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This fall, the incoming class of 2028 moved into ��������Ƶ dorms, charged their laptops for class and downloaded syllabi via smartphones. To prove just how much time flies, here are the stories that were shaping the world in 2006, the year many of these first-year students were born.

Politics:

• Democrats win control of both the House and Senate in midterms.
• Samuel Alito is sworn in to the Supreme Court as an associate justice.
• The War in Iraq continues into its third year.

Tech:

• Twitter, now known as X, launches and cofounder Jack Dorsey posts first-ever tweet: “just setting up my twttr.”
• Google purchases YouTube for $1.65 billion.
• The PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii hit consumer markets.

Science & Climate:

• Pluto is downgraded to a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union.
• NASA’s Stardust mission ends, making it the first spacecraft to bring samples from a comet to Earth.
• California passes the Global Warming Solutions Act.

Culture:

• High School Musical airs for the first time on Disney Channel.
• NSYNC’s Lance Bass comes out as gay in a People magazine cover story.
• Pop star Britney Spears and then-husband Kevin Federline file for divorce.

Top Music & Film:

• “Bad Day” (Daniel Powter)
• “Temperature” (Sean Paul)
• “Promiscuous” (Nelly Furtado and Timbaland)
• “You’re Beautiful” (James Blunt)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
• Cars
• X-Men: The Last Stand 

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Collage by Connor O'Neill