Mischief Night in Delaware: The Night Before Halloween Gets Weird
Before the candy, costumes, and porch lights of Halloween, Delaware has its own lesser-known holiday — Mischief Night. It’s the night before Halloween when some folks remember tossing rolls of toilet paper into trees, soaping up car windows, or playing lighthearted tricks on their neighbors.
While the term Mischief Night might sound like something straight out of New Jersey, Delaware embraced the tradition too — especially in its northern half. Depending on where you grew up, you might have called it Mischief Night, Goosey Night, or maybe just “the night we weren’t supposed to get caught.”
Delaware’s Mischief Night Traditions
In New Castle County, Mischief Night has long been part of the local Halloween culture. Kids in Wilmington, Newark, and Claymont picked up the term from nearby Philadelphia and South Jersey, where the custom was already legendary. The typical Delaware Mischief Night included the classics — toilet paper in trees, eggs on sidewalks, and the occasional mailbox relocation (usually a friend’s, of course).
Move a little south toward Kent County, and the name recognition fades. Residents there often remember Halloween Eve pranks but not the name “Mischief Night.” In Sussex County, the tradition almost disappears entirely, replaced by church “Harvest Festivals,” trunk-or-treats, or small-town parades.
If you drew a line along the C&D Canal, it would practically mark the cultural divide. North of it, Mischief Night belonged to the Mid-Atlantic prank belt. South of it, Halloween Eve was just a calm night before the big candy rush.
How Delaware Got Mischievous
The roots of Mischief Night in Delaware trace back to the mid-20th century. As families moved from Philadelphia and South Jersey into the suburbs of Wilmington and Newark, they brought neighborhood traditions with them — including this one. Local newspapers from the 1950s and 1960s occasionally mentioned “Halloween Eve pranks” and warnings about vandalism, mirroring reports across the Delaware River.
By the late 1970s and 1980s, Delaware police departments began issuing official Mischief Night advisories. The Wilmington News Journal reported in 1988 that officers were stepping up patrols to discourage property damage and fires, comparing the event to “New Jersey’s notorious Mischief Night.” One officer dryly noted, “If kids are throwing eggs, they better be scrambled at breakfast.”
The mischief itself rarely went beyond pranks. While Detroit’s “Devil’s Night” became infamous for arson, Delaware’s version stayed lighthearted — more toilet paper than trouble. Parents might shake their heads, but it was mostly accepted as part of Halloween’s pre-game ritual.
The Jersey Connection: Mischief Night’s Birthplace
To understand Delaware’s version, you have to look across the Delaware River. New Jersey is the undisputed capital of Mischief Night, and the state can’t even agree on what to call it. A now-viral map from @StrangeMorris on Instagram highlights the state’s remarkable slang diversity:
???? Mischief Night – The most common term used throughout Central and Southern New Jersey.
???? Cabbage Night – Northern New Jersey and parts of New England, rooted in the old prank of throwing spoiled vegetables.
???? Goosey Night – Found in Essex and Bergen counties; often involved egging cars or houses.
???? Gate Night – Used in New York and North Jersey; kids once removed farm gates or moved them down the road.
???? Hell Night – A rougher version in Detroit and parts of South Jersey, known for actual fires.
???? Tic-Tac Night – From tossing dried corn at windows in rural areas.
???? Wreck-Up Night – Self-explanatory and short-lived in a few central Jersey towns.
That mix of names — part folklore, part geography — shows how deeply the night is tied to neighborhood culture. And Delaware, sitting just across the river, naturally absorbed some of that spirit.
From Doorstep to Digital: Mischief Night Today
In Delaware, Mischief Night isn’t what it used to be. Many neighborhoods now organize community Halloween events on October 30, turning what was once a night of pranks into family fun. Instead of sneaking out with eggs, kids gather for “Mischief Movie Nights” or themed park events showing Hocus Pocus and Ghostbusters.
For older generations, though, the memory sticks. Ask someone who grew up around Wilmington or Newark in the 1980s, and they’ll likely have a Mischief Night story — sometimes involving shaving cream, sometimes involving detention.
Modern Mischief Night has also gone digital. Social media pranks, spooky memes, and neighborhood watch groups now replace the physical antics. It’s the same mischievous spirit, just with Wi-Fi and fewer broken windows.
Regional Fun Facts
The “Mid-Atlantic Prank Belt” runs from northern Delaware through Philadelphia into central New Jersey — the only region in the U.S. where “Mischief Night” is widely recognized by that name.
In Wilmington, police still issue gentle warnings on social media every October 30, reminding residents to “keep it fun and safe.”
Philadelphia, Delaware’s northern neighbor, historically referred to it as Mischief Night or Beggar’s Nigh,t depending on the neighborhood.
The phrase Mischief Night first appeared in print in Britain in 1790, associated with pre-Halloween mischief, but by the 1930s New Jersey and Pennsylvania had made it their own.
Sociologists from Rutgers University once described it as “a regional youth ritual passed along like oral tradition — one night of rule-bending before the order of Halloween.”
January 1 – January 21, 2017: Starboy – The Weeknd January 22 – March 18, 2017: Shape of You – Ed Sheeran March 19 – May 27, 2017: That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars May 28 – September 2, 2017: Despacito – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber September 3 – September 30, 2017: Look What You Made Me Do – Taylor Swift October 1 – October 21, 2017: Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) – Cardi B October 22 – November 25, 2017: Rockstar – Post Malone featuring 21 Savage November 26 – December 16, 2017: Havana – Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug December 17 – December 30, 2017: Perfect – Ed Sheeran December 31, 2017 – January 6, 2018: Perfect – Ed Sheeran
World Changing Event: Pokémon Go (a free worldwide game) brought game playing to the outside (real) world for millions of children, teens, and plugged-in adults.
The Top Song was Closer by The Chainsmokers with Halsey
The Movies to Watch include Zootopia, Rogue One: A Star Wars Movie, The Magnificent Seven, La La Land, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Sing, Finding Dory, and Deadpool
The Most Famous Person in America was probably Donald Trump
The Fad: Playing Pokemon Go
Notable books include: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson
The Crazy Conspiracy: Katy Perry is actually a grown-up JonBenét Ramsey.
The record for most data lost to hackers is held by Yahoo!, where one billion user records were taken in 2016.
The Challenge: Mannequin Challenge is a viral Internet video trend that started in October 2016 where people remain still and recorded on video while music is (usually) playing.
The Conversation: Why were so many people seeing clowns in discreet, usually wooded, areas?
Top Ten Baby Names of 2016:
Emma, Olivia, Ava, Sophia, Isabella, Noah, Liam, William, Mason, James
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year:
Donald Trump
Miss America:
Betty Cantrell
Miss USA:
Deshauna Barber
The Scandals:
An underground meth lab was discovered beneath the parking lot of a Walmart in Amherst, New York. Researchers spent 29 hours searching for Nigeria’s last lions with recordings of a distressed buffalo calf through a wildlife national park in 2016. No lions or tracks were found.
A total of 6,755 postal employees were attacked by dogs in 2016.
The Australian women’s national team was beaten 7-0 by the Newcastle under-15 boys team.
The average attention span for humans seems to have dropped from 12 seconds in the year 2000, to 8 seconds in 2016, about the same amount of time it takes to read this sentence.
Pop Culture Facts & History:
Prince Harry took an HIV test live on July 14, 2016, to show how easy it is. It was hailed as a “groundbreaking moment in the fight against HIV.” HIV awareness group THT has reported a 5 fold increase in the number of orders of HIV self-tests since the prince’s broadcast.
The classic Happy Birthday song was copyrighted and was illegal to use in public performances/shows unless royalties were paid. This ended in 2016 when Warner paid $14 million in a lawsuit to end the copyright
Long Island woman accidentally threw away an envelope with $5000 cash intended for her mortgage, sanitation workers sifted through tons of trash until they found it. They refused to accept a reward.
Game of Thrones was the most pirated TV show of 2016.
The Zomba Prison Project was a music recording made by inmates of a maximum-security prison in Malawi known as the ” waiting room of hell. ” The completed album has 20 songs by 16 prisoners and was nominated for the Best World Music Album in 2016.
Celine Dion stood near the open casket of her deceased husband for 7 hours to greet and comfort complete strangers who had arrived to pay their respects at the public visitation held on the eve of his funeral. She was only expected to stay for 30 minutes.
Metallica’s lawyer once sent a cease and desist letter to Sandman, a Metallica cover band. Metallica later said they had no idea the letter had been sent and offered an apology and told Rolling Stone that they had started out as a cover band, adding “We have a long history of not only enjoying tribute bands, but we started as one. Heck, we even recorded a two-disc album of covers!”
In 2016 New Jersey went from the 49th to 6th in Highest Gas Tax in the USA.
The first of a set of twins, Samuel, was born at 1:39 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016. His brother Ronan was born 31 minutes later just as daylight saving time had ended, making him 29 minutes older.
Rapper Lil Wayne personally thanked a group of US Marines stuck on the tarmac at the same time as his plane in Indiana.
Simon Smith legally changed his name to Bacon Double Cheeseburger.
It took Boeing 42 years and 1 month to deliver its 10,000 7series aircraft (October 1958-November 2000) and, 42 years and 5 months for Airbus to achieve the same milestone (May 1974-October 2016).
The most common password in 2016 was ‘123456’.
The 2016 Canadian Census had the highest response rate (98.4%) of any census in Canada since the 1666 New France Census, 350 years earlier.
Abraham Muñoz ran a marathon in 5 hours, 41 minutes, 52 seconds while juggling a soccer ball – without it touching the ground.
In 2016, McDonald’s had 36,525 stores and Subway had 44,805.
Isaac Newton predicted that the world would end in 2060 and was obsessed with the number 2016.
The 118th and final element in the periodic table was given the official name “Oganesson” (Og). It was previously known as “Ununoctium” since 1979.
Cost of a 30 second Super Bowl ad: 5 Million dollars
Doomsday Clock:
3 minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 2016: “Last year, the Science and Security Board moved the Doomsday Clock forward to three minutes to midnight, noting: ‘The probability of global catastrophe is very high, and the actions needed to reduce the risks of disaster must be taken very soon.’ That probability has not been reduced. The Clock ticks. Global danger looms. Wise leaders should act- immediately.” See the full statement from the Science and Security Board on the 2016 time of the Doomsday Clock.”
2016 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
Dungeons and Dragons, Little People, Swing
1st Appearances & 2015’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:
Xbox One S, Playstation 4 Slim, Playstation 4 Pro, Pokémon Sun and Moon video game
Best Film Oscar:
Spotlight (presented in 2016)
2016 Entries to The National Film Registry:
The Atomic Café (released in 1982) Ball of Fire (released in 1941) The Beau Brummels (released in 1928) The Birds (released in 1963) Blackboard Jungle (released in 1955) The Breakfast Club (released in 1985) The Decline of Western Civilization (released in 1981) East of Eden(released in 1955) Funny Girl (released in 1968) Life of an American Fireman (released in 1903) The Lion King (released in 1994) Lost Horizon (released in 1937) Musketeers of Pig Alley (released in 1912) Paris Is Burning (released in 1990) Point Blank (released in 1967) The Princess Bride (released in 1987) Putney Swope (released in 1969) Reverend Solomon Sir Jones films (released in 1924/1928) Rushmore (released in 1998) Steamboat Bill, Jr. (released in 1928) Suzanne, Suzanne (released in 1982) Thelma & Louise (released in 1991) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (released in 1916) A Walk in the Sun (released in 1945) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (released in 1988)
1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2. Finding Dory 3. Captain America: Civil War 4. The Secret Life of Pets 5. The Jungle Book 6. Deadpool 7. Zootopia 8. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 9. Suicide Squad 10. Sing
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:
Erin Andrews, Hayley Atwell, Morena Baccarin, Kate Beckinsale, Melissa Benoist, Ashley Benson, Jordana Brewster, Alison Brie, Rose Byrne, Priyanka Chopra, Emilia Clarke, Lauren Cohan, Alexandra Daddario, Brooklyn Decker, Kara Del Toro, Cara Delevingne, Kat Dennings, Natalie Dormer, Hilary Duff, Lena Headey, Gal Gadot, Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding, Ashley Graham, Ariana Grande, Ashley Greene, Gigi Hadid, Holly Holm, Samantha Hoopes, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Sarah Hyland, Kendall Jenner, Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Victoria Justice, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Caity Lotz, Tatiana Maslany, Rose Mciver, Katherine McNamara, Maria Menounos, Kate Middleton, Chloe Grace Moretz, Olivia Munn, Elizabeth Olsen, Rita Ora, Katy Perry, Emily Ratajkowski, Alexis Ren, Daisy Ridley, Rihanna, Krysten Ritter, Margot Robbie, Ronda Rousey, Nicole Scherzinger, Taylor Swift, Bella Thorne, Ivanka Trump, Melania Trump, Sophie Turner, Sofia Vergara, Olivia Wilde, Emma Watson, Ariel Winter, Deborah Ann Woll
Sports: World Series Champions: Chicago Cubs Super Bowl Champions: Denver Broncos NBA Champions: Golden State Warriors Stanley Cup Champs: Pittsburgh Penguins U.S. Open Golf: Dustin Johnson U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies): Stan Wawrinka/Angelique Kerber Wimbledon (Men/Women): Andy Murray/Serena Williams NCAA Football Champions: Clemson NCAA Basketball Champions: Villanova Kentucky Derby: Nyquist
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2016: A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Apprentice in Death by J.D. Robb Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Bill O’Relly’s Legends and Lies: The Patriots by David Fisher The Black Widow by Daniel Silva Blue by Danielle Steel Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb Bullseye by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge Cometh the Hour by Jeffrey Archer Crisis of Character by Gary J. Byrne with Grant M. Schmidt Cross the Line by James Patterson End of Watch by Stephen King Escape Clause by John Sanford Extreme Prey by John Sandford 15th Affair by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben The Gangster by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter Hillary’s America by Dinesh D’Souza Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance Insidious by Catherine Coulter Island of Glass by Nora Roberts It Gets Worse by Shane Dawson To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Killing Reagan by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard The Last Mile by David Baldacci Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton The Magnolia Story by Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines with Mark Dagostino Me Before You by Jojo Moyes Morning Star by Pierce Brown Night School by Lee Child Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming NYPD RED 4 by James Patterson and Marshall Karp The Obsession by Nora Roberts One With You by Sylvia Day Private Paris by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan The Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham Scandalous Behavior by Stuart Woods Settle for More by Megyn Kelly Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi The Whistler by John Grisham The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly
USA Changing Event: On June 26, 2015, The U.S. Supreme Court struck down gay marriage bans as unconstitutional, making the right to same-sex marriage the law of the land in all 50 states.
The Top Song was Uptown Funk! by Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars
The Movies to Watch include Inside Out, Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Martian
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: David Beckham
Notable books include: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
Japan lifted its 67-year old ban on dancing after midnight.
There were 3.5 million skydive jumps with only 21 fatalities in 2015. That’s one fatality for every 165,172 skydives.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum displayed Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet for one day only: April 1, 2015
1 ounce of gold value: $1,060.00
2015 was 11111011111 in binary, making this year a palindrome year. We won’t have another one until 2047 (11111111111) and again in 2049 (100000000001).
The Funny Late Late Night Host: James Corden
The Conversation: Is the dress blue and black or white and gold?
Top Ten Baby Names of 2015:
Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava, Isabella, Noah, Liam, Mason, Jacob, William
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:
Erin Andrews, Hayley Atwell, Elizabeth Banks, Melissa Benoist, Ashley Benson, Julie Benz, Alison Brie, Priyanka Chopra, Emilia Clarke, Lauren Cohan, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Kaley Cuoco, Alexandra Daddario, Brooklyn Decker, Cara Delevingne, Kat Dennings, Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Dormer, Hilary Duff, Gal Gadot, Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding, Ariana Grande, Gigi Hadid, Lena Headey, Sarah Hyland, Holly Holm, Katie Holmes, Samantha Hoopes, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kendall Jenner, Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Victoria Justice, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lawrence, Evangeline Lilly, Blake Lively, Caity Lotz, Demi Lovato, Tatiana Maslany, Katherine McNamara, Maria Menounos, Rose Mciver, AJ Michalka, Olivia Munn, Rachel Nichols, Lupita Nyong’o, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Olsen, Rita Ora, Katy Perry, Emily Ratajkowski, Bar Refaeli, Alexis Ren, Rihanna, Margot Robbie, Ronda Rousey, Zoe Saldana, Nicole Scherzinger, Léa Seydoux, Shakira, Taylor Swift, Ivanka Trump, Melania Trump, Sophie Turner, Kate Upton, Sofia Vergara, Alicia Vikander, Emma Watson, Deborah Ann Woll
“The Quote:”
Sarah Barnes burned down the 5th oldest tree in the world, by setting a fire to see better while she was smoking meth inside the hollow trunk. She was turned in by friends after showing them pictures of the fire and telling them “I can’t believe I burned down a tree older than Jesus.”
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Angela Merkel
Miss America: Kira Kazantsev
Miss USA:
Olivia Jordan
The Scandals: In the US, an estimated 1,670 children died from abuse or neglect in 2015. This translates to a rate of 2.25 children per 100,000 children in the general population and an average of nearly five children dying every day from abuse or neglect.
Scientists discovered that Boa Constrictors kill their prey by cutting off their blood supply, not by suffocation like it was originally assumed.
A man called into C-SPAN and began talking about West Philadelphia, and got all the way through the first two stanzas of the Fresh Prince theme song before being cut off
Microbeads, the little abrasive beads found in soap products, were deemed potentially dangerous to oceanic to the environment and banned in the US.
In 2015, it was discovered that a mysterious unknown radio signal first detected in 1998 by Australian astronomers at Parkes Observatory was actually being caused by the microwave in the kitchen of the observatory.
Pop Culture Facts & History: Among the words added to the dictionary in 2015 were Masshole, twerk, fo’ shizzle, stanky, and Twitterati.
In 2015, more people died trying to take selfies (12) than from shark attacks (8).
Until 2015, more people had stood on the moon (12) than had completed a continuous thru-hike of the Grand Canyon.
Eminem is commended in the 2015 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most words in a hit single, Rap God, totaling 1,560 words in 6 minutes, 4 seconds.
The population of London in 2015 exceeded its 1939 population by only one person.
Researchers built a bot capable of playing classic Atari 2600 games after learning the rules of the game itself. The bot was able to attain a level equivalent to ‘a professional human games tester’.
Foo Fighter’s frontman Dave Grohl broke his leg on stage during a show in Sweden. He returned to the show and finished the concert while sitting in a chair.
US homeownership rates have not changed very much in the last few decades… 2015 and 1967 were the same (63.4%) and it’s never been over 70%.
Oklahoma City once had the most cafeterias per capita and was known as “Cafeteria Capital of the World.” The last cafeteria in OKC closed in 2015.
In 1917, during WWI, Sgt Henry “Black Death” Johnson was wounded 21 times from a German Soldier raid. Racism was still a barrier and was never recognized by the U.S. until 2015, posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor. He was the first American in WWI to be awarded the Croix De Guerre by France.
