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{{other uses}}
{{for|a timeline of 21st century events|Timeline of modern history}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2012}}
{{Centurybox|21}}
{{globalize|article|USA|date=November 2011}}
The '''21st century''' is the current century of the ''[[Anno Domini]]'' era or the [[Common Era]] in accordance with the [[Gregorian calendar]]; and the first [[century]] of the [[3rd millennium]]. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. [[Effective date|As of]] now, {{age in years and days textual version|2001|01|01}} of the 21st century have passed.

==Early 21st century (2001–present)==
In [[contemporary history]], the 21st century began with the [[United States]] as the sole [[superpower]] in the absence of the [[Soviet Union]], while [[China]] begins its rapid [[Chinese Century|rise]] to become the next superpower and the [[BRIC]] countries aim to create more [[Balance of power (international relations)|balance]] in the global political and economic spectrum. As the [[Cold War]] was over and [[terrorism]] on the rise, exemplified by the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] at the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]] and the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] in [[Arlington, Virginia]], the United States and its allies turned their attention to the Middle East and North Africa.
[[File:Lujiazui Skyline from Bund.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Shanghai]] becomes a symbol of the recent economic boom of [[China]].]]
Digital technology, in its early stages of mainstream use in the 1980s and 1990s, became widely accepted by most of the world, though concerns about [[Stress (biological)|stress]] from the overuse of [[mobile phone]]s, the [[Internet]] and related technologies remains controversial.<ref>{{cite news | title=Workplace trends: Technology increases workplace stress | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3840/is_199910/ai_n8869850 | work= Office World News| publisher= | year=1999 | accessdate= }}</ref>

In 2011, nearly 5 billion people globally (about 67% of the world's population) used [[mobile phone]]s<ref>{{cite web | title=4.6 Billion Cell Phone Users | url=http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/publications/idi/2010/Material/MIS_2010_Summary_E.pdf | work=Mobilewhack.com | publisher= | date= | accessdate= }}</ref> and about 2 billion people (about 28% of the world's population) used the [[Internet]].<ref>http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/01/by-the-numbers-internet-2010/</ref>

==Pronunciation==
Regarding pronunciation of 21st-century years, academics suggested that since former years such as 1805 and 1905 were commonly pronounced as "eighteen oh" or "nineteen oh" five, the year 2005 should naturally have been pronounced as "twenty oh-five".<ref name="preferMC">[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article376957.ece Experts clash over millennium bugbear]—[[The Times]]</ref> A less common variation would have been "twenty nought-five". Generally, the early years of 21st-century were pronounced as "two-thousand and five", with a change taking place in 2010, where pronunciations often shift between the early-year standard of "two-thousand and ten" and the common approach used in the late 20th-century of "twenty-ten".

The [[2010 Winter Olympics|Vancouver Olympics]], which took place in 2010, was being officially referred to by ''Vancouver 2010'' as "the twenty-ten olympics", while 2011<ref name="preferMC" /> and 2013 are popular as well. The latest timeframes for change are usually placed at 2020.<ref name="preferMC" />

According to The [[Stanley Kubrick]] archives, in the press release for his film ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', film director Stanley Kubrick included specific instructions for journalists to refer to the movie as "two thousand and one" instead of the commonplace pronunciation of "twenty-oh-one". Kubrick said he did this in the hope that if the film became popular, it would influence the pronunciation of that year.<ref name="preferMC">[http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/film/new/00301/facts.the_stanley_kubrick_archives.htm The Stanley Kubrick Archives]</ref>

==Transitions and changes==
[[File:Steve Jobs with the Apple iPad no logo (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Digital Revolution]] continues into the early 21st century. [[Steve Jobs]] is shown here holding the first generation [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] [[iPad]].]]

Revolutions of the early 21st century thus far include the [[Environmental Revolution]] and the [[Arab Spring|Revolutions of 2011]] (also known as the Arab Spring) that began in Arab countries. The [[Digital Revolution]] which began around the 1980s also continues into the present. The [[world population]] began the century at 6.1 billion and grew to about 7 billion within a decade. Generation Alpha are by far the only true current 21st century generation, since Generation Z has their roots at the tail end of the 20th century in 1995.

== Politics and wars ==

{{Update|type=section|date=December 2011}}
Genocide still remains a problem in the century with the concern of the [[war in Darfur]] and the growing concern in [[Sri Lanka]]. Low estimates on the deaths in Darfur stand around 200,000 deaths with 2.5 million in displacement, there has been much outcry against the [[Janjaweed|perpetrators]], the Sudanese government, and the very weak international response. Also controversies from past genocides remain commonplace in the minds of victims and average people alike.

* [[1998]]–[[2002]] &ndash; The [[Second Congo War]] continued into the early 21st century. A [[1999]] ceasefire quickly broke down and a UN peacekeeping mission, [[MONUC]], was unable to control the fighting. Troops from [[Rwanda]] and [[Uganda]] continued to support rebel groups against the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and rifts also grew between Rwanda and Uganda as they accused each other of supporting rival rebel groups as well. [[Laurent Kabila]], president of the DRC, was assassinated in [[January]] 2001 and his son, [[Joseph Kabila]], took power. Throughout 2002 steps were made towards peace and Rwanda and Uganda both removed their troops from the country. On [[December 17]], 2002, a massive treaty officially ended the war. However, the DRC only holds power in less than half of the country, with most of the eastern and northern portions still controlled by rebel groups, where there is still significant infighting. In addition, Rwanda still supports anti-DRC rebels and anti-Rwandan rebels continue to operate from the DRC. The war killed an estimated 3.9 million people, displaced nearly 5.5 million, and led to a widespread and ongoing famine that continues to result in deaths. Severe human rights violations continue to be reported.
* [[2001]] &ndash; [[George W. Bush]] became the [[John Quincy Adams|second president]] of the United States to be the son of a [[George H. W. Bush|former president]] when he was inaugurated on [[January 20]], 2001.
* 2001 &ndash; [[Al-Qaeda]] terrorists hijacked four [[commercial airliner]]s and [[September 11 attacks|crashed two of them]] into the [[World Trade Center]], one into [[the Pentagon]] and one into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania of the United States on September 11, killing nearly 3,000 people. The United States subsequently declared a [[War on Terrorism]].[[File:UA Flight 175 hits WTC south tower 9-11 edit.jpeg|thumb|right|[[September 11 attacks]]]]
* 2001–present &ndash; The U.S. and [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] invaded [[Afghanistan]] on [[October 7]], 2001 and overthrew the Al-Qaeda-supportive [[Taliban]] government. Troops remained to install a democratic government, fight a slowly escalating insurgency, and to hunt for Al Qaeda leader [[Osama bin Laden]] who was [[Death of Osama bin Laden|killed]] by [[SEAL Team Six|American troops]] nearly 10 years later, on [[May 2]], [[2011]].
* 2002 &ndash; The [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC) was established on [[July 1]].
* 2002 &ndash; on 10 September [[Switzerland]] becomes a member of the [[United Nations]].
* 2002 &ndash; on 27 September [[Timor-Leste]] becomes a member of the [[United Nations]].
* 2002 &ndash; A [[2002 Bali bombings|series of bombings]] carried out by Islamic terrorists killed 202 people at the resort of [[Kuta]], [[Bali]], [[Indonesia]] on [[October 12]].
* [[2003]]–present &ndash; In [[February 2003]], a conflict in [[Darfur]], [[Sudan]] began and soon escalated into [[War in Darfur|full-scale war]]. By [[2008]] it was believed that up to 400,000 people had been killed and over 2.5 million displaced. In [[2005]], the ICC decided that Darfur war criminals would be tried, and on [[July 14]], 2008, Sudanese president [[Omar al-Bashir]] was charged with 5 accounts of crimes against humanity and 2 accounts of war crimes, although the ICC has no power to enforce these charges.
* 2003–[[2010]] &ndash; The [[Multinational force in Iraq|U.S.-led coalition]] [[War in Iraq|invaded]] Iraq on [[March 20]], 2003 and overthrew the government of [[Saddam Hussein]] (who was executed by the Iraqi government on [[December 30]], [[2006]]). Coalition troops remain in the country to install a democratic government and fight an escalating insurgency. In addition to an insurgency against the American presence, Iraq also suffered from a [[Civil war in Iraq|civil war]] for several years. The war was soon seen as the central front of the War on Terror by many governments, despite growing international dissatisfaction with the war. The total death toll has been estimated at near 150,000 but these estimations are highly disputed, with one highly disputed study guessing even over 1 million.<ref>[http://antiwar.com/casualties/ Estimated casualties in Iraq]</ref> After the U.S.-led coalition initiated a [[troop surge]] in [[2007]], casualty numbers have decreased significantly. Combat ended, at least officially, in [[August]] 2010.
* 2003–2005 &ndash; A series of [[nonviolence|nonviolent]] revolutions known as the [[colour revolution]]s overthrew governments in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Ukraine]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], and [[Lebanon]].
* [[2004]] &ndash; The [[European Union]] [[Enlargement of the European Union|expanded]] by 10 countries, including 8 former communist countries, plus [[Malta]] and [[Cyprus]].[[File:Les Evenements de 2005.JPG|thumb|230px|Various scenes from the [[2005 civil unrest in France]]. The riots renewed debate over France's failure to integrate millions of immigrants.]]
* 2004 &ndash; On [[March 11]], [[March 11, 2004 Madrid train bombings|bombings]] carried out by Islamic terrorists killed 191 people on the commuter rail system of [[Madrid]], Spain.
* 2005 &ndash; [[July 7, 2005 London bombings|A series of bombings]] carried out by Islamic terrorists killed 56 people in [[London]] on [[July 7]].
* 2005 &ndash; [[Israel]] [[Israel's unilateral disengagement plan|withdrew]] from the [[Gaza Strip]] on [[September 11]].
* 2006–2008 &ndash; The dismantling of former [[Yugoslavia]] continued after [[Montenegro]] gained independence on [[June 3]], 2006 and [[Kosovo]] declared independence on [[February 17]], 2008. However, Kosovo's independence was disputed by Russia and many of its allies and was only [[International recognition of Kosovo|partially recognized]].
* 2006 &ndash; On [[June 28]] [[Montenegro]] becomes a member of the [[United Nations]].
* 2006 &ndash; On [[July 12]], [[Hezbollah]] terrorists crossed the border of [[Lebanon]] and captured two Israeli troops. Israel [[2006 Lebanon War|responded]] by sending troops across the border and bombing Hezbollah strongholds, while Hezbollah fired missiles on towns in northern Israel, approximately 6 each day. At the end of the war 300–450 Lebanese civilians, 600 Hezbolla troops, 44 Israeli civilians and 121 Israeli soldiers died. A ceasefire was signed on [[August 14]], after which Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon. Many military sources in Israel have warned about the danger of a new Israeli-Lebanese conflict back in the year [[2000]], when Israel has withdrawn from Lebanon.
* 2006 &ndash; On [[July 11]], bombs planted on the train system in [[Mumbai]] [[July 11, 2006 Mumbai train bombings|exploded]], killing 209 people.
* 2006 &ndash; [[North Korea]] conducted its [[2006 North Korean nuclear test|first nuclear test]] on October 9.<ref>{{cite news |title=US confirms nuclear claim |publisher=New York Times |date=October 15, 2006 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/world/asia/17koreacnd.html?hp&ex=1161057600&en=891cb4c4775510b3&ei=5094&partner=homepage |accessdate=[[October 16]], 2006 | first1=John | last1=O'Neil | first2=Norimitsu | last2=Onishi| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20061030232156/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/world/asia/17koreacnd.html%3Fhp%26ex%3D1161057600%26en%3D891cb4c4775510b3%26ei%3D5094%26partner%3Dhomepage| archivedate= [[October 30]], 2006 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> This was preceded by years of political wrangling with the U.S. over the status of their nuclear program.
* 2007 &ndash; [[Nepal]] transforms into the newest democratic state in the world after centuries old monarchy is overthrown on 15 January 2007.
* 2007 &ndash; A [[Fatah–Hamas conflict|civil war]] escalated in the [[Gaza Strip]] throughout June, which resulted in [[Hamas]] eventually driving most [[Fatah]]-loyal forces from the Strip. In reaction, Palestinian president [[Mahmoud Abbas]] dismissed Hamas prime minister [[Ismail Haniyeh]] and dissolved the Hamas-ruled parliament. Scattered conflict continues.
[[File:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg|thumb|right|In [[2009]], [[Barack Hussein Obama]] became the first [[African-American]] [[president]] of the [[United States]].]]
* 2008 &ndash; [[Nepal]] becomes the youngest republic of the world by transforming from a constitutional monarchy to a socialist republic on May 28. 2008.
* 2008 &ndash; [[2008 South Ossetia war|Armed conflict]] broke out in August 2008 between [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] on one side, and the [[Russian Federation]] together with [[South Ossetia|Ossetians]] and [[Abkhazia]]ns on the other. Russia officially recognized independence of [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]].
* 2008 &ndash; A Series of Coordinated Terrorist Attacks by Islamic terrorists on [[November 26]] – [[November 29]] in Mumbai [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] killed 154 people and injured more than 308.
* 2009 &ndash; [[Barack Obama]] became the first [[African-American]] [[president]] of the [[United States]].
* 2009 &ndash; [[North Korea]] tests a second nuclear device.
* 2010 &ndash; [[Poland|Polish]] president [[Lech Kaczynski]] and 95 others died in an air disaster in western Russia while en route to a ceremony commemorating the genocide of Polish officers at [[Katyn massacre|Katyn in 1940]]. Investigations into the accident are still ongoing.
* 2010 &ndash; The birth of the [[Arab Spring]], on December 17, when several people begin protesting against the Tunisian government.
* 2011 &ndash; The President of [[Tunisia]], [[Zine El Abidine Ben Ali]], resigns, on January 14, after protests against his regime erupt.
* 2011 &ndash; The [[President of Egypt|President of]] [[Egypt]], [[Hosni Mubarak]], resigns, on February 11, after 18 days of protests, against his regime.
* 2011 &ndash; The Leader of Al-Qaeda, [[Osama bin Laden]], who was responsible for the development of the plans for the [[September 11 attacks]], is killed in a raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan by Seal Team 6 of U.S. military Special Forces on May 2, 2011.
* 2011 &ndash; The shutdown of the largest UK [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]] [[News of the World]] after 168 years in print due to the [[News International phone hacking scandal|2009 phone hacking scandal]].
* 2011 &ndash; On [[July 14]] [[South Sudan]] becomes a member of the [[United Nations]].
*2011 &ndash; On [[October 21]] deposed dictator [[Muammar Gaddafi]] was captured and killed by the [[National Liberation Army (Libya)|National Liberation Army of Libya]].
*2011 &ndash; On [[December 15]], the [[Iraq War]] was declared formally over.
*2011 &ndash; The death of the supreme leader of [[North Korea]] (DPRK), [[Kim Jong-il]], on [[December 17]] during a [[train]] ride.
*[[2012]] &ndash; On [[February 25]], the [[President of Yemen|President of]] [[Yemen]], [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]], resigns, after protests.
*2012 &ndash; On [[March 22]], the [[President of Mali|President of]] [[Mali]], [[Amadou Toumani Toure]], is ousted, in a coup d'état.
*2012 &ndash; On [[April 2]], the [[President of Hungary|President of]] [[Hungary]], [[Pal Schmitt]], resigns, after losing a doctorate, in a [[plagiarism]] scandal.
*2012 &ndash; On [[April 6]], the new [[Sovereign state|Nation]] of [[Azawad]] officially gained its independence, from [[Mali]].{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

