2000 – 2010s

Events in the 2000s 129

• 3000 BC – 2007 Wonders of the World From the Great Pyramid to the New Seven Wonders A journey through the greatest structures ever built by human hands, from the Great Pyramid of Giza — the only ancient wonder still standing — to the New Seven Wonders chosen by a global vote in 2007. The original list of Seven Wonders was compiled by the Greek writer Philo of Byzantium around 225 BC, celebrating the most extraordinary achievements of the ancient Mediterranean world. Most were destroyed by earthquakes, fire or human hands. The New Seven Wonders span four continents and over 4,500 years of human civilisation, joined here by honourable mentions that rival any of them in scale and mystery.
• 1904 – 2000 John Gielgud (1904-2000) English actor and director, one of the great Shakespearean actors of the 20th century, who won an Oscar at 77.
• 1911 – 2004 Ronald Reagan 40th President — ended the Cold War Ronald Reagan (Feb 6, 1911 – Jun 5, 2004) was the 40th President 1981-1989. Former Hollywood actor, he rebuilt US military strength, cut taxes, and is credited with helping end the Cold War through pressure on the Soviet Union.
• 1912 – 2001 John Lee Hooker Blues singer and guitarist Mississippi-born bluesman whose hypnotic, one-chord boogie from Detroit made him a hero to British rock bands and a star again in his seventies.
• 1913 – 2000 Loretta Young (1913-2000) American actress with a career from silent films to her own TV show, winning an Oscar for The Farmer's Daughter.
• 1913 – 2005 Rosa Parks Civil rights defiance Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat in 1955, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and galvanising the civil rights movement.
• 1914 – 2000 Alec Guinness (1914-2000) English actor who moved from the Ealing comedies to The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.
• 1916 – 2006 Glenn Ford (1916-2006) Canadian-born American actor, a leading man in Gilda, The Big Heat, Blackboard Jungle and 3:10 to Yuma.
• 1917 – 2007 Jane Wyman (1917-2007) American actress who won an Oscar for Johnny Belinda, starred in Falcon Crest and was Ronald Reagan's first wife.
• 1917 – 2008 J. D. Salinger American novelist Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye, capturing teenage alienation and postwar disillusionment.
• 1920 – 2006 Shelley Winters (1920-2006) American actress with a career of six decades, winner of two Oscars, for The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue.
• 1921 – 2007 Deborah Kerr (1921-2007) Scottish actress known for refined roles in Black Narcissus, From Here to Eternity and The King and I, with six Oscar nominations.
• 1927 – 2004 Janet Leigh (1927-2004) American actress best remembered for the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho, and mother of Jamie Lee Curtis.
• 1928 – 2007 Karlheinz Stockhausen Electronic music pioneer German avant-garde composer who pioneered electronic and serial music. His work Gesang der Jünglinge is a landmark of electronic composition.
• 1931 – 2007 Ursula K. Le Guin American novelist Le Guin wrote science fiction and fantasy exploring society, gender, and anthropology.
• 1932 – 2003 Johnny Cash American singer-songwriter, "The Man in Black" Johnny Cash (1932-2003) was an American singer-songwriter whose stark baritone, songs of faith, hardship and redemption, and lifelong identification with prisoners and the poor made him one of the most influential artists in American music. The only artist inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, Songwriters, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame, he sold over 90 million records across a career spanning five decades.
• 1943 – 2001 George Harrison Guitarist, singer-songwriter Lead guitarist of the Beatles, who brought Indian music to the West and made All Things Must Pass and the first charity rock concert.
• 1960 – 2009 Third most successful UK chart act Behind Elvis & Cliff only With 69 UK chart singles between 1959 and the 2000s — 35 as The Shadows and 34 as Cliff Richard & The Shadows — the band became the third most successful act in UK Singles Chart history, behind only Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard.
• 1963 – 2001 35 world records -- the habit of excellence Between 26 May 1984 (5.85m, Bratislava) and 31 July 1994 (6.14m, Sestriere), Bubka sets 35 world records: 17 outdoor, 18 indoor. The frequency and the method are distinctive: he typically raises the record by 1cm at a time, clears the new height on his first or second attempt, then stops -- a practice that maximises the appearance fees and record bonuses attached to each new mark, while preserving energy for competition. Critics call it cynical; supporters call it rational. Either way, the cumulative effect is a decade of continuous record-setting that changes the perceived limits of the event.
