1952 - Dwight Eisenhower resigns as "Supreme Commander" in Europe. N.Korea bombed by U.S. planes. The infamous U.F.O. chase in Washington D.C. (July). Rocky Marciano wins World Heavyweight Boxing Title from "Jersey" Joe Wilcott.

1953 - Dwight Eisenhower inaugurated 34th President of U.S.A.. James Watson and Francis Crick discover DNA's "double-helix structure", mapping the atom. An American B-47 accidentally drops a nuclear bomb on S.Carolina; fails to detonate. "Lucy" has a baby, on America's #1 television show: "I Love Lucy". The "T.V. Dinner" invented. Dr. Jonas Salk proves the Polio vaccine works at the Univ. of Pittsburgh..

1954 - Elvis Presley, the future "King of Rock and Roll", is discovered. U.S. Supreme Court rules that "segregation by color" in public schools is violation of 14th ammendment.

1955 - Albert Einstein, the world renowned scientist and professor who layed the theoretical groundwork for Atomic energy (E=mc2 energy = mass times the speed of light squared), dies of heart failure. Rosa Parks is arrested after refusing to give up her bus seat to a "white man". "Rock Around the Clock" is No. 1 on Billboard's hit-singles chart. Marilyn Monroe stars in "The Seven Year ltch".

1956 - Dwight D. Eisenhower reelected President of the U.S., Vice-President Richard Nixon. Bedloe's Island renamed "Liberty Island". Soviet troops march into Hungary; martial law and mass arrests in Hungary. Fidel Castro lands in Cuba with small armed force intent on the overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Supreme Court says segregation of races on buses is unconstitutional. Martin Luther King Jr. emerges as leader of campaign for desegregation. Prince Rainier of Monaco weds actress Grace Kelly. Elvis Presley records "Heartbreak Hotel," first of 45 records that sell more than a million copies each.

1957 - NASA is formed. The U.S.S.R. successfully launches the first satellite: "Sputnik I"; the Space Age and the "space race" begins (Oct.4). First animal in outer space (a dog). Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" hits the top music charts around the globe. Teamsters Union is expelled from AFL-CIO when Jimmy Hoffa refuses to expel criminals; union refuses to expel Hoffa. Desegregation crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas; President Eisenhower sends in troops to forestall violence. Rocky Marciano, "Heavyweight Boxing champion", retires undefeated. Floyd Patterson, at 21, the youngest boxer to win the heavyweight crown, knocks out Archie Moore in Title fight.

1958 - The "Beatnik" movement, originating in California, spreads throughout America and Europe. N.A.S.A. becomes established. U.S. launches it's first "moon rocket", which fails to reach moon; travels 79,000 miles from Earth. Physicist Willy Higinbotham invents the first "video game" at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. His game, a table tennis-like game, was played on an oscilloscope. Tsunami in Lituya Bay, Alaska with a 1,720 foot wave.

1959 - The aluminum can first developed. Existence of solar wind verified. Theory of colour vision. Ruth Handler introduces the Barbie doll, named after her daughter. Musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson "The Big Bopper" die in a plane crash (Feb.3). Alaska officially becomes a State of the U.S.

1960 - World population at 3 billion. Historic televised debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, U.S. Presidential candidates. U.S. admits to aerial reconnaissance flights over U.S.S.R. when a U-2 airplane is shot down and it's pilot, Francis Gary Powers, confesses; marking the beginning of The Cold War between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.. First laser constructed. Sea floor spreading suggested. Weather satellites launched. Students protest segregation by non-violent "sit-ins" at "whites-only" lunch counters in Greensboro, N.C.

1961 - America launches the "U.S.S. Enterprise", atomic-powered aircraft carrier vessel. John F. Kennedy inaugurated 35th President of U.S.A. (and the youngest). The Peace Corps established. First human in outer space: Alan B. Shepard, Jr. First man to orbit the earth: Russian Cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin (April 12). The "Berlin Wall" erected. The "Bay of Pigs" fiasco. Farthings no longer legal tender in Britain. Lee De Forest, American inventor of the vacuum tube, dead. Steve Russell, an MIT student, creates Spacewar, the first interactive computer game.

