Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This is
the user sandbox of Wrad . A user sandbox is a subpage of the user's
user page . It serves as a testing spot and page development space for the user and is
not an encyclopedia article .
Create or edit your own sandbox here . Other sandboxes: Main sandbox | Template sandbox
Finished writing a draft article? Are you ready to request review of it by an experienced editor for possible inclusion in Wikipedia? Submit your draft for review!
Calendar year
2008 (MMVIII ) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini ), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar .
Events
January
MESSENGER assembly at Astrotech.
The new flag of Iraq .
February
Primaries and caucuses in U.S. presidential election are held in 24 states.
Flag of Kosovo
February 17 - A suicide bombing by a Taliban member kills up to 80 in Kandahar , Afghanistan [ 11]
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 .[ 12]
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.[ 13]
February 19 - Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, to be effective on February 24.
February 19 - Crude oil closes above $100 USD per barrel for the first time ever, settling at $100.01.
February 20 - United States Navy destroys a spy satellite containing toxic fuel by shooting it down with a missile launched from USS Lake Erie in the Pacific ocean .[ 14]
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.
Raúl Castro
March
Dmitry Medvedev
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 Prime Minister 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 14 - Demonstrations by Tibetan separatists turn violent as rioters target government and Han Chinese -owned buildings.
March 14 - Queen Elizabeth II opens the new Heathrow Terminal 5 building at London Heathrow Airport . It will be available for public use from March 27 .
March 14 - Legislative election in Iran .
March 15 - In Albania a huge explosion of a gun factory in Gerdec kills more than 30 people. On the next week, Albania , Kosovo and some surrounding countries supply and support Gerdec 's population with food, blood etc.
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.[ 22]
March 19 - An exploding star halfway across the visible universe becomes the farthest known object ever visible to the naked eye.[ 23]
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 20 - The United States enacts economic sanctions against Iran .[citation needed ]
March 22 - Republic of China presidential election is held in Taiwan . The Kuomintang (KMT) nominee Ma Ying-jeou won
March 24 - Bhutan holds its first-ever general elections .[ 24]
Invasion of Anjouan
April
Pope Benedict XVI waves to a crowd upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base , Maryland , United States .
April 10 - Assembly elections in Nepal : Maoists win a plurality of seats in the Assembly in the first election in Nepal in nine years.
April 13 - Elections in Italy : The Silvio Berlusconi -led coalition, which consists of the People of Freedom , Lega Nord , and Movement for Autonomy parties, wins a majority of seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate .
April 13 - Trevor Immelman wins the 2008 Masters Tournament .
April 15 - A Hewa Bora Airways DC-9 commercial airplane crashes into a residential area of Goma , DR Congo .
April 15 –April 20 - Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States . Among his destinations are the White House , The Catholic University of America , the United Nations General Assembly , and the site of the fallen World Trade Center . Benedict XVI also celebrated Mass at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium .
April 18 - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurs outside of West Salem, Illinois . It is one of the strongest earthquakes in the midwestern states in 40 years.
April 20 - Fernando Lugo is elected President of Paraguay . This is the first time in 61 years that the Colorado Party has lost a presidential election .
April 22 - Surgeons at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital perform the first operations using bionic eyes , implanting them into two blind patients.
April 23 - In the Canadian province of Ontario , a bill banning pesticides is passed, making it the only place in North America to pass pesticide restriction laws of this degree. Pesticide use is permitted only on golf courses and selected other places.
April 24 - Teachers in England and Wales stage the first national strike in more than 20 years over issues of pay.
April 27 - The Taliban attempts to assassinate Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a military parade in Kabul .[ 38]
April 28 - India sets a world record by sending 10 satellites into orbit in a single launch.[ 39]
April 28 - 71 die in a train crash in Shandong , China .[ 40]
April 28 - The Fritzl incest case is widely publicized after a 42-year-old Austrian woman tells local authorities that she has been imprisoned and abused by her father, Josef Fritzl, since 1984 .
May
The path of Cyclone Nargis
The epicenter of the Sichuan earthquake
May 1 - Local elections , for 137 English councils and all Welsh councils, take place in the United Kingdom.
