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==Turn of the 21st century (2001–present)==
==Turn of the 21st century (2001–present)==
In [[contemporary history]], the 21st century began with the [[United States]] as the sole [[superpower]] in the absence of the [[Soviet Union]], with five other entities, [[China]], [[India]], the [[European Union]], [[Brazil]] and the [[Russian Federation]] as [[potential superpowers]] in the coming decades.
In [[contemporary history]], the 21st century began with the [[United States]] as the sole [[superpower]] in the absence of the [[Soviet Union]], with five other entities, [[China]], [[India]], the [[European Union]], [[Brazil]] and the [[Russian Federation]] as [[potential superpowers]] in the coming decades. Hello my name is Bob and i love you:)
As the [[Cold War]] was over and [[terrorism]] on the rise exemplified by the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] at the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]]; the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] in [[Arlington, Virginia]]; followed by the [[2001 anthrax attacks]] that commenced as letters containing anthrax spores were mailed from [[Princeton, New Jersey]] to [[ABC News]], [[CBS News]], [[NBC News]], the ''[[New York Post]]'', and the ''[[National Enquirer]]''; the United States and its allies turned their attention to the Middle East.
As the [[Cold War]] was over and [[terrorism]] on the rise exemplified by the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] at the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]]; the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] in [[Arlington, Virginia]]; followed by the [[2001 anthrax attacks]] that commenced as letters containing anthrax spores were mailed from [[Princeton, New Jersey]] to [[ABC News]], [[CBS News]], [[NBC News]], the ''[[New York Post]]'', and the ''[[National Enquirer]]''; the United States and its allies turned their attention to the Middle East.


Revision as of 19:09, 7 December 2010

This article is about the current century in the Gregorian calendar. For other uses, see 21st century (disambiguation).

Template:Systemic bias

Millennium
3rd millennium
Centuries
Timelines
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Decades
  • 2050s
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Categories:
Births – Deaths
Establishments – Disestablishments

The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100.[1]

Turn of the 21st century (2001–present)

In contemporary history, the 21st century began with the United States as the sole superpower in the absence of the Soviet Union, with five other entities, China, India, the European Union, Brazil and the Russian Federation as potential superpowers in the coming decades. Hello my name is Bob and i love you:) As the Cold War was over and terrorism on the rise exemplified by the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; followed by the 2001 anthrax attacks that commenced as letters containing anthrax spores were mailed from Princeton, New Jersey to ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, the New York Post, and the National Enquirer; the United States and its allies turned their attention to the Middle East.

Digital technology, in its early stages of mainstream use in the 1980s and 1990s, became widely accepted by most of the world, though concerns about stress and antisociality from the overuse of mobile phones, the Internet and related technologies remains controversial.[2]

In 2009, 4.6 billion people globally, or nearly half the world's population used cell phones,[3] and in 2005, over a billion people worldwide used the Internet.[4]

Pronunciation

Regarding pronunciation of 21st-century years, academics suggest that since former years such as 1805 and 1905 were commonly pronounced as "eighteen oh" or "nineteen oh" five, the year 2005 should naturally have been pronounced as "twenty oh-five".[5] A less common variation would have been "twenty nought-five".

The year 2010 "twenty ten" is suggested by many, with the "two thousand x" pronunciation reserved only for the "two thousands" decade of 2000s[6][7] and the Vancouver Olympics, taking place in 2010, is being officially referred to by Vancouver 2010 as "the twenty-ten olympics", while 2011[5] and 2013 are popular as well. The latest timeframes for change are usually placed at 2020.[5]

According to The Stanley Kubrick archives, in the press release for his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, film director Stanley Kubrick included specific instructions for journalists to refer to the movie as "two thousand and one" instead of the commonplace pronunciation of "twenty-oh-one". Kubrick said he did this in the hope that if the film became popular, it would influence the pronunciation of that year, which some have theorized is partially the case.[5]

Significant events

Politics, war, and genocide

Politics in this century have so far been divisive, in the United States and to a lesser degree the whole Western World between the ideologies of liberalism and conservatism; more precisely, the Democratic Party vs the Republican Party.