1963 - "The Beatles" first arrive in the U.S. from England; a great influence on the youth culture. Aug.28: Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. Nov.22: President John F. Kennedy is assassinated by gunshots in his motorcade through Dallas, Texas. Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested, and later, shot by Jack Ruby on Live television. Lyndon B. Johnson becomes 36th President of U.S.A.. America's involvement in Vietnam begins. Idlewild Airport is renamed to John F. Kennedy International Airport in N.Y.C. (Dec.24). U.S. Congress passes Equal Pay Act, banning gender-based wage discrimination. General Motors begins installing seat belts in their cars. First woman in orbit. Treaty between the U.S., U.S.S.R., and U.K. banning Nuclear testing.

1964 - 73 Million Americans watch "The Beatles" perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show". The Beatles scored six No. 1 hits, topped the pop singles charts for 20 weeks. "Pop Art" comes into vogue. Background microwave radiation detected. Major earthquake in Alaska; 114 dead, $500 million in property damage. Cassius Clay (later Mohammed Ali) wins the "World Heavyweight Boxing Championship" from Sonny Liston. U.S. Civil Rights Act prohibits bias based on race, religion or national origin. Race riots break out in Harlem, New York, and many other U.S. cities. Martin Luther King, Jr. is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1965 - Martin Luther King Jr. heads procession of 4,000 civil rights demonstrators from Selma to Montgomery, AL, to deliver petition; Ku Klux Klan shootings in Selma. Malcolm X, Muslim leader, shot in New York. U.S. Aircraft begin heavy bombing of North Vietnam; Marines are sent. Anti-War demonstrations in Washington, D.C.. 100 people in Boston, Mass. protest the Vietnam war. Severe race riots in Watts district of Los Angeles result in 35 dead, 4,000 arrested, $40 million in property damage. Medicare Bill becomes Law. First communications satellite for commercial use. Power black-out in N.Eastern U.S. and Canada (Nov.8).

1966 - World-wide increase in U.F.O. sightings. "The Doors" musical performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" is cut short when Jim Morrison uses the word: "higher". "Star Trek" debuts on television in the U.S.. Engineer Ralph Baer receives support from military electronics consulting firm, Sanders Associates, to explore his idea of creating interactive games using a television.

1967 - Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs first known successful heart transplant, in South Africa. 6-Day War between Israel and Arab nations. 5,000 persons riot in Hong Kong. 700,000 persons march down Fifth Avenue, N.Y.C., in support of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam. 50,000 persons demonstrate against Vietnam War at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.. Martin Luther King leads anti-Vietnam War march in New York; another protest march occurs in San Francisco.

1968 - President Johnson announces that he will not seek another term (March 31). Senator Robert Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Presidency; assassinated in Los Angeles following his victory speech upon winning the California Democratic primary (June 4). Sirhan Sirhan, a Jordanian, is later convicted.

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in a Memphis Motel; Scotland Yard arrests James Earl Ray in London, stands trial in the U.S.. Jacqueline Kennedy marries Aristotle Onassis. U.S. Navy intelligence ship "Pueblo" captured by N.Korea. Riots and police brutality mark Democratic Convention in Chicago. Carl Brashear becomes first amputee to return to full duty in the U.S. Navy. Widespread protests increase against War in Vietnam.

1969 - Richard M. Nixon inaugurated 37th President of U.S.A.. Americans: Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin are the first men to walk on the moon. (Apollo 11 mission timeline): Liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida: July 16, 1969, 8:32:00 a.m. EST Lunar Module touches down on the Moon: July 20, 1969, 3:17:40 p.m. EST Neil Armstrong steps down on lunar surface: July 20, 1969, 9:56:15 p.m. EST End of lunar extravehicular activity (moon walk): July 21, 1969, 12:11:13 a.m. EST Apollo 11 Command Module splashes down in Pacific Ocean: July 24, 1969, 11:50:53 a.m. EST (Reference: NASA SP-4012 NASA Historic Data Book Volume II)

The purpose of sending astronauts to the Moon was to achieve a "political goal," namely, to prove to the world that America is superior to the Soviet Union. Science and engineering objectives were secondary. The Vietnam War, Watergate, Arab Oil Embargo, urban unrest, and other issues soon rendered the U.S. space program as a low priority. Apollo 17 became the last lunar mission, in December of 1972. The U.S. wins "the Space Race". The "Cold War", however, continued until the breakup of the Soviet Union, about twenty years later.