May 1 - Elections for the London Mayor and London Assembly take place with Boris Johnson becoming the second Mayor of London .
May 1 - Entry into force of the London Agreement , aimed at reducing the translation costs associated with European patents .
May 2 - A volcanic eruption forces the evacuation of more than 4,000 people from the Chilean town of Chaitén .
May 2 - May 3 - The Presidents of Central European States meet in Ohrid , Republic of Macedonia .
May 3 - Over 133,000 people in Myanmar are killed by Cyclone Nargis , the deadliest natural disaster since the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 .
May 7 - Violence breaks out in Beirut , Lebanon and spreads to nearby areas over the next few days.
May 7 - Brian Cowen is elected the 11th Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland , succeeding Bertie Ahern , after a vote in the Dáil Éireann .
May 7 - Dmitry Medvedev is sworn in as the President of Russia .
May 8 - Vladimir Putin is confirmed as the 10th Prime Minister of Russia after a vote in the State Duma .
May 8 - Silvio Berlusconi is sworn in as the 81st Prime Minister of Italy .
May 10 - Myanmar holds a constitutional referendum .
May 11 - Local and parliamentary elections in Serbia .
May 12 - Over 69,000 are killed in central China by an earthquake measuring 7.9Mw . The epicenter is 90 kilometers (55 miles) west-northwest of Chengdu .
May 13 - A series of bomb blasts kills at least 63 and injures 216 in Jaipur , India .
May 14 - Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg defeat Rangers of Scotland in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final .
May 14 - Six Iranian Baha'i Faith leaders are arrested in Iran .[ 41]
May 15 - An oil pipeline explodes in Ijegun, Nigeria , killing 100.
May 15 - California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state's Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional .[ 42]
May 16 - Presidential election in the Dominican Republic .
May 16 - The fifth Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union Summit is held in Lima , Peru .
May 17 - Parliamentary elections are held in Kuwait .
May 18 - Russia wins the Men's Ice Hockey World Championship 2008 in Canada. Canada wins silver, and Finland wins bronze.[ 43]
May 21 - Manchester United defeat Chelsea on penalties to win the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow .
May 21 - Legislative elections are held in Georgia .
May 22 - Council of the Presidents of Ukraine and Azerbaijan is formed.
May 23 - The Union of South American Nations , a supranational union , is created by a union between the Andean Community and Mercosur .
May 23 - The International Court of Justice awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore , ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
May 24 - Russia wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade , Serbia .[ 44]
May 25 - Michel Sleiman is elected President of Lebanon by the Parliament . The election had been postponed 19 times due to a parliamentary stalemate.
May 25 - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft lands on Mars .
May 25 - The 2008 French Open , one of four major tennis "grand slam" tournaments, begins.
May 28 - The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is established after the Assembly votes overwhemingly in favor of abolishing the country's 240-year-old monarchy . Girija Prasad Koirala becomes temporary Head of State .
May 31 - STS-124 , Space Shuttle Discovery is launched at 5:02 EDT.
June
Participating countries of UEFA Euro 2008 .
June 1 - A large fire engulfs parts of Universal Studios in Universal City , California .
June 1 - Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Macedonia .
June 1 - Referendum on the process of naturalization fails by a wide margin in Switzerland , leaving in place a system in which applicants are approved by elected bodies rather than popular votes.
June 1 - In the European Union , regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals start to come into force.
June 2 - A car bomb explodes outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad , Pakistan , killing at least five.
June 3 - Barack Obama becomes the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party , becoming the first African-American to do so in a major U.S. politicial party.[ 45]
June 7 –June 29 - Switzerland and Austria host the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, Spain wins by defeating Germany 1-0 in the final game .[ 46]
June 7 - Ana Ivanovic wins her first Grand Slam title at the French Open by defeating Dinara Safina .
June 7 - Big Brown , previously undefeated, fails to become the first winner of the Triple Crown since 1978 , finishing last at the 2008 Belmont Stakes .
June 8 - In the Akihabara area of Tokyo , Japan , a 25-year-old man stabs 7 to death, and wounds 11 more , before being arrested.
June 8 - A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits western Peloponese in Greece , killing two, injuring at least 220, and leaving more than 3,000 homeless.