• 1993 – 2001 Clinton presidency 42nd President — 1993 to 2001 Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. He presided over budget surpluses and the dot-com boom, brokered peace in Northern Ireland and the Balkans, but was impeached over the Lewinsky scandal.
• 1997 – 2006 The numbers -- a career in statistics Across his nine years of elite competition (1997-2006), Ian Thorpe accumulates: 5 Olympic gold medals (2 silver, 2 bronze); 13 World Aquatics Championship gold medals; 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals; 22 world records (long course); 4 Swimming World Swimmer of the Year awards; 5 consecutive Australian Swimmer of the Year titles (1999-2003); and 4 Sport Australia Male Athlete of the Year awards. He is the only Olympian to win medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle at the same Games (Athens 2004). He is the first swimmer to win six gold medals at a single World Championships (Fukuoka 2001). No Australian has won more Olympic gold medals than his five (equal with Emma McKeon as of his retirement).
• 2000 – 2006 Celebrity and television -- Australia's sporting icon At the peak of his fame (2000-2006), Thorpe is the most recognisable face in Australian sport and one of the most recognisable Australians internationally. He becomes an ambassador for Armani, launches his own jewellery and underwear lines, appears in television programmes (including the 2002 reality show Undercover Angels, which he hosts but which critics pan), and is a spokesperson for the unsuccessful New York bid for the 2012 Olympics. He attends the 2011 Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton as a guest. His celebrity is simultaneously a resource (commercial opportunities, platform for advocacy) and a burden (the scrutiny that compounds his depression).
• 2000 Last playoff trip of the Ewing era The Knicks make their final playoff appearance with Ewing on the roster before his trade the following year.
• 2000 – present Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II One stealth fighter, three versions The single-engine stealth fighter built in three versions — conventional, short take-off/vertical landing and carrier — and the most expensive weapons programme in history.
• 2000 Sydney 2000 -- three golds, two silvers, flag bearer The 2000 Sydney Olympics are the culmination of Thorpe's early career and the moment that transforms him from champion swimmer into national icon. At 17, carrying the weight of the entire country's expectations in his home city, he wins: gold in the 400m freestyle (breaking his own world record); gold in the 4×100m freestyle relay (in a famous race where Australia, responding to American Gary Hall Jr's pre-race boast about smashing them "like guitars," wins and celebrates by playing air guitar on the pool deck); gold in the 4×200m freestyle relay (world record); silver in the 200m freestyle behind Pieter van den Hoogenband; and silver in the 4×100m medley relay heats. He is named the most successful athlete of the entire Sydney Olympics and carries the Australian flag at the closing ceremony.
• 2000 The air guitar relay -- one of sport's great moments The 4×100m freestyle relay at Sydney 2000 is one of the defining moments of Australian sporting history. American swimmer Gary Hall Jr. publicly predicts that the US will "smash" Australia "like guitars." Australia wins. Thorpe, Michael Klim and their teammates celebrate on the pool deck by playing air guitar -- one of the most spontaneous and memorable celebrations in Olympic history. Hall Jr. later acknowledges it graciously: "I doff my cap to the great Ian Thorpe. He had a better finish than I had." The moment captures something essential about Thorpe's era: competitive excellence delivered with style and good humour.
• 2000 Young Australian of the Year 2000 In 2000 Thorpe is named Young Australian of the Year -- one of Australia's most prestigious civic honours, recognising "outstanding Australians aged 16 to 30 years." The award, combined with his Olympic success in the Sydney Games, makes him arguably the most celebrated young Australian of his generation. The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), awarded by Queen Elizabeth II for service to sport as an Olympic gold medallist, follows in 2001. He is 17-18. The weight of national celebrity at this age -- with its implicit demand for continuous perfection -- is a burden that shapes everything that follows.
• 2000 Dot-com bubble bursts NASDAQ loses 78% of its value The dot-com bubble burst in 2000-2001 as the NASDAQ Composite fell from its peak of 5,048 in March 2000 to 1,114 by October 2002, wiping out $5 trillion in market value.
• 2000 Gladiator Oscar Best Picture 2000 — $460m worldwide Directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe. A Roman general is betrayed, enslaved, and becomes a gladiator seeking revenge. Won 5 Academy Awards.
• 2000 Fall of Milosevic Serbian revolution ousts dictator Mass protests in Belgrade on October 5, 2000 toppled Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic after he refused to accept election results.