The legendary three-day "Woodstock" musical festival takes place in rural Woodstock, New York, drawing in over 300,000 people from around the U.S.; marks the height of "the Hippie movement". 100,000 people in Boston protest the war in Vietnam. "Sesame Street" debuts on public television. John Lennon marries Yoko Ono in Gibraltar.

1971 - Over 25,000 demonstrators attempt to paralyze Washington, D.C. through peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience. They sat down in streets, blocked entranceways to buildings, and so on. Over 10,000 arrests. (May 1) Archie Bunker and "All in the Family" debut. Computer Space becomes first video arcade game ever released. 1,500 games are distributed. Public consensus is that it is too difficult to play.

1972 - The famous "Watergate break-in" occurs in Washington D.C., U.S.A.. J.Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for 48 years, dies. The CAT scan is introduced. Laser discs introduced. A U.S. patent is issued to Ralph Baer for "A Television Gaming Apparatus and Method" (Apr.25). Magnavox's Odyssey, the first "home video game system", is released to the public. Bushnell and Dabney found Atari. Al Alcorn is hired by Atari to program video games. Munich Olympics tragedy, killing 10 (Sep.5).

1973 - Skylab I launched, America's first manned Space Station. U.S. Supreme Court makes abortion legal in the Roe vs. Wade decision. U.S. and North Vietnam sign a cease-fire agreement. Genetic engineering begun. "Apoptosis" theory named. The Trilateral Commission is founded by David Rockefeller.

1974 - World population at 4 billion. U.S. President Nixon resigns in wake of Watergate scandal (Aug.8), Gerald Ford becomes 38th President of U.S.A.. The World Trade Center opens in N.Y.C., taking the title of "the tallest building on Earth" from the Empire State. Muhammid Ali knocks out George Foreman in Zaire, regains Boxing Heavyweight Title.

1975 - U.S. troops withdraw from Vietnam (April) Total dead est. 4 Million, 58,135 U.S. casualties. Microchips first produced. L.C.D.'s (Liquid Crystal Displays) invented, used for digital clocks. Bill Gates and Paul Allen begin the Microsoft Corporation to create software for Altair computer. Atari's "Pong" is released with help from Sears Roebuck, which finances the production of 150,000 units; the hottest selling Christmas item that year. "Gunfight" is released, the first game to use a microprocessor instead of hardwired solid-state circuits.

1976 - Experiments to detect life on Mars. "String Theory" of particles proposed. First "V.C.R.'s" (Video Cassette Recorders). Coleco releases it's first home video-game console called Telstar. Fairfield Camera & Instrument debuts it's Video Entertainment System, known later as Channel F.; the first programmable (cartridge-based) home game console, using games that resembled 8-track audio tapes.

1977 - James "Jimmy" Carter inaugurated 39th President of U.S.A.. The film: "Saturday Night Fever" makes John Travolta, "The Bee Gees", and white suits popular. "Inflationary universe" proposed. Fibre optics used in experimental telephony. Volcanos erupt in Japan, Italy, and Hawaii. Atari introduces it's first cartridge-based home video system called the "Video Computer System" which later becomes known as the Atari 2600 (retail:$249.95). Elvis Presley dies, reportedly of a drug over-dose (Aug.16).

1978 - Disco reaches it's peak. The first "test tube baby" is born in England; Leslie Brown gives birth to a girl- Louise Brown; first human baby conceived outside the body of a woman. Velcro is first put on the market.