===New countries===
[[File:Flag of South Sudan.svg|thumb|right|[[South Sudan]] gained its independence on July 9, 2011.]]
[[File:Flag of Kosovo.svg|thumb|right|[[Kosovo]] declared independence on February 17, 2008.]]
Some territories have gained independence during the 21st century. This is a list of sovereign states that have gained independence in the 21st century and have been recognized by a majority of foreign governments.

* {{Flagicon|East Timor}} '''[[East Timor]]''' (Timor-Leste)<ref>Grolier- the new book of knowledge, section "E"</ref> on May 20, 2002
* {{Flagicon|Montenegro}} '''[[Montenegro]]''' on June 3, 2006
* {{Flagicon|Serbia}} '''[[Serbia]]''' on June 5, 2006
* {{Flagicon|South Sudan}} '''[[South Sudan]]''' on July 9, 2011

Four countries have declared independence and secured relative autonomy but they have only been recognized by a minority of or no UN states.

* {{Flagicon|Kosovo}} '''[[Kosovo]]''' on February 17, 2008
* {{Flagicon|South Ossetia}} '''[[South Ossetia]]''' on August 26, 2008
* {{Flagicon|Abkhazia}} '''[[Abkhazia]]''' on August 26, 2008
* {{Flagicon|Azawad}} '''[[Azawad]]''' on April 6, 2012

==Science and technology==
[[File:China Xichang Satellite Center - Tianlian I-01 Launch.jpg|thumb|260px|right|The [[China|People's Republic of China]] completed two major milestones in space exploration during the 21st century so far with a manned space launch and EVA.]]

===Space exploration===
* 2001 – [[Dennis Tito]] becomes the first [[space tourism|space tourist]] by paying $19 million to board the [[International Space Station]].
* 2003 – [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster]] February 1.
* 2003 – The [[Chinese space program]] launches its first [[manned space flight]], ''[[Shenzhou 5]]'' on October 15. This made China the third country in the world to have indigenous manned space capability.
* 2004 – [[Mars Exploration Rover]]s land on [[Mars]]; ''[[Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity]]'' discovers evidence that an area of [[Mars]] was once covered in water.
* 2004 – ''[[Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne|SpaceShipOne]]'' makes the first privately funded [[human spaceflight]], June 21
* 2005 – The ''[[Huygens probe|Huygens]]'' probe lands on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], the largest of Saturn's moons, January 14.
* 2005 - The ''[[New Horizons]]'' probe is launched to Pluto.
* 2006 – [[Pluto]] is reclassified from a [[planet]] to a [[dwarf planet]], leaving the solar system with eight planets.
* 2007 – China launches its first lunar mission with the [[Chang'e 1]] on October 24.
* 2008 – [[Chinese space program]] launches its third manned space flight carrying its first three-person crew and conducts its first spacewalk that makes China the third nation after Russia and USA to do that, ''[[Shenzhou 7]]'' on September 25.
* 2008 - [[Phoenix (spacecraft)|Phoenix]] discovers water ice on Mars
* 2009 – [[Iranian Space Agency|Iran]] launches its first [[satellite]], ''[[Omid]]'' on February 2.
* 2009 – The [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] discovers water on the [[Moon]].
* 2011 – [[NASA]] launches Atlantis marking an end to its three-decade shuttle program.
* 2012 – [[SpaceX]] successfully delivers cargo to the [[International Space Station]], private exploration of space begins.
* 2012 – Nasa successfully lands the [[Curiosity rover]] on the surface of Mars.

=== Physics ===
* 2003 - [[WMAP]] observations of the [[cosmic microwave background]].
* 2004 - [[Graphene]] is discovered
* 2010 - The [[Large Hadron Collider]]'s first high power collisions took place in March 2010.
* 2012 - European physicists may have detected the Higgs boson <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18702455]</ref>

=== Mathematics ===
*2002 - [[Grigori Perelman]] posted the first of a series of eprints to the [[arXiv]], in which he proved the [[Poincaré conjecture]], the first of the [[Millennium Prize Problems]] to be solved.

===Medicine===
{{further|Timeline of medicine and medical technology#2000 – present}}
* 2003 – Completion of the [[Human Genome Project]]
* 2003 – [[Severe acute respiratory syndrome]] (SARS) spreads around the globe.
* 2005 – The first successful partial [[face transplant]] is performed in France.
* 2006 – [[Australian of the Year]] Dr [[Ian Frazer]] develops a [[vaccine]] for [[cervical cancer]].
* 2008 – Japanese scientists create a form of artificial [[DNA]].
* 2009 – [[Influenza A virus subtype H1N1]] spreads around the globe.
* 2012 – The first successful complete face transplant is performed in Turkey.

=== Storage and mediums ===
* [[DVD]] technology replaces the [[VCR]] in the start of the 21st century.
* [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] technology emerges.
* [[Compact Discs]] succeed [[Cassettes]], and became rapidly removed by digital downloads.
* [[High Definition Television]] is replacing [[Standard definition]]
* [[3D technology]] becomes popular in the late 1990s and early 2010s.
* The [[World Wide Web]] and websites becomes a major new medium for storing files and information.
* Since the introduction of [[Smartphone|''smartphones'']] and tablets with [[3G]] and [[4G]], mobile devices are connected with the internet.

===Social technology===
* The Digital Revolution continued into the early 21st century with mobile usage and Internet access growing massively in the early 21st century. By the 2010s, the majority of people in the developed world had Internet access and the majority of people worldwide had a mobile phone.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.mobiletracker.net/archives/2005/05/18/mobile-subcribers-worldwide
|title=Total mobile subscribers top 1.8 billion
|accessdate=December 31, 2008
|author= |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors=
|date=May 18, 2005
|year= |month= |work=[[MobileTracker Cell Phone News and Reviews]]
|publisher=
|pages= |language= |doi=
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080119070741/http://www.mobiletracker.net/archives/2005/05/18/mobile-subcribers-worldwide
|archivedate=January 19, 2008
|quote= }}
</ref>
*The [[World Wide Web]] continues to rise in popularity and [[Social Networking]] emerges in the early 21st century as a popular social communication. [[Twitter]], [[Facebook]], and [[YouTube]] are all major examples of social websites to gain widespread popularity.

==Society==
[[AIDS]] which emerged in the 1980s continued to spread yet more treatment of AIDS made the disease less of a deadly threat. A cure was still not found in the [[noughties]] despite expectations. Same-sex marriage began to emerge as legal. In 2001 the [[Netherlands]] became the first nation in the world to legalize this type of marriage. The 2000s (decade) saw significant change surrounding this social issue and the change continued into the 2010s.
[[File:Tahrir Square on February11.png|thumb|The early 21st century was marked by the [[Arab Spring]], a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began in December 2010.]]
By the beginning of the 21st century the social issue of racism was slowly concluding as rights of other nationalities in other nations increased; as can be seen by the election of [[Barack Obama]] as the 44th President of the [[United States of America]]. This event takes place only two centuries after African-Americans were considered to be second class citizens or even slaves.

