Famous Things That Quietly Went Away Without Anyone Noticing

Robert Whitman-Byrne

Human memory is brittle and fleeting, as war reporter, journalist, and author Janine di Giovanni famously observed. Life is long and moving very quickly, with a wide variety of events occurring constantly. Is it any wonder that we frequently experience events or moments that, at the time, seem to be of the utmost importance before, a few months later, as life passes on, we all appear to have forgotten that occurrence ever took place?
As an illustration, consider the previous 2.5 years. There appeared to be a big event every month, and there were even memes about it, but can you remember all that happened?

#1

Source:VerybaddentistBobMacInnes

The American Chestnut Tree.
We sing “chestnuts roasting over an open fire” every year and yet never question why we have no chestnuts.
All the chestnut trees are dead is why, you see.

#2 Water Beds

Source: valthonis_surionHans Peters / Anefo

Water beds.
another user added:
Used to have one. Nothing like forgetting to turn on the heater an hour before bed in the middle of winter.

#3 Acid Rain

Source:  GurglingWafflePratik Gupta

Acid Rain.
It was a huge environmental issue in the late 70s thru the early 90s. Rain was acidic and damaged fertile areas among other things.
In the US there was much research done and eventually industrial regulations were put into place. Companies were allowed to decide what approach they chose to take as long as the results showed the appropriate amount of reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions.
Unfortunately, positive news doesn’t sell, so news outlets did not do justice to reporting this success. As we went into the 2000s hardly anyone remembered what was done.

#4 Facebook Poke Wars

Source:  Hot_buttered_toastRodolpho Zanardo


#5 The Word “Cyberspace”

Source: horschdhorschdCyber-Andi


#6 TV Image Shrinking To A Dot Before Slowly Fading Away

Source: ConcreteCubeFarmNothing Ahead

When you turn off the TV, how the image would shrink to a dot before slowly fading away.

#7 Service Clubs

Source:originalchaosinaboxAndrea Piacquadio

Service clubs. e.g. the Rotary, the Lions, the Shriners.
Oh, they’re still around. But a common complaint among them is they’ve got no members under 70 and no new members are lining up to get in.
EDIT: The #1 question seems to be, “What the hell are these, anyways?”
They’re social clubs with the primary objective to be doing projects to better the community. They might raise money to build a new playground, a new hospital, for scholarships, stuff like that.
They raise money for stuff.

#8 Self-Aware Politician

Source: CuddlychipImages for the Future

politicians feeling ashamed when theyre caught lying

#9

Source:  jaxiti1264Pew Nguyen

Ownership. We used to pay money and then the thing actually belonged to us. Now everything is rented or leased. Everything is sold “as a service”. Music as a service. Movies as a service. Software as a service. Even printer ink as a service.
We spend and spend and in the end we hold nothing in our hands.
edit: You can also subscribe to clothes. Wear new clothes every month but never own them. You can also subscribe to cars. Clothes as a service, cars as a service.

#10 Toys In Cereal Boxes

Source: Image source: GuttMiltonHeather Paul

Actual toys in cereal boxes and cracker jack boxes.

#11 BlackBerry Phones

Source: Sufficient_Rub2165Aaron.huo


 #12 The Sears Wishbook

Source: UneditedRedditedeBay/foundonpei


#13 Deep-Voiced-Guy-Narrated Movie Trailers

Source: jonathonkarateTima Miroshnichenko

Movie trailers with that deep voice guy doing the voice overs.

#14 Taco Bell’s Chihuahua Mascot

Source:  To_Fight_The_NightThe Hall of Advertising

Taco Bell used to have a chihuahua as their mascot. Little dude just disappeared one day and anyone born after 2000 probably doesn’t even know what I am talking about.

#15 3D TVs

Source: SuvenPanETC@USC


#16 24-Hour Stores

Source: : anxiousfamilyHenri Bergius

I think people have noticed now but at the time, nobody noticed it was happening: 24 hour stores. I live in a major city and we don’t have a single 24 hour grocery store ever since the pandemic.

#17

Source:WhoDoesntLikeADonutLisa Stevens


#18

Source: WhoDoesntLikeADonutLisa Stevens