It's been 4 full years. How long has that been?
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The Vegas Golden Knights began play. The San Diego Chargers have moved to Las Vegas. The Oakland Raiders have moved to Las Vegas. The Chargers, the Los Angeles Rams, the Atlanta Falcons and Braves, and the Texas Rangers have moved into new stadiums. The Detroit Pistons and Red Wings, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors have moved into new arenas; while the New York Islanders have begun construction on one.
The Houston Astros, the St. Louis Blues, the Toronto Raptors, and the Washington Nationals and Capitals each won their 1st World Championship. The Golden Knights, the Raptors, the Nationals, and the Nashville Predators each made their 1st finals. The Kansas City Chiefs won their 1st World Championship in 50 years; the Philadelphia Eagles, their 1st in 57 years.
Baseball Hall-of-Famers Jim Bunning, Bobby Doerr, Willie McCovey, Frank Robinson, Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Joe Morgan, Phil Niekro, Tommy Lasorda and Don Sutton were still alive. So was Roy Halladay, who was not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame, but was later elected. So were baseball legends Don Newcombe, Bill Buckner, Jim Bouton, Pumpsie Green, Don Larsen, Tony Fernández, Johnny Antonelli, Jimmy Wynn, Bob Watson, Claudell Washington, Jay Johnstone, Dick Allen.
So were Pro Football Hall-of-Famers Jim Taylor, Forrest Gregg, Gino Marchetti, Bart Starr, Gale Sayers, Paul Hornung, Kevin Greene and Floyd Little. So were Hornung's fellow Heisman Trophy winners Joe Bellino, Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, Pat Sullivan. So were legendary college coaches Ara Parseghian and Fred Akers.
So were Basketball Hall-of-Famers Darrall Imhoff, John Kundla, Jo Jo White, Hall Greer, Anne Donovan, John Havlicek, Jerry Sloan, Wes Unseld, Tommy Heinsohn, K.C. Jones and Paul Westphal. So were Hockey Hall-of-Famers Milt Schmidt, Johnny Bower, Stan Mikita, Ted Lindsay, Harry Howell, Red Kelly, Henri Richard, Dale Hawerchuk and Howie Meeker.
So were soccer legends Graham Taylor, Piet Keizer, Raymond Kopa, Manuel Sanchís, Cyrille Regis, Jimmy Armfield, Walter Bahr, Jimmy McIlroy, Tommy Smith, Billy McNeill, Ron Saunders, Rob Rensenbrink, Trevor Cherry, Tony Dunne, Wim Suurbier, Ray Clemence, Paolo Rossi, Gérard Houllier, Tommy Docherty, Colin Bell, and 6 members of England's 1966 World Cup winners: Ray Wilson, Gordon Banks, Martin Peters, Norman Hunter, Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles.
So were Olympic Gold Medalists Sammy Lee, Miruts Yifter, Irena Szewińska, Lindy Remigino,
Harrison Dillard, Peter Snell, Bobby Morrow and Rafer Johnson. So were boxing champions Eusebio Pedroza and Pernell Whitaker. So was Roger Bannister, the 1st runner to break the 4-minute mile.
They were all still alive, 4 years ago today. They're all dead now.
The managers and head coaches of the New York Tri-State Area teams then, as opposed to now:
* New York Yankees: Joe Girardi is now the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, while Aaron Boone was then working for ESPN.
* New York Mets: Terry Collins is now working in their front office, while Luis Rojas was then managing their Class AA farm team, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
* New York Giants: Ben McAdoo is now the quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Joe Judge was then the special teams coordinator for the New England Patriots.
* New York Jets: Todd Bowles is now the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- meaning he is 1 win away from making the Super Bowl, which is closer than any Jets head coach has gotten in 10 years -- while Robert Saleh, newly appointed, was then the linebackers coach for the Jaguars.
* New York Knicks: Jeff Hornacek is now an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets, while Tom Thibodeau was then the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
* Brooklyn Nets: Kenny Atkinson is now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, while Steve Nash was then a consultant with the Golden State Warriors.
* New York Liberty: Bill Laimbeer is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, while Walt Hopkins was then an assistant coach at the University of California.
* New York Rangers: Alain Vigneault is now the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, while David Quinn was then the head coach at Boston University.
* New York Islanders: Jack Capuano is now an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators, while Barry Trotz was then the head coach of the Washington Capitals.
