2008
| Millennium: | 3rd millennium |
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2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar.
2008 has been designated as:
- International Year of Languages;[1]
- International Year of Planet Earth;[2]
- International Year of the Potato;[3]
- International Year of Sanitation;[4]
- European Year of Intercultural Dialogue;[5]
- Year of the Frog, as declared by the international conservation initiative Amphibian Ark.[6]
In Chinese astrology, most of 2008, starting with February 7 will overlap with the Year of the Rat (dates before February 7 are Year of the Pig). The next Year of the Rat will be in 2020.
Events
January
- January 1 - Smoking banned in all public places (including bars and restaurants) in Portugal, France and the state of Illinois in the United States.
- January 1 - Cyprus, Malta, and Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro.[7][8]
- January 1 - Slovenia takes over the presidency of European Union as the first of new member states.[9]
- January 1 - The Venezuelan bolívar, as a result of a government decree issued on March 7, 2007, is revalued at a ratio of 1 to 1000 and renamed the Bolívar fuerte (ISO 4217 code: VEF).
- January 2 - The price of petroleum hits US$100 per barrel for the first time.
- January 2 - Malaysian Health Minister Chua Soi Lek resigns after admitting to being filmed by CCTV cameras in a hotel room having sex with a female friend.
- January 3 - A car bomb detonates, killing at least 4 people and injuring 68, in Diyarbakır, Turkey. Police blame Kurdish rebels.
- January 4 - An unforecasted blizzard creates havoc across eastern Northern Ireland, with falls of 8 inches in one hour.
- January 4 - Though uncommon, light snow falls in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Querétaro following the previous fall in Veracruz near Xalapa, where the lowest temperatures since the 1950s have been measured 34°F, or 1°C.
- January 4 - The 30th Dakar Rally is cancelled due to international political tension and the murder of four French tourists on December 24, 2007.
- January 8 - An attempted assassination of Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is thwarted because a Boy Scout grabbed the attacker's knife. The Boy Scout was injured, but after a scuffle ensued police arrested the attacker.
- January 12 - The Kuomintang-led Pan-Blue Coalition wins the legislative elections in Taiwan with over 70% of the votes.
- January 12 - A Macedonian Army Mil Mi-17 helicopter crashes in thick fog southeast of Skopje, killing all 11 military personnel on board.[10]
- January 13 - Two Australians arrived in New Plymouth, New Zealand by kayak and became the first people in history to paddle from Australia to New Zealand.
- January 13 - Katsuaki Watanabe, President and CEO of Toyota, announced that they will deliver a significant fleet of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), powered by lithium-ion batteries, by 2010.
- January 14 - At 19:04:39 UTC, the MESSENGER space probe was at its closest approach during its first flyby of the planet Mercury.[11]
- January 15 - Federal Court of Australia orders a Japanese whaling company to stop research whaling within their Exclusive Economic Zone.
- January 16 - The South Korean Presidential Transition Team announces a plan to merge the Unification Ministry, which works toward unification with North Korea, with the Foreign Ministry, but does not follow through on the idea.[12]
- January 17 - British Airways Flight 38 Boeing 777 landed short of runway at London Heathrow Airport, damaged wings and engines, injured 19 among the 152 people on board.[13]
- January 20 - Presidential election in Serbia.
- January 20 - Legislative elections in Cuba.
- January 21 - Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. recession, fueled by the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis.
- January 21 - The first National Fetish Day is held in the United Kingdom, promoting the rights of the BDSM community.
- January 22 - Russia stages the largest naval exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union in the Bay of Biscay, amid deteriorating relations with the West. The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, along with 11 support vessels and 47 long-range bomber aircraft, practised strike tactics off the coast of France and Spain, and test-launched nuclear-capable missiles on foreign waters.
- January 22 - Ben Bernanke lowers the U.S. federal fund rate by .75 point to 3.50%. The discount rate was brought to 4%.
- January 23 - Polish Air Force CASA C-295 crashed during approach to the 12th Air Base near Mirosławiec. All 20 personnel on board died.
- January 23 - Thousands of Palestinians flee into Egypt, as the border wall with Gaza in Rafah is blown up by militants.
- January 24 - A peace deal ends the Kivu conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- January 24 - Peter Hain resigned as British Wales Secretary, British Work and Pensions Secretary after the Electoral Commission referred the failure to report donations to the Metropolitan Police. Prime Minister Gordon Brown called a quick cabinet reshuffle.
- January 24 - Iraqi Parliament adopts a new flag of Iraq, removing three stars associated with the Baath Party; a permanent design is expected within the next year.
- January 24 - Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi resigned his post, after he lost the vote of confidence in the Senate.
- January 25 - Building of the new Liverpool Arena completed.[14]
- January 25 - China's worst snowstorm since 1954 kills 133, delays traffic, and causes massive power outages in central and southern parts of the country.[15]
- January 26 - Global Call for Action to raise awareness and advance the movement for a more equal and just world as part of the World Social Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.[16]
- January 27 - Novak Đoković and Maria Sharapova won 2008 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia.
