2011 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Millennium:	3rd millennium
Centuries:	20th century – 21st century – 22nd century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s – 2000s – 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	2005 2006 2007 – 2008 – 2009 2010 2011

2008 (also written as MMVIII in Roman numerals) was a special kind of year called a leap year. It started on a Tuesday in the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar most of the world uses. It was the 2008th year since the Common Era began.

Major Events of 2008

January: New Year, New Changes

First-ever photograph of the "unseen side" of Mercury, taken by the MESSENGER spacecraft on January 14

January 1 – The countries of Cyprus and Malta started using the euro as their money.
January 2 – The price of oil reached $100 for the first time ever.
January 8 – A Boy Scout helped stop an attack on the president of the Maldives.
January 14 – The MESSENGER space probe flew very close to the planet Mercury for the first time. It took amazing pictures of parts of Mercury we had never seen before.
January 21 – Stock markets around the world dropped a lot. People were worried about money problems in the United States.
January 22 – Russia held its biggest naval exercise (practice with ships) since the Soviet Union ended.
January 23 – Thousands of people from Palestine crossed into Egypt after a border wall was broken down.
January 25 – China had its worst snowstorm since 1954. It caused many problems, including power outages.

February: Space, Storms, and Changes

Raúl Castro

February 4 – Iran opened its first space center and launched a rocket into space.
February 5–6 – A series of very strong tornadoes hit the southern United States. Many people lost their lives.
February 7 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis launched into space. It carried a science lab from Europe to the International Space Station.
February 10 – A fire badly damaged Namdaemun, a famous old gate in South Korea.
February 11 – The president of East Timor was hurt in an attack by rebel soldiers.
February 13 – The Prime Minister of Australia said sorry to the Stolen Generations. These were Aboriginal children who were taken from their families a long time ago.
February 17 – Kosovo officially declared itself an independent country from Serbia. Some countries supported this, while others did not.
February 19 – Fidel Castro announced he would step down as President of Cuba.
February 20 – The United States Navy used a missile to destroy a spy satellite that had dangerous fuel.
February 24 – Raúl Castro was chosen as the new President of Cuba.

March: Conflicts and Discoveries

The European Jules Verne ATV docked to the International Space Station

March 1 – There were intense air strikes in the Gaza Strip.
March 2 – Venezuela and Ecuador moved troops to the border with Colombia after a raid.
March 9 – The first European Space Agency cargo spacecraft, called the Jules Verne ATV, launched. It carried supplies to the International Space Station.
March 14 – Protests in Tibet became violent.
March 19 – Scientists saw an exploding star that was very far away. It was the farthest object ever seen with the naked eye.
March 24 – Bhutan held its first-ever general elections. This was a big step for the country.
March 25 – A large piece of Antarctica's Wilkins Ice Shelf broke apart. This put the rest of the shelf at risk.

April: New Leaders and Space Records

April 8 – The island of Sark changed its old feudal system. This means it became more modern and democratic.
April 17 – Raila Odinga became the new Prime Minister of Kenya. This helped end a political crisis in the country.
April 22 – Doctors in London performed the first operations using bionic eyes. They helped two blind patients.
April 28 – India set a world record by launching 10 satellites into space at once.

May: Disasters and Space Landings

An earthquake in Sichuan, China killed nearly 80,000 people

May 3 – Over 133,000 people in Myanmar were killed by Cyclone Nargis. It was a very deadly natural disaster.
May 7 – Dmitry Medvedev became the new President of Russia.
May 12 – A huge earthquake hit Sichuan, China. Over 69,000 people died.
May 25 – NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed on the northern part of Mars. It was the first time a spacecraft landed in that area.
May 28 – Nepal became a republic, meaning it no longer had a king. This ended its 240-year-old monarchy.

