The last time Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez started dating was 2002. Here's what life was like then.

• Ben Affleck and ex-fiancée Jennifer Lopez have reportedly been spending time together again.

• They first started dating 19 years ago, in 2002, and they broke up in 2004.

• This is what the world was like the last time they dated.

• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Back in 2002, when Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck started dating, People magazine named him the "Sexiest Man Alive."

In the early 2000s, Affleck and Lopez were Hollywood's "it" couple and became known as "Bennifer" in the tabloids. Thanks to their high-profile relationship, People named Affleck the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2002.

"Chicks gravitate to him. The word on the street is that he's the ideal man, chatty, gorgeous, generous, and intelligent," Kevin Smith told People at the time.

Nearly two decades later, recent winners have included Michael B. Jordan and John Legend.

Tobey Maguire was still playing Peter Parker, and "Spider-Man" was a box-office smash.

"Spider-Man" was the highest-grossing film of 2002, raking in over $400 million. "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" was the second-highest-grossing film with over $300 million, and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" came in third with over $200 million.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" was another popular film that year, along with classics like "Signs" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Eminem's "The Eminem Show" was the best-selling album the year Bennifer got together.

Affleck and Lopez started dating in the summer of 2002, and they were engaged in November 2002.

Eminem's third studio album titled "The Eminem Show" sold 7.6 million copies in 2002, becoming the best-selling album of the year.

It was a great year for the rapper, as he also premiered his successful movie "8 Mile." The soundtrack for the film also reached the top of the charts, ranking fifth in the year-end sales.

Avril Lavigne also jumped onto the scene for the first time with her debut album, "Let Go."

In 2002, Avril Lavigne released her debut album "Let Go," and it reached No. 2 on Billboard's chart. The album included hits like "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi."

Lavigne made a name for herself as the antithesis to pop princess Britney Spears who was reigning at the time.

Months after Lopez and Affleck's engagement, the movie-musical "Chicago" won the Oscar for best picture.

"Chicago" took home the top prize at the Academy Awards in 2003. The movie musical follows two female murderers who compete for fame and notoriety while behind bars.

Renée Zellweger was nominated for best actress in a leading role for "Chicago," and Catherine Zeta-Jones won the best supporting actress Oscar.

Evanescence was named the best new artist at the Grammy Awards the same year.

In 2003, the rock band Evanescence took home the coveted best new artist award at the Grammys after their debut album "Fallen" was released the same year.

Late-'90s and early-2000s hitmaker Shania Twain performed at the Super Bowl halftime show with Sting and No Doubt.

In 2003, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

That year, Shania Twain was the headliner at the halftime show, performing her hits "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" and "Up!" She was joined by No Doubt, who sang "Just a Girl," and Sting, who performed their hit "Message in a Bottle."

George W. Bush was in his first term as president.

During his State of the Union speech in 2002 — just a few months after the 9/11 attacks and launching troops into Afghanistan — President Bush famously talked about the dangers of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, which would shape the country's foreign politics for decades.

"States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world," Bush said in the speech. "By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic."

The European Union had just started using the euro as a common currency.

In the late 1960s, the European Union started plans to introduce a common currency. By 1999, the currency was launched but it was considered "invisible," as it could only be used for electronic payments. On January 1, 2002, however, the euro was introduced to the public for the first time as bills and coins.

Around the time Lopez and Affleck were together, the median cost of a house in the US was almost $200,000.

By the end of 2002, the median price for a house in the US was $190,100.

The median price for a house in the US today is $329,100, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The cost of grocery items was significantly less.

When Affleck and Lopez started dating almost two decades ago, groceries cost less.

In 2002, a pound of white bread cost $1.02 compared to $1.43 in 2020. A dozen eggs cost $1.03 compared to $1.53 in 2020, and a gallon of milk cost $2.76 compared to $3.28 in 2020.

A gallon of gas was two-thirds the price it is today.

Gas cost $1.36 per gallon in 2002, as opposed to $2.17 in 2020.

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