2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
2008 has been designated as:
In Chinese astrology, most of 2008, starting with February 7, will overlap with the Year of the Rat (dates before February 7 are Year of the Pig). The next Year of the Rat will be in 2020.
Events
January
- January 1 - Smoking banned in all public places (including bars and restaurants) in Portugal, France and the U.S. states of Illinois and Arizona.
- January 1 - Cyprus, Malta, and Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro.[8][9]
- January 1 - Slovenia takes over the presidency of European Union as the first of new member states.[10]
- January 1 - The Venezuelan bolívar, as a result of a government decree issued on March 7, 2007, is revalued at a ratio of 1 to 1000 and renamed the Bolívar fuerte (ISO 4217 code: VEF).
- January 2 - The price of petroleum hits US$100 per barrel for the first time.
- January 3 - A car bomb detonates, killing at least 4 and injuring 68, in Diyarbakır, Turkey. Police blame Kurdish rebels.
- January 4 - An unforecasted blizzard creates havoc across eastern Northern Ireland, with falls of 8 inches in one hour.
- January 4 - The 30th Dakar Rally is cancelled due to international political tension and the murder of four French tourists on December 24, 2007.
- January 8 - An attempted assassination of Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is thwarted after a Boy Scout grabbed the attacker's knife. The Boy Scout was injured, but after a scuffle ensued police arrested the attacker.
- January 12 - The Kuomintang (KMT)-led Pan-Blue Coalition wins the legislative elections in Taiwan with over 70% of the votes.
- January 12 - A Macedonian Army Mil Mi-17 helicopter crashes in thick fog southeast of Skopje, killing all 11 military personnel on board.[11]
- January 13 - Two Australians arrive in New Plymouth, New Zealand by kayak and become the first people in history to paddle from Australia to New Zealand.
- January 13 - Katsuaki Watanabe, President and CEO of Toyota, announces that they will deliver a significant fleet of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), powered by lithium-ion batteries, by 2010.
- January 14 - At 19:04:39 UTC, the MESSENGER space probe is at its closest approach during its first flyby of the planet Mercury.[12]
- January 15 - Federal Court of Australia orders a Japanese whaling company to stop research whaling within their Exclusive Economic Zone.
- January 16 - The South Korean Presidential Transition Team announces a plan to merge the Unification Ministry, which works toward unification with North Korea, with the Foreign Ministry, but does not follow through on the idea.[13]
- January 17 - British Airways Flight 38 Boeing 777 lands short of runway at London Heathrow Airport, injuring 19 among the 152 people on board.[14]
- January 20 - Presidential election in Serbia.
- January 20 - Legislative elections in Cuba.
- January 21 - Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. recession, fueled by the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis.
- January 21 - The first National Fetish Day is held in the United Kingdom, promoting the rights of the BDSM community.
- January 22 - Russia stages the largest naval exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union in the Bay of Biscay, amid deteriorating relations with the West. The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, along with 11 support vessels and 47 long-range bomber aircraft, practised strike tactics off the coast of France and Spain, and test-launched nuclear-capable missiles on foreign waters.
- January 23 - Polish Air Force CASA C-295 crashes during approach to the 12th Air Base near Mirosławiec. All 20 personnel on board die.
- January 23 - Thousands of Palestinians cross into Egypt, as the border wall with Gaza in Rafah is blown up by militants.
- January 24 - A peace deal ends the Kivu conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- January 24 - Peter Hain resigns as British Wales Secretary and British Work and Pensions Secretary after the Electoral Commission refers the failure to report donations to the Metropolitan Police. Prime Minister Gordon Brown called a quick cabinet reshuffle.
February
- February 5 - Super Tuesday, massive multi-state primary in U.S. presidential election, with primaries and caucuses in 24 states, is held.
- February 5 - U.S. stock market indices plunge more than 3% after a report showed signs of economic recession in the service-sector. The S&P 500 fell 3.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 370 points.
- February 5-February 6 - A tornado outbreak, the deadliest in 23 years, kills 58 in the Southern United States.
- February 7 - Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on mission STS-122 to deliver the European-built Columbus science laboratory to the International Space Station.
- February 7 - General election called for Belize's 31 House seats; a referendum to be held simultaneously to determine whether the upper house should be elected.
- February 9 - Camden Market area in London, United Kingdom is devastated by fire, causing evacuations in nearby houses and flats.
- February 10 - The wooden part of Namdaemun, a 600-year-old historic gate in Seoul, South Korea, is arsoned.[27]
- February 10 - An oil platform in the North Sea is evacuated by helicopter and plane after an apparent security threat.[28]
- February 10 - Worldwide protests are held against alleged corruption in the Church of Scientology by the internet group 'Anonymous' as part of 'Project Chanology'.
- February 11 - President of East Timor José Ramos-Horta is seriously wounded in an attack on his home by rebel soldiers. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed by Ramos-Horta's security guards during the attack.[29]
- February 12 - PDVSA, a state oil company in Venezuela, has suspended sales of crude oil to Exxon Mobil, in response to a legal challenge by them.[30]
- February 12 - Steven Spielberg announces that he will no longer act as artistic director for opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing because the Chinese government hasn't done enough to help end ethnic conflict in Darfur.[31]
- February 12 - Bridgestone, under investigation for an alleged price-fixing cartel, uncovers improper payments of at least 150 million yen to foreign governments and withdrew from the marine hose business.[32]
- February 13 - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia delivers a formal apology to the Stolen Generations.[33]
- February 13 - Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dissolves the Malaysian parliament.[34]
- February 14 - Steven Kazmierczak shoots dead five students and injures another 18 at Northern Illinois University.
- February 16 - Václav Klaus is re-elected as the President of the Czech Republic.