• 2000 US Election 2000 Bush vs Gore — 36-day recount The US presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore ended in a 36-day recount in Florida. The Supreme Court halted the recount, handing victory to Bush by 537 votes.
• 2001 2001 World Championships -- six golds, unprecedented At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Thorpe wins six gold medals: 200m freestyle (world record), 400m freestyle (world record), 800m freestyle (world record), 4×100m freestyle relay, 4×200m freestyle relay (world record), and 4×100m medley relay. Six gold medals in a single World Championships is an achievement without precedent in the history of the sport. He is 18 years old. The performance confirms what Sydney 2000 suggested: Thorpe is not simply the best swimmer of his generation but one of the most dominant individual athletes the sport has ever produced.
• 2001 China joins the World Trade Organization The world's factory enters global trade — reshaping the world economy China's accession to the World Trade Organization on 11 December 2001 was the most consequential event in global trade since World War II. It accelerated China's integration into the global economy, making it the world's manufacturing hub. Within a decade China became the world's second largest economy, overtaking Japan in 2010. Its export-driven growth transformed supply chains, prices and manufacturing employment worldwide.
• 2001 – 2025 Oscar Best Picture Winners 2001–2025 The Academy's top film of each year Twenty-five years of Best Picture winners, from A Beautiful Mind to One Battle After Another — blockbusters, silent films, a Korean thriller and a streaming first.
• 2001 Retirement from competition Bubka retires from competitive pole vaulting in 2001, aged 37. He has competed at the elite level for nearly 20 years. His final competitive years (1998-2001) are marked by injuries and declining performances relative to his peak, but he remains a presence in the sport. At retirement he holds both the indoor (6.15m) and outdoor (6.14m) world records -- records that will not be broken for another 19 and 19 years respectively.
• 2001 – 2009 G.W. Bush presidency 43rd President — 2001 to 2009 George W. Bush served as the 43rd President from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009. He led the War on Terror following 9/11, invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, and responded to Hurricane Katrina.
• 2001 Shrek #3 film of 2001 — $484m worldwide Directed by Andrew Adamson at DreamWorks Animation. An ogre sets out to rescue a princess, accompanied by a talking donkey.
• 2001 Wimbledon 2001 Men: Goran Ivanišević · Women: Venus Williams Ivanišević, a wildcard entry, won Wimbledon in one of sport's greatest fairy tales. He was ranked 125th and had lost three previous Wimbledon finals.
• 2001 9/11 attacks 2,977 killed in worst terrorist attack in history Al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger aircraft on September 11, 2001. Two were flown into the World Trade Center in New York, one into the Pentagon, and one crashed in Pennsylvania. 2,977 people were killed.
• 2001 Star Trek: Enterprise — Season 1 A prequel series set a century before the original series, following Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) aboard the first Warp 5 starship. Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, it launches on UPN and struggles in its early seasons with low ratings despite genuine ambitions.
• 2001 War in Afghanistan begins US invades following 9/11 The United States and NATO allies launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, in response to the 9/11 attacks and the Taliban's refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.
• 2001 iPod launched Apple revolutionises music Apple launched the iPod on October 23, 2001, a portable digital music player that could hold 1,000 songs. It transformed the music industry and paved the way for the iPhone.
• 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone #1 film of 2001 — $974m worldwide Directed by Chris Columbus, starring Daniel Radcliffe. A young wizard discovers his magical heritage and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
• 2001 George Harrison dies Lost to lung cancer — November 29, 2001 George Harrison died of lung cancer on November 29, 2001, aged 58, at a friend's home in Los Angeles. He had been diagnosed in 1997. His final album Brainwashed was completed by his son Dhani and released posthumously in 2002.
• 2001 Enron collapses Largest US bankruptcy at the time Energy giant Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, following a massive accounting fraud scandal. It was the largest corporate bankruptcy in US history at the time.
• 2001 Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring #2 film of 2001 — $898m worldwide Directed by Peter Jackson, starring Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen. A hobbit inherits a powerful ring and must destroy it before the Dark Lord can reclaim it.
• 2002 2002 Commonwealth Games Manchester -- six golds At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Thorpe wins six gold medals and a silver -- one of the great individual Commonwealth Games performances in history. He is 19-20. His dominance of the 200m and 400m freestyle is now so complete that races in these events are effectively contests for second place. His 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals across his career is the equal-most in Australian history. The Manchester Games also produce one of his most famous individual performances: his 400m freestyle time leaves the field behind.
