2006

Events in 2006 76

• 1910 – 2006 Jane Wyatt (1910-2006) American actress, the mother in Father Knows Best and Spock's mother in Star Trek.
• 1911 – 2006 Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006) Died 30 August 2006, aged 94 Naguib Mahfouz, the Egyptian novelist and Nobel laureate, died from complications after a fall in Cairo. He was the first Arabic-language writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded in 1988. His Cairo Trilogy remains a landmark of modern Arabic literature.
• 1912 – 2006 Milton Friedman (1912-2006) Died 16 November 2006, aged 94 Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and leading advocate of free-market monetarism, died of heart failure in San Francisco. His ideas shaped economic policy under Reagan, Thatcher and beyond. He remains one of the most influential economists of the 20th century.
• 1913 – 2006 Gerald Ford 38th President — never elected VP or President Gerald Ford (Jul 14, 1913 – Dec 26, 2006) was the 38th President 1974-1977, the only person to serve as both VP and President without being elected to either. He controversially pardoned Nixon and was the longest-lived president at 93.
• 1914 – 2006 Fayard Nicholas (1914-2006) American dancer, one of the Nicholas Brothers, famous for acrobatic tap routines.
• 1915 – 2006 Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006) Died 10 December 2006, aged 91 Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator who ruled from 1973 to 1990, died while facing numerous charges for human rights abuses and corruption. His seventeen-year rule was marked by the killing and disappearance of thousands of opponents. He never stood trial for the crimes committed under his regime.
• 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 – 2006 Red Auerbach (1917-2006) Died 28 October 2006, aged 89 Red Auerbach, the legendary coach and executive who built the Boston Celtics dynasty, died of a heart attack in Washington, D.C. He won nine NBA championships as head coach, including eight in a row. He remained the Celtics' president and a fixture of the franchise until his death.
• 1917 – 2006 June Allyson (1917-2006) American actress and singer, MGM's girl next door of the 1940s and 1950s.
• 1919 – 2006 Jack Palance (1919-2006) Died 10 November 2006, aged 87 Jack Palance, the American actor known for menacing villain roles and his Oscar-winning turn in "City Slickers," died of natural causes at his home in Pennsylvania. His decades-long career spanned westerns, dramas and comedies. He was known for performing one-armed push-ups on stage after winning his Academy Award.
• 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 – 2006 Betty Friedan (1921-2006) Died 4 February 2006, aged 85 Betty Friedan, author of "The Feminine Mystique" and co-founder of the National Organization for Women, died on her 85th birthday. Her 1963 book is widely credited with sparking the second wave of American feminism. She remained an influential feminist voice until her death.
• 1924 – 2006 Don Knotts (1924-2006) Died 24 February 2006, aged 81 Don Knotts, the American actor and comedian best known as Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show," died of pulmonary and respiratory complications. He won five Emmy Awards for the role. His comic timing made him one of television's most recognizable character actors.
• 1925 – 2006 Robert Altman (1925-2006) Died 20 November 2006, aged 81 Robert Altman, the acclaimed American film director known for "M*A*S*H," "Nashville" and "The Player," died of complications from leukemia. He had received an honorary Academy Award earlier that year in recognition of his career. His overlapping-dialogue ensemble style influenced generations of filmmakers.
• 1927 – 2006 Ferenc Puskás The Galloping Major Leader of the "Magical Magyars" and Real Madrid icon; the FIFA Puskás Award is named in his honor.
• 1927 – 2006 Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) Died 30 January 2006, aged 78 Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King Jr. and a civil rights leader in her own right, died following a stroke and complications from ovarian cancer. She had continued civil rights activism for decades after her husband's assassination. Her funeral was attended by four US presidents.
• 1929 – 2006 Oriana Fallaci (1929-2006) Died 15 September 2006, aged 77 Oriana Fallaci, the Italian journalist and war correspondent famed for her combative interviews with world leaders, died of cancer in Florence. Her later writing on Islam and the West drew both acclaim and controversy. She remained one of the most influential Italian journalists of her generation.
• 1932 – 2006 Lamar Hunt (1932-2006) Died 13 December 2006, aged 74 Lamar Hunt, the American sports magnate who founded the American Football League and helped create the Super Bowl, died of prostate cancer. He was also a founding figure in North American professional soccer. He is credited with coining the term "Super Bowl."