- February 17 - Complete Smoking ban including nightclubs, pubs, and bars, takes in effect in Thailand.[35]
- February 17 - A suicide bombing by a Taliban member kills up to 80 in Kandahar, Afghanistan[36]
- February 17 - Kosovo formally declares independence from Serbia, despite opposition from Serbia, Russia, China, Spain, Romania, and other nations. However Albania, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, U.K., and U.S. express support after an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.[37]
- February 17 - Presidential election in Cyprus.
- February 18 - Athens, Greece is paralysed by its worst snowstorms in more than 50 years.
- February 18 - The British government introduces emergency legislation temporarily to nationalize Northern Rock, the fifth largest mortgage bank in the UK, due to NR's financial crisis.[38]
- February 18 - General election is held in Pakistan, delayed from January 8 due to riots in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Opposition parties, including Bhutto's, take more than half of the seats, while President Pervez Musharraf's party suffers a huge defeat.[39]
- February 19 - Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, to be effective on February 24.
- February 19 - Crude oil closes above $100 USD per barrel for the first time ever, settling at $100.01.
- February 19 - Presidential election in Armenia.
- February 20 - United States Navy destroys a spy satellite containing toxic fuel by shooting it down with a missile launched from USS Lake Erie in the Pacific ocean.[40]
- February 20 - Total lunar eclipse - North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Western Asia.
- February 21 - Hundreds of thousands of Serbs take to the streets in Belgrade to protest against Kosovo's declaration of independence and the partial international recognition of it.
March
- March 8 - General election in Malta.
- March 9 - Medical and higher education fees referendum in Hungary.
- March 9 - General election in Spain: The governing PSOE led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is re-elected with the most seats in the Congress of Deputies.
- March 9 - First European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle, a cargo spacecraft for the International Space Station, launches from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.
- March 14 - Demonstrations by Tibetan separatists turn violent as rioters target government and Han Chinese-owned buildings.
- March 14 - Queen Elizabeth II opens the new Heathrow Terminal 5 building at London Heathrow Airport. It will be available for public use from March 27.
- March 14 - Legislative election in Iran.
- March 15 - In Albania a huge explosion of a gun factory in Gerdec kills more than 30 people. On the next week, Albania, Kosovo and some surrounding countries supply and support Gerdec's population with food, blood etc.
- March 15 - Second set of international protests against the Church of Scientology as part of Project Chanology.
- March 17 - In Adelaide, South Australia, a 15-day heatwave, a once-in-3,000-years occurrence, comes to an end.[53]
- March 19 - An exploding star halfway across the visible universe becomes the farthest known object ever visible to the naked eye.[54]
- March 20 - A permanent coalition government agreement is reached in Belgium, ending a nine-month stalemate, as Yves Leterme is sworn in as Prime Minister.
- March 20 - The United States enacts economic sanctions against Iran.[citation needed]
- March 22 - Republic of China presidential election is held in Taiwan. The Kuomintang (KMT) nominee Ma Ying-jeou won
- March 24 - Bhutan holds its first-ever general elections.[55]
April
- April 10 - Assembly elections in Nepal: Maoists win a plurality of seats in the Assembly in the first election in Nepal in nine years.
- April 13 - Elections in Italy: The Silvio Berlusconi-led coalition, which consists of the People of Freedom, Lega Nord, and Movement for Autonomy parties, wins a majority of seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
- April 13 - Trevor Immelman wins the 2008 Masters Tournament.
- April 15 - A Hewa Bora Airways DC-9 commercial airplane crashes into a residential area of Goma, DR Congo.
- April 15–April 20 - Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States. Among his destinations are the White House, The Catholic University of America, the United Nations General Assembly, and the site of the fallen World Trade Center. Benedict XVI also celebrated Mass at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium.
- April 18 - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurs outside of West Salem, Illinois. It is one of the strongest earthquakes in the midwestern states in 40 years.
- April 20 - Fernando Lugo is elected President of Paraguay. This is the first time in 61 years that the Colorado Party has lost a presidential election.
- April 22 - Surgeons at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital perform the first operations using bionic eyes, implanting them into two blind patients.
- April 23 - In the Canadian province of Ontario, a bill banning pesticides is passed, making it the only place in North America to pass pesticide restriction laws of this degree. Pesticide use is permitted only on golf courses and selected other places.
- April 24 - Teachers in England and Wales stage the first national strike in more than 20 years over issues of pay.
- April 27 - The Taliban attempts to assassinate Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a military parade in Kabul.[65]
- April 28 - India sets a world record by sending 10 satellites into orbit in a single launch.[66]
- April 28 - 71 die in a train crash in Shandong, China.[67]
- April 28 - The Fritzl incest case is widely publicized after a 42-year-old Austrian woman tells local authorities that she has been imprisoned and abused by her father, Josef Fritzl, since 1984.
May
- May 1 - Local elections, for 137 English councils and all Welsh councils, take place in the United Kingdom.
- May 1 - Elections for the London Mayor and London Assembly take place with Boris Johnson becoming the second Mayor of London.
- May 1 - Entry into force of the London Agreement, aimed at reducing the translation costs associated with European patents.
- May 2 - A volcanic eruption forces the evacuation of more than 4,000 people from the Chilean town of Chaitén.
- May 2 - May 3 - The Presidents of Central European States meet in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia.
- May 3 - Over 133,000 people in Myanmar are killed by Cyclone Nargis, the deadliest natural disaster since the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004.
- May 7 - Violence breaks out in Beirut, Lebanon and spreads to nearby areas over the next few days.
- May 7 - Brian Cowen is elected the 11th Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, succeeding Bertie Ahern, after a vote in the Dáil Éireann.
- May 7 - Dmitry Medvedev is sworn in as the President of Russia.
- May 8 - Vladimir Putin is confirmed as the 10th Prime Minister of Russia after a vote in the State Duma.