Genocide still remains a problem in the century with the concern of the situation in Darfur and the growing concern in Sri Lanka. Low estimates on the deaths in Darfur stand around 200,000 deaths with 2.5 million in displacement, there has been much outcry against the perpetrators, the Sudanese government, and the very weak international response. Also controversies from past genocides remain commonplace in the minds of victims and average people alike.

  • 1998–2002 – The Second Congo War continued into the early 21st century. A 1999 ceasefire quickly broke down and a UN peacekeeping mission, MONUC, was unable to control the fighting. Troops from Rwanda and Uganda continued to support rebel groups against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and rifts also grew between Rwanda and Uganda as they accused each other of supporting rival rebel groups as well. Laurent Kabila, president of the DRC, was assassinated in January 2002 and his son, Joseph Kabila, took power. Throughout 2002 steps were made towards peace and Rwanda and Uganda both removed their troops from the country. On December 17, 2002, a massive treaty officially ended the war. However, the DRC only holds power in less than half of the country, with most of the eastern and northern portions still controlled by rebel groups, where there is still significant infighting. In addition, Rwanda still supports anti-DRC rebels and anti-Rwandan rebels continue to operate from the DRC. The war killed an estimated 3.9 million people, displaced nearly 5.5 million, and led to a widespread and ongoing famine that continues to result in deaths. Severe human rights violations continue to be reported.
  • 2001 – George W. Bush becomes the second president of the United States to be the son of a former president, when he is inaugurated on January 20, 2001.
  • 2001 – Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked 4 commercial airliners and crashed 3 of them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States on September 11, killing nearly 3,000 people. The United States subsequently declared a War on Terrorism.
  • 2001–present – The U.S. and NATO invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 and overthrew the Al-Qaeda-supportive Taliban government. Troops remained to install a democratic government, fight a slowly escalating insurgency, and to hunt for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
  • 2002 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established on July 1.
  • 2002 – A series of bombings carried out by Islamic militants killed 202 people at the resort of Kuta, Bali, Indonesia on October 12.
  • 2003–present – In February 2003, a conflict in Darfur, Sudan began and soon escalated into full-scale war. It is soon considered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. By 2008 it is believed that up to 400,000 people have been killed and over 2.5 million displaced. In 2005, the ICC decided that Darfur war criminals would be tried, and on July 14, 2008, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir was charged with 5 accounts of crimes against humaninty and 2 accounts of war crimes, although the ICC currently has no power to enforce these charges.
  • 2003–2010 – The U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003 and overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein (who was executed by the Iraqi government on December 30, 2006). Coalition troops remain in the country to install a democratic government and fight an escalating insurgency. In addition to an insurgency against the American presence, Iraq also suffered from a civil war for several years. The war was soon seen as the central front of the War on Terror by many governments, despite growing international dissatisfaction with the war. The total death toll has been estimated at near 150,000 but these estimations are highly disputed, some guessing even over 1 million. After the U.S.-led coalition initiated a troop surge in 2007, casualty numbers have decreased significantly. Combat ended, at least officially, in August 2010.
  • 2003–2005 – A series of nonviolent revolutions known as the colour revolutions overthrew governments in Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Lebanon.
  • 2004 – The European Union expanded by 10 countries, including 8 former communist countries, plus Malta and Cyprus.
  • 2004 – On March 11, bombings carried out by Islamic militants killed 191 people on the commuter rail system of Madrid, Spain.
  • 2005 – A series of bombings carried out by Islamic militants killed 56 people in London on July 7.
  • 2005 – Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip on September 11.
  • 2006–2008 – The dismantling of former Yugoslavia continues after Montenegro gained independence on June 3, 2006 and Kosovo declared independence on February 17, 2008. However, Kosovo's independence is disputed by Russia and many of its allies and is currently only partially recognized.
  • 2006 – On July 12, Hezbollah militants crossed the border of Lebanon and captured two Israeli troops. Israel responded by sending troops across the border and bombing Hezbollah strongholds, while Hezbollah fired missiles on towns in northern Israel, approximately 6 each day. At the end of the war 300–450 Lebanese civilians, 600 Hezbolla troops, 44 Israeli civilians and 121 Israeli soldiers died. A ceasefire was signed on August 14, after which Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon. Many military sources in Israel have warned about the danger of a new Israeli-Lebanese conflict back in the year 2000, when Israel has withdrawn from Lebanon.
  • 2006 – On July 11, bombs planted on the train system in Mumbai exploded, killing 209 people.
  • 2006 – North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9.[8] This was preceded by years of political wrangling with the U.S. over the status of their nuclear program.
  • 2007 – A civil war escalated in the Gaza Strip throughout June, which resulted in Hamas eventually driving most Fatah-loyal forces from the Strip. In reaction, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and dissolved the Hamas-ruled parliament. Scattered conflict continues.
  • 2008 – Armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and the Russian Federation together with Ossetians and Abkhazians on the other. Russia officially recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
  • 2008–2009 – Israel launches a military campaign on the Gaza Strip, due to continuous rocket launching on south Israeli cities by radical elements of the Hamas.
  • 2009 –Barack Obama becomes the first African-American president of the United States
  • 2009 – North Korea tests a second nuclear device.
  • 2010 – Polish president Lech Kaczynski and 95 others died in an air disaster in western Russia. Investigations into the accident are still ongoing.