June 8 - A gas pipe explosion causes a collapse in the Karl Marx mine in Yenakiieve , Ukraine , killing 1 and temporarily trapping dozens.
June 8 - Rafael Nadal wins his fourth straight French Open grand slam by defeating Roger Federer for the third straight year.
June 10 - Fire engulfs Sudan Airways Flight 109 after landing in Khartoum, Sudan , killing 44.
June 11 - The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope is launched.
June 11 - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes to Canada's First Nations for the Canadian residential school system .
June 12 - Ireland votes to reject the Treaty of Lisbon , in the only referendum to be held by a European Union member state on the treaty.
June 14 - Expo 2008 begins in Zaragoza , Spain .
June 14 - A 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Iwate Prefecture , Japan , kills several and injures more than 300.
June 21 - The first veneration ever held outside Vatican City is held in Beirut , Lebanon .
June 22 - Typhoon Fengshen hits the Philippines and capsizes the ferry MV Princess of the Stars , leaving hundreds dead or missing.
June 27 - President Robert Mugabe is re-elected with 85.5% of the vote in the second round of the controversial Zimbabwean presidential election .
June 27 - Two ministers of the Guatemalan government are killed in a helicopter crash in Alta Verapaz .
June 28 - A 17-year-old boy is decapitated after being struck by a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia .[ 47]
June 28 - Pope Benedict XVI opens the Pauline Year for the Roman Catholic Church in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls . It will last until July 29, 2009.
June 29 - Legislative elections are held in Mongolia .
June 29 - Spain defeats Germany in the UEFA Euro 2008 Final in Vienna , Austria .
July
Predicted and scheduled events
July
August
File:Beijing 2008 Tiananmen Square1.jpg The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
August 1 - Beijing south railway station , the largest passenger station in Asia, will reopen following a reconstruction project.[ 53]
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 16 - World Gliding Championships will be held in Lüsse , Germany .[ 54]
August 6 –August 10 - Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention will be held in Denver, Colorado .[ 55]
August 7 - The Large Hadron Collider (located at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland ) is to begin operation; it will be the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.[ 56]
August 8 –August 24 - The 2008 Summer Olympics will take place in Beijing , China .
August 11 - Computerized 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 .[ 57]
August 22 - 2008 Formula Zero Championship begins in Rotterdam , the Netherlands .[ 58]
August 25 —August 28 - Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado for U.S. presidential election .
September
October
November
December
Unknown dates
Ongoing events
Deaths
January
Maila Nurmi
Edmund Hillary
Heath Ledger
Suharto
Jeremy Beadle
January 1 - Salvatore Bonanno , American mobster (b. 1932 )
January 1 - Peter Caffrey , Irish actor (b. 1949 )
January 1 - Erich Kästner , last German veteran of World War I (b. 1900 )
January 1 - Thiyagarajah Maheswaran , Sri Lankan Tamil politician (b. 1960 )
January 2 - George MacDonald Fraser , British author (b. 1925 )
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 - Sir 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 19 - John Stewart , American Singer-Songwriter (b. 1939 )
January 20 - Louis de Cazenave , French veteran of World War I (b. 1897 )
January 22 - Heath Ledger , Australian actor (b. 1979 )
January 22 - Roberto Gari , American actor (b. unknown)
January 22 - Miles Lerman , Polish-American activist (b. 1920 )
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. 1978 )
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
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Roy Scheider
Steve Fossett
Janez Drnovšek
William F. Buckley, Jr.