• 1933 – 2006 James Brown (1933-2006) Died 25 December 2006, aged 73 James Brown, the American singer known as the "Godfather of Soul," died of heart failure on Christmas Day. His decades-long career shaped funk, soul and hip-hop music. Tributes and memorial services were held in his honor in several US cities.
• 1937 – 2006 Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) Died 30 December 2006, aged 69 Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, was executed by hanging after being convicted of crimes against humanity for the 1982 Dujail massacre. His trial and execution were broadcast and photographed despite official restrictions, causing international controversy. His death marked a symbolic end to the Baathist era in Iraq.
• 1939 – 2006 Ali Farka Touré (1939-2006) Died 6 March 2006, aged 66 Ali Farka Touré, the Malian singer and guitarist celebrated for blending traditional West African music with blues, died of bone cancer in Bamako. He won multiple Grammy Awards for his collaborative albums. He is widely regarded as one of Africa's most influential musicians.
• 1941 – 2006 Wilson Pickett (1941-2006) Died 19 January 2006, aged 64 Wilson Pickett, the American soul singer known for hits like "In the Midnight Hour" and "Mustang Sally," died of a heart attack in Virginia. He was one of the defining voices of 1960s soul music. He had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
• 1941 – 2006 Slobodan Milošević (1941-2006) Died 11 March 2006, aged 64 Slobodan Milošević, former President of Serbia and Yugoslavia, died of a heart attack in his cell at the UN detention center in The Hague. He was on trial for genocide and war crimes committed during the Yugoslav wars when he died, and the tribunal proceedings were formally terminated. No verdict was ever reached.
• 1942 – 2006 Ken Lay (1942-2006) Died 5 July 2006, aged 64 Kenneth Lay, founder and former chairman of Enron, died of a heart attack at his home in Colorado weeks before his scheduled sentencing. He had been convicted of fraud and conspiracy over the company's 2001 collapse. His conviction was later vacated because he died before sentencing.
• 1946 – 2006 Syd Barrett (1946-2006) Died 7 July 2006, aged 60 Syd Barrett, founding member and original guitarist of Pink Floyd, died of complications from diabetes at his home in Cambridge, England. He left the band in 1968 after struggles with mental health, becoming a reclusive figure. His early songwriting shaped the band's psychedelic sound.
• 1962 – 2006 Steve Irwin (1962-2006) Died 4 September 2006, aged 44 Steve Irwin, the Australian wildlife expert known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed by a stingray barb while filming near the Great Barrier Reef. His death was mourned worldwide and drew attention to marine safety. He was remembered for popularizing wildlife conservation on television.
• 1962 – 2006 Alexander Litvinenko (1962-2006) Died 23 November 2006, aged 43 Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian FSB officer living in exile in London, died three weeks after being poisoned with radioactive polonium-210. A British inquiry later concluded the killing was probably approved by the Russian state. The case severely strained UK-Russia relations.
• 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).
• 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 – 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.
• 2006 – present Drake Drizzy The most streamed artist of the 2010s; blurred the lines between singing and rapping.
• 2006 Kramnik reunifies the world championship Defeats Topalov to end split era Kramnik defeated FIDE champion Veselin Topalov in a controversial match in Elista in 2006, reunifying the World Chess Championship title that had been split since 1993.
• 2006 Lordi Wins Eurovision Hard Rock Hallelujah The first time Finland won the Eurovision Song Contest, a moment of massive national celebration.
• 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 The Departed Best Picture — 79th Academy Awards Martin Scorsese's Boston crime thriller, a remake of Infernal Affairs, which finally brought Scorsese his directing Oscar.
• 2006 Stardust returns comet samples First comet material brought to Earth NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned to Earth on January 15, 2006, carrying samples from comet Wild 2 — the first comet material ever brought back to Earth for study.
• 2006 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf inaugurated as Liberia's president First elected female head of state in Africa Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as President of Liberia after winning the 2005 election. She became the first woman elected as a head of state anywhere in Africa. Her presidency focused on postwar reconstruction after Liberia's civil wars.