=== Population ===
*The [[world population]] was about 6.1 billion at the turn of the 20th to 21st century.
*The world population reached 7 billion officially on 31 October 2011(according to UN), and is increasing at a rate of 78 million per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/region.php?N=%20Region%20Results%20&T=7&A=aggregate&RT=0&Y=2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024,2025,2026,2027,2028,2029,2030,2031,2032,2033,2034,2035,2036,2037,2038,2039,2040&R=1&C= |title=World Population estimates by the US Census Bureau}}</ref>

=== Civil unrest ===
=== Civil unrest ===
* [[Anti-globalization protests in Prague]]
* [[Anti-globalization protests in Prague]]
Line 200: Line 34:
* [[Bersih 3.0 rally]]
* [[Bersih 3.0 rally]]
* [[2012 Catalan independence demonstration]]
* [[2012 Catalan independence demonstration]]

=== Linguistic diversity ===

As of 2009, [[SIL Ethnologue]] catalogued 6909 living human languages.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/ "Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition"]. Retrieved 28 June 2007, ISBN 1-55671-159-X</ref> The exact number of known living languages will vary from 5,000 to 10,000, depending generally on the precision of one's definition of "language", and in particular on how one classifies dialects.

Estimates vary depending on many factors but the general consensus is that there are between 6000 and 7000 languages currently spoken, and that between 50-90% of those will have become extinct by the year 2100.<ref name=Handbook>{{Cite book |last=Roell|first=Craig|title=Battle of Coleto|publisher=Handbook of Texas|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/CC/qec1.html}}</ref> The [[List of languages by number of native speakers|top 20 languages]] spoken by more than 50 million speakers each, are spoken by 50% of the world's population, whereas many of the other languages are spoken by small communities, most of them with less than 10,000 speakers.<ref name="Handbook"/>

==Disasters==

===Natural disasters===
[[File:2004-tsunami.jpg|thumb|260px|right|The tsunami striking [[Ao Nang]] in [[Thailand]] on December 26, 2004.]]

'''2000s'''
* [[2001 Gujarat Earthquake]] – An earthquake in Gujarat, India on January 26, 2001 killed approximately 20,000.
* [[2001 El Salvador Earthquake]] – 7.9 earthquake in El Salvador shook the whole country on January 13, 2001, causing a major devastating landslide, hundreds dead, thousands injured and many homeless. A month later, on February 13, 2001 the country suffered a second earthquake – 6.7
* [[2003 European heat wave]] – Approximately 30,000 people were killed across Europe in a summer long heat wave.
* [[2003 Bam earthquake]] – An [[Bam, Iran#2003 earthquake|earthquake]] in [[Bam, Iran|Bam]], [[Iran]] on December 27, 2003 killed more than 26,000.
* [[Hurricane Jeanne|2004 Hurricane Jeanne]] – Over 3,000 people are killed by [[Hurricane Jeanne]] in [[Haiti]] in September 2004.
* [[2004 Asian Tsunami]] – On December 26, 2004, a massive undersea earthquake resulted in a massive tsunami striking southeast Asia killing approximately 230,000.
* [[Hurricane Katrina|2005 Hurricane Katrina]] – The hurricane killed 1,836 in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi (mostly in New Orleans). A significant portion of the city, most of which sits below sea level, was submerged. Damages reached US$81.5 billion, making Katrina the costliest tropical cyclone recorded.
* [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]] An [[2005 Kashmir earthquake|earthquake in Kashmir]] on October 8, 2005, killed at least 74,500 in India and [[Pakistan]]
* [[Cyclone Nargis|2008 Cyclone Nagris]] – lead to catastrophic storm surge, leading to a death toll in excess of 100,000 and making millions homeless.
* [[2008 Sichuan earthquake]] – An earthquake between 7.9 and 8.0-magnitude struck Sichuan, China on May 12, 2008, killing 68,712, 17,921 missing.
* [[2009 L'Aquila earthquake]] – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near [[L'Aquila]] ([[Italy]]) on April 6, 2009, one of the worst in Italian history. 308 were pronounced dead and 65,000+ were homeless.
* [[2009 flu pandemic]] – A worldwide outbreak of [[Influenza A virus subtype H1N1]] spread around the world forming a pandemic by June 2009.
'''2010s'''
[[File:Irene ISS028-E-031903 Aug 24 2011.jpg|thumb|right|The eye of [[Hurricane Irene]] as viewed from the [[International Space Station]] on August 24, 2011]]

* [[2010 Haiti earthquake]] – At least 230,000 are killed in Haiti after a massive earthquake on January 12, 2010. As of late February 2010, the death toll is expected to rise. Three million people were made homeless.
* [[2010 Chile earthquake]] – A massive earthquake, magnitude 8.8, strikes the central Chilean coast on February 27, 2010.
* [[2010 Yushu earthquake]] – A large 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Yushu region of China in Qinghai near Tibet, on April 14, 2010, killing over 2200 people.
* [[2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull]] – A massive ash cloud is formed by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano [[Eyjafjallajökull]], on April 14, 2010 grounding flights across northwest Europe. Scientists began recording volcanic activity there in 2009 which increased through March 2010 culminating in the second phase eruption in April.
* [[2010 Pakistan floods]] – Began in July 2010 after record heavy [[monsoon]] rains. The [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] province of [[Pakistan]] was worst affected. At least 1,600 people were killed, thousands were rendered homeless, and more than thirteen million people were affected.<ref name="Bodeen">{{cite news|last=Bodeen|first=Christopher|title=Asia flooding plunges millions into misery|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jLQ5AssQ1MzPfWcFQRV8ZeJhjctQD9HFBA400|accessdate=August 8, 2010|newspaper=The Associated Press|date=August 8, 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100904101109/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jLQ5AssQ1MzPfWcFQRV8ZeJhjctQD9HFBA400| archivedate= September 4, 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref><ref name="nyt">Masood, Salman and Adam B. Ellick. [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/world/asia/02pstan.html Floods in Pakistan Kill at Least 700]. NYTimes.<!--On Sunday officials reduced the number of dead to 730, saying earlier reports on Sunday, reaching as high at 1,100, were not credible.--></ref><ref name="bbc20100731">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10827712|title=UN voices Pakistan flood fears as death toll soars|date=July 31, 2010|publisher=BBC|accessdate=July 31, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nyt20100730">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/31/world/asia/31pstan.html|title=400 Killed in Flooding in Pakistan, Officials Say|last=Khan|first=Ismail|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=July 30, 2010 | date=July 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100801/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_floods Thousands trapped by Pakistan floods; 900 dead]</ref> Estimates from rescue service officials suggest the death toll may reach 3,000 victims.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-31/pakistan-death-toll-from-flash-floods-in-northwest-rises-to-539-edhi-says.html Deaths From Pakistan Floods May Reach 3,000, Rescue Service Official Says]</ref>
* [[2010–2011 Queensland floods|2011 Queensland floods]] – Began in December 2010 primarily in [[Queensland]]. The flood causes thousands of people to evacuate. At least 200,000 people were affected by the flood. The flood continued throughout January 2011 in Queensland, and the estimated reduction in [[Economy of Australia|Australia's GDP]] is about A$30 billion.
* [[Cyclone Yasi]] - A category 5 (Australian Scale) cyclone hits North Queenland with winds as strong as 290&nbsp;km/hr (197 miles/hr) and devastates the residents of North Queensland.
* [[February 2011 Christchurch earthquake]] – New Zealand's prime minister says 181 people have died after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch on February 22, 2011, making it New Zealand's second-deadliest natural disaster after the [[1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake]].
* [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] – On March 11, 2011, a catastrophic undersea earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred offshore of eastern [[Japan]], the greatest in the country's history and created a massive tsunami which killed over 15,000; it also triggered the [[Fukushima I nuclear accidents]]. The overall cost for the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents could reach $300 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster on record.
* [[April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak]] – Regarded as the deadliest tornado outbreak ever recorded and dubbed the '''2011 Super Outbreak''', a catastrophic tornado outbreak from April 25 to the 28th affected the [[Southern United States]] and killed over 330 people, most coming from [[Alabama]]. Damages are expected to be near or over $10 billion.
* [[2011 Joplin Tornado]] – On May 22, 2011, a devastating EF5 tornado struck [[Joplin, Missouri]] resulting in 159 casualties, making it the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 1947.
* [[Tropical Storm Washi (2011)|Tropical Storm Washi]] - Locally known as Sendong, it caused catastrophic flooding in the [[the Philippines|Philippine]] island of [[Mindanao]] on the night of December 16, 2011. The hardest hits were in [[Cagayan de Oro]] and [[Iligan City]]. Almost 1000 people perished, most of who were sleeping and President [[Benigno Aquino III]] declared a [[state of calamity]] four days later.

===Man-made disasters===

* On July 27, 2002, a [[Sukhoi Su-27]] fighter [[Sknyliv airshow disaster|crashes]] at an [[air show]] in [[Ukraine]], killing 85 and injuring more than 100, making it the worst air show disaster in history.

* On February 1, 2003, at the conclusion of the ''[[STS-107]]'' mission, the [[Space Shuttle]] ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia]]'' [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|disintegrates during reentry]] over [[Texas]], killing all seven astronauts on board.

* The [[Black Saturday bushfires]] – the deadliest [[bushfire]]s in [[Australia]]n history took place across the [[Australia]]n [[Australian state|state]] of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] on February 7, 2009 during extreme bushfire-weather conditions, resulting in 173 people killed, more than 500 injured, and around 7,500 homeless. The fires came after [[Melbourne, Australia|Melbourne]] recorded the [[Early 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave|highest-ever temperature]] (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires were ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.

* On April 10, 2010, Polish President [[Lech Kaczyński]], his wife and 95 other people, including dozens of government officials are killed in [[2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash|a plane crash]].

* On April 20, 2010 an explosion on the ''[[Deepwater Horizon]]'' offshore [[drilling rig]], operating in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] off the coast of [[Louisiana]], left eleven crewmen dead and resulted in a fire that sank the rig and caused a massive-scale [[oil spill]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126468782|title=BP Will Pay For Gulf Oil Spill Disaster, CEO Says|publisher = NPR|date=May 3, 2010 |accessdate=May 3, 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100504210425/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126468782| archivedate= May 4, 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> that may become one of the worst environmental disasters in [[United States]] history.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126410895 "Choppy Seas Hinder Effort To Contain Oil Spill"], ''National Public Radio'', April 30, 2010</ref> On June 18, 2010 oceanographer John Kessler said that the crude gushing from the well contains 40 percent methane, compared to about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits. Methane is a natural gas that could potentially suffocate marine life and create "dead zones" where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives. "This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history," Kessler said.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37778190/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf/ |title=Oil spill full of methane, adding new concerns |publisher =msnbc |date=June 18, 2010 |accessdate =June 20, 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100620004518/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37778190/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf/| archivedate= June 20, 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> On June 20 an internal BP document was released by Congress revealing that BP estimated the flow could be as much as {{convert|100000|oilbbl|USgal m3|abbr=off}} per day under the circumstances that existed since the April 20 blowout.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=10964694 |title=Document Shows BP Estimates Spill up to 100,000 Bpd |publisher =ABC News |date=June 20, 2010 |accessdate =June 20, 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100624004525/http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=10964694| archivedate= June 24, 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/WEB/flowrateBP.pdf |accessdate =June 20, 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100704200718/http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/WEB/flowrateBP.pdf| archivedate= July 4, 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>

==Sports==
At the turn of the 20th to 21st century sports were very popular. The IOC's [[Modern Olympic Games]] was the most viewed sporting event. [[Association football]] is the most popular sport worldwide with the [[FIFA World Cup]] the most viewed football event. Other sports such as Rugby, American football, Basketball, Tennis and Golf were popular globally. In [[cricket]] the emergence of the [[Twenty20]] format as well as the creation of the [[Indian Premier League]] led to changes in the nature of the sport. American swimmer [[Michael Phelps]] won an Olympic record setting 8 Gold medals at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].

