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Amazon.com begins selling books online
Amazon started as just an online bookstore, but it has, of course, become much more. Its huge selection means that I still purchase most of my books and textbooks from Amazon, but I also use it to buy furniture, gifts, dog food, eBooks, TV shows and movies, and more. Amazon provides access to a vast global market place that simply didn't exist before. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Amazon
Image: https://www.amazon.com/ -
MP3 software available for purchase
For many years, the MP3 was the standard format for audio files. Its development began in the '80s, and by the '90s-'00s, it was the go-to for audio files obtained both legally and illegally. MP3s have largely been replaced by streaming services, but were - and the CD/iPod mixes I made using them - an important part of the soundscape of my high school and college years. https://www.mp3-history.com/en/timeline.html
Image: https://www.history.com/news/iphone-original-size-invention-steve-jobs -
Wikipedia launched
Wikipedia, the massive and ubiquitous online encyclopedia, launched January 15, 2001. While teachers have long cautioned against using Wikipedia as a source, it has nevertheless served as a jumping-off point for much of the research I've done during my academic career. And that's not to mention the many random questions it has answered for me over the years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Wikipedia
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_logo#/media/File:Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg -
YouTube activated
YouTube launched in Feb. 2007, and I started using it just shortly after that. I was taking Chinese classes at the time, and YouTube was the only place I could find Chinese language TV shows. I still use YouTube regularly for both the serious (documentaries I wouldn't have found anywhere else, original content on history topics) and the silly (parody videos, clips of cute animals). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube
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Apple releases the first iPhone
Smartphones have transformed the world since Apple released the first iPhone in 2007. They've certainly changed my life, though I didn't get my first one until 2012. Phone are more than phones now. They're cameras, watches, gaming devices, Internet browsing devices, and more. Constant connection is a hallmark of modern life, and smartphones are at the core of that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_(1st_generation)
Image: https://www.history.com/news/iphone-original-size-invention-steve-jobs