- January 29 - Iran's judiciary sentences to prison 54 Bahá'í religion followers for charity work.[17][18]
- January 30 - King Bhumibol Adulyadej formally swears in Samak Sundaravej as the new Prime Minister of Thailand.
- January 30 - The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare warns that traces of pesticides in Chinese dumplings and other products manufactured in Hebei Province, China have caused mass food poisoning.[19]
February
- February 1 - Microsoft offers $44.6 billion to buy Yahoo!.[20][21]
- February 2 - Rebels attacked the capital of Chad, N'Djamena.
- February 2 - French president Nicolas Sarkozy married Carla Bruni.[22]
- February 3 - Boris Tadić is re-elected in the second round of the Serbian presidential elections.
- February 3 - Parliamentary elections in Monaco.
- February 3 - The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII.
- February 4 - Iran opens its first space center and launches a rocket to space.[23]
- February 4 - A Palestinian suicide bomber kills one and wounds thirteen in a Dimona, Israel shopping center.[24]
- February 4 - LDS Church First Presidency reorganization announced. President Thomas S. Monson and his counselors, Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, were sustained by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles the previous day.
- February 5 - Super Tuesday, massive multi-state primary in U.S. presidential election, with primaries and caucuses in 24 states, is held.
- February 5 - U.S. stock market indices plunge more than 3% after a report showed signs of economic recession in the service-sector. The S&P 500 fell 3.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 370 points.
- February 5 - 6 - A tornado outbreak, the deadliest in 23 years, kills 58 in the Southern United States.
- February 7 - Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on mission STS-122 to deliver the European-built Columbus science laboratory to the International Space Station.
- February 7 - General election called for Belize's 31 House seats; a referendum to be held simultaneously to determine whether the upper house should be elected.
- February 9 - Camden Market area in London, United Kingdom is devastated by fire, causing evacuations in nearby houses and flats.
- February 10 - Wooden part of Namdaemun, a 600-year-old historic gate located in Seoul, South Korea, was arsoned.[25]
- February 10 - An oil platform in the North Sea is evacuated by helicopter and plane after an apparent security threat.[26]
- February 10 - Worldwide protests against alleged corruption in the Church of Scientology by the internet group 'Anonymous' as part of 'Project Chanology'.
- February 11 - Complete Smoking ban including nightclubs, pubs, and bars, takes in effect in Thailand.[27]
- February 11 - President of East Timor José Ramos-Horta is seriously wounded in an attack on his home by rebel soldiers. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed by Ramos-Horta's security guards during the attack.[28]
- February 12 - PDVSA, a state oil company in Venezuela, has suspended sales of crude oil to Exxon Mobil, in response to a legal challenge by them.[29]
- February 12 - Steven Spielberg announced that he would no longer act as artistic director for opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing because the Chinese government hasn't done enough to help end ethnic conflict in Darfur.[30]
- February 12 - Bridgestone, under investigation for an alleged price-fixing cartel, uncovered improper payments of at least 150 million yen to foreign governments and withdrew from the marine hose business.[31]
- February 13 - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia delivers a formal apology to the Stolen Generations.[32]
- February 13 - Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dissolved Malaysian parliament. General Election will follow on March 8.[33]
- February 14 - Steven Kazmierczak shoots dead five students and injures another 18 at Northern Illinois University.
- February 15 - Václav Klaus is re-elected as the President of the Czech Republic.
- February 16 - Making his first trip to Africa since 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush arrives in Benin, with stops in Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia coming in the days ahead.
- February 17 - Suicide bombing by Taliban member killed up to 80 in Kandahar, Afghanistan[34]
- February 17 - Kosovo formally declares independence from Serbia, despite opposition from Serbia, Russia, China, Spain, Romania, and other nations. However Albania, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, U.K., and U.S. express support after an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.[35]
- February 17 - Presidential election in Cyprus.
- February 18 - Athens is left paralysed after being hit by its worst snowstorms in more than 50 years.
- February 18 - The British government decided to introduce emergency legislation to temporarily nationalize Northern Rock, the fifth largest mortgage bank in UK, due to NR's financial crisis.[36]
- February 18 - General election is held in Pakistan, delayed from January 8 due to riots in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Opposition parties, including Bhutto's, take more than half of the seats, while President Pervez Musharraf's party suffers a huge defeat.[37]
- February 19 - Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, to be effective on February 24.
- February 19 - Toshiba announced its withdrawal from the HD DVD manufacturing business.[38]
- February 19 - Crude oil closes above $100 USD per barrel for the first time ever, settling at $100.01.
- February 19 - Presidential election in Armenia.
- February 20 - United States Navy destroyed a spy satellite containing toxic fuel by shooting it down with a missile launched from USS Lake Erie in the Pacific ocean.[39]
- February 20 - Total lunar eclipse - North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Western Asia.