[[File:Bejing Birds Nest Track Olympics.jpg|thumb|260px|right|The [[Beijing]] Birds Nest Stadium during the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].]]

=== International tournaments ===

'''Modern Olympic Games'''
* [[2002 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]], [[United States]].
* [[2004 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Athens]], [[Greece]].
* [[2006 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Turin]], [[Italy]].
* [[2008 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Beijing]], [[China]].
* [[2010 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]].
* [[2010 Summer Youth Olympics]] were held in [[Singapore]].
* [[2012 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[London]], [[United Kingdom]].
* [[2014 Winter Olympics]] Will be held in [[Sochi]], [[Russia]].
* [[2016 Summer Olympics]] Will be held in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]] - the first time in a South American nation.
* [[2018 Winter Olympics]] Will be held in [[Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]].

'''Association Football'''
* [[2001 Copa América]] was won by host country [[Colombia national football team|Colombia]].
* [[2002 FIFA World Cup]] was held in [[Japan]] & [[South Korea]] won by [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]].
* [[Euro 2004]] was held in [[Portugal]] and won by [[Greece national football team|Greece]].
* [[2004 Copa América]] was held in [[Peru]] and won by [[Brazil]].
* [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] was held in [[Germany]] and won by [[Italy national football team|Italy]].
* [[2007 Copa América]] was held in [[Venezuela]] and won by [[Brazil]].
* [[Euro 2008]] was held in [[Austria]] & [[Switzerland]] and won by [[Spain national football team|Spain]].
* [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] was held in [[South Africa]] - the first African nation to hold this tournament - and won by Spain.
* [[2011 Copa América]] was held in [[Argentina]] and won by [[Uruguay]].
* [[Euro 2012]] was held in [[Poland]] and [[Ukraine]] and won by [[Spain]].
* [[2014 FIFA World Cup]] will be held in [[Brazil]].
* [[Euro 2016]] will be held in [[France]].
* [[2018 FIFA World Cup]] will be held in [[Russia]] – the first Eastern European country to hold this tournament.
* [[2022 FIFA World Cup]] will be held in [[Qatar]] – the first Middle Eastern country to hold this tournament.

'''Athletics'''
* [[Usain Bolt]] broke various world records, including in the [[100 meter dash]] at the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics|2009 World Championships]], setting the record of 9.58 seconds.
* A record low number of Athletes failing drug tests occurred in 2008 for Athletes, with only one recordedly failing a drug test in the Women's Long Jump.

'''Aquatics'''
* [[Michael Phelps]] won six gold medals in the [[2004 Summer Olympics]], a record eight in the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] (some of those medals coming from split-second wins), and his final four in the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], making him the [[List of multiple Olympic medalists|most decorate Olympian of all time]].

'''Cricket'''
* [[2003 Cricket World Cup]] is won by [[Australian national cricket team|Australia]].
* [[2007 Cricket World Cup]] is won by [[Australian national cricket team|Australia]].
* [[2007 ICC World Twenty20|2007 Twenty20 World Cup]] is won by [[Indian national cricket team|India]].
* [[2009 ICC World Twenty20|2009 Twenty20 World Cup]] is won by [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]].
* [[2010 ICC World Twenty20|2010 Twenty20 World Cup]] is won by [[England cricket team|England]].
* [[2011 Cricket World Cup]] is won by [[Indian national cricket team|India]].
* [[2015 Cricket World Cup]] – will be hosted by both [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].
* [[2019 Cricket World Cup]] – will be hosted by both [[England]] and [[Wales]].

'''Cycling'''
* [[2001 Tour de France]] – started in Dunkerque, France (winner United States [[Lance Armstrong]]).
* [[2002 Tour de France]] – started in Luxembourg (winner United States [[Lance Armstrong]]).
* [[2003 Tour de France]] – started in Paris, France (winner United States [[Lance Armstrong]]).
* [[2004 Tour de France]] – started in Liège, Belgium (winner United States [[Lance Armstrong]]).
* [[2005 Tour de France]] – started in Vendée, France (winner United States [[Lance Armstrong]]).
* [[2006 Tour de France]] – started in Strasbourg, France (winner Spain [[Oscar Pereiro]]).
* [[2007 Tour de France]] – started in London, United Kingdom (winner Spain [[Alberto Contador]]).
* [[2008 Tour de France]] – started in France Brest, France (winner Spain [[Carlos Sastre]]).
* [[2009 Tour de France]] – started in Monaco, Monaco (winner Spain [[Alberto Contador]]).
* [[2010 Tour de France]] – started in Rotterdam, Netherlands (winner Luxembourg [[Andy Schleck]] ).
* [[2011 Tour de France]] – started in Vendée, France (winner Australia [[Cadel Evans]]).
* [[2012 Tour de France]] – started in Liège, Belgium (winner United Kingdom [[Bradley Wiggins]]).

'''Rugby Union'''
* [[2003 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[Australia]] - is won by [[England national rugby union team|England]]
* [[2007 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[France]] - is won by [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]]
* [[2011 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[New Zealand]] - is won by [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]
* [[2015 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[England]].
* [[2019 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[Japan]].

'''Tennis''' <br> '''Men'''
* [[Roger Federer]] wins 17 [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] titles (4 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 7 Wimbledons, and 5 US Opens) to surpass [[Pete Sampras]]' record of 14.

* Both Roger Federer and [[Rafael Nadal]] completed a Career Grand Slam, winning the singles championships in the [[Australian Open]], [[French Open]], [[The Championships|Wimbledon]] and [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]; Nadal also won the Olympic Singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to complete a Golden Career Slam.

* At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut completed the [[Isner–Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships|longest tennis match in history]]. Isner won 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(3), 70–68.

* Rafael Nadal becomes the first male player to lose three consecutive Grand Slam finals, all to [[Novak Djokovic]], from the [[2011 Wimbledon Championships]] to the [[2012 Australian Open]] inclusive.

'''Women'''
* [[Serena Williams]] wins five Australian Opens (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010).

* In a major upset at the [[2004 Wimbledon Championships]], then-unknown 17-year-old [[Maria Sharapova]] defeated Serena Williams 6&ndash;1, 6&ndash;4 to become the second youngest player ever to win Wimbledon.

* Maria Sharapova became the first female Russian player to reach No.1 on [[August 22]], [[2005]].

* In her comeback to the sport after becoming a mother, [[Kim Clijsters]] wins three Grand Slams - two US Opens (2009 and 2010) and the [[2011 Australian Open]]. She had previously won the [[2005 US Open (tennis)|2005 U.S. Open]].

* China's [[Li Na (tennis)|Li Na]] won the [[2011 French Open]], becoming the first player, male or female, from that country to win a Grand Slam.

* Belarusian [[Victoria Azarenka]] won the [[2012 Australian Open]], becoming the first player, male or female, from that country to win a Grand Slam, and also hold the No.1 ranking (taking over from [[Caroline Wozniacki]]).

'''Motorsport'''
* Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt) passes away after a last-lap crash during the Daytona 500 in February 2001.

* [[Lewis Hamilton]] becomes the first black Formula One champion in history

* [[Mark Webber]] became the first Australian since Alan Jones in 1980 to win a Formula One race at the [[2009 German Grand Prix]].

* [[Sebastian Vettel]] breaks numerous records on his way to becoming Formula One's youngest ever champion, in 2010 at age 23.

* [[Michael Schumacher]] announces his comeback to [[Formula One]] after three years out of the sport, in 2010. He has not won a Formula One race since the [[2006 Chinese Grand Prix]].

* [[Casey Stoner]] wins two [[MotoGP]] world titles (2007 and 2011) before announcing his shock retirement from the sport at just 26 years of age, citing family issues. His retirement is effective at the end of the 2012 MotoGP season. Stoner has won every MotoGP-branded race.

'''Golf'''
* The [[2002 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 15 and a half to USA's 12 and a half.
* The [[2004 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 18 and a half to USA's 9 and a half.
* The [[2006 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe again 18 and a half to USA's 9 and a half.
* The [[2008 Ryder Cup]] and last this decade was won by USA 16 and a half to Europe's 11 and a half.
* The [[2010 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 14 and a half to USA's 13 and a half.
* The [[2012 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 14 and a half to USA's 13 and a half.

'''Wheelchair DanceSport'''
*[[Wheelchair DanceSport]] is continuing to increases in importance worldwide and is now recognized as an official international paralympic sport.<ref>[http://www.mobility-advisor.com/wheelchair-dancing.html Wheelchair Dancesport] Retrieved December 17, 2011</ref>
*Periodically are organized regional competitions, World championships (for example 2010 in Hannover) and European championships.

=== Domestic ===

'''Association Football'''

* [[2005 FIFA Club World Cup]] is won by [[São Paulo FC]].
* [[2006 FIFA Club World Cup]] is won by [[Sport Club Internacional|SC Internacional]].
* [[2007 FIFA Club World Cup]] is won by [[AC Milan]].
* [[2008 FIFA Club World Cup]] is won by [[Manchester United]].
* [[2009 FIFA Club World Cup]] is won by [[F.C. Barcelona|Barcelona]].
* [[2010 FIFA Club World Cup]] is won by [[Inter Milan]].
* [[2011 FIFA Club World Cup]] is won by [[F.C. Barcelona|Barcelona]].