Science and technology

Space exploration

Medicine

Personal technology

Other

  • 2003 – Discovery of an old dwarf human species, Homo floresiensis by modern humans (published October 2004).
  • 2004 – The first ever recorded hurricane in the South Atlantic forms.
  • 2007 – The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) releases its Fourth Assessment Report.
  • 2009 – Details of Darwinius, a vital ‘missing link’ in human evolution dated to 47 million years ago, are published.
  • 2010 - A team of scientists, including DNA researcher Craig Venter, create the first synthetic lifeform.

Conflicts

Worldwide deaths from war and terrorist attacks

  • Second Congo War, approximately 1.8 million deaths (3.8 million since 1998)
  • Iraq War, a wide variation in the number of casualties quoted, ranging from the tens of thousands, up to approximately 1 million deaths,[10] Iraq Body Count project, ORB survey of Iraq War casualties.
  • Darfur conflict, approximately 400,000 deaths
  • Civil War in Côte d'Ivoire, 3,000 deaths
  • September 11, 2001 19 members of al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners, intentionally crashing two of them into The World Trade Centers in New York City, and one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane's intended target was either the White House or Capitol Building, but passengers aboard the plane resisted the initiatives of the hijackers and crashed the plane into a field in Pennsylvania. 2,997 people from 90 different countries died.
  • December 13, 2001 attacks, Terrorist attack on Indian Parliament, terrorists storm the Indian Parliament Building in New Delhi and kill six police officers.
  • October 12, 2002 Bali terrorist bombings kill 202 people.
  • March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks shake several train stations on Spain's capital Madrid, killing 191 people and injuring 1,247.
  • 7 July 2005 London bombings, Suicide terrorist attacks shake London transport system killing 52 people and injuring 700.
  • 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings, terrorists attack various markets in New Delhi, killing 61 people and injuring 188 more, right before the start of the festival season in India.
  • July 11, 2006 six bombs explode in train stations in Mumbai, killing 190.
  • November 2008 Mumbai attacks, a series of ten coordinated terrorist attacks across Mumbai, India, killing 195 people and injuring 290 more.

Civil Unrest

2000s

2010s

Natural disasters

The tsunami striking Ao Nang in Thailand on December 26, 2004.

2000s

2010s

  • 2010 Haiti earthquake - At least 230,000 are killed in Haiti after a massive earthquake on January 12, 2010. As of late February 2010, the death toll is expected to rise. Three million people were made homeless.
  • 2010 Chile earthquake - A massive earthquake, magnitude 8.8, strikes the central Chilean coast on February 27, 2010.
  • 2010 Yushu earthquake - A large 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Yushu region of China in Qinghai near Tibet, on April 14, 2010, killing over 2200 people.
  • 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull - A massive ash cloud is formed by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, on April 14, 2010 grounding flights across northwest Europe. Scientists began recording volcanic activity there in 2009 which increased through March 2010 culminating in the second phase eruption in April.
  • 2010 Pakistan floods - Began in July 2010 after record heavy monsoon rains. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan was worst affected. At least 1,600 people were killed, thousands were rendered homeless, and more than thirteen million people were affected.[11][12][13][14][15] Estimates from rescue service officials suggest the death toll may reach 3,000 victims.[16]

