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2002

2002

2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the:
- International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains
- Year of the Outback in Australia
- National Science Year in the United Kingdom
- Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Overview of the year

In contrast to 2000 and 2001, which retained elements of the late 1990s, 2002 shifted into a new cultural decade. With the declining popularity of late 1990s and early 2000s acts like 'N Sync and The Backstreet Boys after band break-ups, rap acts like 50 Cent and Eminem rose in popularity. Pop-Punk acts like Good Charlotte and New Found Glory also appealed to adolescents. 2002 also marked the begining of the controversial Iraq War, which many say, along with 9/11, was the true generation definer of the 2000s.

Events

January

- January 1 - The Republic of China officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei.
- January 1 - The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty, initially signed in 1992, officially enters in to force.
- January 5 - Charles Bishop, a 15 year-old student pilot, crashes a light aircraft into a Tampa, Florida building, evoking fear of a copycat 9/11 terrorist attack.
- January 9 - The United States Department of Justice announces it is going to pursue a criminal investigation of Enron.
- January 10 - Enrique Bolaños began his five-year term as President of the Republic of Nicaragua.
- January 13 - President George W. Bush faints after choking on a pretzel.
- January 14 - The case of Adelaide Abankwah comes into trial in New York
- January 16 - A student shoots 6 people at the Appalachian School of Law, killing three.
- January 16 - John Ashcroft announces that American Taliban member John Walker Lindh would be tried in the United States.
- January 16 - The UN Security Council unanimously establishes an arms embargo and the freezing of assets of Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida, and the Taliban.
- January 17 - Eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing an estimated 400,000 people.
- January 18 - A Canadian Pacific Railway train carrying anhydrous ammonia derails outside of Minot, North Dakota, killing one.
- January 22 - AOL Time Warner brings a federal suit against Microsoft seeking damages. The suit alleges that the market for AOL's Netscape Navigator Internet browser was harmed when Microsoft started to give away a competing browser.
- January 22 - Kmart Corp becomes the largest retailer in American history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- January 22 - Clyde Hood sentenced for 14 years in prison for Omega Trust fraud
- January 24 - Terrorist suspect John Walker Lindh's hearing begins.
- January 27 - Several explosions at a military dump in Lagos, Nigeria kill more than 1,000.

February

- February 2 - Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands marries Máxima, Princess of Orange in Amsterdam.
- February 3 - Costa Rica: elections for President and Congress
- February 8-February 24 - 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah
- February 12 - The trial of former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević begins at the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague
- February 12 - Nuclear waste: US Secretary of Energy makes the decision that Yucca Mountain is suitable to be the United States' nuclear repository.
- February 13 - Queen Elizabeth II gives former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani an honorary knighthood.
- February 16 - Rachel Thaler, aged 16, blown up at a pizzena in an Israeli shopping mall following a suicide bombing attack on a crowd of teenagers.
- February 19 - NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of using its thermal emission imaging system.
- February 20 - In Reqa Al-Gharbiya, Egypt, a fire on a train injures over 65 and kills at least 370
- February 20 - In most of the world, at 20:02 (8:02 PM) local time, date (written as day/month), time, and year are all 2002, making each of them alone, any two together, and the combination of all three, all palindromes.
- February 22 - Norwegian-facilitated ceasefire begins in Sri Lanka
- February 23 - FARC kidnaps Ingrid Betancourt in Colombia when she campaigns for presidency
- February 27 - Ethnic conflict in India: 59 Hindu pilgrims die aboard a train burned by a Muslim mob in Godhra, India, sparking a series of riots, leaving hundreds dead
- February 28 - The ex-currencies of all euro members officialy (at EU-level) cease to be legal tender.

March

- March 1 - U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: In eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda begins.
- March 1 - 28 people die in continuing violence in Ahmedabad. Police shoot and kill five while attempting to control rioters.
- March 1 - The Envisat environmental satellite successfully reaches an orbit 800km above the Earth on its 11th launch, carrying the heaviest payload to date at 8500kg.
- March 1 - Space Shuttle Columbia flies Hubble Space Telescope service mission (STS-109).
- March 1 - Peseta discontinued as official currency of Spain and is replaced with the euro (€)
- March 3 - São Tomé and Príncipe: elections for the legislature
- March 6 - France agrees to return the remains of Saartje Baartman to South Africa
- March 10 - Colombia: elections for the legislature; Togo: elections for the Parliament
- March 11 - BBC 6 Music, the first new BBC music radio station in decades, is launched
- March 12 - In Texas, Andrea Yates is found guilty of drowning her five children on June 20, 2001. She is later sentenced to life in prison
- March 17 - Portugal: elections for the Parliament
- March 19 - US Attack on Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda ends (started on March 1) after killing 500 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters with 11 allied troop fatalities
- March 21 - In Pakistan, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh along with three other suspects are charged with murder for their part in the kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl
- March 27 - Netanya suicide attack: A suicide bomber kills 28 people in Netanya, Israel
- March 31 - Ukraine: elections for the Parliament

April

April
- April 2 - Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, when militants take shelter there. A siege ensues.
- April 9- Funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother takes place in Westminster Abbey, London.
- April 15 - An Air China Boeing 767-200 crashes into a hillside during heavy rain and fog near Pusan, South Korea, killing 128
- April 15 - The Alameda Corridor transportation project in Los Angeles, California opens to rail traffic, ceasing operations of through freight trains on the 120-year-old BNSF Harbor Subdivision.
- April 17 - Four Canadian infantrymen are killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire from two U.S. F-16s.
- April 18 - New order of insects, Mantophasmatodea, announced.
- April 25 - South African Mark Shuttleworth blasts off from the Baikonur cosmodrome; he had paid £15 million for the trip.
- April 26 - Robert Steinhauser opens fire on his former teachers and other students in Erfurt, Germany and then kills himself: 16 dead.
- April 27 - Three people killed in Laughlin, Nevada River Run Riot.
- April 30 - Pakistan: Pakistani voters approve a referendum granting a five-year term for Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf.

May

May]
- May 4 - In Germany, BV Borussia Dortmund wins the Bundesliga title after a 2-1 victory over SV Werder Bremen.
- May 6 - In the Netherlands, politician Pim Fortuyn is killed by Volkert van der Graaf.
- May 7 - Gay Canadian teenager Marc Hall is granted a court injunction ordering that he be allowed to attend his high school prom with his boyfriend.
- May 9 - The 38-day stand-off in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem comes to an end when the Palestinians inside agreed to have 13 suspected militants among them deported to several different countries. The standoff started April 2.
- May 9 - In Kaspiysk, Russia, a remote-control bomb explodes during a holiday parade, killing 43 and injuring at least 130.
- May 10 - FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for selling American secrets to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
- May 12 - Former President Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro becoming the first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since Castro's 1959 revolution.
- May 15 - The Netherlands: elections for the Lower House.
- May 16 - Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is released in theaters.
- May 20 - Restoration of East Timor independence
- May 21 - US State Department releases report citing seven State-Sponsors of Terrorism;Iran,Iraq,Cuba,Libya,North Korea,Sudan,andSyria.
- May 22 - In Washington, DC, Chandra Levy's remains are found in Rock Creek Park.
- May 22 - American civil rights movement: 16th Street Baptist Church bombing: A jury in Birmingham, Alabama convicts former Ku Klux Klan member Bobby Frank Cherry of the 1963 murders of four girls.
- May 23 - Irish Football Captain, Roy Keane, Is sent home from the Training Camp in Saipan, by Manager Mick McCarthy after an Argument over Training arrangements. This cause a huge Media sensation in Ireland and Britain. Many people were split over two sides and some called it the Second Irish Civil War.
- May 23 - First Eurovision Song Contest in a former Soviet country: Estonia
- May 25 - The Boston Celtics come back from twenty-six points down to defeat the New Jersey Nets in Game 3 of the National Basketball Association's Eastern Conference Finals.
- May 25 - China Airlines Flight 611 broke up near the Penghu Islands at Taiwan Strait, killing all 225 people on board.
- May 26 - The Mars Odyssey finds signs of huge water ice deposits on the planet Mars.
- May 28 - Washington DC's medical examiner declares that Chandra Levy's death was the result of homicide.
- May 31 through June 30 - 17th Football World Cup in South Korea and Japan

June

June over London in a fly past for Queen Elizabeth II on her Golden Jubilee]]
- June 1 - The Los Angeles Lakers def the Sacramento Kings 112-106, to win Game 7 of the National Basketball Association's 2002 Western Conference Finals.
- June 3 - The "Party in the Palace" takes place at Buckingham Palace, London for Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
- June 4 - Quaoar is discovered.
- June 4 - Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh ride in the gold state coach from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral for a special service marking the Queen's 50 years on the throne. In New York, the Empire State Building is lit in purple for her honour.
- June 5 - Elizabeth Smart is kidnapped from her Salt Lake City, Utah home.
- June 5 - Mozilla 1.0, the first 'official' version, is released.
- June 6 - The United States House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee announces it is probing Martha Stewart's ImClone stock sales.
- June 8 - Serena Williams defeats her sister Venus Williams in straight sets to win the 2002 French Open.
- June 10 - Annular solar eclipse.
- June 11 - Antonio Meucci was recognised as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress.
- June 12 - The Los Angeles Lakers def the New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0 to win the 2002 NBA Finals.
- June 13 - The Detroit Red Wings def the Carolina Hurricanes 4 games to 1 in the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals.
- June 14 - In Karachi, Pakistan, a car bomb in front of the U.S. consulate kills twelve Pakistanis and injures fifty.
- June 18 - Arizona experiences its worst forest fire, burning 462,606 acres (1,872 km²) near the Mogollon Rim.
- June 30 - Brazil defeats Germany 2-0 to win the Football World Cup 2002.

July

- July 1 - Russian passenger jet and a cargo plane collide over the town of Uberlingen in Southern Germany - 72 dead
- July 1 - Wendy J. Hamilton became president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
- July 5 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq once again rejects new U.N. weapons inspections proposals
- July 10 - At a Sotheby's auction, Peter Paul Rubens' painting "The Massacre of the Innocents" is sold for £49.5million (US$76.2 million) to Lord Thomson
- July 13 - A lighting strike sets off the Sour Biscuit Fire in Oregon and northern California, which is left to burn 499,570 acres (2,022 km²) when finally contained on September 5.
- July 14 - During Bastille Day celebrations, Jacques Chirac escapes an assassination attempt unscathed.
- July 15 - So-called "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleads guilty to supplying aid to the enemy and for the possession of explosives during the commission of a felony. Lindh agrees to serve 10 years in prison for each of the charges
- July 19 - K-19: The Widowmaker starring Harrison Ford is released.
- July 21 - Telecommunications giant WorldCom files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the largest such filing in United States history
- July 27 - Helen Clark leader of the Labour Party is historically re-elected in a landslide victory over the Right Wing in the New Zealand general election of 2002.
- July 27 - A Sukhoi Su-27 fighter crashes at an air show in Ukraine killing 78 and injuring more than 100 others, the largest air show disaster in history.

August

- August 27 - Simon & Schuster sues Michael Pelligrino and Artist Management Group because Pelligrino had written a book claiming to be a son of late Mafioso Carlo Gambino

September

- September 2 - The opening of the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, successor of the 1972 Conference on the Human Environment, 1983 World Commission on Environment and Development, and the 1992 Conference on Environment and Development.
- September 3 - Consolidated Freightways files for bankruptcy
- September 5 - A car bomb kills at least 30 people in Afghanistan, and an apparent assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai fails the same day.
- September 5 - The Sour Biscuit Fire in Oregon and northern California, which burned 499,570 acres (2,022 km²), is finally contained.
- September 8 - Typhoon Sinlaku causes huge waves on the Qiantangjiang River in Sheijang Province, China
- September 11 - The World Summit on Sustainable Development comes to a close.
- September 12 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President George W. Bush, addresses the U.N. and challenges its members to confront the "grave and gathering danger" of Iraq or stand aside as the United States and likeminded nations act.
- September 15 - The Swedish parliamentary election leaves Prime Minister Göran Persson and the Social Democrats in power.
- September 22 - The German federal election leaves Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, his Social Democrats and the Greens in power

October

- October 2 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The U.S. Congress passes a joint resolution which explicitly authorizes the President to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate.
- October 7 - Discovery of Quaoar is announced.
- October 11 - Lone bomber explodes a home-made bomb in the Myyrmanni shopping mall north of Helsinki, Finland - casualties include himself. See Myyrmanni bombing.
- October 12 - Bali bombing: Terrorists detonate massive bombs in two nightclubs in Kuta, Bali, killing 202 and injuring over 300.
- October 16 - Iraq disarmament crisis: George W. Bush signs the Iraq war resolution.
- October 24 - The Beltway snipers are arrested.
- October 25 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone, his family and staff, are killed by a plane accident at Eveleth, Minnesota.
- October 27 - The Anaheim Angels defeat the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.

November

November.
- November 5 - U.S. Elections: The Republican Party maintains control of the House of Representatives and regains control of the Senate.
- November 7 - Iran bans advertising of US products.
- November 8 - Iraq disarmament crisis: UN Security Council Resolution 1441 – The United Nations Security Council unanimously approves a resolution on Iraq, forcing Saddam Hussein to disarm or face "serious consequences".
- November 9 - In Los Angeles, California, television and film actor Merlin Santana is shot to death while sitting in the passenger seat of a friend's car parked on the 3800 block of Victoria Avenue.
- November 13 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq agrees to the terms of the UN Security Council Resolution 1441.
- November 13 - The oil tanker Prestige sinks off the Galician coast and causes a huge oil spill.
- November 14 - Argentina defaults on a US$805 million World Bank payment
- November 15 - Hu Jintao becomes general secretary of the Communist Party of China.
- November 16 - A Campaign Against Climate Change march takes place in London from Lincoln's Inn Fields, past Esso offices to the United States Embassy.
- November 18 - Iraq disarmament crisis: United Nations weapons inspectors led by Hans Blix arrive in Iraq.
- November 21 - NATO Summit in Prague - Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia invited to become NATO members.
- November 22 - In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.
- November 25 - US President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Act into law, establishing the Department of Homeland Security in the largest US government reorganization since the creation of the Department of Defense in 1947 (the Senate passed the bill 90-9 on November 19).

December

- December 4 - Total solar eclipse
- December 7 - Iraq disarmament crisis: As required by the recently passed U.N. resolution, Iraq files a 12,000 page weapons declaration with the U.N. Security Council. Although it is supposed to be a complete declaration, it is seen as incomplete by the Security Council and weapons inspectors.
- December 10 - High Court of Australia hands down its judgement in the Internet defamation dispute in the case of Gutnick v Dow Jones.
- December 18 - Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was released into theaters.
- December 24 - Laci Peterson of Modesto, California is reported missing.
- December 27 - Suicide truck-bomb attack destroys headquarters of Chechnya's Moscow-backed government, killing 72 people.
- December 29 – Communist New People's Army blows up a bust of Ferdinand Marcos in Benguet, Philippines.

Unknown Date

- Naruto (anime) is created by Studio Perriot.
- American Prohibition Foundation incorported.

Births

- August 2 - Kara Hoffman, American actress
- August 2 - Shelby Hoffman, American actress
- December 6 - Sophia Rosalinda Bratt, daughter of Benjamin Bratt and Talisa Soto

Deaths

For more deaths see: Deaths in 2002

January

- January 3 - Freddy Heineken, Dutch-born beer magnate (b. 1923)
- January 8 - Alexander Prochorow, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
- January 8 - Dave Thomas, American fast food entrepreneur (b. 1932)
- January 12 - Stanley Unwin, South African comedian (b. 1911)
- January 12 - Cyrus Vance, United States Secretary of State (b. 1917)
- January 13 - Ted Demme, American film and television director (b. 1963)
- January 16 - Michael Bilandic, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1923)
- January 16 - Bobo Olson, American boxer (b. 1928)
- January 16 - Ron Taylor, American actor (b. 1952)
- January 17 - Camilo José Cela, Spanish writer (b. 1916)
- January 22 - Peggy Lee, American singer and actress (b. 1920)
- January 23 - Pierre Bourdieu, French sociologist (b. 1930)
- January 23 - Robert Nozick, American philosopher (b. 1938)
- January 28 - Dick "Night Train" Lane, American football player (b. 1928)
- January 28 - Astrid Lindgren, Swedish children's book author (b. 1907)
- January 29 - Harold Russell, Canadian-born actor (b. 1914)

February

- February 6 - Max Perutz, Austrian-born molecular biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1914)
- February 8 - Joachim Hoffmann, German historian (b. 1930)
- February 9 - Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom (b. 1930)
- February 14 - Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer (b. 1922)
- February 15 - Howard K. Smith, American television journalist (b. 1914)
- February 15 - Kevin Smith, New Zealand actor (b. 1963)
- February 16 - Walter Winterbottom, English football manager (b. 1913)
- February 19 - Virginia Hamilton, American writer
- February 21 - John Thaw, British actor (b. 1942)
- February 22 - Chuck Jones, American animator (b. 1912)
- February 22 - Jonas Savimbi, Angolan rebel leader (b. 1934)
- February 24 - Leo Ornstein, American composer and pianist (b. 1912)
- February 26 - Lawrence Tierney, American actor (b. 1919)
- February 27 - Spike Milligan, British comedian, writer, and poet (b. 1918)
- February 27 - Mary Stuart, American actress (b. 1926)
- February 28 - Helmut Zacharias, German violinist (b. 1920)

March

- March 11 - James Tobin, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
- March 14 - Cherry Wilder, New Zealand author (b. 1930)
- March 24 - César Milstein, Argentine scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1927)
- March 25 - Kenneth Wolstenholme, British football commentator (b. 1920)
- March 27 - Milton Berle, American comedian and actor (b. 1908)
- March 27 - Dudley Moore, British pianist, comedian, and actor (b. 1935)
- March 27 - Billy Wilder, Austrian-born film screenwriter and director (b. 1906)
- March 30 - Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, queen of George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1900)
- March 31 - Barry Took, British comedian and writer (b. 1928)

April

- April 5 - Layne Staley, American singer (Alice in Chains) (b. 1967)
- April 8 - Maria Felix, Mexican actress (b. 1914)
- April 9 - Leopold Vietoris, Austrian mathematician (b. 1891)
- April 15 - Byron White, American athlete and Supreme Court Justice (b. 1917)
- April 16 - Franz Krienbühl, Swiss speed skater (b. 1929)
- April 16 - Robert Urich, American actor (cancer) (b. 1946)
- April 18 - Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian explorer (b. 1914)
- April 18 - Wahoo McDaniel, American football player and wrestler (b. 1938)
- April 25 - Indra Devi, yoga teacher (b. 1899)
- April 25 - Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, American rapper (TLC) (b. 1971)
- April 27 - George Alec Effinger, American author (b. 1947)
- April 27 - Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, Swiss industrialist and art collector (b. 1921)
- April 28 - Ruth Handler, American toy manufacturer (b. 1916)
- April 28 - Alexander Lebed, Russian general and politician (b. 1950)

May

- May 5 - Hugo Bánzer Suarez, President of Bolivia (b. 1926)
- May 6 - Pim Fortuyn, Dutch politician (assassi

Common year starting on Tuesday

This is the calendar for a common year starting on Tuesday (dominical letter F), e.g.2013, 2002, 1991, 1985, 1974, 1963... (A common year is a year with 365 days -- in other words, not a leap year.)

Previous year (common) Next year (common) Previous year (leap) Next year (leap) For other years, just shift the headers appropriately.

Millennium	Century	Year
2nd Millennium:	19th century:	1805	1811	1822	1833	1839	1850	1861	1867	1878	1889	1895
2nd Millennium:	20th century:	1901	1907	1918	1929	1935	1946	1957	1963	1974	1985	1991
3rd Millennium:	21st century:	2002	2013	2019	2030	2041	2047	2058	2069	2075	2086	2097
3rd Millennium:	22nd century:	2109	2115	2126	2137	2143	2154	2165	2171	2182	2193	2199

Category:Tuesday Category:Weeks ko:화요일로 시작하는 평년 th:ปีปกติสุรทินที่วันแรกเป็นวันอังคาร

Ecotourism

Ecotourism essentially means ecological tourism, where ecological has both environmental and social connotations. It is defined both as a concept-tourism movement and as a tourism sector. Born in its current form in the late 1980s, Ecotourism came of age in 2002, when the United Nations celebrated the "International Year of Ecotourism". The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people". However, this is a vibrant, new movement and there are various definitions. Eco-tourism focuses on local cultures, wilderness adventures, volunteering, personal growth and learning new ways to live on our vulnerable planet. It is typically defined as travel to destinations where the flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, initiatives by hospitality providers to promote recycling, energy efficiency, water re-use, and the creation of economic opportunities for local communities are an integral part of ecotourism. Many global environmental organizations and aid agencies favour ecotourism as a vehicle to sustainable development. Ideally, true ecotourism should satisfy several criteria, such as
- conservation (and justification for conservation) of biological diversity and cultural diversity, through ecosystems protection
- promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, by providing jobs to local populations
- sharing of socio-economic benefits with local communities and indigenous people by having their informed consent and participation in the management of ecotourism enterprises.
- increase of environmental & cultural knowledge
- minimisation of tourism's own environmental impact
- affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury
- local culture, flora and fauna being the main attractions For many countries, ecotourism is not so much seen as a marginal activity intended to finance protection of the environment than as a major sector of national economy and as a means of getting currencies. For example, in countries such as Kenya, Ecuador, Nepal, Costa Rica and Madagascar, ecotourism represents a significant chunk of foreign revenue. The concept of ecotourism is widely misunderstood and, in practice, is often simply used as a marketing tool to promote tourism that is related to nature. Critics claim that ecotourism as practiced and abused often consists in placing a hotel in a splendid landscape, to the detriment of the ecosystem. According to them, ecotourism must above all sensitize people with the beauty and the fragility of nature. They condemn some operators as "green-washing" their operations — that is, using the label of "ecotourism" and "green-friendly", while behaving in environmentally irresponsible ways. Although academics argue about who can be classified as an ecotourist, and there is precious little statistical data, some estimate that more than five million ecotourists — the majority of the worldwide population — come from the United States, with other ecotourists coming from Europe, Canada and Australia. Currently there are various moves to create national and international ecotourism certification programs, although the process is causing controversy. One criticism against ecotourism is that the air travel to often remote places is not included in the "environmental impact calculation". A journey to a place 10,000 km away and home consumes about 700 litres of fuel per person.

External links

- [http://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/etour-define.html]
- [http://www.tourisminsight.com/insight_article.asp?id=23 Tourism Insight - ecotourism]
- [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/green-travel/ green-travel group]
- [http://www.ecotourism.org/ TIES]
- [http://wilderdom.com/ecotourism Ecotourism (or Nature Tourism)]
- [http://www.planeta.com/ Planeta]
- [http://www.ecoclub.com/ Ecoclub]
- [http://nature.org/aboutus/travel/ecotourism/about/ Nature Conservancy ecotourism]
- [http://www.ecotour.org/ Conservation International]
- [http://www.piedrablanca.org/ecotourism-definition.htm Ecotourism definition & literature review]
- [http://www.planetavivo.org Planeta Vivo Society]
- [http://www.ecotourdirectory.com Ecotourism Directory]
- [http://www.bigvolcano.com.au/ercentre/ercpage.htm Ecotourism Resource Centre]
- [http://www.bigvolcano.com.au/ercentre/codes.htm Links to ecotourism accreditation and certification programs]
- [http://www.big-picture.tv/index.php?id=25&cat=&a=44 Big Picture TV] Free video clip of Jane Goodall discussing eco-tourism in Africa
- [http://www.thehotel.gr/article.php?NewID=1128&hotel_front=122&language_front=english Participate in the teamwork and breeziness of ecotourism activities in Greece, Crete]
- [http://www.fssca.net/tours/ FSSCA] Rural ecotourism in El Salvador
- [http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/tourism/index.html/ Rainforest Alliance's Sustainable Tourism program] Category:Tourism Category:Ecology Category:Environment ja:エコツーリズム

Mountain

has one of the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere]] A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. A mountain is generally much higher and steeper than a hill, but there is considerable overlap, and usage often depends on local custom. Some authorities define a mountain as a peak with a topographic prominence over an arbitrary value: for example, the Encyclopædia Britannica requires a prominence of 2,000 feet (610 m). 24% of the Earth's land mass is mountainous; 10% of the world's 6 billion people live in mountainous regions. All the world's major rivers are fed from mountain sources, and more than half of humanity depends on mountains for water [http://www.animana.org/tab2/22troubleattop.shtml]. The adjective montane is used to describe mountainous areas and the things associated with them.

