Editor's note: Below is an excerpt of , a compilation of cultural touchstones for students who presumably entered college in 2004 at 18 years of age.
NBC Nightly News re-examines a portion of that list in honor of this year's graduating class.
Most of the students of the Class of 2008 were born in 1986. For them, Desi Arnaz, Orson Welles, Roy Orbison, Ted Bundy, Ayatollah Khomeini and Cary Grant have always been dead.
Photographs have always been processed in an hour or less.Computers have always suffered from viruses.Baby Jessica could be a classmate. Oliver North has always been a talk show host and news commentator. The U.S. has always been a Prozac nation.Rogaine has always been available for the follicularly challenged.Aspirin has always been used to reduce the risk of a heart attack."Here's Johnny!" is a scary greeting from Jack Nicholson, not a warm welcome from Ed McMahon.They have done most of their search for the right college online. Harry has always known Sally.Bill and Ted have always been on an excellent adventure. There has always been a Comedy Channel.We have always been mapping the human genome. Robert Downey, Jr. has always been in trouble. The Energizer bunny has always been going, and going, and going.