Man made disasters

File:STS-107 reentry.jpg
The space shuttle Columbia disintegrates on reentry, February 1, 2003.
  • The 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) flu pandemic was the worst epidemic or pandemic of the decade, killing nearly 12,000.
  • The Black Saturday bushfires - the deadliest bushfires in Australian history took place across the Australian state of Victoria on and around Saturday 7 February 2009 during extreme bushfire-weather conditions, resulting in 173 people killed and, more than 500 injured and around 7,500 homeless. The fires came after Melbourne recorded the highest-ever temperature (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires were ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.
  • On April 10, 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife and 95 other people, including dozens of government officials are killed in a plane crash.
  • On April 20, 2010 an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, operating in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, left eleven crewmen dead and resulted in a fire that sank the rig and caused a massive-scale oil spill [17] that may become one of the worst environmental disasters in United States history.[18] On June 18, 2010 oceanographer John Kessler said that the crude gushing from the well contains 40 percent methane, compared to about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits. Methane is a natural gas that could potentially suffocate marine life and create "dead zones" where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives. "This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history," Kessler said.[19] On June 20 an internal BP document was released by Congress revealing that BP estimated the flow could be as much as 100,000 barrels (4,200,000 US gallons; 16,000 cubic metres) per day under the circumstances that existed since the April 20 blowout.[20][21]

New countries

Some territories have gained independence during the 21st century. This is a list of sovereign states that have gained independence in the 21st century and have been recognized by a majority of foreign governments.

One country has declared independence but it has not been recognized by most countries.

Sports

Olympic Games

2000s

2010s

Association Football

International 2000s

Domestic 2000s

Athletics

2000s

  • Usain Bolt broke various world records including the 100 meter dash at the 2009 World Championships, setting the record of 9.58 Seconds.
  • United States won all Three Olympic Medal Tables for the Athletics.
  • A record low amount of Athletes failing drug tests occurred in 2008 for Athletes, with only one recordedly failing a drug test in the Women's Long Jump.

Basketball

2000s

Cycling

2000s

Golf

2000s

  • the 2002 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 15 and a half to USA's 12 and a half.
  • the 2004 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 18 and a half to USA's 9 and a half.
  • the 2006 Ryder Cup was won by Europe again 18 and a half to USA's 9 and a half
  • the 2008 Ryder Cup and last this decade was won by USA 16 and a half to Europe's 11 and a half.

2010s

  • the 2010 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 14 and a half to USA's 13 and a half.

Rugby Union

2000s

2010s

Tennis

2000s

  • Roger Federer wins 16 grand slam titles (4 Australian Open titles, 1 French Open title, 6 Wimbledon titles, and 5 U.S. Open titles) to beat Pete Sampras' record.
  • Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer at the 2008 Wimbledon final with a score of 6-4,6-4,6-7(5),6-7(8),9-7. People [who?] consider this match the greatest tennis match of all-time. The match lasted for 8 hours (with 2 rain delays).
  • Roger Federer played Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final for his 15th Grand Slam championship. Roddick won the first set 6-4, then after a 6-2 Roddick tiebreak lead, Federer came back and won the 2nd set 7-6 and the 3rd set 7-6. Roddick then won the 4th set 6-3. Federer led Roddick 15-14 in the 5th set, finally broke Roddick and won the 5th set 16-14.
  • At the Wimbledon Championships 2010, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut completed the longest tennis match in history. Isner won 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(3), 70–68.

Motorsport

  • F1-Michael Schumacher wins World Championship for the third time at Suzuka, Japan 2000 in a Ferrari F1-2000, Ferrari's first driver's championship in 21 years
  • Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt) passes away after a last-lap crash during the Daytona 500 in February 2001

Aquatics

  • Michael Phelps won six gold medals in the 2004 Olympics, and a record eight in the 2008 Olympics (some of those medals coming from split-second wins). Meanwhile back in the 2000 games, Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson got a bronze medal each after they made a 1 in a million occurrence of finishing the race both at exactly the same time.

American Football

National Hockey League

Business and industry

  • Music Industry: The early 21st century has had a profound impact on the condition of music distribution. Recent advents in digital computing & storage technology have fundamentally altered industry and marketing practices as well as players in heretofore unusual rapidity.
  • Many American auto brands have been phased out such as Plymouth by Chrysler in 2001 and Oldsmobile by General Motors in 2004. General Motors will also be phasing out Pontiac as well as Saturn by 2010. There has been speculation that Mercury by Ford could be phased out in the near future.
  • The financial crisis of 2007–2010 continues to affect the worldwide economy.