Heights

Heights of mountains are generally given as heights above mean sea level. The Himalayas average 5km above sea level, whilst the Andes average 4km. Most other mountain ranges average 2-2.5km. The highest mountain on Earth is Everest, 8850 m, set in the world's most significant mountain range, the Himalaya. Other definitions of height are possible. The peak that is farthest from the centre of the Earth is Chimborazo in Ecuador. At 6,272 m above sea level it is not even the tallest peak in the Andes, but because the Earth bulges at the equator and Chimborazo is very close to the equator, it is 2,150 m further away from the Earth's centre than Everest. The peak that rises farthest from its base is Mauna Kea on Hawaii, whose peak is over 9,000 m above its base on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The tallest known mountain in the solar system is Olympus Mons, located on Mars.

Characteristics

The altitude of mountains means that the tops exist in higher cold layers of the atmosphere. They are consequently often subject to glaciation and erosion through frost action. This produces the classic mountain peak shape. Some mountains have glacial lakes, created by melting glaciers; for example, there are an estimated 3000 in Bhutan. Sufficiently tall mountains have very different climatic conditions at the top than at the base, and will thus have different life zones at different altitudes on their slopes. The plants and animals of a zone are somewhat isolated when the zones above and below are inhospitable, and many unique species occur on mountainsides as a result. Extreme cases are known as sky islands. Cloud forests are forests on mountain sides which attract moisture from the air, creating a unique ecosystem. Mountains are not generally favored for human habitation; the weather is harsher, less food is available, and there is little level ground suitable for farming. At very high altitudes, there is less oxygen in the air, and less protection against solar radiation (UV). Acute mountain sickness (caused by hypoxia - a lack of oxygen in the blood) affects over half of lowlanders who spend more than a few hours above 3500 metres. Despite some biological adaptation by peoples who have lived on mountains for hundreds or thousands of years, babies' average birthweight is reduced by 100 grams for every 1000-metre gain in altitude. Most mountains of the world have been left in their natural state, and are today primarily used for recreation. Some mountains are very difficult to climb, and offer spectacular views. Some people therefore enjoy the sport of mountaineering. Mountains are also the site for the sport of downhill skiing. People engaging in these activities often stay at mountain resorts built for the purpose.

Geology

mountain resort.]] A mountain is usually produced by the movement of lithospheric plates, either orogenic movement or epeirogenic movement. The compressional forces, isostatic uplift and intrusion of igneous matter forces surface rock upwards, creating a landform higher than the surrounding features. The height of the feature makes it either a hill or, if higher and steeper, a mountain. The absolute heights of features termed mountains and hills vary greatly according to an area's topography. The major mountains tend to occur in long linear arcs, indicating tectonic plate boundaries and activity. Mountain creation tends to occur in discrete periods, each referred to as an orogeny. The orogeny may last millions of years, and the uplifted region is being eroded away, producing valley-and-peak topography, even while the uplift is taking place. Two types of mountain are formed depending on how the rock reacts to the tectonic forces – block mountains or fold mountains. The compressional forces in continental collisions may cause the compressed region to thicken, so the upper surface is forced upwards. In order to balance the weight, much of the compressed rock is forced downwards, producing deep "mountain roots". Mountains therefore form downwards as well as upwards (see isostasy). However, in some continental collisions part of one continent may simply override part of the other, crumpling in the process. Some isolated mountains were produced by volcanoes, including many apparently small islands that reach a great height above the ocean floor. Block mountains are created when large areas are widely broken up by faults creating large vertical displacements. The uplifted blocks are block mountains or horsts. The intervening dropped blocks are termed graben: these can be small or form extensive rift valley systems. This form of landscape can be seen in East Africa, the Vosges, the Basin and Range province of Western North America and the Rhine valley. Where rock does not fault it folds, either symmetrically or asymmetrically. The upfolds are anticlines and the downfolds are synclines; in asymmetric folding there may also be recumbent and overturned folds. The Jura mountains are an example of folding. Over time, erosion can bring about an inversion of relief: the soft upthrust rock is worn away so the anticlines are actually lower than the tougher, more compressed rock of the synclines.

External links

- [http://www.ga.com.pl/tatry21.htm Pics from the Tatra Mountains - Poland]
- [http://bivouac.com Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia] - an exhaustive index of North American peaks, including thousands of unnamed ones. Includes the United States and Mexico as well as Canada. Category:Landforms Category:Mountains Category:Mountaineering Category:Geomorphology ko:산 ms:Gunung ja:山 simple:Mountain

Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the world's smallest continent and a number of islands in the Southern, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Australia's neighbouring countries are Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the northeast, and New Zealand to the southeast. The continent of Australia has been inhabited for over 40,000 years by Indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and by European explorers and merchants starting in the 17th century, the eastern half of the continent was claimed by the British in 1770 and officially settled as the penal colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were successively established over the course of the 19th century. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth Realm. The current population of around 20.4 million is concentrated mainly in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Origin and history of the name

The name Australia is derived from the Latin australis, meaning southern. Legends of an "unknown southern land" (terra australis incognita) date back to the Roman times and were commonplace in mediæval geography, but they were not based on any actual knowledge of the continent. The Dutch adjectival form Australische ("Australian," in the sense of "southern") was used by Dutch officials in Batavia to refer to the newly discovered land to the south as early as 1638. The first English language writer to use the word "Australia" was Alexander Dalrymple in An Historical Collection of Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean, published in 1771. He used the term to refer to the entire South Pacific region, not specifically to the Australian continent. In 1793, George Shaw and Sir James Smith published Zoology and Botany of New Holland, in which they wrote of "the vast island, or rather continent, of Australia, Australasia or New Holland." New Holland was established on this site.]] The name "Australia" was popularised by the 1814 work A Voyage to Terra Australis by the navigator Matthew Flinders. Despite its title, which reflected the view of the Admiralty, Flinders used the word "Australia" in the book, which was widely read and gave the term general currency. Governor Lachlan Macquarie of New South Wales subsequently used the word in his dispatches to England. In 1817 he recommended that it be officially adopted. In 1824, the British Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia.

History

England, claiming the land for Britain in 1770. This replica was built in Fremantle in 1988 for Australia's bicentenary.]] The first human habitation of Australia is estimated to have occurred between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. The first Australians were the ancestors of the current Indigenous Australians; they arrived via land bridges and short sea-crossings from present-day India or Southeast Asia. Most of these people were hunter-gatherers, with a complex oral culture and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, inhabited the Torres Strait Islands and parts of far-north Queensland; they possess distinct cultural practices and practised subsistence agriculture. The first undisputed recorded European sighting of the Australian continent was made by the Dutch navigator Willem Jansz, who sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606. During the 17th century, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines of what they called New Holland, but made no attempt at settlement. In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Britain. The expedition's discoveries provided impetus for the establishment of a penal colony there following the loss of the American colonies that had previously filled that role. penal colony was Australia's largest penal colony.]] The British Crown Colony of New South Wales started with the establishment of a settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip on 26 January 1788. This date was later to become Australia's national day, Australia Day. Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, was settled in 1803 and became a separate colony in 1825. Britain formally claimed the western part of Australia in 1829. Separate colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. The Northern Territory (NT) was founded in 1863 as part of the Province of South Australia. Victoria and South Australia were founded as "free colonies"—that is, they were never penal colonies, although the former did receive some convicts from Tasmania. Western Australia was also founded "free", but later accepted transported convicts due to an acute labour shortage. The transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out between 1840 and 1868. The Indigenous Australian population, estimated at about 350,000 at the time of European settlement, declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, mainly because of infectious disease, and forced migration, the removal of children and other colonial government policies, that some historians and Indigenous Australians have argued could be considered to constitute genocide by today's understanding. Such interpretations of Aboriginal history are disputed by some as being exaggerated or fabricated for political or ideological reasons. Following the 1967 referendum, the Federal government gained the power to implement policies and make laws with respect to Aborigines. Traditional ownership of land—native title—was not recognised until the High Court case Mabo v Queensland (No 2) overturned the notion of Australia as terra nullius at the time of European occupation. terra nullius ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, 25 April 2005. Ceremonies such as this are held in virtually every suburb and town in Australia.]] A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment. Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence and international shipping. On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting, and the Commonwealth of Australia was born, as a Dominion of the British Empire. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was formed from New South Wales in 1911 to provide a location for the proposed new federal capital of Canberra (Melbourne was the capital from 1901 to 1927). The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the Commonwealth in 1911. Australia willingly participated in World War I; many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli as the birth of the nation—its first major military action. Much like Gallipoli the Kokoda Track Campaign is regarded by many as a nation defining battle from World War II. The Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and Britain, but Australia did not adopt the Statute until 1942. The shock of Britain's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US under the auspices of the ANZUS treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe; since the 1970s and the abolition of the White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and other parts of the world was also encouraged. As a result, Australia's demography, culture and image of itself were radically transformed. The final constitutional ties between Australia and Britain ended in 1986 with the passing of the Australia Act 1986, ending any British role in the Australian States, and ending judicial appeals to the UK Privy Council. Although Australian voters rejected a move to become a republic in 1999 by a 55% majority, Australia's links to its British past are increasingly tenuous. Since the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972, there has been an increasing focus on the nation's future as a part of the Asia-Pacific region.

Politics

Whitlam Government was opened in 1988 replacing the provisional Parliament House building opened in 1927.]] The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia, a role that is distinct from her position as Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The Queen is nominally represented by the Governor-General; although the Constitution gives extensive executive powers to the Governor-General, these are normally exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister. The most notable exercise of the Governor-General's reserve powers outside the Prime Minister's direction was the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the constitutional crisis of 1975. There are three branches of government.
- The legislature: the Commonwealth Parliament, comprising the Queen, the Senate (the Red house), and the House of Representatives (the Green house); the Queen is represented by the Governor-General, who in practice exercises little or no power over the Parliament.
- The executive: the Federal Executive Council (the Governor-General as advised by the executive councillors); in practice, the councillors are the prime minister and ministers of state, whose advice the Governor-General accepts, with rare exceptions.
- The judiciary: the High Court of Australia and other federal courts. The State courts became formally independent from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council when the Australia Act was passed in 1986. The bicameral Commonwealth Parliament consists of the Queen, the Senate (the upper house) of 76 senators, and a House of Representatives (the lower house) of 150 members. Members of the lower house are elected from single-member constituencies, commonly known as 'electorates' or 'seats'. Seats in the House of Representatives are allocated to states on the basis of population. In the Senate, each state, regardless of population, is represented by 12 senators, with the ACT and the NT each electing two. Elections for both chambers are held every three years; typically only half of the Senate seats are put to each election, because senators have overlapping six-year terms. The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms Government, with its leader becoming Prime Minister. There are three major political parties: the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and the National Party. Independent members and several minor parties—including the Greens, Family First and the Australian Democrats—have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses, although their influence has been marginal. Since the 1996 election, the Liberal/National Coalition led by the Prime Minister, John Howard, has been in power in Canberra. In the 2004 election, the Coalition won control of the Senate, the first time that a party (or coalition of governing parties) has done so while in government in more than 20 years. The Labor Party is in power in every state and territory. Voting is compulsory in each state and territory and at the federal level.

States and territories

Voting is compulsory Australia consists of six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The two major mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. In most respects, the territories function similarly to the states, but the Commonwealth Parliament can override any legislation of their parliaments. By contrast, federal legislation overrides state legislation only with respect to certain areas as set out in Section 51 of the Constitution; all residual legislative powers are retained by the state parliaments, including powers over hospitals, education, police, the judiciary, roads, public transport and local government. Each state and territory has its own legislature (unicameral in the case of the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland, and bicameral in the remaining states). The lower house is known as the Legislative Assembly (House of Assembly in South Australia and Tasmania) and the upper house the Legislative Council. The heads of the governments in each state and territory are called premiers and chief ministers, respectively. The Queen is represented in each state by a governor; an administrator in the Northern Territory, and the Governor-General in the ACT, have analogous roles. Australia also has several minor territories; the federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, as a naval base and sea port for the national capital. In addition Australia has the following, inhabited, external territories: Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and several largely uninhabited external territories: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Foreign relations and military

Over recent decades, Australia's foreign relations have been driven by a close association with the United States, through the ANZUS pact and by a desire to develop relationships with Asia and the Pacific, particularly through ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum. In 2005 Australia secured an inaugural seat at the East Asia Summit following its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, in which the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings provide the main forum for co-operation. Much of Australia's diplomatic energy is focused on international trade liberalisation. Australia led the formation of the Cairns Group and APEC, and is a member of the OECD and the WTO. Australia has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the US–Australia Free Trade Agreement. Australia is a founding member of the United Nations, and maintains an international aid program under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005–06 budget provides A$2.5bn for development assistance; as a percentage of GDP, this contribution is less than that of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Australia's armed forces—the Australian Defence Force (ADF)—comprise the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). All branches of the ADF have been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping (most recently in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Sudan), disaster relief, and armed conflict, including the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The government appoints the chief of the Defence Force from one of the armed services; the current chief is Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. In 2005–06, the defence budget is A$17.5bn.

Geography and climate

Angus Houston Australia's 7,686,850 km² (2,967,909 mi²) landmass is on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. Australia has a total 25,760 km (16,007 mi) of coastline and claims an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of 8,148,250 km² or 3,146,057 mi² (excluding the Australian Antarctic Territory). Climate is highly influenced by ocean currents, including the El Niño southern oscillation, which is correlated with periodic drought, and the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia. By far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid. Australia is the driest inhabited continent, the flattest, and has the oldest and least fertile soils. Only the south-east and south-west corners of the continent have a temperate climate. The northern part of the country, with a tropical climate, has a vegetation consisting of rainforest, woodland, grassland and desert. The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 2,000 km (1,250 mi). The world's two largest monoliths are located in Australia, Mount Augustus in Western Australia is the largest and Uluru in central Australia is the second largest. At 2,228 m (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Australian territory of Heard Island is taller at 2,745 m (9,006 ft).

Flora and fauna

Heard Island of the wallaby is currently being sequenced; when the sequencing is completed, it will be a major contribution to marsupial biology.]] Although most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, it covers a diverse range of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests. Because of the great age and consequent low levels of fertility of the continent, its extremely variable weather patterns, and its long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota is unique and diverse. About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds, and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are endemic. Many of Australia's ecoregions, and the species within those regions, are threatened by human activities and introduced plant and animal species. The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is a legal framework used for the protection of threatened species. Numerous protected areas have been created to protect and preserve Australia's unique ecosystems, 64 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention, and 16 World Heritage Sites have been established. Australia was ranked 13th in the World on the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index. Environmental Sustainability Index.]] Most Australian plant species are evergreen and many are adapted to fire and drought, including the eucalypts and acacias. Australia has a rich variety of endemic legume species that thrive in nutrient-poor soils because of their symbiosis with Rhizobia bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. Well-known Australian fauna include monotremes (the platypus and echidna), and a host of marsupials, including the koala, kangaroo, wombat, and birds such as the emu, cockatoo, and kookaburra. The dingo was introduced by Austronesian people that traded with Indigenous Australians around 4000 BCE. Many plant and animal species became extinct soon after human settlement, including the Australian megafauna; many more have become extinct since European settlement, among them the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).

Economy

Thylacine Australia has a prosperous, Western-style mixed economy, with a per capita GDP slightly higher than those of the UK, Germany and France. The country was ranked third in the United Nations' 2005 Human Development Index and sixth in The Economist worldwide quality-of-life index 2005. In recent years, the Australian economy has been resilient in the face of global economic downturn. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Australia's emphasis on reform is another key factor behind the economy's strength. In the 1980s, the Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating, started the process of modernising the Australian economy by floating the Australian dollar in 1983, and deregulating the financial system. Since 1996, the Howard government has continued the process of micro-economic reform, including the partial deregulation of the labour market and the privatisation of state-owned businesses, most notably in the telecommunications industry. Substantial reform of the indirect tax system was achieved in July 2000 with the introduction of a 10% Goods and Services Tax, which has slightly reduced the heavy reliance on personal and company income tax that still characterises Australia's tax system. The Australian economy has not suffered a recession since the early 1990s. As of July 2005, unemployment was 5.0% with 10,030,300 persons employed. The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and financial services, comprises 69% of GDP. Agriculture and natural-resources represent only 3% and 5% of GDP, respectively, but contribute substantially to Australia's export performance. Australia's largest export markets include Japan, China, the United States, South Korea and New Zealand. Areas of concern to some economists include the chronically high current account deficit and also high levels of net foreign debt.

Demographics

current account deficit Most of the estimated 20.4 million Australians are descended from 19th- and 20th-century immigrants, the majority from Britain and Ireland. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I , spurred by an ambitious immigration program. In 2001, the five largest groups of the 27.4% of Australians who were born overseas were from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Vietnam and China. Following the abolition of the White Australia policy, numerous government initiatives have been established to encourage and promote racial harmony based on a policy of multiculturalism. Australia’s population has increased by about 60 times since European settlement. The self-declared indigenous population—including Torres Strait Islanders, who are of Melanesian descent—was 410,003 (2.2% of the total population) in 2001, a significant increase from the 1977 census, which showed an indigenous population of 115,953. Indigenous Australians have higher rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education and life expectancies for males and females that are 17 years lower than those of other Australians. Perceived racial inequality is an ongoing political and human rights issue for Australians. human rights.]] In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 2002–03) live outside their home country. Australia has maintained one of the most active immigration programs in the world to boost population growth. Most immigrants are skilled; the quota includes categories for family members and refugees. English is the official language, and is spoken and written in a distinct variety known as Australian English. According to the 2001 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are Chinese (2.1%), Italian (1.9%) and Greek (1.4%). A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are bilingual. It is believed that there were between 200 and 300 Australian Aboriginal languages at the time of first European contact. Only about 70 of these languages have survived, and all but 20 of these are now endangered. An indigenous language remains the main language for about 50,000 (0.02%) people. Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of about 6,500 deaf people. The Australian Constitution guarantees the separation of church and state; there is no state religion. The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians call themselves Christian: 27% identifying themselves as Roman Catholic and 21% as Anglican. Five per cent of Australians identify themselves as followers of non-Christian religions, and 26% as non-religious. Like many Western countries, the level of active participation in church worship is much lower than this; weekly attendance at church services is about 1.5 million, about 7.5% of the population. School attendance is compulsory throughout Australia between the ages of 6–15 years (16 years in South Australia and Tasmania), contributing to an adult literacy rate that is assumed to be 99%. Government grants have supported the establishment of Australia's 38 universities, and although several private universities have been established, the majority receive government funding. There is a state-based system of vocational training colleges, known as TAFE Institutes, and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople. Approximately 58% of Australians between the ages of 25 and 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications.

Culture

apprenticeship.]] The primary basis of Australian culture up until the mid-20th century was Anglo-Celtic, although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the environment and indigenous culture. Over the past 50 years, Australian culture has been strongly influenced by American popular culture (particularly television and cinema), large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries, and Australia's Asian neighbours. Australia has a long history of visual arts, starting with the cave and bark paintings of its indigenous peoples. From the time of European settlement, a common theme in Australian art has been the Australian landscape, seen in the works of Arthur Streeton, Arthur Boyd and Albert Namatjira, among others. The traditions of indigenous Australians are largely transmitted orally and are closely tied to ceremony and the telling of the stories of the Dreamtime. Australian Aboriginal music, dance and art have a palpable influence on contemporary Australian visual and performing arts. Australia has an active tradition of music, ballet and theatre; many of its performing arts companies receive public funding through the federal government's Australia Council. There is a symphony orchestra in each capital city, and a national opera company, Opera Australia, first made prominent by the renowned diva Dame Joan Sutherland; Australian music includes classical, jazz, and many popular music genres. Australian literature has also been influenced by the landscape; the works of writers such as Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson captured the experience of the Australian bush. The character of colonial Australia, as embodied in early literature, resonates with modern Australia and its perceived emphasis on egalitarianism, mateship, and anti-authoritarianism. In 1973, Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the only Australian to have achieved this; he is recognised as one of the great English-language writers of the 20th century. Australian English is a major variety of the language; its grammar and spelling are largely based on those of British English, overlaid with a rich vernacular of unique lexical items and phrases, some of which have found their way into standard English. Australia has two public broadcasters (the ABC and SBS), three commercial television networks, three pay TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. Australia's film industry has achieved critical and commercial successes. Each major city has daily newspapers, and there are two national daily newspapers, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review. According to Reporters Without Borders in 2005, Australia is in 31st position on a list of countries ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (9th) and the United Kingdom (28th) but ahead of the United States. This ranking is primarily due to the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia. Most Australian print media in particular is under the control of either News Corporation or John Fairfax Holdings. John Fairfax Holdings Sport is an important part of Australian culture, assisted by a climate that favours outdoor activities; 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities. At an international level, Australia has particularly strong teams in cricket, field hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and performs well in cycling and swimming. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and every Commonwealth Games. Australia has hosted the 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics, and has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. It has also hosted the 1938, 1962 and 1982 Commonwealth Games, and will host the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Australian rules football is one of the most popular national sports, albeit it, one that is only played in Australia; players gain some international prominence through International Rules which is an annual meeting between the Australian code and Irish Gaelic Football. Corporate and government sponsorship of many sports and élite athletes is common in Australia. Televised sport is popular; some of the highest rating television programs include the summer Olympic Games and the grand finals of local and international football competitions.