Cost of a 30 second Super Bowl ad: 4.5 Million dollars
Doomsday Clock:
3 minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
2015: “Unchecked climate change, global nuclear weapons modernizations, and outsized nuclear weapons arsenals pose extraordinary and undeniable threats to the continued existence of humanity, and world leaders have failed to act with the speed or on the scale required to protect citizens from potential catastrophe. These failures of political leadership endanger every person on Earth.” Despite some modestly positive developments in the climate change arena, current efforts are entirely insufficient to prevent catastrophic warming of Earth. Meanwhile, the United States and Russia have embarked on massive programs to modernize their nuclear triads-thereby undermining existing nuclear weapons treaties. “The clock ticks now at just three minutes to midnight because international leaders are failing to perform their most important duty—ensuring and preserving the health and vitality of human civilization.”
2015 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
Puppet, Twister, Super Soaker
1st Appearances & 2015’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:
New Nintendo 3DS
Broadway Show – Hamilton (Musical) Opened on August 6, 2015
Oscar Best Film:
Birdman (presented in 2015)
2015 Entries to The National Film Registry: Being There (released in 1979) Black and Tan (released in 1929) Dracula (Spanish language version) (released in 1931) Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (released in 1906) Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer (released in 1974) Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (released in 1894)
A Fool There Was (released in 1915)
Ghostbusters (released in 1984)
Hail the Conquering Hero (released in 1944)
Humoresque (released in 1920) Imitation of Life (released in 1959) The Inner World of Aphasia (released in 1968) John Henry and the Inky-Poo (released in 1946) L.A. Confidential (released in 1997) The Mark of Zorro (released in 1920) The Old Mill (released in 1937) Our Daily Bread (released in 1934) Portrait of Jason (released in 1967) Seconds (released in 1966) The Shawshank Redemption (released in 1994) Sink or Swim (released in 1990) The Story of Menstruation (released in 1946) Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (released in 1968) Top Gun (released in 1986) Winchester ’73 (released in 1950)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo)
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. Jurassic World
3. Avengers: Age of Ultron
4. Inside Out
5. Furious 7
6. Minions
7. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
8. The Martian
9. Cinderella
10. Spectre
Sports:
World Series Champions: Kansas City Royals
Super Bowl Champions: New England Patriots
NBA Champions: Golden State Warriors
Stanley Cup Champs: Chicago Blackhawks
US Open Golf: Jordan Spieth
US Tennis: (Men/Ladies): Novak Djokovic/Flavia Pennetta
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Novak Djokovic/Serena Williams
NCAA Football Champions: Alabama
NCAA Basketball Champions: Duke
Kentucky Derby: American Pharoah (Triple Crown Winner: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes)
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2015: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice And the Good News Is... by Dana Perino Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Cross Justice by James Patterson The Crossing by Michael Connelly Dead Wake by Erik Larson Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison Finder’s Keepers by Stephen King 14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson Friction by Sandra Brown Gray Mountain by John Grisham The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Gray Mountain by John Grisham Grey by E.L. James Hope by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton It Is About Islam by Glenn Beck To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Killing Reagan by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard The Liar by Nora Roberts Make Me by Lee Child The Martian by Andy Weir Memory Man by David Baldacci The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Plunder and Deceit by Mark Levin Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille The Residence by Kate Andersen Brower The Road to Character by David Brooks Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham See Me by Nicholas Sparks The Survivor by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich Troublemaker by Leah Remini and Rebecca Paley Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling The Wright Brothers by David McCullough X by Sue Grafton
World Bold Event: CVS stopped selling tobacco products in favor of promoting good health.
The Top Song was Happy by Pharell Williams
The Movies to Watch include Interstellar, Jersey Boys, John Wick, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Big Hero 6, and The LEGO Movie
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Chris Hemsworth
Notable books include The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The price of a postage stamp in 2014 was 49 cents Keurig coffee maker: $149.99 Titleist golf balls: $39.99/12
The number 2147483647 is the biggest possible number in 32-bit computing. In December 2014, “Gangnam Style” exceeded the 32-bit limit for view count, necessitating YouTube to upgrade the variable to a 64-bit integer.
The beard of Tutankhamun’s golden mask fell off during the cleaning process in the Egyptian Museum in 2014. The workers used epoxy glue to reattach the beard, but since that was not the professional method, the mask was permanently damaged. They were later prosecuted for this.
The Funny Musician was: Weird Al Yankovic The Feud: Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins and Anderson Cooper had a public feud that began when Cooper openly mocked Corgan on his show because Corgan posed with his cats on the cover of Paws Chicago, a cat magazine.
The Challenge: The Ice Bucket Challenge took place in the Summer of 2014, supporting the ALS Association.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2014:
Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Isabella, Ava, Noah, Liam, Mason, Jacob, William
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:
Erin Andrews, Alessandra Ambrosio, Gillian Anderson, Hayley Atwell, Morena Baccarin, Elizabeth Banks, Kristen Bell, Ashley Benson, Julie Benz, Tia Blanco, Alison Brie, Emilia Clarke, Lauren Cohan, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Kaley Cuoco, Alexandra Daddario, Brooklyn Decker, Kat Dennings, Zooey Deschanel, Gal Gadot, Karen Gillan, Ellie Goulding, Ariana Grande, Gigi Hadid, Lena Headey, Sarah Hyland, Katie Holmes, Samantha Hoopes, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Scarlett Johansson, Victoria Justice, Jennifer Lawrence, Evangeline Lilly, Demi Lovato, Tatiana Maslany, Rose Mciver, AJ Michalka, Aly Michalka, Kate Middleton, Olivia Munn, Rachel Nichols, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Olsen, Rita Ora, Katy Perry, Emily Ratajkowski, Bar Refaeli, Rihanna, Margot Robbie, Emmy Rossum, Ronda Rousey, Zoe Saldana, Nicole Scherzinger, Léa Seydoux, Shakira, Taylor Swift, Ivanka Trump, Sophie Turner, Sofia Vergara, Emma Watson, Deborah Ann Woll
The Oscars Selfie:
(Taken by Bradley Cooper at the 2014 Oscars ceremony, including Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Spacey, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong’o, Angelina Jolie)
Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year:
Ebola Fighters
Miss America:
Nina Davuluri
Miss USA:
Nia Sanchez
The Scandals:
Pablo Escobar’s personal hitman, John J. Velásquez, responsible for 3500 murders, was released from jail in 2014 and is now a YouTube personality with 250,000 subscribers.
When the MV Sewol Ferry started sinking in South Korea in 2014, the captain told the passengers, mostly secondary school students, to not move and just stay put. 304 passengers and crew members died in the disaster.
In 2014, more people died in Mexico as a result of armed conflict than in Pakistan or Sudan, both regions with active military conflicts.
Pia Farrenkopf died in 2009… but her body wasn’t discovered until 2014, largely because she had auto-pay set up for her bills. Her mummified body was found in the garage of her newly foreclosed home only after her bank account finally ran dry.
Michelle Carter, a 17-year-old girl, was charged with manslaughter for encouraging her 18-year-old boyfriend to commit suicide.
The Trost family had to leave their $450,000 home in Weldon Spring, MO after it was infested with 4,500 – 6,000 brown recluse spiders, and exterminators could not get rid of them.
Greenpeace ruined the ancient South American UNESCO World Heritage Site- The Nazca Lines, for their own publicity stunt.
South Korean Christians made a Christmas tree visible from the North Korean Border. North Korea responded by calling it a “tool for psychological warfare” and threatened to bomb it.
Charles Manson was granted a marriage license, but the wedding was canceled after it was discovered that 26-year-old Afton Elaine “Star” Burton only wanted to marry Manson so she and a friend, Craig “Gray Wolf” Hammond, could use his corpse as a tourist attraction after he died.
An 8-year-old boy named Tyler Doohan saved six members of his family from his burning house before finally succumbing to the fire himself while trying to save the last victim, his disabled grandfather.
So far, Comcast has won the “Worst Company in America” award twice, first in 2010 and second in 2014.
In 2014, Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon and owner of WaPo) was named the world’s worst boss by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), an organization with 176 million members in 162 countries.
When James Brady (the man paralyzed by a gunshot wound from the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt) died in 2014, it was ruled a homicide 33 years after the incident.
During a concert, Kanye West halted the performance of Good Life because the entire audience was not standing. The person he signaled out was in a wheelchair.
Romania shipped a reputed 93.4 Tons of gold to Russia in 1916 so that Russia would safely keep the Romanian Treasure in the Kremlin until the war’s end. And, as of 2014, they got back only 33 kg of it.
Namibia raised over $350k by auctioning off the right to hunt one endangered black rhino. The rhino was past breeding age and detrimental to the rest of the herd. The money was used to protect endangered animals.
Pop Culture Fun Facts:
In 2014, Betty White was awarded the Guinness World Record for “Longest TV Career for an Entertainer (Female)”, with a 1939 debut.
The US Murder rate in 2014 is less than half of what it was in 1990 and far lower than the ’70s and ’80s.
“Dagobertducktaks” – the 2014 Dutch word of the year – is an extra tax for the super-rich, named after Donald Duck’s uncle Dagobert, known in English as Scrooge McDuck.
As of 2014, the USA ranked 25th worldwide in internet download speeds and 40th in upload speeds. Though this accounting varies daily, America’s download speeds were never in the top 20 countries.
Google became more valuable than Russia’s entire stock market in December 2014.
Original Top Model winner Adrianne Curry fended off an attacker with a bullwhip while dressed as Catwoman at San Diego Comic-Con.
Mazda recalled 42,000 cars because the yellow sac spider would climb into the gas tank and form a web, blocking airflow. This was the second recall- the first was in 2011 for the same reason.
Cheetos made a fragrance called Chateau in 2014.
Early one morning in St. Petersburg, Florida, a Starbucks drive-thru customer decided to pay for the next customer’s order, which ignited an 11-hour-long pay-it-forward chain that lasted from 7 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m. later that evening when customer No. 379 declined to participate.
In 2014, Hilton Worldwide sold the famous Waldorf Astoria New York hotel to a Chinese Insurance Company for just under $2 billion, with plans to turn the Art Deco landmark into luxury apartments.
As of 2014, only two artists have had their first two singles reach #1 and #2 on the Billboard charts: The Beatles and Iggy Azalea.
Superman would have entered the public domain on 1 January 2014 if copyright terms in the United States had not been extended in the late 1990s. Currently, 2033 is the next date to look for possible changes.
In 2014, the ALS Association received $100.9 million in donations compared to $2.8 million during the same period the year before, thanks to the ice bucket challenge.
ISTAT, the Italian government’s National Institute of Statistics, won an “IG Nobel Prize” (a parody of the Nobel prizes) in economics for ” including revenue from illegal drug sales, prostitution, smuggling, etc., in GDP reporting, to meet an EU regulatory mandate.”
Godzilla was only seen for about 8 minutes in the 2014 film Godzilla.
Taylor Swift accidentally released 8 seconds of white noise on iTunes for $1.29. It became #1 in Canada almost immediately before being removed.
English YouTube star Zoella uploaded a picture of a “random man & his dog” on the beach to Instagram. The “random man” was Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.
A Swiss Bank Deposit Vault containing 8 million five-centime coins, or 400,000 Swiss francs, was sold. It has been described as “the perfect gift for a real-life Scrooge McDuck”.
In 2014, bots outnumbered humans on the internet for the first time, making up 60 percent of all web traffic.
Molecular biologist James Watson put his Nobel Prize up for auction in 2014 due to financial hardships. It sold for $4.1 million and was promptly returned to him by the buyer.
Shavarsh Karapetyan, a 17-time world champion swimmer, heard that a bus had crashed in the water. He went into the deep water and rescued 20 people from drowning. After 10 years, he rescued more people from a burning hospital. He also carried the torch in the Winter Olympics of 2014.
At the 2014 Kid’s Choice Awards for Nickelodeon, nominees for “Favorite Book” included Harry Potter, which ended in 2007, and The Hobbit, published in 1937.
In 2014, only 7 humans were killed by sharks, while humans killed an estimated 63,000,000 sharks.
111-year-old Alexander Imich was a survivor of both the Holocaust and the Soviet gulags. Mr. Imich also became the World’s Oldest Living Man in 2014.
United Passions opened in 10 US theatres on its three-day opening weekend and only grossed $941, the lowest opening in US box office history.
If all the K-cups sold in 2014 were laid end to end, they would circle the Earth at least ten times.
“The Simpsons Guy”, the 2014 crossover between The Simpsons and Family Guy, was described by one critic as a “blight on humanity itself”.
During the Super Bowl and Puppy Bowl, Nat Geo Wild showed the “Fish Bowl,” a 4-hour clip of a goldfish swimming in a bowl.
Because the NFL owns and enforces the trademark for the term “Super Bowl,” almost all ads and commercial uses will instead reference “The Big Game” or something similar. Stephen Colbert even used “The Superb Owl” in 2014.
The cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad is 4.25 million dollars.
A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, serial number 3851GT, sold at Bonham’s Quail Auction on August 14, 2014, for $34,650,000.00 ($38,115,000.00 including buyer premium), breaking the record previously held by a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R race car
Dr. Oz’s The Good Life began publication
2014 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
Little Green Army Men, Bubbles, Rubik’s Cube
1st Appearances & 2014’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:
New Nintendo 3DS XL
Broadway Show – Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Musical) Opened on January 12, 2014
Broadway Show – Aladdin (Musical) Opened on March 20, 2014
Broadway Show – Les Miserables (Musical) Opened on March 23, 2014, and closed on September 4, 2016 (revival)
Best Film Oscar:
12 Years a Slave (presented in 2014)
2014 Entries to The National Film Registry:
13 Lakes (released in 2004) Bert Williams Lime Kiln Club Field Day (released in 1913) The Big Lebowski (released in 1998) Down Argentine Way (released in 1940) The Dragon Painter (released in 1919) Felicia (released in 1965) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (released in 1986) The Gang’s All Here (released in 1943) House of Wax (released in 1953) Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport (released in 2000) Little Big Man (released in 1970) Luxo Jr. (released in 1986) Moon Breath Beat (released in 1980) Please Don’t Bury Me Alive! (released in 1976) The Power and the Glory (released in 1933) Rio Bravo (released in 1959) Rosemary’s Baby (released in 1968) Ruggles of Red Gap (released in 1935) Saving Private Ryan (released in 1998) Shoes (released in 1916) State Fair (released in 1933) Unmasked (released in 1917) V-E Day +1 (May 9, 1945) (released in 1945) The Way of Peace (released in 1947) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (released in 1971)
1. American Sniper 2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 3. Guardians of the Galaxy 4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 5. The LEGO Movie 6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 7. Transformers: Age of Extinction 8. Maleficent 9. X-Men: Days of Future Past 10. Big Hero 6
Sports:
World Series Champions: San Francisco Giants Super Bowl Champions: Seattle Seahawks NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs Stanley Cup Champs: Los Angeles Kings US Open Golf: Martin Kaymer US Tennis: (Men/Ladies): Marin Cilic/Serena Williams Wimbledon (Men/Women): Novak Djokovic/Petra Kvitová NCAA Football Champions: Ohio State NCAA Basketball Champions: Connecticut Kentucky Derby: California Chrome FIFA World Cup (Soccer): Germany
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the final installment in the epic Wheel of Time series. It concludes the sprawling fantasy saga with a dramatic and satisfying resolution, weaving together numerous storylines in an intricate tapestry of magic, war, and destiny.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: A beautiful and poignant novel set during World War II, it tells the parallel stories of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths eventually cross, exploring themes of fate, humanity, and the unseen light in a dark world.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth: The third book in the Divergent series, this dystopian young adult novel continues the adventures of Tris Prior in a society divided into factions. It delves deeper into rebellion, loyalty, and the complexities of choice and consequence.
America by Dinesh D’Souza: This book critically examines American history and politics. D’Souza challenges perceptions of the United States, arguing against what he sees as a distorted view of its history and global role.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: A clever and witty novel set in Australia, it revolves around three women and a series of events leading up to a mysterious death. It’s a brilliant take on ex-husbands, second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves to survive.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: This touching young adult novel tells the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, two teenagers who meet and fall in love at a cancer support group, exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is a thrilling novel that explores the complexities of marriage, media, and manipulation. The story revolves around the disappearance of Amy Dunne and the ensuing media frenzy and police investigation, with surprising twists.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: A sweeping and emotionally gripping novel that follows the life of Theo Decker, who, after surviving a terrorist bombing as a child, is taken in by a wealthy family and drawn into a world of art, obsession and underground antiques.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: A non-fiction masterpiece, it tells the incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic runner who became an airman during World War II, survived a plane crash, spent 47 days drifting on a raft, and was then captured and tortured by the Japanese navy.
Yes Please by Amy Poehler: In this memoir, the beloved comedian and actress offers a hilarious and candid collection of stories, thoughts, ideas, lists, and haikus, providing a unique and humorous insight into her world.
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson Act of War by Brad Thor All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Allegiant by Veronica Roth America by Dinesh D’Souza Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty Blood Feud by Edward Klein Blood Magick by Nora Roberts The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness The Burning Room by Michael Connelly Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty Captivated by You by Sylvia Day Carnal Curiosity by Stuart Woods The Chance by Robyn Carr The Collector by Nora Roberts Concealed in Death by Nora Roberts David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney Divergent by Veronica Roth Duty by Robert M. Gates Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Festive in Death by J.D. Robb Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James Flash Boys by Michael Lewis 41 by George W. Bush Frozen by Victoria Saxon The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Gray Mountain by John Grisham Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton Hope to Die by James Patterson Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton Insurgent by Veronica Roth The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd Invisible by James Patterson Killing Patton by Bill O’Reilly The King by J.R. Ward The Long Way Home by Louise Penny Missing You by Harlan Coben Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King Night Broken by Patricia Briggs The One and Only by Emily Giffin One Nation by Ben Carson with Candy Carson Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Personal by Lee Child Private L.A. by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan Revival by Stephen King Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts Skin Game by Jim Butcher Sycamore Row by John Grisham 10% Happier by Dan Harris The Target by David Baldacci Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff Thrive by Arianna Huffington Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand Unlucky 13 by James Patterson What If by Randall Munroe Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon Yes Please by Amy Poehler
The Mis-heard Event: Public schools in Philadelphia went on lockdown in 2013 after a teacher misheard The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song lyrics as “shooting some people outside of school,” instead of “shooting some b-ball.”
When Ed Sheeran’s “The A-Team” received a Grammy nomination Elton John tried to get Ed a performance slot at the award show, but was told he was not high-profile enough. Elton decided to perform with Ed to solve the problem.
The Top Song was Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke with T.I. and Pharrell
The Movies to Watch include Frozen, 12 Years a Slave, The Great Gatsby, The Lone Ranger, Saving Mr. Banks, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Gravity, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Captain Phillips
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Adam Levine
Notable books include: American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice and Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach
Price of Lipton Teabags in 2013: $3.99/100
Price of a movie ticket: $8.00
Price of extra-large eggs: $2.40/dozen
The Funny Co-Hosts were: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler
Electronic Arts was voted “The Worst Company In America” by The Consumerist for 2 years in a row in 2012 and 2013
The Rap Record: Eminem set the Guinness World Record with Rap God for most words in a hit single. The song has a record-breaking 1560 words in 6 minutes 4 seconds and averaging 4.28 words per second.