1979 - "Personal computers" put into production. Sony Walkman introduced. Sony invents the DVD. Atari develops a handheld console that displays holograms; named "Cosmos," this product was never released to the public. 63 Americans taken hostage in the American Embassy, in Iran (Nov.4). Mass graves of the victims of the Khmer Rouge discovered. First female British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

1980 - Mt. St. Helens volcano, Washington State, erupts. Triggered by an earthquake; a column of debris is sent 12 miles high and the explosion is heard 200 miles away, 36 fatalities. John Lennon is murdered in N.Y.C. (Dec.8). Constantine Karamanlis is elected President of Greece. The sunken wreck of "Titanic" is found 12,000 feet deep in the N. Atlantic. Poland's "Solidarity movement" demands new labor laws and freedom of speech. The Iran/Iraq War begins. Mattel's Intelivision debuts, the first real competitor of the Atari 2600. Activision becomes the first third-party video game vendor. "Battlezone" is first 3-D game ever created. It is set in a virtual battlefield and was later used by the U.S. military for training exercises. 300,000 units of "Pac-Man" are released worldwide by Namco.

1981 - Scientists identify AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Ronald Reagan becomes 40th President of U.S.A.. President Reagan shot outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. by John Hinckley (March 30). The 22nd Olympic Games begin in Moscow. The first U.S. Space Shuttle: "Columbia" launched. O'Connor becomes the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. The world tunes into "Dallas", to see who shot J.R.. IBM introduces it's first personal computer. "Cats" opens in London.

1982 - The term "Internet" is used for the first time. The U.S. Federal debt tops $1 trillion. First commercial product of genetic engineering; human insulin from bacteria. Courts break up "Ma Bell" telephone monopoly. The film: "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" debuts. Atari releases the Atari 5200 to compete with Coleco's Colecovision.

1983 - Dr. Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space on the shuttle Challenger (STS-7). Electroweak theory (W,Z particles) confirmed at CERN. Cinematronics debuts Rick Dyer's "Dragon Lair", the first video game to feature laser-disc technology. The Commodore 64 is introduced, the most powerful video-game console to date. Nintendo introduces the Famicom in Japan, later known as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the U.S. Earthquake in Tokyo.

1984 - Federal alcohol drinking age is raised to 21 in the U.S. Apple MacIntosh is introduced. Theory that CJD and scrapy are connected with prions (protein, not bacteria or virus) is proposed. Michael Jackson sells 37 million copies of "Thriller". AT&T divests "Baby Bells" in response to U.S. anti-trust suit. U.K. promises to revert control of Hong Kong to China in 1997. William Gibson coins the term "cyberspace" in his novel Neuromancer. The number of Internet hosts exceeds 1,000. "Miami Vice" debuts on NBC.

1985 - Earthquake in Mexico City kills over 7,000. TWA airline hijacked by Arab terrorists. Iran-Contra Affair, American political scandal in which the Reagan administration illegally sold $30 Million in arms to Iran. The film "Back to the Future" debuts, popularizing the skateboard (Sept.). Hole in ozone layer detected. Fullerenes (carbon nanostructures) discovered. The popular game "Tetris" is developed by Russian programmer Alex Pajitnov, played on a pc. Volcanic tidal waves destroy Armero, Columbia.

1986 - World's worst nuclear disaster takes place when a reactor blows up at Chernobyl, Russia, causing a meltdown; estimated 7,000 dead. The U.S. space shuttle "Challenger" explodes 74 seconds after take-off, killing all 7 crew members on live television (Jan.28). Voyager 2 flies by Uranus and discovers 10 more moons. Halley's comet is observed. Renovation of the "Statue of Liberty". To compete with the NES, Sega introduces the Sega Master System (SMS). Atari releases the Atari 7800 to stay competitive in the market.

1987 - World population at 5 billion. The number of Internet hosts exceeds 10,000. 200,000 people march for gay rights in Washington, D.C. High temperature superconductivity observed in ceramics. Stock Market crash.

1988 - Vice-President (and former C.I.A. Director) George Bush elected 41st President of U.S.A.. Mikhail Gorbachev becomes President of the U.S.S.R. Canada and U.S. sign "free trade" agreement. "Shroud of Turin" shown to be a fake by carbon dating. A computer program/virus called the "Internet Worm" temporarily disables approx. 6,000 Internet hosts (Nov.1). The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is formed to address security concerns raised by the Worm. Earthquake in Yunnan, China kills over 700. Earthquake in Armenia kills 80,000 and makes 500,000 homeless. Hurricane Gilbert in Mexico.

