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For a timeline of 21st century events, see Timeline of modern history.

The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100.[1][2][3] The years starting from 2001 to 2012 are now historical; the years ranging from 2012 to 2100 are subject to futurology and predictions. As of now, Template:Age in years and days textual version 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. 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 Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, the United States and its allies turned their attention to the Middle East and North Africa.

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 and antisociality from the overuse of mobile phones, the Internet and related technologies remains controversial.[4]

In 2011, nearly 5 billion people globally (about 67% of the world's population) used cell phones[5] and about 2 billion people (about 28% of the world's population) used the Internet.[6]

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".[7] 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 Vancouver Olympics, which took place in 2010, was being officially referred to by Vancouver 2010 as "the twenty-ten olympics", while 2011[7] and 2013 are popular as well. The latest timeframes for change are usually placed at 2020.[7]

According to The Stanley Kubrick archives, in the press release for his 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.[7]

Transitions & Change

The Digital Revolution continues into the early 21st century. Shown: XO, Children's Machine, OLPC.

Revolutions of the early 21st century thus far include the Environmental Revolution and the 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 begun 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 1991.

Politics & Wars

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 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 – 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 – George W. Bush became the second president of the United States to be the son of a former president when he was inaugurated on January 20, 2001.
  • 2001 – Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and 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.
    September 11 attacks
  • 2001–present – The U.S. and 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 killed by American Troops after about 10 years, on May 2, 2011.
  • 2002 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established on July 1.
  • 2002 – on the tenth of September Switzerland becomes a member of the United Nations.
  • 2002 – on the 27th. of September Timor-Leste becomes a member of the United Nations.
  • 2002 – A series of bombings carried out by Islamic militants killed 202 people at the resort of Kuta, Bali, Indonesia on October 12.
  • 2003–present – In February 2003, a conflict in Darfur, Sudan began and soon escalated into 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 – The U.S.-led coalition 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 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, some guessing even over 1 million.[8] 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 – A series of nonviolent revolutions known as the colour revolutions overthrew governments in Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Lebanon.
  • 2004 – The European Union expanded by 10 countries, including 8 former communist countries, plus Malta and Cyprus.
  • 2004 – On March 11, bombings carried out by Islamic militants killed 191 people on the commuter rail system of Madrid, Spain.
  • 2005 – A series of bombings carried out by Islamic militants killed 56 people in London on July 7.
  • 2005 – Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip on September 11.
  • 2006–2008 – 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 partially recognized.
  • 2006 – On the 28th of June Montenegro becomes a member of the United Nations.
  • 2006 – On July 12, Hezbollah militants crossed the border of Lebanon and captured two Israeli troops. Israel 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 – On July 11, bombs planted on the train system in Mumbai exploded, killing 209 people.
  • 2006 – North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9.[9] This was preceded by years of political wrangling with the U.S. over the status of their nuclear program.
In 2009, Barack Obama became the first African-American president of the United States.

New countries

South Sudan gains its independence on July 9, 2011.

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.

Three countries have declared independence but they have been recognized by a minority of UN states.

Science and technology

File:China Xichang Satellite Center - Tianlian I-01 Launch.jpg
The Peoples 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

Physics

Medicine

Further information: Timeline of medicine and medical technology § 2000 – present

Storage & Mediums

PlayStation 2 was released in 2000 and became the best-selling gaming console of all time

Social Technology

  • Mobile phone usage is very popular in the early 21st century. The boom begun at the turn of the century and by 2010 practically everyone in the developed world has a mobile.[12]
  • 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 noughties saw significant change surrounding this social issue and the change continued into the tens.

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 around 6.1 billion at the turn of the century.
  • The world population reached 7 billion in October 2011, and is increasing at a rate of 78 million per year.[13]

Civil Unrest

Disasters

Natural disasters

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 earthquake in Bam, Iran on December 27, 2003 killed more than 26,000.
  • 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.
  • 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 earthquake in Kashmir on October 8, 2005, killed at least 74,500 in India and Pakistan
  • 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

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.[14][15][16][17][18] Estimates from rescue service officials suggest the death toll may reach 3,000 victims.[19]
  • 2011 Queensland floods – Began in December 2010 primarily in Queensland. The flood cause 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 Australia's GDP is about A$30 billion.
  • Cyclone Yasi - A category 5 (Australian Scale) cyclone hits North Queenland with winds as strong as 290km/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 - Locally known as Sendong, it caused catastrophic flooding in the 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

