Hidden Corners of History- Seventeen Years of Slumber

Seventeen Years of Slumber

Jarrod E. Stephens

The Ashland Beacon

Unless you’ve spent the past few weeks indoors with your head under a pillow, you’ve likely noticed the strange noise of the seventeen-year cicadas singing in the trees. What an amazing fact to know that this particular variety of cicadas only comes out in massive numbers every seventeen years. They’re like the Rip Van Winkle of bugs. Imagine what they have missed as they lay in the ground awaiting their time to emerge! I don’t like taking a nap at all so I can’t imagine what a seventeen-year nap would be like.

With that thought in mind, let’s consider what one would have missed here in America if you slept for the past seventeen years and woke up in 2025. Now, just to be clear, this is not comprehensive nor is it even a snapshot of the sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes ugly news from each year.

So, the last time the seventeen-year cicadas were swarming was the summer of 2008. The Presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain and the war in the Middle East dominated the news that summer. Obama won and won again in 2012. You would have slept through the eight years of Obama’s presidency. You also would have missed out on the great recession of 2008 which ended in 2009.

The recession continued throughout the year which led to shaky markets and higher unemployment. The war in Afghanistan waged on and President Obama told cadets at West Point that he was sending 30,000 more troops to the region.

When 2010 rolled around, one of the largest oil spills in American history occurred as the Deepwater Horizon. Millions of gallons of oil spilled into the gulf before the leak was sealed. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl.

Following the events of September 11, 2001 the United States military had been pursuing the mastermind of the attack, Osama bin Laden. On May 2, 2011 a U.S. Military special operation team called SEAL Team Six carried out Operation Neptune Spear where bin Laden was shot and killed. 2011 also saw the ending of NASA’s shuttle program whenever the space shuttle Atlantis landed.

In 2012 Barack Obama and Joe Biden were re-elected. For all of you UK Wildcat fans, the Wildcats won their eight basketball national title.

In 2013 Barack Obama was inaugurated for a second term. On April 13, 2013, two simultaneous explosions killed three people near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The Affordable Care Act was rolled out to the public.

In 2014 the Sochi Winter Olympics were successful for American athletes. The Americans brought home a total of 28 total medals from the games. The 74th anniversary of D-Day was commemorated in France and in ceremonies around the country. Jay Leno ended his 22-year career as a late-night television host.  

In 2015 Donald Trump began to dominate the news with his bid to run for President of the United States. The billionaire and television personality was not a conventional nominee for any party. For football fans, the so-called “Deflate-Gate Scandal” had NFL quarterback Tom Brady in the spotlight. Brady was accused of purposely using deflated balls in a playoff game.

The presidential election dominated the news of 2016. After a long and brutal campaign, Donald Trump became the 45th President after he won the Presidential election over Hilary Clinton. There were also some notable sporting achievements in 2016. The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first NBA title in franchise history. Speaking of history, the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year World Series drought with a series win over the Cleveland Indians. Oh, and let’s not forget the Summer Olympic games in Rio.

In January of 2017 Donald Trump was officially sworn in as President. Hurricane season was devastating. The storms Harvy and Irma were very destructive across the south. We also had a total solar eclipse in some regions of the country.

2018 was a fiery year in more ways than one. Parts of California were devastated by uncontrollable wildfires. Mount Kilauea began erupting in Hawaii and spewed lava for more than a week. The year also saw the passing of long-time Senator John McCain.

When the Kentucky Derby rolled around in 2019, one of the most unlikely winners came out on top. The horse Country House was declared the winner after the horse Maximum Security was disqualified. Donald Trump was also impeached on December 18, 2019.

I really don’t need to say a whole lot about 2020. I think we all could have benefited from a year-long nap then. Aside from the insanity surrounding the Covid-19 outbreak, we had another presidential election that gripped everyone’s minds. President Donald Trump was defeated by Joe Biden who became the 46th President of the United States.

America has always been at the forefront of innovation. In May 2021 the SpaceX company owned by Elon Musk made the first successful flight and splashdown ever by a private company. The crazy pandemic halted the 2020 Summer Olympics, so they were held in 2021. The Americans topped the medal count with 113 by the end of the games.

In 2022 we began to get a more amazing view of space whenever the James Webb Telescope entered orbit and began sending amazing photos of the Creation back to earth. Although it was not necessarily “American” news, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II certainly made the headlines.

Since the sinking of the Titanic, it has been the focus of many underwater explorers who take great risks to view it. Sadly, in June it became the site of another disaster as the OceanGate Titan submersible imploded and killed all on board. Wildfires ravaged parts of Hawaii in August of 2023.

2024 gave another region the U.S. the opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse. Well, here we go again. 2024 was another memorable Presidential election year. Incumbent Joe Biden squared off against former President Donald Trump. However, Biden bowed out mid-race and allowed Kamala Harris the opportunity to run. Her bid was unsuccessful, and Trump won a second term. On a more somber note about Presidents, Former President Jimmy Carter passed away at 100 years-old on December 24, 2024.

Here we are now in the summer of 2025 being serenaded by the seventeen-year locusts. After reading the events that seemingly dominated our news over the past seventeen years, I’m beginning to think that a long nap just might be the way to go. See you again in the summer of 2042 you slumbering cicadas.