The Game Sensation: Flappy Bird was a free-to-play casual mobile game released on the iOS App Store on May 24, 2013, and on Google Play on January 30, 2014, by mobile app developer Dong Nguyen. On February 9th, he took the game off the market.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2013:
Isabella, Sophia, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Jacob, Ethan, Michael, Jayden, William
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:
Malin Ackerman, Amy Adams, Alessandra Ambrosio, Gillian Anderson, Jennifer Anniston, Hayley Atwell, Morena Baccarin, Kristen Bell, Ashley Benson, Julie Benz, Beyonce, Alison Brie, Gisele Bündchen, Emilia Clarke, Lauren Cohan, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Kaley Cuoco, Miley Cyrus, Alexandra Daddario, Brooklyn Decker, Kat Dennings, Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Dormer, Jenna Fischer, Isla Fisher, Megan Fox, Karen Gillan, Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding, Maggie Grace, Ariana Grande, Christina Hendricks, Amber Heard, Katie Holmes, Carly Rae Jepson, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian, Jana Kramer, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Demi Lovato, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Lupita Nyong’o, Rooney Mara, Tatiana Maslany, Lea Michele, Aly Michalka, Kate Middleton, Janelle Monae, Alex Morgan, Olivia Munn, Rachel Nichols, Michelle Obama, Rita Ora, Cote de Pablo, Katy Perry, Bar Refaeli, Rihanna, Margot Robbie, Emmy Rossum, Zoe Saldana, Shakira, Cobie Smulders, Emma Stone, Taylor Swift, Sophie Turner, Kate Upton, Sofia Vergara, Emma Watson, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Kristen Wiig, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Williams
“The Quotes” “If we left, they wouldn’t have nobody,” the 34-year-old Alvarez says. (see the California shut down an elder care facility story below)
Prince used an image of Dave Chappelle dressed as him on the cover of his 2013 single, Breakfast Can Wait. When asked about it Chappelle said, “What am I going to do… sue him for using a picture of me dressed up like him? That’s checkmate right there.”
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
Time Magazine’s Man of the Year:
Pope Francis
Miss America: Mallory Hagan
The Terrible:
April 15 – two bombs built from explosive-packed pressure cookers went off near the Boston Marathon finish line, killing three and wounding over 260 people.
November 8th – Typhoon Haiyan plowed through the Philippines, with winds of more than 150 miles an hour. The storm killed more than 6,000 people and displaced more than three million.
The Scandals:
Edward Snowden released thousands of classified US government documents. The leaks showed that the NSA has collected millions of phone records, spied on US citizens, and tapped the phones of foreign leaders.
Healthcare.gov melted down. The health insurance marketplace that was supposed to be a keystone of the administration’s landmark Affordable Care Act. The website froze under relatively low traffic and produced errors that made getting insurance, or finding if you were eligible, almost impossible. Costs are still adding up, but the website itself has cost US taxpayers over a billion dollars.
Lance Armstrong admitted to doping in all seven of his Tour de France victories.
In February, US Postal Service announces the cessation of Saturday first-class mail delivery from August 2013. By spring, they announced it was not going to happen after all.
Oscar Pistorius, a South African amputee sprint runner, was charged with the murder of Reeva Steenkamp.
US Politics:
January 21, 2013 (Monday) Second inauguration of Barack Obama
Pop Culture Facts & History:
May 21st – Microsoft announced the release of Xbox One.
Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013 but announced it in Latin. One reporter, Italian wire service reporter Giovanna Chirri, got the scoop and broke the story because she understood Latin. Most other reporters waited for official translations.
Twitter, one of the hottest initial public offerings of 2013, raising about $2.1 billion.
Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation as of February 28, the first pope to resign since 1415.
Hannah Warren, who was born without a trachea, at 2, becomes the youngest patient to receive a stem cell bioengineered organ, a new trachea.
Yahoo purchased Tumbler for $1.1 Billion
Scientists used the internet to link the brains of two rats separated by thousands of miles, with one in the researchers’ lab at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and the other in Natal, Brazil.
The European Space Agency revealed new information that indicates that the universe is 13.82 billion years old. Our guess is, that they are not finished yet. 🙂
Cat Stevens, Hall & Oates, Kiss, Linda Ronstadt, and Nirvana were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Estonia became the first country to establish a national system of fast chargers for electric cars.
Sony launches the Playstation Four, selling one million units on the first day, November 15th.
2013 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
Chess, Rubber Duck
The Habit:
Playing with Playstation Four
Broadway Show – Kinky Boots (Musical) Opened on April 4, 2013
Broadway Show – Matilda the Musical (Musical) Opened on April 11, 2013 and closed on January 1, 2017
Best Film Oscar Winner: Argo (presented in 2013)
2013 Entries to The National Film Registry: Bless Their Little Hearts (released in 1984) Brandy in the Wilderness (released in 1969) Cicero March (released in 1966) Daughter of Dawn (released in 1920) Decasia (released in 2002) Ella Cinders (released in 1926) Forbidden Planet (released in 1956) Gilda (released in 1946) The Hole (released in 1963) Judgment at Nuremberg (released in 1961) King of Jazz (released in 1930) The Lunch Date (released in 1989) The Magnificent Seven (released in 1961) Martha Graham Dance Films)
Mary Poppins (released in 1964)
Men and Dust (released in 1940)
Midnight (released in 1939)
Notes on the Port of St. Francis (released in 1951)
Pulp Fiction (released in 1994)
The Quiet Man (released in 1952)
The Right Stuff (released in 1983)
Roger & Me (released in 1989)
A Virtuous Vamp (released in 19 (released in 19) Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (released in 1966) Wild Boys of the Road (released in 1933)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo)
1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
2. Iron Man 3
3. Frozen
4. Despicable Me 2
5. Man of Steel
6. Gravity
7. Monsters University
8. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
9. Fast & Furious 6
10. Oz The Great and Powerful
Sports:
World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox
Super Bowl Champions: Seattle Seahawks
NBA Champions: Miami Heat
Stanley Cup Champs: Chicago Blackhawks
U.S. Open Golf: Justin Rose
U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies): Rafael Nadal/Serena Williams
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Andy Murray/Marion Bartoli
NCAA Football Champions: North Dakota State
NCAA Basketball Champions: Louisville
Kentucky Derby: Orb
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2013: Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson Allegiant by Veronica Roth American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice The Bet by Rachel Van Dyken Burn by Maya Banks Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb Cross My Heart by James Patterson The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) Dark Witch by Nora Roberts Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney Divergent by Veronica Roth Doctor Sleep by Stephen King Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty The Fault in Our Stars by John Green The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly Gone by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Guns at Last Light by Rick Atkinson Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach The Hero by Robyn Carr Hidden Order by Brad Thor The Hit by David Baldicci The House of Hades by Rick Riordan Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton Inferno by Dan Brown Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard Killing Jesus by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris The Liberty Amendments by Mark R. Levin The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks Lover at Last by J.R. Ward My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor Never Go Back by Lee Child Reckless by S.C. Stephens Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss Second Honeymoon by James Patterson and Howard Roughan Si-cology 1 by Si Robertson with Mark Schlabach Six Years by Harlan Coben Storm Front by John Sandford Sum It Up by Pat Summitt with Sally Jenkins Sycamore Row by John Grisham Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich Tenth of December by George Saunders Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer 12th of Never by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro “W” is for Wasted by Sue Grafton Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts Zealot by Reza Aslan
Map Changing Event: Sandy Island, New Caledonia was a nonexistent island that was mapped from 1774 until it’s ‘un’discovery in 2012.
The Top Song was Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson
The Movies to Watch include The Avengers, Silver Linings Playbook, Argo, John Carter, Rock of Ages, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hunger Games, Brave and Life of Pi
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Channing Tatum
The Bestselling books included: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Price of a postage stamp in 2012: 45 cents Price of a Blu-Ray movie: 19.99 Price of a music CD: $9.99
Before 2012 the largest buyer of kale in the US was Pizza Hut, and they only used it as garnish around their salad bar.
The Funny Guys were: John Mullaney & Ron White & Aziz Ansar
The Mouse: Employees of Disney World and Disneyland were prohibited from having mustaches, beards, and goatees until the ban was lifted in 2012. Soul patches are still banned.
The Conversation: Electronic Arts were voted “The Worst Company In America” by The Consumerist for 2 years in a row in 2012 and 2013
Top Ten Baby Names of 2012: Sophia, Emma, Isabella, Olivia, Ava, Jacob, Mason, Ethan, Noah, William
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Mila Kunis, Lea Michele, Scarlett Johansson, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Munn, Emma Stone, Megan Fox, Emma Watson, Malin Ackerman, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Olivia Wilde
The Heartthrob(s): Chris Evans, Ryan Lochte, Stephen Amell, Tom Hardy, Justin Timberlake, Robert Pattinson, Hugh Laurie, Christian Bale, Adam Levine
Fresh Faces: Rita Ora, Frank Ocean
“The Quotes” “There are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business you didn’t build that.” – President Barack Obama
“Puny god” -Hulk in The Avengers
“The ‘D’ is silent.” Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Barack Obama
Miss America: Laura Kaeppeler
Miss USA: Olivia Culpo (Miss Universe), Nana Meriwether
The Scandals: The middle finger that M.I.A. flashed during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show was a result of the singer’s Hindu spiritual enlightenment, she claimed.
Most of the millions of fans who were watching her back up Madonna disagreed. When sued by the NFL for $1.5 million, she defended herself by saying that it was no big deal since there were young, provocative cheerleaders also performing.
Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) blackout as the largest protest in the history of the internet, so far.
The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar reached the date 13.0.0.0.0 on December 21, 2012. Many people thought that this would be the end of the world.
The Terrible: 28 people, including 20 children, were shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut
Pop Culture Facts & History:
Stephen Hawking won the $3 million Fundamental Physics Prize, the most lucrative academic prize in the world
Google’s Gmail became the world’s most popular email service
Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, passed the heliopause, entering interstellar space. (The heliopause is the theoretical boundary where the Sun’s solar wind is stopped by the interstellar medium; where the solar wind’s strength is no longer great enough to push back the stellar winds of the surrounding stars.)
Walt Disney purchased Lucasfilm Ltd and its rights for Star Wars and Indiana Jones for $4.05 billion
Russian scientists regenerated Silene stenophylla (a flower) from a 31,800 year old group of cells, a record for regeneration.
Edvard Munch’s famous painting ‘The Scream’ sold at auction for $119,922,500.
Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey resulting in 110 deaths and $50 billion in damage and forces the New York stock exchange to close
In March, Wendy’s overtook Burger King to become the second best selling hamburger chain.
For the first time since 1977 no Pulitzer Prize is awarded for fiction.
‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’ grossed $500 million in 24 hours to become the biggest entertainment launch of all time
Doomsday Clock: 5 minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 2012: “The challenges to rid the world of nuclear weapons, harness nuclear power, and meet the nearly inexorable climate disruptions from global warming are complex and interconnected. In the face of such complex problems, it is difficult to see where the capacity lies to address these challenges.” Political processes seem wholly inadequate; the potential for nuclear weapons use in regional conflicts in the Middle East, Northeast Asia, and South Asia are alarming; safer nuclear reactor designs need to be developed and built, and more stringent oversight, training, and attention are needed to prevent future disasters; the pace of technological solutions to address climate change may not be adequate to meet the hardships that large-scale disruption of the climate portends.
The Habits: Playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Dancing to PSY’s “Gangnam Style, Reading Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James or The Hunger Games (Trilogy) by Suzanne Collins
2012 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame: Star Wars action figures, Dominoes
Broadway Show – Once (Musical) Opened on March 18, 2012 and closed on January 4, 2015
Broadway Show – Newsies (Musical) Opened on March 29, 2012 and closed on August 24, 2014
Best Film Oscar Winner: The Artist (presented in 2102)
The Number One Hits Of 2012: November 12, 2011 – January 6, 2012: Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris – We Found Love
January 7, 2012 – February 3, 2012: LMFAO – Sexy and I Know It
February 4, 2012 – February 17, 2012: Adele – Set Fire to the Rain
February 18, 2012 – March 2, 2012: Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)
March 3, 2012 – March 16, 2012: Katy Perry – Part of Me
March 17, 2012 – April 27, 2012: Fun featuring Janelle Monae – We Are Young
April 28, 2012 – June 22, 2012: Gotye featuring Kimbra – Somebody That I Used to Know
June 23, 2012 – August 24, 2012: Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
August 25, 2012 – August 31, 2012: Flo Rida – Whistle
September 1, 2012 – September 28, 2012: Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
September 29, 2012 – November 30, 2012: Maroon 5 – One More Night
December 1, 2012 – December 21, 2012: Rihanna – Diamonds
December 22, 2012 – February 1, 2013: Bruno Mars – Locked Out of Heaven
2012 Entries to The National Film Registry: 3:10 to Yuma (released in 1957) Anatomy of a Murder (released in 1959) The Augustas (released in 1930s/1950s) Born Yesterday (released in 1950) Breakfast at Tiffany’s (released in 1961) A Christmas Story (released in 1983) Corbett-Fitzsimmons Title Fight (released in 1897) Dirty Harry (released in 1971) Hours for Jerome: Parts 1 and 2 (released in 1980-82) Kidnapper’s Foil (released in 1930s) A League of Their Own (released in 1992) The Matrix (released in 1999) The Middleton Family at the New York World’s Fair (released in 1939) One Survivor Remembers (released in 1995) Parable (released in 1964) Samsara: Death and Rebirth in Cambodia (released in 1990) Slacker (released in 1991) Sons of the Desert (released in 1933) The Spook Who Sat by the Door (released in 1973) They Call It Pro Football (released in 1966) The Times of Harvey Milk (released in 1984) Two-Color Kodachrome Test Shots No. III (released in 1922) Two-Lane Blacktop (released in 1971) Uncle Tom’s Cabin (released in 1914) The Wishing Ring: an Idyll of Old England (released in 1914)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo) 1. Marvel’s The Avengers 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Hunger Games 4. Skyfall 5. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 6. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 7. The Amazing Spider-Man 8. Brave 9. Ted 10. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Sports: World Series Champions: San Francisco Giants Super Bowl Champions: New York Giants NBA Champions: Oklahoma City Thunder Stanley Cup Champs: Los Angeles Kings U.S. Open Golf: Webb Simpson U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies): Andy Murray/Serena Williams Wimbledon (Men/Women): Roger Federer/Serena Williams NCAA Football Champions: North Dakota State NCAA Basketball Champions: Kentucky Kentucky Derby: I’ll Have Another
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2012: A Wanted Man by Lee Child Amateur by Edward Klein American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice Ameritopia by Mark Levin The Black Box by Michael Connelly The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel Building Stories by Chris Ware The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney Drift by Rachel Maddow 11/22/63 by Stephen King Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn The Help by Kathryn Stockett Home Front by Kristin Hannah Imagine by Jonah Lehrer Kill Shot by Vince Flynn Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard The Last Man by Vince Flynn The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan No Easy Day by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich Obama’s America by Dinesh D’Souza The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts The Passage of Power by Robert Caro Paterno by Joe Posnanski Private: #1 Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Private Games by James Patterson The Racketeer by John Grisham Reflected in You by Sylvia Day The Round House by Louise Erdich Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Thomas Jefferson by Jon Meacham Threat Vector by Tom Clancy Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand Wild by Cheryl Strayed Winter of the World by Ken Follett
World Changing Event: Snapchat App became available
The Top Song was We Found Love by Rihanna
Influential Songs include: Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons, It Will Rain by Bruno Mars, Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People, and Born This Way by Lady Gaga
The Movies to Watch include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, We Bought a Zoo, The Help, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Bradley Cooper
Notable books include: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Price of a gallon of gas in 2011: $3.58
Croft & Barrow Necktie: $34.00
Nike sneakers: $59.99/pair
The Funny Guy was: Daniel Tosh
In 2011 it cost 2.41 cents to make a single American Penny.
The Billionaire: JK Rowling was the youngest self-made female billionaire in 2011, although charitable giving has put her into the hundreds of millions range since then.
Year of The Rabbit
The year of the rabbit is one of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The rabbit is the fourth animal in the cycle.
The years of the rabbit include: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035, 2047, and 2059
The year of the rabbit is associated with elegance, diplomacy, and good luck. People born in the year of the rabbit are said to be kind, gentle, and sensitive. They are also said to be wise, discreet, and have a good sense of humor. They are usually good at avoiding conflicts, and they are very good listeners. They are also very sensitive, so they can easily understand other people’s feelings. They are said to be lucky in love and money matters. They are also known to be good at art and design.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2011:
Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Jacob, Mason, William, Jayden, Noah
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:
Mila Kunis, Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway, Katy Perry, Emma Watson, Bar Refaeli, Blake Lively, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Cobie Smulders, Olivia Munn, Cameron Diaz, Kate Middleton
The Heartthrob(s):
Colin Firth, Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Taylor Lautner, Johnny Depp, Rob Pattinson, Hugh Laurie, Joe Manganiello, Tim Tebow, Brad Pitt
“The Quote:”
“I’m a winner” – Charlie Sheen
Time Magazine’s Man of the Year:
The Protester
Miss America:
Teresa Scanlan
Miss USA:
Alyssa Campanella
The Picture:
“It was completely engulfed and everything was up in flames,” said bride Nancy Rogers, posing here with new husband Mike as White Point Beach Resort’s main lodge burned in the background. “We lost all of that stuff, but that’s not important to us. We got the most important things.”
The Scandal:
Charlie Sheen
Whas New:
Dynamic Eye Sunglasses, invented by Chris Mullin, block sun glare instantly with liquid crystal lenses.
The Habit:
Playing Angry Birds
2011 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
Hot Wheels, Dollhouse, Blanket
2011’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:
LeapFrog LeapPad, Amazon Kindle Fire
Best Film Oscar Winner: The King’s Speech
Broadway Show – Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (Musical) Opened on June 14, 2011, and closed on January 4, 2014
2011 Entries to The National Film Registry: Allures (released in 1961) Bambi (released in 1942) The Big Heat (released in 1953) A Computer Animated Hand (released in 1972) Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (released in 1963) The Cry of the Children (released in 1912) A Cure for Pokeritis (released in 1912) El Mariachi (released in 1992) Faces (released in 1968) Fake Fruit Factory (released in 1986) Forrest Gump (released in 1994) Growing Up Female (released in 1971) Hester Street (released in 1975) I, an Actress (released in 1977) The Iron Horse (released in 1924) The Kid (released in 1921) The Lost Weekend (released in 1945) The Negro Soldier (released in 1944) Nicholas Brothers’ Home Movies (released in 1930s-’40s) Norma Rae (released in 1979) Porgy and Bess (released in 1959) The Silence of the Lambs (released in 1991) Stand and Deliver (released in 1988) Twentieth Century (released in 1934) War of the Worlds (released in 1953)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo)
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
4. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
5. Kung Fu Panda 2
6. Fast Five
7. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,
8. The Hangover Part II
9. The Smurfs
10. Cars 2
2011/12 Most Popular TV Shows:
1. NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC)
2. American Idol (Fox)
3. The Voice (NBC)
4. Modern Family (ABC)
5. Big Bang Theory (CBS)
6. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
7. X-Factor (Fox)
8. 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
9. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
10. New Girl (Fox)
Sports:
World Series Champions: St. Louis Cardinals
Super Bowl Champions: Green Bay Packers
NBA Champions: Dallas Mavericks
Stanley Cup Champs: Boston Bruins
U.S. Open Golf Rory Mcllroy
U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Novak Djokovic/Samantha Stosur
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Novak Djokovic/Petra Kvitova
NCAA Football Champions: North Dakota State
NCAA Basketball Champions: UConn Huskies
Kentucky Derby: Animal Kingdom
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2011: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard The Affair by Lee Child Alone by Lisa Gardner Archery in Death by J.D. Robb The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks Bossypants by Tina Fey Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris Decision Points by George W. Bush The Drop by Michael Connelly 11/22/63 by Stephen King Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson The Greater Journey by David McCullough The Help by Kathryn Stockett In My Time by Dick Cheney The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer Jacqueline Kennedy by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard Known and Unknown by Donald Rumsfeld Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea Handler The Litigators by John Grisham Locked On by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney Micro by Michael Crichton Onward by Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan Pym by Mat Johnson Red by Sammy Hagar with Joel Selvin Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich The Social Animal by David Brooks Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta Swamplandia! by Karen Russell Those Guys Have All the Fun by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales Tick Tock by James Patterson The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss Zero Day by David Baldacci
World-Changing Event: The Instagram app became available, and the iPad tablet was released.
