Time almost appears to have stood still for a group of friends who have met every five years for three decades to recreate an impromptu photo from 1982.

When the men first photographed themselves near Copco Lake, California as teens, they didn't know they were spurring a lifelong tradition - or that decades later they'd become an Internet sensation. When they shared the images with CNN and the story of how the tradition bonded them for life, CNN's audience couldn't get enough.

While a click through the pics shows the men's progression from long-haired, shirtless teens to well, middle-aged men, the scene at the lake is largely unchanged. We rounded up some facts to show our readers what was going on in the world around them.

1982

• Ronald Reagan is president of the United States
• No.1 song in the U.S.: Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical”
• No.1 movie in the U.S.: "E.T."
• Average cost of one gallon of gas: $1.29
• Cost of a Super Bowl ad: $350,000
• Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was released on December 1, 1982

1987

• Ronald Reagan is president of the United States
• No.1 song in the U.S.: Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian”
• No.1 movie in the U.S.: "Three Men and a Baby"
• Average price of one gallon of gas: $0.94
• Cost of a Super Bowl ad: $580,000
• Spuds MacKenzie first appeared in Bud Light beer ads.

1992

• George H.W. Bush is president of the United States
• No.1 song in the U.S.: Boyz II Men “End of the Road”
• No.1 movie in the U.S.: "Aladdin"
• Average cost of one gallon of gas: $1.12
• Cost of a Super Bowl ad: $800,000
• MTV’s long-running "The Real World" reality series debuts.

1997

• Bill Clinton is president of the United States
• No.1 song in the U.S.: Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind”
• No.1 movie in the U.S.: "Titanic"
• Average cost of one gallon of gas: $1.23
• Cost of a Super Bowl ad: $1,200,000
• In a civil trial, O.J. Simpson was found liable in a civil wrongful death suit brought by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

2002

• George W. Bush is president of the United States
• No.1 song in the U.S.: Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me”
• No.1 movie in the U.S.: "Spider-Man"
• Average cost of 1 gallon of gas: $1.35
• Cost of a Super Bowl ad: $1,900,000
• Elizabeth Smart is kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home on June 5.

2007

• George W. Bush is president of the United States
• No.1 song in the U.S.: Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable”
• No.1 one movie in the U.S.: "Spider-Man 3"
• Average cost of 1 gallon of gas: $2.80
• Cost of a Super Bowl ad: $2,600,000
• Paris Hilton spent 23 days in a Los Angeles County jail for violating probation on a reckless driving conviction.

2012

• Barack Obama is president of the United States
• Current number one song in the U.S.: Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”
• Current No.1 movie in the U.S.: "The Dark Knight Rises"
• Current average cost of 1 gallon of gas: $3.49
• Cost of a Super Bowl Ad: $3,500,000
• Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in June.

Do you have a vacation photo tradition? How do you document your life? Share your stories below and post your photo rituals on iReport.com.