'''AFL (Australian Rules Football)'''

* [[2001 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; [[Brisbane Lions]] def. {{AFL Ess}}
* [[2002 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; Brisbane Lions def. {{AFL Col}}
* [[2003 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; Brisbane Lions def. Collingwood
* [[2004 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]] def. Brisbane Lions
* [[2005 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; [[Sydney Swans]] def. [[West Coast Eagles]]
* [[2006 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; West Coast Eagles def. Sydney Swans
* [[2007 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; {{AFL Gee}} def. Port Adelaide
* [[2008 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; {{AFL Haw}} def. Geelong
* [[2009 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; Geelong def. [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]]
* [[2010 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; Collingwood def. St. Kilda
* [[2011 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; Geelong def. Collingwood
* [[2012 AFL Grand Final]] &ndash; Sydney Swans def. Hawthorn

'''Basketball'''

* [[2001 NBA Finals]] – Los Angeles Lakers defeated the [[Philadelphia 76ers]].
* [[2002 NBA Finals]] – Los Angeles Lakers defeated the [[New Jersey Nets]].
* [[2003 NBA Finals]] – [[San Antonio Spurs]] defeated the New Jersey Nets.
* [[2004 NBA Finals]] – [[Detroit Pistons]] defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
* [[2005 NBA Finals]] – San Antonio Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons.
* [[2006 NBA Finals]] – [[Miami Heat]] defeated the [[Dallas Mavericks]].
* [[2007 NBA Finals]] – San Antonio Spurs defeated the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]].
* [[2008 NBA Finals]] – [[Boston Celtics]] defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
* [[2009 NBA Finals]] – Los Angeles Lakers defeated the [[Orlando Magic]].
* [[2010 NBA Finals]] – Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics.
* [[2011 NBA Finals]] – [[Dallas Mavericks]] defeated the [[Miami Heat]].
* [[2012 NBA Finals]] - Miami Heat defeat the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]].

'''Major League Baseball'''
* [[2001 World Series]] – [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] def. New York Yankees.
* [[2002 World Series]] – [[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim|Anaheim Angels]] def. [[San Francisco Giants]].
* [[2003 World Series]] – [[Florida Marlins]] def. New York Yankees.
* [[2004 World Series]] – [[Boston Red Sox]] def. [[St. Louis Cardinals]].
* [[2005 World Series]] – [[Chicago White Sox]] def. [[Houston Astros]].
* [[2006 World Series]] – St. Louis Cardinals def. [[Detroit Tigers]].
* [[2007 World Series]] – Boston Red Sox def. [[Colorado Rockies]].
* [[2008 World Series]] – [[Philadelphia Phillies]] def. [[Tampa Bay Rays]].
* [[2009 World Series]] – New York Yankees def. Philadelphia Phillies.
* [[2010 World Series]] – San Francisco Giants def. [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]].
* [[2011 World Series]] - St. Louis Cardinals def. [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]].

'''National Rugby League'''
* [[2001 NRL season]] &ndash; [[Newcastle Knights]] 30 def. [[Parramatta Eels]] 24
* [[2002 NRL season]] &ndash; [[Sydney Roosters]] 30 def. [[New Zealand Warriors]] 8
* [[2003 NRL season]] &ndash; [[Penrith Panthers]] 18 def. Sydney Roosters 6
* [[2004 NRL season]] &ndash; [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs]] 16 def. Sydney Roosters 13
* [[2005 NRL season]] &ndash; [[Wests Tigers]] 30 def. [[North Queensland Cowboys]] 16
* [[2006 NRL season]] &ndash; Brisbane Broncos 15 def. [[Melbourne Storm]] 8
* [[2007 NRL season]] &ndash; Melbourne Storm* 34 def. [[Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles]] 8
* [[2008 NRL season]] &ndash; Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40 def. [[Melbourne Storm]] 0
* [[2009 NRL season]] &ndash; Melbourne Storm* 23 def. Parramatta Eels 16
* [[2010 NRL season]] &ndash; [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]] 32 def. Sydney Roosters 8
* [[2011 NRL season]] &ndash; [[Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles]] 24 def. New Zealand Warriors 10
* [[2012 NRL season]] &ndash; Melbourne Storm 14 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 4
** In 2002, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs were stripped of 37 competition points and fined $500,000 for [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs salary cap breach|breaching the salary cap]].
** In 2010, the Melbourne Storm were stripped of their 2007 & 2009 premierships and other titles won between 2006–2010 for [[Melbourne Storm salary cap breach|breaching the salary cap]].

'''American Football'''
* [[Super Bowl XXXV|2001 Super Bowl XXXV]] – [[Baltimore Ravens]] defeated the [[New York Giants]].
* [[Super Bowl XXXVI|2002 Super Bowl XXXVI]] – [[New England Patriots]] defeated the St Louis Rams.
* [[Super Bowl XXXVII|2003 Super Bowl XXXVII]] – [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] defeated the [[Oakland Raiders]].
* [[Super Bowl XXXVIII|2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII]] – New England Patriots defeated the [[Carolina Panthers]].
* [[Super Bowl XXXIX|2005 Super Bowl XXXIX]] – New England Patriots defeated the [[Philadelphia Eagles]].
* [[Super Bowl XL|2006 Super Bowl XL]] – [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] defeated the [[Seattle Seahawks]].
* [[Super Bowl XLI|2007 Super Bowl XLI]] – [[Indianapolis Colts]] defeated the [[Chicago Bears]].
* [[Super Bowl XLII|2008 Super Bowl XLII]] – [[New York Giants]] defeated the New England Patriots.
* [[Super Bowl XLIII|2009 Super Bowl XLIII]] – Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the [[Arizona Cardinals]].
* [[Super Bowl XLIV|2010 Super Bowl XLIV]] – [[New Orleans Saints]] defeated the Indianapolis Colts.
* [[Super Bowl XLV|2011 Super Bowl XLV]] – [[Green Bay Packers]] defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.
* [[Super Bowl XLVI|2012 Super Bowl XLVI]] - New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots.

'''National Hockey League'''
* [[2001 Stanley Cup Finals|2001 Stanley Cup]] – [[Colorado Avalanche]] defeated the [[New Jersey Devils]].
* [[2002 Stanley Cup Finals|2002 Stanley Cup]] – [[Detroit Red Wings]] defeated the [[Carolina Hurricanes]].
* [[2003 Stanley Cup Finals|2003 Stanley Cup]] – [[New Jersey Devils]] defeated the [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]].
* [[2004 Stanley Cup Finals|2004 Stanley Cup]] – [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] defeated the [[Calgary Flames]].
* 2005 Stanley Cup – Season cancelled due to [[2004–05 NHL lockout|labour dispute]].
* [[2006 Stanley Cup Finals|2006 Stanley Cup]] – [[Carolina Hurricanes]] defeated the [[Edmonton Oilers]].
* [[2007 Stanley Cup Finals|2007 Stanley Cup]] – [[Anaheim Ducks]] defeated the [[Ottawa Senators]].
* [[2008 Stanley Cup Finals|2008 Stanley Cup]] – [[Detroit Red Wings]] defeated the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].
* [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals|2009 Stanley Cup]] – [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] defeated the [[Detroit Red Wings]].
* [[2010 Stanley Cup Finals|2010 Stanley Cup]] – [[Chicago Blackhawks]] defeated the [[Philadelphia Flyers]].
* [[2011 Stanley Cup Finals|2011 Stanley Cup]] – [[Boston Bruins]] defeated the [[Vancouver Canucks]].
* [[2012 Stanley Cup Finals|2012 Stanley Cup]] – [[Los Angeles Kings]] defeated the [[New Jersey Devils]].

==Economics and industry==
* The [[Late-2000s financial crisis]] continues to affect the economy worldwide .
* The [[European sovereign-debt crisis]] sends Europe's economy into decline, having a major effect on [[European Union|European politics]].
* [[Developing countries]] make up for 97% of the world's growth, and [[industrialization]] leads to the rapid rise of [[BRIC]] economies, producing less of an [[American Century|American-lead]] [[hegemony]] in the world economy.
* Many American auto brands have been phased out such as [[Plymouth (automobile)|Plymouth]] by [[Chrysler]] in 2001 and [[Oldsmobile]] by [[General Motors]] in 2004, [[Pontiac]] and [[Saturn Corporation|Saturn]] by General Motors in 2010 and [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] by [[Ford]] in 2010.

==Entertainment==
Entertainment during the 21st century had evolved from the same types of entertainment which emerged around the middle of the 20th century. Sports, films, music, TV series' and books remained popular into the early 21st century but new forms of entertainment including social networking & internet accessed videos became popular. The most popular mediums of entertainment in the first decade at least were via televisions, the internet, CDs, DVDs and paper. Digital information begins to complete its succession over analog information and storage techniques.
[[File:MarkZuckerberg.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mark Zuckerberg]] co-created Facebook in his [[Harvard University|Harvard]] dorm room.]]

=== Film ===
* 2003 – The first edition of [[Final Cut Pro]] is released of which series would soon become very popular in the [[film industry]].
* 2004 – ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' ties the record for most [[Academy Award]] wins for a single film (11).
* 2004 - ''[[Downfall (film)|Downfall]]'', a film depicting the final ten days of [[Adolf Hitler]]'s life, is released in Germany. The film would then become famous worldwide through [[Downfall (film)#Parodies|countless Internet parodies]].
* 2009 – Release of ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'', the world's highest grossing film.
* 2010s – Increasing use of 3D Camera Technology.
* 2010 – Release of the [[Toy Story 3|third installment]] of the [[Toy Story franchise]] becomes the world's highest grossing animated film, making over 1 billion dollars in the box-office.
* 2011 – Completion of the ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'' film series.

=== Music ===
*2012 - Return of boy bands and teen pop such as [[Justin Bieber]], [[One Direction]], and [[Carly Rae Jepsen]].
*2011 - Return of British Invasion such as [[Amy Winehouse]], [[Adele (singer)|Adele]], [[Florence + The Machine]] and [[Ellie Goulding]].
*2010s - Popularity of house, electro house, dance, hip house music [[David Guetta]], [[Jennifer Lopez]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Nicki Minaj]], [[Afrojack]].
*2010s - Popularity of outrageous outfits [[Lady Gaga]], [[Nicki Minaj]], [[Rihanna]], [[Katy Perry]].
*2010s - Popularity of [[Dubstep]] and various other Electronic Genres such as [[Skrillex]], [[Deadmau5]] and [[Knife Party]].
*2010s - Popularity of more conservative, alternative hip-hop such as [[Nicki Minaj]], [[Pitbull (entertainer)|Pitbull]].
* 2010s - Popularity of pop country music such as [[Taylor Swift]].
* 2009 - Death of [[Michael Jackson]]. .
* 2000s (decade) and 2010s - Moderate success of indie and alternative music such as [[Kings Of Leon]], [[The Script]], [[Coldplay]], [[Stereophonics]], [[The Killers]], [[The Temper Trap]], [[The Strokes]], [[Florence + The Machine]] and [[The Sunshine Underground]]
* 2000s (decade) and 2010s - Popularity of [[Lady Gaga]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}, [[Katy Perry]] and [[Ke$ha]].
* 2000s (decade) - Popularity of reality star music such as [[Daughtry (band)|Daughtry]], [[Carrie Underwood]], [[Susan Boyle]], [[Adam Lambert]], [[One Direction]]
* [[2000s in the music industry|2000s (decade)]] – The early 21st century has had a profound impact on the condition of music distribution. Recent advents in digital computing & storage technology have fundamentally altered industry and marketing practices as well as players in heretofore unusual rapidity.
* 2000s (decade) - Popularity of [[Jennifer Lopez]], [[Beyoncé]], [[Britney Spears]] and [[Eminem]].
* 2000s (decade) - Rising popularity in underground genres of music such as [[Death Metal]] and [[Black Metal]], some fusion genres emerging as a specific fusion such as [[Blackened Death Metal]].
* 1990s and 2000s (decade) - Popularity of "emo music" such as [[The Used]] and [[Hawthorne Heights]].
* 1990s and 2000s (decade) - Increasing use of [[Autotune]] technology.
* 1990s and 2000s (decade) - Popularity of hip-hop music such as [[Jay-Z]], [[Eminem]], [[2Pac]], [[Dr. Dre]], [[50 Cent]], [[Nelly]], [[Kanye West]] & [[Snoop Dogg]].
* 1980s, 1990s, 2000s (decade) and 2010s - Popularity of [[Madonna (entertainer)]]

=== Social networking ===
* 2010s – MySpace fades but Facebook & YouTube remain popular and new sites such as [[Twitter]] and [[Google+]] emerge. Facebook replaces Digg as the most popular media sharing site.
* 2000s (decade) – [[MySpace]], [[Facebook]] and [[YouTube]] emerge in the 2000s (decade), with the very first social networks in the 1990s.