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 - Ah Meng , Singaporean orangutan and tourism icon (b. 1960 )
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 - Oscar Brodney , American screenwriter (b. 1907 )
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 - Amnon Netzer , Iranian-Israeli historian (b. 1934 )
February 15 - Steve Fossett , American adventurer[ 66] (b. 1944 )
February 15 - Ashley Callie , South African Actress (b. 1976 )
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 24 - Larry Norman , American musician (b. 1947 )
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
Gary Gygax
Chiara Lubich
Arthur C. Clarke
Richard Widmark
Manuel Marulanda
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 9 - Gus Giordano , Jazz dancer (b. 1923 )
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 - Ivan Dixon , American actor and director (b. 1931 )
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 23 - Al Copeland , American entreprenueur (b. 1944)
March 24 - Neil Aspinall , British record producer and business executive (b. 1942 )
March 24 - Rafael Azcona , Spanish screenwriter (b. 1926 )
March 24 - Richard Widmark , American actor (b. 1914 )
March 26 - Manuel Marulanda , Colombian guerrilla (b. 1930 )
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
Charlton Heston
Ollie Johnston
Albert Hofmann
April 1 - Jim Finney , English football referee (b. 1924 )
April 1 - Sabin Balasa , Romanian painter (b. 1932 )
April 2 - Yakup Satar , last Turkish veteran of World War I (b. 1898 )
April 3 - Hrvoje Ćustić , Croatian footballer (b. 1983 )
April 3 - Johnny Byrne , Irish writer (b. 1935 )
April 5 - Charlton Heston , American actor (b. 1923 )
April 8 - John Button , Australian politician (b. 1933 )
April 8 - Stanley Kamel , American actor (b. 1943 )
April 9 - Cedella Booker , Jamaican singer and writer (b. 1926 )
April 10 - Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada , Mexican cardinal (b. 1919 )
April 11 - Merlin German , American soldier and charity founder (b. 1985 )
April 12 - Patrick Hillery , 6th President of Ireland (b. 1923 )
April 12 - Barbara McDermott , last American survivor of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania (b. 1912 )
April 13 - Mark Speight , English television presenter[ 67] (b. 1965 )
April 13 - John Archibald Wheeler , American theoretical physicist (b. 1911 )
April 14 - Ollie Johnston , American animator (b. 1912 )
April 14 - Miguel Galván , Mexican actor and comedian (b. 1957 )
April 15 - Benoît Lamy , Belgian motion picture writer-director (b. 1945 )
April 16 - Edward Norton Lorenz , American mathematician and meteorologist (b. 1917 )
April 16 - Joe Feeney , American-born Irish tenor (b. 1931 )
April 17 - Aimé Césaire , French Martinican poet and politician (b. 1913 )
April 17 - Gwyneth Dunwoody , British politician (b. 1930 )
April 17 - Danny Federici , American musician (b. 1950 )
April 19 - Germaine Tillion , French anthropologist, member of French Resistance (b. 1907 )
April 21 - Al Wilson , American singer (b. 1939 )
April 22 - Paul Davis , American musician (b. 1948 )
April 25 - Humphrey Lyttelton , English musician and broadcaster (b. 1921 )
April 27 - Marios Tokas , Cypriot composer (b. 1954 )
April 29 - Albert Hofmann , Swiss chemist (b. 1906 )
May
Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
Irena Sendler
Sydney Pollack
May 1 - Aden Hashi Farah , Somali militant (b. unknown)
May 1 - Anthony Mamo , 1st President of Malta (b. 1909 )
May 2 - Philipp von Boeselager , German military officer (b. 1917 )
May 2 - Beverlee McKinsey , American actress (b. 1940 )
May 3 - Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo , 74th Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1926 )
May 4 - Fredric J. Baur , American chemist and inventor (b. 1918 )
May 5 - Irv Robbins , Canadian-American entrepreneur (b. 1917 )
May 8 - Eddy Arnold , American country music singer (b. 1918 )
May 8 - François Sterchele , Belgian footballer (b. 1982 )
May 9 - Jack Gibson , Australian rugby league coach (b. 1929 )