- May 8 - Silvio Berlusconi is sworn in as the 81st Prime Minister of Italy.
- May 10 - Myanmar holds a constitutional referendum.
- May 11 - Local and parliamentary elections in Serbia.
- May 12 - Over 69,000 are killed in central China by an earthquake measuring 7.9Mw. The epicenter is 90 kilometers (55 miles) west-northwest of Chengdu.
- May 13 - A series of bomb blasts kills at least 63 and injures 216 in Jaipur, India.
- May 14 - Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg defeat Rangers of Scotland in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.
- May 14 - Six Iranian Baha'i Faith leaders are arrested in Iran.[68]
- May 15 - An oil pipeline explodes in Ijegun, Nigeria, killing 100.
- May 15 - California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state's Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional.[69]
- May 16 - Presidential election in the Dominican Republic.
- May 16 - The fifth Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union Summit is held in Lima, Peru.
- May 17 - FA Cup Final: Portsmouth F.C. beat Cardiff City F.C. 1-0.
- May 17 - Parliamentary elections are held in Kuwait.
- May 18 - Russia wins the Men's Ice Hockey World Championship 2008 in Canada. Canada wins silver, and Finland wins bronze.[70]
- May 21 - Manchester United F.C win the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
- May 21 - Legislative elections are held in Georgia.
- May 22 - Council of the Presidents of Ukraine and Azerbaijan is formed.
- May 23 - The Union of South American Nations, a supranational union, is created by a union between the Andean Community and Mercosur.
- May 23 - The International Court of Justice awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
- May 24 - Russia wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia.[71]
- May 25 - Michel Sleiman is elected President of Lebanon by the Parliament. The election had been postponed 19 times due to a parliamentary stalemate.
- May 25 - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft lands on Mars.
- May 25 - The 2008 French Open, one of four major tennis "grand slam" tournaments, begins.
- May 28 - The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is established after the Assembly votes overwhemingly in favor of abolishing the country's 240-year-old monarchy. Girija Prasad Koirala becomes temporary Head of State.
- May 31 - STS-124, Space Shuttle Discovery is launched at 5:02 EDT.
June
- June 1 - A large fire engulfs parts of Universal Studios in Universal City, California.
- June 1 - Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Macedonia.
- June 1 - Referendum on the process of naturalization fails by a wide margin in Switzerland, leaving in place the current system (since 2003) in which applicants are approved by elected bodies rather than popular votes.
- June 1 - In the European Union, regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals start to come into force.
- June 2 - A car bomb explodes outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing at least five.
- June 3 - Barack Obama becomes the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, becoming the first African-American to do so in a major U.S. politicial party.[72]
- June 7–June 29 - Switzerland and Austria host the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.[73]
- June 7 - Ana Ivanovic wins her first Grand Slam title at the French Open by defeating Dinara Safina.
- June 7 - Big Brown, previously undefeated, fails to become the first winner of the Triple Crown since 1978, finishing last at the 2008 Belmont Stakes.
- June 8 - In the Akihabara area of Tokyo, Japan, a 25-year-old man stabs 7 to death, and wounds 11 more, before being arrested.
- June 8 - A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits western Peloponese in Greece, killing two, injuring at least 220, and leaving more than 3,000 homeless.
- June 8 - A gas pipe explosion causes a collapse in the Karl Marx mine in Yenakiieve, Ukraine, killing 1 and temporarily trapping dozens.
- June 8 - Rafael Nadal wins his fourth straight French Open grand slam by defeating Roger Federer for the third straight year.
- June 10 - Fire engulfs Sudan Airways Flight 109 after landing in Khartoum, Sudan, killing 44.
- June 11 - The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope is launched.
- June 11 - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes to Canada's First Nations for the Canadian residential school system.
- June 12 - Ireland votes to reject the Treaty of Lisbon, in the only referendum to be held by a European Union member state on the treaty.
- June 14 - Expo 2008 begins in Zaragoza, Spain.
- June 14 - A 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, kills several and injures more than 300.
- June 21 - The first veneration ever held outside Vatican City is held in Beirut, Lebanon.
- June 22 - Typhoon Fengshen hits the Philippines and capsizes the ferry MV Princess of Stars, leaving hundreds dead or missing.
Predicted and scheduled events
June
July
- July 1 - Smoking will be banned in all public places (including bars and restaurants) in the Netherlands.[74] The US state of Iowa will also go smoke-free (excluding casinos).
- July 2 - Copa Libertadores final in Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- July 7–July 9 - 34th G8 summit will be held in Tōyako, Hokkaidō in Japan.
- July 8–July 20 - World Gliding Championships will be held in Rieti, Italy.[75]
- July 10-15 - The Camp for Climate Action will be held in Newcastle, Australia, involving the largest campaign of civil disobedience in Australian history. Up to 1000 people are expected to block a train line to protest the expansion of the world's biggest coal export port.[76]
- July 15 - The 79th MLB All-Star game will be held at Yankee Stadium for the last time
- July 15–July 20 - World Youth Day, the largest youth gathering in the Southern Hemisphere, will take place in Sydney, Australia. Pope Benedict XVI will appear at the event.[77]
- July 30–August 5 - The XXII World Congress of Philosophy will take place in Seoul, South Korea.
- July 31 - After three decades as the Chairman of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates will step down from daily duties.[78]
August
- August 1 - Beijing south railway station, the largest passenger station in Asia, will reopen following a reconstruction project.[79]
- August 1 - Total solar eclipse visible from northern Canada (Nunavut), northern part of Russia, western Mongolia, and China; and seen as partial elsewhere in eastern North America, Europe, and Asia.
- August 2–August 16 - World Gliding Championships will be held in Lüsse, Germany.[80]
- August 6–August 10 - Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention will be held in Denver, Colorado.[81]
- August 8–August 24 - The 2008 Summer Olympics will take place in Beijing, China.