==Issues and concerns==
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2008}}
''There are several points-of-view pertaining to the following items, all of which should be considered accordingly.''

Issues that have been frequently discussed and debated so far in this century include:
* '''[[Globalization]].''' Advances in [[telecommunications]] and [[transportation]], the expansion of [[capitalism]] and [[democratization|democracy]], and [[free trade]] agreements have resulted in unprecedented global economic and cultural integration. This has caused (and is continuing to cause) economic and cultural shifts which have been the subject of considerable controversy.[[File:Dhaka street crowds.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]] in 2006. Almost 97% of future population growth will occur in developing countries.<ref>"[http://articles.cnn.com/2009-08-12/tech/world.population_1_fertility-rates-world-population-data-sheet-population-reference-bureau?_s=PM:TECH World population projected to reach 7 billion in 2011]". CNN. August 12, 2009.</ref>]]
* '''[[Overpopulation]].''' The [[United Nations]] [http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/24/un.population/ estimates] that [[world population]] will reach 9.2 billion by mid-century. Such growth raises questions of ecological [[sustainability]] and creates many [[economic]] and [[political]] disruptions. In response, many countries have adopted policies which either force or encourage their citizens to have fewer children, and others have limited [[immigration]]. Considerable debate exists over what the ultimate carrying capacity of the planet may be; whether or not population growth containment policies are necessary; to what degree growth can safely occur thanks to increased economic and [[ecological efficiency]]; and how distribution mechanisms should accommodate demographic shifts. Evidence suggests that developed countries (such as Japan) suffer population ''[[Population decline|implosion]],'' and the population debate is strongly tied with discussions about the [[distribution of wealth]].
* ''' [[Abortion]].''' Debates between "[[Pro-choice]]" and "[[Pro-life]]" factions on the controversial procedure continue. The approximate number of induced abortions performed worldwide in 2003 was 42 million.<ref name="Worldwide">{{cite journal |first=Gilda |last=Sedgh |coauthors=Stanley Henshaw, Susheela Singh, Elisabeth Åhman and Iqbal H. Shah |year=2007 |month=October |title=Induced abortion: estimated rates and trends worldwide |journal=[[The Lancet]] |volume=370 |issue=9595 |pages=1338–1345 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61575-X |pmid=17933648 |url=http://media.mcclatchydc.com/smedia/2007/10/17/13/Chang-Guttmacher_Institute_abortion_report.source.prod_affiliate.91.pdf |format=PDF|accessdate=December 2, 2008| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081217154518/http://media.mcclatchydc.com/smedia/2007/10/17/13/Chang-Guttmacher_Institute_abortion_report.source.prod_affiliate.91.pdf| archivedate= December 17, 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>
* '''[[LGBT rights by country or territory|Gay rights]]''' are a major political issue in many places, with [[same sex marriage]] being legalized in several jurisdictions during the first decade of the century, but outlawed by constitutional amendment in other places. Meanwhile, some countries such as [[Uganda]] moved to toughen their laws against any sort of [[homosexuality|homosexual]] behavior. Political battles over pro- or anti-gay legislation provoked much activism in the streets and on the Internet.
* '''[[Poverty]].''' Poverty remains the root cause of many of the world's other ills, including [[famine]], [[disease]], and insufficient [[education]]. Poverty contains many self-reinforcing elements (for instance, poverty can make education an unaffordable luxury, which tends to result in continuing poverty) that various aid groups hope to rectify in this century. [[Microcredit]] lending has also started to gain a profile as a useful anti-poverty tool.
* '''[[Disease]].''' [[AIDS]], [[tuberculosis]] and [[malaria]] each kill over a million people annually. [[HIV]] remains without a cure or vaccine, and is growing rapidly in India and much of the African continent. [[Antibiotic resistance]] is a growing concern for organisms such as [[tuberculosis]]. Other diseases, such as [[SARS]], [[ebola]], and [[flu]] variations, are also causes for concern. The [[World Health Organization]] has [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3524824.stm warned] of a possible coming flu [[pandemic]] resulting from [[Avian influenza|bird flu]] [[mutation]]s. In 2009, there was an outbreak of [[2009 flu pandemic|swine flu]] whose country of origin is still unknown.
* '''[[War]] and [[terrorism]].''' [[Ongoing wars|Active conflicts]] continue around the world, including civil wars in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] (the largest war since [[World War II]]), [[Chechnya]], [[Côte d'Ivoire]], [[Somalia]], [[Senegal]], [[Colombia]], [[Sudan]] (mainly in [[Darfur]]), and [[Libya]]. The [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11 terrorist attacks]] triggered invasions of [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]] and partially and controversially [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Iraq]]. The [[War on Terrorism]] has seen controversies over [[civil liberties]], accusations of [[torture]], continued terrorist attacks and ongoing instability, violence, and military occupation. Violence continues in the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]]. Considerable concern remains about [[nuclear proliferation]], especially in [[Iran]] and [[North Korea]], and the availability of [[weapons of mass destruction]] to rogue groups.
* '''[[Global warming]].''' Climate scientists have postulated that the earth is undergoing significant [[human impact on the environment|anthropogenic]] (human-induced) [[global warming]].<ref>http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5702/1686</ref> The resulting economic and ecological costs are hard to predict. Some scientists argue that human-induced global warming risks considerable losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services unless considerable sociopolitical changes are introduced, particularly in patterns of mass consumption and transportation.
* '''[[Power in international relations]].''' Issues surrounding the cultural, economic, and military dominance of the United States and its role in the world community have become even more pointed given its recent military activities, problematic relations with the [[United Nations]], disagreement over several international treaties, and its economic policies with regard to globalization. Integration of the [[European Union]] and the [[African Union]] have proceeded.
* '''[[Intellectual property]].''' The increasing popularity of digital formats for entertainment media such as movies and music, and the ease of copying and distributing it via the [[Internet]] and [[peer-to-peer]] networks, has raised concerns in the media industry about [[copyright infringement]]. Much debate is proceeding about the proper bounds between protection of [[copyright]], [[trademark]] and [[patent]] rights versus [[fair use]] and the [[public domain]], where some argue that such laws have shifted greatly towards intellectual property owners and away from the interests of the general public in recent years, while others say that such legal change is needed to deal with a perceived threat of new technologies against the rights of authors and artists (or, as others put it, against the outmoded business models of the current entertainment industry). [[Domain name]] "cybersquatting" and access to patented drugs and generics to combat epidemics in third-world countries are other IP concerns.[[File:GlobalPeakOilForecast.jpg|thumb|Global [[Peak Oil]] forecast. Virtually all economic sectors rely heavily on petroleum.]]
* '''[[Technology]]''' developments show no sign of slowing. [[Cybernetics|Communications and control]] technology continues to augment the intelligence of individual humans, collections of humans, and machines. Cultures are forced into the position of sharply defining humanity and determining boundaries on desire, thought, communication, behavior, and manufacturing. Some, notably [[Ray Kurzweil]], have predicted that by the middle of the century there will be a [[Technological Singularity]] if [[artificial intelligence]] that outsmart humans is created.
* '''[[Fossil fuel]]s''' are becoming scarce and more expensive, due to the escalating [[demand (economics)|demand]] for [[petroleum]] ("oil") and oil-based products such as [[gasoline]] and [[kerosene]], unmatched by production. Discovery of new [[oil field]]s has not been sufficient to sustain current levels of production, and some fear that the earth may be running out of economically viable oil, pressing for alternatives. As [[Biofuel|Agrofuel]], one possible alternative, yields further hazards for the environment and endangers food security, debate is far from over. [[Electric car]]s such as the [[Nissan Leaf]] have been built to address the problem of [[peak oil]].
* '''[[NATO–Russia relations]]''' seem to remain strained as the "Western Alliance" and NATO square off with Russia and other nations over international policy and the future of the ex-Soviet sphere. An Eastern Europe Missile Defense Shield, military and social conflicts in former Yugoslavia and the Caucasus (particularly Georgia and Chechnya), fossil fuel infrastructures like the [[Nabucco pipeline]] and the future of nuclear arsenals are among the topics that have strained the relations between the two sides with eerie reminders reminiscent of the Cold War.
*'''[[Water crisis]].''' As the human population increases, so has the demand for water. [[Desalination]] has been used more and more to address this issue.
The [[United Nations]] lists global issues on its [http://www.un.org/issues/ agenda] and lists a set of [http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ Millennium Development Goals] ([[Millennium Development Goals|MDG]]s) to attempt to address some of these issues.

==Astronomical events (passed or to come) in the 21st century==

===List of the long central solar eclipses===
* [[Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009]], total of 6 min 38.8 s, [[saros cycle|saros]] 136. The longest of the century.
* [[Solar eclipse of January 15, 2010]], annular of 11 min 08 s, du [[saros]] 141. The longest of the century, and also of the entire millennium.
* [[Solar eclipse of August 2, 2027]], total of 6 min 23 s, saros 136.
* [[Solar eclipse of January 26, 2028]], annular of 10 min 27 s, [[saros]] 141.
* [[Solar eclipse of August 12, 2045]], total of 6 min 06 s, saros 136.
* [[Solar eclipse of February 5, 2046]], annular of 9 min 42 s, [[saros]] 141.
* [[Solar eclipse of August 24, 2063]], of 5 min 49 s, saros 136.
* [[Solar eclipse of February 17, 2064]], annular of 8 min 56 s, [[saros]] 141.
* [[Solar eclipse of May 11, 2078]], total of 5 min 40 s, saros 139.
* [[Solar eclipse of November 4, 2078]], annular of 8 min 29 s, [[saros]] 144.
* [[Solar eclipse of May 22, 2096]], total of 6 min 07 s, saros 139.
* [[Solar eclipse of November 15, 2096]], annular of 8 min 53 s, [[saros]] 144.

===Other phenomena===
* December 23, 2007: [[Conjunction (astronomy and astrology)#2007|grand conjunction]], a galactic conjunction which happens every 26,000 years.
* 2009: [[Triple conjunction]] [[Jupiter]]–[[Neptune]].
* November 11, 2019: [[Transit of Mercury]].
* Friday, April 13, 2029: The [[asteroid]] [[99942 Apophis]] (previously better known by its [[provisional designation]] 2004 MN<sub>4</sub>) will pass within 30,000&nbsp;km (18,600&nbsp;mi) of the Earth.
* July 2061: Next return of [[Halley's Comet]].
* 2063: Triple conjunction Mars-Uranus.
* November 11, 2065: [[Transit of Mercury]].
* November 22, 2065: At 12:45 UTC, Venus will occult Jupiter. This event will be the first [[occultation]] of a planet by another since January 3, 1818. This event will be very difficult to observe, because the elongation of Venus and Jupiter from the Sun on that date will be only 7 degrees.
* 2066: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
* July 15, 2067: At 11:56 UTC, Mercury will occult Neptune. This rare event will be very difficult to observe, because of the constant low elongation of Mercury from the Sun, and the magnitude of Neptune always under the limit of visibility with the naked eye.
* Friday, November 10, 2084: [[Transit of Earth from Mars|Transit of Earth]] as seen from Mars, the first and the only one in this century.
* November 7, 2085: [[Transit of Mercury]].

