In "This Month in YesterYear History," we look back at the big pop culture moments from
20 (2005), 25 (2000), and 30 (1995) years ago!
Below, you'll find a little time capsule of what was significant during this month in history. Hopefully, as you read these brief recaps of the past, you'll remember the who, when, and where of some long-tucked-away memories! That's the whole point of this site!
POINTS OF REFERENCE
2005: A terrorist detonates bombs at Jimbaran Beach Resort in Bali, Indonesia, on the 1st, killing 20 and injuring 100. On the 2nd, the NFL plays its first regular-season game outside of the United States when the Cardinals defeat the 49ers in Mexico City, Mexico. Also on the 2nd, the Ethan Allen boat tour capsizes in upstate New York, killing 20 passengers. Nickelback released their fifth album, "All the Right Reasons," on the 4th. On the 5th, the NHL begins the 2005-06 season after a 10-month lockout cancelled the entire 04-05 season. That same day, Wayne Gretzky made his NHL coaching debut as the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, in a 3-2 loss to Vancouver. Gretzky would get his first win on the 8th. Stephanie Meyer's young-adult novel Twilight was first published. Fernando Alonso wins the Shanghai Grand Prix to become the first Spanish Formula One Driver's World Champion on the 16th. The Colbert Report first aired on Comedy Central on the 17th. On the 19th, Hurricane Wilma became the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, with a minimum pressure of 882 mb. Saddam Hussein's trial for crimes against humanity begins on the 19th. On the 22nd, Hurricane Alpha forms in the Atlantic, restarting the alphabet, and makes the 2005 hurricane season the most active season on record. On the 25th, the then-longest Baseball World Series game in time (5 hours, 41 mins) and longest in innings (14, tied with Game 2 of the 1916 World Series and Game 1 of the 2015 World Series) takes place when the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros, 7-5, during game 3 of the World Series. The next day, Chicago beats Houston, 1-0 in Game 4 at Minute Maid Park to sweep the World Series, the team's first in 88 years. On the 29th, Islamic terrorists set off more bombs in Delhi, killing 62.
2000: The Pittsburgh Pirates lose the last game at Three Rivers Park on the 1st, losing 10-9 to the Cubs. Also on the 1st, the USA Men's basketball team won the gold medal by defeating France. The United States won the most medals during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, with a total of 97 medals, including 40 gold medals. The Jessica Alba TV series "Dark Angel" debuts on FOX. On the 5th, Gilmore Girls debuts on The WB. On the 5th, mass protests in Belgrade resulted in the resignation of Slobodan Milosevic on the 6th. On the 8th, the musical "Peter Pan" was filmed and broadcast on A&E, starring Cathy Rigby. It does not hold a candle to the 1960 Mary Martin version, which my Grandparents owned on VHS and would frequently play for me. On the 12th, the American destroyer USS Cole was severely damaged in Yemen by two suicide bombers. 17 crew members were killed and 40 more were wounded. Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm debuts on HBO on the 15th. On the 16th and 17th, the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals, and the New York Yankees defeated the Seattle Mariners to win their respective league titles and head to the World Series (covered at the end of this article). On the 18th, Zack de la Rocha announces he is leaving the band Rage Against the Machine. On the 23rd, the New York Jets pulled off the "Monday Night Miracle," when down 30-7 at the end of the third quarter, they made an improbable comeback with 4 touchdowns and a field goal all in the fourth quarter, eventually defeating the Miami Dolphins 40-37 in overtime. On October 26, the Yankees beat the Mets to win the World Series. On the 31st, Pope John Paul II declared Saint Thomas More as "the heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians." Also on the 31st, a Singapore Airlines 747 collided with construction equipment during takeoff in Taipei, Taiwan, killing 79 passengers and four crew members.