• 2002 – 2014 The physical Thorpedo -- what made him exceptional Thorpe's physical profile is extraordinary even by elite athletic standards: 6 feet 5 inches tall, 230 pounds, with a shoe size of 17 (his custom-made racing fins are famously enormous), an arm span matching his height, and the most powerful leg kick of any swimmer of his era -- eight to ten beats per two arm strokes, compared to the standard six. His signature stroke is a rolling, rhythmic freestyle built around leverage and timing rather than brute force. His coach Doug Frost develops a race strategy in which Thorpe's second 100m of the 400m freestyle is faster than his first -- a negative split that becomes his tactical trademark. The combination of physical advantage and technical refinement is what produces 22 world records across distances from 200m to 800m.
• 2002 Euro coins and notes launched Single currency enters circulation Euro coins and banknotes entered circulation in 12 European countries on January 1, 2002, replacing national currencies including the Deutschmark, French franc and Italian lira.
• 2002 Iditarod 2002 Winner: Martin Buser — 8 days 22h Martin Buser won his fourth Iditarod and set a new course record of 8 days and 22 hours — the first sub-9-day finish on the southern route.
• 2002 Spider-Man #1 film of 2002 — $821m worldwide Directed by Sam Raimi, starring Tobey Maguire. A high school student bitten by a radioactive spider gains superpowers and fights crime.
• 2002 Coach Peter Carter killed in car accident Turning point in Federer's career and character Roger Federer's beloved long-time coach Peter Carter died in a car accident in South Africa in August 2002. The tragedy profoundly affected Federer, who had known Carter since childhood. Many observers noted that after Carter's death, Federer's on-court temperament transformed from volatile to composed — the beginning of the Federer the world came to admire.
• 2002 US Open 2002 Men: Pete Sampras · Women: Serena Williams Sampras' 14th and final Grand Slam in his last professional match.
• 2002 Die Another Day — Pierce Brosnan Brosnan's final Bond film. After being captured by North Korea and left for dead, Bond escapes and hunts down a traitor. The film celebrates the franchise's 40th anniversary with cameos and references but is critically divisive — its over-reliance on CGI and an invisible Aston Martin provoke considerable backlash. Budget: $142 million. Box office: $431.9 million.
• 2002 Star Trek: Nemesis The final TNG theatrical film and the nadir of the Next Generation era. Picard faces a clone of himself (Tom Hardy) who leads the Romulan Empire. Director Stuart Baird reportedly had no familiarity with Star Trek. Poor reviews and a catastrophic box office performance ($67 million against a $60 million budget) ends the TNG film series. The franchise enters a five-year dormancy.
• 2002 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers #2 film of 2002 — $926m worldwide Directed by Peter Jackson. The fellowship is broken and its members face new challenges as Sauron's forces grow.
• 2003 Australian Open 2003 Men: Andre Agassi · Women: Serena Williams Serena completed the Serena Slam — holding all four Grand Slams simultaneously.
• 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster 7 astronauts killed on re-entry Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, killing all seven crew members. The accident was caused by foam damage to the heat shield.
• 2003 Iraq War begins US-led invasion of Iraq A US-led coalition invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, aiming to remove Saddam Hussein and eliminate alleged weapons of mass destruction. No WMDs were found.
• 2003 Wimbledon 2003 The Championships, 23 June - 6 July 2003 The 2003 Wimbledon Championships, the 117th edition, played on the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club from 23 June to 6 July 2003. Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam title, defeating Mark Philippoussis in the final -- the first of his record eight Wimbledon titles. Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus Williams in the Ladies' final to successfully defend her title. Defending men's champion Lleyton Hewitt suffered a shock first-round exit to Ivo Karlovic, the first time in the Open Era a reigning champion lost in round one.
• 2003 Wimbledon 2003 Men: Roger Federer · Women: Serena Williams Roger Federer won his first Wimbledon title, beginning one of the greatest dynasties in tennis history.
• 2003 European heatwave 2003 70,000 dead across Europe An unprecedented heatwave struck Europe in August 2003, with temperatures exceeding 40°C across France, Germany and Italy. An estimated 70,000 people died, mostly elderly.
• 2003 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King #1 film of 2003 — $1.12bn worldwide Directed by Peter Jackson. The final chapter of the trilogy. Won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture — equalling the all-time record.