  • The Black Saturday bushfires – the deadliest bushfires in Australian history took place across the Australian state of 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 recorded the 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 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[20] that may become one of the worst environmental disasters in United States history.[21] 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.[22] On June 20 an internal BP document was released by Congress revealing that BP estimated the flow could be as much as 100,000 barrels (4,200,000 US gallons; 16,000 cubic metres) per day under the circumstances that existed since the April 20 blowout.[23][24]

Sports

At the turn of the 21st century sports were very popular. The IOC's Modern Olympic Games was the most viewed sporting event. Association football was one of the most popular sports 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. American swimmer Michael Phelps won an olympic record setting 8 Gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The Beijing Birds Nest Stadium during the 2008 Summer Olympics.

International Tournaments

Modern Olympic Games

Association Football

Athletics

  • Usain Bolt broke various world records, including in the 100 meter dash at the 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

Cricket

Cycling

Rugby Union

Tennis

  • Roger Federer won 16 Grand Slam titles (4 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 6 Wimbledon, and 5 US Open) to beat 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, Wimbledon and US Open; Nadal also won the Olympic Singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to complete a Golden Career Slam.
  • Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer at the 2008 Wimbledon final with a score of 6-4,6-4,6-7(5),6-7(8),9-7. People [who?] consider this match the greatest tennis match of all-time. The match lasted for 8 hours (including two rain delays).
  • Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final for his 15th Grand Slam championship after a 16-14 fifth set.
  • At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut completed the longest tennis match in history. Isner won 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(3), 70–68.

Motorsport

  • F1-Michael Schumacher wins World Championship for the third time at Suzuka, Japan 2000 in a Ferrari F1-2000, Ferrari's first driver's championship in 21 years.
  • Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt) passes away after a last-lap crash during the Daytona 500 in February 2001.

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.

Wheelchair DanceSport

  • Wheelchair DanceSport is continuing to increases in importance worldwide and is now recognized as an official international paralympic sport.[25]
  • Periodically are organized regional competitions, World championships (for example 2010 in Hannover) and European championships.

Domestic

Association Football

AFL (Australian Rules Football)

Basketball

Major League Baseball

NRL

American Football

National Hockey League

Economics & Industry

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.

Mark Zuckerberg co-created Facebook in his 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.
  • 2009 – Release of Avatar, the world's highest grossing film.
  • 2010s – Increasing use of 3D Camera Technology.
  • 2010 - Release of the 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.

Music

Sports

  • 2000s – Increasing popularity for Football.
  • 2000s – Increasing popularity of motor sports such as NASCAR.

Social Networking

  • 2000s – MySpace, Facebook and YouTube emerge in the nineties when the very first social networks emerged.
  • 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.

Issues and concerns

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 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.
    Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2006. Almost 97% of future population growth will occur in developing countries.[26]
  • Overpopulation. The United Nations 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 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.[27]
  • 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 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 warned of a possible coming flu pandemic resulting from bird flu mutations. In 2009, there was an outbreak of swine flu whose country of origin is still unknown.
  • War and terrorism. 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 9/11 terrorist attacks triggered invasions of Afghanistan and partially and controversially 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 anthropogenic (human-induced) global warming.[28] 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.
    Global Peak Oil forecast. Virtually all economic sectors rely heavily on petroleum.
  • Technology developments show no sign of slowing. 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 fuels are becoming scarce and more expensive, due to the escalating demand for petroleum ("oil") and oil-based products such as gasoline and kerosene, unmatched by production. Discovery of new oil fields 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 Agrofuel, one possible alternative, yields further hazards for the environment and endangers food security, debate is far from over.
  • 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.

The United Nations lists global issues on its agenda and lists a set of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 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

Other phenomena

  • December 23, 2007: grand conjunction, a galactic conjunction which happens every 26,000 years.
  • 2009: Triple conjunction Jupiter–Neptune.
  • Monday, August 21, 2017:[29] First total solar eclipse of the 21st century for the United States, and the first visible in the continental US since February 26, 1979.[30]
  • November 11, 2019: Transit of Mercury.
  • Friday, April 13, 2029: The asteroid 99942 Apophis (previously better known by its provisional designation 2004 MN4) will pass within 30,000 km (18,600 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 as seen from Mars, the first and the only one in this century.
  • November 7, 2085: Transit of Mercury.