== Fiction, theology and philosophy ==
'''Doomsday Scenarios'''

* [[2012 phenomenon|2012]] &ndash; Some people believe the world will undergo a great transformation on December 21, 2012. The exact nature of the transformation is not agreed on, but this Doomsday Prediction is the most-known doomsday theories so far, making the date highly anticipated and watched.<ref name="usa">{{cite news|author=G. Jeffrey MacDonald|url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm|title=Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?|work=USA Today|date=March 27, 2007|accessdate=October 14, 2009}}</ref> This originated with the idea of that date being the end of the Mayan calendar, although [[Terence McKenna]] reached this date independently from mayan prophecy.

* [[99942 Apophis|2036]] &ndash; An asteroid (Apophis) was initially believed to have a chance of impacting Earth in 2029. With further study, this possibility was ruled out; however, there is a chance that Apophis will pass close to the Earth, altering its path to impact the Earth in 2036. The chances of this occurring are estimated at 1 in 250,000.

'''Television and film'''
* [[WALL-E]] has mentioned the earth overcoming mass consumerism and toxicity levels rising in the 21st century. It takes place in the year 2805 ([[29th century]]).
* [[t.A.T.u.]] Video [[Beliy Plaschik]] Is set "Sometime in the 21st century"
* The new series of [[Doctor Who]] which began in 2005 depicts many fictional events that take place in the 21st century.
* The television series ''[[seaQuest DSV]]'' takes place between the years 2018 and 2032.
* In the sequel to ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', a joint American-Soviet space expedition is sent to Jupiter in ''[[2010 (film)|2010]]''.
* On the TV series [[Fringe (TV series)|Fringe]], Observers [[Letters of Transit|take over the planet]] in 2015.
* The [[Adult Swim]] series [[Sealab 2021]] takes place in the year 2021.
* The events of ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' continue into the early 21st century.
* ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'' is set in the early 21st century.
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': is set in the year 2005. The subsequent third season of the [[The Transformers (TV series)|Transformers series]] takes place after the events of the movie.
* The Japanese anime show ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]'' spans the years 1999 to 2012 (its final episode takes place in January 2012, and a direct to video epilogue featurette takes place in September 2012). Its prequel and sequels take place in 2008 (''[[Macross Zero]]''), 2040 (''[[Macross Plus]]''), 2045–2046 (''[[Macross 7]]'') and 2059 (''[[Macross Frontier]]''). A dramatized historical fiction movie about the First Space War, ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?]]'', premieres in 2031.
* The American cartoon show ''[[Robotech]]'', composed from the footage of three unrelated anime series (including ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross|Macross]]'', above) spans the years 1999 to 2015, 2030–2031 and 2044–2045.
* Part of the sequel ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'' is set on October 21, 2015.
* The Japanese anime series ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)|Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' is also set in 2015.
* The film ''[[Blade Runner]]'' takes place in November 2019.
* The [[cult television|cult]] series ''[[Dark Angel (TV series)|Dark Angel]]'' is set in 2019.
* The film ''[[Daybreakers]]'' is set in 2019
* The film ''[[The Running Man (film)|The Running Man]]'' starring [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] is set in 2019.
* Both parts of the ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' episode "[[Past Tense (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|Past Tense]]" take place in 2024.
* The dystopic sci-fi novel and film ''[[Metropolis (film)|Metropolis]]'' takes place in 2027.
* The film ''[[Children of Men]]'' is set in 2027.
* The [[anime]] universe of ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'', its sequel ''[[Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence]]'', and anime television series based on the same premise (''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'' and ''[[Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG]]''), are centered somewhere around 2029.
* ''[[The Terminator]]'' is set up during the early years of the 21st century in terms of the wars between humans & Skynet. Some of the intervening years are dealt with by the two sequels, ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' and ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'', with the whole [[Media franchise|franchise]] building to a conclusion of the War in 2029.
* The 2002 version of ''[[The Time Machine]]'' has scenes that take place in the 2030 and 2037 NYC.
* The [[Doctor Who]] story ''[[The Enemy of the World]]'' is set in Australia in 2030.
* The comedy series [[Time Trumpet]] is set in 2031, and "looks back on" the first 30 years of the 21st century.
* The anime OAV series ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]'' (2032–33), its sequel ''[[Bubblegum Crash]]'' (2034), and its TV-series re-imagining ''[[Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040]]'' (2040).
* ''[[Demolition Man (film)|Demolition Man]]'' is set in 2032.
* ''[[I, Robot]]'' was set in 2035.
* Deep space vessel [[Event Horizon (film)|''Event Horizon'']] was sent to test an artificial wormhole ([[black hole]]) in deep space in the year 2040. The lost ship is found 7 years later by a rescue team on board the ship ''Lewis and Clark'' on low orbit around the planet [[Neptune]].
* ''[[The Outward Urge]]'' has a major nuclear war in 2044 and the first manned landing on [[Mars]] in 2094.
* [[Bollywood]] movie [[Love Story 2050]] was partly set in 2050.
* ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'' was set in April 2054.
* World War III ends in 2053 according to ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'', with 600,000,000 dead and most major cities destroyed.
* The 1998 remake of ''[[Lost in Space]]'' was set in 2058.
* Most of ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'' takes place in 2063. In Star Trek canon, the human [[Zefram Cochrane]] develops faster-than-light travel and makes first contact with [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|an alien race]] during this year.
* ''[[Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within]]'' is set in 2065.
* The [[Doctor Who]] story ''[[The Moonbase]]'' is set in 2070.
* The Japanese anime show ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' is set in 2071.
* The Nicktoon ''[[My Life as a Teenage Robot]]'' is set in 2072.
* ''[[Equilibrium (film)|Equilibrium]]'' is set in 2072.
* The [[Doctor Who]] story ''[[Day of the Daleks]]'' is set in 2073, albeit in an alternative [[Alternate history (fiction)|timeline]].
* The film ''[[Total Recall]]'', and the [[Doctor Who]] story ''[[Warriors of the Deep]]'' are set in 2084.
* In ''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]'', it is discovered that the [[Ba'ku]] moved to the [[Briar Patch (Star Trek)|Briar Patch]] at some point in this century.
* ''[[The Jetsons]]'' is supposed to take place in the late 21st century.
* ''[[Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (film)|Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century]]'' and its sequels takes place in the years 2049–2054.
* The final episode of ''[[The X-Files]]'' sets [[2012 doomsday prediction|December 22, 2012]] as the date for alien colonization.
* The CGI animated series ''[[Cubix: Robots for Everyone]]'' takes place in 2040.
* The [[Doctor Who]] story ''[[The Seeds of Death]]'' is set in 2090.
* The 1985 film ''[[Enemy Mine (film)|Enemy Mine]]'' begins in 2092 and ends in 2095.
* The [[Doctor Who]] story ''[[Nightmare of Eden]]'' is set in 2096.
* The events of ''[[Leprechaun 4: In Space]]'' takes place in 2096.
* The 2008 [[Disney Channel]] movie ''[[Minutemen (film)|Minutemen]]'' is based between the dates September 3, 2005 and September 8, 2008.
* The tagline of [[Torchwood]] series one is: "The 21st century is when everything changes. And we have to be ready." In series two, the second sentence changes to: "And Torchwood is ready."
* The 2008 film ''[[Repo! The Genetic Opera]]'' is set in the year 2056. Plastic surgery and a fictional pain-killing drug known as Zydrate are commonplace as fashion statements and addictions. Additionally, The painkiller Zydrate is called the "21st Century Cure" in the film.
* ''The events of the Sci-Fi anime [[Planetes]] is set in the year 2075.
* The 2009 disaster film [[2012 (film)|2012]] takes place in the year 2012. It is based on an end of the world event on [[2012 phenomenon|December 21, 2012]].
* The epilogue of ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' is set on September 1, 2017.
* The Japanese anime ''[[Copihan]] is set in the year 2034.

'''Computer and video games'''
* The events of [[Metal Gear Solid]] take place in 2005, [[Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty]] takes places in the years 2007 (Tanker Chapter) and 2009 (Big Shell Chapter), and the events of [[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]] take place in 2014.
* ''[[Duke Nukem 3D]]'' is set in the early 21st century and contains evidence (such as calendars) that suggest it is more specifically set in October or December 2007
* ''[[Uplink (video game)|Uplink]]'' is set on the internet of the year 2010.
* ''[[Perfect Dark Zero]]'' is set in 2020 and ''[[Perfect Dark]]'' is set in 2023.
* The races in ''[[San Francisco Rush 2049]]'' take place in 2049.
* The events of ''[[Deus Ex: Human Revolution]]'' take place in 2027.
* The events of ''[[Deus Ex]]'' take place in 2052.
* The events of ''[[Deus Ex: Invisible War]]'' take place in 2072.
* The levels "Breaking and Entering" and "You Genius, U-Genix" in ''[[TimeSplitters: Future Perfect]]'' take place in 2052.
* ''[[System Shock]]'' is set in 2072.
* ''[[Prometheus (film)|Prometheus]]'' is set in 2089 and in 2093.
* ''[[Future Cop: LAPD]]'' takes place in the year 2098.
* The discovery of the Zohar in ''[[Xenosaga]]'' takes place in 20XX.
* The Great War of the ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' universe starts on October 23, 2077; [[nuclear bombs]] are launched, nobody knows who the aggressor was.
* The events of ''[[Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne]]'' occur in 20XX.
* In ''[[Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction]]'', the 2nd Korean War starts early in this century.
* ''[[Mercenaries 2: World in Flames]]'', takes place sometime around between 2008 and 2010.
* The [[Mega Man Classic]] series takes place sometime in the 21st century, represented as 20XX.
* The ''[[Mega Man Battle Network (series)|MegaMan Battle Network]]'' series takes place in 20XX.
* The arcade game ''[[Robotron: 2084]]'' takes place in the year 2084.
* ''[[One Must Fall|One Must Fall: 2097]]'' takes place in 2097.
* The ''[[Mr. Driller]]'' series (and ''[[Dig Dug: Digging Strike]]'', a game in its related timeline) takes place in 20XX.
* The events of ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'' takes place around 2000–2009.
* The events of ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' and its [[expansion pack]]s takes place around the early 2020s.
* The video game and cartoon [[20X6]] of [[Homestar Runner]] supposedly takes place in the seventh year of an unspecified decade in the 21st century.
* The [[nuclear holocaust]] of the ''[[AquaNox]]'' universe takes place in mid-21st century, followed by the massive exodus of survivors underwater.
* ''[[Trauma Center: Under the Knife]]'' and ''[[Trauma Center: Second Opinion]]'' take place in 2018, when AIDS and cancer supposedly have cures.
* The events of ''[[Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]]'' takes place in this time; specifically 2035. The sequel, ''[[Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow]]'' takes place one year later, in 2036. These are the only two [[Castlevania]] titles to have taken place beyond the early-to-mid-20th century thus far.
* The events of ''[[Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Drift]]'' and ''[[Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Drift 2]]'' take place during 20XX, when Japanese highways have supposedly been opened as racing circuits.
* The events of ''[[Namco × Capcom]]'' takes place during 20XX.
* In the [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian series]], the 2nd Tiberium War between the [[Global Defense Initiative]] and the [[Brotherhood of Nod]] begins in 2030. The 3rd Tiberium War takes place 17 years later in 2047, which also sees the arrival of the [[Scrin]] to Earth. By 2062, GDI & Nod are forced to ally to construct a Tiberium control network as without it Earth will be uninhabitable by the end of the decade. The 4th Tiberium War erupts in 2077 between extremist elements on both sides. The conflict ends with Kane & Nod having disappeared, leaving GDI to fully activate the now completed control network.
* ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2'' (GRAW 2) takes place in 2014
* The events of ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' take place in the fall of 2008.
* The fictional story line of ''[[Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2]]'', takes place in 2016.
* The events that are set in the 'present' of both ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Creed 2]]'' take place in the year 2012. The plot of both games builds toward a worldwide catastrophe prophesied to occur on December 21, 2012. See ''[[2012 phenomenon]]''
*The Start of [[Ace Attorney]]: Phoenix Wright take place on August 3, 2016