* New Jersey Devils: John Hynes is now the head coach of the Nashville Predators, while Lindy Ruff was then an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars.
* New York Red Bulls: Jesse Marsch is the manager of their parent club, Red Bull Salzburg in Austria; while Gerhard Struber was managing the Under-16 team there.
* New York City FC: Patrick Vieira, the Arsenal Legend, is currently out of the sport since being fired as manager of OGC Nice in France on December 4; while Ronny Deila as managing Vålerenga Fotball in Oslo, in his native Norway.
The defending World Champions were the Chicago Cubs, the Denver Broncos, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Olympic Games have since been held in Korea, and would have been held in Japan, if not for the delay caused by COVID-19. The World Cup has since been held in Russia.
Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush have died. Trump has put 3 Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch, a pro-business hack; Brett Kavanaugh, an alcoholic, a rapist, and, as a result of his testimony during his confirmation hearing, a perjurer; and Amy Comey Barrett, the 1st Justice born after I was, and a lunatic who belongs to a subsection of Roman Catholicism so divergent from Christianity as I understand it that it might as well be called a cult.
The Governor of the State of New York was Andrew Cuomo, and the Mayor of the City of New York was Bill de Blasio. The holders of those offices have not changed. Chris Christie was then Governor of New Jersey, and went on to become an advisor to Trump, and then one of his harshest critics. Phil Murphy was running New Way for New Jersey, a political organization whose goals included getting him elected Governor, and it worked.
Juan Manuel Santos, then President of Colombia, had recently been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It has since been awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Iraqi human rights activist Nadia Murad, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the United Nations' World Food Programme.
Donald Trump wanted it very badly. He didn't get it. But it has gone to two black men and a Muslim woman.
Justin Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada. That hasn't changed. The Prime Minister of Britain was Theresa May, and it's now Boris Johnson, then Mayor of London. Leicester City were the holders of the Premier League title, and Manchester United of the FA Cup.
Movie releases included Justice League, 2 Wonder Woman movies, Aquaman, a Spider-Man movie, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and Star Wars Episodes VIII and IX. The Walt Disney Company bought 21st Century Fox, including its 20th Century Fox film library.
9-1-1, Grown-ish, Black Lightning, Krypton, 13 Reasons Why, Killing Eve, Cobra Kai, Pose, Succession, Dr. Pimple Popper, Jack Ryan, the reboot of Magnum P.I., FBI, A Million Little Things, God Friended Me, The Rookie, Tell Me a Story, The Masked Singer, Russian Doll, The Umbrella Academy, Doom Patrol, Dead to Me, Swamp Thing, The Boys, Pennyworth, The Kelly Clarkson Show, A Little Late with Lilly Singh, All Rise, Prodigal Son, Mixed-ish, Batwoman, Nancy Drew, Watchmen, The Mandalorian, FBI: Most Wanted, Zoey's Extradordinary Playlist, Star Trek: Picard, Motherland: Fort Salem, Snowpiercer, Stargirl, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Lovecraft Country, Raised by Wolves, The Drew Barrymore Show, B Positive, The Flight Attendant and Mr. Mayor all premiered during the Trump Presidency.
The Vampire Diaries, The Real O'Neals, Bones, Duck Dynasty, Black Sails, Switched at Birth, Girls, 2 Broke Girls, The O'Reilly Factor, Chicago Justice, Pretty Little Liars, Orphan Black, Turn: Washington's Spies, The Mindy Project, Major Crimes, Star Wars Rebels, Portlandia, Scandal, New Girl, Once Upon a Time, The Middle, The Americans, The Fosters, Sense8, Luke Cage, Colony, Nashville, The Originals, Quantico, Shades of Blue, Iron Fist, Daredevil, House of Cards, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, You're the Worst, Gotham, Veep, The Big Band Theory, Designated Survivor, Jessica Jones, Orange Is the New Black, Krypton, Suits, Madam Secretary, Ray Donovan, Star Wars Resistance, Arrow, The Good Place, BoJack Horseman, Tell Me a Story, Power, Criminal Minds, Fresh Off the Boat, Hardball with Chris Matthews, the reboot of Hawaii Five-0, Modern Family, God Friended Me, Homeland, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cops, How to Get Away with Murder, Fuller House, 13 Reasons Why, the reboot of One Day at a Time, Blindspot, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The 100, Supernatural and Vikings all aired their last first-run episodes during the Trump Presidency.
