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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:
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.
[Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone in 2008, EurActiv][Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro, EUbusiness]
- January 1 - Slovenia takes over the presidency of European Union as the first of new member states.
[Slovenian EU presidency]
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
[http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hEKv9MBw55ELwc9LGYFjDD_itvfw]
- 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.
MESSENGER assembly at Astrotech.
- January 14 - At 19:04:39 UTC, the MESSENGER space probe was at its closest approach during its first flyby of the planet Mercury.
[Mercury Flyby 1. The MESSENGER website. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Retrieved on 2008-01-12.]
- 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.
[http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/116_18645.html]
- 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.
[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iEcRUUK8oqjE-rvRWKq9-XRS6z3wD8U8FLLO0]
- 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.
Flag of Iraq.
- 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.
[http://www.marketingservicestalk.com/news/bal/bal100.html]
- 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.
[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYjkVz76Icsk&refer=home]
- 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.
[http://wsf2008.net/eng/home]
- January 27 - Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova won 2008 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia.
- January 29 - Iran\'s judiciary sentences to prison 54 Bahai religion followers for charity work.
[Iran sentences Bahai religious followers for \'anti-regime propaganda\', Yahoo News][Iran sentences Bahais for \'anti-regime propaganda\', Aljazeera]
- 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.
[http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/nearly-500-japan-claim-china-made/story.aspx?guid=%7B5175A5B7-0D1B-4D57-8268-052AFCC44675%7D]
February
Primaries and caucuses in U.S. presidential election are held in 24 states.
- 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 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.
[http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSSEO27238420080211]
- February 10 - An oil platform in the North Sea is evacuated by helicopter and plane after an apparent security threat.
[BBC]
- 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.
[http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1150251]
Steven Spielberg
- 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.
[Gunmen attack Timor leader Ramos-Horta, The Sydney Morning Herald, February 11, 2008.]
- 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.
[http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUSSP10958920080213]
- 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.
[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jApfZXOIFLFJglTtB4gZVJr1fXKg]
- 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.
[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aGoTPCIp_S0c&refer=japan]
- February 13 - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia delivers a formal apology to the Stolen Generations.
["Rudd says sorry", Dylan Welch, Sydney Morning Herald, February 13, 2008]
- February 13 - Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dissolved Malaysian parliament. General Election will follow on March 8.
[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ixXpE3pWHF0m-a8iWcv55g2_XHXwD8UPTE9O0]
- 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.
Flag of Kosovo
- 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
[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iKEIeybKvU7Vo42SLz_ZF4WjZsQg]
- February 17 - Kosovo formally declares independence from Serbia, despite opposition from Serbia, Russia, China, Spain, Romania, and other nations. However Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, U.K., and U.S. have officially expressed support after an emergency meeting of United Nations Security Council.
[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=anGy1wIN83Sg&refer=home]
- 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.
[http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSL1832258520080218]
- 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.
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7254124.stm]
- 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.
[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i3LIL6dBGDGSJKaC2z7Z0mnBrZow]
- 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 with toxic fuel by shooting it down with a missile launched from USS Lake Erie in the Pacific ocean.
[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gXfTZB0a8NU_H4vSMdlS6YxBeTow]
- 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.
[UNESCO, "Launching of the International Year of Languages in the framework of the International Mother Language Day"]
- 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.
[Report in Sydney Morning Herald]
Hugo Chávez and Raúl Castro (right)
March
Predicted and scheduled events
March
April
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 8 - Israel will celebrate its 60th Independence Day in the Yom Ha\'atzmaut celebration.
- 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.
[Reference Group concludes Belgrade visit. Eurovision.TV. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.]
- May 25 - NASA\'s Phoenix spacecraft will land on Mars.
- May 25 - The 92nd edition of the Indianapolis 500 will be run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the main race of the IndyCar Series.
- May 25 - STS-124, Space Shuttle Discovery will be launched at 7:26 EST/ 6:26 CT
June
July
August
The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijng
- August 1 - Beijing South railway station, the largest passenger station in Asia, will reopen following a reconstruction project.
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