bros.
   Mortal Kombat
2. Donkey Kong 64
   Pokemon Stadium

The Super Smash Bros. name has grown in popularity since its original release for Nintendo 64. In 2001, its reach grew with the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee and has gone up from there. The most recent edition of the game was released in 2018.

1. "That '70s Show"
   "7th Heaven"
2. "The Nanny"
   "Boy Meets World"

"The Nanny" television aired between 1993 and 1999 and had 6 seasons completed before the show was cancelled. The family dog in the show actually belonged to Fran Drescher in real life!

1. "Smart House"
   "Stuart Little"
2. "Muppets from Space"
   "Tarzan"

"Stuart Little" was released on Dec. 17, 1999 and went on to become a trilogy of films. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, but lost to another popular movie, "The Matrix."

1. Bill Clinton
   Mohammad Khatami
2. Nelson Mandela
   Jacques Chirac

Nelson Mandela retired from his active political role in 1999 and was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki. Mandela went on to combat HIV/AIDS and poverty in South Africa through the charity he founded.

1. Aggie Bonfire collapse
   Vargas flood
2. Columbine High School shooting
   EgyptAir plane crash

On April 20, 1999, 13 people were killed, including one teacher, when two students went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School. At one point, it was considered the worst high school shooting in United States history.

1. SlashDot
   blogger.com
2. LiveJournal
   Open Diary

Blogger.com was originally started by Pyra Labs, which was later bought out by Google in 2003. In 2007, Blogger was in the top 20 sites for number of unique visitors and is still functioning today.

1. Limewire
   Clementine
2. Amarok
   Napster

Napster was the brainchild of Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning. While it rapidly grew in popularity, the service was shut down in July 2001 after Napster was found guilty of infringing on intellectual property.

1. "Futurama"
   "SpongeBob SquarePants"
2. "Caillou"
   "Arthur"

"SpongeBob SquarePants" is one of the few shows that are still in existence as it rounds out yet another season. The franchise also has two movies, with another one set to be released.

1. Alex Zulle
   Mario Cipollini
2. Lance Armstrong
   Fernando Escartin

While Lance Armstrong was indeed the first one to cross the finish line of the multiple stage race, official results have stripped him of this title. The United States Anti-Doping Agency disqualified the bicyclist in 2012.

1. Ebola
   West Nile virus
2. Hanta fever
   Lassa

The first reported case of the West Nile virus came from Queens, New York. There is no concrete evidence that can state how the virus reached the U.S., but some believe it came by way of an infected bird or mosquito.

1. The Melissa virus
   The Stephanie virus
2. The Angela virus
   The Stacy virus

The Melissa virus was first distributed by David L. Smith, who said that it got its name from a stripper. When he was found guilty, Smith was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $5,000.

1. Play Along Toys
   Hasbro
2. Beanie Baby
   Mattel

The stuffed animal that was meant to symbolize the retirement of Beanie Baby's production line was a black bear, simply called "The End." The company continued production when it was faced with backlash from Beanie Baby enthusiasts around the world.

1. George H.W. Bush
   George W. Bush
2. Bill Clinton
   Ronald Reagan

Bill Clinton was charged with lying under oath and obstruction of justice when his impeachment trial began. He was later acquitted of his charges because the Senate could not get the two-thirds majority needed to impeach him.

1. Amazon
   PayPal
2. Alphabet Inc.
   Facebook

The popular payment platform and parent company to Venmo was once called one of the top 10 worst business ideas of 1999. This is because its original business plan was made around the idea of beaming money from one Palm Pilot to another, which was not a realistic goal.

1. Gmail
   Yahoo
2. Hotmail
   AOL

Before the importance of cyber security was entirely realized, Hotmail was revealed to have a major security flaw: any account could be logged into using 'eh' as the password. This was regardless of what the password was actually set as.