Issues and concerns

There are several points-of-view pertaining to the following items, all of which should be considered accordingly.

Issues that have been frequently discussed and debated so far in this century include:

  • Globalization. Advances in telecommunications and transportation, the expansion of capitalism and democracy, and free trade agreements have resulted in unprecedented global economic and cultural integration. This has caused (and is continuing to cause) economic and cultural shifts which have been the subject of considerable controversy.
  • Overpopulation. The United Nations estimates that world population will reach 9.2 billion by mid-century. Such growth raises questions of ecological sustainability and creates many economic and political disruptions. In response, many countries have adopted policies which either force or encourage their citizens to have fewer children, and others have limited immigration. Considerable debate exists over what the ultimate carrying capacity of the planet may be; whether or not population growth containment policies are necessary; to what degree growth can safely occur thanks to increased economic and ecological efficiency; and how distribution mechanisms should accommodate demographic shifts. Evidence suggests that developed countries (such as Japan) suffer population implosion, and the population debate is strongly tied with discussions about the distribution of wealth.
  • Abortion. Debates between "Pro-choice" and "Pro-life" factions on the controversial procedure continue. The approximate number of induced abortions performed worldwide in 2003 was 42 million.[23]
  • Gay rights are a major political issue in many places, with same sex marriage being legalized in several jurisdictions during the first decade of the century, but outlawed by constitutional amendment in other places. Meanwhile, some countries such as Uganda moved to toughen their laws against any sort of homosexual behavior. Political battles over pro- or anti-gay legislation provoked much activism in the streets and on the Internet.
  • Dysgenics. Due to the negative correlation between fertility and intelligence, human genetic integrity may be deteriorating, lowering the intellectual capacity of the average human.[24][25]
  • Poverty. Poverty remains the root cause of many of the world's other ills, including famine, disease, and insufficient education. Poverty contains many self-reinforcing elements (for instance, poverty can make education an unaffordable luxury, which tends to result in continuing poverty) that various aid groups hope to rectify in this century. Microcredit lending has also started to gain a profile as a useful anti-poverty tool.
  • Disease. AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria each kill over a million people annually. HIV remains without a cure or vaccine, and is growing rapidly in India and much of the African continent. Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern for organisms such as tuberculosis. Other diseases, such as SARS, ebola, and flu variations, are also causes for concern. The World Health Organization has warned of a possible coming flu pandemic resulting from bird flu mutations. In 2009, the outbreak of swine flu its country of origin is still unknown.
  • War and terrorism. Active conflicts continue around the world, including civil wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the largest war since World War II), Chechnya, Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia, Senegal, Colombia, and Sudan (mainly in Darfur). The 9/11 terrorist attacks triggered invasions of Afghanistan and partially and controversially Iraq. The War on Terrorism has seen controversies over civil liberties, accusations of torture, continued terrorist attacks and ongoing instability, violence, and military occupation. Violence continues in the Arab–Israeli conflict. Considerable concern remains about nuclear proliferation, especially in Iran and North Korea, and the availability of weapons of mass destruction to rogue groups.
  • Global warming. Climate scientists have postulated that the earth is currently undergoing significant anthropogenic (human-induced) global warming. [1] The resulting economic and ecological costs are hard to predict. Some scientists argue that human-induced global warming risks considerable losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services unless considerable sociopolitical changes are introduced, particularly in patterns of mass consumption and transportation. Others, however, doubt or deny human influence and counter-action were in effect significant, or question whether global warming will actually be a significant detriment to the planet.
  • Power in international relations. Issues surrounding the cultural, economic, and military dominance of the United States and its role in the world community have become even more pointed given its recent military activities, problematic relations with the United Nations, disagreement over several international treaties, and its economic policies with regard to globalization. Integration of the European Union and the African Union have proceeded.
  • Intellectual property. The increasing popularity of digital formats for entertainment media such as movies and music, and the ease of copying and distributing it via the Internet and peer-to-peer networks, has raised concerns in the media industry about copyright infringement. Much debate is proceeding about the proper bounds between protection of copyright, trademark and patent rights versus fair use and the public domain, where some argue that such laws have shifted greatly towards intellectual property owners and away from the interests of the general public in recent years, while others say that such legal change is needed to deal with a perceived threat of new technologies against the rights of authors and artists (or, as others put it, against the outmoded business models of the current entertainment industry). Domain name "cybersquatting" and access to patented drugs and generics to combat epidemics in third-world countries are other IP concerns.
  • Technology developments show no sign of ending. Communications and control technology continues to augment the intelligence of individual humans, collections of humans, and machines. Cultures are forced into the position of sharply defining humanity and determining boundaries on desire, thought, communication, behavior, and manufacturing. Some, notably Ray Kurzweil, have predicted that by the middle of the century there will be a Technological Singularity if artificial intelligence that outsmart humans is created. If these AIs then create even smarter AIs technological change could accelerate in ways that are impossible for us to foresee. (However, gradual and simultaneous use of AI technology to increase our own intelligence might prevent this from ever occurring.)
  • Fossil fuels are becoming scarce and more expensive, due to the escalating demand for petroleum ("oil") and oil-based products such as gasoline and kerosene, unmatched by production. Discovery of new oil fields has not been sufficient to sustain current levels of production, and some fear that the earth may be running out of economically viable oil, pressing for alternatives. As Agrofuel, one possible alternative, yields further hazards for the environment and endangers food security, debate is far from over.
  • NATO–Russia relations seem to remain strained as the "Western Alliance" and NATO square off with Russia and other nations over international policy and the future of the ex-Soviet sphere. An Eastern Europe Missile Defense Shield, military and social conflicts in former Yugoslavia and the Caucasus (particularly Georgia and Chechnya), fossil fuel infrastructures like the Nabucco pipeline and the future of nuclear arsenals are among the topics that have strained the relations between the two sides with eerie reminders reminiscent of the Cold War.