1989 - San Francisco suffers a severe earthquake (Oct.). The "Berlin Wall" is torn down (Nov.9). East and West Germany united. Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. Hundreds die in Lebanon in shelling between Christian and Islamic militias. General Colin Powell. General Noriega "annuls" the presidential election when the opposition wins; U.S. invades and installs new government. Thousands of "pro-democracy" students killed in Peking by tanks and forces during a 7-week demonstration in Tiananmen Square. Author: Salman Rushdie given death sentence for blasphemy (about Iran). Pete Rose banned from baseball. Pop-music duo "Milli Vanilli" exposed as a fraud. Hurricane Hugo hits S.Carolina. Oliver North Trial, regarding the Iran-Contra Scandal. Federal U.S. government allocates money to maintain the Savings and Loan industry from collapse. Nintendo releases the handheld Game Boy (retail:$109.). NEC releases the first 16-bit console in the U.S., called the TurboGrafx-16, the first video game stored on a compact disc. The true arcade experience comes into American homes when Sega debuts the Genesis (retail: $249.95.)

1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait (Aug.2) The Gulf War begins. The U.S. and allies send military forces to Saudi Arabia. Suddam Hussein seizes hostages but releases them in Dec.; the U.N. gives Iraq until Jan.15, 1991 to withdraw. General Noriega surrenders to U.S. troops in Panama; is arrested for "drug trafficking". First use of gene therapy to treat disease.

1991 - U.S. and allied soldiers invade and defeat Iraqi Army in 100-hour battle and liberate Kuwait (Jan.) American casualties:148 Iraqi casualties:150,000 Last Total Solar Eclipse of the century (July 11). Thousands witness U.F.O.'s in Mexico City (July 11). The second Russian revolution; breakup of The U.S.S.R. and overthrow of the Communist Party. Exxon pays $1 Billion dollars in fines and cleanup of Valdez oil spill. Super NES is released in the U.S. by Nintendo (retail:$249.95).

1992 - William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton inaugurated 42nd President of U.S.A.. Johnny Carson steps down as host of the "Tonight Show". President Clinton plays the saxophone on the "Arsenio Hall" show. Rodney King case in Los Angeles incites riots. 50 dead, over 2,000 injured. $1 Billion in damage. Yugoslavian Civil War.

1993 - World Trade Center bombing in N.Y.C. (Feb.26) 6 dead, over 1,000 injured. Apoptosis: programmed cell death theory accepted and related to MYC/p53 growth gene. Michael Jackson sex scandal begins. Senators Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Herbert Kohl of Wisconsin launch a Senate investigation into violence in video games. Waco, Texas tragedy (April 19), ending in 86 dead.

1994 - Nelson Mandela sworn in as President of S.Africa. Mississippi becomes the last state to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, outlawing slavery (April). Ulcers proven to be related to bacteria living in the stomach (helicobacter pytori). "Grunge-rock" singer Kurt Cobain commits suicide in Seattle (April 4). Resulting from the Senate investigation, the "Entertainment Software Rating Board" is created. Ratings are now given to video games, and marked on packaging to indicate the suggested age and violent content. In Japan, the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation make their debut. O.J. Simpson saga begins (June 13).

1995 - BSE "Mad cow disease" identified with CJD and scrapy. Microsoft Windows 95. SOHO satellite (to measure space weather) launched. Nintendo releases the Nintendo 64 in Japan. Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City is bombed (April 19), 168 dead. Timothy McVeigh is arrested within 90 minutes.

1996 - A computer: "Deep Blue" beats world chess champion for first time. President Bill Clinton re-elected. The Tamagotchi virtual pet becomes an instant sensation in Japan. TWA Flight 800 explodes over Atlantic (July 17). Atlanta Olympics bombing (July 27).