The Top Song was Tik Tok by Ke$ha
The Movies to Watch include Toy Story 3, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Inception, and Megamind.
The Most Famous Person in America was probably (tie) David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Conan O’Brien.
Notable books include The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom.
Price of… Xbox 360 in 2010: $199.00 Fisher-Price Follow Me Thomas: $39.99 Whole Pineapple: $3.99
The Funny Guy was: Kevin Hart
The Late Night Feud: Jay Leno vs David Letterman vs Conan O’Brien
The Conversation: Who should get Jay Leno’s ‘Tonight Show’ host job? David Letterman or Conan O’Brien?
2010 History Roundup:
January 12 – Haiti Devastated by Earthquake: A catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, resulting in over 220,000 deaths and leaving approximately 1 million people homeless.
February 12–28 – Vancouver Hosted Winter Olympics: The 2010 Winter Olympics took place in Vancouver, Canada, featuring 2,566 athletes from 82 nations competing in 86 events.
April 10 – Polish President Killed in Plane Crash: Polish President Lech Kaczyński, along with 95 others, died in a plane crash near Smolensk, Russia, while en route to a memorial service.
April 20 – Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Began: An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico led to a massive oil spill, becoming one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.
May 2 – Eurozone Agreed to Greek Bailout: The eurozone and the International Monetary Fund agreed to a €110 billion bailout package for Greece to address its severe debt crisis.
May 6 – UK General Election Resulted in Hung Parliament: The United Kingdom’s general election resulted in a hung parliament, leading to a coalition government between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats.
June 11 – July 11 – Spain Won FIFA World Cup: Spain secured its first FIFA World Cup title by defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final held in South Africa.
July 25 – WikiLeaks Released Afghan War Documents: WikiLeaks published over 75,000 classified documents related to the war in Afghanistan, sparking global controversy and debate over military transparency.
August 5 – Chilean Miners Trapped Underground: Thirty-three miners became trapped 700 meters underground in a mine in northern Chile, leading to a dramatic rescue operation.
August 10 – WHO Declared End of H1N1 Pandemic: The World Health Organization declared the end of the H1N1 influenza pandemic, stating that worldwide flu activity had returned to typical seasonal patterns.
August 19 – Operation Iraqi Freedom Ended: The United States declared an end to combat operations in Iraq, transitioning to Operation New Dawn to focus on stability operations.
September 28 – China Surpassed Japan as Second-Largest Economy: China officially surpassed Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy, reflecting its rapid economic growth.
October 3 – Germany Made Final WWI Reparation Payment: Germany made its final payment of reparations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, concluding its obligations from World War I.
October 10 – Netherlands Antilles Dissolved: The Netherlands Antilles was officially dissolved, resulting in new constitutional statuses for its constituent islands.
October 12 – Chilean Miners Rescued: All 33 trapped Chilean miners were successfully rescued after 69 days underground, in a globally televised event.
October 22 – WikiLeaks Released Iraq War Logs: WikiLeaks published nearly 400,000 classified U.S. military documents detailing operations in Iraq, revealing previously unreported incidents.
November 2 – U.S. Midterm Elections Shifted Power: The Republican Party gained control of the House of Representatives in the U.S. midterm elections, leading to a divided Congress.
November 28 – WikiLeaks Released U.S. Diplomatic Cables: WikiLeaks began releasing a cache of U.S. diplomatic cables, exposing confidential communications and causing diplomatic tensions.
December 17 – Tunisian Protests Sparked Arab Spring: The self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia led to nationwide protests, eventually inspiring the broader Arab Spring movements across the Middle East and North Africa.
December 21 – Total Lunar Eclipse Coincided with Solstice: A total lunar eclipse occurred on the same day as the northern winter solstice, a rare astronomical event that last happened in 1638.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2010:
Isabella, Sophia, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Jacob, Ethan, Michael, Jayden, William
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:
Katy Perry, Olivia Munn, Eva Mendes, Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively, Audrina Patridge, Lady Gaga, Lauren Conrad, Beyonce, Amanda Bynes. Bar Refaeli, Olivia Wilde, Marisa Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Milla Jovovich, Christina Aguilera, Nicole Scherzinger, Danica Patrick
The Heartthrob(s):
Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Laurie, Taylor Lautner, Zac Efron, Adam Levine, Colin Firth, David Beckham, Justin Bieber, Joe Manganiello, Tim Tebow
“The Quote:”
“I am not part of the PlayStation generation.” Prince Charles admits he is baffled by modern technology.
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year:
Mark Zuckerberg
Miss America:
Caressa Cameron
Miss USA:
Rima Fakih
The Scandal:
Jesse James cheated on Sandra Bullock.
US News:
George Washington borrowed The Law of Nations from the New York Society Library and didn’t return it. Mount Vernon estate returned the book in 2010 (221 years overdue) after the Head librarian joked they were “not actively pursuing the overdue fines,” they would appreciate having it back.
During the last 90 years of American history, there have been only two decades with the GDP increasing every year – the 1960s and the 2010s.
World News:
The UK didn’t have televised election debates until 2010.
The largest air traffic shut down since World War II happened in 2010 due to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. 95,000 flights were canceled in a 6-day period.
Since 2010, the International Space Station has a water purification system (from washing, sweat, even urine), allowing the ISS to reclaim 93% of all liquid on the station.
26.5 million Canadians tuned into the gold medal final against the United States in men’s hockey during the 2010 Winter Olympics. That’s 80% of the entire country’s population. #Canadawon
Germany finished paying WWI reparations from the Treaty of Versailles on October 3, 2010, with a final payment of 70 million euros to government and private banks in the US, France, and Britain.
There was a traffic jam in China that started on August 13th, 2010; it lasted two weeks, jammed traffic for over 100km (over 62 miles), and allowed drivers to move roughly 1km a day.
Israel’s weekly state lottery drew exactly the same 6 numbers (,000, with more than 100 people sharing smaller prizes.
The numbers that rolled out during a live television broadcast were (36, 33, 32, 26, 14, 13and the additional ‘strong’ number 2) as the draw 3 weeks earlier, and event statisticians said was a one in four trillion chance.
In 2010, Sweden removed the statute of limitations for prosecuting murder because the 1986 assassination of their prime minister, Olof Palme, had still not been solved. Though 10,000 people have been questioned, the killer remains unknown to this day.
The town of Sh*tterton, England, kept getting its town sign stolen. In 2010, they finally solved the problem by installing a 1.6-ton concrete slab with the town name inscribed on it.
Pop Culture Facts & History:
The KOR-fx, a device that sits around the shoulders and translates stereo sound into stereo vibrations for gaming consoles, mp3s, and more, was invented.
Barbra Streisand is the only artist to have Billboard 200 #1 albums in six decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s.
The best-selling book of the 2010s was Fifty Shades of Grey. The second best-selling was Fifty Shades Darker. The third best-selling was… Fifty Shades Freed.
MTV was not focusing on music anymore. As part of their re-branding, they dropped the long-running tagline “Music Television” from their logo, officially ending their music video era.
Gift cards worth $27 billion have gone unredeemed between 2010 and 2018.
Kansas State University professor Mark Haub went on a Twinkie diet, where he ate mainly Twinkies, Oreos, and Doritos to prove to his students that calorie counting is THE important part of losing weight, not nutritional content. He lost 27 pounds in 2 months.
93 percent of shark attacks worldwide between 1580 and 2010 were on males.
The USPS mistook a Las Vegas replica for the real Statue of Liberty when creating the Lady Liberty “forever” stamp in 2010, resulting in a $3.5m payout to the replica’s sculptor for violating his copyright.
Barbie’s toddler sister Kelly was discontinued in 2010 and replaced with a 6-year-old sister named Chelsea in 2011.
When South Park parodied Family Guy in the 2010 two-part episode ‘Cartoon Wars’, The Simpsons writing staff sent them flowers.
In 2010, the Forest Service made Betty White an honorary forest ranger. White said in previous interviews that she wanted to be a forest ranger as a little girl but that women were not allowed to do that then. When White received the honor, more than 1/3 of Forest Service employees were women.
The ManhattAnt is a unique species of ant found only in New York City. Biologists stumbled upon them in the Broadway medians at 63rd and 76th streets in 2010, and the biologists claim the ant species does not match any of the 13,000 known species. The ants subsist on a diet high in corn.
Bohemian Rhapsody is the only song in the top 100 most streamed songs on Spotify to be published before 2010 (as of 2020).
Altoids once came in sour varieties but were discontinued in 2010.
Encyclopedia Britannica was the oldest continuously published reference source in the English language. The last printed edition was published in 2010. The publisher was at that time 244 years old.
In 2010, an unnamed, unlucky airline passenger was arrested in Ireland after Slovak security officials placed explosives in his luggage for training, then forgot to remove them before the plane took off.
In 2010, The U.S. Air Force made the fastest computer in the US Defense Department with 1,760 PlayStation 3s.
In 2010, Microsoft banned a user from Xbox Live for putting Fort Gay as his address. When he tried to tell them that Fort Gay exists in West Virginia, it took an appeal from the town’s mayor to correct it.
The 1980 Comedy film Airplane was judged “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant and added to the National Film Registry in 2010.
Jon McLoone ran 15 million computer simulations of the game Hangman and discovered that the most difficult word for that program to guess is “Jazz”.
Andre Geim won the (parody prize) Ig Nobel Prize in 2000 for his work on using magnetism to levitate a frog. 10 years later, his experiments regarding graphene won him the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. This makes him the only recipient of the Ig Nobel and Nobel Prizes.
Doomsday Clock:
6 minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 2010: “We are poised to bend the arc of history toward a world free of nuclear weapons” is the Bulletin’s assessment. Talks between Washington and Moscow for a follow-on agreement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty are nearly complete, and more negotiations for further reductions in the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenal are already planned. The dangers posed by climate change are growing, but there are pockets of progress. Most notably, at Copenhagen, the developing and industrialized countries agree to take responsibility for carbon emissions and to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius.
The Habit:
The partially-shaved head trend was big with celebrities, including Willow Smith, Rihanna, and model Amber Rose.
2010 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
The Game of Life, Playing cards
2010’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:
Ipad, Zhu Zhu Pets, Nooks
Best Film Oscar Winner:
The Hurt Locker (presented in 2010)
2010 Entries to The National Film Registry:
Airplane! (released in 1980) All the President’s Men (released in 1976) The Bargain (released in 1914) Cry of Jazz (released in 1959) Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (released in 1967) The Empire Strikes Back (released in 1980) The Exorcist (released in 1973) The Front Page (released in 1931) Grey Gardens (released in 1976) I Am Joaquin (released in 1969) It’s a Gift (released in 1934) Let There Be Light (released in 1946) Lonesome (released in 1928) Make Way for Tomorrow (released in 1937) Malcolm X (released in 1992) McCabe & Mrs. Miller (released in 1971) Newark Athlete (released in 1891) Our Lady of the Sphere (released in 1969) The Pink Panther (released in 1963) Preservation of the Sign Language (released in 1913) Saturday Night Fever (released in 1977) Study of a River (released in 1996/1997) Tarantella (released in 1940) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (released in 1945) A Trip Down Market Street (released in 1906)
1. Toy Story 3 2. Alice in Wonderland 3. Iron Man 2 4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 6. Inception 7. Despicable Me 8. Shrek Forever After 9. How to Train Your Dragon 10. Tangled
2010/11 Most Popular TV Shows:
1. American Idol (Fox) 2. NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC) 3. The Voice (NBC) 4. Modern Family (ABC) 5. Dancing With The Stars (ABC) 6. Big Bang Theory (CBS) 7. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 8. Survivor: Nicaragua (CBS) 9. NCIS (CBS) 10. Glee (Fox)
2010 United States Census:
Total US Population: 308,745,538 1. New York, New York – 8,175,133 2. Los Angeles, California – 3,792,621 3. Chicago, Illinois – 2,695,598 4. Houston, Texas – 2,099,451 5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 1,526,006 6. Phoenix, Arizona – 1,445,632 7. San Antonio, Texas – 1,327,407 8. San Diego, California – 1,307,402 9. Dallas, Texas – 1,197,816 10. San Jose, California – 945,942
Sports:
World Series Champions: San Francisco Giants Super Bowl Champions: New Orleans Saints NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers Stanley Cup Champs: Chicago Blackhawks U.S. Open Golf Graeme McDowell U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Rafael Nadal/ Kim Clijsters Wimbledon (Men/Women): Rafael Nadal/Serena Williams NCAA Football Champions: Villanova Wildcats NCAA Basketball Champions: Duke Kentucky Derby: Super Saver World Cup (Soccer): Spain
The longest tennis match took place at Wimbledon 2010 when John Isner of the United States beat Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 in a match that lasted 11 hours and five minutes, played over three days, June 22, 23 and 24.
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2010: A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan America Assassin by Vince Flynn The Ask by Sam Lipsyte The Big Short by Michael Lewis Bossypants by Tina Fey Caught by Harlan Coben Changes by Jim Butcher Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert The Confession by John Grisham Crimes Against Liberty by David Limbaugh Cross Fire by James Patterson Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood Decision Points by George W. Bush Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci Earth (The Book) by Jon Stewart and others Fall of Giants by Ken Follett Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb Freedom by Jonathan Franzen Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson Going Rogue by Sarah Palin The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow Half Empty by David Rakoff Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci The Help by Kathryn Stockett House Rules by Jodi Picoult How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengest The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins Life by Keith Richards with James Fox The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown The 9th Judgment by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro No Apology by Mitt Romney The Obama Diaries by Laura Ingraham Obama’s Wars by Bob Woodward Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelley The Overton Window by Glen Beck Point Omega by Don DeLillo Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund Private by James Patterson The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva The Reversal by Michael Connelly Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks Search by Nora Roberts Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs 61 Hours by Lee Child Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson Worth Dying For by Lee Child Worst Case by James Patterson
World Changing Event: The Bitcoin (BTC) was created. It had virtually zero value in 2009 but peaked at 39 cents in 2010.
10,000 BTC were used to buy 2 Papa John Pizzas.
The Top Song was I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas
Influential Songs include: The Fear by Lily Allen, I Dreamed A Dream by Susan Boyle, The Climb by Miley Cyrus, and Chasing Pavements by Adele
The Movies to Watch include Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hurt Locker, Avatar, Up, Watchmen, Sherlock Holmes, and District 9
The Most Famous Person in America was probably Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Johnny Depp
Notable books include: The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt
Price of an Element MP3 player, 4GB: $39.99 Apple iPod Nano: $149.00 Minimum Wage in 2009: $7.25 per hour* *some states higher
The Funny Guy was: Larry the Cable Guy The Funny Late Night Host (1/2 year): Conan O’Brien
The Viral Video: JK Wedding Entrance Dance… The wedding procession for Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz of St. Paul, Minnesota, was choreographed to the song Forever by Chris Brown.
After 74 years of production, Kodak stopped selling 35mm color film in 2009.
Rare Video Game: Mean Girls on DS, a game based on a movie starring Lindsay Lohan.
The Conversion Rate: Singer Lily Allen turned down 200,000 in Bitcoins for a gig in 2009, about $2,000 (1 cent each) in cash value then. As of November 2017, it was worth over $1.3 Billion. (current value)
The Year of the Ox The year of the ox is one of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The ox is the second animal in the cycle. The years of the ox include: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033, 2045, 2057 The year of the ox is associated with hard work, determination, and honesty. People born in the year of the ox are said to be strong, reliable, and dependable. They are also said to be patient and persistent, able to overcome any obstacle. They are usually honest and straightforward, don’t like to deceive, and can’t stand lies. They are also very hard-working, so they often succeed in their careers.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2009: Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava, Jacob, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, William
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Bar Refaeli, Adriana Lima, Jordana Brewster, Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, Christina Aguilera, Mila Kunis, Olivia Wilde, Eliza Dushku, Malin Akerman, Rihanna, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Leighton Meester
The Leading Men & Hunks: Taylor Lautner, Channing Tatum, Hugh Laurie, David Beckham, Joe Manganiello, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Pattinson, Tim Tebow, Antonio Sabàto, Jr.
“The Quotes” “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.” -Barack Obama
“You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. But when my sister brought Doug home, I knew he was one of my own. And my wolf pack… it grew by one. So there… there were two of us in the wolf pack… I was alone first in the pack, and then Doug joined in later. And six months ago, when Doug introduced me to you guys, I thought, “Wait a second, could it be?” And now I know for sure, I just added two more guys to my wolf pack. Four of us wolves, running around the desert together, in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine. So tonight, I make a toast!” – Alan, from The Hangover
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Ben Bernanke
Miss America: Katie Stam
Miss USA: Kristen Dalton
The Scandals: Miley Cyrus almost had to dish out $4,000 to every Asian and Pacific Islander living in Los Angeles County in 2009. A racial discrimination lawsuit was filed by Lucie J. Kim claiming a picture of the singer pulling back her eyelids had broken the law. It was dismissed by the judge.
Golfer Tiger Woods allegedly took part in extramarital affairs with up to ten women including Playboy model Loredana Jolie and porn star Holly Sampson.
Chris Brown’s battery charges against Rihanna and the shocking picture of her black eye that surfaced on the internet.
Richard and Mayumi Heene of Fort Collins, Colorado claimed their 6-year-old child was trapped inside a gas balloon that floated up to altitudes of 7,000 feet. The incident received mass media attention but turned out to be a hoax.
Kanye West did not let Taylor Swift finish at the MTV VMA awards and interrupted her during her acceptance speech.
Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, died while preparing for a series of concerts. Prosecutors continue to question Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murry, about whether or not he prescribed Jackson a fatal dosage of Propofol.
Presidents Obama(USA) and Sarkozy (France) noticed a young woman. French presidents are known for ‘noticing’ pretty young women, but American presidents normally don’t get photographed in such positions.
US Politics: January 20, 2009 (Tuesday) First inauguration of Barack Obama
Pop Culture Facts & History: Inventions included Foldable Speakers and Bladeless Fans.