1995: A sports-heavy month! On the 1st, the Cleveland Indians end the season at 100 wins and 44 losses, a record-setting 30-game margin over the second-place team (Kansas City Royals). That same day, Farm Aid 8 was held in Louisville, Kentucky, starring Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Dave Matthews Band. Also on the 1st, the Jacksonville Jaguars won their first-ever NFL game (in their 5th game in franchise history) with a 17-16 victory over the Houston Oilers. Also, the Yankees and Colorado Rockies became the first wild-card teams under the new MLB playoff system. On the 2nd, the British band Oasis released their second studio album "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" and sold 347,000 copies (a record) in the first week. On the 3rd, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. Later that night, a major 3-way trade of high-profile players in the NHL occurred when Claude Lemieux was sent to the Colorado Avalanche, Steve Thomas to the New Jersey Devils, and Wendell Clark went to the New York Islanders. Speaking of, the Avalanche (formerly the Quebec Nordiques) won their first game as the Avalanche on the 6th. Boston's Fleet Center (now the TD Garden) opens on the 7th, replacing the famed Boston Garden, when the Bruins tie the Islanders 4-4. On the 8th, Dan Marino broke the NFL career completions record. The Atlanta Braves became the first National League team to sweep the playoffs when they beat Cincinnati for the fourth straight time on October 14th. The next day, the Carolina Panthers defeated the Jets 26-15 for their first franchise victory. On the 18th, the Winnipeg Jets are sold to an American investor group, who announce plans to move the team to Phoenix. On the 25th, the musical adaptation of the film "Victor/Victoria," starring Julie Andrews, opened at the Marquis Theater, NYC, and ran for 738 performances. Julie Andrews declined the Tony Award nomination because she felt other cast and crew members should have been recognized. The 27th saw the contract finalized to relocate the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, where they became the Ravens. That same day, "Leaving Las Vegas" starring Nic Cage and Elisabeth Shue debuts in theaters. The Atlanta Braves win the World Series on the 28th, defeating the Cleveland Indians in Game 6. It's the Braves' 3rd World Series, and the series MVP was pitcher Tom Glavine. On Halloween, the New Jersey Devils decided to stay in New Jersey, having previously floated the idea of moving to Nashville.
TOP MOVIES
2005: "FlightPlan" -
This psychological mystery thriller was directed by Robert Schwentke, known for his ability to craft tense, slow-building narratives. Produced and distributed by Touchstone Pictures, the film stars Jodie Foster as Kyle Pratt, a recently widowed aviation engineer. The supporting cast includes Peter Sarsgaard as a sky marshal, Erika Christensen as a flight attendant, Kate Beahan, Greta Scacchi, Sean Bean, and Matt Bomer in his film debut. Marlene Lawston plays Kyle’s daughter, Julia.
Kyle Pratt, an American aviation engineer living in Berlin, boards a double-decker aircraft she helped design to return to the U.S. with her 6-year-old daughter, Julia, and her deceased husband’s body. After waking from a nap mid-flight, she discovers that her daughter, Julia, is missing. There is no record of her boarding, and no one recalls seeing her. As the search intensifies, the crew and a sky marshal grow skeptical, suggesting her grief over her husband's suspicious death has made her unhinged. However, evidence of the daughter's presence, like a heart drawn on a window, fuels Kyle’s determination. (Spoilers) It’s later revealed that Carson, a flight attendant and a Berlin mortuary director, orchestrated a hijacking plot, kidnapping Julia in the process to frame Kyle as the hijacker, and extorting a $50 million ransom. A tense confrontation occurs, and Kyle outsmarts the conspirators to save her daughter.
Flightplan was a commercial hit, grossing over $223 million worldwide against a $55 million budget. It also earned an additional $79 million in DVD sales and received two nominations at the 32nd Saturn Awards for Best Action or Adventure Film and Best Actress for Jodie Foster. Critically, the film received mixed reviews, currently holding a 37% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 53/100 score on Metacritic, indicating average viewer response. Most criticized the screenplay’s implausible plot twists and far-fetched resolution, with some, like Leonard Maltin, calling the climax “ridiculous.”
Flightplan draws heavy inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes, particularly in its premise of a missing person on a confined transport, with Kyle’s discovery of Julia’s heart on the window echoing a key scene. The film’s fictional E-474 airliner was modeled after the Airbus A380, with its set built from scratch, incorporating real aircraft components from BE Aerospace. The film sparked controversy, prompting a boycott from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, who criticized its portrayal of flight attendants as unsympathetic or complicit in terrorism, fearing it could erode passenger trust in cabin crew so soon after 9/11.
2000: "Meet The Parents" -
I absolutely love this movie! While I no longer live there, the De Niro line, "Under my roof, it's my way or the Long Island Expressway," is still used quite frequently in my household.
This romantic comedy was directed by Jay Roach, best known for the Austin Powers trilogy. Written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, the film is a remake of a 1992 independent movie. This time, distributed by Universal Pictures domestically and DreamWorks Pictures internationally, it stars Ben Stiller as Greg Focker, a nurse trying to win over his girlfriend’s parents, played by Robert De Niro as the intimidating Jack Byrnes, a retired CIA operative, and Blythe Danner as Dina Byrnes. Teri Polo plays Pam Byrnes, Greg’s girlfriend, with Owen Wilson as her charming ex-fiancé, Kevin. The supporting cast includes James Rebhorn, Jon Abrahams, Nicole DeHuff, and Phyllis George, with De Niro’s casting inspired by his comedic success in Analyze This.