• 2006 New Horizons launches toward Pluto NASA probe begins nine-year journey NASA launched the New Horizons spacecraft from Cape Canaveral on a mission to fly past Pluto and its moons. It was the fastest spacecraft ever launched at the time. The probe would go on to make its historic Pluto flyby in 2015.
• 2006 Hamas wins Palestinian legislative election Upset victory over Fatah Hamas won a decisive majority in elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, defeating the long-dominant Fatah party. The result led Israel, the US and EU to cut off direct aid, and deepened the Fatah-Hamas rift. It reshaped Palestinian politics for years afterward.
• 2006 Muhammad cartoons controversy escalates Global protests over Danish newspaper drawings Reprinting of Jyllands-Posten's cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad by other European papers triggered mass protests across the Muslim world. Danish embassies were attacked and boycotts of Danish goods spread widely. The episode became a flashpoint in debates over free speech and religious sensitivity.
• 2006 2006 Winter Olympics XX Winter Games - Turin Italy hosted for the second time; winner: Germany.
• 2006 Al-Askari Mosque bombing Attack on Samarra's Shia shrine Bombers destroyed the golden dome of the al-Askari Shrine, one of Shia Islam's holiest sites, in Samarra, Iraq. The attack unleashed a wave of sectarian reprisal killings between Sunni and Shia militias. It marked a sharp escalation of Iraq's sectarian civil conflict.
• 2006 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enters orbit NASA probe begins mapping Mars NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter successfully entered orbit around Mars after a seven-month journey. It carried the highest-resolution camera yet sent to another planet. The spacecraft went on to scout landing sites and study the Martian surface for years.
• 2006 The Da Vinci Code #2 film of 2006 — $758m worldwide Directed by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks. A Harvard symbologist investigates a murder inside the Louvre and discovers a secret society.
• 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 ETA declares permanent ceasefire Basque separatist group halts violence The Basque separatist group ETA announced a "permanent" ceasefire after decades of bombings and assassinations in Spain. The Spanish government opened tentative peace talks in response. The truce broke down within the year.
• 2006 2006 World Snooker Championship Graeme Dott Victory Winner: Graeme Dott; Runner-up: Peter Ebdon. Score: 18–14.
• 2006 An Inconvenient Truth released Al Gore's climate change documentary The documentary, built around Al Gore's slideshow presentation on global warming, was released in US theaters. It became a surprise box-office success and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film helped push climate change into mainstream public debate.
• 2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest #1 film of 2006 — $1.07bn worldwide Directed by Gore Verbinski, starring Johnny Depp. Captain Jack Sparrow races to find the heart of Davy Jones to avoid becoming his slave.
• 2006 Montenegro declares independence Split from Serbia and Montenegro Following a referendum in which just over 55% voted for independence, Montenegro's parliament formally declared the country independent. This ended the union with Serbia and dissolved the last remnant of the former Yugoslavia. Montenegro was admitted to the United Nations later that year.
• 2006 HPV vaccine approved First cancer-preventing vaccine The FDA approved Gardasil, the first vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), on June 8, 2006. HPV causes most cervical cancers, making it the first vaccine specifically designed to prevent a cancer.
• 2006 Cars #4 film of 2006 — $462m worldwide Directed by John Lasseter at Pixar. A racing car gets lost in a small town and learns what is truly important in life.
• 2006 Italy wins the World Cup amid Zidane headbutt Final marked by Zidane's red card Italy defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final in Berlin to win its fourth title. The match is remembered for French captain Zinedine Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi and being sent off in his final international appearance. It became one of the most replayed moments in football history.
• 2006 Mumbai train bombings Seven bombs on commuter trains Seven coordinated bomb blasts struck packed commuter trains on Mumbai's Western Railway line during evening rush hour. The attacks killed over 180 people and injured hundreds more. Indian authorities blamed Pakistan-based militant groups.
• 2006 2006 Lebanon War Israel-Hezbollah conflict Hezbollah's cross-border raid and rocket attacks triggered a 34-day war with Israel across southern Lebanon. Extensive Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion caused over a thousand deaths, mostly Lebanese civilians. A UN-brokered ceasefire ended the fighting in mid-August.
• 2006 Fidel Castro cedes power to Raúl Castro Temporary transfer after intestinal surgery Fidel Castro provisionally handed presidential powers to his brother Raúl after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery. He did not appear in public for months, fueling speculation about his health. The transfer proved to be the beginning of a permanent succession.