References

Gillespie, R. (2002). Dating the first Australians. Radiocarbon 44:455-472
Smith, L. (1980), The Aboriginal Population of Australia, Australian National University Press, Canberra
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Windschuttle, K. (2001). [http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/20/sept01/keith.htm# The Fabrication of Aboriginal History], The New Criterion Vol. 20, No. 1, September 20.
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External links

- [http://wikitravel.org/en/Australia Wikitravel guide to Australia]
- [http://www.gov.au/ Australian Government Entry Portal]
- [http://www.australia.gov.au/ Commonwealth Government Online]
- [http://www.immi.gov.au/ Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA)]
- [http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/australia/index.html DFAT: Country Information]
- [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.000000,133.000000&spn=38.871300,61.703613&t=h&hl=en Satellite images of Australia] (Google Maps)
- [http://www.nla.gov.au/ National Library of Australia]
- [http://www.nma.gov.au/ National Museum of Australia]
- [http://www.australia.com/ Official Australia Tourism Website]
- [http://www.bom.gov.au/ Bureau of Meteorology]
- [http://www.m2006.com.au/ Official website of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games] A Category:Continents Category:Island nations Category:Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Category:Monarchies Category:Oceanic countries zh-min-nan:Ò-tāi-lī-a ko:오스트레일리아 ms:Australia ja:オーストラリア simple:Australia th:ประเทศออสเตรเลีย

United Kingdom

:For other meanings of the terms "United Kingdom" and "UK" , see United Kingdom (disambiguation) and UK (disambiguation). :For an explanation of terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (usually shortened to the United Kingdom or the UK) is a country located off the north-western coast of continental Europe, surrounded by the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is composed of four constituent parts: three constituent countries—England, Scotland, and Wales—on the island of Great Britain, and the province of Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland forms the United Kingdom's principal international land border, although there is a nominal frontier with France in the middle of the Channel Tunnel. The UK has several overseas territories and the Crown dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands come under the UK's sovereignty. The UK also has close relationships with the fifteen other Commonwealth Realms, as they all share the same head of state. The UK is also one of the largest member states of the European Union and a founding partner of both the UN and NATO.
Terminology

- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: The official name for the sovereign state
- United Kingdom: an abbreviation of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Britain: an informal term that sometimes means United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and sometimes means Great Britain
- British: an informal term that sometimes means from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and sometimes means from Great Britain
- Great Britain (as a geographical term): the largest island of the British Isles
- Great Britain (as a political term): England + Wales + Scotland
- British Isles (as a geographical term): Great Britain + Ireland + many smaller surrounding islands. This term is disputed, please see below.
- Ireland (as a geographical term): the second largest island of the British Isles
- Ireland (as a political term): an abbreviation of the Republic of Ireland, a sovereign state on the island of Ireland
- Northern Ireland: a political region of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Ulster (as a geographical term): Often used to refer to Northern Ireland. It is derived from the Irish Language term 'Ulad.' It was one of the ancient Irish provinces (the others were Connaught, Leinster and Munster.). Although it is normally used to refer to Northern Ireland, Ulster also (traditionally) includes Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal, which lie in the Republic of Ireland. The term Ulster is often favoured by the Protestant community.
History
Protestant Today's state is the latest of several unions formed over the last 1000 years. Scotland and England have existed as separate unified entities since the 10th century. Wales, under English control since the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, became part of the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Act 1535. With the Act of Union 1707, the separate kingdoms of England and Scotland, having shared the same monarch since 1603, agreed to a permanent union as the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Act of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Ireland, which had been gradually brought under English control between 1169 and 1691, to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was formed in 1922, after bitter fighting which echoes down to the current political strife, the Anglo-Irish Treaty partitioned Ireland into the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland, with the latter remaining part of the United Kingdom. As provided for in the treaty, Northern Ireland, which consists of six of the nine counties of the Irish province of Ulster, immediately opted out of the Free State and to remain in the UK. The nomenclature of the UK was changed in 1927 to recognise the departure of most of Ireland, with the current name being adopted. 1927 The United Kingdom, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing Western world ideas of property, liberty, capitalism and parliamentary democracy - to say nothing of its part in advancing world literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one quarter of the Earth's surface and encompassed a third of its population. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted from the effects of World War I and World War II. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous nation. The UK has been a member of the European Union since 1973. Its attitude towards further integration is conservative, and there is significant Euroscepticism in UK politics. It has not chosen to adopt the Euro, owing to internal political considerations and the government's judgement of the prevailing economic conditions.
Government and politics
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, with executive power exercised on behalf of the Queen by the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers who head departments. The cabinet, including the Prime Minister, and other ministers collectively make up Her Majesty's Government. These ministers are drawn from and are responsible to Parliament, the legislative body, which is traditionally considered to be "supreme" (that is, able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors). The UK is one of the few countries in the world today that does not have a codified constitution, relying instead on customs and separate pieces of constitutional law. While the monarch is Head of State and holds all executive power, it is the Prime Minister who is the head of government. The government is answerable chiefly to the House of Commons and the Prime Minister is drawn from this chamber of Parliament by constitutional convention. The majority of cabinet members will be from the House of Commons, the rest from the House of Lords. Ministers do not, however, legally have to come from Parliament, though that is the modern day custom. The British system of government has been emulated around the world - a legacy of the United Kingdom's colonial past - most notably in the other Commonwealth Realms. The Prime Minister is chosen as the MP who can command a majority in the House of Commons - usually the leader of the largest party or, if there is no majority party, the largest coalition. The current Prime Minister is Tony Blair of the Labour Party, who has been in office since 1997. In the United Kingdom the monarch has extensive theoretical powers, but his or her role is mainly, though not exclusively, ceremonial. The monarch is an integral part of Parliament (as the "Crown-in-Parliament") and theoretically gives Parliament the power to meet and create legislation. An Act of Parliament does not become law until it has been signed by the Queen (being given Royal Assent), although no monarch has refused to assent to a bill that has been approved by Parliament since Queen Anne in 1708. Although the abolition of the monarchy has been suggested several times, the popularity of the monarchy remains strong in spite of recent controversies. Support for a British republic usually fluctuates between 15% and 25% of the population, with roughly 10% undecided or indifferent [http://www.mori.com/mrr/2000/c000616.shtml]. The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II who acceded to the throne in 1952 and was crowned in 1953. Parliament is the national legislature of the United Kingdom. It is the ultimate legislative authority in the United Kingdom, according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. It is bicameral, composed of the elected House of Commons and the unelected House of Lords, whose members are mostly appointed. The House of Commons is the more powerful of the two houses. The House of Commons has 646 members who are directly elected from single-member constituencies based on population. The House of Lords has 724 members (though this number is not fixed): hereditary peers, life peers, and bishops of the Church of England. The Church of England is the established church of the state in England. established church]] The two largest political parties are the Labour Party and Conservative Party. The UK has long had a two-party system, but in the last 20 years the Liberal Democrats have re-emerged as a large third party. The electoral system used for general elections is first-past-the-post. The constitution of the United Kingdom is un-codified and partially unwritten, which means that no single document regulates how the government works, and unwritten constitutional conventions are used extensively. The constitution is based on the principle that Parliament is the ultimate sovereign body in the country. There has long been a widespread sense of national identity in the Celtic nations. Throughout the late 19th century the UK debated giving Ireland home rule. The Scottish National Party was founded in 1934, and Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) in 1925. Referenda for devolution succeeded in 1997 for Scotland and Wales and in 1998 for Northern Ireland. In 1999, the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales were established, the former having primary legislative power. Proportional representation is used for the elections, which has resulted in a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition government in Scotland. Due to internal disagreements, the Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended since 2002.
Subdivisions
The United Kingdom is a country that is divided into four constituent parts:
- England
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- Wales The constituent parts of the United Kingdom have administrative subdivisions as follows:
- The regions and administrative counties of England
- The council areas of Scotland
- The counties and county boroughs of Wales
- The districts of Northern Ireland The Laws in Wales Act 1535 incorporated Wales and England into England and Wales for legal purposes. Although all four have historically been divided into counties, England's population is an order of magnitude larger than the others so in recent years it has for some purposes been divided into nine intermediate-level Government Office Regions. Each region is made up of counties and unitary authorities, apart from London, which consists of London boroughs. Although at one point it was intended that each or some of these regions would be given its own regional assembly, the plan's future is uncertain, as of 2004, after the North East region rejected its proposed assembly in a referendum. Scotland consists of 32 Council Areas. Wales consists of 22 Unitary Authorities, styled as 10 County Boroughs, 9 Counties, and 3 Cities. Northern Ireland is divided into 26 Districts. Also sometimes associated with the United Kingdom, though not constitutionally part of the United Kingdom itself, are the Crown dependencies (the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man) as self-governing possessions of the Crown, and a number of overseas territories under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.
Military
The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majesty's Armed Forces, officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. Their Commander-in-Chief is the Queen and they are managed by the Ministry of Defence. Ministry of Defence The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting the United Kingdom's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. They are active and regular participants in NATO and other coalition operations. The United Kingdom fields one of the most powerful and comprehensive military forces in the World. Its global power projection capabilities are second only to those of the United States Armed Forces. The British Army had a reported strength of 112,700 in 2004, including 7,600 women, and the Royal Air Force a strength of 53,400. The 40,900-member Royal Navy is in charge of the United Kingdom's independent strategic nuclear arm, which consists of four Trident Ballistic Missile Submarines, while the Royal Marines provide infantry units for amphibious assault and for specialist reinforcement forces in and beyond the NATO area. This puts total active duty military troops in the 210,000 range, currently deployed in over 80 countries. The UK's special forces, principally the SAS, provides elite commandos trained for quick, mobile, military responses; often where secrecy or covert operations are required. The Royal Navy is the second largest navy in the World in terms of gross tonnage. Despite the United Kingdom's wide ranging capabilities, recent pragmatic defence policy has a stated assumption that any large operation would be undertaken as part of a coalition. Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq (Granby, No-Fly-Zones, Desert Fox and Telic) may all be taken as precedent - indeed the last true war in which the British military fought alone was the Falklands War of 1982, in which military action was initiated by Argentina and the UK was fighting a defensive, rather than offensive, campaign. The British army has been actively involved in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. However, a programme of demilitarisation is being gradually implemented.
Geography
Troubles World Factbook Map of the United Kingdom]] Most of England consists of rolling lowland terrain, divided east from west by more mountainous terrain in the Northwest (Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District) and north (the upland moors of the Pennines) and limestone hills of the Peak District by the Tees-Exe line. The lower limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck, Cotswolds, Lincolnshire and chalk downs of the Southern England Chalk Formation. The main rivers and estuaries are the Thames, Severn and the Humber Estuary. The largest urban area is Greater London. Near Dover, the Channel Tunnel links the United Kingdom with France. There is no peak in England that is 1000 metres (3,300 ft) or greater. Wales is mostly mountainous, the highest peak being Snowdon at 1085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level. North of the mainland is the island of Anglesey. The largest and capital city is Cardiff, located in South Wales. Scotland's geography is varied, with lowlands in the south and east and highlands in the north and west, including Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain at 1343 metres (4,406 ft). There are many long and deep-sea arms, firths, and lochs. A multitude of islands west and north of Scotland are also included, notably the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. The largest city is Glasgow. Northern Ireland, making up the north-eastern part of Ireland, is mostly hilly. The main cities are Belfast ('Beal Feirste' in Irish) and Londonderry / Derry ('Doire' in Irish). The province is home to one of the UK’s World Heritage Sites, the Giant's Causeway, which consists of more than 40,000 six-sided basalt columns up to 40 feett (12 m) high. In total it is estimated that the UK includes around 1098 small islands, some being natural and some being crannogs, a type of artificial island which was built in past times using stone and wood, gradually enlarged by natural waste building up over time.
Economy
artificial island The United Kingdom, a leading trading power and financial centre, has an essentially capitalist economy, the fourth largest in the world in terms of market exchange rates and the sixth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates. Over the past three decades, the government has greatly reduced public ownership by means of privatisation programmes, and has contained the growth of the Welfare State. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanised, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labour force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial state. Services, particularly banking, insurance and business services, account for by far the largest proportion of GDP. Industry continues to decline in importance, although the UK is still Europe's largest manufacturer of armaments, petroleum products, personal computers, televisions, and mobile telephones. Tourism is also important: with over 24 million tourists a year, between China (33) and Austria (19.1), the United Kingdom is ranked as the sixth major tourist destination in the world. The Blair government has put off the question of participation in the Euro system, citing five economic tests that would need to be met before they recommend that the UK adopts the Euro, and hold a referendum.
Society

Demographics
At the April 2001 census, the United Kingdom's population was 58,789,194, the third-largest in the European Union (behind Germany and metropolitan France) and the twenty-first largest in the world. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous south-east and is predominantly urban and suburban--with about 7.2 million in the capital of London. The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900 (except in Scotland where it was introduced in 1696). Education is mandatory from ages five through sixteen. referendum The Church of England and the Church of Scotland function as the official national religions in their respective countries, but most religions found in the world are represented in the United Kingdom. Anglicanism is the state religion that has been established in England since 1534 during the reign of King Henry VIII. During his reign, England broke ties with the Roman Catholic church and established the Church of England as the offical religion of England. Reforms to the nature of the church's relationship to the state have been ongoing, especially concerning the nature of the House of Lords and the appointment of a fixed amount of the lordships going to Lords Temporal, bishops of the Church of England. A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the eleventh century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended on Great Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the predominant language is English, which is a West Germanic language descended from Old English, featuring a large amount of borrowings from Norman French.The other indigenous languages include the Celtic languages; Welsh, the closely related Irish and Scots Gaelic, and the Cornish language; as well as Lowland Scots, which is closely related to English; Romany; and British Sign Language (Northern Ireland Sign Language is also used in Northern Ireland). Celtic dialectal influences from Cumbric persisted in Northern England for many centuries, most famously in a unique set of numbers used for counting sheep. Recent immigrants, especially from the Commonwealth, speak many other languages, including Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. The United Kingdom has the largest number of Hindi speaking peoples outside of the Indian sub continent.
Culture
Urdu The United Kingdom contains many of the world's leading universities, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and the University of London (which incorporates, amongst others, Imperial College and University College London), and has produced many great scientists and engineers including Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Isambard Kingdom Brunel; the nation is credited with many inventions including the locomotive, vaccination, television, vacuum, and both the internal combustion and the jet engine. The English language has spread to all corners of the world (primarily because of the country’s empire) and is referred to as a ‘global language’. It is now taught as a second language more than any other around the world. Over the next few decades, it is estimated that approximately half the world’s population will be proficient in the language. Playwright William Shakespeare is arguably the most famous writer in the history of the English language; other well-known writers from the United Kingdom include the Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne), Jane Austen, William Thackeray, J. R. R. Tolkien, John Milton, H. G. Wells and Charles Dickens. Important poets include Lord Byron, Robert Burns, Lord Tennyson and William Blake. Notable composers from the United Kingdom have included William Byrd, John Taverner, William Lawes, John Dowland, Thomas Tallis, and Henry Purcell from the 16th and early 17th centuries, and, more recently, Sir Edward Elgar, Sir Arthur Sullivan (most famous for working with librettist Sir W. S. Gilbert), Ralph Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten in the 19th and 20th. George Frideric Handel spent most of his composing life in England. The BBC is the oldest and perhaps the most respected broadcasting network on the globe, with the BBC World Service radio channel and its news output held in particularly high regard. The other main television networks are ITV, Channel 4, five (TV) and Sky Television. Popular programmes in the UK include the three soaps Eastenders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, as well as the comedy news quiz Have I Got News For You and Reality TV shows Big Brother and The X Factor. Various British TV formats have been exported to other nations, notably Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, The Weakest Link and The Office. The UK was, with the US, one of the two main contributors in the development of rock and roll, and the UK has provided some of the most famous rock stars, including the Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, The Who and many others. The UK was at the forefront of punk rock music in the 1970s with bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, and the subsequent rebirth of heavy metal with bands such as Motörhead and Iron Maiden. In mid to late '90s, the Britpop phenomenon has seen bands such as Oasis, Blur, Radiohead and Coldplay gain international fame. The UK is also at the forefront of electronica, with British artists such as Aphex Twin, Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney and Lamb at the cutting edge. The United Kingdom was also associated with music from the Caribbean, with a large number of Jamaicans and other Caribbean nationals being present in the UK.
Sport
A great number of major sports originated in the United Kingdom, including football, golf, cricket, rugby, tennis and boxing. The national sport of the UK is association football, but the UK does not compete as a nation in any major football tournament. Instead, the home nations compete individually as England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is because of this unique four-team arrangement that the UK currently does not compete in football events at the Olympic Games. However, a united team will probably take part in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, as these are hosted in London. The English and Northern Irish football associations have confirmed participation in this team while the Scottish FA and the Welsh FA have declined to participate. The UK also hosts many world-renowned football clubs, such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal in England and Rangers and Celtic in Scotland. Clubs compete in national leagues and competitions and some go on to compete in European competitions. Both forms of rugby are national sports. Rugby League originates from and is generally played in the North of England, whilst Rugby Union is played all over Britain. In Rugby League the UK plays as one nation - Great Britain - whilst in union it is represented by the four nations. England are the current holders of the Rugby Union World Cup. Every four years the British and Irish Lions (comprising the best players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) tour other countries. Cricket is also played in the UK, although it is focussed in England. The Wimbledon Championships are an international tennis event held in Wimbledon in south London every summer and are seen as the most prestigious of the tennis calendar. Golf is one of the most popular participation sports played in the UK and St Andrews in Scotland is the sport's home course.
Miscellaneous topics

External links

- [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/nations/ BBC Nations] History of the nations within the UK.
- [http://www.bbc.co.uk British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)]
- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk.html CIA World Factbook: UK.]
- [http://www.direct.gov.uk Gateway to UK governmental services and websites.]
- [http://www.number-10.gov.uk Number 10 Downing Street]
- [http://www.statistics.gov.uk Office of National Statistics]
- [http://www.opsi.gov.uk Office of Public Sector Information] Source for all UK legislation 1987-present (successor to Her Majesty's Stationery Office).
- [http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/britishisles/ The British Isles] Independent view of the UK.
- [http://www.royal.gov.uk The British Monarchy]
- [http://www.parliament.uk/ The United Kingdom Parliament]
- [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5703&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=272 Official Yearbook of the UK] factbook produced by the Office for National Statistics (years 2000 to 2005 available online).
- [http://www.ukcities.co.uk UK Cities] lists a variety of useful resources for every city in the UK.
- [http://www.justuk.org UK travel guide] United Kingdom for travellers.
- [http://www.world66.com/europe/unitedkingdom World66 Guide to United Kingdom] A travel guide written by its users.
- [http://www.multimap.co.uk www.multimap.co.uk] provides online maps and aerial photographs of the UK.
- [http://www.streetmap.co.uk www.streetmap.co.uk] an alternative to multimap.
- [http://www.freeworldmaps.net/europe/united-kingdom/map.html Physical map of United Kingdom.]
- [http://www.upmystreet.com www.upmystreet.com] detailed localised information about places in the United Kingdom.
- [http://www.parks.it/world/UK/Eindex.html UK Parks] National parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other protected areas. ----
Category:British Isles Category:European countries Category:European Union member states Category:Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Category:Monarchies A als:Grossbritannien und Nordirland zh-min-nan:Liân-ha̍p Ông-kok ko:영국 ms:United Kingdom ja:イギリス simple:United Kingdom th:สหราชอาณาจักร

2000

This article is about the year 2000. For other uses of 2000, see 2000 (number) or 2000 (breakdancing move). 2000 (MM) is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Popular culture also holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium. By strict interpretation of the Gregorian Calendar, however, this distinction falls to the year 2001. This is due to the fact that the first century began with the year 1, and there does not exist a year zero. The first century (or first 100 years AD) was from January 1, in the year one (1 AD) through December 31, in the year one-hundred (100 AD). The second century began on January 1, in the year one-hundred and one (101 AD). The year 2000 is also marked as:
- The International Year for a Culture of Peace.
- The World Mathematical Year. See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Events

January

- January 1 - Millennium celebrations take place throughout the world. Y2K passes without the serious, widespread computer failures and malfunctions that had been predicted.
- January 5-January 8 - The 2000 al-Qaida Summit
- January 6 - The last remaining Pyrenean Ibex is found dead.
- January 10 - America On-line announces an agreement to buy Time Warner for $162 billion. This is the largest-ever corporate merger.
- January 11 - the armed wing of Islamic Salvation Front concludes its negotiations with the government for an amnesty and disbands in Algeria.
- January 11 - The trawler Solway Harvester sinks off the Isle of Man.
- January 14 - A United Nations tribunal sentences five Bosnian Croats up to 25 years for the 1993 killing of over 100 Bosnian Muslims in a Bosnian village.
- January 16 - In Sacramento, California a commercial truck carrying evaporated milk is driven into the state capitol building killing the driver.
- January 24 - God's Army, Karen militia group led by twins Johnny and Luther Htoo, take 700 hostages at a Thai hospital near the Burmese border.
- January 30 - St. Louis Rams 23 defeat the Tennessee Titans 16 to win the Super_Bowl_XXXIV
- January 30 - Off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 169. Within a day, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashes off the California coast into the Pacific Ocean, killing 88.
- January 31 - Dr. Harold Shipman in sentenced to life in prison for murder of at least 15 of his patients out of 365 suspected victims.

February

- February 4 - German extortionist Klaus-Peter Sabotta is jailed for life for attempted murder and extortion in connection with sabotage of German railway lines.
- February 6 - Tarja Halonen is elected the first Finnish female president.
- February 13 - Final original Peanuts comic strip is published.
- February 14 - The spacecraft NEAR Shoemaker entered orbit around asteroid 433 Eros, the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.

March

- March 1 - The Constitution of Finland is rewritten.
- March 2 - Hans Blix assumes the position of Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC.
- March 8 - Tokyo train disaster.
- March 9 - FBI arrests suspected purveyor of art forgeries, Ely Sakhai, in New York City.
- March 10 - The NASDAQ Composite Index reaches an all-time high of 5048. ([http://dynamic.nasdaq.com/dynamic/IndexChart.asp?symbol=IXIC&desc=NASDAQ+Composite&sec=nasdaq&site=nasdaq&months=84])
- March 18 - 2000 Taiwanese presidential election: Chen Shui-bian is elected President of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
- March 20 - Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther, is captured after gun battle that left a sheriff's deputy dead.
- March 21 - Pope John Paul II began the first office visit by a Roman Catholic pontiff to Israel.
- March 21 - US Supreme Court ruled the goverment lacked authority to regulate tobacco as an addictive drug, throwing out the Clinton administration's main anti-smoking initiative.
- March 26 - Presidential elections in Russia: Vladimir Putin elected President.
- March 30 - America's Cup 2000 retained by Team New Zealand near Auckland. Prada Challenge 2000 lost 0-5 in a "best-of-9".

April

April.]]
- April 1 - Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi suffers a stroke and falls into a coma.
- April 3 - United States v. Microsoft: Microsoft is ruled to have violated United States antitrust laws by keeping "an oppressive thumb" on its competitors.
- April 5 - Yoshiro Mori replaces Obuchi as prime minister of Japan.
- April 7 - Attack submarine ex-Trepang completes being recycled.
- April 16 - Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, Raja of Perlis dies after a reign of 55 years. He was the longest reigning monarch in the world since the death of Prince Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein.
- April 17 - Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin becomes Raja of Perlis.
- April 22 - In a predawn raid, federal agents seize six-year old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida and fly him to his Cuban father in Washington, DC ending one of the most publicized custody battles in US history.
- April 25 - The State of Vermont passes HB847, legalizing Civil Unions for same-sex couples.

May

- May 3 - A rare conjunction occurs on the New Moon including all seven of the traditional celestial bodies known from ancient times up until 1781 with the discovery of Uranus. The May 2000 conjunction consisted of: the Sun and Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
- May 3 - Computer pioneer Datapoint Corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- May 12 - The Tate Modern opens in London.
- May 13 - In Enschede a heavy fireworks explosion kills 20 and leaves an entire neighborhood in ruins.
- May 18 - Boo.com collapses due to lack of funds after six months.
- May 25 - Israel withdraws IDF troops from southern Lebanon after 22 years.
- May 28 - The volcano Mount Cameroon erupts.

June

- June 1 - Mark Mendlan, professional wrestler known by his ring name "Kid Gorgeous," is killed while wrestling at a show in New Hampshire.
- June 7 - U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson of the 4th circuit ordered the breakup of Microsoft Corp.
- June 10 - The New Jersey Devils defeat the Dallas Stars 4 games to 2 to win the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals.
- June 10 - The 2000 European Football Championship begins, hosted jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands.
- June 21 - Section 28, a law preventing the promotion of homosexuality is repealed by the Scottish Parliament.
- June 23 - Palace Backpackers Hostel fire in Childers, Queensland, Australia, kills 15 people.
- June 30 - During a set of the band Pearl Jam at the Roskilde Festival near Copenhagen, 9 die and 26 are injured in the crowd.

