Editing 1093: Forget

{{comic
| number    = 1093
| date      = August 10, 2012
| title     = Forget
| image     = forget.png
| titletext = 'Baby Got Back' turned 20 this year. My favorite nostalgia show is VH1's 'I Love The Inexorable March of Time Toward the Grave That Awaits Us All.'
}}

==Explanation==
The median age in {{w|USA}} is currently about 37 years. Assuming that you must be at least five years old to remember a cultural event later, this means that anything that happened more than thirty-two years ago is remembered by a minority of people today. This applies to any event prior to 1980, so here in 2012, the majority of Americans are too young to remember the Seventies. However, according to census estimation the median will raise in the future, so instead of a 32 years gap between event and the moment when most people can't remember it, the gap becomes 35 years (implying a median of some 40 years).

'''2013: The Carter presidency''' {{w|Jimmy Carter}} was the {{w|President of the United States}} from 1977-1981. He lost all popularity after he was viewed as mishandling several crises during his presidency, including the {{w|Three Mile Island accident}}, the {{w|Iran hostage crisis}}, and the "{{w|stagflation}}" of the late 1970s. According to Wikipedia, his decisions to reinstate registration for the draft and his decision to boycott the {{w|1980 Summer Olympics}} in Moscow (over the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) helped contribute to his defeat in the 1980 Presidential campaign.

'''2014: The Reagan shooting''' References the 1981 {{w|Reagan assassination attempt|assassination attempt}} on the then American president, {{w|Ronald Reagan}}.

'''2015: The Falkland Islands War''' This is in reference to the {{w|Falklands War|brief outbreak of hostilities}} between the {{w|UK}} and {{w|Argentina}} over the {{w|Falkland Islands|Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)}} located off the shore of Argentina claimed by both but controlled by the UK. Even to this date, tensions remain high over the ownership of these islands, and while many people alive today weren't alive to witness it, it nevertheless remains present in the collective psyche of both nations.

'''2016: ''Return of the Jedi'' release''' ''{{w|Return of the Jedi}}'' was the 3rd film in the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, released in 1983.

'''2017: The first Apple Macintosh''' The {{w|Macintosh}} was a line of computers created by {{w|Apple Inc.|Apple}}, first introduced in 1984, with the {{w|Macintosh 128K}}.

'''2018: New Coke'''  References a public relations blunder that the Coca-Cola corporation undertook in attempting to reformulate its cola recipe, the new formula called {{w|New Coke}} popularly. The public backlash so shook the company that they reintroduced the original recipe as {{w|Coca-Cola Classic}} within 3 months. New Coke was eventually rebranded from Coca-Cola to Coke II, and then discontinued. Coca-Cola Classic has quietly been rebranded back to simply Coca-Cola, as it originally was. The "New Coke" introduction is considered one of the biggest PR blunders from a major company ever.

'''2019: Challenger''' The {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger|Challenger}} was a {{w|Space Shuttle orbiter}}, which was launched in 1986, but {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|exploded}} 72 seconds into its flight, killing everyone aboard, including {{w|Christa McAuliffe}}, a teacher selected to be the first teacher in space.

'''2020: Chernobyl''' Refers to the 1986 meltdown of a {{w|Chernobyl|nuclear power plant}} in the {{w|Ukranian SSR}} (then a part of the Soviet Union). The meltdown forced the nearby city of {{w|Pripyat}} to be abandoned, and it remains a ghost town today.

'''2021: Black Monday''' Refers to the 1987 {{w|Black Monday (1987)|day}} of the largest one-day {{w|stock market}} drop in history.

'''2022: The Reagan presidency''' {{w|Ronald Reagan}} was an American president from 1981 to 1989, and was a generally well received president known for ending the Cold War, oversaw the {{w|Iran–Contra affair}}, {{w|Invasion of Grenada|invading Grenada}}, and issuing forth a number of new {{w|Reaganomics|economic policies}}.