• 2006 Grigori Perelman declines the Fields Medal Refusal after solving the Poincaré conjecture Grigori Perelman was awarded the Fields Medal for his proof of the Poincaré conjecture but declined to accept it or attend the ceremony in Madrid. He later also turned down the $1 million Clay Millennium Prize. His reclusiveness drew as much attention as the mathematical achievement itself.
• 2006 Pluto demoted to dwarf planet IAU redefines what is a planet The International Astronomical Union voted on August 24, 2006 to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet", reducing the number of planets in the solar system from nine to eight.
• 2006 Comair Flight 5191 crash Airliner crashes on takeoff in Lexington A Comair regional jet crashed after attempting takeoff from the wrong, shorter runway at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. Forty-nine of the 50 people aboard were killed. The disaster led to renewed scrutiny of runway safety procedures in the United States.
• 2006 Pope Benedict XVI's Regensburg lecture sparks controversy Remarks on Islam provoke global protests Pope Benedict XVI quoted a Byzantine emperor's critical remarks about Islam during a lecture at the University of Regensburg. The comments triggered protests and attacks on churches across the Muslim world. The Vatican issued clarifications, and the Pope later expressed regret over the reaction.
• 2006 Thai military coup Ousting of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra The Royal Thai Army seized power in a bloodless coup while Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York for the UN General Assembly. The military suspended the constitution and installed an interim government. It was Thailand's first coup since 1991.
• 2006 US Navy retires the Tomcat Final flight, NAS Oceana The Tomcat makes its final US Navy flight. Replaced by the Super Hornet, most retired airframes are shredded to keep spare parts from reaching Iran.
• 2006 Facebook opens to the public End of college-only registration requirement Facebook removed its restriction limiting membership to college students and select networks, opening registration to anyone over 13 with a valid email. User numbers surged in the following months. The move set the site on the path to becoming the dominant global social network.
• 2006 Google buys YouTube $1.65 billion acquisition Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock on October 9, 2006, just 18 months after YouTube was founded. It became one of the most valuable acquisitions in internet history.
• 2006 North Korea conducts first nuclear test Underground detonation at Punggye-ri North Korea announced it had successfully tested a nuclear device at the Punggye-ri site. The test drew international condemnation and led to UN Security Council sanctions. It confirmed North Korea as a de facto nuclear-armed state.
• 2006 Amy Winehouse releases Rehab Signature song Produced by Mark Ronson — her signature song.
• 2006 Amy Winehouse releases Back to Black Soul revival With the Dap-Kings — one of the best-selling British albums of the century.
• 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 US midterm elections shift Congress to Democrats Democrats retake House and Senate Democrats won majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending twelve years of Republican control of Congress. The result was widely read as a rebuke of the Iraq War and the Bush administration. Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House as a result.
• 2006 Sony PlayStation 3 launches Sony's next-generation console arrives Sony released the PlayStation 3 in North America and Japan, featuring the Cell processor and Blu-ray disc support. High launch pricing and limited stock caused early sales friction against Microsoft and Nintendo. It eventually sold over 80 million units over its lifetime.
• 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.
• 2006 Nintendo Wii launches Motion-controlled console debuts Nintendo released the Wii, a home console built around a motion-sensing remote controller. It went on to outsell rival consoles by appealing to casual and non-traditional gamers. The Wii became one of the best-selling consoles in history.
• 2006 F-35 Lightning II first flight Fort Worth, Texas The first F-35A, AA-1, flies from Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant.
• 2006 Ethiopia invades Somalia Intervention against the Islamic Courts Union Ethiopian forces crossed into Somalia to back the weak Transitional Federal Government against the Islamic Courts Union, which had taken control of Mogadishu. Combined with Somali government troops, they quickly routed the Islamist forces. The intervention deepened years of instability and insurgency in Somalia.
• 2006 Madrid airport bombing ends ETA truce Car bomb at Barajas terminal car park ETA detonated a van bomb in a car park at Madrid-Barajas Airport, killing two people and destroying part of the structure. The attack shattered the group's ceasefire declared earlier in the year. Spanish authorities formally ended peace negotiations afterward.