July

July
- July 2 - France beat Italy 2-1 to win the 2000 European Football Championship with a golden goal.
- July 2 - Presidential election of Mexico. Vicente Fox wins the Presidency as candidate of the rightist PAN (National Action Party).
- July 10 - In southern Nigeria, a leaking petroleum pipeline explodes killing about 250 villagers who were scavenging gasoline
- July 10 - Death of Denis O Conor Donn, died 10th July 2000, aged 88; succeded by his son, Desmond as The O Connor Donn
- July 18 - Alex Salmond resigns as the leader of the Scottish National Party
- July 25 - A Concorde carrying Air France Flight 4590 crashes just after takeoff from Paris killing all 109 aboard and 5 on the ground.

August

- August 1 - The Santa Cruz Operation announced that it will sell its Server Software and Services Divisions, as well as UnixWare and OpenServer technologies, to Caldera Systems,Inc.
- August 8 - Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor.
- August 12 - The Russian submarine Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea, resulting in the deaths of all 118 men on board.
- August 14 - The first comic of Megatokyo goes online. This webcomic will later become one of the most popular comics on the web (in terms of page views) and spawn numerous imitators.
- August 25 - the Emulex hoax - wire services publish fraudulent bad news about Emulex
- August 27 - The Ostankino Tower in Moscow catches fire, three people are killed.

September

- September 5 - Tuvalu joins the United Nations.
- September 6 - In New York City, the United Nations Millennium Summit begins with more than 180 world leaders present.
- September 6 - The last wholly Swedish-owned arms manufacturer, Bofors, is sold to American arms manufacturer United Defense
- September 7–14 - The UK fuel protests take place, with refineries blockaded, and supply to the country's network of petrol stations halted.
- September 8 - Albania officially joins the World Trade Organization.
- September 15 - The 2000 Summer Olympics are opened in Sydney, Australia.
- September 16 - Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze is last seen alive; this day is taken as the commemoration date of his death.
- September 24 - The American Family Association begins lobbying the U.S. Congress to eradicate the National Endowment for the Arts for funding the controversial book One of the Guys by Robert Clark Young
- September 26 - Anti-globalization protests in Prague (some 15,000 protesters) turned violent during the IMF and World Bank summits.
- September 28 - Ariel Sharon leads several hundred armed Israelis in a visit to the Temple Mount. Palestinian civil disorder increases into the Al-Aqsa Intifada.
- September 29 - The Long Kesh prison in Northern Ireland is closed.

October

- October 2 NBC Today Show expanded it to three hours (7:00–10:00 A.M. Eastern Time/Pacific Time; 6:00–9:00 A.M. Central Time/Mountain Time)
- October 5 - President Slobodan Milošević leaves office after widespread demonstrations throughout Serbia and the withdrawal of Russian support.
- October 11 - 250 million gallons of coal sludge spill in Martin County, Kentucky. Considered a greater environmental disaster than the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
- October 12 - In Aden, Yemen, the USS Cole is badly damaged by two suicide bombers who placed a small boat laden with explosives along-side the United States Navy destroyer, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39.
- October 21 15 Arab leaders convened in Cairo, Egypt, for their first summit in four years; the Libyan delegation walked out, angry over signs the summit would stop short of calling for breaking ties with Israel.
- October 22 – Mainichi Shinbun exposes Japanese archeologist Shinichi Fujimura as a fraud; Japanese archaeologists had based their treatises of his findings.
- October 26 - Pakistani authorities announce that their police have found an apparently ancient mummy of a persian princess in the province of Baluchistan. Iran, Pakistan and the Taliban all claim the mummy until Pakistan announces it is a forgery in April 17 2001
- October 31 - Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collides with construction equipment in the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport - 83 dead.
- October 31 - The last Jeremy clone has shut down.

November

November
- November - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq rejects new U.N. Security Council weapons inspections proposals
- November 1 - Yugoslavia's new democratic government joined the United Nations after eight years of U.N. ostracism under former strongman Slobodan Milosevic.
- November 3 - Widespread flooding throughout England and Wales after days of heavy rain
- November 4 - President Clinton vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the leaking of government secrets.
- November 7 - U.S. presidential election, 2000: Republican challenger George W. Bush defeats Democrat Vice President Al Gore, but the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida.
- November 7 - Criminal gang raids the Millennium Dome to steal The Millennium Star diamond but police surveillance catches them in the act
- November 7 - Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first First Lady of the United States to win public office
- November 11 - Kaprun disaster, Austria, where 155 skiers and snowboarders die when a cable car catches fire in an alpine tunnel.
- November 13 - Richard C. Duncan presents his paper, "The Peak Of World Oil Production And The Road To The Olduvai Gorge", on the Olduvai theory (about the collapse of the industrial civilization), at the Summit 2000 Pardee Keynote Symposia of the Geological Society of America)
- November 14 - Netscape version 6.0 is launched following two years of open source development creating a stable Mozilla web browser upon which it is based
- November 16 - Bill Clinton becomes the first sitting US President to visit Vietnam
- November 17 - Catastrophical landslide in Log pod Mangartom,Slovenia, kills 7, and causes millions of SIT of damage. It is one of the worst catastrophies in Slovenia in the past 100 years.
- November 17 - Alberto Fujimori is removed from office as president of Peru
- November 27 - Canada - Parliamentary elections - Jean Chrétien re-elected as Prime Minister as Liberal Party increases majority in House of Commons
- November 28 - Ukrainian politician Oleksander Moroz touches off the Cassette Scandal by publicly accusing President Leonid Kuchma of involvement in the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze.

December

- December 1 - Mexico - Vicente Fox becomes the first opposition President to take office since Francisco I. Madero in 1911. He wins the Presidency as candidate of the rightist PAN (National Action Party).
- December 28 - U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announces it is going out of business after 128 years.
- December 30 - Rizal Day Bombings: A series of bombs explode in various places in Metro Manila, Philippines, within a span of a few hours killing 22 and injuring about a hundred.

Unknown Date

- Limited reintroduction of routinely armed police in the UK for the first time since 1936.
- Scientists at University of Szeged's laboratory were first in the world to produce artificial heredity material.
- Millie I. Webb elected president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Births

- February 23 - Max & Sam Christy, American actors
- March 15- Amy and Emily Walton, English actresses
- April 25 - Jacob & Joshua Rips, American actors
- October 6 - Amanda Pace, American actress
- October 20 - Cooper and Oliver Guynes, American actors
- November 8 - Madison and Marissa Poer, actresses

Deaths

January

- January 2 - Patrick O'Brian, English writer (b. 1914)
- January 15 - Fran Ryan, American actress (b. 1916)
- January 19 - Bettino Craxi, Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1934)
- January 19 - Hedy Lamarr, Austrian actress (b. 1913)

February

- February 9 - Beau Jack, American boxer (b. 1921)
- February 11 - Roger Vadim, French film director (b. 1928)
- February 12 - Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins, American musician (b. 1929)
- February 12 - Tom Landry, American football coach (b. 1924)
- February 12 - Charles M. Schulz, American comic strip artist (b. 1921)
- February 23 - Sir Stanley Matthews, English footballer (b. 1915)

April

- April 6 - Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia (b. 1903)
- April 16 - Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, King of Malaysia (b. 1920)
- April 25 - David Merrick, American stage producer (b. 1911)
- April 29 - Phạm Văn Ðồng, Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1906)

May

- May 11 - Paula Wessely, Austrian actress (b. 1907)
- May 12 - Adam Petty, American race car driver (b. 1980)
- May 14 - Keizo Obuchi, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1937)
- May 17 - Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1909)
- May 19 - Yevgeny Khrunov, cosmonaut

2001

:This article is about the year 2001. For information on the movie, see 2001: A Space Odyssey. For the Dr. Dre album, see 2001. 2001 (MMI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. By strict interpretation of the Gregorian Calendar, 2001 is also the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium. Popular culture, however, often views the year 2000 as holding this distinction. 2001 is also the year which marks:
- Australia's Centenary of Federation
- The International Year of the Volunteer
- The United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Events

January

January
- January 1 - A black monolith measuring approximately nine feet tall appears in Seattle's Magnuson Park, placed by an anonymous artist in reference to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- January 6 - The U.S. Congress, presided over by Vice President Al Gore as President of the Senate, certifies George W. Bush's Electoral College victory and thus as the winner of 2000 presidential election.
- January 11 - The Federal Trade Commission approved the merger of AOL and Time Warner to form AOL Time Warner.
- January 13 - Major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 hits all El Salvador.
- January 15 - Wikipedia, a Wiki free content encyclopedia, goes online (Wikipedia Day).
- January 20 - George W. Bush succeeds Bill Clinton as President of the United States after prevailing over Al Gore in the disputed U.S. presidential election, 2000.
- January 22 - Four of the "Texas 7" are caught at a convenience store in Woodland Park, Colorado and a fifth killed himself inside a motor home.
- January 23-25 - UN war crimes prosecutor Del Ponte demands that Serbia hand over Slobodan Milošević.
- January 24 - The last two of the "Texas 7" are taken into custody in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- January 24 - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Mandelson resigns from the British cabinet for the second time.
- January 26 - A 50-year-old DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24.
- January 26 - An earthquake hits Gujarat, India. More than 20,000 deaths and most of the historical city is destroyed.
- January 29 - Thousands of student protesters in Indonesia storm parliament and demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign due to alleged involvement in corruption scandals.
- January 31 - The Scottish Court in the Netherlands convicts a Libyan and acquits another for their part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 which crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.

February

February hits the UK.]]
- February - Iraq disarmament crisis: British and U.S. forces carry out bombing raids attempting to disable Iraq's air defense network.
- February 5 - Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman announce that they have separated
- February 6 - Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon wins election as Prime Minister of Israel
- February 9 - American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally strikes and sinks Japanese fishing vessel Ehime-Maru.
- February 12 - NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touchdown in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.
- February 13 - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 hits El Salvador, killing at least 400
- February 16 - Baghdad suburb bombed by US and UK war planes, 3 people killed.
- February 18 - NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt is killed on the last lap of the Daytona 500 while blocking for his DEI cars driven by his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Michael Waltrip, who won the race.
- February 19 - A Oklahoma City bombing museum is dedicated at the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
- February 20 - FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested and charged with spying for Russia for 15 years.
- February 20 - 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis begins.
- February 24-27 - Patient Tony Collins spends 77 hours and 30 minutes on a hospital trolley outside the toilets in the Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon, United Kingdom
- February 28 - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hits the Nisqually Valley area of Washington. There was one reported death, an elderly woman who suffered a heart attack.
- February 28 - The Selby rail crash kills ten people.

March

- March 23 - Russian space stations Mir re-enters the atmosphere near Nadi, Fiji, and falls into the Pacific Ocean
- March 24 - Apple Computer's Mac OS X v10.0 is released.
- March 26 - WCW is bought out by WWE.
- March 28 - Tornado [http://www.dallassky.com/fwtornado.htm Dallas Skys] rips through downtown Fort Worth killing five and causing more than 500 million dollars in property damage.
- March 31 - Invader Zim premieres on Nickelodeon.

April

- April 1 - An EP-3E American spyplane collides with a Chinese fighter jet and is forced to make an emergency landing in Hainan, China. The U.S. crew was detained for 10 days and the F-8 Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, went missing and presumed dead.
- April 1 - Former president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević surrenders to police special forces, to be tried on charges of war crimes.
- April 1 - In the Netherlands, the Act on the Opening up of Marriage goes into effect. The Act allows same-sex couples to legally marry for the first time in the world.
- April 27 - Impostor Christopher Rocancourt arrested in Oak Bay, British Columbia
- April 29 - Census of population in the United Kingdom.

May

- May 1 - The Japanese cities of Urawa, Omiya, and Yono merge to form the city of Saitama.
- May 1 - Police declare the disappearance of Chandra Levy. Her remains were discovered a year later.
- May 7 - In Banja Luka, the second largest city in Bosnia, an attempt is made to reconstruct the Ferhadija mosque. However, the ceremony resulted in mass riots by Serb nationalists that beat and stone three hundred elderly Bosnian Muslims.
- May 10 - In Ghana, a stampede at a soccer game kills over 120.
- May 11 - Comedy sci-fi author Douglas Adams of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame, dies from a heart attack, aged 49.
- May 16 - John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom, assaults Craig Evans at an election rally in Rhyll, North Wales.
- May 22 - Large trans-Neptunian object 28978 Ixion found during the Deep Ecliptic Survey.
- May 22 and May 23 - Official Opening of the Bahá'í Terraces on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel; site of the Shrine of the Báb and the Bahá'í World Centre.
- May 24 - Sherpa Temba Tsheri becomes the youngest person to conquer Mount Everest.

June

- June 1 - Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal kills his father, the king, his mother and other members of the royal family with an assault rifle and then shoots himself. He dies June 4. King Gyanendra acceeds to the throne
- June 5-June 9 - Houston, Texas is devastated by flooding when Tropical Storm Allison produces 36 inches (900 mm) of rain. Particularly hard hit are the downtown area and the Texas Medical Center, which lost years of research and data and thousands of lab animals. Twenty-two people die; damage exceeds five billion American dollars.
- June 5 - Senator Jim Jeffords leaves the Republican party, an act which changes control of the United States Senate from the Republican party to the Democratic party
- June 7 - Tony Blair's Labour Party elected for second term in UK General Election
- June 8 - Popular editorial site suck.com, one of the first original content sites on the internet, publishes its final article, "Gone Fishin'."
- June 9 - The Colorado Avalanche win their second Stanley Cup Championship 3-1 in Game 7 over the New Jersey Devils at the Pepsi Center in Denver. This series was highly anticipated as longtime Boston Bruins star traded to become a [Colorado Avalanche|Colorado]] defenseman Ray Bourque wins the Stanley Cup for the first time in his illustrious 22 year NHL career, a few days after the team's victory, Bourque announces his retirement.
- June 11 - The United States executes Timothy James McVeigh for the Oklahoma City Bombing.
- June 19 - 23 people killed and 11 wounded by an American missile hitting a soccer field in northern Iraq, Tel Afr County.
- June 20 - Pervez Musharraf becomes President of Pakistan after the resignation of Rafiq Tarar.
- June 20 - Andrea Yates drowns her children in a bathtub and confesses to her crime. She would get life in prison for it.
- June 21 - Total solar eclipse

July

July.]]
- July 2 - World's first self-contained artificial heart implanted in Robert Tools.
- July 3 - A Vladivostokavia Tupolev Tu-154 jetliner crashes on approach to landing at Irkutsk, Russia killing 145
- July 16 - The FBI arrests Dmitry Sklyarov at a convention in Las Vegas for violating a provision of the DMCA.
- July 18 - In Baltimore, Maryland, a 60-car train derailment occurs in a tunnel sparking a fire that will last days and virtually shut down downtown Baltimore
- July 19 - UK politician and novelist Jeffrey Archer, sentenced to four years in prison for perjury and perverting the course of justice.
- July 20 - Vanessa Legget is found in contempt by a Federal Court for refusing to release notes made for her book on the Doris Angleton murder.
- July 20-22 - The 27th G8 summit takes place in Genoa, Italy. Massive demonstrations against the meeting by anti-globalisation groups. One demonstrator, Carlo Giuliani, is shot dead by a carabiniere and several others are badly injured during an attack by the police on a school which the protesters were using as their headquarters.
- July 24 - Tamil Tigers attack Bandaranaika International Airport in Sri Lanka, causing estimated $500 million of damages
- July 28 - Alejandro Toledo is sworn as the new president of Peru, eight months after the vote of no-confidence of former President Alberto Fujimori.

August

- August 1 - Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has a 2 1/2 ton monument of the Ten Commandments surreptitiously installed in the rotunda of the judiciary building. He would later be sued to have it removed. Later, he would be removed from office.
- August 2 - Robert Mueller confirmed as the new FBI director.
- August 6 - : George W. Bush is informed in his President's Daily Brief that Osama bin Laden is determined to strike targets within the United States and that the FBI believed activity consistent with preparations for hijacking US airplanes was underway.
- August 9 - US President George W. Bush announces his support for federal funding of limited research on embryonic stem cells.
- August 9 - In the Comoros, "military committee" of major Mohamad Bacar seizes power in the island of Anjouan, that had declared independence. They plan to rejoin the Comoros

September

- September 1 - Fundation of the Free State Project.
- September 4 - Google Inc. is awarded a patent, number 6,285,999, for the PageRank search algorithm used in the Google search engine
- September 5 - Peru's attorney general files homicide charges against ex-President Alberto Fujimori
- September 5 - Young Left formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- September 6 - United States v. Microsoft: The United States Justice Department announces that it was no longer seeking to break-up software maker Microsoft and will instead seek a lesser antitrust penalty
- September 9 - Suicide bomber wounds Ahmed Shah Massoud, military commander of Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. He dies September 14
- September 10 - Norwegian parliamentary election, 2001
- September 11 - Almost 3,000 killed in the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- September 17 - The New York Stock Exchange reopens following the terrorist attacks in New York.
- September 18 - The 2001 anthrax attacks commence as anthrax letters are mailed from Princeton, New Jersey to ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, the New York Post, and the National Enquirer.

October

- October 2 - Bankruptcy of Swissair.
- October 4 - First case of anthrax in the US (attack) is announced by federal officials.
- October 4 - Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 crashes over the Black Sea en route from Tel Aviv Israel to Novosibirsk Russia - 78 dead.
- October 5 - Tom Ridge resigns as Governor of Pennsylvania to become the first director of the newly created United States Office of Homeland Security.
- October 7 - The American attack on Afghanistan begins. The United Kingdom participates.
- October 8 - MD-87 of SAS collides first with a private plane and then a building in Milano airport - 100 dead
- October 8 - The first comic of Tsunami Channel goes online. It would later go on to be the #1 comic of Keenspace (in terms of page views) until moving to its own server.
- October 9 - The 2001 anthrax attacks continue as anthrax letters are mailed from Princeton, New Jersey to Senators Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
- October 10 - War on Terrorism: US President George W. Bush presents a list of 22 most wanted terrorists
- October 12 - War on Terrorism: Prompted by a request by US President George W. Bush, an episode of America's Most Wanted aired featuring 22 most wanted terrorists
- October 15 - NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io
- October 19 - SIEV-X sinks en route to Christmas Island
- October 20 - The Concert for New York City, "a celebration of the strength, resilience, and pride of New York and America" is held featuring performances by The Who, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Destiny's Child, Eric Clapton, Adam Sandler, Bon Jovi, Elton John and many more.
- October 23 - Apple Computer releases the now famous iPod.
- October 23 - Principal Financial Group files its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.
- October 25 - Microsoft releases Windows XP

November

- November - The Doha Declaration relaxes the grip of international intellectual property law by a bit.
- November 4 - Hurricane Michelle hits Cuba destroying crops and thousands of homes.
- November 4 - The Police Service of Northern Ireland is established, replacing the discredited RUC.
- November 7 - Bankruptcy of Belgium's SABENA Airlines.
- November 7 - The super-sonic commercial aircraft Concorde resumes flying after a 15-month break.
- November 10 - China is admitted to the World Trade Organization after 15 years of negotiations.
- November 10 - John Howard, prime minister of Australia, is elected to a third term.
- November 11 - Mark McGwire announces his retirement from professional baseball.
- November 12 - In New York City, American Airlines Flight 587 crashes minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 260 on-board
- November 12 - 2001 Attack on Afghanistan: Taliban forces abandon Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, ahead of advancing Northern Alliance troops (Northern Alliance fighters took Kabul on November 14)
- November 13 - Doha Round: The World Trade Organization ends a four-day ministerial conference in Doha, Qatar.
- November 13 - Symbionese Liberation Army member Kathleen Soliah (Sara Jane Olsen) withdraws her previous guilty plea.
- November 13 - War on Terrorism: In the first such act since World War II, US President George W. Bush signs an executive order allowing military tribunals against any foreigners suspected of having connections to terrorist acts or planned acts on the United States
- November 22 - Pope John Paul II sends the first papal email from a laptop in his office.
- November 30 - Beatle George Harrison dies after a long battle with cancer

December

- December 2 - Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection five days after Dynegy canceled a US$8.4 billion buyout bid. At the time this was the largest bankruptcy in the history of the United States.
- December 3 - Officials announce that one of the Taliban prisoners captured after the prison uprising at Mazar-e Sharif is John Walker Lindh, an American citizen.
- December 11 - The United States government indicts Zacarias Moussaoui for involvement in the attacks on September 11th.
- December 13 - The Indian Parliament is attacked by terrorists, killing 14 people. This brings India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
- December 13 - U.S. President George W. Bush announces the United States' withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
- December 14 - Annular solar eclipse
- December 19 - A new world-record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) was set at Tosontsengel, Hövsgöl Aymag, Mongolia.
- December 19 - Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released into theaters.
- December 21 - Japanese television performer Masashi Tashiro got No. 1 temporarily in the Internet vote of Time's Person of the Year.
- December 22 - Hamid Karzai is sworn in as head of the interim government in Afghanistan.
- December 22 - A Paris-Miami flight is diverted to Boston after passenger Richard Reid attempts to light his shoe, filled with explosives, on fire.
- December 27 - The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade status with the United States.
- December 27 - Typhoon Vamei forms within 1.5 degrees of the equator. No other tropical cyclone in recorded history has come as close to the equator.