- August 11 - Elections to be held in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Regional Governor, Regional Vice Governor and Members of the Regional Legislative Assembly following Republic Act No. 9333.[82]
- August 14 - 2008 Formula Zero Championship begins in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.[83]
- August 25—August 28 - Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado for U.S. presidential election.
- August 28 - Space Shuttle Atlantis will begin mission STS-125, the final maintenance mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.[84]
September
October
November
December
Unknown dates
Ongoing events
Deaths
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Main article: Deaths in 2008
January
- January 1 - Salvatore Bonanno, American mobster (b. 1932)
- January 1 - Peter Caffrey, Irish actor (b. 1949)
- January 1 - Erich Kästner, last German veteran of World War I (b. 1900)
- January 1 - Thiyagarajah Maheswaran, Sri Lankan Tamil politician (b. 1960)
- January 2 - George MacDonald Fraser, British author (b. 1925)
- January 2 - Galyani Vadhana, Thai princess (b. 1923)
- January 3 - Aleksandr Abdulov, Russian actor (b. 1953)
- January 3 - Yo-Sam Choi, Korean boxer (b. 1972)
- January 3 - Werner Dollinger, German politician (b. 1918)
- January 5 - Raymond Forni, French politician (b. 1941)
- January 5 - Clinton Grybas, Australian sports commentator (b. 1975)
- January 6 - Fr. John O'Brien, Irish priest and musician (b. 1931)
- January 7 - Edward "Buddy" LeRoux, American businessman (b. 1930)
- January 7 - Philip Agee, American spy (b. 1935)
- January 8 - Moshe Levi, Israeli military commander (b. 1936)
- January 9 - John Harvey-Jones, English businessman (b. 1924)
- January 10 - Christopher Bowman, American figure skater (b. 1967)
- January 10 - Andrés Henestrosa, Mexican writer and politician (b. 1906)
- January 10 - Maila Nurmi, Finnish-American actress and television personality (b. 1921)
- January 11 - Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist (b. 1919)
- January 11 - Carl Karcher, American businessman (b. 1917)
- January 12 - Adriano González León, Venezuelan poet and writer (b. 1931)
- January 13 - Johnny Podres, American baseball player (b. 1932)
- January 15 - Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982)
- January 15 - Jason MacIntyre, Scottish racing cyclist (b. 1973)
- January 16 - Nikola Kljusev, Macedonian prime minister (b. 1927)
- January 17 - Bobby Fischer, American-Icelandic chess grandmaster (b. 1943)
- January 17 - Ernie Holmes, American football player (b. 1948)
- January 17 - Allan Melvin, American actor (b. 1922)
- January 18 - Georgia Frontiere, American businesswoman (b. 1927)
- January 18 - Lois Nettleton, American actress (b. 1927)
- January 19 - Don Wittman, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1936)
- January 19 - Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (b. 1937)
- January 19 - Frances Lewine, American journalist (b. 1921)
- January 19 - Morris Maddocks, English Anglican priest (b.1928)
- January 19 - John Stewart, American Singer-Songwriter (b. 1939)
- January 20 - Louis de Cazenave, French veteran of World War I (b. 1897)
- January 22 - Heath Ledger, Australian actor (b. 1979)
- January 22 - Roberto Gari, American actor (b. unknown)
- January 22 - Miles Lerman, Polish-American activist (b. 1920)
- January 23 - Andrzej Andrzejewski, Polish brigadier general (b. 1961)
- January 24 - Randy Salerno, American news anchor (b. 1963)
- January 27 - Anna Loginova, Russian bodyguard and model (b. 1978)
- January 27 - Gordon B. Hinckley, American Mormon leader (b. 1910)
- January 27 - Suharto, 2nd President of Indonesia (b. 1921)
- January 28 - Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens (b. 1939)
- January 29 - Margaret Truman, American writer (b. 1924)
- January 30 - Jeremy Beadle, English television presenter (b. 1948)
February
- February 1 - Beto Carrero, Brazilian businessman (b. 1937)
- February 1 - Shell Kepler, American actress (b. 1958)
- February 2 - Earl Butz, American government official (b. 1909)
- February 2 - Barry Morse, Canadian actor (b. 1918)
- February 3 - Sheldon Brown, American bicycle mechanic (b. 1944)
- February 4 - Harry Richard Landis, American World War I veteran (b. 1899)
- February 5 - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian spiritual leader (b. 1917)
- February 6 - John McWethy, American print and television journalist (b. 1947)
- February 7 - Tamara Desni, German-born English actress (b. 1913)
- February 7 - Hoang Minh Chinh, Vietnamese politician and dissident (b. 1922)
- February 7 - Guy Severin, Russian academician and engineer (b. 1926)
- February 8 - Chua Ek Kay, Singaporean painter (b. 1947)
- February 8 - Ah Meng, Singaporean orangutan and tourism icon (b. 1960)
- February 8 - Phyllis Whitney, American mystery writer (b. 1903)
- February 9 - Jazeh Tabatabai, Iranian artist and writer (b. 1931)
- February 9 - Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal, Tibetan spiritual leader (b. 1930)
- February 10 - Ron Leavitt, American television producer (b. 1947)
- February 10 - Roy Scheider, American actor (b. 1932)
- February 11 - Alfredo Reinado, East Timorese rebel (b. 1967)
- February 11 - Tom Lantos, American politician (b. 1928)
- February 12 - Imad Mugniyah, Lebanese militant (b. 1962)
