(Senator Biden and Governor Palin shake hands at the Vice-Presidential debate, October 2nd, 2008)
Around this time, twelve years ago, the number-one song in the country was Whatever You Like by Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, or T.I. It would be the second single off of Harris’ sixth studio album, Paper Trails. Whatever You Like would remain at the top of the charts for three more nonconsecutive weeks, with his seventh single, Live Your Life (Ft. Rhianna) topping the charts as well. Metallica would top the charts with their eighth studio album, Death Magnetic. It would be their last album for eight years before Hardwired…to Self-Destruct in November 2016.
As for the highest grossing film in the United States, that prestigious title went to Disney’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Starring Drew Barrymore, Andy Garcia, and George Lopez, Beverly Hills Chihuahua grossed over twenty-nine million on its first weekend alone.
In the news of videogames, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was the current best-selling videogame on the market. The game followed Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, Starkiller, a killer of both rebels and imperials. He is tasked with the mission of hunting down the last Jedi, only to begin redeeming himself with the light side of the force. The game would go on to be incredibly successful, launching a sequel in 2010, before being scrapped after the Disney-Lucasfilm purchase of 2012.
CSI: NY was the highest viewed show on television at the time, entering its fifth of nine seasons. In the world of online entertainment, nigahiga was the number-one subscribed YouTuber. He would only hold it for a few more days until FЯED took the mantle on the sixth. As for the most popular website, that honor went to Google, averaging around 120 million visitors that month. Facebook had not yet taken its title as the most popular social media site; Blogger, instead was trafficking the most amount of visits. Back then, most teenagers spent their time listening to music on iTunes. On the seventh, a little streaming service called Spotify would make its launch.
In the world of politics, the vice-Presidential nominees would debate on national television. Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden would debate on issues of the War on Terror and the economic crisis. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 was passed shortly after; the act established TARP, an organization meant for bailing out banks that would be in serious financial trouble, amidst the late 2000’s economic crisis.
Writer: Lucas Hydock
Miners Pub 