The United Nations lists global issues on its agenda and lists a set of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to attempt to address some of these issues.

Astronomical events (passed or to come) in the 21st century

List of the long total solar eclipses

Other phenomena

2000s

2010s

  • 2010/2011: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
  • July 12, 2011: Neptune completes its first orbit since its discovery on September 23, 1846.
  • Wednesday, June 6, 2012: Transit of Venus to occur a second time (and last time) this century.
  • May 9, 2016: Transit of Mercury.
  • Monday, August 21, 2017 [2] : First total solar eclipse of the 21st century for the United States, and the first visible in the continental US since February 26, 1979 [3].
  • November 11, 2019: Transit of Mercury.

2020s

2030s

2040s

  • 2041/2042: Triple conjunction Mars-Uranus.
  • October 1, 2044: Occultation of Regulus by Venus. The last was on July 7, 1959. After 2044, the next occultation of Regulus by Venus would occur on July 22, 3126, although some sources claim it will occur again on October 6, 2271.
  • 2047/2048: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Neptune.
  • May 7, 2049: Transit of Mercury.

2050s

2060s

  • July 2061: Next return of Halley's Comet.
  • 2063: Triple conjunction Mars-Uranus.
  • November 11, 2065: Transit of Mercury.
  • November 22, 2065: At 12:45 UTC, Venus will occult Jupiter. This event will be the first occultation of a planet by another since January 3, 1818. This event will be very difficult to observe, because the elongation of Venus and Jupiter from the Sun on that date will be only 7 degrees.
  • 2066: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
  • July 15, 2067: At 11:56 UTC, Mercury will occult Neptune. This rare event will be very difficult to observe, because of the constant low elongation of Mercury from the Sun, and the magnitude of Neptune always under the limit of visibility with the naked eye.

2070s

  • 2071/2072: Triple conjunction Mars-Neptune.
  • November 14, 2078: Transit of Mercury.
  • 2079: Triple conjunction Saturn-Uranus.
  • August 11, 2079: At 01:30 UTC, Mercury will occult Mars.

2080s

  • Friday, November 10, 2084: Transit of Earth as seen from Mars, the first and the only one in this century.
  • November 7, 2085: Transit of Mercury.
  • 2085/2086: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Neptune.
  • October 27, 2088: At 13:43 UTC, Mercury will occult Jupiter.