1997 - Great Britain returns control of Hong Kong to China; Chinese soldiers march into Hong Kong in a symbolic gesture. Scotland scientists clone a sheep named "Dolly". First successful attempt at cloning; following a media scare, new cloning Laws are enacted for humans. PlayStation becomes the most popular game in the industry as the 20 millionth unit is sold. Arizona attempts to restrict the distribution of violent video games by making it illegal to display or distribute violent material to minors. The proposed bill was not approved. Timothy McVeigh convicted of the Oklahoma City tragedy. Princess Diana dies in an auto accident, reportedly while fleeing from reporters (Aug.31). O.J. Simpson saga ends (Feb.4).

1998 - Water discovered on the Moon. President Bill Clinton impeached by the House of Reps. over sex scandal; the Senate did not impeach. "Titanic" becomes the top-grossing film of all time. Tobacco industry agrees to pay 46 states $203 Billion to settle lawsuits seeking compensations for public health related costs connected to smoking. Sega introduces the Dreamcast in Japan.

1999 - World population at 6 billion. Widespread fear of the end of the world and "Judgement Day". Global fear of the "Y2K Millennium Bug" is in vain. NATO forces at War in Kosovo against the Serbs. 11 countries in Western Europe adopt a universal currency called the Euro (Euro-dollar). Massacre at Columbine High School, Colorado (15 dead, 23 injured). J.F.K. Jr. dies in a plane crash (July 16). Woodstock II music festival in Rome, NY. ends in violence.

2000 - George W.Bush narrowly defeats Al Gore in the longest (and most confused) U.S. Presidential election ever, following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. It was discovered that Florida illegally threw out tens of thousands of votes in Bush's favor. Bush's limousine was met with egg-throwing protestors upon his inaugeration day in Washington. Sony's PlayStation 2 launches in the U.S. (retail:$299.99). All 500,00 units were sold out by early morning.

2001 - First pope to visit Greece since schism of 1054. After nearly 10 centuries of estrangement between Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox Church (Christianity's East-West divide), Pope John Paul II makes a pilgrimidge "pontiff's mea culpa" to Athens, Greece, to make apologies for past sins, including the plunder of the Byzantine capital by 13th Century Crusaders.

Microsoft and Nintendo introduce their next-generation systems within days of each other. Microsoft's Xbox, and Nintendo's GameCube.

The World Trade Center in N.Y.C., and Pentagon building in Washington D.C. are destroyed in a synchronous plan of attack using 4 hijacked U.S. passenger planes (commercial 747's) out of Boston and N.Y., the fourth crash landing near Shanksville, PA. No plane wreckage was ever found at the Pentagon or at the crash site in PA. (Sept.11) Est. 3,000 people killed. Blamed on middle eastern terrorists. Click here to read "The World Trade Center Conspiracy", assembled by Vlar Dracul.

2002 - An asteroid the size of a soccer field misses the Earth by 75,000 miles, less than one-third of the distance to the moon (June). Tensions rise between the U.S. and middle eastern nations as Bush's "war on terrorism" continues. U.S. military invades Afghanistan, killing thousands. Bush threatens to invade Iraq, seeks U.N. support.

2003 - U.S. Space Shuttle "Columbia" breaks up on reentry from space, killing 7 (Feb.1) U.S. and U.K. militaries invade Iraq, despite U.N. disapproval (March). Baghdad destroyed. War protests across the globe. Earthquake in Iran kills over 20,000.

2004 - Controversy over U.S. military treatment of prisoners being held in Iraqi prison camps in the "war on terrorism". Various lewd photos leaked to the media reveals the inhumane treatment of the peoples imprisoned there by the U.S. government. Over 500,000 people march for Democracy in Hong Kong (July 1). Olympics held in Greece. Hurricane Frances hits Florida, leaving thousands homeless. Followed by the evacuation of much of Florida, preceding the attack of hurricanes: "Charley", "Ivan" and "Jeanne". Hurricane Jeanne destroys Haiti. George W. Bush narrowly defeats Sen. John Kerry in the U.S. Presidential election. Like an echo from the 2000 election, once again there is controversy over missing voter ballots--this time, in the hundreds of thousands. Senator Kerry concedes and accepts defeat, rather than replaying the scandal of the 2000 election. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger elected Governor of California. Brazilian scientists invent a vaccine for AIDS with an 80% success rate. Earthquakes and the resulting tsunamis (tidal waves) kill over 150,000 in E.Asia (Dec.). Tsunamis in Sumatra with waves up to 45 feet high.