The Number 1 song in America when Trump was sworn in (and at) was "Bad and Boujee" by Migos. Currently, it is "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo. The latest in a long line of Disney Channel stars, she turns 18 next month.
In the 4 years of the Trump Presidency:
* In Britain, Brexit was completed, wrecking their economy; a terrorist attack outside the Palace of Westminster killed 5 people; an Islamic terrorist bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester killed 22; another Islamic terrorist attack, a vehicle-ramming at London Bridge, killed 8; and a fire at the Grenfell Tower apartment complex in London killed 72.
* In Europe, Montenegro joined NATO; a plane crash in Moscow killed 71; an Islamic terrorist attack in France killed 5; wildfires in Greece killed 102; a storm caused a bridge to collapse in Genoa, Italy, killing 43; riots break out in Paris, damaging the Arc de Triomphe; "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" renamed itself "The Republic of North Macedonia," ending a dispute with Greece, which also has a region named Macedonia; a fire nearly destroyed Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris; a man stabbed 5 police officers, killing 4 of them, at police headquarters in Paris, before being killed by other officers; an earthquake in Albania kills 51; Luxembourg became the 1st country in the world to make all of its public transportation free; and an earthquake kills 119 in Greece and Turkey.
* In Russia, a plane crash in Kemerovo killed 60; a school shooting in the Crimea killed 20; a building collapse in Magnitogorsk killed 39; another plane crash outside Moscow killed 48; a fire on a Russian submarine killed 14; an explosion at the Nyonoksa nuclear plant in Russia killed 5; and a Russian attack on a refugee camp in Hass killed 14.
* In the Middle East, ISIL destroyed the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, Iraq; an earthquake killed 530 in Iraq and Iran; an attack on a mosque in Sinai, Egypt killed 305; a plane crash in Iran killed 65; a Russian plane crash in Syria killed 39; a chemical gas attack in Syria killed 70; Saudi Arabia finally legalized driving by women; an attack at a military parade in Iran killed 30; journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey; oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman in 2 separate incidents; a car bombing in Cairo, Egypt killed 20; Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 176; a missile attack in Yemen killed 116; Iranian police killed 91 demonstrators; the Iranian Navy mistakenly attacks one of its own ships, killing 19; in 1 day in Afghanistan, a gun massacre at a maternity hospital killed 24, and a suicide bomber at a funeral killed 32; and a factory explosion in Beirut, Lebanon killed 220.
* In South Asia, a plane crash in Nepal killed 51; the Supreme Court of India decriminalized homosexuality; a train crash in Punjab killed 59; a series of bomb attacks in Sri Lanka killed 259; flooding in India killed 227; a train fire in Pakistan killed 74; a factory fire in Delhi, India killed 43; a plane crash in Karachi, Pakistan killed 97; a skirmish along the Sino-Indian border killed 20 Indian soldiers and 40 Chinese ones; and a plane crash in Kerali, India killed 19.
* In China, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the world's longest sea crossing bridge, opened; an explosion at a chemical plant in China killed 78; protests against the national government erupted in Hong Kong; COVID-19 was first discovered in Wuhan; and flooding killed 141;
* Elsewhere in East Asia, the leaders of North and South Korea met for the 1st time ever; floods in Japan killed 232; a dam collapse in Laos killed 1,100; an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia killed over 4,300; a plane crash off the coast of Java in Indonesia killed 189; New Caledonia voted against independence from France; a tsunami off the Sunda Strait killed 430; Emperor Akihito of Japan abdicated, and his son was crowned Emperor Naruhito; Trump went to the Dimilitarized Zone in Korea and met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, giving Kim international legitimacy and getting absolutely nothing in return; an arson attack in Kyoto, Japan killed 36; a typhoon in the Philippines killed 32; a fire destroyed Shuri Castle in Japan; a bus crash in Sumatra, Indonesia killed 28; and the government of Thailand cracked down on demonstrations.
* In Oceania, a volcano eruption in New Zealand killed 20; and bushfires in Australia killed 500 million animals.