Births

- June 13 - Scott & Zachary Benes, American actors

Deaths

For more deaths see: Deaths in 2001

January-February

- January 1 - Ray Walston, American actor (b. 1914)
- January 2 - Teri Diver, American actress (b. 1971)
- January 3 - José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (b. 1918)
- January 5 - Nancy Parsons, American actress (b. 1942)
- January 12 - William Hewlett, American businessman (b. 1913)
- January 28 - Curt Blefary, baseball player (b. 1943)
- January 30, Jean-Pierre Aumont, French actor (b. 1911)
- January 30 - Johnnie Johnson, English pilot (b. 1915)
- January 31, Gordon R. Dickson, Canadian writer (b. 1923)
- February 4 - Iannis Xenakis, Greek composer (b. 1922)
- February 7 - Dale Evans, American actress and singer (b. 1912)
- February 7 - Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American author and aviator (b. 1906)
- February 9 - Herbert Simon, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
- February 12 - Kristina Söderbaum, German actress and photographer (b. 1912)
- February 16 - Bob Buhl, baseball player (b. 1928)
- February 18 - Balthus, French painter (b. 1908)
- February 18 - Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (b. 1951)
- February 19 - Priscilla Davis, American socialite (b. 1942)
- February 19 - Stanley Kramer, American film director (b. 1913)
- February 19 - Charles Trenet, French singer (b. 1913)
- February 24 - Claude Elwood Shannon, American mathematician (b. 1916)
- February 25 - Sir Donald Bradman, Australian cricketer (b. 1908)

March-April

- March 4 - Glenn Hughes, American singer (b. 1950)
- March 4 - Harold Stassen, American politician (b. 1907)
- March 11 - Russ Haas, American professional wrestler (b. 1974)
- March 12 - Morton Downey Jr., American television personality (b. 1933)
- March 12 - Robert Ludlum, American author (b. 1927)
- March 12 - Ann Sothern, American actress (b. 1909)
- March 18 - John Phillips, American singer (b. 1935)
- March 21 - Norma Macmillan, Canadian voice actress (b. 1921)
- March 22 - William Hanna, American animation studio executive
- March 31 - Clifford Shull, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
- April 7 - David Graf, American actor (b. 1950)
- April 7 - Beatrice Straight, American actress (b. 1914)
- April 10 - Willie Stargell - American baseball player (b. 1940)
- April 11 - Harry Secombe, Welsh entertainer (b. 1921)
- April 12 - Harvey Ball, American designer (b. 1921)
- April 14 - Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japanese director (b. 1927)
- April 15 - Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Hyman), American musician and singer (The Ramones) (b. 1951)
- April 20 - Giuseppe Sinopoli, Italian conductor and composer (b. 1946)

May-June

- May 5 - Clifton Hillegass, American author and creator of Cliff Notes (b. 1918)
- May 9 - James E. Myers, American songwriter (b. 1919)
- May 11 - Douglas Adams, English author (heart attack) (b. 1952)
- May 12 - Perry Como, American singer (b. 1912)
- May 13 - R.K. Narayan, Indian novelist (b. 1906)
- May 20 - Renato Carosone, Italian musician and singer (b. 1920)
- May 27 - Ramon Bieri, American actor (b. 1929)
- May 28 - Francisco Varela, Chilean biologist and philosopher (b. 1946)
- June 1 - Hank Ketcham, American cartoonist (b. 1920)
- June 1 - Queen Aiswarya of Nepal (assassinated (b. 1949)
- June 1 - King Birendra of Nepal (assassinated) (b. 1945)
- June 2 - Imogene Coca, American actress (b. 1908)
- June 2 - Joey Maxim, American boxer (b. 1922)
- June 3 - Anthony Quinn, Mexican actor (b. 1915)
- June 4 - Prince Dipendra of Nepal (b. 1971)
- June 4 - John Hartford, American musician and composer (b. 1937)
- June 10 - Princess Leila of Iran (b. 1970)
- June 11 - Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist (executed) (b. 1968)
- June 17 - Donald J. Cram, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1919)
- June 21 - John Lee Hooker, American musician (b. 1917)
- June 21 - Carroll O'Connor, American actor (b. 1924)
- June 26 - Peter von Zahn, German journalist (b. 1913)
- June 27 - Tove Jansson, Finnish author (b. 1914)
- June 27 - Jack Lemmon, American actor and director (b. 1925)
- June 28 - Mortimer Adler, American philosopher (b. 1902)
- June 28 - Joan Sims, British actress (b. 1930)
- June 30 - Chet Atkins, American musician (b. 1924)

July-August

- July 1 - Nikolay Basov, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)
- July 5 - Hannelore Kohl, wife of chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl (suicide) (b. 1933)
- July 11 - Herman Brood, Dutch musician and painter (suicide) (b. 1946)
- July 18 - Fabio Taglioni, Italian automotive engineer (b. 1920)
- July 20 - Milt Gabler, American record producer (b. 1911)
- July 27 - Leon Wilkeson, American musician (b. 1952)
- July 29 - Edward Gierek, Polish politician (b. 1913)
- July 29 - Wau Holland, German hacker (b. 1951)
- August 1 - Poul Anderson, American author (b. 1926)
- August 1 - Korey Stringer, American football player (b. 1974)
- August 3 - Christopher Hewett, British actor (b. 1922)
- August 6 - Jorge Amado, Brazilian writer (b. 1912)
- August 15 - Richard Chelimo, Kenyan athlete (b. 1972)
- August 20 - Fred Hoyle, British astronomer and science fiction writer (b. 1915)
- August 25 - Aaliyah, American singer and actress (plane crash) (b. 1979)

September-October

- September 2 - Christiaan Barnard, South African heart surgeon (b. 1922)
- September 3 - Pauline Kael, American film critic (b. 1919)
- September 3 - Thuy Trang, Vietnamese-born actress (b. 1973)
- September 7 - Spede Pasanen, Finnish television personality (b. 1930)
- September 9 - Ahmed Shah Massoud, Afghani military commander (b. 1953)
- September 11 - Casualties of the September 11, 2001 attacks
- September 11 - Barbara K. Olson, American television commentator (b. 1955)
- common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the:
- International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains
- Year of the Outback in Australia
- National Science Year in the United Kingdom
- Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Overview of the year

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

- August 27 - Simon & Schuster sues Michael Pelligrino and Artist Management Group because Pelligrino had written a book claiming to be a son of late Mafioso Carlo Gambino

September

October

November

December

Unknown Date

- Naruto (anime) is created by Studio Perriot.
- American Prohibition Foundation incorported.

Births

- August 2 - Kara Hoffman, American actress
- August 2 - Shelby Hoffman, American actress
- December 6 - Sophia Rosalinda Bratt, daughter of Benjamin Bratt and Talisa Soto

Deaths

For more deaths see: Deaths in 2002

January

February

March

April

May

- May 5 - Hugo Bánzer Suarez, President of Bolivia (b. 1926)
- May 6 - Pim Fortuyn, Dutch politician (assassi

1990s

The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century. The 90s were marked with rapid progression of globalization and global capitalism following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Key forces shaping the decade were the Gulf War; popularization of Personal Computer and Internet leading to the dot.com boom.

Events and trends

While optimism and hopes were high following the collapse of Communism, the backlash of the Cold War's effect was only beginning, precipitating the continuation of terrorism in Third World regions that were once the frontlines for American and Soviet foreign politics, particularly in Asia. However, during the 1990s many First World economies such as the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and South Korea experienced steady economic growth for nearly the entire decade. The United Kingdom, after the recession of 1991-92 and Black Wednesday, experienced a run of 51 consecutive quarters of economic growth that stretched into the new millenium. Even less affluent nations such as Malaysia saw tremendous improvements in economic prosperity and quality of life during the 1990s. Many countries, institutions, companies, and organizations also viewed the 90s decade as "a prosperous time", meaning that almost all of them rebounded after many years of failure. Some examples include Apple Computer's revival of power after being at the edge of bankruptcy, breakthroughs in many fields of technology that includes the Internet, virtual reality. Oil and Gas was discovered in many countries and Pope John Paul II's papacy reached its peak. Nevertheless, the 1990s brought tragic conflicts as well, like the Balkan Wars, the Rwandan genocide, the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia and the first Gulf War.

Criticism/Backlash of the Decade

Despite denials from various sociologists and media pundits, some feel that the 90s were an era of increasing materialism and growing hypocrisy continued from the 1980s. In general it could still be said that the mindset of the 1980s and 1990s were more or less the same. The 1990s are also widely critized for their controversial pop culture obsessed with gore, sex, violence, and language, along with the 2000s to a somewhat lesser extent. The 1990s nonetheless have a very positive receiving into the 2000s and are still considered quite "modern" even as of 2006, with many genres of media from the decade still being quite cool among youth during the 2000s as no great revolutions in pop culture have occurred for some time and only moderate backlash of the decade itself has yet occurred. Also, while not a criticism of the decade per se, some people see the 1990s as the beginning of the 21st Century rather than the end of the 20th Century in an abstract sense based on the fact that the Cold War, a definitive phoenomenon of the 20th Century, was over by about 1991 and the tech boom began to take off a couple years after, and very 21st Century events such as the rise of the Internet and other information technologies and the expansion of Islamic terrorism began to become prominent in the 1990s.

Technology

Internet]
- The Pentium processor is developed by Intel.
- Microsoft introduces Windows 95 to the market, which gained immediate popularity.
- Explosive growth of the Internet, decrease in the cost of computers and other technology.
- Advancements with computer modems, ISDN, cable modems and DSL lead to faster connection to the Internet.
- The development of web browsers such as Netscape and Internet Explorer makes surfing the World Wide Web easier and more user friendly.
- The Java programming language is developed by Sun Microsystems.
- Businesses begin E-commerce websites; companies such as Amazon.com, eBay, AOL, and Yahoo! grew rapidly on the Internet.
- Cell phones burst in popularity and decrease in size, becoming a necessity for modern life.
- Pagers and PDAs become popular communication tools.
- E-mail becomes popular; as a result Microsoft acquires the popular Hotmail.com.
- Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K).
- Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM PCs.
- Development of free operating system Linux is started.
- Breakthrough of compact disc technology, introduced in the 1980s, later branching into DVD.

Science

DVD]
- Detection of extrasolar planets orbiting stars other than the sun.
- The cloning of Dolly the sheep is achieved.
- Human Genome Project begun.
- DNA identification of individuals finds wide application in criminal law.
- Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990; revolutionizes astronomy.
- Protease inhibitors introduced allowing HAART therapy against HIV; drastically reduces AIDS mortality.
- NASA's spacecraft Pathfinder lands on Mars and deploys a small roving vehicle, Sojourner, that analyzes the planet's geology and atmosphere.
- The Hale-Bopp comet swings past the sun for the first time in 4,200 years.
- Development of biodegradable products, replacing products made from styrofoam; advanced methods for recycling of waste products (such as paper, glass, aluminum) are developed.
- Genetically engineered crops are developed for commercial use.
- Discovery of dark matter, dark energy, and brown dwarves, and first confirmation of black holes.
- The Galileo probe orbits Jupiter, studying the planet and its moons extensively.

War, peace, and politics

Jupiter] Jupiter]
- Reunification of Germany on October 3 1990.
- End of apartheid in South Africa (1990) and election of ANC government of Nelson Mandela.
- Gulf War (resulting from Iraq's invasion of Kuwait) and United Nations embargo on Iraq in 1991.
- North Yemen and South Yemen merge to form Yemen (1991).
- Break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 - the end of the Cold War, United States as sole world superpower.
- The bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 by an explosive-filled van leads to awareness of international terrorism as a rising threat.
- Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia (1993).
- European Union is declared in 1992.
- Military actions in Somalia in 1993 lead to questions of the United States' role as a policing officer of the world. (see also, Black Hawk Down).
- Rwandan genocide kills one million people, in 1994.
- The birth of the "Second Republic" in Italy, with the Mani Pulite investigations of 1994.
- Peace process begins in Northern Ireland in 1995
- Balkan war in former Yugoslavia in 1995.
- A decade of women presidents in the Republic of Ireland.
- The United Kingdom hands sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997.
- U.S. Congressman Newt Gingrich crafts his manifesto "Contract with America", leading his Republican Party to become the controlling majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- U.S. president Bill Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and his impeachment trial in 1998, which lasts the entire year.
- Anti-globalization protests.
- The Second Congo War start in 1998 in central Africa and includes 5 different cultures and 7 different nations. It goes on until 2002.
- In May 1999, Pakistan sends troops covertly to occupy strategic peaks in Kashmir. A month later the Kargil War with India results in a political fiasco for Nawaz Sharif, followed by a military withdrawal to the Line of Control. The incident leads to a military coup in October in which the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is ousted by Army Chief Pervez Musharraf.
- Portugal hands sovereignty of Macau to the People's Republic of China on December 20, 1999.

Economics

- Development of GATT, the World Trade Organization and other global economic institutions.
- The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which phases out trade barriers between the United States, Mexico and Canada is signed into law by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
- After 1992 the booming of the US stock market, in reference to which Alan Greenspan coined the memorable phrase "irrational exuberance", which eventually stretched into the dot-com boom / dot-com bubble.
- Financial crisis hits East and Southeast Asia in 1997 and 1998 after a long period of phenomenal economic development. See East Asian Tigers.

Culture

Trends/Various

- The Gay 1990s The 1990s saw an increase in gay visibility. Tv shows like thirtysomething,My So called Life and Ellen featured gay characters, Movies like The Birdcage,In and Out and Kiss Me Guido saw mainstream sucess, and celebrities like K.D Lang and George Michael coming out of the closet. Even President Bill Clinton generally held a pro gay rights viewpoint.
- Douglas Coupland publishes the novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularizing the term Generation X as the name of the generation born in the late 1960s and early 1970s (then college-age).
- Reality television explodes on MTV with the popularity of The Real World (1992-); along with Road Rules (1995-), Real World/Road Rules Challenge (1998), and Real World reunions, these shows remained popular throughout the 1990s.
- Video games become more advanced, but still a far cry from the systems of the 2000s. The more influential game systems of the Nineties include the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sony Playstation, and the Sega Dreamcast.
- Extreme sports reached a new height in popularity, and by 1995, were given their own annual tournament on US cable network ESPN, the X-Games.
- Black becomes a dominant color in fashion, among several dark colors (see Goth, The Matrix, and Regis Philbin).
- Dogma 95 becomes the leading European artistic film movement by the end of the decade.
- Professional wrestling became extremely popular. After scandals and near bankruptcy due to competition from World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation was repackaged more edgier and realistic. Superstars such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Mick Foley, Steve Borden (Sting), Bill Goldberg, Raven, Sabu and others became household names. At the same time, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) led wrestling's entry into edgier angles.
- Recreational sports such as rock climbing, mountain biking, sky diving, snowboarding, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, in-line skating, kayaking and rowing become hugely popular.
- Extended alcohol sales are implemented to reduce alcohol abuse.
- The 1990s remains a somewhat "cool" decade into the 2000s as many aspects of the 90s continue to be important into the next decade, see New Nineties.

Music

- Grunge music, popularized by Nirvana, big from the fall of 1991 through 1994 but influential to rock up to 2005 (see Post-Grunge), Grunge movement followed by the Britpop movement of about 1995 to 1997 which was in turn followed by numetal.
- Teen pop held over from the late 1980s popular into 1990, returns with Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls in latter third of the decade
- Radiohead comes to be one of the most critically and commercially loved bands since The Beatles. Two of their albums, The Bends and Ok Computer top lists at the end of the decade.
- Rap music gains widespread mainstream acceptance throughout the decade, starting with the success of MC Hammer, Public Enemy and Vanilla Ice around 1989-91 and ending with hip-hop inspired by Puff Daddy, Dr. Dre and Eminem c. 1997-99. By 1999 hip hop had definitely passed rock and roll in popularity.
- Music festivals such as Lollapalooza became popular; a fusing of genres from alternative rock, rap, punk rock and garage bands.
- Rock music begins to be referred to as "alternative" as it is originated in 1980s underground rock and 1970s punk and begins to lose popularity to hip hop.
- Trance, techno and electronica music becomes widely popular at rave parties in Europe/USA and in pop culture, particularly later in the decade. The drug Ecstasy, (aka MDMA or 'X') is popularized by rave culture.
- 1980s backlash, beginning in about 1991 and lasting into the 2000s. During most of the 1990s anything "Eighties" was considered to be ultimately uncool.
- Music becomes more profane, by end of decade a Parental Advisory sticker becomes acceptable rather than controversial.
- In America, country music becomes more mainstream with popular chart topping artist such as Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw. The trend decreases somewhat in the 2000s.

Television

- Japanimation becomes popular in the United States in the late 1990s with shows Pokemon, Dragonball Z, and Cowboy Bebop.
- Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers gains popularity with kids in the mid 90s; leading to entire Power Rangers series. Barney and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also popular
- MTV moves away from music videos and into original television shows such as The Real World, which is cited as the inspiration for the Reality TV boom of the 2000s.
- Cartoons aimed at an adult audience become popular. Among the most successful are The Simpsons (1989-), Ren & Stimpy (1991-1995), Beavis and Butt-head (1993-1997), South Park (1997-), King of the Hill (1997-), and Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-).
- Television networks increase programs aimed at twenty- and thirty-somethings. Some of the popular are Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000), Melrose Place (1992-1999), Party of Five (1994-2000), Ally McBeal (1997-2002), Friends (1994-2004), and Seinfeld (1989-1998).
- Notable television sitcoms aimed at the teen/preteen market include Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Full House (1987-1995), Family Matters (1989-1998), and Third Rock From The Sun (1996-2001), among many others.
- Major 1990s slang words/phrases, mostly related to hip hop include "homie", "phat", "da bomb", "Audi 5000", "tight", "word to your mother", "Talk to the hand", "You go girl!", and "Wasssuppp!"

Other significant events

Talk to the hand]
- The massive global human impact on the environment, which first garnered attention in the 60s, was widely acknowledged.
- Divorce and scandal rocked the British Royal House of Windsor.
- The assassination of Selena Quintanilla.
- Sex and violence in the media increase, especially in the late part of the decade. Profanity in music reaches peak in the late 90s.
- O.J. Simpson's trial, described in the media as the "trial of the century".
- You go, girl! becomes a popular phrase in the media as feminism is more widely accepted and publicised in the media with The Spice Girls, the WNBA, women's boxing, Sex and the City and others showcasing modern femininity.
- The Vieques controversy.
- The Oklahoma City Bombing, the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing 168.
- The Waco massacre prompts a nationwide debate in the U.S. about the freedom of association right of the Michigan Militia, Montana Militia and other radical groups.
- Crime levels in the U.S. peak in 1991, begin to fall afterwards to the lowest levels since the late 1960s at end of decade.
- Drug use in the U.S. reaches an all-time low in 1992 before increasing, reaching its peak in 1997 before declining again.
- Princess Diana dies in a car accident in 1997. Debates of accident vs assassination rage.
- Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun who won the Nobel Peace Prize, dies at age 87.
- 21-year-old Golfer Tiger Woods wins the Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes; becoming the youngest and first African-American to win the Masters.
- The Omagh bombing in Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland which kills 29 civilians (including a woman pregnant with twins) and injures hundreds more.
- John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette are killed when Kennedy's private plane crashes off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.
- American cyclist Lance Armstrong wins his first Tour de France in 1999, less than two years after battling testicular cancer.
- Beer keg registration becomes popular public policy in U.S.

People

World leaders

- Prime Minister Bob Hawke (Australia)
- Prime Minister Paul Keating (Australia)
- Prime Minister John Howard (Australia)
- President Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello (Brazil)
- President Itamar Franco (Brazil)
- President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil)
- Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Canada)
- Prime Minister Kim Campbell (Canada)
- Prime Minister Jean Chrétien (Canada)
- "Paramount Leader" Deng Xiaoping (People's Republic of China)
- President Jiang Zemin (People's Republic of China)
- President Lee Teng-hui (Republic of China on Taiwan)
- President Franjo Tuđman (Croatia)
- Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (Denmark)
- President Hosni Mubarak (Egypt)
- President François Mitterrand (France)
- President Jacques Chirac (France)
- Chancellor Helmut Kohl (Germany)
- Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (Germany)
- Governor David Clive Wilson (Hong Kong (under British rule))
- Governor Christopher Francis Patten (Hong Kong (under British rule))
- Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa (Hong Kong, People's Republic of China)
- Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (India)
- President Mohammad Khatami (Iran)
- President Saddam Hussein (Iraq)
- Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (Israel)
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel)
- Emperor Akihito (Japan)
- Governor Vasco Joaquim Rocha Vieira (Macau (under Portuguese rule))
- Chief Executive Edmund Ho (Macau, People's Republic of China)
- President Yasser Arafat (Palestinian Authority)
- Pope Pope John Paul II
- President Corazon Aquino (Philippines)
- President Fidel Ramos (Philippines)
- President Joseph Estrada (Philippines)
- Prime Minister Mike Moore (New Zealand)
- Prime Minister Jim Bolger (New Zealand)
- Prime Minister Jenny Shipley (New Zealand)
- Prime Minister Helen Clark (New Zealand)
- President Ion Iliescu (Romania)
- President Emil Constantinescu (Romania)
- President Boris Yeltsin (Russia)
- Taoiseach Charles Haughey (Republic of Ireland)
- Taoiseach Albert Reynolds (Republic of Ireland)
- Taoiseach John Bruton (Republic of Ireland)
- Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (Republic of Ireland)
- President Boris Yeltsin (Russia)
- President Wee Kim Wee (Singapore)
- President Ong Teng Cheong (Singapore)
- President Sellapan Ramanathan (Singapore)
- President Frederik Willem de Klerk (South Africa)
- President Nelson Mandela (South Africa)
- President Kim Dae-jung (South Korea)
- President Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Union)
- King Juan Carlos I (Spain)
- President Felipe González (Spain)
- President José María Aznar (Spain)
- Queen Elizabeth II (United Kingdom et al.)
- Prime Minister John Major (United Kingdom)
- Prime Minister Tony Blair (United Kingdom)
- President George H.W. Bush (United States)
- President Bill Clinton (United States)
- President Slobodan Milošević (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

Entertainers

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia] Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
- 2pac
- Ace of Base
- Adam Sandler
- Aaliyah
- Alice in Chains
- Alanis Morrissette (Jagged Little Pill)
- Annie Lennox
- Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, Titus)
- Ashley Judd
- Beavis and Butt-Head
- Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting)
- Bill Hicks
- Billy Bob Thornton
- Boyz II Men
- Bret Hart
- Britney Spears
- Bruce Willis (the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction)
- Mariah Carey
- Dana Carvey (Wayne's World)
- Dean Cain
- Carmen Electra
- Christina Aguilera
- Cuba Gooding Jr (Boyz N the Hood, Jerry Maguire)
- Amy Grant
- Dave Matthews Band
- Demi Moore (Ghost, Striptease, A Few Good Men)
- Denzel Washington ( Malcolm X, Mo' Better Blues, Philadelphia)
- Destiny's Child (Destiny's Child, The Writing's On The Wall)
- Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen)
- Elizabeth Berkley (Saved by the Bell, Showgirls)
- Eurythmics
- Friends
- Courtney Cox
- Jennifer Aniston
- Lisa Kudrow
- Matt LeBlanc
- Matthew Perry
- David Schwimmer
- The Fugees
- Green Day (Dookie, Nimrod)
- Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Se7en)
- Liam Gallagher of Oasis
- Noel Gallagher of Oasis
- Teri Hatcher
- Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard, Waiting to Exhale)
- Halle Berry (Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,Bullworth)
- Hanson
- Harrison Ford
- Helen Hunt (Mad About You, Twister, As Good as It Gets)
- Hootie & The Blowfish
- Jack Nicholson
- Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld)
- Jerry Springer
- Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask)
- Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman, Notting Hill)
- Kate Winslet (Titanic)
- Keanu Reeves (The Matrix)
- Kurt Cobain
- Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic)
- Liam Neeson
- Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone)
- The Undertaker
- Martin Lawrence (House Party, Martin, Bad Boys)
- Mary J Blige (What's the 411?)
- Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting)
- Meg Ryan
- Mel Gibson (Braveheart)
- Michael Jackson
- Michael Keaton
- Michelle Pfeiffer (The Age of Innocence, Batman Returns)
- Mike Myers (Wayne's World, Saturday Night Live, Austin Powers)
- Mira Sorvino
- Nicole Kidman (My Life, Eyes Wide Shut)
- Notorious B.I.G.
- Nirvana
- Oasis
- Phil Collins
- Pamela Anderson (Baywatch)
- Pearl Jam
- "Image:Princesymbol.png" The artist formerly known as Prince
- Queen Latifah (Living Single, Set It Off)
- Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction)
- Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, The English Patient)
- Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager)
- Samuel L. Jackson (Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction)
- Sandra Bullock (Speed, A Time to Kill)
- Shawn Michaels
- Spice Girls
- Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns)
- Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (Saved by the Bell, Beverly Hills 90210 )
- TLC (Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes, T-Boz, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas)
- Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Philadelphia, Toy Story, The Green Mile)
- Toni Braxton ( Toni Braxton (album) )
- U2 (Achtung Baby)
- Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)
- Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act, Ghost, Ghosts of Mississippi, Hollywood Squares)
- Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Men In Black)

Films

See also: 1990s in film

Books & Literature

Sports figures

The Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys, or BSB, was a boy band and pop group that rose to considerable popularity in the late 1990s, and has since broken music and concert sales records, having sold more than 87 million albums (38 million in U.S.) to make them the highest-selling boy band on record. The five-member group consists of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Kevin Richardson.

