2008, the second leap year in the 21st century, began on a Tuesday and ended on a Wednesday. As with any year in modern history, as 2008 came to a close, several magazines, websites and news organizations released lists of opinions and statistics detailing the most noteworthy events, products and people of the year.
Election Victories
U.S. Election
History was made in the United States when Barack Obama became the first African-American to not only become a presidential nominee, but go on to win the election. The margin of victory was 53% for Obama to 46% for opponent John McCain, making Obama the first Democratic President-elect since Jimmy Carter to win over 50% of the popular vote.RealClearPolitics: Election '08: Presidential Final Results
Top Grossing Films
- The Dark Knight - $530 Million
- Iron Man - $318 Million
- Indiana Jones 4 - $317 Million
- Hancock - $227 Million
- Wall-E - $223 Million The Numbers: Top Grossing films of 2008
The Dark Knight
According to Warner Brothers, The Dark Knight earned $155.34 million in its opening weekend, topping the previous record held by Spider-Man 3. The film, which opened on July 18, 2008, screened on more North American movie screens in its first weekend than any previous film.USA Today: Is Ledger's 'Dark' Joker stacking the deck? (July 20, 2008)
Actor Heath Ledger, who played the role of The Joker in the film died tragically of a drug overdose on January 22, 2008, before The Dark Knight was screened. Ledger was posthumously nominated for both a 2009 Golden Globe and SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role.Cinematical: Golden Globe Nominations In!
Oscar Winners
- Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
- Best Actress: Marion Cotillard
- Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
- Best Documentary: Taxi to the Dark SideOscars.com: 80th Annual Oscars - 2008
Emmy Winners
- Comedy Series: 30 Rock
- Drama Series: Mad Men
- Lead Comedy Actor: Alec Baldwin
- Lead Comedy Actress: Tina Fey
- Miniseries: John Adams
- Reality Program: The Amazing RaceEmmys.TV: 2008 Emmy Winners
Grammy Winners
- Album: Herbie Hancock - River: The Joni Letters
- Song: Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"
- Rock Song: Bruce Springsteen - "Radio Nowhere" Entertainment Weekly: Grammy 2008 Winners
Billboard Year End Top Songs
Natural Disasters
A major earthquake struck China on May 12, 2008. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.9 magnitude quake was centered near southwest China's Sichuan Province. On May 22, 2008, Chinese government officials said the death toll had risen above 51,000 and the number of injured had surpassed 288,000.
On May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Myanmar. One of the deadliest cyclones ever recorded in the region, Nargis displaced over 1,000,000 citizens and over 43,318 fatalities were reported.
From September 3-15, Hurricane Ike killed an estimated 114 people and caused over $10 billion in damage as it ravaged Haiti, Cuba and parts of the southwestern United States.Boston Globe: The short - but eventful - life of Ike (September 15, 2008)
Conflicts
In August of 2008, the dispute in the Georgian region of South Ossetia escalated into a war between Georgia and Russia. On August 12, 2008, Georgia and Russia agreed to a cease fire agreement.
Multiple sites in the Indian city of Mumbai were attacked with bombs and gunfire in a coordinated terror attack in late November. The attacks killed 179 people, including at least 22 foreigners and lasted CNN: Source: U.S. warned India about possible Mumbai attack (December 2, 2008)
Sports Champions
2008 Summer Olympics
From August 8-24, the 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing, China, marking the first time since 1980 that the Summer Olympics were hosted by a communist country. Although controversy over the quality of the air in Beijing, alleged censorship and human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese government led to protests and talk of Olympic boycotts, most nations presented their normal compliment of Olympic athletes. American swimmer Michael Phelps made history when he won eight gold medals, setting new records for all-time gold medals won and gold medals won in a single Olympic season.USOC.org: Michael Phelps