Melissa and her husband Jackson Brandts were exploring Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park, Canada, when a ground squirrel photobombed their timed picture.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2009: $3,000,000
The Habit: Watching Avatar in theaters
2009 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame: The Ball, Game Boy, Big Wheel
1st Appearances & 2009’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents: Zhu Zhu Pet hamsters, Bakugan Battle Brawlers New Vestroia Maxus Helios 7-in-1
East End Show – Thriller – Live (revival) Opened on January 26, 2009
Broadway Show – Rock of Ages (Musical) Opened on April 7, 2009 and closed on January 18, 2015
Broadway Show – Memphis (Musical) Opened on October 19, 2009 and closed on August 5, 2012
Best Film Oscar Winner: The Hurt Locker (Presented in 2010)
2009 Entries to The National Film Registry: Dog Day Afternoon (released in 1975) The Exiles (released in 1961) Heroes All (released in 1920) Hot Dogs for Gauguin (released in 1972) The Incredible Shrinking Man (released in 1957) Jezebel (released in 1938) The Jungle (released in 1967) The Lead Shoes (released in 1949) Little Nemo (released in 1911) Mabel’s Blunder (released in 1914) The Mark of Zorro (released in 1940) Mrs. Miniver (released in 1942) The Muppet Movie (released in 1979) Once Upon a Time in the West (released in 1968) Pillow Talk (released in 1959) Precious Images (released in 1986) Quasi at the Quackadero (released in 1975) The Red Book (released in 1994) The Revenge of Pancho Villa (released in 1930/1936) Scratch and Crow (released in 1995) Stark Love (released in 1927) The Story of G.I. Joe (released in 1945) A Study in Reds (released in 1932) Michael Jackson’s Thriller (released in 1983) Under Western Stars (released in 1938)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo) 1. Avatar 2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 4. The Twilight Saga: New Moon 5. Up 6. The Hangover 7. Star Trek 8. The Blind Side 9. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel 10. Sherlock Holmes
2009 Most Popular TV Shows: 1. NCIS (CBS) 2. Sunday Night Football (NBC) 3. Dancing With the Stars (ABC) 4. The Mentalist (CBS) 5. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) 6. CSI (CBS) 7. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 8. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 9. House (Fox) 10. CBS NFL Postgame
Sports: World Series Champions: New York Yankees Super Bowl Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers Stanley Cup Champs: Pittsburgh Penguins U.S. Open Golf Lucas Glover U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Juan Martin del Potro/Kim Clijsters Wimbledon (Men/Women): Roger Federer/Serena Williams NCAA Football Champions: Alabama NCAA Basketball Champions: North Carolina Kentucky Derby: Mine That Bird
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2009: Alex Cross’s Trial by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo Arguing with Idiots by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe, and others The Associate by John Grisham Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner Black Hills by Nora Roberts Black Ops by W.E.B. Griffin The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons Catastrophe by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem Culture of Corruption by Michelle Malkin Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris The Defector by Daniel Silva 8th Confession by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich Ford County by John Grisham Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larrson Going Rogue by Sarah Palin Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom The Help by Kathryn Stockett The Host by Stephenie Meyer The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins I, Alex Cross by James Patterson Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark Knockout by Catherine Coulter The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks Liberty and Tyranny by Mark R. Levin Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr Long Lost by Harlan Coban The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin Open by Andre Agassi Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton Plum Spooky – Janet Evanovich Promises in Death by J.D. Robb Relentless by Dean Koontz Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton South of Broad by Pat Conroy Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman Turn Coat by Jim Butcher “U” is for Undertow by Sue Grafton Under the Dome by Stephen King Unmasked by Ian Halperin Wicked Prey by John Sandford The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci
Beer: During a worldwide hop shortage in 2008, The Sam Adams Brewing Company sold craft brewers their hops at cost to keep them in business and even gave cash loans to small breweries, helping the entire micro-brew industry.
The Top Song was Low by Flo Rida with T-Pain
Influential Songs include: Foundations by Kate Nash, Fifteen by Taylor Swift, The Prayer by Celine Dion and Josh Groban, Leavin’ by Jesse McCartney, and Forever by Chris Brown
The Movies to Watch include WALL-E, Tropic Thunder, Iron Man, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Dark Knight
The Most Famous Person in America was probably Usain Bolt
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Hugh Jackman
Notable books include: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Price of a postage stamp in 2008: 42 cents Zune 120 released: $249.95 Xbox 360 game system: $279.99
The Funny Guy was: Louis C.K. The Funny Late Night Host: Jay Leno
Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record Holder Usain Bolt ate 100 chicken nuggets a day (1,000 total) and still managed to win three gold medals while competing and staying in Beijing, China.
Michael Jackson tried to hang out casually at a club and people watch and was surprised when he heard the DJ play remixes of his songs and said “Wow, I didn’t know that they still played my music [in 2008]”.
The Movie Question: How did they get so many talented actors to join the cast of Mamma Mia?
Year of the Rat The year of the rat is one of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The rat is the first animal in the cycle. The years of the rat include: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032, 2044, 2056 The year of the rat is associated with intelligence, charm, and a quick wit. People born in the year of the rat are said to be hardworking, ambitious, and good at saving money. They are also said to be adaptable and resourceful, able to make the best of any situation.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2008: Emma, Isabella, Emily, Olivia, Ava, Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua, Daniel
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Michelle Geller, Christina Aguilera, Charlize Theron, Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, Beyonce, Marissa Miller, Eva Longoria, Vanessa Hudgens, Rihanna, Hayden Panettiere, Elisha Cuthbert, Eva Mendes, Lindsay Lohan, Ashley Tisdale
Leading Men and Hollywood Hunks: David Beckham, Robert Pattinson, Antonio Sabàto, Jr., Hugh Laurie, Christian Bale, George Clooney, Brad Pitt
“The Quotes” “I can see Russia from my house!” -Comedian Tina Fey, while impersonating Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
“You know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick” -Sarah Palin
“You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.” -Barack Obama
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Barack Obama
Miss America: Kirsten Haglund
Miss USA: Crystle Stewart
The Scandals: John Edwards (D) admitted having an affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People’s Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, contaminated with melamine. China reported an estimated 300,000 victims.
Democrat New York governor Eliot Spitzer (aka Client #9) had a scandalous, ongoing tryst with escort Ashley Alexandra Dupre.
Pop Culture Facts & History: A 2008 study of the British authorities’ Convict Transportation Registers from 1788 to 1868 estimated that 22 percent of living Australians had a convict ancestor.
DNA tests were made available to the public.
The Large Hadron Collider went online September 10, 2008.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2008: $2,700,000
The Habit: Showing off your Apple iPod nano 8 GB, Arguing over Team Jacob or Team Edward
2008 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame: The Stick, The Baby Doll, The Skateboard
1st Appearances & 2008’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents: Lego Star Wars rebel scout speeder, Hannah Montana Holiday Singing Doll
East End Show – Jersey Boys (Musical) Opened on March 18, 2008 and closed on March 26, 2017
Broadway Show – In the Heights (Musical) Opened on March 30, 2008 and closed on January 9, 2011
Broadway Show – Billy Elliot the Musical (Musical) Opened on November 13, 2008 and closed on January 8, 2012
Best Film Oscar Winner: No Country For Old Men (Presented in 2008)
2008 Entries to The National Film Registry: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (released in 1958) The Asphalt Jungle (released in 1950) Deliverance (released in 1972) Disneyland Dream (released in 1956) A Face in the Crowd (released in 1957) Flower Drum Song (released in 1961) Foolish Wives (released in 1922) Free Radicals (released in 1979) George Stevens’ World War II Footage (released in 1943/1946) Hallelujah! (released in 1929) In Cold Blood (released in 1967) The Invisible Man (released in 1933) Johnny Guitar (released in 1954) The Killers (released in 1946) The March (released in 1964) No Lies (released in 1973) On the Bowery (released in 1957) One Week (released in 1920) The Pawnbroker (released in 1965) The Perils of Pauline (released in 1914) Sergeant York (released in 1941) So’s Your Old Man (released in 1926) The Terminator (released in 1984) Water and Power (released in 1989) White Fawn’s Devotion (released in 1910)
1. The Dark Knight 2. Iron Man 3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 4. Hancock 5. WALL-E 6. Kung Fu Panda 7. Twilight 8. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 9. Quantum of Solace 10. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!
2008 Most Popular TV Shows: 1. American Idol Results (Fox) 2. Dancing With the Stars (ABC) 3. CSI (CBS) 4. NCIS (CBS) 5. The Mentalist (CBS) 6. Sunday Night Football (NBC) 7. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 8. Two and a Half Men (CBS) 9. Criminal Minds (CBS) 10. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Notable Books: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler Audition by Barbara Walters The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan Beautiful Boy by David Sheff Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer Brisingr (Inheritance Cycle #3) by Christopher Paolini City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) by Cassandra Clare Chosen (House of Night #) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast Dewey by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3) by Stephenie Meyer Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, Shadow Mountain (Fablehaven #3) by Brandon Mull Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2) by Melissa Marr Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1) by Kristin Cashore The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Home by Julie Andrews Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg Losing It by Valerie Bertinelli Mistaken Identity by Don and Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak, with Mark Tabb New Moon (The Twilight Saga Book 2) by Stephenie Meyer The Obama Nation by Jerome R. Corsi Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Paper Towns by John Green The Revolution by Ron Paul The Shack by William P. Young Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead The Snowball by Alice Schroeder Stori Telling by Tori Spelling StrengthFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath The Summoning (Darkest Powers #1) by Kelley Armstrong The Tales of Beedle the Bard (supplement to the Harry Potter series) by J.K. Rowling Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace – One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl #6) by Eoin Colfer Tom Cruise by Andrew Morton Too Fat to Fish by Artie Lange with Anthony Bozza Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) by Stephenie Meyer Untamed (House of Night #) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast Volume IX: Princess Mia / The Princess Diaries: To The Nines by Meg Cabot What Happened by Scott McClellan When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris
Sports: World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies Super Bowl Champions: New York Giants NBA Champions: Boston Celtics Stanley Cup Champs: Detroit Red Wings U.S. Open Golf Tiger Woods U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Roger Federer/Serena Williams Wimbledon (Men/Women): Rafael Nadal/Venus Williams NCAA Football Champions: Florida NCAA Basketball Champions: Kansas Kentucky Derby: Big Brown World Cup (Soccer): N/A
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2008: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Against Medical Advice: A True Story by James Patterson, Hal Friedman Anathem by Neal Stephenson The Appeal by John Grisham Archeron by Sherrilyn Kenyon Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters Beautiful Boy by David Sheff Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman Cross Country by James Patterson Dangerous Laughter by Steven Millhauser Dark Curse by Christine Feehan Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs Divine Justice by David Baldacci Double Cross by James Patterson Duma Key by Steophen King Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich The Force Unleashed by Sean Williams The Gate House by Nelson DeMille Hold Tight by Harlan Coben Home by Julie Andrews The Host by Stephenie Meyer Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan The Last Patriot by Brad Thor Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg Losing It by Valerie Bertinelli The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks Mistaken Identity by Don and Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak, with Mark Tabb Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva Netherland by Joseph O’Neill Nothing To Lose by Lee Child The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality by Jerome R. Corsi Odd Hours by Dean Koontz Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul Sail by James Patterson and Howard Roughan Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling with Hilary Liftin The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography by Andrew Morton Too Fat to Fish by Artie Lange with Anthony Bozza Tribute by Nora Roberts Twilight: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri What Happened by Scott McClellan When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark The Whole Truth by David Baldacci Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz
The Top Song was Crank That (Soulja Boy) by Soulja Boy Tell’em
The Movies to Watch include Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Enchanted, The Golden Compass and Juno
The Most Famous Person in America was probably Steve Jobs
Notable books include: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling and The Shack by William P. Young
Price of an iPod, 2nd generation: $149.99 Minimum Wage in 2007: $5.85 per hour* *some states higher
Cupid Shuffle by Cupid was the most popular line dance since 1998’s Cha Cha Slide.
The Funny Guys were: Patton Oswalt & Bill Engvall & Frank Caliendo The Other Funny Guy was: Louis C.K.
The Viral Phrase: “I Can Has Cheezburger?” created by Eric Nakagawa (Cheezburger) and Kari Unebasami (Tofuburger)
Top Ten Baby Names of 2007: Emma, Madison, Hanna, Emily, Elizabeth Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua, Daniel
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba, Eva Longoria, Victoria Beckham, Rihanna, Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Ali Larter, Fergie, Megan Fox
Leading Men and Hollywood Hunks: Hugh Laurie, Adam Levine, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt
“The Quote:” “I personally believe the U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and the Iraq everywhere like such as and I believe they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa or should help the Iraq and Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us.” – Miss South Carolina, Lauren Caitlin Upton
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Vladimir Putin
Miss America: Lauren Nelson
Miss USA: Rachel Smith
The Scandals: Anna Nicole Smith died from a drug overdose at age 39.
Red Hot Chili Peppers sued Showtime after the Cable TV network named a program ‘Californication’ – a title matching the band’s 1999 album. “For some TV show to come along and steal our identity is not right,” frontman Anthony Kiedis said in a statement. The case was dismissed because the Chili Peppers never trademarked the name.
Rapper Akon had a rather sexy dance with this fourteen-year-old young lady at an “over 18 only” concert in Trinidad. When confronted with the press, along with her preacher father, Danah Alleyne admitted that it wasn’t her best idea.
RIP: A rescue ship at the Titanic sinking pulled a dead infant from the sea who wasn’t able to be identified. The ship’s sailors paid for a graveside monument dedicated to The Unknown Child. In 2007, DNA testing showed the child to be from an English family of six, the Goodwins, who all drowned.
In a KDND radio contest, on January 12, 2007, a woman died after drinking nearly 2 gallons (7.6 liters) of water in over 3 hours in an attempt to win a Nintendo Wii. The contest was called “Hold Your Wee for a Wii,” in which contestants were asked to drink as much water as they could without urinating.
More than a dozen human feet in shoes have washed up along the Pacific Northwest coast since August 2007.
Lisa Nowak, a NASA Astronaut, was arrested for the attempted kidnapping, assault and battery of US Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman, the girlfriend of Astronaut William Oefelein, with whom Novak had been romantically involved.
Celebrity Hijinx: Paris Hilton spent 23 days in jail for her DUI.
Britney Spears shaved off her hair
Lindsey Lohan, as of 2007, went to rehab 3 times.
Nerd Legend Freddy Andersson completed Super Mario Bros 3 in only 11 minutes and 3 seconds.
The Weather Channel released a compilation of the music used during their ‘Local on the 8s’ segment. It peaked #1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart for Contemporary Jazz.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2007: $2,600,000
The Cat Video: The Keyboard Cat (real name Fatso) meme video, though uploaded to youtube in 2007, was actually recorded in 1984
Pop Culture Facts & History: The “mmm whatcha say” music used in both the 2007 SNL skit “The Shooting AKA Dear Sister” and in memes across the internet isn’t actually from Jason Derulo’s song Whatcha Say, but really from Imogen Heap’s 2005 song Hide and Seek.
The Keyboard Cat (real name Fatso) meme video, though uploaded to youtube in 2007, was actually recorded in 1984.
In 2004 Eminem dissed Michael Jackson on Just Lose it, in 2007 MJ responded by buying all of Eminem’s Publishing.
When released in France in 2007, Ratatouille was not only praised for its technical accuracy and attention to culinary detail, it also drew the 4th highest opening-day attendance in French movie history.
Deadline reported that, due to Hollywood’s unusual accounting process, the 2007 film Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix lost $167 million despite grossing $938.2 million.
American Astronaut Steven Swanson brought DVD copies of the show Firefly and its movie sequel Serenity to the ISS, where they remain permanently for the crew’s entertainment.
With free classified ads, research has shown that Craigslist cost the newspaper industry $5.4 billion from 2000-2007.
Gerald Ford is the only U.S. President to die in one year and be buried in another. He died on Dec. 26, 2006 and was buried on Jan. 2, 2007.
Nintendo’s classic arcade game Donkey Kong (1981) is so hard that by 2007, only 2 people were known to have completed it. Today, that number is still under 100.
Edison’s DC electric power was still in use in parts of New York City until 2007 when the last systems were finally converted to AC current.
In 1986, calculators represented an estimated 41% of the world’s general-purpose hardware capacity to compute information. By 2007, this had diminished to less than 0.05%.
A man named Oswald Laurence can be heard at the London Underground’s Embankment station, in the City of Westminster, saying “mind the gap”. In 2012 they were planning on changing all voiceovers but decided not to at this station when Laurence’s wife told them that he had passed away in 2007. She loved listening to him when on the way to work.
The-reigning Jeopardy! champion Scott Weiss purposely placed his final bet in such a way as to force the first three-way tie in the game’s history. He said he knew he could have bet more and won the game, but thought it would be fun to force a tie instead.
Donald Duck was used as a logo by a Mexican beverage company called Pascual since 1940. They even changed his name to Pato Pascual (Pascual Duck). Disney sued them in 1980, but the case was not resolved until 2007 when Pascual decided to create their own design for the character.
The original iPhone released in 2007 had no front camera, no App Store, ran on 2G speed, required a 2-year contract, worked with only one carrier, and started out as an idea by Steve Jobs to work as an interactive touchscreen to control a computer.
Facebook’s primary color is blue because Zuckerberg is red-green colorblind.
In 2007, a twin brother was born at 1:32 AM, However, then Daylight Savings Time occurred. His twin sister who was then born at 1:06 AM is considered 26 minutes older.
The Weather Channel released a Smooth Jazz CD based on the music played during its local weather segments; the CD topped Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts in 2007.
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin was only made available as a single in 2007, 36 years after the original release.
Monty Python members Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam led a group of 5,567 people to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest coconut orchestra. They played Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.
Since 2007 artist Florentijn Hofman has created a series of giant rubber duck sculptures that have been on display at major events. In 2014 the duck designs were stolen and have been used for unauthorized giant ducks.
The 2007 film Paranormal Activity is the most profitable film of all time with a 19,749% return on the initial investment of $450,000.
Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World’s End (2013) are known as ‘The Three Flavors of Cornetto Trilogy” written and directed by Edgar Wright. Each Cornetto flavor (color) represents the themes: Red = blood/gore (Shaun), Blue = cop movie (Fuzz), Green = sci/fi (World’s End).
On March 20, 2007, David Letterman became ill less than an hour before his show was to start. Adam Sandler, who was to be one of his guests that night, filled in for him and hosted the whole show.
The Yongle Encyclopedia was six times larger than the Encyclopædia Britannica despite being written 300+ years earlier. It was regarded as the world’s largest encyclopedia from 1408 to 2007
The NFL sent a cease and desist order to an Indiana Church in 2007 for charging admission to a Super Bowl party that was showing the game on a TV larger than 55 inches thus infringing on the NFL’s copyright laws.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2007: $2,699,963
Super Bowl Public Showing Rules:
For establishments that are not a food service or drinking establishments, you are ok if you:
(A) have less than 2,000 gross square feet of space (excluding space used for customer parking and for no other purpose), or
(B) if you have 2,000 or more gross square feet of space (excluding space used for customer parking and for no other purpose) and—
> if the performance is by audio means only, the performance is communicated by means of a total of not more than 6 loudspeakers, of which not more than 4 loudspeakers are located in any 1 room or adjoining outdoor space; or
> if the performance or display is by audiovisual means, any visual portion of the performance or display is communicated by means of a total of not more than 4 audiovisual devices, of which not more than 1 audiovisual device is located in any 1 room, and no such audiovisual device has a diagonal screen size greater than 55 inches, and any audio portion of the performance or display is communicated by means of a total of not more than 6 loudspeakers, of which not more than 4 loudspeakers are located in any 1 room or adjoining outdoor space.
