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The year 2008 (MMVIII) of the Gregorian Calendar began on a Tuesday and ended on a Wednesday. During the year, Barack Obama defeats John McCain to become the 44th President of the USA and the first African-American in the role. The “Credit Crunch” – collapse of the U.S. subprime mortgage financial crisis begins to take a grip around the world. Casualties include Lehman Brothers, USA and Northern Rock (UK). In October, President George W Bush announces an emergency financial stimulus of $700 Billion to aid ailing financial institutions. Russia lends 4 Billion Euros to Iceland. Hungary receives $25 Billion aid from International Banking Organisations. The price of petroleum rises dramatically exceeding $100 per barrel for the first time ever, food and fuel prices rise rapidly around the world. Many allied troops are killed in peace-keeping duties in Afghanistan and Iraq during the year.
Kosovo formally declares its independence from Serbia, Fidel Castro resigns as president of Cuba, Radovan Karadzic is arrested after a 12 year manhunt following war crimes committed during the Yugoslavian civil war. In excess of 133,000 are killed in Myanmar by Cyclone Nargis, Dmitry Medvedev becomes the new President of Russia; he replaces Vladimir Putin. Over 69,000 are killed in China by the Wenchuan earthquake. Bill Gates steps down as Chairman of Microsoft to concentrate on his philanthropic works; Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines, forming the world's largest commercial carrier. The Olympics takes place in Beijing, China from 8th – 24th August. Michael Phelps breaks a new single Olympic record, winning 8 Gold Medals, Usain Bolt, Jamaica wins 3 Gold Medals and breaks 3 world records in the 100 Metres, 200 Metres and 4 X 100M relay. Pirates start to board ships and take hostages off the coast of Somalia. The Large Hadron Collider is switched on for the first time, amongst much concern around the world that this could create a black hole. An extra leap second was added to the end of the year.
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Famous Deaths
- Jan. 22: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
- Feb. 10: Roy Scheider - Jaws
- Mar. 19: Arthur C. Clarke - Author
- Apr. 05: Charlton Heston - Planet of the Apes
- Jul. 07: Dorian Leigh - Supermodel
- Jul. 12: Tony Snow - Fox News Channel
- Jul. 16: Jo Stafford - Musicians
- Aug. 09: Bernie Mac - Oceans 11
- Sept. 26: Paul Newman - Slapshot
- Nov. 04: Michael Crichton - Author
Billboard Chart Toppers
- Jan. 05: Flo Rida - Low
- Mar. 15: Usher - Love in This Club
- Apr. 5: Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
- Apr. 12: Mariah Carey - Touch My Body
- Apr. 26: Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
- May 3: Lil Wayne - Lollipop
- May 10: Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
- May 24: Rihanna - Take a Bow
- May 31: Lil Wayne - Lollipop
- Jun. 28: Coldplay - Viva la Vida
- Jul. 05: Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
- Aug. 23: Rihanna - Disturbia
- Sep. 06: T.I. - Whatever You Like
- Sep. 27: Pink - So What
- Oct. 04: T.I. - Whatever You Like
- Oct. 18: T.I. - Live Your Life
- Oct. 25: Britney Spears - Womanizer
- Nov. 01: Whatever You Like
- Nov. 15: Live Your Life
- Dec. 13: Beyonce - Single Ladieshttp://www.billboard.com
Top Movies
Acadamy Awards
- Presented on February 22, 2009
- Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
- Best Actor: Sean Penn for Milk
- Best Actress: Kate Winslet for The Reader
- Best Director: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
- Best Documentary: Magnolia Pictures - Man on Wire http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/award_show/oscars/2009
Championship Teams
Top Athletes
Nobel Laureates
- Peace: Martti Ahtisaari
- Physics: Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa
- Chemistry: Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, Roger Y. Tsien
- Medicine: Harald zur Hausen, Francoise Barre Sinoussi, Luc Montagnier
- Literature: Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio
- Economics: Paul Krugman NobelPrize.org: 2008 Nobel Winners
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February 2008
- February 17: Kosovo declares independance from Serbia
- February 24: Fidel Castro resigns as President of Cuba, his brother [[Raúl Castro]] is named as his successor.
May 2008
- May 24: An earthquake struck Sichuan Providence of China Killing more than 69,000 people
July 2008
- July 11: July 11: The cost of a barrel of oil reached $147.27, a historical record.
August 2008
- August 17: Michael Phelps wins his eighth gold medal at the 2008 Bejing Olympics, one more than previous record holder Mark Spitz
September 2008
- September 10: The proton beam at CERN, near [[Geneva] is activated, despite public concerns of creating a black hole.
November 2008
November 4: The United States elects Barack Obama as president, making him the first U.S. African-American president in history.
Mahalo Answers for 2008
In the 2008 Oscars what was the order of award distribution? 1 AnswerMahalo had great Oscar Live Coverage! 8:41 PM: Best Costume Design: Alexandra Byrne for Elizabeth 8:52 PM: Best Animated Feature: Brad Bird for Ratatouille 8:... read more
Best television shows of 2008? 92 Answers1. Mad Men http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cn6y8AzYPA 2. ... read more
from july to december 2008 1 AnswerPakistan had been an important element in the war on terrorism before 2008, but with militant attacks across South Asia being linked to Pakistan by its neighbor... read more
How much profit did Facebook make in 2008? 1 AnswerI don't believe 2008 is known yet, but revenue for Facebook in 2007 was $150 million. CEO Mark Zuckerberg projected at the beginning of 2008 that facebook would... read more - February 17: Kosovo declares independance from Serbia