• 2004 "The Final Tour" 37 UK concerts The Shadows embarked on "The Final Tour" — a series of 37 concerts across the United Kingdom — intended as a definitive farewell after a 45-year career.
• 2004 – 2006 After Athens -- a year away, then illness After Athens 2004, Thorpe takes a planned sabbatical from competitive swimming -- the first real break in a career that began when he was 14. He is 22 years old, has been the most scrutinised athlete in Australia for seven years, and has accumulated five Olympic golds, 13 World Championship titles and a fatigue -- physical and emotional -- that goes beyond what a training break can address. He attempts to return for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games but falls ill with what is initially diagnosed as bronchitis and turns out to be glandular fever. He withdraws from the Commonwealth Games without competing.
• 2004 Athens 2004 -- the false start and the comeback The road to Athens 2004 contains one of the most dramatic pre-Olympic incidents in Australian swimming history. At the Olympic trials, Thorpe false starts in the 400m freestyle -- falling into the pool off the blocks -- and is disqualified from the event. His place on the team in the 400m is saved only when teammate Craig Stevens generously withdraws from the event to allow Thorpe to take his spot. Thorpe responds at Athens with two gold medals (200m freestyle, a new Olympic record of 1:44.71; 400m freestyle), a silver (4×200m freestyle relay) and a bronze (100m freestyle) -- the only athlete in history to win medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle at the same Olympics.
• 2004 Athens 200m -- revenge over van den Hoogenband Thorpe's 200m freestyle gold at Athens 2004 -- ahead of American Michael Phelps and Dutch swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband, who had beaten him in the same event at Sydney 2000 -- is widely considered his finest single performance. His Olympic record of 1:44.71 is set in the heats and broken by his own final performance. The race is a statement: at 21, in what will prove to be his last Olympics, he beats Phelps (who wins eight gold medals at Athens overall) in the marquee individual freestyle event. It is the perfect ending to an Olympic career that began when he was 17 in Sydney.
• 2004 Final studio album Released alongside The Final Tour Released a final studio album to accompany The Final Tour, drawing a line under their original recording career — though further reunions would follow.
• 2004 – 2006 The X Factor -- making the final 12 Bennett enters the UK edition of The X Factor in her mid-teens, making it through to the final 12 before being eliminated. The result is disappointing but the exposure is significant: it brings her to the attention of industry figures associated with the show. A phone call following her elimination leads directly to an audition for a new group being assembled in Los Angeles. The X Factor appearance, in its failure, turns out to be the door she needed.
• 2004 – present Thorpe versus Phelps -- the great comparison Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps are the two defining swimmers of the early 21st century -- contemporaries whose careers briefly overlap and whose legacies are permanently intertwined. At Athens 2004, Thorpe beats Phelps in the 200m freestyle -- the race both consider the most important of the Games. Phelps goes on to win 23 Olympic gold medals across four Olympics; Thorpe retires at 24 with five. The comparison is not straightforward: Thorpe's career is effectively nine years long to Phelps's sixteen, and Thorpe's records stand for years after his retirement. If Thorpe had continued through Beijing 2008 in the form he showed at Athens, the career comparison would look very different. Thorpe himself is characteristically gracious on the subject.
• 2004 Welch & Bennett receive OBEs For services to music Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett were both appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004, recognising their decades-long contribution to British music.
• 2004 Federer becomes World No. 1 for first time 2 February 2004 — begins record reign Roger Federer became ATP World Number 1 for the first time on 2 February 2004. He would go on to hold the top ranking for a record 237 consecutive weeks and 310 weeks in total.
• 2004 Facebook founded Mark Zuckerberg launches social network Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard dorm room on February 4, 2004. It grew to over 2.9 billion monthly active users, becoming one of the most valuable companies in history.
• 2004 Madrid train bombings 191 killed in Spain Al-Qaeda-inspired bombers detonated ten bombs on four commuter trains in Madrid on March 11, 2004, killing 191 people and injuring over 1,800.
• 2004 EU expands to 25 nations Ten new countries join European Union Ten new countries including Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and the Baltic states joined the European Union on May 1, 2004, in the largest single expansion in EU history.
• 2004 Google IPO Search giant goes public at $85 per share Google went public on August 19, 2004, raising $1.67 billion in its IPO at $85 per share. By 2024 the share price had grown over 5,000%, making it one of the greatest investments in history.