May 9 - Sinan Sofuoğlu , Turkish motocycle racer (b. 1983 )
May 10 - Leyla Gencer , Turkish soprano (b. 1928 )
May 10 - Nuala O'Faolain , Irish journalist (b. 1940 )
May 10 - Jessica Jacobs , Australian actress (b. 1990 )
May 11 - Dottie Rambo , American singer (b. 1934 )
May 11 - John Rutsey , Canadian drummer (b. 1953 )
May 12 - Irena Sendler , Polish humanitarian (b. 1910 )
May 13 - Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah , Emir of Kuwait (b. 1930 )
May 13 - John Phillip Law , American actor (b. 1937 )
May 15 - Tommy Burns , Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1956 )
May 15 - Alexander Courage , American composer (b. 1919 )
May 15 - Willis Lamb , American physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913 )
May 16 - Robert Mondavi , American winemaker (b. 1913 )
May 18 - Joseph Pevney , American director (b. 1911 )
May 19 - Vijay Tendulkar , Indian playwright (b. 1928 )
May 20 - Crispin Beltran , Filipino politician and labor leader (b. 1933 )
May 20 - Hamilton Jordan , American political strategist (b. 1944 )
May 22 - Robert Asprin , American science fiction writer (b. 1946 )
May 23 - David Mitton , British producer, director, model maker, and author (b. 1939 )
May 23 - Roberto Freire , Brazilian psychiatrist (b. 1927 )
May 24 - Dick Martin , American comedian (b. 1922 )
May 24 - Rob Knox , British actor (b. 1989 )
May 25 - Geremi González , Venezuelan baseball player (b. 1975 )
May 26 - Earle Hagen , American composer (b. 1919 )
May 26 - Sydney Pollack , American actor, director, and producer (b. 1934 )
May 27 - Franz Künstler , last Austrian-Hungarian veteran of World War I (b. 1900 )
May 28 - Beryl Cook , English painter (b. 1926 )
May 28 - Robert Justman , American producer (b. 1926 )
May 29 - Luc Bourdon , Canadian hockey player (b. 1987 )
May 29 - Romeo A. Brawner , Filipino election official and justice (b. 1935 )
May 29 - Harvey Korman , American actor (b. 1927 )
June
Bo Diddley
Chinghiz Aitmatov
Tim Russert
Cyd Charisse
George Carlin
June 1 - Yves Saint Laurent , French fashion designer (b. 1936 )
June 1 - Tommy Lapid , Israeli television presenter, journalist and politician (b. 1931 )
June 2 - Bo Diddley , American musician (b. 1928 )
June 2 - Ferenc Fejtő , Hungarian-born French journalist and political scientist (b. 1909 )
June 3 - Mel Ferrer , American actor, director, and producer (b. 1917 )
June 3 - Grigory Romanov , Russian politician (b. 1923 )
June 4 - Agata Mróz-Olszewska , Polish volleyball player (b. 1982 )
June 6 - Dwight White , American football player (b. 1949 )
June 7 - Rudy Fernandez , Filipino actor (b. 1952 )
June 7 - Dino Risi , Italian director (b. 1916 )
June 7 - Jim McKay , American television sports journalist (b. 1921 )
June 7 - Mustafa Khalil , Egyptian prime minister (b. 1920 )
June 8 - Peter Rühmkorf , German writer (b. 1929 )
June 8 - Šaban Bajramović , Serbian musician (b. 1936 )
June 9 - Algis Budrys , American science fiction writer (b. 1931 )
June 9 - Karen Asrian , Armenian chess grandmaster (b. 1980 )
June 10 - Chinghiz Aitmatov , Kyrgyzstani writer (b. 1928 )
June 10 - John Rauch , American football player and coach (b. 1927 )
June 11 - Ove Andersson , Swedish rally driver (b. 1939 )
June 11 - Võ Văn Kiệt , Vietnamese prime minister (b. 1922 )
June 11 - Adam Ledwoń , Polish footballer (b. 1974 )
June 11 - Taras Kermauner , Slovenian playwright, historian, and philosopher (b. 1930 )
June 11 - James Reaney , Canadian playwright (b. 1926 )
June 12 - Charlie Jones , American sportscaster (b. 1930 )
June 12 - Derek Tapscott , Welsh footballer (b. 1932 )
June 13 - Tim Russert , American journalist (b. 1950 )
June 14 - Jamelão , Brazilian singer (b. 1913 )
June 14 - Esbjörn Svensson , Swedish jazz musician (b. 1964 )
June 15 - Johnathan Goddard , American football player (b. 1981 )
June 15 - Ray Getliffe , Canadian hockey player (b. 1914 )
June 15 - Stan Winston , American special effects and make up artist (b. 1946 )
June 17 - Tsutomu Miyazaki , Japanese serial killer (b. 1962 )
June 17 - Cyd Charisse , American actress and dancer (b. 1922 )
