Can you recall what 2001 was like? From iPods to the first Harry Potter movie, there are lots of reasons to remember 2001. Looking back, it's hard to believe that these things are already 20 years old!
Easily the most memorable event of 2001 was the September 11 attacks, otherwise known as 9/11. The four coordinated terrorist attacks left 2,977 dead and more than 25,000 injured.
This year marks 20 years since the release of the first Harry Potter movie, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.' It became the highest-grossing film of 2001
It was also the year that we welcomed our favorite swamp-dwelling ogre into our lives. 'Shrek' was released in May 2001 and received the first ever Best Animated Feature Oscar.
The first instalment in the Fast & Furious franchise hit the big screen in June 2001. 'The Fast and the Furious' was a commercial success and grossed over US$200 million worldwide.
'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'
The Lord of the Rings film series also kicked off in 2001 with 'The Fellowship of the Ring.' The movie was the second highest-grossing release of 2001 (after the first Harry Potter film).
In 2021, it is difficult to imagine a world without Wikipedia. The volunteer-written, free encyclopedia is the go-to information source for just about anything and is used the world over.
In 2000, the legislature of the Netherlands passed a bill for the legalization of same-sex marriage, and on April 1, 2001 it became legal for the first time ever.
Indeed, 2001 was a big year for Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who managed to escape from the maximum security prison in Jalisco where he was being held.
Ridley Scott's 2000 historical epic 'Gladiator' has been credited with reviving interest in the swords and scandals genre and ancient Greek and Roman culture.
In the Italian city of Pisa rests the famed free-standing bell tower tilting at an iconic almost-four-degree angle. In 1993, the tower was closed for remedial work.
In the age of the iPhone, when phone and MP3 player come together in one handy device, it's easy to forget that everything started out with the humble iPod.
The county of Cornwall, England is home to one of the country's top tourist attractions: the Eden Project. The project consists of two domes that house thousands of plant species.
Of course, 2001 was also a big year for space exploration: it was the year that we saw the launch of the Mars Odyssey, the robotic spacecraft sent into the atmosphere to orbit Mars.
Sadly, 2001 was also the year that we said goodbye to singer and actress Aaliyah. She was only 22 years old when she died in a tragic airplane accident in the Bahamas.
