Do you remember 1999? Ricky Martin’s “Livin La Vida Loca” topped the charts, we were scared of the Blair Witch, and Google officially launched.
To celebrate, Google Trends opened its time capsule to see which fads were titanic in 1999. According to the report, adults were watching “The Matrix” and “The Sopranos” while kids were into “Toy Story 2” and “Teletubbies”. People also used the search engine to learn about David Beckham or evaluate their Pokémon cards, and searches for hot sauce set the web ablaze.
Want to know what life was like in Indy? We dug up some data to help us remember the final year of the 1900s — thanks to some help from a 25-year-old search engine.
Cost of living
- Median family income: $54,600
- City’s population: 738,907
- Estimated cost to buy a home: $134,722 (prices have increased 140.6%)
- Average cost of a gallon of gasoline in Indiana: $0.716
Cultural highlights
- The local pork industry boomed when McDonald’s brought back the McRib.
- Celine Dion performed “My Heart Will Go On” at her concert at Market Square Arena before it closed in October 1999.
- Meanwhile, Phish and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers graced the stage just two days apart at Ruoff Music Center — ahem, Deer Creek.
- The Indianapolis Museum of Art announced its new campus master plan, which included the creation of an art + nature park on 100 acres of property west of the main campus. This later became The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields, which is still a local favorite oasis — just ask “The Fault in Our Stars.”
When Gainbridge Fieldhouse opened in 1999, it was named Conseco Fieldhouse.
Photo via Durin on Wikimedia Commons
Sports stuff
- Gainbridge Fieldhouse opened (as Conseco Fieldhouse) and became the home of the Pacers.
- Kenny Bräck became the first Swedish driver to win the Indy 500. An estimated 250,000 fans attended — in 2016, the crowds reached a record high with 350,000 spectators.
- The Colts executed a massive turnaround season, going from three wins and 13 losses in the 1998 season to 13 wins and three losses in 1999. The year marked a turning point for the franchise, which had previously only made the playoffs three times since 1977.
What memories do you have of Indy in 1999? Share your stories.
