February is always a fond month for us here at Hope for Hearts. It is the month that St. Elizabeth’s Girls Academy was founded. This year, we celebrate the school’s 20th anniversary. In honor of that, I thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and look at 20 things society was doing in 1998.
- World population: 5,912,000,0000
- The price of a 2L bottle of Coke is only 89 cents.
- President Clinton gets impeached for misconduct with Monica Lewinsky.
- Hampsterdance.com, one of the earliest examples an internet meme and click-bait, was created by a group of Canadian students competing to see who could generate the most traffic. Hampton and the Hampsters are still around and enjoying a career in music today!
- We lost Seinfeld. The final episode of this classic, well-loved show, aired on May 14, 1998.
- JetBlue Airways was founded.
- The hit teen drama primetime TV show, Dawson’s Creek aired for the first time.
- Everybody’s favorite toy – the Furby – hit store shelves and made its way into homes everywhere in 1998.
- Total Request Live, a TV show counting down the top 10 music videos, aired for the first time. The show was canceled in 2008 and only recently saw a revival last year.
- Sex and the City aired for the first time. Women everywhere were following the lives of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda as they explored the dating scene in Manhattan.
- Girl Power was unleashed in the US via the debut of the Spice Girls.
- Apple first brought iMac into the world.
- Google was founded.
- That 70’s show appeared for the first time.
- Mp3 Players were introduced to the world.
- Britney Spears debuted in the pop music scene and hasn’t stopped yet.
- Bellagio Hotel & Casino opens in Las Vegas.
- Frank Sinatra, one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century, dies.
- The Euro was introduced in Europe.
- SEGA (St. Elizabeth’s Girls Academy) opened its doors to the orphaned girls in Uganda, promising to lift them from poverty to prosperity through education.
Much like the celebrity marriages of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston or Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, a few of the things on this list have come and gone. But several, like Google, Apple, The Euro, Bellagio, JetBlue, etc. have stayed and thrived over the years. We’re proud to have SEGA listed among one of the great organizations that are celebrating 20 years this year. That’s two decades of creating new memories and opportunities for orphaned girls in need.
The school wouldn’t be able to continue to do what it does best without the support of organizations like Hope for Hearts, and generous donors and supporters like you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who continues to play a role in the success and future of the kids in our schools.
If you wish to say congratulations to SEGA, you can do so by making a donation, in any amount, to Hope for Hearts, so that we can continue to help the school support even more children throughout the next 20 years.
With Gratitude,
Cristen