- February 21 - Hundreds of thousands of Serbs take to the streets in Belgrade to protest against Kosovo's declaration of independence and the partial international recognition of it.
- February 21 - Official launch of International Year of Languages on International Mother Language Day at UNESCO.[40]
- February 22 – The Australian Parliament descends into chaos with opposition frontbenchers ejected, question time suspended and speakers unable to control the house. A cardboard cut-out of the Prime Minister is brought into the parliament by opposition members angry about sitting time on a Friday.[41]
- February 22 - No survivors are found after a rescue helicopter discovers the wreckage of Santa Barbara Flight 518 just northeast of Mérida, Venezuela. The commercial plane had 46 people on board, including crew.
- February 22 - Japanese businessman Kazuyoshi Miura is arrested in Saipan, a U.S. territory, on suspicion of the 1981 murder of his wife in Los Angeles.[42]
- February 23 - A B-2 Spirit crashed shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Both pilots ejected from the plane before it crashed.
- February 24 - Dimitris Christofias is elected President of Cyprus after the second round of voting in the country's presidential election.
- February 24 - Raúl Castro is unanimously elected as President of Cuba by the National Assembly.
- February 24 - The 80th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, are held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California[43], with No Country for Old Men winning Best Picture.[44]
- February 25 - Lee Myung-bak starts his five-year term as the 17th President of South Korea.
- February 26 - The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performs in North Korea.[45]
- February 27 - Earthquake hits Lincolnshire, United Kingdom registering a reading between 4.7 and 5.4 on the Richter Scale.
- February 27 - Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat Kastari escapes from a detention center in Singapore.[46]
- February 28 - Former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra is arrested on corruption charges upon returning to Thailand after months of exile.[47]
March
- March 1 - Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest ferris wheel, opens to the public.
- March 1 - In Gaza Strip at least 52 Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers are killed in the most intense Israeli air strikes since 2005.
- March 2 - 2008 Russian presidential election: Dmitry Medvedev is elected President of Russia with about 70% of the vote. He is scheduled to succeed Vladimir Putin in May.[48]
- March 2 - 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis: Venezuela and Ecuador move troops to the Colombian border following a Colombian raid against FARC guerrillas inside Ecuador's national territory in which senior commander Raúl Reyes was killed.
- March 3 - U.S.-based Sea Shepherd conservation group injures four Japanese whalers near Antarctica by throwing bottles of butyric acid at their vessel.[49]
- March 6 - No one is injured when a small bomb explodes at an unoccupied U.S. military recruiting station in Times Square, New York City.
- March 6 - Eight Israeli civilians are killed and nine wounded when a Palestinian attacker opens fire at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem.
- March 6 - The United States Department of Defense banned Google from taking street-level photographs of US Military installations.[50]
- March 8 - General election in Malaysia: First time since the 1969 elections that the Barisan Nasional coalition fails to win a two-thirds supermajority in the Dewan Rakyat.
- March 8 - General election in Malta.
- March 9 - Medical and higher education fees referendum in Hungary.
- March 9 - General election in Spain: The governing PSOE led by president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is re-elected with the most seats in the Congress of Deputies.
- March 9 - First European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle, a cargo spacecraft for the International Space Station, launches from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.
- March 13 - The cost of gold increased to $1000 per troy ounce.
- March 14 - Demonstrations by Tibetan separatists turn violent, with rioters targeting government and Han Chinese-owned buildings.
- March 14 - Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the new Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport. It will be available for public use from March 27.
- March 14 - Legislative election in Iran.
- March 15 - Second set of international protests against the Church of Scientology as part of Project Chanology.
- March 17 - In Adelaide, South Australia, a 15-day heatwave, a once-in-3,000-years occurrence, comes to an end.[51]
- March 19 - An exploding star halfway across the visible universe becomes the farthest known object ever visible to the naked eye.[52]
- March 20 - A permanent coalition government agreement is reached in Belgium, ending a nine-month stalemate, as Yves Leterme is sworn in as Prime Minister.
- March 22 - Republic of China presidential election is held in Taiwan.[53]
- March 24 - Bhutan holds its first-ever general elections.[54]
- March 25 - Yousaf Raza Gillani becomes the 27th Prime Minister of Pakistan.
- March 25 - A 160-square-mile (414 km2) chunk of Antarctica's Wilkins Ice Shelf disintegrates, leaving the entire Connecticut-sized shelf at risk.
- March 25 - African Union and Comoros forces invade the rebel-held island of Anjouan.
- March 29 - Presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe.[55]
- March 29 - An oil depot in Dagestan, Russia explodes.[56]
- March 29 - Earth Hour (8 - 9 PM local time) in locations worldwide.
- March 30 - A plane crashed into a row of houses in Farnborough, London, England, killing two pilots and three passengers.[57]
- March 30 - Smoking was officially banned in all public places (including bars and restaurants) in the Isle of Man.
- March 31 - Milan, Italy was selected to host Expo 2015.