'''2023: The Berlin Wall''' Refers to the {{w|Berlin Wall|barrier}} surrounding the Anglo-French-controlled part of {{w|Berlin}}. It was erected by the {{w|East Germany|East German}} Government in 1961 to stop illegal emigration to {{w|West Berlin}} (an enclave of {{w|West Germany}}) after the end of the Second World War. After a friendly revolution in 1989, emigration to West Berlin (and West Germany in general) was granted suddenly and very surprisingly again on November 9, 1989. The following rush of people to the Wall from East (to cross the border) and from West (to welcome friends and relatives) in that night coined the figurative "Fall of the Wall", preceding the actual reunion of Germany in 1990 and (almost) complete demolition of the Wall.

'''2024: HammerTime''' Refers to a refrain in {{w|MC Hammer|MC Hammer's}} 1990 hit song {{w|U Can't Touch This}}; [[Randall Munroe]] makes reference to this song elsewhere in his comics, too (specifically [[108: M.C. Hammer Slide]] and [[210: 90's Flowchart]]).

'''2025: The Soviet Union''' Refers to a country emerging after the end of {{w|World War I}}. It became the cold-war adversary of the United States after the end of {{w|World War II}} and only collapsed in 1991.

'''2026: The LA Riots''' Refers to the {{w|1992 Los Angeles riots|massive riots}} occurring at the release of the verdict acquitting the officers accused of the {{w|Rodney King}} beatings in 1992.

'''2027: Lorena Bobbit''' Refers to the {{w|John and Lorena Bobbitt|woman}} who {{w|emasculated}} her husband in 1993.

'''2028: The Forrest Gump release''' ''{{w|Forrest Gump}}'' was a 1994 drama starring {{w|Tom Hanks}} as a mentally disabled man, telling his spectacular life story. The movie had a highly successful release, and some consider it one of the greatest films of all time.

'''2029: The Rwanda Genocide''' Refers to the 1994 {{w|Rwandan genocide}}, where an estimated 800,000 people were killed.

'''2030: OJ Simpson's Trial''' The {{w|O. J. Simpson murder case|O.J. Simpson trial}} was a famous criminal case during which {{w|O.J. Simpson}}, a professional football player, was {{w|acquitted}} of the murder of {{w|Nicole Simpson}} and {{w|Ronald Goldman}}. He was later arrested and jailed for other crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping.

'''2031: Clinton's reelection''' {{w|Bill Clinton}} was the American president from 1993 to 2001. He won his second term in the {{w|United States presidential election, 1996|1996 presidential election}}. During his second term, he faced controversy during an {{w|impeachment}} trial, for which he was acquitted, and a large number of pardons he made on his last day of office. Clinton was a generally favoured president, exiting his presidency with a high approval rate.

'''2032: Princess Diana''' {{w|Princess Diana}} was a famous {{w|Commonwealth}} princess who made headlines after her 1997 {{w|Death of Diana, Princess of Wales|death}} in a car crash.

'''2033: Clinton's impeachment''' In 1998, the American {{w|Congress}} voted to {{w|Impeachment of Bill Clinton|impeach}} then-president Clinton, based on allegations that he {{w|Lewinsky scandal|lied}} about relations with a {{w|Monica Lewinsky|White House intern}}. He was later acquitted.

'''2034: Columbine''' Refers to the 1999 {{w|Columbine High School massacre}}, where 13 people were killed by a {{w|Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold|pair of shooters}}.

'''2035: Forgot About Dre''' Refers to the {{w|Grammy}} winning 2000 song, "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}," by the rapper {{w|Dr. Dre}}. In it, Dre complains that his accomplishments have been purposefully ignored and forgotten; ironically, at some point in the future Dre's complaints about being forgotten will, themselves, be forgotten.

'''2036: 9/11''' Refers to the {{w|September 11 attacks}} in 2001, where terrorists crashed two planes into the {{w|World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center}} towers, in {{w|New York City}}. Two other planes crashed that day: one into the {{w|The Pentagon}}, and one in a field outside of {{w|Shanksville, Pennsylvania}} (presumably on its way to crashing into the Capitol Building).

