Presidential infidelity takes over the White House. The nation is captivated by a steroidal assault on baseball’s most hallowed number. The FDA makes life harder for men over the age of 60. We say “Goodbye” to Ol’ Blue Eyes and a show about nothing. By year’s end, there were many stories that had, at one point, gripped the nation in 1998.
Perhaps the biggest story that broke early in the year was the scandalous affair between President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and the ensuing investigation and media frenzy. And, later, from the “totally unrelated, yet possibly related” department, on March of 1998, the FDA approved the use of the Viagra drug as the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Speaking of performance enhancing drugs, the cities of St. Louis and Chicago became the centers of the sports world for the majority of the baseball season as Mark McGwire of the Cardinals, and the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa spent the summer chasing the vaunted single-season homerun record. Both men would not only break the thirty-seven year old mark, but also the hearts of fans everywhere when, seven years later, suspicions of their rampant steroid use were validated by evidence found in a Congressional investigation.
And on May 14, 1998, the city of New York bid a fond farewell to two icons with whom it had become synonymous throughout their respective lives. After nine seasons, the 180th and final episode of Seinfeld aired, thus bringing an end to one of the best sitcoms in television history. Later that night, at the age of 82, "The Chairman of the Board", Frank Sinatra - arguably one of the all-time greatest entertainers - passed away after suffering a heart attack.
Yet, for an aspiring writer with a story to tell, the most inspirational event of 1998 was the release and success of the movie Good Will Hunting. For those who may not know, Good Will Hunting, is not the sport of tracking and killing animals while maintaining a friendly and helpful attitude. Nor is it a reality show on A&E chronicling a group of people as they travel the country in search of stores that sell donated goods in order to raise money for charitable organizations.