June: Apologies and Resignations

June 11 – The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope was launched.
June 11 – The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, apologized to Canada's First Nations people for the residential school system.
June 12 – Ireland voted against the Treaty of Lisbon. This was a treaty about how the European Union would work.
June 22 – Typhoon Fengshen hit the Philippines. A ferry sank, and many people died or went missing.
June 27 – Bill Gates stepped down from his daily work at Microsoft. He wanted to focus more on helping people through his charity.

July: Rescues and Summits

Leaders at the 34th G8 summit in Tōyako, Japan

July 2 – Colombian forces rescued Íngrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages from rebels.
July 7–9 – The 34th G8 summit was held in Japan. Leaders from major countries met to discuss world issues.
July 15–20 – World Youth Day took place in Sydney, Australia. Pope Benedict XVI attended the event.
July 21 – Radovan Karadžić, who was wanted for war crimes, was arrested in Serbia after 12 years.
July 23 – Ram Baran Yadav became the first President of Nepal.

August: Olympics and Hurricanes

August 1 – A total eclipse of the Sun was visible in parts of Canada, Russia, and China.
August 7 – The 2008 South Ossetia war began between Georgia and Russia.
August 8–24 – The 2008 Summer Olympics took place in Beijing, China.
August 15 – Pushpa Kamal Dahal became the first Prime Minister of the new Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
August 17 – Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the Olympics. He broke a record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics.
August 18 – Pervez Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan.
August 20 – A plane crashed at Madrid's airport, killing many people.
August 26 – Russia recognized the independence of two regions in Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
August 26 – September 1 – Hurricane Gustav caused deaths and damage in the United States and other countries.
August 28 – September 7 – Hurricane Hanna caused many deaths in Haiti due to floods and mudslides.

September: Financial Troubles and Space Milestones

September 1–14 – Hurricane Ike caused deaths and damage in the United States and other countries.
September 2 – The Prime Minister of Japan, Yasuo Fukuda, resigned.
September 6 – Asif Ali Zardari was elected President of Pakistan.
September 10 – The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) started up for the first time. It is the world's largest particle accelerator, used to study tiny particles.
September 15 – Lehman Brothers, a big financial company, went bankrupt. This was a major event in the global financial crisis.
September 17 – Scientists officially named Haumea as the fifth dwarf planet in our Solar System.
September 25 – China successfully launched its third manned space mission, Shenzhou 7. China became the third country to have a person walk in space.
September 28 – The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket became the first privately built rocket to reach orbit.
September 30 – A stampede at a temple in India killed over 224 people.

October: More Financial News and Space Missions

October 3 – The U.S. government created a huge fund to help banks during the global financial crisis.
October 6 – NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft made its second close flyby of Mercury.
October 7 – Russia agreed to give Iceland a large loan to help with its financial crisis.
October 7 – A meteoroid called 2008 TC3 hit Earth. It was special because it was discovered before it hit.
October 9 – The three largest banks in Iceland were taken over by the government due to financial problems.
October 21 – The Large Hadron Collider was officially opened. Many scientists and engineers from around the world worked on it.
October 22 – India launched its Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft to explore the Moon.
October 29 – Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines merged, creating the world's largest airline.

November: New Presidents and Disasters

Barack Obama

November 4 – Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States. He became the first African-American president.
November 6 – King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan was crowned.
November 7 – A school building collapsed in Haiti, killing many people.
November 14 – The Space Shuttle Endeavour delivered more equipment to the International Space Station.
November 19 – A woman in Spain had a successful trachea transplant using a specially grown organ.
November 24 – Floods in Brazil killed many people and forced thousands to leave their homes.
November 25 – Greenland voted for more independence from Denmark.
November 26 – November 29 – A series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, killed many people.
November 29 – Riots in Jos, Nigeria killed many people.

