What America Was Like the Last Time a Hurricane Hit Florida

Since Hurricane Wilma hit Florida in October 2005, America has switched presidents (and are about to do it again), witnessed a recession and seen drastic changes in technology.

(MORE: Over 10 Years Since Last Major Hurricane Made Landfall in the U.S.)

The World Bank estimates the global population was 6.5 billion in 2005, and there are approximately 7.43 billion people living in 2016 - an increase of nearly a billion people.

Here's a look back at the country in 2005:

1. George W. Bush, President from 2001-09

Remember this guy? Dubya made splashes earlier this year when new images from the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks were released, and he's gaining the popular appeal of a former president, much like Bill Clinton did after his two terms.

In 2005, however, embattled President No. 43 was dealing with two foreign wars, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the beginnings of the housing market collapse.

It's safe to say that President Bush's stress levels are likely much lower these days.

2. You Didn't Have a Smartphone in Your Pocket

This is one of those changes that doesn't seem huge but is a paradigm shift in disguise. Since 2005, you've gained some serious pocket real estate considering you don't need an iPod or alternative music player to hold your song library.

Let's say you were taking a road trip to a Black Eyed Peas concert (yeah ... #throwback). You'd need an MP3 player to listen to your favorite playlist in the car, a phone in case you got lost and, more likely than not, you had pages of printed directions from MapQuest in the passenger seat.

3. Mariah Carey Was a Chart-Topper

Don't take our word for it – Billboard lists the singer's "We Belong Together" at No. 1 on the charts during the summer of '05.

Honorable mentions include Gwen Stefani, Will Smith (yep), the Killers and Akon.

4. The World Started to Notice the Expanding Housing Bubble

The U.S. economy continues its long recovery from the "Great Recession." The financial crisis unofficially kicked off in 2007 when Freddie Mac announced that it wouldn't buy "risky" subprime mortgages anymore, as the St. Louis Federal Reserve says.

In 2005, we were still riding high, but the world started to notice the sharp rise in house prices and began to anticipate the bubble bursting.

The Economist referred to the housing boom as "the biggest bubble in history" in an issue released more than 11 years ago. When thousands of Americans defaulted on mortgage loans, it helped trigger years of economic downturn.

5. Star Wars Was the Top Grossing Movie in America

Even though the Star Wars prequels were criticized by fans of the original trilogy, the films were still box office hits and the third installment led domestic gross in 2005 at over $380 million.

6. The Kardashians Weren't Quite Famous Yet

The Kardashians and the Jenners, for better or worse, have become household names in the last few years. Through their reality show, luxury brand lines and constant appearances in celebrity media, the Kardashian clan has managed to maintain massive amounts of both positive and negative buzz.

A decade ago, however, Kim and her sisters were known for little other than their father Robert Kardashian's role as a defense attorney during the O.J. Simpson murder case.

The last time a major hurricane made landfall in the United States, Kim's husband, Kanye West, was at the beginning of his meteoric rise within the hip-hop and pop music worlds with the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore album, "Late Registration." At the time, West was known best for his work behind the scenes rather than his on-stage antics.

7. Lance Armstrong Wins His Seventh* Tour de France

In the summer of 2005, cancer survivor and competitive cyclist Lance Armstrong won his seventh Tour de France title and promptly retired from racing. Armstrong returned to the sport in 2009 before retiring again in 2011.

Although Armstrong faced accusations of performance enhancement starting in 1999, the athlete denied all charges aimed against him. In 2012, Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France wins and banned from the sport after a prolonged, multi-agency investigation.

In a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong confessed to some of the allegations of doping for the first time.

8. YouTube Is Founded

The video-sharing website that's visited by well over 1 billion users each month officially launched on April 23, 2005.

9. Pope John Paul II Dies

The 84-year-old pope passed away on April 2, 2005. Following his death, John Paul II was succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI, who officially became pope on May 1.

Less than eight years later, Benedict resigned from the papacy at the age of 85, citing old age. On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis – the first pope from the Americas – was elected.

10. Bryce Harper Was a 13-Year-Old

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, currently one of the best players in Major League Baseball, turned 13 years old on Oct. 16, 2005 – the same day Hurricane Wilma was named.

11. You Weren't Tweeting

The last time a hurricane made landfall in Florida, not one person tweeted about it. That's because Twitter wasn't in existence yet; the social networking service launched five months after Wilma's Florida landfall.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Hurricane Wilma, 2005