I find it rather unfortunate that the year 2001 will constantly get shunned with the simple “that’s the year 9/11 happened” because if people actually took the time to look beyond the obviously impacting event (which happened when two-thirds of the year was already over anyway), they might find that the year was actually not that bad – in fact, in countless ways it was very good and I hope to explain why. Last year I made a year 2000 article that has enjoyed good reception. So this year, I figured that it shouldn’t hurt to look at the bright side of the year that was…



2001 by comparison to other years was a pretty average year of music, at least in my honest opinion. But in other forms of entertainment, it truly does deserve some credit. This year wasn’t without it’s big releases with the first films of The Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter both premiering at the end but it also saw the beginning of another great series that continues to this day…



Love it or hate it, a sixth film for the series is expected for release later in 2013. It has grown to be far more than just a cult classic, there was even a film made in Tokyo. The viewing pleasure doesn’t just stop there however. For a fan of reality competitions, 2001 was simply put – a golden year. Joining the reality competition catalogue this year…Fear Factor and The Amazing Race.

Whether it was performing a road block in Paris, or lying in a coffin of worms with the possibility of having to eat them, these two are outstanding examples of shows that contributed to the reality show explosion of the early 2000s. The Amazing Race is set up for another adventure this year, virtually twelve years later and although Fear Factor stopped after six seasons, it recently enjoyed a revival season. Next up, an honorable mention for a computer game that is simple enough in design and gameplay, yet can turn incredibly addictive.



I’m not sure how well known Pocket Tanks is, but for those who have played it – it was a hit! In basic terms, you and an opponent battle in a terrain with various weapons and you have to attack the enemy tank to score the most points. I can say with confidence that the game is a lot better than the graphics may suggest. If you’ve read my first article, you will know that I think 2001 would have a hard act to follow. This year was far from a disappointment though. In fact, one of the world’s most popular websites was launched this year. Today, this website has well over four million articles written in the English language alone.



Even though Retrojunk apparently doesn’t exist according to the free encyclopedia, the creation is just too brilliant to not include here. In fact, you can use Wikipedia to read about items that I have mentioned here if you wish to learn more. Since I'm on the topic of computers, I'll also quickly point out that Windows XP was made available this year.



So…I’m glad I took part in this fantastic year and the older it gets, the better it seems. That’s the opinion I hold regardless of 9/11. Similar to my previous article, I’d appreciate comments on what others enjoyed or anything you think I should’ve covered that I might have missed.