December: Political Changes and Discoveries

December 2 – The Constitutional Court of Thailand dissolved the main political party, and the Prime Minister resigned.
December 5 – Human remains found in 1991 were identified as Tsar Nicholas II of Russia using DNA analysis.
December 6 – Riots spread across Greece.
December 10 – The Channel Island of Sark held its first fully democratic elections. It was the last place in Europe to get rid of its old feudal system.
December 12 – Switzerland joined the Schengen Agreement. This means people can travel between Switzerland and 24 other European countries without passport checks.
December 12 – The Moon was at its closest point to Earth and was also a full moon. This made it look bigger and brighter than usual.
December 16 – The Ruins of an ancient Wari city were found in northern Peru.
December 23 – A military coup happened in Guinea after the president died.
December 27 – Israel started a series of airstrikes and an invasion in the Gaza Strip.
December 31 – An extra leap second was added to the end of the year.

Famous People Who Passed Away in 2008

January

Edmund Hillary

Heath Ledger

January 11 – Edmund Hillary, a famous New Zealand mountaineer who was the first to climb Mount Everest.
January 22 – Heath Ledger, a popular Australian actor.
January 27 – Suharto, a former President of Indonesia.

February

February 5 – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian spiritual leader.
February 10 – Roy Scheider, an American actor.

Janez Drnovšek

February 23 – Janez Drnovšek, a former President and Prime Minister of Slovenia.
February 27 – William F. Buckley, Jr., an American writer and commentator.

March

Arthur C. Clarke

March 2 – Jeff Healey, a Canadian musician.
March 19 – Arthur C. Clarke, a famous English science fiction writer and inventor.

Manuel Marulanda

March 24 – Richard Widmark, an American actor.

April

Charlton Heston

April 5 – Charlton Heston, a well-known American actor.
April 12 – Patrick Hillery, a former President of Ireland.
April 29 – Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist.

May

Irena Sendler

May 12 – Robert Rauschenberg, an American pop artist.
May 12 – Irena Sendler, a Polish humanitarian who saved many children during World War II.
May 26 – Sydney Pollack, an American actor and director.

June

Chinghiz Aitmatov

George Carlin

June 1 – Yves Saint Laurent, a famous French fashion designer.
June 2 – Bo Diddley, an American musician.
June 10 – Chinghiz Aitmatov, a writer from Kyrgyzstan.
June 22 – George Carlin, a popular American comedian.

July

Jesse Helms

July 4 – Jesse Helms, an American politician.
July 11 – Michael E. DeBakey, a famous American surgeon.
July 25 – Randy Pausch, an American computer scientist and inspiring speaker.

August

Isaac Hayes

August 3 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Russian writer and Nobel Prize winner.
August 9 – Bernie Mac, an American actor and comedian.
August 10 – Isaac Hayes, an African-American musician.
August 19 – Levy Mwanawasa, the President of Zambia.

September

Paul Newman

September 1 – Don LaFontaine, a famous American voice actor.
September 15 – Richard Wright, an English musician from the band Pink Floyd.
September 26 – Paul Newman, a well-known American actor.

October

Jörg Haider

October 8 – George Emil Palade, a Romanian cell biologist and Nobel Prize winner.
October 11 – Jörg Haider, an Austrian politician.
October 31 – Studs Terkel, an American writer and radio host.

November

Michael Crichton 1942-2008

November 1 – Jacques Piccard, a Swiss explorer and engineer.
November 4 – Michael Crichton, a famous American writer and producer.
November 10 – Miriam Makeba, a South African singer.
November 29 – Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect.

December

Alexy II

Mark Felt

Freddie Hubbard

December 5 – Alexy II, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
December 18 – Mark Felt, an American FBI agent known as "Deep Throat" during the Watergate scandal.
December 24 – Harold Pinter, an English playwright.
December 25 – Eartha Kitt, an American singer and actress.
December 29 – Freddie Hubbard, an American jazz trumpeter.

Important Awards in 2008

Nobel Prizes

The Nobel Prizes are very important awards given each year to people who have done amazing things in different fields.

Chemistry – Awarded for discoveries about a glowing protein.
Economics – Awarded for work on trade patterns and where economic activity happens.
Literature – Awarded to a French writer for his stories.
Peace – Awarded to a Finnish diplomat for his work in solving conflicts.
Physics – Awarded for discoveries about tiny particles.
Physiology or Medicine – Awarded for discoveries about viruses that cause diseases.