'''Internet'''
* Stinkoman 20X6, of [[Homestar Runner]] fame, takes place in the seventh year of an unspecified decade in the 21st century.

'''Novels'''
* [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', ''[[2010: Odyssey Two]]'' and ''[[2061: Odyssey Three]]''.
* [[Tad Williams]]' ''[[Otherland]]'' series is set at some undefined point in the 21st century
* [[Neal Stephenson]]'s ''[[The Diamond Age]]'' is also set in the 21st century, after some disaster befell the centralized telephone network. This led people to build a decentralized network, which they used to transfer money, thus destroying normal methods of taxation and bringing down most large governments.
* ''Red Mars'' of [[Kim Stanley Robinson]]'s [[Mars trilogy]] begins in 2027.
* Some books by [[Arkady and Boris Strugatsky]] are set in 21st century
* ''[[The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]] takes place in 2075.
* ''[[Turnabout (novel)|Turnabout]]'' by [[Margaret Peterson Haddix]], is set in 2005–06, 2057, and mainly 2085.

'''CD Albums'''
* In the timeline for [[Arjen Anthony Lucassen]]'s [[Ayreon]], specifically the album [[01011001]], the human race destroys itself in a violent war in 2084. The alien Forever race returns home one year later, in 2085, after which the last human being goes on a journey detailed in the album [[The Dream Sequencer]].

'''Comics'''
* In the first [[Legion of Super-Villains]] story [[Cosmic King]] clams to be from the 21st century. However as he is from Venus he may be using a different calendar.
* [[Arno Stark]] a villainous version of Iron Man is from the year 2020.

==Decades and years==
'''2000s'''

''Main Article'': [[2000s (decade)]]
* [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]] &ndash; Al-Qaeda terrorists hijack four aircraft in the US, and deliberately crash them; three of them reach their targets, two hit the World Trade Center in New York City, another the Pentagon, with one more missing its target, a total of 3,000 people die from the attacks.
* December 26, 2004 &ndash; the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]] killed up to 250,000 people.
* December, 2007 &ndash; the [[late-2000s recession]] begins, as the United States would see its biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression.
* June 11, 2009 &ndash; The [[2009 flu pandemic]] begins – it was declared a pandemic less than two months into the spread by the [[World Health Organization]]. However, only 18,000 people died{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}.

'''2010s'''

''Main Article'': [[2010s (decade)]]
* January 12, 2010 &ndash; the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]] killed more than 230,000 people.
* April 25–28, 2011 &ndash; the [[2011 Super Outbreak]] was the deadliest tornado outbreak to affect the [[United States of America]] when 336 confirmed tornadoes touched down across [[Southern United States|Southern]], [[Midwest]]ern and [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] United States, leaving more than 340 fatalities. Damages are near US$10 billion.
* May 2, 2011 &ndash; [[Osama bin Laden]], founder and leader of [[al-Qaeda]] was killed in [[Death of Osama bin Laden|an operated assassination]] in [[Abbottabad, Pakistan]], conducted by a team of [[United States Navy SEAL]] [[commando]]s.

'''2020s'''

'''2030s'''

'''2040s'''

'''2050s'''

'''2060s'''

'''2070s'''

'''2080s'''

'''2090s'''

{{Decades and years}}
{{Centuries}}

==References==
{{Refimprove|date=November 2006}}
{{Reflist|35em|refs=
<!-- Unsued citations
<ref name=usno>{{citation | author=Staff | title=The 21st Century and the 3rd Millennium: When Did They Begin? | work=Astronomical Information Center | publisher=U.S. Naval Observatory | url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/astronomical-information-center/millennium | accessdate=November 14, 2011 }}</ref>

<ref name=jvi34_1_1>{{citation | first1=Thomas | last1=Magnell | title=The Mistake of the Century and Moral Deliberation | journal=The Journal of Value Inquiry | volume=34 | issue=1 | pages=1–6 | doi=10.1023/A:1004752116203 }}</ref>

<ref name=nmm_millenium>{{citation | author=Staff | year=2011 | title=When and where did the new Millennium officially start, and why? | publisher=National Maritime Museum | url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/explore/astronomy-and-time/time-facts/faqs/new-millennium-where-when-why | accessdate=November 14, 2011 }}</ref>
-->
}}

==External links==
{{commons category|21st century}}
* [http://stateoftheworld.reuters.com Reuters – The State of the World] The story of the 21st century
* [http://www.longbets.org/ Long Bets] Foundation to promote long-term thinking
* [http://www.longnow.org/ Long Now] Long-term cultural institution
* [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=00031010-F7DA-1304-B72683414B7F0000 Scientific American Magazine (September 2005 Issue) The Climax of Humanity]
* [http://www.mapreport.com/century/index.html MapReport] 21st Century Event World Map

{{DEFAULTSORT:21st Century}}
[[Category:21st century| ]]
[[Category:3rd millennium]]
[[Category:Centuries]]
[[Category:Contemporary history]]

[[af:21ste eeu]]
[[als:21. Jahrhundert]]
[[am:21ኛው ምዕተ ዓመት]]
[[ar:ملحق:قرن 21]]
[[an:Sieglo XXI]]
[[ast:Sieglu XXI]]
[[az:XXI əsr]]
[[zh-min-nan:21 sè-kí]]
[[map-bms:Abad kaping-21]]
[[be:21 стагоддзе]]
[[be-x-old:21 стагодзьдзе]]
[[bg:21 век]]
[[bs:21. vijek]]
[[br:XXIvet kantved]]
[[ca:Segle XXI]]
[[cv:XXI ĕмĕр]]
[[cs:21. století]]
[[cy:21ain ganrif]]
[[da:21. århundrede]]
[[de:21. Jahrhundert]]
[[et:21. sajand]]
[[el:21ος αιώνας]]
[[es:Siglo XXI]]
[[eo:21-a jarcento]]
[[eu:XXI. mendea]]
[[fa:سده ۲۱ (میلادی)]]
[[hif:21st century]]
[[fo:21. øld]]
[[fr:XXIe siècle]]
[[fy:21e ieu]]
[[ga:21ú haois]]
[[gv:21oo eash]]
[[gag:21. yüzyıl]]
[[gd:21mh Linn]]
[[gl:Século XXI]]
[[gan:21世紀]]
[[ko:21세기]]
[[hy:21-րդ դար]]
[[hr:21. stoljeće]]
[[io:21ma yarcento]]
[[id:Abad ke-21]]
[[ia:Seculo 21]]
[[os:XXI æнус]]
[[is:21. öldin]]
[[it:XXI secolo]]
[[he:המאה ה-21]]
[[jv:Abad kaping 21]]
[[ka:XXI საუკუნე]]
[[kk:21 ғасыр]]
[[kw:21ns kansbledhen]]
[[sw:Karne ya 21]]
[[kv:XXI нэм]]
[[ku:Sedsala 21'an]]
[[la:Saeculum 21]]
[[lv:21. gadsimts]]
[[lb:21. Joerhonnert]]
[[lt:XXI amžius]]
[[lij:XXI secolo]]
[[li:Einentwintegste iew]]
[[jbo:20xyxymoi]]
[[lmo:Sécul XXI]]
[[hu:21. század]]
[[mk:21 век]]
[[ml:ഇരുപത്തൊന്നാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട്]]
[[mi:Rautau 21]]
[[mr:इ.स.चे २१ वे शतक]]
[[arz:القرن الواحد و عشرين]]
[[ms:Abad ke-21]]
[[nah:Mācuīlpōhualxihuitl XXI]]
[[nl:21e eeuw]]
[[nds-nl:21e eeuw]]
[[ja:21世紀]]
[[nap:XXI seculo]]
[[frr:21. juarhunert]]
[[no:21. århundre]]
[[nn:2000-talet]]
[[nrm:XXIe s.]]
[[nov:21esmi sekle]]
[[oc:Sègle XXI]]
[[mhr:XXI курым]]
[[uz:XXI asr]]
[[koi:XXI нэм]]
[[nds:21. Johrhunnert]]
[[pl:XXI wiek]]
[[pt:Século XXI]]
[[ro:Secolul al XXI-lea]]
[[qu:21 ñiqin pachakwata]]
[[ru:XXI век]]
[[sah:XXI үйэ]]
[[se:2000-lohku (jahkečuohti)]]
[[stq:21. Jierhunnert]]
[[nso:Ngwagakgolo 21]]
[[sq:Shekulli XXI]]
[[scn:Sèculu XXI]]
[[simple:21st century]]
[[sk:21. storočie]]
[[sl:21. stoletje]]
[[ckb:سەدەی ٢١ەم]]
[[sr:21. век]]
[[sh:21. vijek]]
[[su:Abad ka-21]]
[[fi:2000-luku]]
[[sv:2000-talet]]
[[ta:21ம் நூற்றாண்டு]]
[[kab:Lqern wis XXI]]
[[tt:XXI гасыр]]
[[th:คริสต์ศตวรรษที่ 21]]
[[tr:21. yüzyıl]]
[[tk:21-nji asyr]]
[[uk:21 століття]]
[[ur:2000صبم]]
[[vec:XXI secoło]]
[[vi:Thế kỷ 21]]
[[fiu-vro:21. aastagasada]]
[[wa:21inme sieke]]
[[war:Ika-21 nga gatostuig]]
[[yi:21סטער י"ה]]
[[yo:Ọ̀rúndún 21k]]
[[zh-yue:21世紀]]
[[diq:Seserra 21ine]]
[[zea:21e eêuw]]
[[bat-smg:XXI omžios]]
[[zh:21世纪]]

Revision as of 16:15, 24 October 2012

Civil unrest

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