History

Lou Pearlman, an aviation entrepreneur based in Florida, was inspired by the success of the New Kids on the Block in the 1980s to create his own clean-cut boy bands. After a series of auditions in 1992 and 1993, he recruited Nick Carter (at 12, the band's youngest member), Howie Dorough, McLean and, following the departure of two members - Sam Licata and Charles Edwards - Richardson came aboard in March 1993, who was 20. The group took its final shape on April 19, 1993, when Brian Littrell - cousin of Richardson - joined the group after a phone audition. Their first concert on May 8, 1993 was performed in front of 3,000 teenagers. Pearlman booked them at grade-school assemblies, shopping malls and Sea World, and assigned management duties to Johnny Wright, who had worked with New Kids on the Block. After a possible Mercury Record deal failed, the band was spotted in Cleveland, Ohio by Jive Records, an independent label best known for its hip-hop acts in February 1994. By June, they were recording their first single "We've Got It Goin' On" an urban pop song by writer/producer Denniz PoP. The single struggled in the US and only reached #69 on the Billboard charts, but it sold well in Europe, later earning the band their first Gold disc in Germany. In 1995 the band's first album, Backstreet Boys, was released in Europe and Canada, hitting the top 10 in numerous countries. Jive and Pearlman kept the band busy overseas for the next two years, sometimes putting it on tour for five months straight. 1996 marked a big change for the Backstreet Boys as European popularity grew. They kicked off 1996 by being voted No.1 International Group by TV viewers in Germany - "I'll Never Break Your Heart" went gold there and hit No.1 in Austria. The group earned their first Platinum record in Germany (500,000 CDs sold) and toured Asia and Canada.BillboardBy 1997 when bands like the Spice Girls and Hanson began to succeed in the United States, Jive and Pearlman decided to bring the boys back to the United States after 8.5 million discs had been sold worldwide. They began to record a new album for the American market and released "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" as their new single; the single quickly went platinum and climbed to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. In August, the boys hit big on the U.S. charts with the release of their self titled debut album Backstreet Boys. The album debuted at #1 in Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Finland and Austria, and sold over 14 million copies in the U.S. setting a record for the most successful debut album in U.S. history. In October, a free concert in Spain was cancelled after too many fans attended, and so in December 1997, the band embarked on a 60-city, 20-country tour. In 1998, Littrell underwent surgery to correct a congenital heart disorder, in a middle of their sold-out US 39-city tour; he twice had cancelled the surgery in the past. He had been struggling with this disease since he was born, almost dying at the age of 5 due to a bacterial infection. Littrell needed about 8 weeks to recover from the surgery, but shortly after this time, the Backstreet Boys cancelled an appearance in Minnesota after learning that Howie Dorough's sister had died of Lupus. Four of the Backstreet Boys went ahead with a lawsuit against Lou Pearlman, in which they claimed that the Backstreet Boys was owed more of the $200 million they had generated to that date. In October 1998, the band received the keys to the city from the mayor of Orlando in honor of the tornado relief concert the group headlined in March. OrlandoBy February 1999, the boys received their first Diamond award by the RIAA for shipment of 10 milion copies of their album. At this point, they had hire a new manager team called "The Firm", famous for managing bands including Limp Bizkit. In May, the Backstreet Boys released the album Millennium, which sold over 1.13 million units in its first week, setting a record for most albums sold in the first week of release. They also held the most sales for an album's second and third weeks. The record dominated the worldwide charts, landing at the #1 spot in 25 nations. The album was certified 11 times platinum by december 1999, making it the fastest selling album in a year. The first single "I Want It That Way" broke a record for radio station adds in its first week with 165, and topped the UK Singles chart for 2 weeks (where the song was the first new #1 entry since Elton John's 1997 "Candle In The Wind" tribute to Princess Diana). The song eventually set a record for the most weeks on the chart since the chart was conceived in 1980, and would reach the #1 spot in over 18 nations. In addition to receiving gold and platinum awards in 45 countries, the band's sophomore album was nominated for 5 Grammy Award's including Album of the Year. In August, the Backstreet Boys sold out a 39-city tour in less than a day, selling over 765,000 tickets in a matter of hours, prompting additional shows in many markets and shattering a number of box-office records, selling out all 53 concert dates of their "In To The Millennium Tour" which kicked off in September. The tour drew over 2 million fans, breaking the record for largest indoor audience. By the end of 1999, the Backstreet Boys met new problems declaring their current Jive contract null and void, soon striking the largest record deal ever valued at $60 million with Jive. Grammy Award In 2000, the Backstreet Boys graced the pages of the new millennium's first issue of Rolling Stone magazine. In February Littrell and Richardson confirmed their engagements to their fiancées. At the end of the year, the group released their new album Black & Blue, with the title of the album acting was a metaphor for how the boys felt they were "beaten up" by the media and others. To promote the release of Black & Blue, the boys traveled around the world in 100 hours to Sweden, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and the US; 55 of the hours were spent travelling and 45 spent making public appearances. The album debuted with 1.6 million units sold in the first week in America, making the band the first group to have two albums sell a million or more copies in the first week. Black & Blue sold more than five million copies worldwide in its initial week, setting a new first-week record in international sales. Globally, Black & Blue — whose 13-song selection features five songs co-written by members of the group, plus two songs written by all five Backstreet Boys — achieved platinum status in over 30 countries and gold certification in 10 regions around the world during its first week of release. In the first week of release, Black & Blue's first single "Shape of My Heart" was played on 170 out of 171 of the Top 40 stations in the U.S. Meanwhile overseas, the song immediately jumped into the Top Five in Sweden (#1), Norway (#1), Canada (#1), Germany (#2), Switzerland (#4), Austria (#5) and Holland (#5). However, towards the end of 2000 McLean first started using cocaine while shooting for the video "The Call". Rolling Stone In 2001, the Backstreet Boys kicked off the 1st leg of their "2001 Black & Blue World Tour". The full tour earned US $350 million in ticket sales, making the band the world's highest-paid live entertainers, replacing the Rolling Stones as the world's No. 1 live band. The tour featured on a TV special, The Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life on CBS. To coincide with the TV special, TV Guide issued six different covers of the boys: five individual shots and one group photo. However, the second leg of Black & Blue summer tour was put on hold when it was reported that A.J. McLean checked himself into rehab to battle drinking, drug addiction, and depression, after he and Kevin had an intervention in a hotel in Boston. The tour is postponed until September. Another tragedy struck when the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred, killing a Backstreet Boys crew member, Daniel Lee, who had been using time off in the tour schedule to travel from Boston to Los Angeles to be with his pregnant wife. The death caused the cancellation of the band's plans for overseas tours. In October 2001, the boys released Chapter One, a disc of their greatest hits and "Drowning", their last single until their return in 2005. The Boys performed at the United We Stand concert in Washington DC as well as The Concert for New York City, two benefit concerts for the victims of September 11. By the end of 2001 and into 2002, it became clear that the Backstreet Boys were on an extended break with no new recordings or releases. In 2003, McLean appeared in an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show where he talked for the first time in public about his addiction to alcohol and drugs (mainly cocaine) and his struggles rising to fame. The rest of the band members surprised him by coming to the show in person and giving him support, marking the first time the Backstreet Boys had appeared together in public for two years. Richardson recalled his confrontation with McLean two years prior, when he had said to McLean, "I hate you. You are dead to me." The band began to re-form and reconcile their differences to start recording a comeback album. cocaine After a five-year hiatus, their new single, "Incomplete", was released to radio stations on March 28, 2005 and quickly became the #1 most requested song in top markets in both U.S. and overseas. In May, the only European Backstreet Boys concert in almost 4 years was quickly sold out. On June 14, 2005, the Backstreet Boys released their comeback album Never Gone, which they spent more than a year recording. The album debuted at #3 on the U.S. chart with substantial first week sales of 291,000 copies. The album sold over 2.2 million copies worldwide in its first week of release, debuting at #1 in Japan, Germany, India, Chile, and Korea.

Discography

Worldwide albums charts

- Debut Date: The first date in which the item appeared on the chart (US dates unless specified).
- Peak: Top position the item achieved. Number in brackets indicate how many weeks and item spent at the #1 position.
- Certification: US RIAA album certification for units shipped. (eg. 2x Platinum mean 2 million units shipped)
- 1996/1997 Backstreet Boys
- The Backstreet Boys' worldwide debut album, which didn't top the US charts, but gave them their highest certified album to date (it was released in September 1996 in the UK).
- 1997 Backstreet's Back
- The Backstreet Boys' second UK (non-US) album, containing some tracks from the first, as well as some different tracks.
- 1999 Millennium
- The Backstreet Boys' sophomore US album, which set a record of 1.1 million units sold in one week according to SoundScan. The album received 5 Grammy nominations including one for Album of the Year.
- 2000 Black & Blue
- With this album, the Backstreet Boys became the first artist to have two albums sell more than a million units in the first week. This, their third US album, sold 1.6 million copies in its opening week. The album also set the record of most albums sold in the world in one week with 5 million. The Boys' fourth No. 1 Canadian album put them in the Canadian chart record books as the first act to reach No. 1 with their first four albums.
- Sold over 8 million copies in the U.S.
- 2001 The Hits: Chapter One
- The Backstreet Boys didn't want to release a greatest hits album, but they were forced by their record label. This album was the result, and from it they released their last single until their return four years later. The album debuted at No. 1 in Canada and the band set another record as the first act to reach No. 1 with each of their first five albums.
- 2005 Never Gone
- The Backstreet Boys' comeback album, their first studio album after nearly five years. The only BSB album that debuted at No. 2 on the Canadian albums chart.
- Went multi-Platinum in July
- Sold over 10 million worldwide by the end of the year.

Worldwide singles charts

- Debut Date: The first date in which the item appeared on the chart (US dates unless specified).
- Peak: Top position the item achieved. Number in brackets indicate how many weeks the item spent at the #1 position.
- Certification: US RIAA album certification for units shipped. (eg. 2x Platinum mean 2 million units shipped)
- Certification 2: (as of 2004) Due to the lack of impressive sales of singles, the RIAA has changed its format. Gold meaning 200,000 shipped and platinum 400,000 shipped with the respective multiple. :NC: Not Charted on the Billboard Hot 100, but on the Bubbling Under 100. The Backstreet Boys currently have had fifteen singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Twelve singles have reached the top 40, six of those singles have managed to reach the top ten. "We've Got It Goin' On" was on the Hot 100 for twenty weeks until it was retired due to its weak performance (Any single that stays under position 50 (51-100) for twenty weeks must be removed.) ;Interesting chart facts:
- The Backstreet Boys spent 84 consecutive weeks on the Hot 100 between January 30, 1999 and September 2, 2000 with five various songs.
- The Backstreet Boys holds the record for 'most radio station adds' in first week with both of their singles "I Want It That Way" and "Shape Of My Heart". In 1999 "I Want It That Way" held this record when it recived 165 radio adds in it's first week of release but in 2000 it was beaten by "Shape Of My Heart" with 170 radio adds. "Shape Of My Heart" debuted at #9 on the Billboard Charts.
- "As Long As You Love Me" is one of the several songs that reached the top five on the airplay charts (it reached #4) but never charted the Billboard Hot 100.
- "All I Have to Give" reached its peak position in its second week. It debuted at 57 and shot to 5 in week two, staying in the top ten for nine weeks.
- "Shape Of My Heart", the first single from Black & Blue, broked the record for most weeks at #1 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary (AC) chart with an amazing stay of fourteen (14) weeks. In 2000, Backstreet Boys held the #1 position on the CHR and AC charts a combined nineteen weeks.
- "Incomplete" debuted at #1 on the Australian ARIAnet charts with sales exceeding the 35,000 gold limit, becoming the Backstreet Boys' first Australian #1 single.

Videos

- 1998 All Access Video (#1 U.S. debut) (6x Platinum) (1.5 million copies)
- 1998 A Night Out With the Backstreet Boys (#1 U.S. debut) (3x Platinum) (.75 million copies)
- 1999 Homecoming – Live in Orlando (#1 U.S. debut) (3x Platinum) (.75 million copies)
- 2001 Around the World (#1 U.S. debut) (Platinum) (.25 million copies)
- 2001 The Hits (#1 U.S. debut) (Platinum) (.25 million copies)
- Certification: # IRMA gold certification for a minimum of 125,000 units or a dollar volume of $9 million at retail for theatrically released programs, or of at least 25,000 units and $1 million at suggested retail for nontheatrical titles. # IRMA platinum certification for a minimum sale of 250,000 units or a dollar volume of $18 million at retail for theatrically released programs, or of at least, 50,000 units and $2 million at suggested retail for nontheatrical titles.

SoundScan Era

The Backstreet Boys are among the top-selling artists in the SoundScan era. They have sold over 40 million albums in the U.S. alone and 87 million worldwide. Their self titled debut album Backstreet Boys which was released in 1997, sold over 14 million copies in the U.S. setting a record for the most successful debut album in U.S. history. In 1999 they set a record of most albums sold in its debut week with Millennium. In 2000, the group set another record being the first artist to have two albums sell more than a million records in its first week with Black & Blue. It sold 1.6 million. They also set the record of most albums sold in the world in one week with 5 million.

External links

- [http://www.backstreetboys.com/ Backstreet Boys Official Website]
- [http://www.thebackstreetboys.com/ Backstreet Boys Jive Website]
- [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:yhdjylm8xpzb allmusic entry]
- [http://www.bsbchina.com Backstreet Boys China Official Website] Category:Boy bands Category:American musical groups Backstreet Boys Category:Juno Award winners Category:1990s music groups Category:2000s music groups ja:バックストリート・ボーイズ

Eminem

Eminem (born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA), a Grammy Award and Oscar-winning musician, is one of today's most controversial and popular rappers. He currently lives in Michigan in the outskirts of Detroit. Brought to fame by rapper producer Dr. Dre, Eminem is known by many as one of the most skillful, successful, and controversial rappers in the industry. He is noted for his ability to change his own verbal pace ("flow") and style multiple times within one song without losing the beat. Eminem is also praised for his skill in assonance and alliteration. He is also infamous for the controversy surrounding many of his lyrics. With the enormous success of his sophomore album The Marshall Mathers LP following its release in May 2000, and its subsequent nomination for four Grammy awards including Album of the Year, critics such as GLAAD denounced his lyrics as homophobic, while others complained that it was also extremely misogynistic and violent. However, he has received a great deal of praise within the hip-hop community for his lyrical ability. While generally avoiding overtly political tones previously, in late 2004 before the presidential election, Eminem released the song "Mosh," which harshly criticizes President George W. Bush. Encore, Mathers' fourth album, was released later that year, but was considered by many critics to be a disappointment in comparison to his previous three albums. Although Eminem does not consider himself a militant or political artist, he did have his own Hip Hop Political Convention as a parody of the national political conventions held in 2004. Lately he released his new album Curtain Call: The Hits which covers all of his older songs. He is curently working with Jeremy Gieni, a.k.a. Sureal, on his debut album Off The Mic.

Early life and career

Mathers was born in St. Joseph, MO (near Kansas City), a single child to a father who left the family, and spent most of his childhood moving back and forth between Kansas City and suburban Detroit where he became friends with Runyan Avenue Soldiers. Interested in rap from a young age, Mathers began performing as early as thirteen, later gaining some popularity with a group, Soul Intent. His wife Kim gave birth to his daughter, Hailie Jade, on 25 December, 1995. In 1996, he released his first independent album, named Infinite (of which he sold about 500 copies out of the back of his car), following it up with The Slim Shady EP (produced by the Bass Brothers) in 1997. He became famous in the hip-hop underground because of his distinctive, cartoonish style and the fact that he is white (a rarity in all rap, especially mainstream gangsta rap). Some people called him rap's "great white hope". With his storytelling way of expressing rap, he became known in the underground as "The White Shadow". Marital problems, however, almost derailed his career, when, after arguing with his wife, he attempted to kill himself by overdosing with pills. The suicide attempt failed, but encouraged him to rededicate himself to "The Slim Shady EP" demo. It is said that rap artist and producer Dr. Dre found Eminem's demo on the garage floor of Jimmy Iovine, the Interscope label chief. Though this did not directly lead to a recording contract, Dr. Dre agreed to sign him when Eminem won second place vs. Otherwize at the 1997 Rap Olympics MC battle. Other sources state that an executive at the offices of Interscope handed the demo to Iovine who passed it to Dre, which resulted in a contract.

Entering the Mainstream

Once he joined Interscope, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP, which went on to be one of the most popular records of 1999, going triple platinum by the end of the year. With the album's enormous popularity came controversy surrounding many of the album's lyrics. In "97 Bonnie and Clyde", Eminem describes a trip with his infant daughter, disposing of the body of his wife. Another song, "Guilty Conscience" ends with Eminem and Dr. Dre encouraging a man to murder his wife and her lover. Dr. Dre The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000, quickly selling 2 million copies. The first single released from the album, The Real Slim Shady, was a smash -- thanks in part to the catchy rhythm and chorus line, "Won't the real Slim Shady please stand up, please stand up, please stand up?" (adapted from the catch phrase of the TV quiz show To Tell the Truth). It also created some buzz by trash-talking celebrities and spilling dubious gossip about them. In the song, Eminem claims, among other things, that Christina Aguilera gave "head" (oral sex) to Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) and Carson Daly (of MTV's Total Request Live). In his second single, "The Way I Am", he attempts to downplay the alleged controversial link between music such as that of Marilyn Manson and shootings such as at Columbine High School. In the third single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank You"), Eminem attempts to deal with his new-found fame, telling the story of a fan so obsessed with Eminem that the fan winds up killing himself and his pregnant girlfriend, mirroring one of the songs on The Slim Shady LP.

Themes and Topics

A large part of Eminem's popularity is his separation from the over-abundance of "pop-rap", in which rhymes rarely stray from bragging about money and jewelry ("bling"), fast cars ("whips") with massive rims ("24's"), huge parties, and constant casual sex. Instead, Eminem's songs typically explore deeper anger, thoughts, questions, and statements about his life and how he is treated. Common topics are:
- Drugs, insanity and all sorts of self-abuse (mostly in his early Slim Shady-era album and freestyles)
- His mother and childhood
- Being white in a black business/culture
- His ex-wife Kim Mathers
- Disgust with groupies/dating
- Raising his daughter and niece
- America and the government
- Poking fun at celebrities and American pop culture

Controversy

With the enormous popularity of Eminem's second album, the controversy surrounding Eminem grew even larger, especially when The Marshall Mathers LP was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Though Mathers had always claimed that his lyrics were not meant to be taken seriously, and that he had nothing against homosexuals or women, the gay rights group GLAAD organized a boycott of the Grammys. Mathers responded to this by singing "Stan" on-stage with openly gay singer Elton John, ending the performance by hugging John to show that he didn't have anything against homosexuals. Though it shocked a lot of people, this gesture failed to appease many of his critics. The two songs most often cited as examples in The Marshall Mathers LP of Eminem's misogyny were "Kill You" and "Kim." Critics claimed the former portrayed extremely violent abuse against women in general and contained a line about Eminem raping his own mother. The latter is not so much a song as it is a reenactment of a fictional fight between Eminem and his wife, although he does rhyme his shouted, hoarse lines. Despite his conflicting expressions of love and hate throughout the track, Eminem ends up slitting Kim's throat at the end (accompanied by cries of "Bleed, bitch, bleed!"); several people objected to the disturbingly detailed description of spousal abuse. On the clean version of the CD, the track was removed and replaced with a song almost entirely devoid of profanity called "The Kids." Since Eminem's rapid ascent to fame, tell-all biographies of varying quality have been published, including Shady Bizzness by his former bodyguard Byron Williams. Eminem himself has written a book called Angry Blonde, released in 2000, where he reveals the emotions and intent behind the lyrics in the Marshall Mathers LP, and describes his passion for and approach to rapping. As one of six members of the rap group D12, Eminem appeared on the album Devil's Night, released in 2001. The album was certified multi-platinum. The album contained the single "Purple Pills", renamed "Purple Hills" for radio play. Another song, "Blow My Buzz", was on the soundtrack for the film The Wash (2001), in which Eminem had a cameo appearance. Purple Pills Eminem's third major album, The Eminem Show was released in summer 2002. It featured the single "Without Me," an apparent sequel to "The Real Slim Shady," in which he makes derogatory comments about boy bands,
- NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick, Limp Bizkit, Moby, and Lynne Cheney, among others. The album reflected on the impact of his rise to fame, his relationship with his ex-wife Kim and his daughter Hailie, and his status in the hip-hop community. He also addresses the charges he faced over assaulting a bouncer he saw kissing his wife in 2000. While there is clear anger present on several tracks, this album was considerably less inflammatory than the previous, and as such did not face any protests of misogyny and homophobia that had plagued The Marshall Mathers LP. On November 19, 2003, new controversy surrounded Eminem when a cassette tape was played during a press conference held by The Source magazine. The cassette featured Mathers performing a freestyle rap in which he made disparaging remarks about black women, calling them "dumb chicks" in comparison to white women and claimed they are only after money. Other racial slurs and remarks were on the tape, including the use of the word "nigger". Mathers claimed he made the recording after breaking up with his black girlfriend in 1988; however The Source claimed the tapes were recorded in 1994, and old friends of Eminem's claimed he never had a black girlfriend. Eminem later filed a lawsuit against The Source for alleged copyright infringement. On December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service admitted it was "looking into" allegations that Mathers had threatened the President of the United States after the unreleased song "We as Americans" leaked onto the Internet. The lyrics in question: "Fuck money/ I don't rap for dead presidents/ I'd rather see the president dead/ It's never been said, but I set precedents". The song was being recorded to possibly be on "Encore," but wound up on a bonus CD accompanying his new album. The word "dead" was edited out of that version. Then, in 2004, Eminem made the music video "My Band" with D12. The song was the band's sarcastic response to the media's frequent portrayal of D12 as Eminem's band, giving little or no credit to its other members. The video contained various parodies, including that of the Janet Jackson "incident", and of 50 Cent's "In Da Club" video. On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Eminem's first video and single off Encore, Michael Jackson called into the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with the video, which parodies Jackson's child-molestation accusations, Jackson's plastic surgeries, and an incident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while he was filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984. The lyrics to "Just Lose It" also refer to Jackson's troubles. In the video, Eminem also parodied Pee Wee Herman, MC Hammer, and a Blonde-Ambition-touring Madonna. Harvey himself declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back." [http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=3606] Madonna).]] Black Entertainment Television was the first channel to stop airing the video. MTV, however, announced it would continue airing the video, and "Just Lose It" became the #1 requested video on Total Request Live for the week ending October 22. The Source magazine, through its CEO Raymond "Benzino" Scott, wanted not only the video pulled, but the song off the album, and a public apology to Jackson from Eminem [http://www.sohh.com/thewire/read.php?contentID=6321]. Others dismissed "Just Lose It" as a tame "Weird Al" Yankovic-style knockoff [http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,15126,00.html]. Regarding Jackson's protest, Yankovic, who parodied the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" on a track titled "Couch Potato" on his 2003 album Poodle Hat, himself told the Chicago Sun-Times, "Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for my "Lose Yourself" parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his image or career. So the irony of this situation with Michael is not lost on me". On October 26, 2004, a week before the U.S. presidential election, 2004, Eminem released the video for his song titled "Mosh" on the Internet. The song features a very strong anti-Bush message, with lyrics such as "fuck Bush" and "this weapon of mass destruction that we call our president". The video features Eminem gathering up an army of people presented as victims of the Bush administration and leading them to the White House. However, once the army breaks in, it is revealed that they are there to simply register to vote, and the video ends with the words "VOTE Tuesday November 2" on the screen. After Bush won the election, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading while Bush was giving a speech. On October 31, Eminem performed the song on Saturday Night Live, but some thought that he appeared to be lip-syncing the chorus, only a week after Ashlee Simpson was caught lip-syncing her performance on the program. His management claimed he was merely rapping over a backing track so as not to lose the beat. None of the publicity helped the album however, which saw its sales stall at 4.7 million copies, a number dramatically lower than his past two albums. In summer 2005, Mathers embarked on his first US concert run in three years, the Anger Management 3 Tour, featuring Lil' Jon, 50 Cent and G-Unit, D-12, Obie Trice, The Alchemist, and others. In August 2005, Eminem canceled the European leg of the tour and subsequently announced that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication". [http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20050819/en_music_eo/17184]. At the same time as he was entering rehab, his aunt and uncle, Jack and Betty Schmitt, sued Mathers, charging that he had reneged on a promise to build a $350,000 house for them and supply them with money for the house's upkeep. The couple claimed that Mathers had kept the house in his name, and then issued them eviction orders. On November 8, 2005, it was revealed that Eminem was asked to perform at Live 8 but didn't respond to calls from Live 8 organizers Sir Bob Geldof and Bono. Eminem has made many enemies in the music industry, including Ja Rule, Benzino, Everlast, the Insane Clown Posse, Canibus, and others.