Greg Focker, a male nurse, plans to propose to his girlfriend, Pam Byrnes, during her sister Debbie’s wedding at the Byrnes family home on Long Island. His plans unravel when his luggage, containing the engagement ring, is lost, and he faces scrutiny from Pam’s overprotective father, Jack, who subjects him to an impromptu lie detector test. Greg’s attempts to fit in backfire through a series of mishaps: injuring Debbie in a volleyball game the day before her wedding, flooding the backyard with sewage, burning down the handmade wedding altar, and losing the family cat. Tensions peak when Jack, suspecting Greg of lying about his background, confronts him, but Pam’s proof of Greg’s MCAT scores and Dina’s support help Jack accept Greg, culminating in a heartfelt proposal after a chaotic airport scene.
Meet the Parents was a financial success, grossing over $165 million in North America and $330.4 million worldwide against a $55 million budget. The film reportedly recovered its cost in just 11 days and became the seventh-highest-grossing film of the year. It topped the U.S. box office for four weeks and set an October opening weekend record. Critically, it received generally favorable reviews, with an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film’s surname “Focker” was coined by Jim Carrey during early development, nearly earning an R rating until the studio proved its real-world existence to the MPAA, securing a PG-13 rating. The script, initially written for Jim Carrey’s physical comedy, was reworked for Stiller and his improvisational style after Carey left the project due to scheduling issues. All of the airport scenes were filmed at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, not in Chicago or New York City, as the film implies. A real-life incident in 2005 saw an American Airlines flight diverted due to a bomb threat note that referenced the film’s scene where Greg shouts “bomb." The film’s success spawned sequels (Meet the Fockers, Little Fockers), a reality show (Meet My Folks), and a forthcoming fourth film, Focker In-Law, set for release in 2026.
1995: "Seven" -
This crime thriller, directed by David Fincher, was written by Andrew Walker and was produced by New Line Cinema. The film was directed by David Fincher, who sought to rebound from the troubled production of Alien 3, and took over this project after New Line acquired the script from the financially struggling Italian company Penta Films. The film features Brad Pitt as the impulsive Detective David Mills and Morgan Freeman as the seasoned, disillusioned Detective Lieutenant William Somerset. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Tracy Mills, David’s wife, with Kevin Spacey as the chilling serial killer John Doe, joined by supporting actors like John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey.
Spacey was a last-minute addition to the cast, and his name was omitted from the marketing, both in attempts to preserve the mystery of Doe's identity.
Set in a gritty, unnamed city plagued by crime, Seven follows Detectives Somerset and Mills as they investigate a series of murders tied to the seven deadly sins. The killings begin with a gluttony victim forced to eat until his stomach bursts, followed by a greed victim coerced into cutting off his own flesh, and a sloth victim restrained for a year. Clues lead the detectives to John Doe’s apartment, where he escapes after a tense chase with Mills. As the investigation continues with lust and pride murders, Doe surrenders, leading Somerset and Mills to a remote location where a package reveals Tracy’s severed head, exposing Doe’s envy. (Spoilers) Provoked into wrath, Mills kills Doe, fulfilling the killer’s plan to complete the sins and shock society.
The movie was a sleeper hit, grossing $327.3 million worldwide against a $34 million budget, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 1995. Its success was boosted by Pitt’s popularity and word of mouth. Critical reception was generally positive, with praise for the performances of Freeman, Pitt, and Spacey, as well as the shocking twist ending, earning a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, some criticized the excessive violence, trite dialogue, and bleak tone, comparing it unfavorably to The Silence of the Lambs.
Seven’s iconic title sequence, depicting John Doe’s meticulous preparations, was designed by Kyle Cooper and set to a remix of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer,” costing $50,000 and sparking a renewed interest in title design. The ending, featuring a head in a box, was fiercely debated, with the director and Pitt insisting it remain in the film, while the studio wanted a happier ending. The sloth victim scene shocked SWAT actors, who were unaware the “corpse” was an alive actor, capturing genuine reactions.
TOP SONGS
2005: "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
2000: "Come On Over Baby" by Christina Aguilera
1995: "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey
TOP TV NEWS
October 2005:
2nd: NBC's Saturday Night Live begins broadcasting in HDTV format.
5th: The Outdoor Life Network broadcasts its first NHL game. I remember how ridiculous this was, and the network eventually rebranded into Versus. It was then rebranded again into NBCSN (Sports Network) in 2012.
The Adam Carolla Project debuts on TLC.
13th: Run's House debuts on MTV, featuring Joseph Simmons of Run-DMC.
17th: The Colbert Report, a news/talk comedy show that mocked conservatives, debuted on Comedy Central.
