5 Things Cicadas Have Missed In The Last 17 Years

It is always surprising to look back a few years to see how things may have changed. It really helps put things into perspective and opens your eyes...especially if you have been living under a rock. Just like the cicadas. While they haven't emerged in the droves expected, here are the top 5 things they have missed since they last emerged 17 years ago in 1996.

1. O.J Simpson being found guilty.  The cicadas were active when O.J. was found not guilty in 1995. But they missed his guilty verdict for armed robbery.
2. Google.  In 1996, Google was still a project by two guys from Stanford.
3. Social media. The Internet was still a baby in 1996.  But all of our social media sites - YouTube, Facebook, MySpace (which has pretty much disappeared already) - are new.
4. The rise and fall of Tiger Woods. We first started hearing about Tiger in 1996.  He became the biggest athlete in the world, cheated on his wife, and had his life fall apart. He's doing a little better but not nearly as well as before.
5. Reality TV.  In 1996, the only reality show was "The Real World".  That show is now a dinosaur and it is impossible to turn on the TV and not see a reality show of some sort.

You can check out a bigger list of the stuff that has happened since 1996 (like Pluto being downgraded as a planet) from USA Today.