The beginning of a new year brings exciting possibilities and new celebrations.
But for some, it inevitably leaves us feeling old and aged. The things that were cool and hip decades ago are outdated, and many things that were innovative for their time, are being replaced with bigger, better, faster versions.
And yet, reflecting on the biggest moments of years past reminds us of just how good the earlier decades were.
The following list chronicles 12 people, events and things that will celebrate their 20th birthdays this year:
1. Dolly
Dolly the Sheep was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell. She was born on July 5, 1996 at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland, where she lived until her death in 2003.
2. Spice Girls' "Spice" album
The girl group released their debut album, "Spice," in September 1996. "Wannabe" went on to be the group's first #1 hit single.
3. "Jerry Maguire"
"Show me the money!" Tom Cruise played a struggling sports agent alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Renee Zellweger in the film that earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
4. "A Game of Thrones":
Though the first episode of the television series aired on HBO in 2011, the first book in George R.R. Martin's best-selling book series, "A Song of Ice and Fire," was published in August 1996.
5. "Everybody Loves Raymond"
6. Nintendo 64
The game console, also known as the N64, debuted in the U.S. in September 1996. Super Mario 64 and Mortal Combat Trilogy were among the first and most popular games for the system.
7. The "Macarena"
The popular wedding and party celebration song was featured on Los Del Rios' 1994 album "A Mí Me Gusta," but the track didn't become an international hit until 1996.
8. Lorde
The singer and songwriter, whose real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, was born on Nov. 7, 1996 in Auckland, New Zealand.
9. Oprah's Book Club
10. Ebay
The first item was sold on the ecommerce site 20 years ago.
11. "101 Dalmatians"
The original novel was written in 1956 by Dodie Smith, and the first animated film was released in 1961. But the most popular version of the story was released as a live-action film starring Glenn Close in November 1996.
12. Hotmail
Hotmail was the first free web-based email service. It was acquired by Microsoft in 1997 for nearly $400 million and relaunched as MSN Hotmail. It was later rebranded as Windows Live Hotmail, and today, it has transformed into Microsoft Outlook.
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