2090s

  • 2088/2089: Triple conjunction Mars-Neptune.
  • 2093: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
  • April 7, 2094: At 10:48 UTC, Mercury will occult Jupiter.
  • May 8, 2095: Transit of Mercury.
  • November 10, 2098: Transit of Mercury.

Pop cultural references to the remaining years of the 21st century

Doomsday Scenarios

  • 2012 – Some people believe the world will undergo a great transformation on December 21, 2012. The exact nature of the transformation is not agreed on, but this Doomsday Prediction is the most-known doomsday theories so far, making the date highly anticipated and watched.[26] This originated with the idea of that date being the end of the Mayan calendar.
  • 2036 – An asteroid (Apophis) was initially believed to have a chance of impacting Earth in 2029. With further study, this possibility was ruled out; however, there is a chance that Apophis will pass close to the earth, altering its path to impact the Earth in 2036. The chances of this occurring are estimated at 1 in 250,000.

Television and film

Computer and video games

Internet

  • Stinkoman 20X6, of Homestar Runner fame, takes place in the seventh year of an unspecified decade in the 21st century.

Novels

Decades and years

2000s

Main Article: 2000s (decade)

  • September 11, 2001 – Al-Qaeda terrorists hijack four aircraft in the US, and deliberately crash them; three of them reach their targets, two hit the WTC, another the Pentagon, with one more missing its target, a total of 3,000 people die from the attacks.
  • December 26, 2004 – the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake killed up to 250,000 people.
  • December, 2007 – the late-2000s recession begins, as the United States would see its biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression.
  • June 11, 2009 – The 2009 flu pandemic begins - it was declared a pandemic less than two months into the spread by the World Health Organization.

2010s

Main article: 2010s

References

  1. ^ http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/astronomical-information-center/millennium
  2. ^ "Workplace trends: Technology increases workplace stress". Office World News. 1999.
  3. ^ "4.6 Billion Cell Phone Users" (PDF). Mobilewhack.com.
  4. ^ "Stats - Web Worldwide". ClickZ.
  5. ^ a b c d Experts clash over millennium bugbear—The Times Cite error: The named reference "preferMC" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ http://maxspeak.org/mt/archives/002457.html
  7. ^ The Naughty Noughties, or something
  8. ^ O'Neil, John; Onishi, Norimitsu (2006-10-15). "US confirms nuclear claim". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
  9. ^ "Total mobile subscribers top 1.8 billion". MobileTracker Cell Phone News and Reviews. May 18, 2005. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-31. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ Update on Iraqi Casualty Data by Opinion Research Business, January 2008
  11. ^ Bodeen, Christopher (August 8, 2010). "Asia flooding plunges millions into misery". The Associated Press. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  12. ^ Masood, Salman and Adam B. Ellick. Floods in Pakistan Kill at Least 700. NYTimes.
  13. ^ "UN voices Pakistan flood fears as death toll soars". BBC. 31 July 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  14. ^ Khan, Ismail (July 30, 2010). "400 Killed in Flooding in Pakistan, Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  15. ^ Thousands trapped by Pakistan floods; 900 dead
  16. ^ Deaths From Pakistan Floods May Reach 3,000, Rescue Service Official Says
  17. ^ "BP Will Pay For Gulf Oil Spill Disaster, CEO Says". NPR. 2010-05-03. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  18. ^ "Choppy Seas Hinder Effort To Contain Oil Spill", National Public Radio, April 30, 2010
  19. ^ "Oil spill full of methane, adding new concerns". msnbc. 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  20. ^ "Document Shows BP Estimates Spill up to 100,000 Bpd". ABC News. 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-06-20. [dead link]
  21. ^ http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/WEB/flowrateBP.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-20. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ Grolier- the new book of knowledge, section "E"
  23. ^ Sedgh, Gilda (2007). "Induced abortion: estimated rates and trends worldwide" (PDF). The Lancet. 370 (9595): 1338–1345. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61575-X. PMID 17933648. Retrieved 2008-12-02. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  24. ^ "William Shockley 1910–1989". A Science Odyssey People and Discoveries. PBS online. 1998. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
  25. ^ William Shockley, Roger Pearson: Shockley on Eugenics and Race: The Application of Science to the Solution of Human Problems Scott-Townsend Publishers, ISBN 978-1878465030
  26. ^ G. Jeffrey MacDonald (March 27, 2007). "Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
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