15. The Spice Girls at the Olympics — Though it seemed like an isolated incident, The Spice Girls staging a reunion at one of the most watched, most broadcasted, most international event of the year not only reminded us OG fans of their gloriousness, but also introduced a whole slew of young people to what The Spice Girls stood for. In fact, many of the acts that followed The Spice Girls (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, etc.) are returning to the limelight as women and are turning their celebrity into multifaceted, productive careers.

Photo: Sergei Grits/ /AP/Corbis