1989 – The year Taylor Swift and I were born
What happened in 1989? Sure, it was the year that Taylor Swift and I were born, but it was also a year that saw several social, cultural and political debuts. Here's a look at how life has changed in the last 25 years.
1989 babies
Yes, we all now know Taylor Swift was born in 1989 (I was too – that’s me and not Taylor). Lots of other momentous events occurred that year: the Berlin Wall fell, Chinese students protested and died on Tiananmen Square and the Internet was launched. 1989 was a milestone for politics, science and technology. Here’s a look at how the world has changed since Taylor and I were babies.
Gameboy to Smartphone
I don’t ever part with my smartphone, but the year I was born, the most coveted handheld device was the Game Boy. By July 1989 the electronic video game device from Nintendo could be bought all over the world.
Controversy in the music industry
Today Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga are in the headlines for their scandals. In 1989 it was my favorite singer Madonna with “Like a Prayer” that caused the Vatican to order a ban on her shows. Yet Madonna still stirs for controversy today with her latest album name "MDNA".
How TV series have changed
Long before Netflix binging, and way before Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad became the series everyone watches, people were glued to their television sets for evening sitcoms. 1989 marked the start of the nine-season running hit Seinfeld: a show about nothing.
Entering the World Wide Web
It’s hard to believe there was a time before apps, social media platforms and Internet sites. It wasn’t until 1989 that Tim Berners-Lee first proposed the idea for a World Wide Web and implemented the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). From research to online shopping, today I wouldn't know what to do without it.
Germany's new capital
Berlin is the hippest, sexiest city in Germany. Before the Wall came down in 1989, there were no hostels or cool clubs in Mitte. Hardly any tourists traveled to the East, because you had to go through the control points at Checkpoint Charlie. After unification, Berlin became Germany's new capital.
Finding my way around
Without my navi (in my smartphone), I can’t find my way around new places I visit. Good thing the first of 24 satellites in the Global Positioning Service was launched in 1989 to provide reliable imaging details for commercial mapping services. Who reads printed maps nowadays?
The relevance of the Hillsborough Disaster
Some 25 years later my hometown Sheffield is still investigating the deaths and finding the people responsible for the April 1989 stadium disaster. Back then 96 soccer fans died in a semi-cup final between Liverpool and Sheffield.
Same sex marriage in 16 countries in 25 years
1989 was a breakthrough year for LGBT rights. Denmark passed the Registered Partnership law which grants same sex couples many of the rights of marriage. 25 years later, same sex marriage is recognized in 16 different countries.
The increasing popularity of HDTV
HDTV was first broadcast in Japan in 1989. It wasn’t until 1998 that it became more popular when the US started broadcasts. Today in 2014 my housemates and I can enjoy the HDTV channels MTV , ESPN and The Discovery Channel - that is when we are not fighting over the remote control.
From the brick to touch screen
I cannot even remember the last time I saw one of the first cell phones. Back in 1989 the first cell phone ad by "Cantel" hit the television screens. Now in 2014 almost everyone I know has a touch screen and companies boast new innovative forms. Mobile phone ads even compete against each other as seen in the new iphone 6 #bendgate joke.
25 years of happiness
25 years ago the most popular song of the year was Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. Since then I have been singing and humming along to "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. But unfortunately not everyone can enjoy it: a couple of months ago a group of young Iranians were sentenced to prison for dancing to the popular song.