- February 12 - Badri Patarkatsishvili, Georgian businessman and politician (b. 1955)
- February 13 - Kon Ichikawa, Japanese film director (b. 1915)
- February 13 - Henri Salvador, French singer (b. 1917)
- February 13 - Roger Voisin, French-American classical musician (b. 1918)
- February 15 - Amnon Netzer, Iranian-Israeli historian (b. 1934)
- February 15 - Steve Fossett, American adventurer[91] (b. 1944)
- February 15 - Ashley Callie, South African Actress (b. 1976)
- February 18 - Alain Robbe-Grillet, French writer (b. 1922)
- February 18 - Mihaela Mitrache, Romanian actress (b. 1955)
- February 19 - Natalia Bessmertnova, Russian ballerina (b. 1941)
- February 19 - Lydia Shum, Hong Kong comedian and actress (b. 1945)
- February 21 - Ben Chapman, American actor (b. 1928)
- February 23 - Janez Drnovšek, 2nd President and 2nd Prime Minister of Slovenia (b. 1950)
- February 23 - Denis Lazure, Canadian politician (b. 1925)
- February 24 - Larry Norman, American musician (b. 1947)
- February 26 - Buddy Miles, American musician (b. 1947)
- February 26 - Dan Shomron, Israeli military leader (b. 1937)
- February 27 - William F. Buckley, Jr., American author and conservative commentator (b. 1925)
- February 27 - Myron Cope, American sportscaster (b. 1929)
- February 27 - Sujatha, Tamil writer (b. 1935)
- February 27 - Boyd Coddington, American car-builder (b. 1944)
- February 28 - Joseph M. Juran, American engineer and philanthropist (b. 1904)
- February 28 - Philip Rabinowitz, South African sprinter (b. 1904)
- February 28 - Mike Smith, English singer (b. 1943)
March
- March 1 - Raúl Reyes, Colombian guerrilla (b. 1948)
- March 2 - Sofiko Chiaureli, Georgian actress (b. 1937)
- March 2 - Jeff Healey, Canadian musician (b. 1966)
- March 3 - Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian operatic tenor (b. 1921)
- March 3 - Iván Ríos, Colombian guerrilla (b. 1961)
- March 4 - Gary Gygax, American writer and game designer (b. 1938)
- March 4 - Elena Nathanael, Greek film actress (b. 1941)
- March 5 - Joseph Weizenbaum, German-American author and computer scientist (b. 1923)
- March 6 - Gustaw Holoubek, Polish actor and director (b. 1923)
- March 7 - Isaías Carrasco, Basque politician (b. 1964)
- March 7 - Francis Pym, British politician (b. 1922)
- March 8 - Carol Barnes, English newsreader (b. 1944)
- March 12 - Lazare Ponticelli, last French veteran of World War I (b. 1897)
- March 12 - Erwin Geschonneck, German actor (b. 1906)
- March 12 - Howard Metzenbaum, American politician (b. 1917)
- March 14 - Chiara Lubich, Italian Catholic activist (b. 1920)
- March 15 - Mikey Dread, Jamaican singer, producer and broadcaster (b. 1954)
- March 15 - Vytautas Kernagis, Lithuanian singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
- March 15 - Vicki Van Meter, American former child pilot (b. 1982)
- March 16 - Ivan Dixon, American actor and director (b. 1931)
- March 16 - Gary Hart, American wrestler (b. 1942)
- March 18 - Anthony Minghella, English film director and screenwriter (b. 1954)
- March 19 - Arthur C. Clarke, English author, inventor, and futurist (b. 1917)
- March 19 - Hugo Claus, Flemish writer, painter and film director (b.1929)
- March 19 - Raghuvaran, Indian actor (b. 1948)
- March 19 - Paul Scofield, English actor (b. 1922)
- March 20 - Brian Wilde, English actor (b. 1927)
- March 21 - Gabriel París Gordillo, Colombian military governor (b. 1910)
- March 22 - Cachao López, Cuban-American musician (b. 1918)
- March 23 - Al Copeland, American entreprenueur (b. 1944)
- March 24 - Neil Aspinall, British record producer and business executive (b. 1942)
- March 24 - Rafael Azcona, Spanish screenwriter (b. 1926)
- March 24 - Richard Widmark, American actor (b. 1914)
- March 26 - Manuel Marulanda, Colombian guerrilla (b. 1930)
- March 27 - George Pruteanu, Romanian literary critic and politician (b. 1947)
- March 27 - Jean-Marie Balestre, French sports executive (b. 1921)
- March 30 - Dith Pran, Cambodian-American photojournalist (b. 1942)
- March 31 - Nikolai Baibakov, Russian statesman and economist (b. 1911)
- March 31 - Jules Dassin, American film director (b. 1911)
April
- April 1 - Jim Finney, English football referee (b. 1924)
- April 1 - Sabin Balasa, Romanian painter (b. 1932)
- April 2 - Yakup Satar, last Turkish veteran of World War I (b. 1898)
- April 3 - Hrvoje Ćustić, Croatian footballer (b. 1983)
- April 3 - Johnny Byrne, Irish writer (b. 1935)
- April 5 - Charlton Heston, American actor (b. 1923)
- April 8 - John Button, Australian politician (b. 1933)
- April 8 - Stanley Kamel, American actor (b. 1943)
- April 9 - Cedella Booker, Jamaican singer and writer (b. 1926)
- April 10 - Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada, Mexican cardinal (b. 1919)
- April 11 - Merlin German, American soldier and charity founder (b. 1985)
- April 12 - Patrick Hillery, 6th President of Ireland (b. 1923)
- April 12 - Barbara McDermott, last American survivor of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania (b. 1912)
- April 13 - Mark Speight, English television presenter[92] (b. 1965)
- April 13 - John Archibald Wheeler, American theoretical physicist (b. 1911)
- April 14 - Ollie Johnston, American animator (b. 1912)
- April 14 - Miguel Galván, Mexican actor and comedian (b. 1957)
- April 15 - Benoît Lamy, Belgian motion picture writer-director (b. 1945)
- April 16 - Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (b. 1917)