June 18 - Jean Delannoy , French film director (b. 1908 )
June 19 - Tim Carter , English footballer (b. 1967 )
June 21 - Scott Kalitta , American drag racer (b. 1962 )
June 21 - Kermit Love , American costume designer (b. 1916 )
June 22 - George Carlin , American author, actor, and comedian (b. 1937 )
June 22 - Dody Goodman , American actress (b. 1914 )
June 22 - Jane McGrath , British-born Australian activist and philanthropist (b. 1966 )
June 23 - Arthur Chung , President of Guyana (b. 1918 )
June 23 - Ruth Cardoso , former Brazilian First Lady (b. 1930 )
June 24 - Leonid Hurwicz , American economist, mathematician, and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917 )
June 25 - Alla Kazanskaya , Russian actress (b. 1920 )
June 25 - G. M. Banatwala , Indian politician (b. 1933 )
June 27 - Polk Robison , American basketball coach (b. 1912 )
June 27 - Sam Manekshaw , Indian Army officer (b. 1914 )
June 27 - Michael Turner , American comic book artist (b. 1971 )
June 27 - Francesco Domenico Chiarello , Italian World War I survivor (b. 1898 )
June 27 - Nicolae Linca , Romanian boxer (b. 1929 )
June 28 - Ruslana Korshunova , Kazakhstani model (b. 1987 )
June 29 - Don S. Davis , American actor (b. 1942 )
July
Jesse Helms
July 1 - John Pont , American football coach (b. 1927 )
July 1 - Mel Galley , English guitarist (b. 1948 )
July 1 - Mark Dean Schwab , American murderer (b. 1968 )
July 2 - Elizabeth Spriggs , British actress (b. 1929 )
July 2 - Natasha Shneider , Russian musician (b. 1956 )
July 3 - Harald Heide-Steen Jr. , Norwegian comedian and actor (b. 1939 )
July 3 - Larry Harmon , American entertainer (b. 1925 )
July 3 - Clive Hornby , English actor (b. 1944 )
July 4 - Jesse Helms , American politician (b. 1921 )
July 4 - Charles Wheeler , British journalist and broadcaster (b. 1923 )
July 4 - Terrence Kiel , American football player (b. 1980 )
July 5 - Hasan Doğan , Turkish football administrator (b. 1956 )
July 6 - Nonna Mordyukova , Russian actress (b. 1925 )
July 6 - Jack C. Collins , Australian footballer (b. 1930 )
July 7 - Yitzchok Dovid Groner , Australian rabbi (b. 1924 )
Major religious holidays
January 7 - Christmas in Eastern Christianity
January 10 - Islamic New Year by Lunar calendar
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 .)[ 68] This March 17 will be the last one to fall within Holy Week until 2160.[ 69]
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 13 - Baisakhi
April 20 - Passover , Palm Sunday in Eastern Christianity
April 23 - St. George's Day
April 27 - Pascha (or Easter) in Eastern Christianity
May 1 - Ascension of Jesus in Western Christianity
May 1 - Beltane , a Cross-quarter day
May 19 or May 20 - Vesak (Buddha day) 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
July 5 - Saints Cyril and Methodius 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
September 30 - Rosh Hashana
October 2 - Eid al-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:
Film
Set in 2008:
Television
Dawson's Creek (2003 series finale): The characters meet once again. Dawson, now 25 is the creator of a television series, The Creek , based on his life.[ 71]
The 2007 series of Doctor Who : Present time (such as "Smith and Jones ") is primarily set in 2008.
The Future Boy Conan anime story begins in July, 2008, when a war results in five continents sinking into 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 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 , in the episode "Space Pilot 3000 ", Stop 'N Drop suicide booths are the most popular of their kind by 2008.
{{{1}}}
[[January {{{1}}} |January]]
[[February {{{1}}} |February]]
[[March {{{1}}} |March]]
[[April {{{1}}} |April]]
[[May {{{1}}} |May]]
[[June {{{1}}} |June]]
[[July {{{1}}} |July]]
[[August {{{1}}} |August]]
[[September {{{1}}}|September]]
[[October {{{1}}} |October]]
[[November {{{1}}} |November]]
[[December {{{1}}} |December]]
References
^ Slovenian EU presidency
^ "Mercury Flyby 1" . The MESSENGER website . Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory . Retrieved 2008-01-12 .