Fiction, Theology & Philosophy

Doomsday Scenarios

  • 2012 – 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.[31] 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.
  • 2036 – 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

Computer and video games

Internet

  • Stinkoman 20X6, of Homestar Runner fame, takes place in the seventh year of an unspecified decade in the 21st century.

Novels

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 calender.
  • In another Superman story Superman battles Futuremen from the Year 2000, in which Earth's water has been dried away by a bomb. They hope to use Superman to get Billions from Earth for getting water from Ice around Saturn, but Superman escapes them and helps Earth, while the villains are jailed.
  • Arno Stark a villainous version of Iron Man is from the year 2020.

Decades and years

2000s

Main Article: 2000s (decade)

  • September 11, 2001 – 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 – the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake killed up to 250,000 people.
  • December, 2007 – the late-2000s recession begins, as the United States would see its biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression.
  • June 11, 2009 – 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].

2010s

Main Article: 2010s (decade)

2020s

2030s

2040s

2050s

2060s

2070s

2080s

2090s

References

  1. ^ Staff, "The 21st Century and the 3rd Millennium: When Did They Begin?", Astronomical Information Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, retrieved 2011-11-14
  2. ^ Magnell, Thomas, "The Mistake of the Century and Moral Deliberation", The Journal of Value Inquiry, 34 (1): 1–6, doi:10.1023/A:1004752116203
  3. ^ Staff (2011), When and where did the new Millennium officially start, and why?, National Maritime Museum, retrieved 2011-11-14
  4. ^ "Workplace trends: Technology increases workplace stress". Office World News. 1999.
  5. ^ "4.6 Billion Cell Phone Users" (PDF). Mobilewhack.com.
  6. ^ http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/01/by-the-numbers-internet-2010/
  7. ^ a b c d Experts clash over millennium bugbear—The Times Cite error: The named reference "preferMC" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Estimated casualties in Iraq
  9. ^ O'Neil, John; Onishi, Norimitsu (2006-10-15). "US confirms nuclear claim". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
  10. ^ Grolier- the new book of knowledge, section "E"
  11. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_9Hvnx-6s
  12. ^ "Total mobile subscribers top 1.8 billion". MobileTracker Cell Phone News and Reviews. May 18, 2005. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-31. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ "World Population estimates by the US Census Bureau".
  14. ^ Bodeen, Christopher (August 8, 2010). "Asia flooding plunges millions into misery". The Associated Press. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  15. ^ Masood, Salman and Adam B. Ellick. Floods in Pakistan Kill at Least 700. NYTimes.
  16. ^ "UN voices Pakistan flood fears as death toll soars". BBC. 31 July 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  17. ^ Khan, Ismail (July 30, 2010). "400 Killed in Flooding in Pakistan, Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  18. ^ Thousands trapped by Pakistan floods; 900 dead
  19. ^ Deaths From Pakistan Floods May Reach 3,000, Rescue Service Official Says
  20. ^ "BP Will Pay For Gulf Oil Spill Disaster, CEO Says". NPR. 2010-05-03. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  21. ^ "Choppy Seas Hinder Effort To Contain Oil Spill", National Public Radio, April 30, 2010
  22. ^ "Oil spill full of methane, adding new concerns". msnbc. 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  23. ^ "Document Shows BP Estimates Spill up to 100,000 Bpd". ABC News. 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-06-20. [dead link]
  24. ^ http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/WEB/flowrateBP.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-20. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ^ Wheelchair Dancesport Retrieved 2011-12-17
  26. ^ "World population projected to reach 7 billion in 2011". CNN. August 12, 2009.
  27. ^ Sedgh, Gilda (2007). "Induced abortion: estimated rates and trends worldwide" (PDF). The Lancet. 370 (9595): 1338–1345. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61575-X. PMID 17933648. Retrieved 2008-12-02. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5702/1686
  29. ^ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/5MCSEmap/2001-2100/2017-08-21.gif
  30. ^ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/5MCSEmap/1901-2000/1979-02-26.gif
  31. ^ G. Jeffrey MacDonald (March 27, 2007). "Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
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