It’s hard to put into words the feeling that the new decade brings. It’s not really dismay, but it’s not an overarching joy. For one, the end of this decade means that we will soon be adults. This comes with all of the advantages that we’ve been craving since we were younger. With this adulthood, we have to say goodbye to our childhood. And saying goodbye is so hard to do.

With so many noteworthy memories to say ‘au revoir’ to, it’s hard to choose just one for each year that really defines who we are. However, there were a few key moments that shone much brighter than the rest. This is our childhood in 10 major moments.

The Formation of One Direction – 2010

In 2010, the X Factor was in it’s 7th season. Matt Cardle won; no one really remembers who he is. His career flopped as soon as the show was over. All the other competitors were sent home, except for five.

These five finalists were all teen boys, hoping for stardom. Judge Simon Cowell pulled them together and offered them the chance to join his record label. They named themselves One Direction.

The band instantly was an international success. Every kid around the world knew about One Direction and was crazed. They reached such a height in popularity, that it’s safe to rate them as the generational equivalent of the Beatles in the 60’s. 

Their fame really sparked with the song “What Makes You Beautiful”. I remember choreographing dances to that song with my cousins.

The Marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton – 2011

The royal family gained a new member in 2011, with the addition of Kate Middleton. Kate, a woman from a middle class family, had been dating the Prince since 2003. The two were very popular together, as Kate was a favorite in the public’s eye. So when their engagement was announced, everyone was overjoyed.

With the wedding starting at 9 a.m. in the UK, the time difference between the two countries meant that the wedding started at 4 a.m. in America. Thousands of people scrambled out of bed bright and early in the morning to witness the regal event.

The wedding was picture perfect. Kate’s dress, made by English designer Sarah Burton, inspired copycats. The music, the decorating, the happiness in everyone’s eyes led to one of the greatest events in television history. The audience of over 24 million people had their eyes glued to their screens, watching as the pair announced their undying love.

The two now have been married for eight years, adding three children to the royal house. Their oldest, Prince George, is now six years old, and is third in line for the throne.

As all of us weren’t alive for the wedding of Prince Phillip and Lady Diana, this was the first royal wedding we all saw. 

The World’s End – 2012

The Mayan Calendar has been admired for thousands of years. It’s accuracy to modern calendars is uncanny. So, when the calendar had predicted the world would end in 2012, we were was terrified it would truly be the end times.

I was in absolute terror. The days leading up to the ‘final day’ were filled with most of the population trying to get their lives in order before it would all be destroyed. The chaos truly made me believe that the world was sure to end. My family friends stayed home from work; my teacher warned kids that the world was sure to end; everyone I knew had no idea on what to do.

Everything continued as normal, and there was no real cause for panic. This moment, however, really shaped us. We all saw the adults in our lives look at the panic and react in ways we couldn’t comprehend. We all had a part of us believing we would die, even though there was no real danger. It was somewhat traumatizing.

The Edward Snowden Leaks – 2013

Everyone has seen jokes online about the FBI watching us through our phones and computers. These jokes, however, are sparked from truth. This all came from Edward Snowden, a subcontractor in the CIA.

Snowden had seen that the NSA was watching civilians through their computer screens, looking through their browsing patterns, and tracking them around the country. Knowing that this was a serious violation of privacy, Snowden had the idea of leaking this information to the public.

He did this by using a flash drive, which he would hide in a Rubix Cube. He would download this information into the cube, which he’d take in and out of work. The data collected ranged on all forms of illegal government interference; from hacking into foreign embassies, to the collection of personal information of private citizens from platforms like Google. Over time he would take more and more information, until he had enough to prove to the American people that the government was in the wrong. He then fled to Russia, where he remains to this day.

Even though the event took place over six years ago, people are still debating whether Snowden was in the right. The U.S. government sees him as a criminal, and a dangerous one at that. Many Americans, however, view Snowden as a vigilante hero, someone who shined a light on the shady government practices. No matter your stance on Snowden’s actions, his actions changed the way that the public views government.

The Release of Disney’s Frozen – 2014

Disney released a teaser trailer for a new movie called Frozen in 2013. With a simple looking concept of a snowman and a reindeer, there was nothing really to be excited about. However, the movie ended up becoming the biggest Disney movies of all time.

With themes that mocked the ‘Love-at-first-sight’ Disney trope, an ending that focused on the love of family instead of the love of a relationship, and an infamous song that broke many records, the movie was unstoppable. Every child in the world became obsessed with the story of Elsa and her sister Anna. Disney stepped out of the classic princess ideas, and the move appealed to adults as well as children.

The impact the movie had has been so substantial over the years. Even now, five years later, Elsa and Anna dolls are stocked all over toy shelves. Children dress up as Elsa to show off their love for the heroine. No matter where you go, the characters of Frozen are present through all sorts of commercial value.

This was definitely a generation shaping moment. Everyone knows the lyrics to Indina Menzel’s hit “Let it Go,” whether they love the song or not. The movie overtook the place of The Lion King as the biggest box office opening for Disney, and is currently number 15 on the Highest Grossing Movies Chart. We all witnessed history in the making.