If you are a food service or drinking establishment, you are ok if :
(A) you have less than 3,750 gross square feet of space (excluding space used for customer parking and for no other purpose), or
(B) the establishment in which the communication occurs has 3,750 gross square feet of space or more (excluding space used for customer parking and for no other purpose) and—
> if the performance is by audio means only, the performance is communicated by means of a total of not more than 6 loudspeakers, of which not more than 4 loudspeakers are located in any 1 room or adjoining outdoor space; or
> if the performance or display is by audiovisual means, any visual portion of the performance or display is communicated by means of a total of not more than 4 audiovisual devices, of which not more than one audiovisual device is located in any 1 room, and no such audiovisual device has a diagonal screen size greater than 55 inches, and any audio portion of the performance or display is communicated by means of a total of not more than 6 loudspeakers, of which not more than 4 loudspeakers are located in any 1 room or adjoining outdoor space.
Doomsday Clock: 5 minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 2007: “The world stands at the brink of a second nuclear age. The United States and Russia remain ready to stage a nuclear attack within minutes, North Korea conducts a nuclear test, and many in the international community worry that Iran plans to acquire the Bomb. Climate change also presents a dire challenge to humanity. Damage to ecosystems is already taking place; flooding, destructive storms, increased drought, and polar ice melt are causing loss of life and property.”
The Habit: Finishing up the Harry Potter series
2007 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame: Atari 2600, Kite, Raggedy Andy
1st Appearances & 2007’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents: Nintendo DS , Sony PS3
Best Film Oscar Winner: The Departed (Presented in 2007)
2007 Entries to The National Film Registry: 12 Angry Men (released in 1957) Back to the Future (released in 1985) Bullitt (released in 1968) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (released in 1977) Dance, Girl, Dance (released in 1940) Dances with Wolves (released in 1990) Days of Heaven (released in 1978) Glimpse of the Garden (released in 1957) Grand Hotel (released in 1932) The House I Live In (released in 1945) In a Lonely Place (released in 1950) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (released in 1962) Mighty Like a Moose (released in 1926) The Naked City (released in 1948) Now, Voyager (released in 1942) Oklahoma!(released in 1955) Our Day (released in 1938) Peege (released in 1972) The Sex Life of the Polyp (released in 1928) The Strong Man (released in 1926) The Three Little Pigs (released in 1933) Tol’able David (released in 1921) Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son (released in 1969/1971) The Women (released in 1939) Wuthering Heights (released in 1939)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo) 1. Spider-Man 3 2. Shrek the Third 3. Transformers 4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End 5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix 6. I Am Legend 7. The Bourne Ultimatum 8. National Treasure: Book of Secrets 9. Alvin and the Chipmunks 10. 300
2007 Most Popular TV Shows: 1. American Idol (Fox) 2. Dancing With the Stars (Fall, ABC) 3. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 4. House (Fox) 5. CSI (CBS) 6. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 7. Sunday Night Football (NBC) 8. Survivor: China (CBS) 9. The Moment of Truth (Fox) 10. NCIS (CBS)
Sports: World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox Super Bowl Champions: Indianapolis Colts NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs Stanley Cup Champs: Anaheim Mighty Ducks U.S. Open Golf Angel Cabrera U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Roger Federer/Justine Henin Wimbledon (Men/Women): Roger Federer/ Venus Williams NCAA Football Champions: LSU NCAA Basketball Champions: Florida Kentucky Derby: Street Sense
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2007: A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini The Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan An Inconvenient Book by Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe The Assault on Reason by Al Gore At the Center of the Storm by George Tenet The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien The Choice by Nicholas Sparks The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown Double Cross by James Patterson Einstein by Walter Isaacson For One More Day by Mitch Albom Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark In an Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff It’s All About Him by Denise Jackson with Ellen Vaughn Innocent in Death by Nora Roberts Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson My Grandfather’s Son by Clarence Thomas Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan Playing For Pizza by John Grisham Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich Power to the People by Laura Ingraham Protect and Defended by Vince Flynn The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella Simple Genious by David Baldacci Step on a Crack by James Patterson Stone Cold by David Baldacci “T” is fot Trespass by Sue Grafton The 6th Target by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson Twilight: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd with Penny Junor The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon You Can Run But You Can’t Hide by Duane Chapman with Laura Morton You’ve Been Warned by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
World Changing Events: Facebook became open to any over age 13
Twitter.com was launched
The Top Song was Irreplaceable by Beyonce
The Movies to Watch include Dreamgirls, Mission: Impossible III, The da Vinci Code, and Happy Feet
The Most Famous Person in America was probably
Notable books include: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and Wisdom of Our Fathers by Tim Russert
Price of Hershey Kisses, 14 oz in 2006: $2.50 I Can’t Believe It’s not butter, 15 oz, $2.29
The Funny Guys were: Jim Gaffigan & Demetri Martin The Controversial Funny Guy: Stephen Colbert
The Chicken Noodle Soup dance was popular during late 2006, Crank That (Soulja Boy) by Soulja Boy Tell’em outlasted it.
#TBT: Throwback Thursday is the trend of posting older, nostalgic photos on Thursdays under the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday or #TBT. An old concept, it reached mainstream Pop Culture this year.
Created in 2000, Blu-Ray discs were made available in 2006. They can contain up to 5 times more information than a DVD.
The Message: Founded in 1856, Western Union didn’t stop sending telegrams until 2006.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2006: Emily, Emma, Madison, Isabella, Ava, Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Ethan, Matthew
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Milian, Keira Knightly, Katherine Heigl, Gisele Bündchen, Stacy Keibler, Eva Longoria, Lindsay Lohan, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Kristen Bell
Hollywood Hunks and Leading Men: Channing Tatum, Hugh Laurie, David Beckham, Justin Timberlake, Antonio Sabàto, Jr., Johnny Depp
Time Magazine’s Man of the Year: ‘You’ (all worldwide web users)
Miss America: Jennifer Berry (Tulsa, OK)
Miss USA: Tara Conner (Kentucky)
The Scandals: Mark Foley, Republican from Florida, was a member of the United States Congress who sent sexually explicit emails to an underage page.
Duke University lacrosse team scandal took place when some members allegedly took advantage of a dancer/stripper. The stripper, we found out later, made up the story.
Terrell Owens supposedly tried to kill himself by taking 35 painkillers.
Zinedine Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi during the World Cup Final
Celebrity Death: Steve Irwin, TV’s Crocodile Hunter, was killed by a freak stingray accident. He was a hero to millions of children. Stingray injuries are almost never fatal. When Steve Irwin died from a stingray attack in 2006, it was only the second recorded stingray-related death in Australia since 1945.
Pop Culture Facts & History: Russ Heller set a record for listening to Starship’s We Built This City. Russ listened to the song consecutively for 24 hours, reaching 324 listens.
M&Ms created an ad campaign offering 2 million dark chocolate M&Ms for the one who returns “The Scream”, a painting that was stolen in 2004, in Norway. Just days after the campaign, the painting was found by the Norwegian Police.
NASCAR’s Allstate 400 had 36 cars start the race, a NASCAR record.
Skiing is one of the fastest non-motorized sports on land. Skiers can ski faster than a car and this was proven by Simone Origone in 2006 that set a world speed skiing record at 156.2 miles per hour compared to the speed of road cars at 120 miles per hour.
The song Year 3000 was originally released in 2003 by the English pop-punk band Busted, and was covered by the Jonas Brothers in 2006 for their first album.
The first Youtuber was Peter Oakley, known as Geriatric1927, he was the most subscribed youtube account in 2006. On his channel, he talked about his life experiences, such as growing up in the UK during WW2 and experiencing the British inter-war school system. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 86.
In 2006, Katie Melua gave a concert at 303 meters below sea level in one of the legs of the “Troll A” oil rig, earning a Guinness record for “deepest underwater concert”.
After the sale of Pixar to Disney in 2006 Steve Jobs became the largest individual shareholder of Disney with 7% ownership.
iTunes billionth song was downloaded in February 2006. It was Speed of Sound by Coldplay.
We only have 8 planets in the solar system instead of 9, because in 2006 a panel of 424 astronomers in a meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Prague has demoted and reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet.
Russian cosmonaut hit a golf ball in space for an estimated 2.2 billion yard drive, during a spacewalk.
Corn Pops debuted in 1950 as ‘Corn Pops’. Name changed twice in 1951 to ‘Sugar Corn Pops’ then ‘Sugar Pops’. In 1978 it changed back to ‘Sugar Corn Pops’ then finally back to original ‘Corn Pops’ in 1984. In 2006 it became to ‘Pops’ and then back to ‘Corn Pops’ a few months later.
Western Union sent their last telegram in 2006.
Bambi and Bambi II hold the record for the longest gap in between movie sequels, the first being released in 1942, the second being released 64 years later in 2006.
Disney quietly cut ties with McDonald’s in 2006 so as not to be associated with childhood obesity. The last Kid’s Meal toys were Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
Earning just $462 million at the box office, the 2006 movie Cars earned $10 billion in merchandise sales over the next 5 years.
There is controversy over the first words of Neil Armstrong on the moon: Armstrong said: “That’s one small step for a man…”. “It’s just that people just didn’t hear the ‘a’,” he told the press. In 2006, Peter Shann Ford found evidence that the missing “a” had been spoken after all. #goodluckmrgorsky
William Shatner auctioned off a kidney stone. The $25,000 it fetched was given to Habitat For Humanity.
The first female space tourist was Iranian Anousheh Ansari. She paid $20,000,000 to get onto the International Space Station.
Lambda Lambda Lambda, the fictional fraternity from Revenge of the Nerds, ended up being formed as a real fraternity at the University of Connecticut in 2006
Kongō Gumi was a Japanese construction company that was the world’s oldest continuously ongoing independent company, operating for 1,441 years. In 2005 it had 100 employees and annual revenue of $70m USD. In 2006 they fell on hard times and were absorbed into a larger company.
On Domino Day, November 13, 2009, a total of 4,491,863 dominos were toppled – the record as of this writing…
In October 2000, Heinz introduced colored ketchup products called EZ Squirt, which eventually included green (2000), purple (2001), mystery (pink, orange, or teal, 2002), and blue (2003). The products were discontinued in 2006.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2006: $2,500,000
The Strange: In 1867, a jar was found in Paris containing a human rib among other artifacts, and a label claiming that they belonged to Joan of Arc. Tests conducted in 2006 revealed that they came not from Joan of Arc, but an Egyptian mummy.
In 2006, Disney traded sports broadcaster, Al Michaels, to NBC in return for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character Universal took from Walt Disney in 1927.
Napoleon signed the Louisiana Purchase in his bathtub at the Tuileries Palace. An American hotelier in Louisiana bought the tub in 2006 and put it in a hotel in New Orleans for guests to bathe in.
Dick Cheney accidentally shot his (now ex?) friend Harry Whittington in the face. Love Mr. Cheney, or hate him, you don’t mess with this ex-Vice-President.
The Break Ups: Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Paul McCartney and Heather Mills Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown
The Habits: Facebook opened to anyone over 13, with a valid e-mail address. YouTube, MySpace
2006 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame: Easy-Bake Oven, Lionel Trains
1st Appearances & 2006’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents: Wii, Elmo TMX, Dora the Explorer Dolls, Apples to Apples
East End Show : The 39 Steps (Play) Opened on September 14, 2006, and closed on September 5, 2015. Wicked (Musical) Opened on September 27, 2006
Broadway Show : Mary Poppins (Musical) Opened on November 16, 2006, and closed on March 3, 2013
Best Film Oscar Winner: Crash (Presented in 2007)
2006 Entries to The National Film Registry: Applause (released in 1929) The Big Trail (released in 1930) Blazing Saddles (released in 1974) The Curse of Quon Gwon (released in 1916/1917) Daughter of Shanghai (released in 1937) Drums of Winter (aka Uksuum Cauyai) (released in 1988) Early Abstractions (released in 1939/1956) Fargo (released in 1996) Flesh and the Devil (released in 1927) Groundhog Day (released in 1993) Halloween (released in 1978) In the Street (released in 1948) The Last Command (released in 1928) Notorious (released in 1946) Red Dust (released in 1932) Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (released in 1971/1972) Rocky (released in 1976) sex, lies, and videotape (released in 1989) Siege (released in 1940) St. Louis Blues (released in 1929) The T.A.M.I. Show (released in 1964) Tess of the Storm Country (released in 1914) Think of Me First as a Person (released in 1960/1975) A Time Out of War (released in 1954) Traffic in Souls (released in 1913)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo) 1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 2. Night at the Museum 3. Cars 4. X-Men: The Last Stand 5. The Da Vinci Code 6. Superman Returns 7. Happy Feet 8. Ice Age: The Meltdown 9. Casino Royale 10. The Pursuit of Happiness
2006 Most Popular TV shows: 1. American Idol Results (Fox) 2. Dancing With the Stars (Fall, ABC) 3. CSI (CBS) 4. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 5. House (Fox) 6. Sunday Night Football (NBC) 7. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 8. CSI: Miami (CBS) 9. Deal or No Deal (NBC) 10. Survivor: Cook Islands (CBS)
2006 Billboard Number One Songs: December 30, 2005 – January 13, 2006: Don’t Forget About Us – Mariah Carey
January 14 – January 20: Laffy Taffy – D4L
January 21 – February 3: Grillz – Nelly Featuring Paul Wall, Ali, and Gipp
February 4 – March 10: Check on It – Beyoncé featuring Slim Thug
March 11 – March 17: You’re Beautiful – James Blunt
December 30, 2006 – February 23, 2007: Irreplaceable – Beyonce
Sports: World Series Champions: St. Louis Cardinals Super Bowl XL Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers NBA Champions: Miami Heat Stanley Cup Champs: Carolina Hurricanes U.S. Open Golf Geoff Ogilvy U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Roger Federer/ Maria Sharapova Wimbledon (Men/Women): Roger Federer/Amelie Mauresmo NCAA Football Champions: Florida NCAA Basketball Champions: Florida Kentucky Derby: Barbaro World Cup (Soccer): Italy Sports Honorable Mention: Shaun White, snowboarder
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2006: Angels Fall – Nora Roberts At Risk by Patricia Cornwell The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama Beach Road by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge Black Swan Green by David Mitchell The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Cell by Stephen King The Children’s Hospital by Chris Adrian Cross by James Patterson Culture Warrior by Bill O’Reilly The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Dear John by Nicholas Sparks Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper Don’t Make a Black Woman Take off Her Earrings by Tyler Perry Fiasco by Thomas E. Ricks The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro For Laci by Sharon Rocha For One More Day by Mitch Albom Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Godless: The Church of Liberalism by Ann Coulter Gone by Jonathan Kellerman Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris The Hostage by W.E.B. Griffin The House by Danielle Steel The Husband by Dean Koontz I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron In Persuasion Nation by George Saunders The Innocent Man by John Grisham Judge and Jury by James Patterson and Andrew Gross Lisey’s Story by Stephen King Marley & Me by John Grogan Mary, Mary by James Patterson Next by Michael Crichton Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen The Road by Cormac McCarthy “S” is For Silence by Sue Grafton The Secret by Rhonda Byrne State of Denial by Bob Woodward Teacher Man by Frank McCourt Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich Twilight: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer Twilight of the Superheroes of Deborah Eisenberg Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higging Clark Wisdom of Our Fathers by Tim Russert
The Top Song was We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
The Movies to Watch include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Walk the Line and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Most Famous Person in America was probably
Notable books include: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Price of a gallon of gas in 2005: $2.34 Tylenol Extra Strength tablets: $1.99/24
1 ounce of gold value: $513.00
The Funny Late Night Host: Jay Leno The Funny Late Late Night Host: Craig Ferguson
Charlie the Unicorn is a 2005 animated comedy short film and viral video series created by Jason Steele in Orlando, Florida.
One Red Paperclip is the story of Canadian blogger Kyle MacDonald, who traded his way from a single red paperclip to a house in a series of fourteen online trades over 2005/2006.
The Conversation: Which was better? 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or 1971’s Willy Wonka?
Year of the Rooster The year of the rooster is one of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The rooster is the tenth animal in the cycle. The years of the rooster include: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041, 2053, and 2065 The year of the rooster is associated with punctuality, honesty, and hard work. People born in the year of the rooster are said to be confident, hardworking, and have a good sense of timekeeping. They are also reliable, trustworthy, and have a strong sense of responsibility. They are known to be quite independent, and they don’t like to be told what to do. They are also known to be quite punctual and are often early for appointments. They are said to be quite successful in their careers, and they are often able to achieve great things. They are also known to be quite flamboyant and enjoy the spotlight.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2005: Emily, Emma, Madison, Abigail, Olivia, Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Ethan
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Keira Knightly, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, Charlize Theron, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Cate Blanchette, Marcia Cross, Salma Hayek, Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts, Nicole Richie, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Gwen Stefani, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller
The Heartthrob(s): Matthew McConaughey, George Clooney, Terrence Howard, Anderson Cooper, Chris Evans, Tim McGraw, Denzel Washington, Justin Timberlake, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Christian Bale, David Beckham, Joaquin Phoenix, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Jude Law, Hugh Laurie, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt
“The Quote:” “I’m the decider” – President George W. Bush
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Good Samaritans, Represented by Bono, Bill Gates, and Melinda Gates
Miss America: Diedre Downs (Birmingham, AL)
Miss USA: Chelsea Cooley (North Carolina)
The Scandals: Minnesota Vikings boat cruise scandal, in which several players including Fred Smoot, Lance Johnstone, Daunte Culpepper, Mewelde Moore, Darren Sharper, Koren Robinson, Bryant McKinnie, Ralph Brown, Travis Taylor, Moe Williams, Jermaine Wiggins and Zygi Wilf allegedly performed lewd acts on a boat cruise on Lake Minnetonka.
Robert Blake, star of the 70s detective series “Baretta”, was acquitted of his wife’s murder in 2005 after a contentious 4-year legal drama. He was, however, found liable by a civil suit brought by his children.
In 2005, McDonald’s had an ad campaign saying “I’d hit it” about a double cheeseburger, not knowing the slang meant they wanted to have sex with the cheeseburger.
A woman falsely claimed she found a finger in her food at Wendy’s. The fast-food chain suffered an estimated $21 million in lost business. She later revealed, she cooked the finger at her home and then drove it to Wendy’s restaurant in San Jose, where she dropped it into the food.
Albert Gonzalez is an American computer hacker and computer criminal who is accused of masterminding the combined credit card theft and subsequent reselling of more than 170 million card and ATM numbers from 2005 to 2007: the biggest such fraud in history.
Brad Pitt left Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie
December 12, 2005 – Dina and Michael Lohan officially divorced
Tom Cruise ‘Jumped The Couch” on Oprah while expressing how much he loved Katie Holmes.
