2006

Conflict still raged in Iraq. Italy won the 2006 World Cup.

The Democrats took control of the US Congress. Some Finns dressed as monsters win the Eurovision song contest.

Hezbollah seized two Israeli soldiers, causing a short sharp war that killed 1,400 people. Ethiopia took similar action against the Islamic Court Union operating out of Somalia.

Many people died in an earthquake in Indonesia, a typhoon and landslides in Philippines and a gas pipeline explosion in Nigeria. Planes crash in Iran, Brazil,Ukraine and Manhattan (killing Cory Lidle).

The effects of AIDS causes a shortage of farmworkers in southern Africa, which in turn triggers a famine, which in turn will cause AIDS to worsen next year because all those promised retroviral medicines don't work in an empty stomach.

Australia tested a scramjet. North Korea tested a nuclear device. Floyd Landis failed a doping test.

Hell welcomed some new guests - Slobodan Milosevic, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Wolfgang Priklopil, Saddam Hussein, Augusto Pinochet and Saparmurat Niyazov.

Anna Politkovskaya and Alexander Litvinenko were killed under mysterious circumstances. Moscow hosted G8 and cracked down on pro-democracy forces at home and in the former Soviet Union.

Gerald Ford lived long enough to be the longest-living American president, and dies a month later.

Two Australian miners unexpectedly survive a mining accident. Steve Irwin is unexpectedly killed by a deadly sting ray. The last Baiji dolphin dies in China.

Montenegro became a country. Pluto was no longer recognised as a planet. Turkey is not recognised as European.

The Stardust Casino in Las Vegas and the Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier in Hong Kong are closed down for good.

Al Jazeera English started broadcasting. The Fox Footy Channel and the Pioneer 10 satellite ceaseed broadcasting. And there will be no more shows of Scooby Doo.

Wii, PlayStation 3, Windows Vista, black cherry vanilla Coca-Cola and a blonde James Bond are introduced to the market. The world has its first MAGLEV train disaster.

A Review in Britain headed by Nicholas Stern recommended urgent action against climate change. The Iraq Survey Group recommended Syria and Iran as the keys to solution to peace in the Middle East. For its part Iran produced 3.5% low-grade enriched uranium and holds a conference to call the Holocaust a myth.

Islamists tried to blow up trans-Atlantic airliners and targets around Toronto and Melbourne, but failed. Others succeeded in Damascus, Egypt and Mumbai.

The Scream is recovered.

Women become leaders of South Korea, Chile and the WTO, although Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines is almost deposed in a coup.

Muslims take umbrage at Danish cartoons and Papal lectures.

Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand and Ratu Josefa Iloilo of Fiji lose their jobs, thanks to military coups. Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Martin, Tom DeLay, Chen Liangyu, Silvio Berlusconi, Mark Foley, Charles Kennedy, Laila Freivalds and Alejandro Toledo are also removed from their positions in slightly less dramatic fashion. Fidel Castro calls in sick, joining Ariel Sharon on his extended leave.

People who spend a Friday evening at home doing things like writing everything2 nodes are declared Time Magazine's People of the Year.

2005 2006 2007