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21 Things We All Forgot Were Normal 21 Years Ago

This trip into 1994 brought to you by the car of the future.

BMW
by BMW

Brand Publisher

1. In 1994, 21-year-olds were surfing the web on 56k...

the stupid computer / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / Via Flickr: briz

(Which is 1,000,000 times slower than today's Google Fiber 1 Gbit/s connection.)

2. ...playing video games...

Nintendo / Via brotherbrain.tumblr.com

(Check those graphics.)

3. ...and playing cards.

Abel Cheung / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / Via Flickr: abelcheung

4. They went to coffee shops dressed like this...

Universal Images Group Diverse Images / Getty Images

5. ...the gym dressed like this...

Mike Powell / Getty Images

6. ...and danced at parties like this:

NBC / youtube.com / Via committedfalpal.tumblr.com

7. They were browsing with Netscape...

ursonate / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: ursonate

(This was four years before Google even existed.)

8. ...using the latest and greatest OS...

ajnabeee / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: ajnabee

< Press ESC to clear this dialogue box >

9. ...and playing slick games on the latest mobile devices.

Guwashi999 / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: guwashi999

PDA used to stand for "Personal Digital Assistant." Now it stands for something WAY different.

10. In 1994, 21-year-olds were watching soccer for the first time...

Thinkstock

(As Cup fever swept the U.S.)

11. ...not watching baseball...

Thaise Hygino Photography / iStockphoto / Getty Images

(Because a major strike was underway.)

12. ...and eating junk food while watching a ton of MTV.

MTV / Via reactiongifs.com

Hehehehe. Cool.

13. They were “forgetting" to rewind VHS tapes before returning them to the video store...

Via vhsnetwork.tumblr.com

14. ...watching literally the three best movies of all time in theaters...

© Paramount / Everett Collection
Moviestore Collection / Rex USA
Moviestore Collection / Rex USA

(That's right: All three played throughout 1994, thanks to Jurassic Park's lengthy run in theaters.)

15. ...and they were paying just $1 for each movie ticket.

david franklin / iStockphoto / Getty Images

Dollar cinema was totally a thing.

16. Back in '94, 21-year-olds were enjoying the greatest year in hip-hop ever...

Warner Music Group / youtube.com / Via reclusively.tumblr.com

Nas, Biggie, Common, O.C., Outkast, Saafir, Odd Squad, Warren G, UGK, Method Man, Coolio, The Beastie Boys... The list goes on, and on, and on...

17. ...GRUNGE...

Redferns Raffaella Cavalieri / Getty Images

Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, STP...

18. ...and learning the classics thanks to best-of CD commercials.

Via wardriver96.tumblr.com

But only the 10-second section of the chorus that made it into the commercial music video mash-up.

19. They were listening to the art form that was the mix tape in the tape decks of their cars.

Marvel Studios / Via tonkonst.tumblr.com

Because "shockproof" CD buffering wasn't invented yet, and MP3 players were still a decade away.

20. When a 21-year-old asked a question in '94, everyone said:

Thinkstock

21. And finally: Back in 1994, 21-year-olds could purchase an introductory guide for the net on VHS.

mrbill / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: mrbill

(Instead of, you know, using the internet to browse the internet.)

21 years later, everything has changed. But the newest innovations are already shaping the world of tomorrow.

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Built in a wind-powered factory with the strength of carbon fiber and the agility of BMW performance, the all-electric BMW i3 redefines our idea of the automobile. Hello future.