April
April 1 - The U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 392 points, its eighth biggest gain ever.[citation needed]
Predicted and scheduled events
April
- April 2-April 4 - The 20th NATO summit will be held in Bucharest, Romania. It is expected that Albania, Croatia, and the Republic of Macedonia will be invited to join NATO following the summit.
- April 6 - Presidential election in Montenegro.
- April 6 - The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force in the UK.[58]
- April 13 - Elections in Italy. A new parliament is going to be elected after President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Administrative elections in Italy.
- April 20 - Elections in Paraguay.
- April 6 - Invasion: Philippines vs. The World Boxing event.
- April 29 - GTA IV worldwide release!
May
- May - The Large Hadron Collider (located at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland) is to begin operation; it will be the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.
- May 1 - Local elections, for 143 English councils and all Welsh councils, to take place in the United Kingdom.
- May 1 - Elections for the London Mayor and London Assembly to take place.
- May 1 - Entry into force of the London Agreement, aimed at reducing the translation costs associated with European patents.
- May 11 - Local and parliamentary elections in Serbia.
- May 14 - The UEFA Cup Final to be held at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, United Kingdom.
- May 16 - Dominican Republic presidential elections.
- May 16 - V Summit of the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Leaders in Lima, Peru.
- May 16 - Launch of the The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope Space Telescope, or GLAST.
- May 21 - The UEFA Champions League Final to be held at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
- May 24 - The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 Final will take place in Belgrade, Serbia, following semi-finals on May 20 and 22.[59]
- May 25 - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft will land on Mars.
- May 25 - STS-124, Space Shuttle Discovery will be launched at 7:26 EST/ 6:26 CT.
June
- June 1 - First round of local elections in Romania.
- June 1 - Landmark Broadway musical Rent will end its run after 12 years and more than 4,300 shows.
- June 6–June 8 - Rock am Ring and Rock im Park rock festival(s) in Germany.
- June 7–June 29 - Switzerland and Austria host the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.[60]
- June 14 - Expo 2008 scheduled to begin in Zaragoza, Spain.
July
- July 1 - Smoking will be banned in all public places (including bars and restaurants) in the Netherlands.[citation needed]
- July 7–July 9 - 34th G8 summit will be held in Tōyako, Hokkaidō in Japan.
- July 8–July 20 - World Gliding Championships will be held in Rieti, Italy.[61]
- July 15–July 20 - World Youth Day, the largest youth gathering in the Southern Hemisphere, will take place in Sydney, Australia. Pope Benedict XVI will appear at the event.[62]
- July 30–August 5 - The XXII World Congress of Philosophy will take place in Seoul, South Korea.
- July 31 - After three decades as the Chairman of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates will step down from daily duties.[63]
August
- August 1 - Beijing South railway station, the largest passenger station in Asia, will reopen following a reconstruction project.[64]
- August 1 - Total solar eclipse visible from northern Canada (Nunavut), northern part of Russia, western Mongolia, and China; and seen as partial elsewhere in eastern North America, Europe and Asia.
- August 2–August 9 - The National Eisteddfod of Wales will be held in Cardiff, South Wales.[65]
- August 2–August 16 - World Gliding Championships will be held in Lüsse, Germany.[66]
- August 6–August 10 - Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention will be held in Denver, Colorado.[67]
- August 8–August 24 - The 2008 Summer Olympics will take place in Beijing, China.
- August 11 - Elections to be held in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Regional Governor, Regional Vice Governor and Members of the Regional Legislative Assembly following Republic Act No. 9333.
- August 14 - 2008 Formula Zero Championship begins in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.[68]
- August 25—August 28 - Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado for U.S. presidential election.
- August 28 - Space Shuttle Atlantis will begin mission STS-125, the final maintenance mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.[69]
September
- September 1 to September 4 - Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota for U.S. presidential election.
- September 27 - The Australian Football League Grand Final will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
October
- October 16 - STS 126, Space Shuttle Endeavour will be launched and it will deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station.
- October 30-November 16 - The inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup will be held in New Zealand.[70]
November
- November 2 - The 2008 Formula 1 World Championship will end at São Paulo, Brazil.
- November 4 - Election of the 44th President of the United States. There will also be Congressional elections for the House of Representatives and one third of the Senators.
- November 4 - Gubernatorial election slated in Puerto Rico to elect the Governor of the island.
- November 15 - New Zealand will hold a general election on or before this date.
- November 20 - December 7 - 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup to be held in Chile.[71]
- November 22 - APEC Peru 2008 Summit in Lima.
- November 25 - Greenland holds election for increased autonomy from Denmark.
- November 28 - Legislative election in Romania.
December
- December 4 - STS-119, Space Shuttle Discovery will bring the Integrated Truss Segment to the International Space Station.
- December 15 - The Electoral College meets in 51 locations to officially elect the 44th President of the United States.
- December 15 - The Netherlands Antilles will be formally abolished.[72]
- December - Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ghana.