Other works and ventures

Canibus Eminem made his Hollywood acting debut with the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, released in November 2002. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "Lose Yourself," which won Eminem an Academy Award for Best Song; it was not performed at the ceremony, reportedly because ABC wanted him to perform an edited version. Eminem has done some voice acting, both on Crank Yankers and a web cartoon called "The Slim Shady Show", which has since been pulled offline and is instead sold on DVD. Eminem has also been linked to "Songs of Hope" by U2 and supported the Boys and Girls Club of America and the Leary Fire Fighters Foundation with various proceeds donated to these causes. In 2004, he held a political convention of his own in New York City, in response to the National Republican Convention. In the song "Mosh", Eminem expresses his support for American troops, but speaks against the Iraq war and the Bush administration. The Raelians Religious Movement, a religious group whose beliefs are centered around communication with extraterrestrial life tried to appoint Eminem as an honorary priest . In addition, he has raised AIDS and other STD awareness in a number of songs describing infected people having promiscuous sex with numerous partners.

Aftermath Entertainment

The reigning label of Hip Hop was started in 1996 by legendary Hip Hop artist Dr. Dre. Signing Eminem to his label was the beginning of a powerful friendship and respect that Dre shared with Snoop Dogg when co-founding Death Row Records. Although Eminem owns Shady Records, he himself is strictly an Aftermath solo artist. Along with Dr. Dre & Eminem, Aftermath consists of such artists as Busta Rhymes, Eve, Stat Quo, The Game, Bishop Lamont and 50 Cent.

Shady Records

Dr. Dre's leading protégé succeeded in multi-platinum record sales. Eminem was granted his own record label. He and his manager Paul Rosenberg created Shady Records in late 2000. Eminem and Dr. Dre had signed 50 Cent on a joint venture between Aftermath & Shady Records. His own Detroit collective D12 and rapper Obie Trice were signed to the Shady Records label. In 2003, Eminem and Dr. Dre signed on Atlanta rapper Stat Quo to the roster. DJ Green Lantern, the former deejay for Eminem, was signed to Shady Records until a dispute with 50 Cent forced him to depart from the label, and he is no longer associated with Eminem. The Alchemist is now officially Eminem's tour deejay. In 2005, Eminem officially signed another Atlanta rapper known as Bobby Creekwater to his label. There are also plans to sign a rapper by the name of Fizzy B to Shady Records. Eminem signed a deal with Sirius satellite radio to program a rap-oriented station called Shade 45, which debuted on October 28, 2004. He also owns a clothing line called "Shady Ltd."

Eminem as a producer

Eminem is also active as a producer of rap records. Besides being the executive producer of D12's two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has also produced numerous tracks on Obie Trice's Cheers as well as 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. Furthermore, his own records increasingly contain tracks produced by himself. He also produced several tracks on 2Pac's posthumous album, Loyal to the Game, with 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur. On certain tracks, 2Pac's voice was slowed down or sped up, and digitally altered to say things like "2005" and "G-Unit," angering devoted 2Pac fans.

Retiring Slim Shady

In 2005, some industry insiders speculated that Eminem is considering concluding his rapping career after five years and numerous multi-platinum albums. Speculation began in early 2005 about a double-disc album to be released late that year, rumored to be titled The Funeral. The album manifested itself under the name Curtain Call, and was released on December 6, 2005. In July 2005, the Detroit Free Press broke news of a potential final bow for Eminem as a solo performer, quoting members of his inside circle who said that he will begin to fully embrace the role of producer and label executive. The Free Press, Eminem's hometown paper, wrote that the aptly titled Encore album would now stand as his final solo album. [http://www.freep.com/entertainment/music/encore15e_20050715.htm] Deep within Eminem's inner circle there is talk that the rapper is planning on retiring after he concludes his Anger Management Tour in Detroit. The reason for his retirement is to focus on acting, spending time with his daughter and niece, and more on his increasing popularity in production. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenburg as well as their representatives will not comment on the situation. This may not mean his retirement from rapping completely, as he may well still contribute to many of his Shady Records & Aftermath artists projects as well as Dr. Dre's planned Detox album. Eminem recently announced via MTV News that he does not plan on retiring soon, though he is planning on taking a break to produce music. He is still uncertain whether another album will be released, but his career has not come to a full stop. However, as he entered rehab in 2005 for dependency on sleep medication, many are speculating that he will use this event to lay down his microphone. The star is continuing to work out of the spotlight, including producing the Redman album Red Gone Wild. One track to be released on that album which has a gained attention is "I C Dead People", which will feature raps from three deceased artists: Big Pun, Big L and the Notorious B.I.G. At "Anger Management" in Madison Square Garden and Atlanta's HiFi Buys Amphitheater he openly announced that he is not retiring and indicates this is all just gossip by saying the moon is going to crash into the Earth as a more credible rumor. However, many still speculate that he will be retiring and the announcement at Madison Square Garden was only a ploy to distract the fans. Adding to the already feverish rumours from fans, Eminem released a track to be on Curtain Call entitled "When I'm Gone." The lyrics feature the topic of Slim Shady's destructive power over Marshall Mathers' life, and talks of laying Slim Shady to rest, one line featuring the lyrics "Find a gun on the ground/cock it, put it to my brain/scream 'Die Shady!' and pop it." Whether or not this is an unsubtle hint at retirement is currently up for speculation. The lyrics also show feelings of guilt, Eminem feeling he should've spent more time with his daughter Hailie; "'Daddy, where's Mommy? I can't find Mommy, where is she?' 'I don't know, go play, Hailie, baby, your daddy's busy.'" On December 6, 2005, the day of Curtain Calls release, Eminem told Detroit radio station WKQI-FM's "Mojo in the Morning" show that he and Kim had reconciled and were probably going to remarry. He denied that he was retiring, but implied that he would at least be taking a break as an artist, saying, "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going... ...This is the reason that we called it 'Curtain Call,' because this could be the final thing. We don't know." [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-People-Eminem.html]
Eminem in D12
In 2001, Eminem brought the rap group he was a member of, D12, to the popular music scene. In 2001, D12 released their hit debut album titled Devil's Night. The first single released off of the album was "Purple Pills," an ode to recreational drug use. The version of the song released on the radio and music television was heavily rewritten to remove much of the song's offensive nature, and retitled "Purple Hills." While the first single was a massive hit, the album's second single, "Fight Music," was not as successful. Some have attributed this to the emotional change caused in American society due to the September 11, 2001 attacks. After their debut, D12 took 3 years in hiatus from the studio, later regrouping to releasing their sophomore album, D12 World, in 2004, which featured the popular hit single release "My Band." The other members of D12 have also appeared as guests on all of Eminem's albums since The Marshall Mathers LP. D12's third album is tentatively scheduled for a 2006 release.
Music videos

- The Slim Shady LP:
- Just Don't Give A Fuck
- Role Model
- My Name Is...
- Guilty Conscience
- 2001 (with Dr Dre):
- Forgot About Dre
- The Marshall Mathers LP:
- The Real Slim Shady
- The Way I Am
- Stan (samples "Thank You" by Dido)
- Devil's Night (with D12):
- Shit On You
- Purple Hills (or Purple Pills, the album version)
- Fight Music
- The Eminem Show:
- Without Me
- Cleanin' Out My Closet
- White America
- Sing for the Moment (samples "Dream On" by Aerosmith)
- Superman (on 8 Mile DVD only)
- Business (live performance)
- 8 Mile O.S.T.:
- Lose Yourself
- D12 World (with D12):
- My Band
- 40 Oz.
- How Come
- Git Up
- U R The One
- Encore:
- Just Lose It
- Mosh
- Like Toy Soldiers (samples "Toy Soldiers" by Martika)
- Mockingbird
- Ass Like That
- Curtain Call:
- When I'm Gone
Discography
Eminem has sold more records than any other rapper worldwide, with over 60 million albums sold.
Albums and EPs

- Infinite (1996) (Sold roughly 500 copies out of the trunk of his car. It went copper, as Eminem calls it).
- The Slim Shady EP (1997) (Demo Release)
- The Slim Shady LP (1999) #2 US (4x Platinum); #12 UK (Platinum) (9 million worldwide)
- The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) #1 US (8 weeks) (8x Platinum); #1 UK (6x Platinum) (19 million worldwide)
- Devil's Night (2001) ( as member of D12 4 million worldwide ) #1 US #1 UK (Platinum)
- The Eminem Show (2002) #1 US (6 weeks) (8x Platinum); #1 UK (4x Platinum) (over 15 million worldwide)
- 8 Mile Soundtrack (album production, and rapping on five of the tracks - 2002) #1 US (4 weeks) (3x Platinum); #1 UK (compilation chart) (Gold) (9 million worldwide)
- D12 World (2004) (as member of D12, 4 million worldwide) #1 US #1 UK (Platinum)
- Encore (2004) #1 US (4x Platinum); #1 UK (3x Platinum) (over 10 million worldwide)
- Curtain Call: The Hits (2005) #1 UK #1 US
Popular Bootleg Releases

- Fucking Crazy
- Off the Wall
- Don't Call Me Marshall
- The Return of Slim Shady
- Straight From The Lab
Underground Remixes

- Till I Collapse (feat. Nate Dogg) REMIX - [Vinyl / Single] Produced by Dave Jonsen
- 'Just Lose It' REMIX - Produced by DJ Ayres
Singles
From The Slim Shady LP:
- 1999 "Just Dont Give A Fuck"
- 1999 "My Name Is..." #36 US; #2 UK
- 1999 "Guilty Conscience" (featuring Dr. Dre) #5 UK
- 1999 "Guilty Conscience / I'm Shady" (featuring Dr. Dre)
- 1999 "Role Model / Cum On Everybody" From The Marshall Mathers LP:
- 2000 "The Real Slim Shady" #4 US; #1 UK
- 2000 "The Way I Am" #58 US; #8 UK
- 2000 "Stan" (featuring Dido) #51 US; #1 UK
- 2000 "Bitch Please II" (featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit & Nate Dogg) From The Eminem Show:
- 2002 "Without Me" #2 US; #1 UK - Gold certification
- 2002 "Cleanin' Out My Closet" #4 US; #4 UK From 8 Mile Soundtrack:
- 2002 "Lose Yourself" #1 (12 weeks) US; #1 UK - Silver certification From The Eminem Show:
- 2003 "Sing for the Moment" #14 US; #6 UK
- 2003 "Superman" #15 US
- 2003 "Business" #6 UK From Encore:
- 2004 "Just Lose It" #6 US; #1 UK - Platinum certification
- 2004 "Encore" (featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent) #25 US
- 2004 "Like Toy Soldiers" #34 US; #1 UK - Gold certification
- 2004 "Mockingbird" #11 US; #4 UK; #14 CAN - Platinum certification
- 2005 "Ass Like That" #60 US; #4 UK; #7 CAN; #11 AUS From Curtain Call:
- 2005 "When I'm Gone" #8 US (Currently Charting)

Guest appearances

From Shyhalude / 3hree6ix5ive (by OldWorlDisorder feat. Eminem) From Attack of the Weirdos (by Bizarre):
- 1998 "Trife Thieves" (Bizarre featuring Eminem & Fuzz) From Devil Without A Cause (by Kid Rock):
- 1998 "Fuck Off" (Kid Rock featuring Eminem) From 2001 (by Dr. Dre):
- 1999 "Forgot about Dre" (Dr. Dre featuring Eminem) #25 US; #7 UK
- 1999 "Whats The Difference" (Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Xzibit) From Born Again (by Notorious B.I.G.):
- 1999 "Dead Wrong" (Notorious B.I.G. featuring Eminem) From Restless (by Xzibit):
- 2000 "Don't Approach Me" (Xzibit featuring Eminem) Non-album single:
- 2001 "Scary Movies" (Bad Meets Evil featuring Eminem/Royce) #63 UK From Black trash autobiography (by Sticky Fingaz):
- 2001 "What if I was White" (Sticky Fingaz featuring Eminem) From Rock City 2.0 (by Royce Da 5'9"):
- 2002 "Rock City" (Royce Da 5'9" featuring Eminem) From Man Vs. Machine (by Xzibit):
- 2002 "My Name" (Xzibit featuring Eminem and Nate Dogg) From the Cradle 2 the Grave soundtrack:
- 2003 "Go to Sleep" (DMX featuring Eminem and Obie Trice) From Get Rich or Die Tryin' (by 50 Cent):
- 2003 Patiently Waiting (50 Cent featuring Eminem)
- 2003 "Don't Push Me" (50 Cent featuring Eminem and Lloyd Banks) From Cheers (by Obie Trice):
- 2003 "We All Die One Day" (Obie Trice featuring 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Eminem)
- 2003 "Shit Hits The Fan" (Obie Trice featuring Dr. Dre and Eminem)
- 2003 "Hey Lady" (Obie Trice featuring Eminem)
- 2003 "Hands On You" (Obie Trice featuring Eminem)
- 2003 "Outro" (Obie Trice featuring Eminem & D12) From Tupac: Resurrection (OST) (by 2Pac):
- 2004 "One Day at a Time" (Tupac featuring Eminem and Tha Outlawz) #80 US From Loyal To The Game (by 2Pac):
- 2004 "Soldier Like Me" (2Pac featuring Eminem)
- 2004 "Black Cotton" (2Pac featuring Eminem and Kastro and Noble of the Outlawz) From The Documentary (by The Game):
- 2005 "We Ain't" (The Game featuring Eminem) From The Massacre (by 50 Cent):
- 2005 "Gatman And Robbin" (50 Cent featuring Eminem) From Bulletproof (by MC Hush):
- 2005 "Off To Tijuana" (MC Hush featuring Eminem, Swift, and Kuniva) From Thoughts of a Predicate Felon (by Tony Yayo):
- 2005 "Drama Setter" (Tony Yayo featuring Eminem and Obie Trice) (other appearances: "The Anthem" by Sway & Tech, and "Welcome to Detroit City" by Trick Trick.)

Movies

- Da Hip-Hop Witch (2000) (Appearance)
- The Wash (2001) (Cameo)
- 8 Mile (2002) (Starring)

Children

Hailie Jade Scott is the daughter of Eminem and his ex-wife Kimberly Ann Scott. She was born on December 25, 1995. The songs "Mockingbird" on Eminem's album Encore and "Hailie's Song" on The Eminem Show are dedicated to her. Hailie joins her father in the hook for "My Dad's Gone Crazy." She also features prominently in a number of his other songs, most notably in "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" on The Slim Shady LP, which is a fictional account of Eminem dumping the dead body of his wife into the ocean, accompanied by Hailie. She is also referenced in Eminem's 2005 single "When I'm Gone." Alaina Mathers is Eminem's eleven-year-old adopted daughter. The daughter of his ex-wife Kim's twin sister, Eminem has custody of his niece and is raising her as Hailie's sister. She is also referenced in the song "Mockingbird" on Encore, as "Lainie". Nathan Mathers is Eminem's younger brother. Eminem is the legal guardian of Nathan.

Trivia

- The second "E" in his stage name has been reversed on his records since his second album The Marshall Mathers LP. The backwards-E has become a logo for him, appearing prominently in his videos and stage set.
- Several songs were released in response to the track "Stan" off of The Marshall Mathers LP. Rapper Canibus released the track "U Didn't Care," rapping as the Stan character and implying that Eminem doesn't care about his fans. The Pet Shop Boys released "The Night I Fell in Love," in which a male fan goes backstage at an Eminem concert and has a one-night stand with him. Christian rapper KJ-52 released "Dear Slim" and "Dear Slim pt. 2," open letters to Eminem in a similar style to "Stan."
- Several of his songs have been parodied. The most famous incident was Weird Al Yankovic's parody of "Lose Yourself," entitled "Couch Potato" and featuring new lyrics about television programming. He has also been parodied twice by the Christian parody band ApologetiX, with "Lose Yourself" ("Look Yourself") and "The Real Slim Shady" ("The Real Sin Savior").
- His favorite fast food chain is Taco Bell.
- His real hair colour is in fact a dark brown (basically black), he bleaches his hair with peroxide to keep up his "blonde-haired" image (as stated in White America); he did not bleach his hair in 8 Mile, and so his natural hair color can be seen in the movie.
- Eminem is left-handed. This can be seen in a scene in 8 Mile where he is sitting on a bus with a pencil in his left hand, as well as in several of the promotional posters for the film, which depict him writing lyrics with his left hand.
- Eminem's rap group D12, short for "Dirty Dozen," has only 6 members. Many people are often confused by the number. It is "12" because each of the 6 members of the group has two rap names or "personas." (For example, "Eminem" and "Slim Shady").
- When Dr. Dre first heard a recording of Eminem rapping, he thought that Eminem was black.
- Eminem has been awarded nine Grammy awards.
- Eminem was number 6 on VH1's 50 greatest hip hop artists of all time.
- Eminem won a Best Song Oscar for his song "Lose Yourself" from the movie 8 Mile.
- Eminem wears glasses. This can be seen in some of his interviews, as well as on the music video for "Mockingbird".
- Eminem's manager, Paul Rosenberg (who is featured prominently in several skits on Eminem's solo releases), was once a rapper known as "Paul Bunyan".
- Eminem's height: 5'8" (1.73 m)
- Eminem is a fan of the TV show "Crank Yankers"; puppets from the show were included in the video for "Ass Like That". He has also lent his voice to the show numerous times, and had one of the puppets, Special Ed, host "Eminem's Special Hits".
- Eminem listed his favorite rappers as Redman, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., André 3000 from OutKast, Jadakiss, Kurupt, and Nas in the song "'Till I Collapse" from his 2002 release, The Eminem Show.
- Eminem often reads from the Harry Potter series to his daughter, as revealed by [http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30500-12366684,00.html Sky News].

External links

Official:
- [http://www.eminem.com Official Website] (Requires Macromedia Flash)
- [http://www.aftermath-entertainment.com Official Aftermath Records Site]
- [http://www.shadyrecords.com Official Shady Records Site] News:
- [http://aftermathmusic.com Eminem/Aftermath News]
- [http://www.freep.com/eminem/index.htm Detroit Free Press Eminem News Collection]
- [http://www.bandnews.org/band/Eminem Bandnews.org Eminem News Collection]
- [http://www.eminem-site.com/ Eminem-Site.Com] (French language) Resources:
- [http://aftermathmusic.info Eminem/Aftermath Fan Comminity]
- [http://www.TRshady.com Eminem Fansite/Community]
- [http://www.dubcc.com/forum/index.php?topic=65364.0 Production Credits for all Eminem albums]
- [http://launch.yahoo.com/artist/videos.asp?artistID=1037847 Eminem music videos on Yahoo's Launch.com]
- [http://www.lyrics-explorer.com/lyrics/artists/e/eminem/ Eminem Lyrics Page] Song lyrics collection. Critical analysis:
- [http://www.jacksonkatz.com/eminem2.html 8 Reasons Eminem's Popularity is a Disaster for Women] by Jackson Katz (2002)
- [http://users.ugent.be/~igoerlan/var/vocalscratches.html F___ EMINEM! - Evaluating the Allegations of Misogyny and Homophobia] by I. Goerlandt (2002)
- [http://www.habitsofwaste.wwu.edu/issues/3/iss3art2a.shtml "Bono Versus Eminem" by Said Shirazi] - A defense of Eminem in the name of free speech Other:
-
- [http://www.state.mi.us/mdoc/asp/otis2profile.asp?mdocNumber=362656 Michigan Corrections file on Marshall Bruce Mathers III]
- [http://www.the411online.com/P8180067.html Eminem at the Source awards in 1999] Eminem ja:EMINEM simple:Eminem th:เอ็มมิเน็ม

Good Charlotte

Good Charlotte are a pop-punk band from Maryland that formed in 1996. They took the name 'Good Charlotte' from a children's book: Good Charlotte: The Girls Of Good Day Orphanage by Carol Beach York. They have released three albums, most notably 2002's multiplatinum seller The Young and the Hopeless, which spawned the chart topping singles, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," "The Anthem," and "Girls and Boys." The band's third and most recent album is 2004's The Chronicles of Life and Death. The band is fronted by twin brothers Benji and Joel Madden, born in Waldorf, Maryland. Other members of the band include their friends Billy Martin and Paul Thomas.

Band members

- Joel Madden: Vocals and occassional 3rd Guitar
- Benji Madden: Lead guitar and backup vocals
- Billy Martin: Rhythm Guitar and Keyboards
- Paul Thomas: Bass

Former Members

- Aaron Escolopio - Drums
- Dusty Brill - Drums
- Chris Wilson - Drums

Temporary

- Dean Butterworth - Drums
- Josh Freese - Drums (The Young and the Hopeless album)

Biography

Good Charlotte's frontmen, identical twins Joel and Benji Madden, were born on March 11, 1979 to a middle class family in Waldorf, Maryland. Their mother raised them with a strict Christian up-bringing. Their father left the family when the twins were 16 years old, causing financial problems for the twins, their mother, older brother, and younger sister. For a short period of time the twins had to work as shampoo boys in a salon. Benji and Joel cite their older brother Josh Madden for introducing them to rock music by bands such as Rancid and Social Distortion. After attending a Beastie Boys concert at the age of 16, Benji and Joel decided to start their very own band, although Joel had never sung before, and Benji had never played guitar. The first band they started was called "The Benji, Joel, and Brian Band,' which they started with a friend. The band was short lived. They then started Good Charlotte in 1996 when they recruited childhood friends Paul Thomas (bass) and Aaron Escolopio (drums). They soon moved to Annapolis, Maryland where they were introduced to Billy Martin by a friend After releasing an EP, entitled Another EP, in 1999, Good Charlotte released their first self-titled album in 2000, which was not a huge commercial success. Singles that were released from that album include "Little Things" and "Motivation Proclamation," and "Festival Song". Aaron was the drummer in their debut album, Good Charlotte, before leaving the band in early 2001 to join the band Wakefield with his brother, Ryan. He was replaced with Dusty, who was just a temporary drummer, who had left the band before the recording of their second album, The Young & the Hopeless. As a result, veteran professional studio drummer Josh Freese plays for that album. 2002's The Young And The Hopeless was much more popular, and marked the bands emergence into mainstream music. The single that made them famous, titled "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous", topped charts around the globe. Singles that followed from that album included "The Anthem" ,"Girls and Boys", "Hold On" and "The Young and The Hopeless". "The Young and the Hopeless" received a 3x-platinum certification from the RIAA, landing the band on Saturday Night Live, the covers of Rolling Stone and Alternative Press, a two page feature in the New York Times, and spots on CNN and The Today Show. Good Charlotte were also hugely popular on MTV, where the Madden Brothers once served as hosts on the late night music video show "All Things Rock." Their music videos were favorites on both MTV and MTV2, with "The Anthem" going on to receive the "Viewers Choice Award" on MTV's 2003 Video Music Awards. Chris Wilson was the band's drummer for their third album, The Chronicles of Life and Death, which was released in 2004. The singles released from that album include "Predictable", "I Just Wanna Live", "We Believe" and "The Chronicles of Life and Death". This album was considered a departure from their previous 2 albums. In May 2005, Chris left the band for personal health reasons[http://www.representgoodcharlotte.com/whatsup.html]. Today, through non-stop touring and wide publicity, Good Charlotte has built a huge fanbase among young people around the world. Their most recent "Noise to the World Tour" with Simple Plan featured Dean Butterworth, who has previously played with Morrissey, as the band's current temporary drummer.

