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Today, we’re dialing the time machine to October 17th, 2006. I don’t usually recommend watching the clock (it’s rather boring), but today it hit different.
Every time I write one of these newsletters, I listen to a soundtrack from the year covered in that edition. Let’s just say, I’m jamming right now. 🎧
Let’s go! 🚀
October 17th, 2006 📆
On October 17, 2006, at exactly 7:46 AM EDT, the U.S. Census Bureau's population clock hit a neat 300,000,000. Cue the confetti! Or, you know, a heated national debate.
America had taken nearly four decades to add 100 million people since hitting 200 million in 1967. The 300 millionth American could've been anyone - a baby in Chicago, a new citizen in LA, or possibly someone who really loved the number and timed it perfectly.
The milestone split the room. Optimists called it proof of America's enduring appeal. Skeptics worried about traffic jams, suburban sprawl, and whether we had enough infrastructure. Nevada and Arizona were booming while Rust Belt cities were losing population faster than a Blockbuster losing customers to Netflix.
The math was wild: one new American every 11 seconds. This made the U.S. the world's third most populous nation, trailing only China and India. Demographers predicted we'd hit 400 million by 2043. Spoiler alert: that prediction might need some revision. 🤷
Take Me Back ⏮️
🎥 What we’re watching: The final season of The Sopranos on HBO
🕹️ What we’re playing: Madden NFL 06 (Xbox or PS2? 🤔)
📖 What we're reading: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
🥤 What we’re drinking: Rockstar Energy Drink (Red Bull was too mainstream)
🛒 What we’re buying: Nintendo Wii pre-orders (launching next month!)
👦 Who we’re following: Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie AKA “Brangelina”
🎤 What we’re singing: “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake feat. Timbaland (or anything off of this playlist)
🍔 What we’re eating: A McDonald’s Philly Cheese Steak 👇
Just For Fun 🙃
October 2006 was a big month for the internet. Earlier in the month, on October 9th, Google announced it was acquiring a little video-sharing website called YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock. At the time, many thought Google had overpaid for a company that was barely a year old and hemorrhaging money on bandwidth costs.
Remember this one? 🕺🏾
OOTD On This Day🧢
This one’s for the boys. I’m convinced we all had a pair of these plaid shorts from American Eagle. RIP to true fashion.
Happy Birthday🎂
Hip-hop legend Eminem turned 34 years old today, riding high on the success of his compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits and preparing to take a hiatus from music to deal with personal issues and his prescription drug addiction - though he'd triumphantly return a few years later.
The Internet, 2006-2025 🌐
The Game is Changing
The internet was supposed to make it easier to build and connect. Somewhere along the way, we lost the plot.
beehiiv is changing that once and for all.
On November 13, they’re unveiling what’s next at their first-ever Winter Release Event. For the people shaping the future of content, community, and media, this is an event you can’t miss.