- December 24 - The New I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis will be completed after the bridge collapsed in August of 2007.
Unknown dates
- The United Nations is to review drug policies around the world.[73][74]
- New China Central Television headquarters buildings open.
- The "Simón Bolívar" Satellite, a result of an agreement between Venezuela and China, will be launched this year.[75]
Ongoing events
Deaths
January
- January 1 - Salvatore Bonanno, American mobster (b. 1932)
- January 1 - Peter Caffrey, Irish actor (b. 1949)
- January 1 - Erich Kästner, German veteran of World War I (b. 1900)
- January 1 - Thiyagarajah Maheswaran, Sri Lankan Tamil politician (b. 1960)
- January 2 - Galyani Vadhana, Thai princess (b. 1923)
- January 3 - Aleksandr Abdulov, Russian actor (b. 1953)
- January 3 - Yo-Sam Choi, Korean boxer (b. 1972)
- January 3 - Werner Dollinger, German politician (b. 1918)
- January 5 - Raymond Forni, French politician (b. 1941)
- January 5 - Clinton Grybas, Australian sports commentator (b. 1975)
- January 6 - Fr. John O'Brien, Irish priest and musician (b. 1931)
- January 7 - Edward "Buddy" LeRoux, American businessman (b. 1930)
- January 7 - Philip Agee, American spy (b. 1935)
- January 8 - Moshe Levi, Israeli military commander (b. 1936)
- January 9 - John Harvey-Jones, English businessman (b. 1924)
- January 10 - Christopher Bowman, American figure skater (b. 1967)
- January 10 - Andrés Henestrosa, Mexican writer and politician (b. 1906)
- January 10 - Maila Nurmi, Finnish-American actress and television personality (b. 1921)
- January 11 - Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist (b. 1919)
- January 11 - Carl Karcher, American businessman (b. 1917)
- January 12 - Adriano González León, Venezuelan poet and writer (b. 1931)
- January 13 - Johnny Podres, American baseball player (b. 1932)
- January 15 - Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982)
- January 15 - Jason MacIntyre, Scottish racing cyclist (b. 1973)
- January 16 - Nikola Kljusev, Macedonian prime minister (b. 1927)
- January 17 - Bobby Fischer, American-Icelandic chess grandmaster (b. 1943)
- January 17 - Ernie Holmes, American football player (b. 1948)
- January 17 - Allan Melvin, American actor (b. 1922)
- January 18 - Georgia Frontiere, American businesswoman (b. 1927)
- January 18 - Lois Nettleton, American actress (b. 1927)
- January 19 - Don Wittman, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1936)
- January 19 - Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (b. 1937)
- January 19 - Frances Lewine, American journalist (b. 1921)
- January 19 - Morris Maddocks, English Anglican priest (b.1928)
- January 20 - Louis de Cazenave, French veteran of World War I (b. 1897)
- January 22 - Heath Ledger, Australian actor (b. 1979)
- January 23 - Andrzej Andrzejewski, Polish brigadier general (b. 1961)
- January 24 - Randy Salerno, American news anchor (b. 1963)
- January 27 - Anna Loginova, Russian bodyguard and model (b. 1979)
- January 27 - Gordon B. Hinckley, American Mormon leader (b. 1910)
- January 27 - Suharto, 2nd President of Indonesia (b. 1921)
- January 28 - Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens (b. 1939)
- January 29 - Margaret Truman, American writer (b. 1924)
- January 30 - Jeremy Beadle, English television presenter (b. 1948)
February
- February 1 - Beto Carrero, Brazilian businessman (b. 1937)
- February 1 - Shell Kepler, American actress (b. 1958)
- February 2 - Earl Butz, American government official (b. 1909)
- February 2 - Barry Morse, Canadian actor (b. 1918)
- February 3 - Sheldon Brown, American bicycle mechanic (b. 1944)
- February 4 - Harry Richard Landis, American World War I veteran (b. 1899)
- February 5 - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian spiritual leader (b. 1917)
- February 6 - John McWethy, American print and television journalist (b. 1947)
- February 7 - Tamara Desni, German-born English actress (b. 1913)
- February 7 - Hoang Minh Chinh, Vietnamese politician and dissident (b. 1922)
- February 7 - Guy Severin, Russian academician and engineer (b. 1926)
- February 8 - Chua Ek Kay, Singaporean painter (b. 1947)
- February 8 - Phyllis Whitney, American mystery writer (b. 1903)
- February 9 - Jazeh Tabatabai, Iranian artist and writer (b. 1931)
- February 9 - Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal, Tibetan spiritual leader (b. 1930)
- February 10 - Ron Leavitt, American television producer (b. 1947)
- February 10 - Roy Scheider, American actor (b. 1932)
- February 11 - Alfredo Reinado, East Timorese rebel (b. 1967)
- February 11 - Tom Lantos, American politician (b. 1928)
- February 12 - Imad Mugniyah, Lebanese militant (b. 1962)