22nd: Tina Fey returns from maternity leave to resume working on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update skit.
The kids' version of SNL, Nickelodeon's All That, comes to an end, having been on air since 1994.
26th: Game 4 of the World Series airs on Fox, a day after the longest game in baseball history, marking the end of the Curse of the Black Sox.
October 2000:
1st: Jackass debuts on MTV, gifting the world with Johnny Knoxville and Bam Margera.
2nd: Jim Lehrer moderates the first 2000 presidential debate between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
2nd: Strangers with Candy, which began in 1998, ended on Comedy Central.
3rd: Dark Angel debuts on Fox, starring Jessica Alba in her breakthrough role.
4th: Titans debuts on NBC. This soap opera was created by Aaron Spelling and marketed as "Dynasty for the new millennium." However, low ratings led to a quick cancellation after the first 13 episodes.
5th: CNN's Bernard Shaw moderates the 2000 vice presidential debate with Senator Joe Lieberman and former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney.
5th: Gilmore Girls debuts on The WB.
6th: CSI debuts on CBS. The series would run for 15 years and spawned a spinoff, CSI: Las Vegas.
6th: Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on TNN comes to a close as the network signs a deal with WWE instead.
8th: Ed, starring Tom Cavanaugh (who my wife still refers to as "Ed"), debuted on NBC. Ed ran for 4 seasons and 83 episodes, but will always be remembered by my family since a lot of the on-location filming was done in familiar places near where I lived. I think my parents watched the show just for that.
9th: Nikki, starring Nikki Cox, debuted on the WB. It lasted for two seasons, and that ended her 15 minutes of fame. I'll always hold a tiny grudge for what she did to Jay Mohr. For those who don't know, she drastically changed his comedy to suit her tastes, forced him to add her last name to his, and divorced him a few years later. Allegedly, of course...
10th: The Geena Davis Show, a one-season sitcom, debuted on ABC.
10th: Gideon's Crossing debuted on ABC. This short-lived medical drama on ABC lasted one season, starring Andre Braugher as the brilliant but unorthodox Chief of Experimental Medicine, Dr. Ben Gideon.
11th: The CBS sitcom, Bette, starring Bette Midler, debuted. It lasted only 13 episodes.
13th: Trading Spaces, the reality competition show that remade homes poorly and ruined a generation of DIY homeowners by telling them that cheap and gaudy was trendy, debuts on HGTV.
15th: Curb Your Enthusiasm debuts on HBO.
17th: NBC broadcasts Game 6 of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners. With Bob Costas and Joe Morgan on the call, the Yankees would defeat the Mariners 9–7, advancing to the World Series against their cross–town rivals, the Mets. This proved to be NBC's final Major League Baseball telecast until the 2022 season.
20th: On NBC, Ice-T and Stephanie March make their first appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
23rd: Boston Public, which lasted four seasons, launched on FOX.
24th: The Michael Richards Show, a one-season sitcom featuring the man who played Kramer on Seinfeld, as well as Tim Meadows, lasted only 8 episodes on NBC.
26th: The World Series Game 5 airs on Fox, when the New York Yankees win their third consecutive title and 26th in franchise history, defeating the New York Mets 4-2.
31st: Charles Barkley makes his debut as an analyst on TBS/TNT's Inside the NBA.
October 1995:
3rd: More than 150 million tuned in to watch the verdict in the O.J. Simpson murder trial on this day. The juice remained loose.
4th: In Major League Baseball's first "do or die" tiebreaker since 1980, the Mariners defeated the Angels 9-1 to clinch the American League West title and their first-ever postseason berth. The game was televised nationally on ESPN.
8th: Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees is broadcast on ABC and The Baseball Network. With Seattle down 5-4 in the bottom of the 11th, Edgar Martinez doubles, scoring Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr. to send the Mariners to the League Championship Series for the first time. In 1995, rumors circulated that the Mariners might relocate to the Tampa area. Their success this season led to renewed local interest in the team and the building of Safeco Field, which opened in July 1999.
14th: Mad TV, the sketch comedy show, debuts on FOX.
21st: ABC and NBC begin the unprecedented shared coverage of the World Series through their soon-to-be-concluding revenue-sharing joint venture with MLB called The Baseball Network. ABC, which last broadcast a World Series in 1989, airs Games 1, 4, and 5 while NBC, which last broadcast a World Series in 1988, airs Games 2, 3, and the decisive Game 6.
27th: Goosebumps, the television series, debuts on FOX Kids. The show ran for 4 years, until 1999.
28th: The Atlanta Braves win the 1995 World Series in six games over the Cleveland Indians, in what would be the final broadcast for The Baseball Network.
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