2005 - Michael Jackson goes on trial. A 7.6 earthquake hits Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, killing 80,000 people, injuring 70,000, leaving 3 million homeless. Casualties include 17,000 children (Oct.8). Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany (Nov.). Former assistant FBI Director W. Mark Felt is discovered to have been "Deep Throat", the secret source who helped unravel the Watergate scandal during the Nixon Administration (May 31). Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, was indicted for perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements in connection with an investigation into the so-called "Plame Affair" of 2003 (Oct.28). Pope John Paul II dies (April 2), succeded by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, aka Pope Benedict XVI. Fishermen in N.Thailand catch a 640 pound, 9 foot catfish in the Mekong River, the largest freshwater fish ever discovered (May 1). London subways bombed, killing 56, injuring 700, the largest attack on England since W.W.II (July 7). Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast of the U.S.(Aug.29), swallowing New Orleans and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Est. 1,300 people dead, $150 billion in damages. Avian "bird" flu in Europe.

2006 - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffers a massive stroke (Jan.4) Succeeded by Ehud Olmert. Arsons of Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus (Feb.5). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf inaugerated President of Liberia, Africa's first female head of state (Jan.). Michelle Bachelet, inaugurated first female President of Chile (March 11). Gen.Augusto Pinochet, Dictator of Chile from 1973-1990, dies of a stroke (Dec.10). Portia Simpson Miller becames first female Prime Minister of Jamaica (March 30). Montenegro voted to secede from its union with Serbia, breaking up what remained of the former Yugoslavia (May). Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore releases "An Inconvenient Truth", Academy Award winning documentary spurring renewed interest in preventing climate change and �global warming�, world-wide. Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were convicted of 29 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud and insider trading (May 25). Lay died on July 5, before sentencing. Skilling was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison, and fined $45 million. Warren Buffett, the world's second richest man, donates $30 Billion to the charity: �Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation�, run in part by the world's richest man, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, dedicated to eliminating disease and promoting education, especially in developing nations. When completed, Buffett's donation will be the largest charitable gift in U.S. history. Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro, the world's longest serving political leader, cedes power to his brother Raul Castro, after announcing that he was suffering from an unspecified intestinal ailment (July). Pluto demoted in status from a planet to a dwarf planet (Aug.24). Steve Irwin, the popular naturalist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," dies after being stung by a stingray while shooting a television show off the northern coast of Australia (Sep.24). Charles Carl Roberts IV, milk-man, shoots 10 girls between the ages of 6 and 13 in an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, then shooting himself dead (Oct.2). U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld steps down (Nov.8), one day after mid-term elections led to Republican loss of control in the House of Representatives and Senate, largely due to Americans' displeasure over the war in Iraq. Rumsfeld was replaced by Robert Gates. American singer, songwriter and "Godfather of Soul", James Brown, dies of congestive heart failure at age 73 (Dec.25). Former U.S. President Gerald Ford dies at age 93 (Dec.26).