- February 12 - Badri Patarkatsishvili, Georgian businessman and politician (b. 1955)
- February 13 - Kon Ichikawa, Japanese film director (b. 1915)
- February 13 - Henri Salvador, French singer (b. 1917)
- February 13 - Roger Voisin, French-American classical musician (b. 1918)
- February 15 - Steve Fossett, American adventurer (b. 1944)
- February 18 - Alain Robbe-Grillet, French writer (b. 1922)
- February 18 - Mihaela Mitrache, Romanian actress (b. 1955)
- February 19 - Natalia Bessmertnova, Russian ballerina (b. 1941)
- February 19 - Lydia Shum, Hong Kong comedian and actress (b. 1945)
- February 21 - Ben Chapman, American actor (b. 1928)
- February 23 - Janez Drnovšek, 2nd President and 2nd Prime Minister of Slovenia (b. 1950)
- February 23 - Denis Lazure, Canadian politician (b. 1925)
- February 26 - Buddy Miles, American musician (b. 1947)
- February 26 - Dan Shomron, Israeli military leader (b. 1937)
- February 27 - William F. Buckley, Jr., American author and conservative commentator (b. 1925)
- February 27 - Myron Cope, American sportscaster (b. 1929)
- February 27 - Sujatha, Tamil writer (b. 1935)
- February 27 - Boyd Coddington, American car-builder (b. 1944)
- February 28 - Joseph M. Juran, American engineer and philanthropist (b. 1904)
- February 28 - Philip Rabinowitz, South African sprinter (b. 1904)
- February 28 - Mike Smith, English singer (b. 1943)
March
- March 1 - Raúl Reyes, Colombian guerrilla (b. 1948)
- March 2 - Sofiko Chiaureli, Georgian actress (b. 1937)
- March 2 - Jeff Healey, Canadian musician (b. 1966)
- March 3 - Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian operatic tenor (b. 1921)
- March 3 - Iván Ríos, Colombian guerrilla (b. 1961)
- March 4 - Gary Gygax, American writer and game designer (b. 1938)
- March 4 - Elena Nathanael, Greek film actress (b. 1941)
- March 5 - Joseph Weizenbaum, German-American author and computer scientist (b. 1923)
- March 6 - Gustaw Holoubek, Polish actor and director (b. 1923)
- March 7 - Isaías Carrasco, Basque politician (b. 1964)
- March 7 - Francis Pym, British politician (b. 1922)
- March 8 - Carol Barnes, English newsreader (b. 1944)
- March 12 - Lazare Ponticelli, last French veteran of World War I (b. 1897)
- March 12 - Erwin Geschonneck, German actor (b. 1906)
- March 12 - Howard Metzenbaum, American politician (b. 1917)
- March 14 - Chiara Lubich, Italian Catholic activist (b. 1920)
- March 15 - Mikey Dread, Jamaican singer, producer and broadcaster (b. 1954)
- March 15 - Vytautas Kernagis, Lithuanian singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
- March 15 - Vicki Van Meter, American former child pilot (b. 1982)
- March 16 - Gary Hart, American wrestler (b. 1942)
- March 18 - Anthony Minghella, English film director and screenwriter (b. 1954)
- March 19 - Arthur C. Clarke, English author, inventor, and futurist (b. 1917)
- March 19 - Hugo Claus, Flemish writer, painter and film director (b.1929)
- March 19 - Raghuvaran, Indian actor (b. 1948)
- March 19 - Paul Scofield, English actor (b. 1922)
- March 20 - Brian Wilde, English actor (b. 1927)
- March 21 - Gabriel París Gordillo, Colombian military governor (b. 1910)
- March 22 - Cachao López, Cuban-American musician (b. 1918)
- March 24 - Neil Aspinall, British record producer and business executive (b. 1942)
- March 24 - Rafael Azcona, Spanish screenwriter (b. 1927)
- March 24 - Richard Widmark, American actor (b. 1914)
- March 27 - George Pruteanu, Romanian literary critic and politician (b. 1947)
- March 27 - Jean-Marie Balestre, French sports executive (b. 1921)
- March 30 - Dith Pran, Cambodian-American photojournalist (b. 1942)
- March 31 - Nikolai Baibakov, Russian statesman and economist (b. 1911)
- March 31 - Jules Dassin, American film director (b. 1911)
April
Major religious holidays
- January 7 - Christmas in Eastern Christianity
- January 10 - New Year by Lunar calendar, celebrated by Muslims
- February 5 - Carnival (Shrove Tuesday)
- February 6 - Ash Wednesday, observance of Lent begins
- February 7 - Chinese New Year (also Lunar New Year / Spring Festival)
- March 1 - Saint David's Day, National holiday of Wales
- March 15 - St. Patrick's Day, celebrated in Ireland, the United States, and most of the English speaking world. (Held on March 15 instead of the usual 17th to avoid the second day in Holy Week.[76]) Unless changes are made as to when Easter can be observed, this particular March 17th will be the last one to fall within Holy Week until 2160.[77]
- March 20 - March Equinox, also known as Ostara
- March 20 - Purim
- March 21 - Nowruz (Iranian new year holiday)
- March 22 - Holi
- March 21 - Good Friday
- March 23 - Easter Sunday, the earliest Easter has fallen since 1913
- April 20 - Passover
- April 23 - St. George's Day
