The year 2006 (MMVI) of the Gregorian Calendar began and ended on a Sunday. During the year, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was sentenced and executed for crimes against humanity, Ban-Ki Moon was sworn in as the eigth Secretary General of The United Nations and fundametalist Islamic organization Hamas formally took over the government of Palestine.
The 2006 Winter Olympics were held in Turin, Italy, from February 10-February 26, the 2006 Commonwealth Games took place in Melbourne, Australia between March 15 and March 26 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup soccer championship was held in Germany. The Blu-Ray high-definition disc was introduced in the United States, Google bought the video sharing site YouTube for a reported $1.65 billion and the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii consoles were released.
January 2006
- January 2: An explosion inside the Sago Mine in West Virgina trapped 13 miners, only one would survive.
- January 4: Israel prime minister, Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke and his power was transferred to his deputy, Ehud Olmert.
- January 7: Facing charges of corruption, Texas Republican representative Tom DeLay steps down as House Majority Leader.
February 2006
- February 11: United Arab Emirates based Dubai Ports World signs a deal with the United States to take control of six American ports, the controversial deal would eventually be blocked.
- February 11: Vice President Dick Cheney shoots hunting partner Harry Whittington in the face while hunting for quail.
- February 18: In Palestine, a Hamas dominated parliament is sworn in after winning a significant amount of seats in their legislative election.
March 2006
- March 29: Hamas formally took over the Palestinian government.
April 2006
- April 11: After suffering a stroke in January, Israel officially announces Prime Minister Ariel Sharon permanently incapacitated.
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
- September 29: Florida Republican Representative Mark Foley resigned after sexual communications between himself and teenage boys were released to the press.
September 4 2006
September 4: Australian environmentalist and conversationalist Steve Irwin dies after being stung by a stingray while filming the Great Barrier Reef; he was best know for his series The Crocodile Hunter.
October 2006
- October 9: North Korea announced they have successfully conducted their first Nuclear Weapons test.
- October 9: Google announces it has acquired YouTube, the video sharing website, for 1.65 Billion in stock.
- October 13: Representative from Ohio, Bob Ney pleads guilty for his involvement in the Jack Abramoff Scandal.
- October 23: Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling gets 24 years in prison for his role in largest corporate fraud in history.
November 2006
- November 3: Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney, who had pleaded guilty in the Jack Abramoff scandal, resigned from Congress.
- November 7: Minnesota votes in representative Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in American history to join congress.
November 2 2006
November 2: Popular Colorado Springs Evangelical preacher Ted Haggard resigned as President of the National Association of Evangelicals after being caught in a sex scandal.
November 5 2006
November 5: Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced by the Iraqi High Tribunal to hang for crimes against humanity.
November 18 2006
November 18: Outspoken Scientologist, Tom Cruise and girlfriend Katie Holmes got married in Italy.
December 2006
- December 3: in Venezuela, Hugo Chavez is re-elected as President.
- December 4: George W. Bush accepts United Nations ambassador, John Bolton's resignation after he lacked Senate votes to keep his position.
- December 21: Four Marines are charged with murder for their role in the Haditha Killings in Iraq.
December 6 2006
December 6: The Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton concluded that President George W. Bush's war policies had failed, and said the situation in Iraq was "grave and deteriorating."
December 14 2006
December 14: The United Nations swears in Ban Ki-moon as the eighth Secretary General
New Text Section
Famous Births
Famous Deaths
- Jan. 30: Coretta Scott King
- Feb. 24: Don Knotts
- Mar. 11: Slobodan Milosevic - Serbian war criminal
- Mar. 11: Bernie Geoffrion - Montreal Canadiens Alumni
- Jul. 08: June Allyson - Too Young to Kiss
- Sep. 4: Steve Irwin - Crocodile Hunter
- Sep. 13: Ann Richards
- Nov. 16: Milton Friedman - Economist
- Dec. 10: Augusto Pinochet - Chile Dictator
- Dec. 25: James Brown - Soul Legend
- Dec. 30: Saddam Hussein - Iraq Dictator
Top Box Office Movies
79th Academy Awards
- Presented: February 25, 2007
- Best Picture: The Departed
- Lead Actor: F. Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland
- Lead Actress: Helen Mirren in The Queen
- Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed
- Best Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Championship Teams
Top Athletes
- NHL MVP - Joe Thornton, SJ
- NFL MVP - LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
- NBA MVP - Steve Nash, PHX
- MLB AL MVP - Justin Morneau, MIN
- MLB NL MVP - Ryan Howard, PHI
Nobel Laureates
References
Fast Facts
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