Michael Schaivo successfully sued to have his brain-damaged wife Terri’s feeding tube removed.
Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba. (Spoiler :Joran van der Sloot did it.)
Duluth, Georgia’s ‘Runaway Bride’ Jennifer Wilbanks came clean to the FBI about her faked kidnapping story.
England’s Prince Harry went to a costume party dressed as a Nazi.
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Many people on both political sides and up and down the political power tree made mistakes.
Celebrity RIP: Mitch Hedberg died of a cocaine and heroin drug overdose. His death was formally announced on April 1, 2005, leading some to believe it was an April Fools’ Day joke.
Writer Death by Suicide: Hunter S. Thompson
US Politics: January 20, 2005 (Thursday) Second inauguration of George W. Bush
Pop Culture Facts & History: The fasted whack with a Badminton racket was by Fu Haifeng, clocking at 206 MPH.
When Halle Berry won a Worst Actor Razzie Award for her role in Catwoman, she showed up in person to collect the award. She spoke while holding her 2002 Academy Award from Monster’s Ball in one hand and the Razzie in the other.
Danni Boatwright won Survivor: Guatemala
On January 14, 2005, the Cassini spacecraft landed the Huygens probe on the surface of Saturn’s moon, Titan. It is the first probe to land on a surface in the outer solar system, the farthest any man-made spacecraft has landed.
The term “flip phone” was a Motorola trademark until 2005.
The Jeopardy! “Think!” theme was composed by the show’s creator Merv Griffin in less than a minute as a lullaby for his son. By 2005, he had made over $70 million dollars in royalties from that song, the equivalent of a Jeopardy contestant winning every game for about a decade.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi was sold at a New Orleans art gallery for $10,000 in 2005 and ended up selling for $450,000,000 in 2017. It’s the most expensive painting ever sold.
In 2005, the Temple of the Jedi Order was registered in Texas. It was granted an IRS tax exemption in 2015.
There is over $45 billion on unused gift cards floating around since 2005
New Jersey made the tomato their state vegetable in 2005, justifying the decision with an 1893 ruling by the Supreme Court that although tomatoes are actually fruits, they would be legally considered vegetables.
The longest-lived domestic cat was named Creme Puff. She lived from August 3, 1967, to August 6, 2005, a span of 38 years and 3 days.
In 2005 graffiti artist David Choe was offered $60K to paint multiple murals at Facebook headquarters. He chose to take his compensation in stock which was eventually worth more than $200 million in 2020.
Eric James Torpy was convicted of shooting with intent to kill and robbery. He asked that his sentence be changed from 30 years’ imprisonment to 33 so that it would match Larry Bird’s jersey number. His request was granted.
On April 1st, 2005, NASA pulled an April Fool’s prank telling the world that they had found water on Mars.
When the results began coming in from the March 30, 2005 Powerball drawing, lottery officials suspected fraud was underway because 110 players claimed second prizes of $100,000 or $500,000. All 110 players and the jackpot winner got their numbers from fortune cookies.
Doug Heckman read the EULA before he installed some PC software. The agreement included a clause offering ‘financial compensation’ to licensees who actually read the license agreement. He emailed the company, referred to the clause and the company sent him a check for $1,000
In 2005 Manhattan was home to both the lowest-income ($9,320 household income) and the highest-income ($188,697 household income) census tract in the USA.
Sichuan pepper, commonly used in Chinese cuisine, was banned in the US until 2005.
In 2005 there were so many tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic that we ran out of names and had to start using the Greek alphabet. The last Hurricane was Epsilon (December), while the last tropical storm was Zeta (January). Countless records were broken during this season.
Gene Greytak was a real estate broker who moonlighted as an actor, but he only played and made personal appearances as Pope John Paul II. If you saw the Pope in a movie or on a sitcom before 2005, it was Gene.
Since 2005 it has been illegal to carry more than five dollars worth of pennies and nickels outside of the United States when traveling (due to people melting them down for copper).
In 2005 the Emergency Alert System mistakenly issued an immediate evacuation order for all of Connecticut. 63% of residents surveyed after the incident said they had been “a little or not at all concerned” by the vague message; 1% admitted to taking it seriously and trying to flee the state.
The term “Cyber Monday” was created and coined by Ellen Davis from the Nation Retail Federation, and Scott Silverman on November 28, 2005, after a study revealed that online retailers experienced a surge in sales the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Stephen Hawking wrote a sequel to A Brief History of Time in 2005 called A Briefer History of Time with only 176 pages. The book was updated with newly discovered topics and informs of recurring subjects throughout the book in greater detail
Ted Koppel retired from Nightline on November 22
Dan rather retired from the CBS Evening News on March 9. #Courage
Mark Felt, a 92-year-old retired FBI agent was revealed to be 1972’s “Deep Throat” who helped take down the Nixon presidency.
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore got married on September 24.
England’s Prince Charles married long-time flame, Camilla Parker Bowles.
The Habits: Sudoku, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook opened up for High School students in September 2005. Watching Penguins and/or Grey’s Anatomy Supersized Sunglasses
Splitsville: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston (Homewrecker: Angelina Jolie) Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey (mutual) Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger (annulled 4 months after the marriage) Jude Law and Sienna Miller (His affair with the nanny, we hear)
No Surprise Here: Mary Kay Letourneau (formerly Schmitz; January 30, 1962 – July 6, 2020) married just-turned-21 Vili Fualaau, the student she met (and had sex with) when he was 12.
Nobel Prize Winners: Chemistry – Robert Grubbs, Richard Schrock, and Yves Chauvin Economics – Robert J. Aumann, and Thomas Schelling Literature – Harold Pinter Peace – Mohamed ElBaradei Physics – Roy J. Glauber, John L. Hall, and Theodor W. Hänsch Physiology or Medicine – Robin Warren, and Barry Marshall
2005 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame: Candy Land, Cardboard box, Jack-in-the-box
1st Appearances & 2005’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents: Webkinz plush animals, Barbie as Harley Quinn Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Destiny’s Child, and Raven-Symoné dolls
Broadway Shows: Spamalot (Musical) Opened on March 17, 2005, and closed on January 11, 2009 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Musical) Opened on May 2, 2005, and closed on January 20, 2008
East End Shows: Billy Elliot the Musical (Musical) Opened on May 11, 2005, and closed on April 9, 2016 Jersey Boys (Musical) Opened on November 6, 2005, and closed on January 15, 2017
Best Film Oscar Winner: Million Dollar Baby (Presented in 2006)
2005 Entries to The National Film Registry: Baby Face (released in 1933) The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man (released in 1975) The Cameraman (released in 1928) Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort, South Carolina (May 1940) (released in 1940) Cool Hand Luke (released in 1967) Fast Times at Ridgemont High (released in 1982) The French Connection (released in 1971) Giant (released in 1956) H2O (released in 1929) Hands Up! (released in 1926) Hoop Dreams (released in 1994) House of Usher (released in 1960) Imitation of Life (released in 1934) Jeffries-Johnson World’s Championship Boxing Contest (released in 1910) The Making of an American (released in 1920) Miracle on 34th Street (released in 1947) Mom and Dad (released in 1944) The Music Man (released in 1962) The Power of the Press (released in 1928) A Raisin in the Sun (released in 1961) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (released in 1975) San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, April 18, (released in 1906) The Sting (released in 1973) A Time for Burning (released in 1966) Toy Story (released in 1995)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo) 1. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 4. War of the Worlds 5. King Kong 6. Wedding Crashers 7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 8. Batman Begins 9. Madagascar 10. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
2005 Most Popular TV Shows: 1. American Idol (Fox) 2. CSI (CBS) 3. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 4. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 5. Without a Trace (CBS) 6. Dancing With the Stars (ABC) 7. Survivor: Guatemala (CBS) 8. CSI: Miami (CBS) 9. House (Fox) 10. Survivor: Panama (CBS)
2005 Billboard Number One Songs: January 1, 2005 – March 4: Let Me Love You – Mario
March 5 – May 6: Candy Shop – 50 Cent featuring Olivia
May 7 – June 3: Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
June 4 – July 2: We Belong Together – Mariah Carey
July 2 – July 8: Inside Your Heaven – Carrie Underwood
July 9 – September 9: We Belong Together – Mariah Carey
September 10 – November 25: Gold Deggir – Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
December 30, 2005 – January 13, 2006: Don’t Forget About Us – Mariah Carey
Sports: World Series Champions: Chicago White Sox Super Bowl XXXIX Champions: New England Patriots NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs Stanley Cup Champs: none U.S. Open Golf Michael Campbell U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Roger Federer/Justine Henin-Hardenne Wimbledon (Men/Women): Roger Federer/Venus Williams NCAA Football Champions: Texas NCAA Basketball Champions: North Carolina Kentucky Derby: Giacomo
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2005: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon A Deadly Game by Catherine Crier with Cole Thompson A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by John Stewart Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks Blink by Malcolm Gladwell Blood Brother by Anne Bird The Broker by John Grisham The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt Chill Factor by Sandra Brown The Closers by Michael Connelly The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich The FairTax Book by Neal Boortz and John Linder The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Honeymoon by James Patterson and Howard Roughan Juiced by Jose Conseco Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan Lifeguard by James Patterson and Andrew Gross Light from Heaven by Jan Karon The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link Mary, Mary by James Patterson My Life So Far by Jane Fonda Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd On Bullsh*t by Harry Frankfurt Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter Parallel Stories by Peter Nadas Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Point Blank by Catherine Coulter Polar Shift by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos Predator by Patricia Cornwell “S” is For Silence by Sue Grafton 1776 by David McCullough The Rising by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins Teacher Man by Frank McCourt True Believer by Nicholas Sparks The Truth (with jokes) by Al Franken Twilight by Stephenie Meyer Witness by Amber Frey The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Top Song was Yeah! by Usher with Lil Jon & Ludacris
Influential Songs include Welcome To My Life by Simple Plan, Roses by Outkast, Invisible by Clay Aiken, 1985 by Bowling For Soup, and Dirt Off Your Shoulder by Jay-Z.
The Movies to Watch include The Incredibles, Shaun of the Dead, Napoleon Dynamite, Ray, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Mean Girls, and Million Dollar Baby.
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Jude Law
Notable books include America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by John Stewart and The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.
Price of Movie DVD in 2004: $19.99 Oscar Mayer Bacon, 1 pound: $5.39 Oreo cookies, 1 pound: $2.99
The Funny Late Night Host: Jay Leno
The Conversation: Should we invest in Google? (Google’s initial public offering raised $1.67 billion)
Gisele Bündchen, Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Eva Longoria, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Garner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Teri Hatcher, Uma Thurman, Beyonce, Cameron Diaz, Cate Blanchette, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Mischa Barton, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Sheryl Crow, Renee Zellweger, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson (turned 18 on June 13), Sienna Miller, Rebecca Romijn, Fergie
The Heartthrob(s):
Jude Law, George Clooney, Usher, Johnny Depp, Hugh Laurie, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Orlando Bloom, Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, David Beckham, Ryan Reynolds
“The Quotes”
“You’re Fired” – Donald Trump
“That’s Hot” – Paris Hilton
“Heeaauughh! – Howard Dean
“I Am A Gay American” – NJ ex-governor Jim McGreevey
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year:
George W. Bush
Miss America:
Ericka Dunlap (Orlando, FL)
Miss USA:
Shandi Finnessey (Missouri)
The Scandals:
Janet Jackson’s right breast was semi-exposed by Justin Timberlake during 2004’s Super Bowl halftime show while they sang his “Rock Your Body.” Well, most of it was exposed. The American phrase “Wardrobe Malfunction” came into the language. The scene, that was broadcast on worldwide television, showed Janet’s right breast, covered by a pasty of some sort, it was so horrifyingly graphic and sexual that PCM received a warning from Google about displaying a censored picture of the event, even though it was blurred out. If you are truly daring, you may see it here. You can see similar (and often less blurry) versions of the picture from CNN, E-online, VH1, and others via a Google search.
“I am a gay American” – James McGreevey, Democrat Governor of New Jersey, revealed that he was gay and admitted to an extramarital affair with aide Golan Cipel. The arguably criminal aspect of hiring a non-qualified lover to be in charge of NJ’s homeland security was overshadowed by the sex scandal.
During the 2004 US Presidential Campaign, CBS and Dan Rather used what were probably forged documents during a 60 Minutes Wednesday report on George W. Bush’s Vietnam-era service record. The ‘evidence’ report was written with a modern computer, not the IBM Selectric that would have been used in 1972.
Britney Spears married high school friend Jason Alexander (not the Seinfeld star!) for nearly an entire weekend. (55 hours)
Beslan School Massacre
The Beslan School Massacre in Southwestern Russia began on September 1st, 2004. Over 360 hostages, including 186 children, were killed by Islamic insurgents or Russian military personnel during the 4-day siege.
Hip Hop Death:
Old Dirty Bastard (cocaine and painkiller overdose)
Tortoise Death:
Timothy, a female tortoise who died in 2004, was the last survivor of the Crimean War, which ended in 1856.
The Odd:
Police discovered a movie theater in the Paris Catacombs. It had a giant cinema screen, seats, projection equipment, film reels, a fully stocked bar, and a complete restaurant with tables and chairs. Its power source and the identity of those responsible remain unknown.
Pop Culture Facts & History:
Ashlee Simpson was caught lip-syncing on Saturday Night Live on October 24. (To be fair, many artists lip-sync).
In 2004, Eminem dissed Michael Jackson on Just Lose it, in 2007, MJ responded by buying all of Eminem’s Publishing.
Polaroid warned the public not to “shake it like a polaroid picture.” as copying the Outkast song Hey Ya! might damage the photo. Shaking polaroids has been unnecessary since 1972, when the SX-70 eliminated the need for peel-apart film. Few cameras still use the technology.
During the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami on December 26, 2004, fishermen said they saw with their own eyes “the reality of generations of legends . . . the remains of ancient temples and hundreds of refrigerator-sized blocks, all briefly exposed before the sea swallowed them up again.”
The cover art for Prince’s 2013 single Breakfast Can Wait was Dave Chappelle dressed as “Purple Rain” era Prince holding a plate of pancakes from 2004.
Dick Van Dyke dropped out of high school during his senior year in 1944 to join the military. He went on to earn his diploma in 2004 at the age of 78.
Survivor: Vanuatu Winner: Chris Daugherty
Ken Jennings won 74 games and 2.5 Million dollars on Jeopardy!
If you try to steal the hood ornament from a Rolls Royce made after 2004, it will instantly retreat into the car’s chassis until the owner rights it. These hood ornaments, called “The Spirit of Ecstasy”, cost roughly US $4000 to replace.
Morgan Spurlock gained 25 pounds in 30 days, eating only McDonald’s food. It took him 14 months to lose the weight.
GIF files were originally not widely used online since they required royalties to be paid until the patent expired in 2003 (2004 worldwide).
Tim Berners Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, was knighted in 2004 and should be addressed as Sir Tim Berners Lee.
More and more, American highways are being signed with a font called Clearview, approved for interim use in 2004 and claimed to be more legible than the traditional Highway Gothic font.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri was a man who lived at Terminal 1 at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport, France, for 18 years. His story was the inspiration for the 2004 film The Terminal.
Deadpool described himself as “Ryan Reynolds crossed with a shar-pei” in his 2004 comic book series, leading Reynolds to believe he was destined for the role.
After sweeping the 2004 Oscars, Peter Jackson & Elijah Wood skipped all official celebrations and attended a LOTR fan party.
The house in the suburbs that Monica & Chandler bought in the final season of Friends (2004) was filmed at a soundstage, but the view outside was a stock photo taken from the front step of the McAllister house while filming the movie Home Alone. So… Monica and Chandler bought Kevin McAllister’s house.
At $2 million per 30-second slot, the 2004 finale episode of Friends had the most expensive ad slots for a non-sports program up to that time.
William Hung lost on American Idol but won America’s collective heart with his happy nature. He sang Ricky Martin’s She Bangs.
Despite its name, Jimmy Kimmel Live! hasn’t aired live since 2004, when censors could not properly censor a swearing rant from actor Thomas Jane.
Samantha Mumba wore a Scott Henshall-designed dress (filled with diamonds) worth between 10 and 13 million dollars at the Spider-Man 2 premiere, possibly the most risque and expensive dress ever.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy in 1877 became a best-seller thanks to Oprah’s Book Club in 2004.
Blind athletes competing in the 2004 Paralympics made the same spontaneous facial expressions as sighted athletes competing in the 2004 Olympics, proving that certain facial expressions are innate to humans and not visually learned.
‘Curse of the Bambino’ – The Red Sox last won a world series in 1918, their streak as a ‘quality team’ ended when they sold Babe Ruth’s contract to the New York Yankees.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2004: $2,300,000
The Disaster:
A Tsunami killed nearly a quarter of a million people in Indonesia and the entire South Asian area on December 26, 2004, including Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. An underwater earthquake with a guesstimated Magnitude of 9.2 caused it. It lasted nearly 10 minutes, and some waves were 100 feet tall.
The Habit:
Facebook is just for college students.
Low Carb Diets like ‘Atkins’ and ‘South Beach’
Wearing Lance Armstrong Cancer Awareness ‘Livestrong Bracelets’
Madonna, Paris Hilton, Demi Moore, and Britney Spears wore ‘Kabbalah Strings’
Nobel Prize Winners:
Chemistry – Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko, Irwin Rose Economics – Finn E. Kydland, Edward C. Prescott Literature – Elfriede Jelinek Peace – Wangari Maathai Physics – David J. Gross, H. David Politzer, Frank Wilczek Physiology or Medicine – Linda B. Buck, Richard Axel
2004 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
G.I. Joe, Rocking Horse, Scrabble
1st Appearances & 2004’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:
Bratz, Dancing Dora the Explorer
Best Film Oscar Winner:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Presented in 2004)
2004 Entries to The National Film Registry:
Ben-Hur (released in 1959) The Blue Bird (released in 1918) A Bronx Morning (released in 1931) Clash of the Wolves (released in 1925) The Court Jester (released in 1956) D.O.A. (released in 1950) Daughters of the Dust (released in 1991) Duck and Cover (released in 1951) Empire (released in 1964) Enter the Dragon (released in 1973) Eraserhead (released in 1977) Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers (released in 1980) Going My Way (released in 1944) Jailhouse Rock (released in 1957) Kannapolis, N.C. (released in 1941) Lady Helen’s Escapade (released in 1909) The Nutty Professor (released in 1963) OffOn (released in 1968) Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (released in 1936) Pups Is Pups (released in 1930) Schindler’s List (released in 1993) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (released in 1954) Swing Time (released in 1936) There It Is (released in 1928) Unforgiven (released in 1992)
1. Shrek 2 2. Spider-Man 2 3. The Passion of the Christ 4. Meet the Fockers 5. The Incredibles 6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 7. The Day After Tomorrow 8. The Bourne Supremacy 9. National Treasure 10. Polar Express
2004 Most Popular TV Shows:
1. American Idol (Fox) 2. CSI (CBS) 3. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 4. Survivor: Palau (CBS) 5. Survivor: Vanuatu (CBS) 6. CSI: Miami (CBS) 7. Without a Trace (CBS) 8. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 9. Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) 10. Monday Night Football (ABC)
2004 Billboard Number One Songs:
December 13, 2003 – February 13, 2004: Hey Ya! – OutKast
February 14 – February 20: The Way You Move – OutKast Featuring Sleepy Brown
February 21 – February 27: Slow Jamz – Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx
February 28 – May 21: Yeah! – Usher featuring Lil’ Jon and Ludacris
May 22 – July 16: Burn – Usher
July 17 July 23: I Believe – Fantasia Barrino
July 24 – August 6: Confessions Part II – Usher
August 7 – August 20: Slow Motion – Juvenile Featuring Soulja Slim
August 21 – September 10: Lean Back – The Terror Squad featuring Fat Joe and Remy Martin
September 11 – October 29: Goodies – Ciara Featuring Petey Pablo
October 30 – December 11: My Boo – Usher and Alicia Keys
December 11 – December 31: Drop It Like It’s Hot – Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell
Sports:
World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox Super Bowl XXXVIII Champions: New England Patriots NBA Champions: Detroit Pistons Stanley Cup Champs: Tampa Bay Lightning U.S. Open Golf Retief Goosen U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Roger Federer/Svetlana Kuznetsova Wimbledon (Men/Women): Roger Federer/Maria Sharapova NCAA Football Champions: Southern California NCAA Basketball Champions: Connecticut Kentucky Derby: Smarty Jones
Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke: This book provides an insider’s account of the U.S. government’s counterterrorism efforts, including critical assessments of the Bush administration’s response to the threat of terrorism.