- April 27 - Pascha in Eastern Christianity
- May 1 - Ascension of Jesus in Western Christianity
- May 1 - Beltane, a Cross-quarter day
- May 20 - Vesak in Buddhism
- June 5 - Ascension of Jesus in Eastern Christianity
- June 9 - Shavuot
- June 15 - Pentecost in Eastern Christianity
- June 20 - June Solstice, also known as Midsummer or Litha
- June 22 - All Saints' Day in Eastern Christianity
- August 1 - Lammas, a Cross-quarter day
- August 15 - Assumption of Mary
- September 1 - New Liturgical Year in Eastern Christianity
- September 22 - September Equinox, also known as Mabon (falls on September 23 for eastern Asian countries due to time differences)
- September 30 - Rosh Hashana
- October 2 - Eid ul-Fitr
- October 9 - Yom Kippur
- October 28 - Diwali
- November 1 - Samhain, a Cross-quarter day and Neopagan new year
- November 30 - St. Andrew's Day, Scottish national day
- December 8 - Immaculate Conception
- December 8 - Eid ul-Adha
- December 21 - Hanukkah begins at sundown
- December 21 - December Solstice, also known as Yule
- December 25 - Christmas in Western Christianity
2008 in fiction
Books
- Isaac Asimov's 1955 short story Franchise takes place in 2008, the premise being that the U.S. president will be selected by a computer program looking for the "most representative citizen".
- John Barnes, Mother of Storms (1995) begins with a 2008 UN resolution barring any nation from acquiring nuclear weapons after June 1, 2008, subject to penalty of preemptive strike.
- Gregory Benford's books The Jupiter War and The Threads of Time are set in 2008.
- The Galactic Milieu Series by Julian May features Earth's first contact with an alien race on June 20, 2008.
- In Francis Anderson's 1992 book "Future Undetermined" the UN bans civilians from owning handguns on March 29.
- Ian McDonald's "Chaga Saga" (Evolution's Shore and Kirinya) begins with the March 13, 2008 impact arrival of the plant form Chaga from outer space.
- Alan E. Nourse's 1957 book Rocket to Limbo begins with the March 3, 2008 launch of the starship Argonaut on a centuries-long trip to Alpha Centauri.
- The Mote in God's Eye (1974) by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle postulates that faster-than-light travel is perfected in 2008.
- The Next War, a controversial 1996 novel about the post-Soviet era, co-authored by former U.S. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, looks at a possible 2008 nuclear confrontation between the United States and Russia.
Computer and video games
Set in 2008:
- Ghost Recon (2001): Russia attempts to reunite the Soviet Union and invades several Eastern European countries. The UN intervenes with peacekeeping forces.
- Splinter Cell series: Sam Fisher goes undercover.
- Twisted Metal 3 (1998)
- Shattered Union (2005): U.S. President David Jefferson Adams is elected in a sham election, and becomes the most unpopular president in U.S. history.
- Resident Evil 5 (2009)
- Mega Man (1987)
- Strike Gunner (1992)
Film
- Jason X (Friday the 13th series, 2002): Mass murderer Jason Voorhees is captured for the 2nd time and sentenced to death. Though the US government is unsure how to execute him, an electric chair, a gas chamber, a firing squad, and hanging are all tried - none of which work.
- The Lake House (2006): The ending takes place on Valentine's Day, 2008.
- 5 Centimetres Per Second (2007): The final act takes place in Tokyo during 2008.
- Set in 2008:
- Silent Running (1971)
- Southland Tales (2007)
- The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Television
- Dawson's Creek (2003 series finale): The characters meet once again. Dawson is creator of a television series, The Creek, based on his life.
- The 2007 series of Doctor Who Present time (such as Smith and Jones) is primarily set in 2008.
- The Future Boy Conan anime is set to begin in July 2008 with a devastating war resulting in the five continents sinking deep below the sea.
- Doraemon: According to the original manga story, a time machine will be invented in 2008.
- Heroes: According to the episode Out of Time, the Shanti virus wipes out about 93% of the world's population, from a break out in March of 2008. Peter Petrelli accidentally teleports himself and Caitlin to sometime around June 14, 2008, when any survivors in New York City are forcibly evacuated.
- According to Futurama, as said in the episode Space Pilot 3000, Stop N' Drop suicide booths are invented in 2008.
References
- ^ U.N. General Assembly, Department of Public Information, "General Assembly Proclaims 2008 International Year of Languages, in Effort to Promote Unity in Diversity, Global Understanding" GA/10592
- ^ International Year of Planet Earth
- ^ International Year of the Potato 2008.
- ^ International Year of Sanitation.