- April 16 - Joe Feeney, American-born Irish tenor (b. 1931)
- April 17 - Aimé Césaire, French Martinican poet and politician (b. 1913)
- April 17 - Gwyneth Dunwoody, British politician (b. 1930)
- April 17 - Danny Federici, American musician (b. 1950)
- April 19 - Germaine Tillion, French anthropologist, member of French Resistance (b. 1907)
- April 21 - Al Wilson, American singer (b. 1939)
- April 22 - Paul Davis, American musician (b. 1948)
- April 25 - Humphrey Lyttelton, English musician and broadcaster (b. 1921)
- April 27 - Marios Tokas, Cypriot composer (b. 1954)
- April 29 - Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist (b. 1906)
May
- May 1 - Aden Hashi Farah, Somali militant (b. unknown)
- May 1 - Anthony Mamo, 1st President of Malta (b. 1909)
- May 2 - Philipp von Boeselager, German military officer (b. 1917)
- May 2 - Beverlee McKinsey, American actress (b. 1940)
- May 3 - Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, 74th Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1926)
- May 4 - Fredric J. Baur, American chemist and inventor (b. 1918)
- May 5 - Irv Robbins, Canadian-American entrepreneur (b. 1917)
- May 8 - Eddy Arnold, American country music singer (b. 1918)
- May 8 - François Sterchele, Belgian footballer (b. 1982)
- May 9 - Jack Gibson, Australian rugby league coach (b. 1929)
- May 9 - Sinan Sofuoğlu, Turkish motocycle racer (b. 1983)
- May 10 - Leyla Gencer, Turkish soprano (b. 1928)
- May 10 - Nuala O'Faolain, Irish journalist (b. 1940)
- May 10 - Jessica Jacobs, Australian actress (b. 1990)
- May 11 - Dottie Rambo, American singer (b. 1934)
- May 11 - John Rutsey, Canadian drummer (b. 1953)
- May 12 - Irena Sendler, Polish humanitarian (b. 1910)
- May 13 - Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1930)
- May 13 - John Phillip Law, American actor (b. 1937)
- May 15 - Tommy Burns, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1956)
- May 15 - Alexander Courage, American composer (b. 1919)
- May 16 - Robert Mondavi, American winemaker (b. 1913)
- May 18 - Joseph Pevney, American director (b. 1911)
- May 19 - Vijay Tendulkar, Indian playwright (b. 1928)
- May 20 - Crispin Beltran, Filipino politician and labor leader (b. 1933)
- May 20 - Hamilton Jordan, American political strategist (b. 1944)
- May 22 - Robert Asprin, American science fiction writer (b. 1946)
- May 23 - David Mitton, British producer, director, model maker, and author (b. 1939)
- May 23 - Roberto Freire, Brazilian psychiatrist (b. 1927)
- May 24 - Dick Martin, American comedian (b. 1922)
- May 24 - Rob Knox, British actor (b. 1989)
- May 25 - Geremi González, Venezuelan baseball player (b. 1975)
- May 26 - Earle Hagen, American composer (b. 1919)
- May 26 - Sydney Pollack, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1934)
- May 27 - Franz Künstler, last Austrian-Hungarian veteran of World War I (b. 1900)
- May 28 - Beryl Cook, English painter (b. 1926)
- May 28 - Robert Justman, American producer (b. 1926)
- May 29 - Luc Bourdon, Canadian hockey player (b. 1987)
- May 29 - Romeo A. Brawner, Filipino election official and justice (b. 1935)
- May 29 - Harvey Korman, American actor (b. 1927)
June
- June 1 - Yves Saint Laurent, French fashion designer (b. 1936)
- June 1 - Tommy Lapid, Israeli television presenter, journalist and politician (b. 1931)
- June 2 - Bo Diddley, American musician (b. 1928)
- June 2 - Ferenc Fejtő, Hungarian-born French journalist and political scientist (b. 1909)
- June 3 - Mel Ferrer, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1917)
- June 3 - Grigory Romanov, Russian politician (b. 1923)
- June 4 - Agata Mróz-Olszewska, Polish volleyball player (b. 1982)
- June 6 - Dwight White, American football player (b. 1949)
- June 7 - Rudy Fernandez, Filipino actor (b. 1952)
- June 7 - Dino Risi, Italian director (b. 1916)
- June 7 - Jim McKay, American television sports journalist (b. 1921)
- June 7 - Mustafa Khalil, Egyptian prime minister (b. 1920)
- June 8 - Peter Rühmkorf, German writer (b. 1929)
- June 8 - Šaban Bajramović, Serbian musician (b. 1936)
- June 9 - Algis Budrys, American science fiction writer (b. 1931)
- June 9 - Karen Asrian, Armenian chess grandmaster (b. 1980)
- June 10 - Chinghiz Aitmatov, Kyrgyzstani writer (b. 1928)
- June 10 - John Rauch, American football player and coach (b. 1927)
- June 11 - Ove Andersson, Swedish rally driver (b. 1939)
- June 11 - Võ Văn Kiệt, Vietnamese prime minister (b. 1922)
- June 11 - Adam Ledwoń, Polish footballer (b. 1974)
- June 11 - Taras Kermauner, Slovenian playwright, historian, and philosopher (b. 1930)
- June 11 - James Reaney, Canadian playwright (b. 1926)
- June 12 - Charlie Jones, American sportscaster (b. 1930)
- June 12 - Derek Tapscott, Welsh footballer (b. 1932)
- June 13 - Tim Russert, American journalist (b. 1950)
- June 14 - Jamelão, Brazilian singer (b. 1913)
- June 14 - Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish jazz musician (b. 1964)
- June 15 - Johnathan Goddard, American football player (b. 1981)
- June 15 - Ray Getliffe, Canadian hockey player (b. 1914)
- June 15 - Stan Winston, American special effects and make up artist (b. 1946)
- June 17 - Tsutomu Miyazaki, Japanese serial killer (b. 1962)
- June 17 - Cyd Charisse, American actress and dancer (b. 1922)
- June 18 - Jean Delannoy, French film director (b. 1908)
- June 19 - Tim Carter, English footballer (b. 1967)