• 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami 230,000 killed — deadliest natural disaster of 21st century A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra generated a massive tsunami on December 26, 2004. Waves up to 30 metres high killed approximately 230,000 people across 14 countries.
• 2005 2005 European farewell tour 27 concerts across Europe The success of "The Final Tour" led to a 2005 sequel: 27 concerts across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK.
• 2005 – 2007 A Bigger Bang Tour Highest-grossing concert tour in history — 2005 to 2007 The A Bigger Bang Tour (2005–2007) grossed $558 million from 147 shows, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour in history at the time, surpassing their own previous record. It was the last major tour with Charlie Watts.
• 2005 Death of Tony Meehan Aged 62 Founding drummer Tony Meehan died in 2005 at the age of 62, after falling down stairs at his home — the first of the founding members to pass away.
• 2005 Eddy Curry trade The Knicks trade two first-round picks to Chicago for center Eddy Curry, a deal that becomes emblematic of the era's mismanagement.
• 2005 – 2022 President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine In 2005 Bubka is elected President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOC Ukraine), a position he holds into the 2020s. The role makes him Ukraine's most senior sports administrator and its primary representative in international Olympic governance. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he becomes one of the most prominent Ukrainian voices in international sports organisations, advocating for Ukraine's right to compete and for sanctions on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
• 2005 YouTube launches Video sharing changes culture YouTube launched publicly in 2005 and was acquired by Google in October 2006 for $1.65 billion. It transformed how people watch, share and create video content globally.
• 2005 Pope John Paul II dies Longest-serving modern pope, age 84 Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005, aged 84, after 26 years as pope. His pontificate was one of the most influential of the 20th century, playing a key role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
• 2005 YouTube founded Video sharing transforms the internet YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by three former PayPal employees. The first video was uploaded on April 23. Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006.
• 2005 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith #1 film of 2005 — $868m worldwide Directed by George Lucas. The final prequel depicts Anakin Skywalker's turn to the dark side and transformation into Darth Vader.
• 2005 French Open 2005 Men: Rafael Nadal · Women: Justine Henin Rafael Nadal won his first Roland Garros, beginning the most dominant single-tournament dynasty in tennis history.
• 2005 Batman Begins Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy begins Directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale. A gritty, realistic origin story of Bruce Wayne's transformation into Batman.
• 2005 7/7 London bombings 52 killed on London transport Four suicide bombers detonated explosives on three London Underground trains and one bus on July 7, 2005, killing 52 people and injuring over 700.
• 2005 Hurricane Katrina 1,800 killed, New Orleans devastated Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, causing catastrophic flooding in New Orleans when levees failed. 1,836 people died and damage exceeded $125 billion.
• 2005 A Bigger Bang Twenty-second album — September 6, 2005 A Bigger Bang was released on September 6, 2005, their first studio album in eight years. Stripped back to a guitar-based sound, it reached number 2 in the UK. The supporting tour became the highest-grossing concert tour in history at the time.
• 2005 Angela Merkel becomes Chancellor First female German Chancellor Angela Merkel became Germany's first female Chancellor on November 22, 2005, a position she would hold for 16 years until 2021.
• 2006 – 2007 Moves to Los Angeles at 17 Following the call resulting from her X Factor appearance, Bennett travels to Los Angeles to audition for a new girl group being assembled by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin and Interscope Records head Jimmy Iovine. She makes the cut and relocates to LA at 17 -- a significant commitment for a teenager from a Kent village. The move marks the beginning of her professional career and her decade-long relationship with Antin, who will remain the central figure in her musical life through both Paradiso Girls and later G.R.L.
• 2006 Twitter launched Microblogging transforms communication Twitter launched on March 21, 2006, with Jack Dorsey posting the first tweet. The platform grew to become a primary channel for news, politics and public discourse.
• 2006 Retirement at 24 -- November 2006 In November 2006, Thorpe shocks the Australian sporting public by announcing his retirement at 24. He is, by any objective measure, still at or near the peak of his physical powers -- but the illness, the years of relentless competition and media scrutiny, and a deeper personal struggle with depression and identity have made continuation impossible. He later describes the retirement as driven partly by fear of life outside swimming but also by the knowledge that the claustrophobic media attention and competitive pressure were unsustainable. He has won 5 Olympic golds, 13 World Championship titles and set 22 world records. He is 24.