2007 - Adam Air Flight KI-574, flying from Java to Manado, crashes in Indonesia, 102 dead (Jan.1). U.S. embassy in Athens, Greece is fired on by an anti-tank missile (Jan.12). A CSX freight train carrying chemical cargo through Louisville, KY. derailed and 14 cars ignited, forcing evacuation of homes and closing 20 miles of roads (Jan.16). Tornadoes rip through C. Florida, 20 dead (Feb.2). 2 bombs explode on a train headed from India to Pakistan, 70 dead (Feb.18). 30 coordinated bombs explode at bars, hotels, and electricity transmitters in Pattani Province, Thailand, killing or wounding 60 people (Feb.18). 2 earthquakes, magnitudes 6.4 and 6.3, struck the island of Sumatra (Indonesia) two hours apart, 70 dead (March 6). A Garuda Indonesia Airlines plane overshot the runway and crashed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, killing 22 of the 140 people on board (March 7). A methane explosion kills 110 in a coal mine in Ulyanovskaya, Russia (March 19). Magnitude 8.1 earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Honiara, Solomon Islands, kills 34 and leaves thousands homeless (Apr.1). Virginia Tech student killed 32 students in Blacksburg, VA. and then himself in the most deadly shooting rampage in U.S. history (Apr.16). Kenya-bound Kenya Airways plane took off in stormy weather and crashed in Doula, Cameroon, 114 dead (May 5). A tornado destroys a small farming town in Greensburg, Kansas, 10 dead (May 7). A methane explosion kills 38 coal miners in Yubileinaya, Russia, two months after a similiar explosion (May 24). Over 200 perish during severe storms in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city (June 24). Monsoon rains and flooding left 660 dead and more than a million stranded in W.Bengal, India (July 8). An 8 lane interstate bridge packed with cars in Minneapolis, MN. broke into sections and collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 9, injuring 60 (Aug.1). A 6.8 magnitude earthquake kills 11 and injures more than 900 in Niigata, Japan (July 17). 176 killed when an Airbus skids off the runway at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo; the worst aviation accident in Brazil's history (July 17). A passenger train in Benaleka, Congo running between Ilebo and Kananga derailed after the brakes failed, 100 dead (Aug.1). An 8.0-magnitude earthquake 95 miles southeast of Lima, Peru, kills 337, injures hundreds more (Aug.15). Over 220 separate fires ravage the Greek countryside and endanger ancient sites around Athens, 59 killed (Aug.25-27). 12 perish on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia when 3 earthquakes, one with a magnitude of 8.4, hits (Sep.12,13). A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 plane, which took off from Bangkok, skids off the runway and bursts into flames during heavy rain in Phuket, Bangkok, 88 dead. Tropical Storm Noel strikes the Carribean, 66 killed, 27 missing, 6,300 homes destroyed, and more than 62,000 people are homeless when two rivers burst 26 miles outside Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 40 dead and 400 homes are destroyed in Haiti. In Cuba, 24,000 people evacuated and 2,000 homes damaged (Oct.31). A severe storm in the Black Sea in S.Russia sinks 11 ships, killing 3, 20 missing. The tanker, Volganeft-139, splits apart and dumps 1,300 tons (about 360,000 gallons) of oil into the sea killing marine habitat, fish, covering 30,000 seabirds in oil (Nov.12). Cyclone Sidr, with 100 mph. winds, kills 3,500 in S.Bangladesh. The U.N. reports that a million people are left homeless (Nov.15). 90 killed and 10 are missing in Donetsk, Ukraine, after a mining explosion (Nov.18). The McDonnell Douglas MD-83, crashes 7 miles from its destination airport in Isparta, W.Turkey, 56 dead (Nov.30) The Hebei Spirit Oil spill causes environmental disaster in S.Korea, destroying beaches, coating birds and oysters with oil, spilling 2.8 million gallons of crude oil. 7,000 people attempt to clean up 12 miles of oil-coated coast.

2008 - Massive Earthquake in S.West China, over 88,000 dead or missing, leaving millions homeless (May 12). Toxic milk sickens 300,000 and kills 6 in China. Followed by global recalls of Chinese-made dairy products (Sept.). Pirates hijack a Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million worth of crude oil, 480 miles off the coast of Somalia (Nov.18). Former football star O.J. Simpson is found guilty of 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, after breaking into a Las Vegas hotel room with 5 men in order to steal a collection of sports memorabilia (Oct.3). Barack Obama becomes first African-American U.S. President.

2009 - Michael Jackson, "the King of Pop Music", dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles (June 25).

2010 - Disaster caused by an explosion in the Gulf of Mexico during underwater oil drilling kills 11, the worst marine oil spill in history (April 20). An estimated 185 Million Gallons of crude oil spilled out into the Gulf between April 20 and July 15, when it was finally stopped. Oil company "British Petroleum" was responsible.

2011 - World population at 7 billion. Japan is hit by a 8.9 earthquake and tsunami, an estimated 10,000 dead and 500,000 left homeless (March 11).

2012 - The Ancient Mayans predicted as the date of the end of the world (Dec.21).