2007 facts for kids

Millennium:	3rd millennium
Centuries:	20th century – 21st century – 22nd century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s – 2000s – 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	2004 2005 2006 – 2007 – 2008 2009 2010

2007 (written as MMVII in Roman numerals) was a regular year that started on a Monday in the Gregorian calendar.

This year was known by different names:

In the Chinese calendar, it was the Year of the Dog until February 17, and then the Year of the Pig from February 18 onwards.
It was called the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
It was also known as the Year of the Dolphin.
UNESCO officially recognized fifteen special anniversaries for 2007.

Important Events of 2007

January 1 – Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union, a group of countries working together in Europe.
January 1 – The Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish languages became official languages of the European Union. This meant there were now 23 official languages.
January 1 – Slovenia started using the Euro as its money, replacing its old currency, the tolar.
January 1 – Ban Ki-moon from South Korea became the new leader of the United Nations, called the UN Secretary-General. He took over from Kofi Annan.
January 4 – Nancy Pelosi made history by becoming the first woman to be the Speaker of the House in the United States.
January 12 – The US embassy in Athens, Greece, was attacked with a rocket. It caused only a little damage and no one was hurt.
January 13 – A Greek ship named Server broke in half off the coast of Norway. This caused over 200 tons of oil to spill into the sea.
January 18 – Comet McNaught, a very bright comet, became visible in the sky over the Southern Hemisphere. It was the brightest comet seen in over forty years.
January 30 – Microsoft released Windows Vista, a new version of its operating system for computers, to people all over the world.

February 2 – An unusual tornado hit central Florida, causing the deaths of at least 20 people.
February 10 – Barack Obama, a U.S. Senator from Illinois, announced that he would run for President of the United States.
February 19 – North Korea agreed to stop its nuclear program in exchange for oil.
February 27 – Stock markets around the world dropped sharply. This happened after China and Europe reported slower economic growth than expected.

March 6 – The Mega Millions lottery set a new world record for the biggest jackpot ever, reaching US$370 million.
March 7 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 200, a Boeing 737 plane, crashed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Many people on board died.
March 11 – Daylight saving time started earlier than usual in most parts of the United States and Canada.
March 25 – In Berlin, 27 European ministers celebrated 50 years since the Treaty of Rome was signed. This treaty helped create the European Union.
March 25 – This day marked 200 years since the 1807 Slave trade act was finalized. This law ended the slave trade in the British Empire.
March 31 – Sydney, Australia, turned off its lights for one hour to raise awareness about global climate change.

April 2 – Smoking in public places and workplaces became illegal in Wales.
April 16 – The worst mass shooting in US history happened at Virginia Tech university.
April 27 – Violence broke out in Estonia after a Soviet war memorial was moved.

May 4 – A tornado hit Greensburg, Kansas, killing at least twelve people and destroying most of the town.
May 10 – Tony Blair announced he would step down as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on June 27.
May 16 – Nicolas Sarkozy officially became the President of France.

June 1 – Archaeologists in western Japan found a 2100-year-old melon.
June 27 – Tony Blair resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Gordon Brown then became the new Prime Minister, appointed by Queen Elizabeth II.
June 29 – Police in London safely removed a bomb found in Haymarket, a busy area in Central London.

July 1 – Smoking in public places and workplaces became illegal in England.
July 1 – The Concert for Diana was held at Wembley Stadium to remember Diana, Princess of Wales.
July 9 – Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, experienced its first snowfall in almost 90 years.
July 21 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book in the popular Harry Potter series, was released.
July 29 – The Iraq football team won its first AFC Asian Cup, beating Saudi Arabia 1-0.

August 1 – The I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed during rush hour.
August 14 – Pakistan celebrated 60 years of independence.
August 15 – Peru was hit by a major Earthquake.
August 15 – India celebrated 60 years of independence.
August 31 – Malaysia celebrated 50 years of independence.

November 3 – In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution and declared a state of emergency.
November 24 – Kevin Rudd was elected Prime Minister of Australia.

December 3 – Kevin Rudd officially became Prime Minister of Australia.
December 10 – Cristina Fernández de Kirchner took office as President of Argentina.
December 20 – Queen Elizabeth II became the oldest monarch in British history, surpassing Queen Victoria.
December 27 – Benazir Bhutto, a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was killed in a terrorist attack.
December 30 – Violence broke out in Kenya after a disputed election result.

February 28 – Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco, daughter of King Mohammed VI.
March 5 – Eugenia Louis Alphonse, daughter of Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou.
March 17 – Prince Abdul Muntaqim, son of the Crown Prince and Princess of Brunei.
March 19 – Prince Abdullah bin Al Ali, son of Prince Ali bin Al Hussein.