^ Bloomberg.com: Worldwide
^ Iran sentences Bahai religious followers for 'anti-regime propaganda' , Yahoo News
^ Iran sentences Bahais for 'anti-regime propaganda' , Aljazeera
^ AFP Announcement
^ Iran Opens Space Center, Launches Rocket , Associated Press
^ Gunmen attack Timor leader Ramos-Horta , The Sydney Morning Herald , February 11 , 2008 .
^ "Rudd says sorry" , Dylan Welch, Sydney Morning Herald , February 13, 2008
^ [1] [dead link ]
^ AFP: Scores dead in one of Afghanistan's deadliest attacks
^ Bloomberg.com: Worldwide
^ BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Musharraf rules out resignation
^ AFP: Satellite strike shows US missile defense works: Gates
^ Report in Sydney Morning Herald
^ The Associated Press: Thaksin Out on Bail in Thailand
^ "Russia's Presidential Election Set for March, 2008" . mosnews.com. December 14, 2006.
^ [2] , UN Security Council
^ UN Security Council Resolution 1803 on Iran's Nuclear Program , U.S. Department of State
^ 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
^ "Bhutan votes for status quo" , France 24 , March 24, 2008
^ "Election Date Finally Fixed As March 29, 2008" .
^ RussiaToday : News : Oil depot explodes in RussiaБ─≥s south
^ BBC News - Child death raises tough questions
^ "No Survivors After Jet Slams Into Homes" . Retrieved 2008-03-30 .
^ "NATO chief welcomes Albania and Croatia for 2009" . Radio Netherlands Worldwide . 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2008-06-24 .
^ 52 children taken during raid | thespectrum.com | The Spectrum
^ Deseret News | Affidavit: FLDS raid spurred by girl's reports of physical, sexual abuse
^ KRDO.com Colorado Springs, Pueblo - Weather, News, Sports - Police Search for Missing Sect Teen; 533 Women, Children Are in Custody
^ "Understanding the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007" (pdf) . Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 2007-10-17 .
^ Sark democracy plans are approved , BBC News Online , 9 April 2008
^ A Revolution Not Televised , Time.com , January 17 , 2008
^ After 443 years, Sark gets democracy , The Bugle , Episode 13, January 2008. The Bugle is a satirical podcast of the Times Online .
^ Sark agrees switch to democracy , BBC News Online , 22 February 2008
^ Karzai unhurt after parade attack , BBC News
^ India setting world record by sending 10 satellites into orbit
^ 'Dozens die' in China train crash , BBC News
^ Six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Iran; pattern matches deadly sweeps of early 1980s , Bahá'í World News Service
^ ABC News: Calif. Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage, Sparks Celebration, Outrage
^ "Russia World Champions 2008" . European Hockey.Net. 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2008-05-18 .
^ "Reference Group concludes Belgrade visit" . Eurovision.TV. Retrieved 2007-11-13 .
^ http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/03/election.democrats/index.html
^ http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/index.html Retrieved 22 August 2007
^ http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6871329&version=8&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
^ nu.nl/algemeen | Horeca in juli 2008 rookvrij
^ 30th FAI world Gliding Championship, 8th-20th July 2008 Rieti
^ Camp for Climate Action homepage
^ 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
^ 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)
^ Large Hadron Collider Countdown Timer
^ Republic Act No. 9333
^ Formula Zero - Home
^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116252.html
^ 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 .
^ President of the UN General Assembly: Statements
^ http://www.drug-policy.org/modules/countdown_2008
^ The Year of the Chinese Satellite in Venezuela
^ Fossett was declared legally dead on February 15 , having been missing since 3 September 2007 .
^ Speight's body was found on this date after he had been missing since April 7 .
^ "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 .
^ GTA4: What You Really Need to Know from 1UP.com
^ "Amazon.com: Dawson's Creek - The Series Finale (Extended Cut) Product Page" . Amazon.com.
External links