Brangelina soft launches and Tyson taps out

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Rewind to 12 to 18 June 2005, when Mike Tyson retired mid-fight, Brangelina launches with explosives, Etsy was born and Florence Aubenas emerged from the shadows of war.

🧨 Mr. & Mrs. scandal. Brad and Angelina play married assassins in Mr. & Mrs. Smith but the real fireworks were off-screen. Enter: the Brangelina era. Exit: Jen’s peace of mind.

🕊️ Florence freed. French journalist Florence Aubenas is released after five months held hostage in Iraq. Her return becomes a symbol of press freedom and blindfolded resilience.

⚖️ Not guilty. Michael Jackson is acquitted on all charges in a polarising courtroom circus. Fans release doves. Critics roll eyes. The King of Pop walks free, but not unscathed.

🇹🇱 Mission complete. Australia quietly pulls its final peacekeepers from East Timor, wrapping up a six-year stint of stabilising, rebuilding and dodging thanks or fanfare.

🥊 Iron Mike clocks out. Mike Tyson calls it quits mid-fight, proving that even the baddest man on the planet sometimes just wants to sit down and not get punched.

🧶 From glue gun to global. Etsy launches with scarves and reclaimed wood… fast-forward to taxidermy pope mice and Nicolas Cage fidget toys. The internet gets weird, handmade.

👋 Say their name (one last time). Destiny’s Child announce their breakup mid-tour. Beyoncé’s solo world domination is locked and loaded. Cue emotional damage and choreo nostalgia.

🎶 Backstreet’s back (but moodier). The Backstreet Boys return with Never Gone—guitars, midlife ballads and emotional eyeliner. They're older, softer and still not just a 90s punchline.

📚 1776: the page-turner that wasn’t. David McCullough’s epic on the American Revolution inspires… extreme Amazon reviews. “Like eating a brick” says one. Revolutionary? Sure. Entertaining? Not so much.

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