The Legalization of Gay Marriage – 2015

Gay marriage was legalized at first in the Netherlands in 2001. Throughout the world,  more same-sex couples had the right to wed in other countries, with some U.S. states following suit. In 2015, however, the United States Supreme Court made it legal for gay couples to get married in all 50 U.S. states.

People all over America came together in celebration of the event. For the first time homosexual couples were able to show their love with public engagements. Streets were filled with couples of all sexes, spreading their overwhelming joy and happiness. The White House, to celebrate the event, lit the house in the colors of the rainbow. The support of the LGBT community was at an all-time high, which today regressing in some states and areas of the federal government (like the military).

This was major. Those who were oppressed for almost all of human history were finally given a right to something that should have been universal in the first place. We now live in a country where anyone can get married, no matter their sex. This is absolutely important to our culture, as inalienable rights were fairly given.

It’s great to know that we can grow up in a time, where all minorities are fairly treated and respected. It’s time to take us one step further in 2020 and recognize the Gender Equality Amendment.

The 2016 Election – 2016

The final two candidates of the 2016 election were the first ever female nominee, Democrat Hillary Clinton, and Republican nominee Donald Trump. The majority of the population during the fierce race believed that Clinton would win; however, even though she won the popular vote, Trump won the electoral college. This election changed the way we will all look at future elections.

Trump’s win was divisive. His outspoken personality and aggressive beliefs split the country in two.  The extremely conservative ideals Trump held scared the liberal public and bolstered the conservatives. I remember adults and students were in tears, afraid that Trump would destroy the progressive status America had with its policies. People were also celebrating, overjoyed that a conservative had taken back the White House.

Even today, the world can’t form a consensus on the state of his presidency.

The 2016 election was an election in which our generation could fully conceptualize the stakes at play. We weren’t reliant on what our parents told us to come up with our opinions. We all had the ability to think for ourselves. This really allowed for us to feel very involved in the political campaigns. 

The #MeToo Movement – 2017

Harvey Weinstien, famed director and producer, met his social demise in 2017 in the wake of the #MeToo movement. People all over Hollywood and political platforms came forward, announcing their sexual assault by a powerful figure in the industry.

It all started from two journalists at The New York Times releasing an article from many women stating the abuse they had received from Weinstein. In wake of reports against Weinstein, many other came forward to acknowledge the abuse they had received. People looked back to a movement created in 2006 by civil rights activist Tarana Burke, called #MeToo. Its use gained popularity, and officially became a movement.

This was a major moment for our generation. No longer could powerful men hold back or assault women based on their power. Our generation was brought into a new time where the toxicity of workplace environments has been ousted. Even though disgusting people like Weinstien won’t cease to exist in life, we now live in a world where those people cant get away with what they do anymore. We have the power to hold those who are in the wrong accountable.

The March For Our Lives Movement – 2018

Valentine’s Day of 2018 marks the day of the Parkland shooting. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was the target of a mass shooting, by a crazed and unhinged assailant. Seventeen members of the student body tragically lost their lives. It was a horrific day that shocked and terrified America, and the world. The incident however, wasn’t anything new.

School shootings have been more frequent  since the tragic Columbine Shooting in 1999. Each year, kids die in their schools due to lack of gun control and care over the whole situation. The tragic deaths started to become desensitizing. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglass, however, weren’t going to let the country fail to recognize the severity.

Students of the school, tired of the tragedies and angry at the lack of progress, began to fight back against the policies that allowed a situation like this to happen. Coming together, the students started the March For Our Lives Movement, a protest against low gun restrictions and a lack of care by politicians. This movement took off like a wild fire, with schools all around the country giving their support and efforts.

Even here at Linganore, we participated in the fight back against the dangerous policies set in place. Previous senior Katie Lehman organized a school walk out, where kids left their class for a 30-minute period to show their support. I was a member of this event, and I’m very proud that I participated.

Terror from school shootings hasn’t been fully diminished in our country. But with us growing up to be the future law makers, we have the power to change the courses of history. We can’t stand to let innocent people die due to a lack of care.

The Impeachment Inquiry -2019

In the current year, the biggest event to happen thus far is absolutely the inquiry into the Impeachment of President Trump. After the long and intensive presidency Trump carried, a final bombastic announcement of impeachment was a perfect way to flame the fire. Trump is only in his third year as leader of the U.S., but the amount of stress and chaos he has caused within the government has been substantial.

Trump had made a quid-pro-quo relationship with Ukraine. He illegally asked for information on Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s son in return for military aid. This is obviously a very shady situation that’s being marked as an abuse of power. An official decision was made on 12/18. Trump has officially been impeached by the House of Representatives. Time will tell if the Senate votes to remove him from office.

It’s not every day that a generation gets to witness an impeachment inquiry. So far throughout history, the country has impeached two presidents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Johnson was impeached due to the illegal removal of Congress members, and Clinton was impeached due to lying under oath, and sexual misconduct. Now, president Trump has been impeached due to his abuse of power. To see an impeachment occur first hand is momentous in our history, and shapes the way we view the presidential office.

Throughout this past decade, our generation has faced many events. Some of these events had positive impacts, while others had negative. No matter what we’ve faced however, everything faced so far has shaped us in ways we won’t notice until the future. It’s officially time to leave these events as moments in our history, and step into our adulthood’s. Who knows what new events they’ll hold.