As Zuckerberg furiously coded away, the world's attention still focused on the Super Bowl halftime show. Just three days before the social network launched, Justin Timberlake tore off a piece of Janet Jackson's outfit during their performance, casting a shadow over the events of the game and leading to the moniker "NippleGate."
After starring in films such as A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Cold Mountain, Jude Law's star power, as well as his general sexiness, led him to be named the sexiest man alive by People magazine. Sources tell Mashable that Law remains relatively sexy to this day.
Google's 2004 year-end zeitgeist reveals a society enraptured by Brittany Spears, Orlando Bloom and desktop wallpapers.
The spinning top found new life in the months leading up to Facebook's launch through Hasbro's Beyblades. The craze swept the nation, leading to massive championship battles across the world.
Sitting in the first spot on the Billboard Top 100 on Feb. 4, 2004, "Hey Ya!" was a pop anthem from OutKast's Andre 3000. Perhaps Zuckerberg found inspiration in the song's chorus.
This Ashton Kutcher-led science fiction thriller topped the charts at the time the world's largest social network launched. Following closely behind was Ben Stiller's Along Came Polly.
This controversial mystery-detective novel led to many Christian protests around the world, as well as Tom Hanks' worst haircut in 2006.
Some things never change, as evidenced by Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series topping the charts in the gaming world in both 2004 and today.
Remember this awesome look? Oversized hats were a must-have fashion accessory in 2004.
Mark Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook" while he was a student at Harvard University on Feb. 4, 2004. Unlike many trends from 2004, Zuckerberg's creation remains one of the most influential in the world today.
But it begs the question: What else was popular that year?
See also: Technostalgia: 20 Misty Memories of Personal Computing
In the gallery above, we take a look back at some of the most popular people, events and styles from the year Facebook was built. The information paints an interesting picture of a bizarre society where trucker hats are hip, "Hey Ya!" is a cool new sound and The Butterfly Effect tops the box office.
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Homepage image: ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images; Donald Miralle/Getty Images; WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images