'''2037: VH1's I love the 80s''' ''{{w|I Love the '80s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '80s}}'' was a 2002 nostalgia TV series by {{w|VH1}}. This will make the 1980s doubly forgotten; not only will people not remember the decade, they will not remember the famous retrospective of people remembering the decade.

'''2038: A time before Facebook''' Refers to the online social media site, {{w|Facebook}}, launched in 2004.

'''2039: VH1's I love the 90s''' ''{{w|I Love the '90s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '90s}}'' was a TV series airing in 2004.

'''2040: Hurricane Katrina''' {{w|Hurricane Katrina}} was a devastating 2005 hurricane that hit {{w|New Orleans}}, killing almost 2000 people and causing 81 billion dollars in damage.

'''2041: The planet Pluto''' {{w|Pluto}} is a {{w|dwarf planet}} in our solar system. Up until 2006, Pluto was considered to be a planet.

'''2042: The first iPhone''' {{w|Apple}}'s first iPhone was released in 2007.

'''2043: The Bush presidency''' {{w|George W. Bush}} was the American president from 2001 to 2009. He was criticized for the wars on {{w|War in Afghanistan (2001%E2%80%93present)|Afghanistan}} and {{w|Iraq War|Iraq}}, poor handling of Hurricane Katrina, and seeing the United States enter a recession. His approval peaked after the 9/11 attacks, but had fallen to historical lows by the end of his second term, making him one of the least liked US presidents.

'''2044: Michael Jackson''' Refers to the {{w|Michael Jackson|pop singer}} who died of drug overdose in 2009.

'''2045: Trying to say Eyjafjallajökull''' Is a reference to a volcano in {{w|Iceland}} that {{w|Eyjafjallajökull#2010 eruptions|erupted}} in 2010. The eruption threw volcanic ash several kilometres up in the atmosphere, which led to air travel disruption in northwest Europe for six days.

'''2046: The Arab Spring''' Refers to the {{w|Arab Spring|wave of revolutions}} that began in late 2010, where many Arabic nations overthrew leaders and started civil wars, with many nations converting to democracies.

'''2047: Anything embarrassing you do today''' Refers to the fact that in 35 years, the majority of Americans will not have been around on this date.

The title text is in reference to the vastly over-saturated programming on VH1 dedicated to the history of the TV universe.

==Transcript==
:'''When Will We Forget?'''
:Based on US Census Bureau ''National Population Projections''
:Assuming we don't remember cultural events from before age 5 or 6

:By this year: The majority of Americans will be too young to remember:
:2012: The seventies
:2013: The Carter presidency
:2014: The Reagan shooting
:2015: The Falkland Islands war
:2016: ''The return of the Jedi'' release
:2017: The first Apple Macintosh
:2018: New Coke
:2019: ''Challenger''
:2020: Chernobyl
:2021: Black Monday
:2022: The Reagan presidency
:2023: The Berlin Wall
:2024: HammerTime
:2025: The Soviet Union
:2026: The LA Riots
:2027: Lorena Bobbit
:2028: The ''Forrest Gump'' release
:2029: The Rwanda Genocide
:2030: OJ Simpson's Trial
:2031: Clinton's reelection
:2032: Princess Diana
:2033: Clinton's impeachment
:2034: Columbine
:2035: ''Forgot About Dre''
:2036: 9/11
:2037: VH1's ''I love the 80s''
:2038: A time before Facebook
:2039: VH1's ''I love the 90s''
:2040: Hurricane Katrina
:2041: The planet Pluto
:2042: The first iPhone
:2043: The Bush presidency
:2044: Michael Jackson
:2045: Trying to say ´´Eyjafjallajökull``
:2046: The Arab Spring
:2047: Anything embarrassing you do today

==Trivia==
* The popular YouTuber [https://www.youtube.com/@Vsauce Vsauce] used this chart in a video called "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3unPcJDbCc&t=327s This Is Not Yellow]".
* This is the first xkcd comic featuring [[Ronald Reagan]].

{{comic discussion}}

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