• 2006 Casino Royale — Daniel Craig The franchise reinvents itself completely. Daniel Craig's portrayal — blond, brutal and emotionally raw — is initially the most controversial casting in Bond history. The backlash evaporates within minutes of the film opening. The pre-credits parkour chase and the poker game at the Casino Royale are landmark sequences. Eva Green is the finest Bond woman in the franchise's history. Budget: $150 million. Box office: $599.0 million.
• 2007 – 2010 Paradiso Girls -- the beginning The Paradiso Girls are formed in 2007 under Robin Antin and Jimmy Iovine, with a deliberate concept: a multinational girl group, each member from a different country. The final lineup of five includes Chelsea Korka (USA), Aria Crescendo (France), Shar Mae Amor (Philippines), Kelly Beckett (UK) and Lauren Bennett (UK). Signed to Interscope Records, they are conceived as a Pussycat Dolls-adjacent act combining pop, R&B and dance music. Bennett is 18 when the group forms and, having just relocated from Kent, is beginning her professional career in earnest.
• 2007 Netflix streaming launches Video-on-demand revolution begins Netflix launched its video streaming service in 2007, initially alongside DVD rentals. Within a decade it had transformed how the world watches television and film.
• 2007 iPhone launched Apple reinvents the mobile phone Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone on January 9, 2007, combining a phone, iPod and internet device in one touchscreen device. It transformed the smartphone industry and modern life.
• 2007 Android launched Google's mobile operating system debuts Google announced the Android mobile operating system on November 5, 2007. It grew to power over 70% of the world's smartphones, fundamentally changing computing and communications.
• 2008 – 2009 50th anniversary tour with Cliff Richard Europe, Australia, NZ, South Africa To mark fifty years since Cliff Richard and the Shadows first performed together, the band toured Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa — a global celebration of one of British music's longest-running partnerships.
• 2008 Donnie Walsh hired, rebuild begins Donnie Walsh is brought in as president to begin clearing salary cap space for a future star pursuit.
• 2008 – present Hall of Fame, philanthropy and advocacy Thorpe is inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2008. In the years after his 2014 coming-out he becomes a visible advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and equality in Australia, using his profile to support the campaign for marriage equality and to raise awareness around mental health and depression. He co-founds the Ian Thorpe Foundation for Youth Trust, which raises funds for children with life-threatening illnesses and for indigenous education. He receives an honorary doctorate from Macquarie University in October 2014. He is recognised as GQ Australia's Man of Influence. His post-swimming career is one of gradual, hard-won personal reintegration -- the public face of survival.
• 2008 – present IOC member and athletics administrator Bubka becomes a member of the International Olympic Committee in 2008, joining the Athletes' Commission and later chairing the IOC's Athletes' Career Programme. He also serves on the IAAF (later World Athletics) Council and runs for the IAAF presidency in 2015, finishing second to Sebastian Coe. His administrative career brings him into the centre of global sport governance at the highest level -- a continuation of his competitive career's theme of operating at the absolute apex of his field.
• 2008 Australian Open 2008 Men: Novak Djokovic · Women: Maria Sharapova Djokovic's first Grand Slam.
• 2008 Iron Man Marvel Cinematic Universe begins Directed by Jon Favreau, starring Robert Downey Jr. A weapons manufacturer builds an armoured suit to escape captivity and becomes a superhero. The film that launched the MCU.
• 2008 Sichuan earthquake 87,000 killed in China A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Sichuan province, China on May 12, 2008, killing approximately 87,000 people and leaving 4.8 million homeless.
• 2008 French Open 2008 Men: Rafael Nadal (6-1, 6-3, 6-0) · Women: Ana Ivanović Nadal demolished Federer 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 in the final — one of the most one-sided Grand Slam finals ever.
• 2008 Wimbledon 2008 — greatest final ever Men: Rafael Nadal · Women: Venus Williams Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 in what is widely regarded as the greatest tennis match ever played. The final lasted nearly 5 hours and was halted twice by rain.
• 2008 The Dark Knight #2 film of 2008 — $1.0bn worldwide Directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger as the Joker. Widely regarded as one of the greatest superhero films ever made.
• 2008 Beijing Olympic Games China announces itself to the world The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics opened on 8 August 2008 with a spectacular ceremony watched by an estimated 1 billion people. China topped the gold medal table with 51 golds. The games were China's symbolic coming-out party as a global superpower — a showcase of its economic achievement, organisational capability and national pride. The Bird's Nest stadium and Water Cube became global architectural icons.
