SonicSanctuary.com | Jan. 1999
The site made international news, where the media called it the "Sonic Cemetery", for calling and recording the answering machine greetings of the recently deceased before their line was disconnected.
My ISP, who I reg'ed the name through, and hosted the site on, stole the domain and would only give it back if I gave him a 50% stake.
It took me two years to literally take the domain back, and in the process I learned a lot about domains and the web.
In short, my first domain experience changed my life. In fact I, and my family, live in L.A. because a Hollywood studio flew me out to appear on a TV show, in 2000, and I never left.
Never under estimate the power of a $7 domain name.