America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart: A satirical look at American politics and democracy reflects Stewart’s trademark humor as seen on ‘The Daily Show’.
American Soldier by Tommy Franks with Malcolm McConnell: A memoir by General Tommy Franks detailing his military career and leadership in the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown: A fast-paced thriller that combines science, art, and history, revolving around a plot against the Vatican and the Catholic Church.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: Another bestseller by Brown, this novel is famous for its controversial portrayal of Christian history and a gripping mystery.
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower and The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah by Stephen King: The concluding parts of King’s epic Dark Tower series, blending elements of fantasy, horror, and Western genres.
Deliver Us from Evil by Sean Hannity: A conservative commentary criticizing the liberal approach to terrorism and moral values in America.
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris: A collection of autobiographical essays, showcasing Sedaris’ unique humor and keen observations of family life.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss: A witty and informative book about punctuation, aiming to make readers passionate about using it correctly.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson: A profound novel written as a letter from an elderly father to his young son, reflecting on life, faith, and history.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom: A touching narrative about the afterlife, exploring the unseen connections in our lives.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: A novel set in 19th-century England, it combines history with magic in a story about two rival magicians.
My Life by Bill Clinton: The autobiography of the former U.S. President, covering his early life, political career, and presidency.
The 9/11 Commission Report: A comprehensive and authoritative report on the September 11 attacks detailing the events and the government’s response.
State of Fear by Michael Crichton is a techno-thriller that delves into global warming and eco-terrorism, blending scientific facts with fiction.
Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by John Stewart American Soldier by Tommy Franks with Malcolm McConnell Angels & Demons by Dan Brown Big Russ and Me by Tim Russert Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower by Stephen King The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah by Stephen King Deliver Us from Evil by Sean Hannity Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss The Epicure’s Lament by Kate Christensen The Family by Kitty Kelley The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Glorious Appearing by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye Hour Game by David Baldacci Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke The Last Juror by John Grisham Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst London Bridges by James Patterson Metro Girl by Janey Evanovich My Life by Bill Clinton My Prison Without Bars by Pete Rose with Rick Hill National Commission on Terrorist Attacks: The 9/11 Commission Report Night Fall by Nelson DeMille Northern Lights by Nora Roberts Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward The Price of Loyalty by Ron Suskind “R” is for Rocket – Sue Grafton The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason Sam’s Letter to Jennifer by James Patterson Song of Susannah by Stephen King State of Fear by Michael Crichton Ten Big Ones by Janey Evanovich 3rd Degree by James Patterson and Andrew Gross Trace by Patricia Cornwell Unfit for Command by John O’Neill with Jerome Corsi Who’s Looking Out For You? by Bill O’Reilly
Influential Songs include: Unwell by Matchbox Twenty, Concrete Angel by Martina McBride, Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, and Dance With My Father by Luthor Vandross
The Movies to Watch include Finding Nemo, Gods and Generals, Bruce Almighty, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Elf
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Johnny Depp
Notable books include: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Price of Boar’s Head deluxe ham in 2003: $5.99/pound Price of a movie ticket: $6.00 Land O Lakes butter, 1 pound: $1.49
US 666, once a spur route of the decommissioned US Route 66, was changed to US 491, a spur of US Route 191, due to concerns using the number 666 for a road.
The Funny Guy was: Dane Cook The Funnier Guy was: Dave Chappelle
The Conversation: The United States Department of Homeland Security and what it would mean for average Americans.
Here are a few notable events from 2003:
The US led a coalition of countries in an invasion of Iraq, stating that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. These weapons were never found, and the invasion and its aftermath have been the source of much controversy and debate.
The Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, resulting in the mapping of the entire human genome.
The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crew members.
A massive heatwave occurred in European countries like France, where more than 15,000, over 70.,000 in total.
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) emerged in China in 2003 and spread to several other countries before being controlled.
In the entertainment industry, Friends’ final episode aired on NBC, and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The Year of The Goat The year of the goat is one of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The goat (also known as sheep or ram) is the eighth animal in the cycle. The years of the goat include: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039, 2051, and 2063 The year of the goat is associated with creativity, gentleness, and calmness. People born in the year of the goat are said to be gentle, kind-hearted, and have a strong sense of creativity. They are also said to be sensitive, compassionate, and have a good sense of aesthetics. They enjoy the good things and appreciate beauty, art, and nature. They are also quite good at adapting to new situations, and they can work well under pressure. They are said to be great listeners and are often sought out for advice. They are also known to be quite selfless and are willing to help others.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2003: Emily, Emma, Madison, Hannah, Olivia, Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Andrew
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Gisele Bündchen, Eva Mendez, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Julia Stiles, Lucy, Liu, Brittany Murphy, Jennifer Lopez, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Pamela Anderson, Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Britney Spears, Kate Hudson, Beyonce, Julia Roberts, Selma Blair, Cameron Diaz, Hilary Swank, Renee Zellweger, Keira Knightley, Jessica Simpson, Denise Richards
The Heartthrob(s): Brad Pitt, Jude Law, Heath Ledger, Hugh Grant, David Beckham, Ben Affleck, Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp, Julian McMahon, Justin Timberlake, Adam Brody
“The Quotes” “Where do buffalo wings come from? Chickens or buffaloes?” -Jessica Simpson, on her Newlyweds reality show.
“He’s just not that into you.” -Jack Berger, Sex In The City
When Arnold Schwarzenegger was running for Governor in 2003, he was hit with an egg during a rally; later, during the speech, Arnold responded with, “Now he owes me bacon.”
Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year: The American Soldier
Miss America: Erika Harold (Urbana, IL)
Miss USA: Susie Castillo (Massachusetts)
The Scandals: Angelina Jolie kissed her brother, James Haven, rather passionately at the Oscars. James claimed it was a quick peck, caught at the wrong second.
Paris Hilton’s sex tape was released with then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, One Night In Paris.
New York Times reporter Jayson Blair resigned after being confronted with evidence of fabricating quotes and details in at least 36 articles.
Natalie Maines, the lead singer for the Dixie Chicks, told a London crowd, “we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is From Texas.”
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh entered rehab for addiction to prescription drugs oxycodone and hydrocodone. This may have led to his hearing loss. (the radio talk show host is essentially deaf)
Michael Jackson was alleged to have engaged in sexual activities with a teenage boy (again).
Madonna Kissed Britney Spears at the VMAs
The Collar Bomb Brian Wells was an American pizza delivery man who was killed on August 28, 2003, when a bomb locked around his neck detonated. The incident, which took place in Erie, Pennsylvania, is known as the “collar bomb” or “pizza bomber” case.
Wells had been delivering a pizza to a location on the outskirts of Erie when he was accosted by a man who claimed to be a police officer. The man forced Wells to wear a collar bomb and directed him to rob a nearby bank. After robbing the bank, Wells was taken into custody by the police, but the bomb detonated before it could be disarmed.
The case is notable for its complexity and the number of individuals who were eventually arrested and convicted in connection with the crime. It’s considered as a rare instance of a real-life criminal event that followed the scenario of a TV series or a movie.
The FBI had concluded that the crime was a “perfect crime” perpetrated by a group of criminals, but later investigations revealed the involvement of Wells himself in the crime. However, Wells’ family and some of the defendants maintain that he was an unwitting participant in the crime and was manipulated by the other individuals involved. The case remains controversial and is still being discussed by the media.
Welchia Computer Worm Welchia, also known as the Nachi worm, is a computer worm that was first discovered in 2003. It was primarily spread through a vulnerability in the Windows operating system, known as the “Remote Procedure Call (RPC) DCOM” vulnerability. This vulnerability allowed the worm to propagate across networks and infect unpatched systems.
The worm was designed to target Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems, and it could exploit the RPC DCOM vulnerability without needing user interaction. Once a system was infected, the worm would attempt to download and install a patch for the vulnerability it had just exploited to protect the system from further attack.
In addition to patching the vulnerability, the worm also had several other malicious payloads, including:
Attempting to propagate itself to other systems on the network
Terminating several security-related processes and services
Downloading and running additional malware
Creating a backdoor on the infected system that could be used to control the system remotely.
Welchia was considered to be a significant threat when it was first discovered, as it was able to spread quickly across networks and caused disruptions to many systems. However, because the worm attempted to patch the vulnerability it was exploiting, some saw it as a “benign” worm.
Beloved TV Star Sudden Death: John Ritter, age 54
HERO – 13-year-old Surfer Bethany Hamilton jumped right back on a surfboard after getting patched up from her shark bite, which took her left arm. A 2011 film, Soul Surfer, starring AnnaSophia Robb, was about her life.
HERO – Aron Ralston – while canyoneering in Utah, he was forced to amputate his right arm with a dull knife to free himself from a boulder. A 2011 film, 127 Hours, starring James Franco, was about the adventure.
HERO – Elizabeth Smart was found alive nine months after she was kidnapped. She has become an activist, working with Sexual Predator Legislation and the AMBER Alert system, and she spoke after the signing of the Adam Walsh Act. A TV movie about the ordeal, The Elizabeth Smart Story, was shown on CBS.
Pop Culture Facts & History:
Before 2003, if you changed wireless carriers, you would have to get a new phone number since carriers were not legally required to transfer your phone number.
Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King won 11 Oscars, winning every category it was nominated for. For this reason, many consider it the greatest film of all time. Several books have been written regarding the making of the Lord of the Rings film series.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) was Sean Connery’s last movie role, as he didn’t like playing aging old men in movies.
The Cat costume Mike Myers wore in the 2003 live-action Cat in the Hat film was made out of wool and human hair.
Actor Paul Bettany proposed to Jennifer Connelly after 9/11. The two were not dating at the time; they met while filming A Beautiful Mind in 2001. They’ve been married since 2003.
In a study in 2003, shelter dogs were found to be more relaxed and quiet when listening to classical music. The dogs didn’t seem particularly interested in pop music or radio shows but exhibited more barking when heavy metal was playing.
The word “McJob” was added to the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary in 2003, defined as “a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement.”
The original “Dunkin’ Donut” from Dunkin’ Donuts had a pastry handle for dipping into coffee. It was discontinued in 2003 because it had to be cut by hand.
Despite a central theme of the X-Men comics being the mutants are still human – Marvel successfully won a court case in 2003 to classify the X-Men action figures as ‘non-human toys’ to avoid higher tariffs.
Disneyland and Disney World are “national defense airspace” no-fly zones and have been since 2003.
After the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, the debris field stretched from Texas through Louisiana, and the search team was so thorough they found nearly 84,000 pieces of the shuttle, several murder victims, and a few meth labs.
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was initially called “Operation Iraqi Liberation” but was quickly changed to “Operation Iraqi Freedom” due to the acronym spelling out “OIL.”
In 2003, US President George W. Bush started PEPFAR, providing antiretroviral drugs to African nations, lowering the AIDS rate by 10%, and saving 1.1 million lives.
The detective show Columbo, starring Peter Falk, aired its first episode in February 1968 and aired its last episode 35 years later in January 2003
The Human Genome Project mapped the structure of DNA, and all the specific information it contained completed its work.
In 2003 the “@” symbol was added to Morse code using the symbol “•–•-•”, the first and only addition to Morse code since WWII.
The original Gameboy wasn’t discontinued until 2003.
Queen are the only group in which every member has composed more than one #1 single, and hence, all four members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.
US Route 666, nicknamed The Devil’s Highway was renamed to Route 491 in 2003, and within days of the announcement nearly all the old signs containing the number 666 were stolen as souvenirs.
In 2003 Dodge built and sold nine motorcycles with a viper V-10 engine called the Dodge Tomahawk.
Leonardo Notarbartolo stole diamonds worth 100M Dollars after getting past a lock with 100M possible combinations, infrared heat detectors, a seismic sensor, Doppler radar, a magnetic field and security guards in Antwerp, Belgium. He was later caught because he left a partially eaten sandwich near the crime scene
Jon Lech Johansen, a self-trained software engineer who created software that decoded DVD copy protection. Johansen defended himself against computer hacking charges, arguing he owned the DVDs and didn’t access anyone else’s information. He was acquitted in 2003.
A pair of Miami radio DJ’s prank called Fidel Castro in 2003. They pretended to be Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to get Castro on the line and had a brief chat before telling Castro he had been fooled. Castro responded with a brief verbal tirade. The radio station was later fined $4,000.
On May 25, 2003, two men boarded an empty Boeing 727 at an airport in Angola and flew off into the sunset. The FBI and CIA conducted a massive search, but neither the men nor the plane was ever seen or heard from again. it is one of the largest aircraft ever to disappear.
In 2003 a herd of wild elephants released a group of captive antelopes from a game reserve in Southeast Africa. The herd’s matriarch undid the gate’s metal latches with her trunk & then pushed it open. The antelope took their chance & ran into the bush, followed by the elephants.
In 2003, Juan Catalan was cleared of murder charges after outtake footage shot for “The Car Pool Lane” episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm showed him and his daughter attending the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves baseball game some 20 miles from the crime scene at the time of the murder.
The chief officer of the German-owned cargo ship RMS Mülheim got into difficulties while on watch. His trousers caught in his chair mechanism and while trying to free himself, he tripped and knocked himself unconscious. The ship was grounded on rocks while he was out and broke up.
Steven Bartman, sitting in Section 4, Row 8, Seat 113 of the stands at Wrigley Field, reached for and deflected a foul ball that Cubs left fielder Moises Alou was trying to catch. The Florida Marlins won the game and the chance to be in the World Series. Steven is a decent guy and still a Cubs fan by all reports. He received a World Series ring when the Cubs won in 2016.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2003: $2,100,000
NOT a Surprise: Liza Minelli and David Gest divorced after their 2002 marriage
The Habits: Wearing Chandelier Earrings Wearing Monogrammed Shirts and Coats while carrying monogrammed bags Wearing Uggs with Cargo pants
The Disaster: On Feb 1, Space Shuttle Columbia broke up while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown, Laurel Clark and Commander Rick D. Husband all died in the disaster
2003 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame: Alphabet Blocks, Checkers
1st Appearances & 2003’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents: Beyblades, Bionicle, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Flavas dolls, Barbie as Supergirl, Barbie as Wonder Woman
Best Film Oscar Winner: Chicago (Presented in 2003)
2003 Entries to The National Film Registry: Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman (released in 1974) Atlantic City (released in 1980) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (released in 1969) The Chechahcos (released in 1924) Dickson Experimental Sound Film (released in 1894/95) Film Portrait (released in 1972) Fox Movietone News: Jenkins Orphanage Band (released in 1928) Gold Deggirs of (released in 1933) The Hunters (released in 1957) Matrimony’s Speed Limit (released in 1913) Medium Cool (released in 1969) National Velvet (released in 1944) Naughty Marietta (released in 1935) Nostalgia (released in 1971) One Froggy Evening (released in 1956) Patton (released in 1970) Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy (released in 1909) Show People (released in 1928) The Son of the Sheik (released in 1926) Tarzan and His Mate (released in 1934) Tin Toy (released in 1988) The Wedding March (released in 1928) White Heat (released in 1949) Young Frankenstein (released in 1974) Young Mr. Lincoln (released in 1939)
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo) 1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2. Finding Nemo 3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 4. The Matrix Reloaded 5. Bruce Almighty 6. X2: X-Men United 7. Elf 8. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines 9. The Matrix Revolutions 10. Cheaper By The Dozen
Broadway Show – Avenue Q (Musical) Opened on July 31, 2003 and closed on September 13, 2009
Broadway Show – Wicked (Musical) Opened on October 30, 2003
2003 Most Popular TV Shows: 1. American Idol (Fox) 2. CSI (CBS) 3. Survivor: All Stars (CBS) 4. Friends (NBC) 5. Survivor: Pearl Islands (CBS) 6. The Apprentice (NBC) 7. ER (NBC) 8. CSI: Miami (CBS) 9. Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) 10. Without a Trace (CBS)
2003 Billboard Number One Songs: November 9, 2002- January 31, 2003: Lose Yourself – Eminem
February 1 – February 7: Bump, Bump, Bump – B2K featuring P. Diddy
February 8 – March 7: All I Have – Jennifer Lopez featuring L.L. Cool J
July 12 – September 5: Crazy In Love – Beyonce featuring Jay-Z
September 6 – October 3: Shake Ya Tailfeather – Nelly/P. Diddy/Murphy Lee
October 4 – December 5: Baby Boy – Beyonce featuring Sean Paul
December 6 – December 12: Stand Up – Ludacris featuring Shawnna
December 13, 2004 – February 13, 2003: Hey Ya! – OutKast
Sports: World Series Champions: Florida Marlins Super Bowl XXXVII Champions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs Stanley Cup Champs: New Jersey Devils U.S. Open Golf Jim Furyk U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Andy Roddick/Kim Clijsters Wimbledon (Men/Women): Roger Federer/Serena Williams NCAA Football Champions: USC NCAA Basketball Champions: Syracuse Kentucky Derby: Funny Cide
Popular and Best-selling Books From 2003: A Royal Duty by Paul Burrell An Unfinished Life by Robert Dallek Armageddon by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson Birthright by Nora Roberts Bleachers by John Grisham Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell Bush at War by Bob Woodward Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Dude, Where’s My Country? by Michael Moore The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling I Am a Soldier Too by Rick Bragg The Jester by James Patterson and Andrew Gross Johnny Angel by Danielle Steel Kate Remembered by A. Scott Berg The King of Torts by John Grisham The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini The Known World by Edward P. Jones The Lake House by James Patterson Leap of Faith by Queen Noor Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken Living History by Hillary Clinton The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Naked Prey by Jahn Sandford Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Portrait of a Killer by Patricia Cornwell Prey by Michael Crichton The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman The Savage Nation by Michael Savage Stupid White Men by Michael Moore The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy To The Nines by Janet Evanovich What Should I Do with My Life? by Po Bronson Who’s Looking Out For You? by Bill O’Reilly
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