- June 21 - Scott Kalitta, American drag racer (b. 1962)
- June 22 - George Carlin, American comedian (b. 1937)
- June 22 - Dody Goodman, American actress (b. 1914)
Major religious holidays
- January 7 - Christmas in Eastern Christianity
- January 10 - New Year by Lunar calendar, celebrated by Muslims
- February 5 - Carnival (Shrove Tuesday)
- February 6 - Ash Wednesday, observance of Lent begins
- February 7 - Chinese New Year (also Lunar New Year / Spring Festival)
- March 1 - Saint David's Day, national holiday of Wales
- March 15 - St. Patrick's Day, celebrated in Ireland, the United States, and most of the English-speaking world. (Held on March 15 instead of the usual 17th to avoid the second day in Holy Week.)[93] This March 17th will be the last one to fall within Holy Week until 2160.[94]
- March 20 - March Equinox, also known as Ostara
- March 20 - Purim
- March 21 - Nowruz (Iranian new year holiday)
- March 22 - Holi
- March 21 - Good Friday
- March 23 - Easter Sunday, the earliest Easter has fallen since 1913
- April 13 - Baisakhi
- April 20 - Passover, Palm Sunday in Eastern Christianity
- April 23 - St. George's Day
- April 27 - Pascha (or Easter) in Eastern Christianity
- May 1 - Ascension of Jesus in Western Christianity
- May 1 - Beltane, a Cross-quarter day
- May 19 or May 20 - Vesak (Buddha day) in Buddhism
- June 5 - Ascension of Jesus in Eastern Christianity
- June 9 - Shavuot
- June 15 - Pentecost in Eastern Christianity
- June 20 - June Solstice, also known as Midsummer or Litha
- June 22 - All Saints' Day in Eastern Christianity
- July 5 - Saints Cyril and Methodius day in Eastern Christianity
- August 1 - Lammas, a Cross-quarter day
- August 15 - Assumption of Mary
- September 1 - New Liturgical Year in Eastern Christianity
- September 22 - September Equinox, also known as Mabon
- September 30 - Rosh Hashana
- October 2 - Eid al-Fitr
- October 9 - Yom Kippur
- October 28 - Diwali
- November 1 - Samhain, a Cross-quarter day and Neopagan new year
- November 30 - St. Andrew's Day, Scottish national day
- December 8 - Immaculate Conception
- December 8 - Eid ul-Adha
- December 21 - Hanukkah begins at sundown
- December 21 - December Solstice, also known as Yule
- December 25 - Christmas in Western Christianity
2008 in fiction
Books
- Isaac Asimov's 1955 short story Franchise takes place in 2008, the premise being that the U.S. president will be selected by a computer program looking for the "most representative citizen".
- John Barnes, Mother of Storms (1995) begins with a 2008 UN resolution barring any nation from acquiring nuclear weapons after June 1, 2008, subject to penalty of preemptive strike.
- Gregory Benford's books The Jupiter War and The Threads of Time are set in 2008.
- The Galactic Milieu Series by Julian May features Earth's first contact with an alien race on June 20, 2008.
- In Francis Anderson's 1992 book "Future Undetermined" the UN bans civilians from owning handguns on March 29.
- Ian McDonald's "Chaga Saga" (Evolution's Shore and Kirinya) begins with the March 13, 2008 impact arrival of the plant form Chaga from outer space.
- Alan E. Nourse's 1957 book Rocket to Limbo begins with the March 3, 2008 launch of the starship Argonaut on a centuries-long trip to Alpha Centauri.
- The Mote in God's Eye (1974) by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle postulates that faster-than-light travel is perfected in 2008.
- The Next War, a controversial 1996 novel about the post-Soviet era, co-authored by former U.S. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, looks at a possible 2008 nuclear confrontation between the United States and Russia.
Computer and video games
Set in 2008:
Film
Television
- Dawson's Creek (2003 series finale): The characters meet once again. Dawson, now 25 is the creator of a television series, The Creek, based on his life.[96]
- The 2007 series of Doctor Who: Present time (such as "Smith and Jones") is primarily set in 2008.
- The Future Boy Conan anime story begins in July, 2008, when a war results in five continents sinking into the sea.
- Doraemon: According to the original manga story, a time machine will be invented in 2008.
- Heroes: According to the episode Out of Time, the Shanti virus wipes out about 93% of the world's population, from a break out in March of 2008. Peter Petrelli accidentally teleports himself and Caitlin to sometime around June 14, 2008, when any survivors in New York City are forcibly evacuated.
- According to Futurama, in the episode "Space Pilot 3000", Stop 'N Drop suicide booths are the most popular of their kind by 2008.
References
- ^ U.N. General Assembly, Department of Public Information, "General Assembly Proclaims 2008 International Year of Languages, in Effort to Promote Unity in Diversity, Global Understanding" GA/10592
- ^ International Year of Planet Earth
- ^ International Year of the Potato 2008.
- ^ International Year of Sanitation.
- ^ European Year of Intercultural Dialogue website
- ^ Year of the Frog.
- ^ Year of the Dolphin homepage
- ^ Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone in 2008, EurActiv
- ^ Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro, EUbusiness (ISO 4217 code: VEF).
- ^ Slovenian EU presidency
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Mercury Flyby 1. The MESSENGER website. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Retrieved on 2008-01-12.