- ^ European Year of Intercultural Dialogue website
- ^ Year of the Frog.
- ^ Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone in 2008, EurActiv
- ^ Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro, EUbusiness
- ^ Slovenian EU presidency
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Mercury Flyby 1". The MESSENGER website. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
- ^ Unification Ministry Will Be Retained(The Korea Times)
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ Liverpool Arena kicks off Revolution campaign: News from Balance
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Worldwide
- ^ Jan. 26, 2008 - Act together for another world! | WSF2008
- ^ Iran sentences Bahai religious followers for 'anti-regime propaganda', Yahoo News
- ^ Iran sentences Bahais for 'anti-regime propaganda', Aljazeera
- ^ Nearly 500 in Japan claim China-made food made them ill: reports - MarketWatch
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-yahoo-microsoft-takeover.html
- ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080201/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_yahoo;_ylt=Aj86m3fjmUOG95uCDpZtX6qs0NUE
- ^ AFP Announcement
- ^ Iran Opens Space Center, Launches Rocket, Associated Press
- ^ Dimona bombing: Suicide attack in Israel first in a year, Yahoo News via Associated Press
- ^ Seoul's iconic ancient city gate destroyed by fire | International | Reuters
- ^ BBC
- ^ DNA - World - Smoking banned in Thai night clubs - Daily News & Analysis
- ^ Gunmen attack Timor leader Ramos-Horta, The Sydney Morning Herald, February 11, 2008.
- ^ UPDATE 9-Oil rises as Venezuela cuts off Exxon Mobil | Reuters
- ^ AFP: Spielberg, luminaries press Olympic China over Darfur
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Japan
- ^ "Rudd says sorry", Dylan Welch, Sydney Morning Herald, February 13, 2008
- ^ [3][dead link]
- ^ AFP: Scores dead in one of Afghanistan's deadliest attacks
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Worldwide
- ^ Brown fights backlash over Northern Rock | Reuters
- ^ BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Musharraf rules out resignation
- ^ AFP: Toshiba concedes defeat to Sony in DVD format war
- ^ AFP: Satellite strike shows US missile defense works: Gates
- ^ UNESCO, "Launching of the International Year of Languages in the framework of the International Mother Language Day"
- ^ Report in Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ AFP: Japanese man arrested again in wife's 1981 murder
- ^ "80th Annual Academy Awards: General Timeline". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- ^ Nominees | 80th Annual Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- ^ Musical diplomacy as New York Phil plays Pyongyang | World | Reuters
- ^ "Qaeda Suspect Escapes". Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ The Associated Press: Thaksin Out on Bail in Thailand
- ^ "Russia's Presidential Election Set for March, 2008". mosnews.com. December 14, 2006.
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Asia
- ^ Google mappers banned from U.S. bases - Los Angeles Times
- ^ Adelaide heatwave 'one in 3,000 years' - Breaking News - National - Breaking News
- ^ Star explodes halfway across universe - CNN.com
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_China_presidential_election,_2008
- ^ "Bhutan votes for status quo", France 24, March 24, 2008
- ^ "Election Date Finally Fixed As March 29, 2008".
- ^ http://russiatoday.ru/news/news/22746
- ^ "No Survivors After Jet Slams Into Homes".
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|acessdate=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Understanding the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007" (pdf). Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ^ "Reference Group concludes Belgrade visit". Eurovision.TV. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
- ^ http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/index.html retrieved 22 August 2007
- ^ 30th FAI world Gliding Championship, 8th-20th July 2008 Rieti
- ^ WYD08 :: Home
- ^ Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates: Working full time at Microsoft through June 2008, Gates then will continue as chairman and advisor while increasing Foundation efforts; Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie to assume expanded roles
- ^ Beijing South Railway Station to be ready in August - The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
- ^ 2008 Eisteddfod (Cardiff) | Eisteddfodau | The National Eisteddfod of Wales
- ^ WGC 2008, Lüsse Germany : HOME
- ^ Denvention 3 Home Page - 66th World Science Fiction Convention - Denver, August 6-10, 2008 - Guests of Honor: Lois McMaster Bujold, Rick Sternbach, Tom Whitmore, Wil McCarthy, Kathy Mar, Robert Heinlein (ghost of honor)
- ^ Formula Zero - Home
- ^ NASA - STS-125: Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4
- ^ "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup New Zealand 2008". FIFA. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Chile 2008". FIFA. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ Staff reporter (2007-02-13). "Agreement on division of Netherlands Antilles" (HTML). Government.nl. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ President of the UN General Assembly: Statements
- ^ http://www.drug-policy.org/modules/countdown_2008
- ^ The Year of the Chinese Satellite in Venezuela
- ^ "St Patrick's 'day' moved to 15th". ireland.com Online. Irish Times Trust. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ Nevans-Pederson, Mary (2008-03-13). "No St. Pat's Day Mass allowed in Holy Week". Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Woodward Communications, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
External links
- 2008 Calendar at Internet Accuracy Project