• 2008 Beijing Olympics China hosts spectacular Summer Games The Beijing Olympic Games opened on 08/08/08 with a spectacular ceremony. China topped the gold medal table for the first time. Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals — a single Games record.
• 2008 Global bank bailouts Governments rescue financial system Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, governments worldwide pumped trillions into failing banks to prevent a total financial system collapse. The US TARP programme alone provided $700 billion.
• 2008 Large Hadron Collider starts CERN's particle accelerator first beam The Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva fired its first beam of particles on September 10, 2008, the most powerful particle accelerator ever built at the time.
• 2008 Lehman Brothers collapses Global financial crisis begins Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 15, 2008, triggering the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression. The $600 billion bankruptcy was the largest in US history.
• 2008 Quantum of Solace — Daniel Craig A direct sequel to Casino Royale — the only true sequel in the franchise's history — following Bond's grief-driven pursuit of the Quantum organisation after the death of Vesper Lynd. The shortest Bond film at 106 minutes. Compromised by the 2007-08 writers' strike, it is the weakest Craig entry but not without qualities. Budget: $200 million. Box office: $591.7 million.
• 2008 Barack Obama elected president First African American US President Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, becoming the first African American to hold the office.
• 2009 – 2010 Who's My Bitch -- and the group disbands The Paradiso Girls follow "Patron Tequila" with the single "Who's My Bitch," but the group is dropped by Interscope Records and disbands in 2010 before achieving the major commercial breakthrough that their debut promised. The dissolution is a setback but not an end: Bennett remains close to Robin Antin and continues working in the Los Angeles music industry. Her relationship with Antin survives the group's collapse and will prove crucial to her next chapter.
• 2009 Uber founded Ride-sharing disrupts transport Uber was founded in San Francisco in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp. It grew to operate in over 70 countries, fundamentally disrupting the taxi industry worldwide.
• 2009 – 2017 Obama presidency 44th President — 2009 to 2017 Barack Obama served as the 44th President from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. He passed the Affordable Care Act, ordered the raid killing Osama bin Laden, and signed the Paris Climate Agreement.
• 2009 Star Trek (2009) — J.J. Abrams reboot J.J. Abrams relaunches the franchise with an alternate "Kelvin Timeline" created by time travel, allowing a new cast to play the original characters — Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldaña as Uhura. Spectacular action, controversial among purists for its departure from Roddenberry's ethos, enormously commercially successful. Budget: $150 million. Gross: $386 million.
• 2009 Patron Tequila -- the debut single The Paradiso Girls' debut single "Patron Tequila," featuring Lil Jon and Eve, is released on 12 May 2009 via Interscope Records. The track peaks at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and introduces the group to a mainstream US audience. The hip-hop-inflected club track suits the group's multinational, Pussycat Dolls-influenced sound. The single's moderate success keeps the group in the industry conversation and leads to a follow-up.
• 2009 French Open 2009 Men: Roger Federer · Women: Svetlana Kuznetsova Federer won his only French Open after Nadal lost in the fourth round. Federer completed the career Grand Slam.
• 2009 Michael Jackson dies King of Pop, age 50 Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, aged 50, from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication administered by his personal physician. His death triggered an outpouring of grief worldwide.
• 2009 Wimbledon 2009 Men: Roger Federer · Women: Serena Williams Federer beat Roddick 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 in an epic final. His 8th Wimbledon and record 15th Grand Slam at the time.
• 2009 US Open 2009 Men: Juan Martín del Potro · Women: Kim Clijsters Del Potro upset Federer in five sets. Clijsters came out of retirement to win.
• 2009 "Reunited" album First studio album with Cliff in 40 years Released "Reunited – Cliff Richard and The Shadows" on 21 September 2009 — celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first recordings together and marking their first studio collaboration in forty years, including the single "Singing the Blues".
• 2009 Star Trek: The Next Generation remastered in HD CBS releases TNG remastered in high definition, with original film elements digitally restored and CGI space effects recreated. The project takes six years and is one of the most extensive television restoration projects in history.
• 2009 Avatar #1 film of 2009 — $2.92bn worldwide Directed by James Cameron, starring Sam Worthington. A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the indigenous Na'vi people. Highest-grossing film ever at the time.