- ^ Unification Ministry Will Be Retained(The Korea Times)
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Worldwide
- ^ Jan. 26, 2008 - Act together for another world! | WSF2008
- ^ Iran sentences Bahai religious followers for 'anti-regime propaganda', Yahoo News
- ^ Iran sentences Bahais for 'anti-regime propaganda', Aljazeera
- ^ Thai king endorses new PM. Taipei Times website. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ Nearly 500 in Japan claim China-made food made them ill: reports - MarketWatch
- ^ [3][dead link]
- ^ [4][dead link]
- ^ AFP Announcement
- ^ ABC News: Giants Stun 'Perfect' Pats in Super Bowl
- ^ Iran Opens Space Center, Launches Rocket, Associated Press
- ^ Dimona bombing: Suicide attack in Israel first in a year, Yahoo News via Associated Press
- ^ Seoul's iconic ancient city gate destroyed by fire | International | Reuters
- ^ BBC
- ^ Gunmen attack Timor leader Ramos-Horta, The Sydney Morning Herald, February 11, 2008.
- ^ UPDATE 9-Oil rises as Venezuela cuts off Exxon Mobil | Reuters
- ^ AFP: Spielberg, luminaries press Olympic China over Darfur
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Japan
- ^ "Rudd says sorry", Dylan Welch, Sydney Morning Herald, February 13, 2008
- ^ [5][dead link]
- ^ Thailand Will Ban Smoking in Nightclubs, ABC News
- ^ AFP: Scores dead in one of Afghanistan's deadliest attacks
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Worldwide
- ^ Brown fights backlash over Northern Rock | Reuters
- ^ BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Musharraf rules out resignation
- ^ AFP: Satellite strike shows US missile defense works: Gates
- ^ UNESCO, "Launching of the International Year of Languages in the framework of the International Mother Language Day"
- ^ Report in Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ 80th Annual Academy Awards: General Timeline. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ Nominees | 80th Annual Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- ^ Musical diplomacy as New York Phil plays Pyongyang | World | Reuters
- ^ Qaeda Suspect Escapes. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
- ^ The Associated Press: Thaksin Out on Bail in Thailand
- ^ Russia’s Presidential Election Set for March, 2008. mosnews.com (December 14, 2006).
- ^ [6], UN Security Council
- ^ UN Security Council Resolution 1803 on Iran's Nuclear Program, U.S. Department of State
- ^ Bloomberg.com: Asia
- ^ Google mappers banned from U.S. bases - Los Angeles Times
- ^ Adelaide heatwave 'one in 3,000 years' - Breaking News - National - Breaking News
- ^ Star explodes halfway across universe - CNN.com
- ^ "Bhutan votes for status quo", France 24, March 24, 2008
- ^ Election Date Finally Fixed As March 29, 2008.
- ^ RussiaToday : News : Oil depot explodes in RussiaБ─≥s south
- ^ BBC News - Child death raises tough questions
- ^ No Survivors After Jet Slams Into Homes. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ "NATO chief welcomes Albania and Croatia for 2009", Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 2008-04-03. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ 52 children taken during raid | thespectrum.com | The Spectrum
- ^ Deseret News | Affidavit: FLDS raid spurred by girl's reports of physical, sexual abuse
- ^ KRDO.com Colorado Springs, Pueblo - Weather, News, Sports - Police Search for Missing Sect Teen; 533 Women, Children Are in Custody
- ^ Understanding the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (pdf). Ministry of Justice. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ^ Karzai unhurt after parade attack, BBC News
- ^ India setting world record by sending 10 satellites into orbit
- ^ 'Dozens die' in China train crash, BBC News
- ^ Six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Iran; pattern matches deadly sweeps of early 1980s, Bahá'í World News Service
- ^ ABC News: Calif. Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage, Sparks Celebration, Outrage
- ^ Russia World Champions 2008. European Hockey.Net (2008-05-18). Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
- ^ Reference Group concludes Belgrade visit. Eurovision.TV. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/03/election.democrats/index.html
- ^ http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/index.html Retrieved 22 August, 2007
- ^ nu.nl/algemeen | Horeca in juli 2008 rookvrij
- ^ 30th FAI world Gliding Championship, 8th-20th July 2008 Rieti
- ^ Camp for Climate Action homepage
- ^ WYD08 :: Home
- ^ Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates: Working full time at Microsoft through June 2008, Gates then will continue as chairman and advisor while increasing Foundation efforts; Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie to assume expanded roles
- ^ Beijing South Railway Station to be ready in August - The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
- ^ WGC 2008, Lüsse Germany : HOME
- ^ Denvention 3 Home Page - 66th World Science Fiction Convention - Denver, August 6-10, 2008 - Guests of Honor: Lois McMaster Bujold, Rick Sternbach, Tom Whitmore, Wil McCarthy, Kathy Mar, Robert Heinlein (ghost of honor)
- ^ Republic Act No. 9333
- ^ Formula Zero - Home
- ^ NASA - STS-125: Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4
- ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116252.html
- ^ FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup New Zealand 2008. FIFA. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Chile 2008. FIFA. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
- ^ President of the UN General Assembly: Statements
- ^ http://www.drug-policy.org/modules/countdown_2008
- ^ The Year of the Chinese Satellite in Venezuela
- ^ Fossett was declared legally dead on February 15, having been missing since 3 September 2007.
- ^ Speight's body was found on this date after he had been missing since April 7.
- ^ "St Patrick's 'day' moved to 15th", ireland.com Online, Irish Times Trust, 2007-07-18. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
- ^ Nevans-Pederson, Mary (2008-03-13). No St. Pat's Day Mass allowed in Holy Week (English). Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Woodward Communications, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
- ^ GTA4: What You Really Need to Know from 1UP.com
- ^ "Amazon.com: Dawson's Creek - The Series Finale (Extended Cut) Product Page", Amazon.com.
External links
