Pop culture reflects the times, and what times we have lived during the 21st century's first 10 years.

In a decade defined by a terrorist attack on American soil and war in the Middle East, the switch from a Republican administration to a Democrat and the first African-American president in the United States, to a recession the likes of which we haven't seen since the Great Depression, popular culture takes the pulse of the times and runs with it.

Take Tina Fey, for example, the Emmy-winning star of "30 Rock" and beneficiary of election-year good fortune. Fey became The Associated Press Entertainer of the Year mostly because of her dead-on delivery as vice presidential candidate and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live."

The safe landing of a failing US Airways plane in the Hudson River made the pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, an instant national hero. And instant is the key here -- Twitter lit up with eyewitness tweets of the daring landing and rescue, elevating the profile of the site that's now a mainstay of the Internet's ever-growing social-network presence.

Pop culture had its low points, too, as Paris Hilton was oh-so "hot" for a stretch, shaved-head Britney Spears was a hot mess and shoulder pads made a comeback.

Test your knowledge of the past 10 years with our pop quiz.

Doug Oster writes a blog, "Growing With Doug," exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.