* In Africa, a truck bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia killed 587; a coup in Zimbabwe deposed dictator Robert Mugabe, who soon dies from the effects of old age; a plane crash in Algeria killed 257; a ferry capsizes in Uganda, killing 228; a plane crash in Ethiopia killed 157; a cyclone in Mozambique killed over 1,000; a military attack on protestors in the Sudanese capital of Sudan killed over 100; a suicide bombing in Nigeria killed 30; an airstrike by Libya's air force on its own people killed 53; a bombing in Kismayo, Somalia killed 26; a fuel tanker explosion in Tanzania killed 89; attacks on army camps in Mali killed 25; a gun massacre in Burkina Faso killed 37; a plane crash in the Congo killed 29; a landslide in Burundi killed 26; a truck bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia killed 78; 44 prisoners are poisoned in Chad; an Islamic terror attack in Mozambique killed 52; an Ebola outbreak in the Congo killed over 2,200; and a Boko Haram attack on a farm in Nigeria killed 43.
* In South America, an Argentine submarine sank, killing 44; a fire at a police station in Venezuela killed 78; a stampede in a nightclub in Venezuela killed 17; a fire destroyed the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro; Jair Bolsonaro, a religious-themed right-wing maniac, was elected President of Brazil; a dam break in Brazil killed 270; a bar shooting in Brazil killed 11; a prison riot in Brazil killed 50; a Chilean military transport plane crash killed 38.
* In Central America, an earthquake killed 350 in Mexico; Nicaraguan police fired on demonstrators, killing 34; a volcano eruption in Guatemala killed 109; a Mexican drug gang killed 9 Americans at a wedding; 22 people were killed in a shootout between police and drug dealers in Mexico; and Hurricane Eta killed over 100 people in Nicaragua.
* In the Caribbean, Hurricane Maria devastated the region, including killing over 3,000 people in Puerto Rico; a plane crash in Cuba killed 112; and Hurricane Dorian killed 52 in the Bahamas.
* In Canada, truck collided with a bus carrying a junior hockey team, killing 16; a vehicle-ramming attack in Toronto killed 10; a heat wave in Quebec killed 33; the federal government legalized the sale and use of cannabis; and a pro-environment march in Montreal, featuring Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg attracts 500,000.
* And in America, Trump took America out of the Paris Climate Accords and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; neo-Nazis and neo-Confederates demonstrated in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing counter-demonstrator Heather Heyer, and were called "very fine people" by Trump; Hurricane Harvey killed 108 people in and around Houston; a gun massacre at a concert on the Las Vegas Strip kills 59; a gun massacre at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas killed 26; a gun massacre at a school in Parkland, Florida killed 17; a gun massacre at a synagogue in Pittsburgh killed 17; a wildfire in California killed 88; a gun massacre at a Walmart in El Paso killed 23; a gun massacre in Dayton killed 10; a fire on a boat off the California coast killed 34; Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for extorting the Ukrainian government for damaging information against former Vice President Biden, but a Republican majority in the Senate acquitted him; protests against a white policeman's murder of an unarmed black civilian led Trump to use the U.S. Army to clear Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House, so he could pose in front of a church with a Bible, which he held upside-down; Trump was solidly defeated by Biden in the election; and Trump told supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol to prevent that election's certification, which they did, leading to 5 deaths, and a 2nd impeachment for Trump.
We lost TV legends Mary Tyler Moore and Alex Trebek. We lost movie legends Burt Reynolds, Doris Day, Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland -- each of the last two, at the age of 103. We lost superheroes Adam West and Chadwick Boseman, and we lost James Bonds Sean Connery and Roger Moore.
We lost rock and roll pioneers Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard. We lost 1960s music legends Aretha Franklin and Dennis Edwards. We lost 1970s music legends Gregg Allman, David Cassidy and Helen Reddy. We lost 1980s music legends Tom Petty and Eddie Van Halen. We lost country music legends Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Kenny Rogers and Mac Davis.
We lost Chuck Yeager, the 1st man to travel faster than the speed of sound; Stephen Hawking, who changed the way we view space and time; and Paul Allen, whose work on computers changed the way we do everything. We lost Siegfried and Roy, although not in that order.
And we lost public servants Elijah Cummings, John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which may have ended up costing us so much -- but might also have inspired us to find the way to save so much.
January 20, 2017, 11:59 AM. At that moment, the President of the United States was Barack Obama. Just one minute later, the President of the United States was an embarrassment, on multiple levels.
No more. As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."
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