Major Religious Holidays in 2008

2011 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar	2011 MMXI
Ab urbe condita	2764
Armenian calendar	1460 ԹՎ ՌՆԿ
Assyrian calendar	6761
Bahá'í calendar	167–168
Balinese saka calendar	1932–1933
Bengali calendar	1418
Berber calendar	2961
British Regnal year	59 Eliz. 2 – 60 Eliz. 2
Buddhist calendar	2555
Burmese calendar	1373
Byzantine calendar	7519–7520
Chinese calendar	庚寅年 (Metal Tiger) 4707 or 4647 — to — 辛卯年 (Metal Rabbit) 4708 or 4648
Coptic calendar	1727–1728
Discordian calendar	3177
Ethiopian calendar	2003–2004
Hebrew calendar	5771–5772
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	2067–2068
- Shaka Samvat	1932–1933
- Kali Yuga	5111–5112
Holocene calendar	12011
Igbo calendar	1011–1012
Iranian calendar	1389–1390
Islamic calendar	1432–1433
Japanese calendar	Heisei 23 (平成２３年)
Javanese calendar	1943–1945
Juche calendar	100
Julian calendar	Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar	4344
Minguo calendar	ROC 100 民國100年
Nanakshahi calendar	543
Thai solar calendar	2554
Tibetan calendar	阳金虎年 (male Iron-Tiger) 2137 or 1756 or 984 — to — 阴金兔年 (female Iron-Rabbit) 2138 or 1757 or 985
Unix time	1293840000 – 1325375999

January 7 – Christmas in Eastern Christianity
February 7 – Chinese New Year
March 20 – March Equinox, also known as Ostara
March 21 – Good Friday
March 23 – Easter Sunday (This was the earliest Easter since 1913!)
April 27 – Pascha (or Easter) in Eastern Christianity
May 1 – Beltane, a special day in some older traditions.
June 20 – June Solstice, also known as Midsummer or Litha
September 2 – Start of Ramadan
September 30 – Rosh Hashanah
October 1 – Eid al-Fitr
October 28 – Diwali
November 1 – Samhain, a special day for some older traditions.
December 8 – Eid al-Adha
December 21 – Hanukkah began at sundown.
December 21 – December Solstice, also known as Yule
December 25 – Christmas in Western Christianity

2008 in Books, Movies, and TV Shows

Books

Some books were set in the year 2008:

Franchise (1955) by Isaac Asimov: In this story, a computer chooses the U.S. president.
Mother of Storms (1995) by John Barnes: This book starts with a UN rule about nuclear weapons.
The Jupiter War and The Threads of Time by Gregory Benford are also set in 2008.
The Galactic Milieu Series by Julian May: Earth first meets aliens on June 20, 2008, in this series.
Evolution's Shore and Kirinya by Ian McDonald: These books begin with an alien plant arriving on Earth in March 2008.
Rocket to Limbo (1957) by Alan E. Nourse: A starship begins a long journey in March 2008.
The Mote in God's Eye (1974) by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle: This book imagines that faster-than-light travel was perfected in 2008.

Movies

These movies are set in the year 2008:

Silent Running (1971)
Deterrence (1999)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Lake House (2006): The end of the movie takes place on Valentine's Day, 2008.
Southland Tales (2007)
Doomsday (2008): The movie starts in 2008, when a virus has spread in Scotland.

Television

Some TV shows also featured the year 2008:

Macross Zero OVA: The events of this anime series take place in 2008.
Doraemon: In the original story, a time machine is invented in 2008.
Future Boy Conan anime (1978): The story begins in July 2008, when a war causes continents to sink.
Dawson's Creek (2003 series finale): The characters meet again in 2008.
Doctor Who (2007 series): The present time in this show is mostly set in 2008.
Heroes: A possible future in this show sees a virus killing many people by 2008.