Style

Good Charlotte's hair and clothing styles are mostly derived from a variety of punk bands from the 80s and 90s. Some of these bands include: Agnostic Front, MXPX, The Casualties, The Exploited, Rancid, Sex Pistols, Minor Threat, Social Distortion, NOFX, H2O, Anti-Flag, and Blink 182. Several of these bands are credited in Good Charlotte's early album notes.

Various Facts/Trivia

- Joel and Benji Madden's original last name is Combs, which has been legally changed.
- Mandy Moore appeared in the band's music video Little Things.
- Good Charlotte has a cameo in Not Another Teen Movie as the band playing at the school prom.
- Good Charlotte members are PETA activists.
- Benji and Joel Madden co-wrote a song with Ashlee Simpson for Autobiography, which was later cut.
- Joel and Benji Madden helped write and produce 3 new songs on Hilary Duff's Most Wanted Hits.
- Joel is currently dating actress Hilary Duff.

Discography

Albums

- Good Charlotte (Epic Records) (2000) #185 US
- The Young and the Hopeless (Epic Records) (2002) #7 US (3x Platinum), #15 UK
- The Chronicles of Life and Death (Epic Records) (2004) #3 US (Platinum), #8 UK

EPs

- "Overcome"
- "Can't go on"
- "The Innocent"
- "If you leave"
- "Footloose"
- "Superman can't walk"

Singles

From Good Charlotte:
- "Little Things"
- "Motivation Proclamation"
- "Festival Song" From The Young and the Hopeless:
- "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" (2002) #20 US, #8 UK (2003 release)
- "Girls and Boys" (2003) #48 US, #6 UK
- "The Anthem" (2003) #43 US, #10 UK
- "The Young and the Hopeless"/"Hold On" (2003) #63 US, #34 UK From The Chronicles of Life and Death:
- "Predictable" (2004) #12 UK
- "I Just Wanna Live" (2005) #51 US, #9 UK
- "The Chronicles of Life and Death" (2005) #30 UK
- "We Believe" (2005)

External links

- [http://www.goodcharlotte.com Official Site]
- [http://www.goodcharlotterocks.com Good Charlotte on Epic Records]

Fansites

- [http://www.representgoodcharlotte.com Oldest GC Site With Pictures, Bio, etc.]
- [http://www.goodcharlotteband.com GC Fan Site and Merchandise]
- [http://www.goodcharlottelive.tk Good Charlotte Live]
- [http://www2.fanscape.com/goodcharlotte/newsring/newsringhome.html GC Official Newsring]
- [http://www.goodcharlotte.co.uk Good Charlotte UK]

Lyrics

- [http://www.songwords.net/waiguo/goodcharlotte/index.htm Good Charlotte Lyrics sorted by albums] Category:2000s music groups Category:American musical groups Category:Pop punk groups

Adolescents

This article is about the punk group The Adolescents. For the other meaning of the word "adolescent", see Adolescent. The Adolescents were a punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California.

History

The Adolescents were formed by Steve Soto after leaving Agent Orange in December 1979. The original line-up was led by frontman Tony Cadena, with Steve Soto on bass, Frank Agnew on guitar, John O'Donovan on guitar and Peter Pan on drums. Both John & Peter left in June and were replaced by Rikk Agnew and Casey Royer formerly of Social Distortion & The Detours respectively. The band created fast, energetic music that was at the forefront of the Orange County punk scene. Later that year, the group released the classic hardcore single "Amoeba" on Posh Boy Records. The track also appeared on the Rodney on the ROQ compilation, assembled by L.A. DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. The Adolescents signed with Frontier Records in January 1981 and recorded The Adolescents the following month. It quickly became one of the best-selling California hardcore albums behind the Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Despite this Rikk Agnew left and was replaced by Pat Smear, formerly of the Germs. This line up lasted until the end of June when Pat left (he would later go on to Nirvana and the Foo Fighters). The Adolescents broke up in August 1981. Tony formed the Abandoned, Steve & Frank joined Legal Weapon, Casey formed D.I. and Rikk joined Christian Death after his departure. Rikk Agnew made his solo album in 1983 then joined D.I. with Alfie Agnew Frank and Rikk's younger brother. In 1986 The Adolescents reformed with their original line-up and started to work on a new album. Before recording Casey and Frank left the band. Casey had wanted to keep D.I. going, and Frank lost interest. Sandy Hansen took Casey's place on drums and Alfie took Frank's place on guitar. They recorded Brats in Battalions in the late summer.The record came out in August 1987 due to the band deciding to produce and release the album themselves with little cash or backing. At the end of 1986 Alfie went to college and his place taken by Dan Coburn by the end of the year Tony and Dan left. In 1988 Rikk and Steve decided to replace Dan with Paul Casey and start singing themselves. Paul left after four months and Frank replaced him on guitar, aftering touring the band recorded Balboa Fun Zone. The Adolescents broke up in April 1989. Steve, Sandy and Frank started Joyride and Rikk did a couple of solo albums. The band regrouped to tour for the 20th anniversary of their self-titled album in 2001 and have continued to perform. The Adolescents have a new release out on Finger Records,O.C. Confidential. Finger Records is owned and run by Mel Schantz out of Orange County, CA.

Previous Members

- Alfie Agnew (Guitar 1987)
- Frank Agnew (Guitar 1980-89)
- Rikk Agnew (Guitar 1980-89)
- Jeff Beans (Bass 1982)
- Tony Cadena (Vocals 1980-89)
- Dan Colburn (Guitar 1987-89)
- John O'Donovan (Guitar 1980)
- Sandy Hansen (Drums 1987-89)
- Rick Herschbeth (Guitar 1982)
- Peter Pan (Drums 1980)
- Paul (Guitar 1988-89)
- Steve Roberts (Guitar 1981-82)
- Casey Royer (Guitar 1980-87)
- Pat Smear (Guitar 1981)
- Steve Soto (Bass 1980-89)

Current Members

- Tony Cadena
- Steve Soto
- Frank Agnew
- Derek O'Brien
- Frank Agnew Jr.

Discography

- The Adolescents (1981)
- Brats in Battalions (1987)
- Balboa Fun Zone (1988)
- Live 1981 and 1986 (1989)
- Return to the Black Hole (live) (1997)
- Complete Demos 1980-1986 (2005)
- O.C. Confidential (2005)

Links

- [http://www.theadolescents.net Official Adolescents Website] Adolescents, The

2002

Overview of the year

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

- August 27 - Simon & Schuster sues Michael Pelligrino and Artist Management Group because Pelligrino had written a book claiming to be a son of late Mafioso Carlo Gambino

September

October

November

December

Unknown Date

- Naruto (anime) is created by Studio Perriot.
- American Prohibition Foundation incorported.

Births

- August 2 - Kara Hoffman, American actress
- August 2 - Shelby Hoffman, American actress
- December 6 - Sophia Rosalinda Bratt, daughter of Benjamin Bratt and Talisa Soto

Deaths

For more deaths see: Deaths in 2002

January

February

March

April

May

- May 5 - Hugo Bánzer Suarez, President of Bolivia (b. 1926)
- May 6 - Pim Fortuyn, Dutch politician (assassi

Iraq War

:For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The Iraq war or war in Iraq^, is both an informal and formal term for military conflicts in Iraq that began with the invasion of 2003 by the multinational coalition of American, British, and other forces. The term "Iraq War" has typically refered to the large-scale military hostilities against the Saddam Hussein government of Iraq. This conflict has also been called "The Second Gulf War" and "Gulf War II".

Terminology

Variance in the use of the 'Iraq war' term can be traced to basic differences in the operative definition for 'war' and 'occupation'; as well as the understanding of 'political authority' and 'sovereignty'. For instance, the United States never actually declared war on Iraq (which could only be done by Congress; the last time that Congress made a formal declaration of war was for World War II). However, Iraq was invaded by U.S. military forces. The term Iraq war, is often left uncapitalized to indicate the legal informality and the lack of clarity in distinguishing among various operations and violent episodes. Further definition of the term varies with usage and point of view, hence, depending on the context, the term 'Iraq War' or 'Iraq war' may refer to hostilities in Iraq that fit one of two general contexts: When capitalized, the term Iraq War typically is limited to the 2003 invasion, the hostilities against the Baathist government of Iraq, and the succeeding period of military occupation. The Iraq War in this sense began with the 2003 invasion and ended with the defeat of Saddam Hussein's government and the "old" Iraqi Army. Thus, the capital-W "War" may be seen as limited to the "multinational forces" invasion of March 2003, and the three-week period of full-scale military hostilities between the multinational forces against the established, uniformed military forces (that is, Saddam Hussein's "old" Iraqi Army). According to this view, the "War" ended with the "cessation of major hostilities" between established military forces. Alternatively, if the term includes the subsequent military occupation of Iraq, the "War" ended with the ceremonial handover of sovereignty to the new Iraqi government in June 2004. Though Coalition military officials have used the capitalized phrase Iraq War in this relatively narrow sense, they, and those politically in support of the invasion and current military presence (or 'occupation') also consistently use the terms Iraq war and war in Iraq. A derivative of this viewpoints see much of the current violence almost exclusively as expressions of the Iraqi sectarian divisions, and characterize the occupation as democratic, and preventative of a larger civil war. The informal term "Iraq war" characterizes the various series of conflicts as continuous, beginning with the 2003 invasion and include the violence which resulted as a direct consequence of the invasion and occupation. This is largely used by anti-war activists and war opponents, who also characterize the invasion and occupation as destructive, and a causal force which gave rise to the subsequent violence. (This view usually considers the current violence as both anti-colonialist and sectarian, and characterizes the occupation as anti-democratic, and exacerbating the potential for civil war.) This continuing conflict definition — ie. the references to the invasion, occupation, and post-sovergeinty handover period — includes all hostile conflict in Iraq, specifically the combat among the established military forces and, later, the clandestine, irregular forces of native Iraqi combatants (in conjunction with foreign militants and terrorists) against the multinational forces (and, later, the Iraqi government's new army). Various paramilitary and other militant groups contested the will of the military power and have struggled against the political authority in the country (such as the Coalition Provisional Authority and, more recently, the new sovereign government). Some anti-war activists and war opponents include this violence directed at the Iraqi government (characterized by some as a "rebellion") as part of the "Iraq war". (This view, though, disputes the claim that 'Iraq is now sovereign' and points to the large presence of foreign forces (eg., the multinational forces)). The term "Iraq War" has been used by war proponents, (while the term Bush's War is often used by war opponents and anti-war activists) who characterize the invasion and occupation as a smaller ("necessary") battle within the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The official United States government designation for overall military operations in Iraq has been "Operation Iraqi Freedom" since 2003. In spite of problems with the definitions and understandings, and due to its basic economy of language, the use of the "Iraq war" term is prominent in news and opinion reports.^{[http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=Iraq+war&btnG=Search+News gn]}
War rationales and debates
The more exclusive definitions of the "Iraq War" term (ie. the operations delimited to major hostilities against the Saddam Hussein government of Iraq and limited to the 2003 invasion and the succeeding period of military occupation) rest on rationalisations which tend to disagree, in various opinions, with direct or meaningful comparisons with other conflicts, though these are largely found in stated (or perceived) goals by the Coalition for the invasion and occupation. A better metric to determine precisely who the war is being waged upon should compare the number of civilian Iraqi deaths with the number of Iraqi soldiers killed in the first year of the war. Because the United States has made no effort to estimate civilian casualities, the estimates vary considerably. In contrast, individuals that believe that the "Iraq war" is a continuing conflict base their concept of "war" and "occupation" on more general concepts, as opposed to the definitions of the United Nations, International law, military laws, or political techniques for using language effectively. Being dominantly driven by the United States various critics' eyes, the conflict is characterized by a large and dominant U.S. military presence in a foreign country. To many critics, the Iraq War has parallels with past wars (in particular the Vietnam War). Opponents of the war often hold that the current insurgency conflicts are a direct consequence of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation. They hold to concepts defined largely by lessons learned from American involvement in Southeast Asia. Both critics and supporters of the war have disagreed about the validity of the rationales, and over whether the ex post facto failure to find weapons "stockpiles" indicates the destruction or transportation of such weapons prior to the war or failure of intelligence (and, at an extreme, deliberate deceit). The failure of western intelligence to distinguish between these two possibilities is perceived by some as a failure of intelligence. As stated in public speakings such goals have changed notably since 2002, and views differ as to whether past statements should be considered "failed goals" (and, again at an extreme, "deceptive premises") for the war. : Related topic: Rationales of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
War justifications
Stated or allegedly perceived goals (i.e. pretexts, or proschemata, as opposed to actual reasons, or prophases) of the invasion and occupation as stated by the United States in 2002 before the Iraq invasion are likewise controversial factors. Over time, these have varied. The first calls for war on Iraq came from the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), and the American Enterprise Institute, with arguments based largely on the disruption of the emerging modernizing Islamic Middle East, and the project of American influence into the next century. These reasons were not those originally given (before the 2003 Iraq invasion) by the Bush administration of the United States before or after the initiation of the war, which instead included: # Hussein's regime was in violation of United Nations demands for weapons inspections. The first reason was obviated by the Bush administration, who set a deadline while inspectors were active in Iraq. # the Hussein regime produced and possessed stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and posed a grave threat. # Hussein had failed to comply with 19 UN resolutions requiring a full accounting of its weapons of mass destruction and full cooperation with UN inspections.. # that the Hussein regime had ties to al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations that posed a threat to international safety;; and, # promoting democratic self-government in the nearly-entirely autocratic Arab Middle East. Leaders of the multinational coalition have also pointed to human rights issues to justify the war. Saddam's regime's abuse of Iraqi citizens' human rights and the spread of democracy was cited, as articulated in US President George W. Bush 2003 State of the Union Address: : "The dictator who is assembling the world's most dangerous weapons has already used them on whole villages — leaving thousands of his own citizens dead, blind, or disfigured. Iraqi refugees tell us how forced confessions are obtained — by torturing children while their parents are made to watch. International human rights groups have catalogued other methods used in the torture chambers of Iraq: electric shock, burning with hot irons, dripping acid on the skin, mutilation with electric drills, cutting out tongues, and rape. If this is not evil, then evil has no meaning. And tonight I have a message for the brave and oppressed people of Iraq: Your enemy is not surrounding your country — your enemy is ruling your country. And the day he and his regime are removed from power will be the day of your liberation." [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html]
Proponents of the war
Some who have systematically defended the position for going to war have argued a "fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here" rationale. Others have pointed out how the terrorists are losing in Iraq (such as exposed in some of Dr. Zawahiri’s intercepted letters). Some also posit that (since September 11), the United States military has not lost a single battle, the multinational forces has removed a dictatorship, and the foundation for a new democracy in the Middle East has been set down. [http://victorhanson.com/articles/hanson101405.html]
Criticisms of the war
September 11 According to opinion polls, the war was unpopular from its beginning in many Coalition countries. The war's unpopularity was reflected in widespread protests, including the largest documented worldwide protest in human history on February 15th, 2003 (eg., a day of Global protests against war in Iraq). The Iraq War was widely viewed by many critics as counterproductive. Many viewed the war as improper (being a moral and ethical violation); and illegal under international law. By the summer of 2005, there was an increase in the number of individuals in the United States that felt the same way. A decorated British Royal Air Force Officer has been court-martialled for refusing to take further part in the war. He was decorated more than once in the Iraq War, and considers that the war is illegal. He has been charged with "refusing to obey a lawful command". And then wrote a book. Since the October 2005 indictment of Lewis Libby, politicians (including some of those who saw the same intelligence that was classified and used by the executive branch in America) and some citizens have begun to question pre-war intelligence and how it may have been misused in order to "sell", in their opinion, a war to the American people.[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10043606/] On the Senate floor on Thursday, November 10 Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) expressed, : "President Bush exaggerated the threat to the American people. It was not subtle. It was not nuanced. It was pure, unadulterated fear-mongering!"
Antiwar rationales
The opponents to the wars' main rationales are, in their opinion, the "fixed intelligence" and "lack of connection to 9/11". Antiwar activists and opponents of the war draw direct parallels to the earlier actions (especially the Vietnam War and other conflicts that the US lost) via several debated elements of evidence. This includes:
- its protracted nature, being defined by the continued dominant presence of coalition soldiers (in particular, United States units),
- the previous changing status of the local government,
- the sectarian factionalism,
- changes and conflicts in the publicly stated goals of the war and later occupation,
- the colonialist character of the occupation (i.e. "colonize the government", blanket and unconditional diplomatic immunity for soldiers, etc.),
- evidence of local activity of paramilitary and militant groups (commonly known as the "insurgency" and, at other times, the "resistance"), political dissidence, and non-violent protests,
- evidence of war crimes (eg., Abu Ghraib, indiscriminate bombing, extra-judicial killings, intentional targeting of civilians, etc.), and
- evidence of fraud, incompetence, and inefficiency of the "reconstruction" (eg., Halliburton, reused MREs, etc.), among other evidence that they believe connects this war to previous military actions. Critics have cited that, economically, the various engagements in Iraq has cost the United States about USD $200,000,000,000, and still costs about USD $6,000,000,000 a month. [http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182] , with exceptionally poor accounting of how the funds are being spent. Concern is growing that corporations with ties to the Bush administration, notably Halliburton, which was provided no-bid contracts that many considered illegal due to their size, to be the primary beneficiaries of the execution of the war.
Countries against
The following countries' governments did not support the War of Iraq:
- The majority of the 114 governments of the Non-Aligned Movement
- Russia
- China
- Pakistan
- Morocco
- Germany
- France
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Belgium
Iraq Survey Group findings
In October 2003, the Iraq Survey Group released the report of interim ISG findings which indicated that small amounts of weapons of mass destruction were uncovered, (including a number of vials containing biological agents stored in the home refrigerators of Iraqi scientists, for example) as well as discoveries of non-WMD programs banned by the United Nations and concealed during the IAEA and UNMOVIC inspections that began in 2002. Kay testified on January 28, 2004 that "the effort that has been directed to this point has been sufficiently intense that it is highly unlikely that there were large stockpiles of deployed, militarized chemical weapons [in Iraq]". The Iraq Survey Group later released the final ISG report which included the following points: # Iraq had destroyed its stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons after the Gulf War [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134625,00.html](but discoveries made by the ISG include a "clandestine network of laboratories ... that contained equipment ... suitable for continuing chemical biological weapons research"); # Saddam Hussein convinced his top military commanders that Iraq did indeed possess WMD that could be used against any U.S. invasion force, in order to prevent a coup over the prospects of fighting the U.S.-led Coalition without these weapons; # Iraq's main goal was to end sanctions while preserving the capability to reconstitute WMD production; # Iraq had intended to restart all banned weapons programs as soon as multilateral sanctions against it had been dropped, a prospect that the Iraqi government saw coming soon; # Iraq used procurement contracts allowed under the Oil for Food program to buy influence among U.N. Security Council member states; # No senior Iraqi official interviewed by the ISG believed that Saddam had forsaken WMD forever; # There was "no indication [Iraq had] resumed fissile material or nuclear weapon research and development activities since 1991" (though there was extensive amount of "documents and equipment, hidden in scientists' homes, that would have been useful in resuming uranium enrichment by centrifuge and electromagnetic isotope separation"[http://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/2003/david_kay_10022003.html] and a "number of post-1995 activities that would have aided the reconstitution of the nuclear weapons program once sanctions were lifted". [http://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/chap4.html]). David Kay opened his testimony during the "Kay Report" at a Senate panel by stating "We were almost all wrong" on Iraq (a quote commonly missattributed to the later head of the ISG, Charles Duelfer,[http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20041011.asp#2] [http://watch.windsofchange.net/themes_94.htm#wrong]). Kay went on though to say that, "Iraq was in clear violation of the terms of Resolution 1441". He stated, "the work of the Iraq Survey Group has shown that Saddam Hussein had WMD intentions, had WMD programs that did survive, and did outwit for 12 years the United Nations Security Council and the resolutions [...] in large measure." Kay did "believe that the effort that has been directed to this point has been sufficiently intense that it is highly unlikely that there were large stockpiles of deployed militarized chemical and biological weapons there". He also stated, in spite of missing stockpiles, that "the world is far safer with [...] the removal of Saddam Hussein." q[http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/pdf/Iraq/kaytestimony.pdf]
War of Iraq
The War of Iraq (2003) was the war in the Middle East country of Iraq, which resulted from the the Iraq disarmament crisis of late 2002 and began with the invasion of 2003. The war was between the Iraqi military and a coalition of multinational forces. The United States and the United Kingdom were the two major components of the US-dubbed "Coalition of the willing" that invaded and deposed Saddam Hussein's regime. This was done because Hussein had failed to comply with 19 UN resolutions requiring a full accounting of its weapons of mass destruction and full cooperation with UN inspections . The forces opposing the coalition units were the conscript Iraqi Regular Army. They were reinforced and strengthened by the Republican Guard and Fedayeen Saddam, but quickly gave up. In post-invasion Iraq (2003–2005), after the Hussein regime had been overthrown, activity centered around coalition and U.N. efforts to establishing a sovereign state. According to some opinion polls, the war was unpopular from the outset in many Coalition countries. The "War of Iraq" refers to the war proper, beginning with the 2003 invasion, continuing in the occupation, and ending at the handover of sovereignty to the new Iraqi government. This conflict resulted in the defeat of the Iraqi regular Army and its supportive divisions. (ed., the details of this are cover in this article)
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom — often rumored to have been originally called Operation Iraqi Liberation before being changed due to an unwanted acronym — had the following military objectives, according to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: # to end the regime of Saddam Hussein. # to identify, isolate and eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. # to search for, to capture and to drive out terrorists from that country. # to collect such intelligence as we can related to terrorist networks. # to collect such intelligence as we can related to the global network of illicit weapons of mass destruction # to end sanctions and to immediately deliver humanitarian support to the displaced and to many needy Iraqi citizens. # to secure Iraq's oil fields and resources, which belong to the Iraqi people. # to help the Iraqi people create conditions for a transition to a representative self-government.
Prior to invasion
Donald Rumsfeld Prior to invasion, the United States and other coalition forces involved in the 1991 Persian Gulf War had been engaged in a low-level conflict with Iraq, enforcing Iraqi no-fly zones. Iraqi air-defense installations were engaged on a fairly regular basis after repeatedly targeting American and British air patrols. In mid-2002, the U.S. began to change its response strategy, more carefully selecting targets in the southern part of the country in order to disrupt the military command structure in Iraq. A change in enforcement tactics was acknowledged at the time, but it was not made public that this was part of a plan known as Operation Southern Watch. The weight of bombs dropped increased from none in March 2002 and 0.3 in April 2002 to between 8 and 14 tons per month in May-August, reaching a pre-war peak of 54.6 tons in September - prior to Congress' 11 October authorisation of the invasion. The September attacks included a 5 September 100-aircraft attack on the main air defence site in western Iraq. According to The New Statesman this was "Located at the furthest extreme of the southern no-fly zone, far away from the areas that needed to be patrolled to prevent attacks on the Shias, it was destroyed not because it was a threat to the patrols, but to allow allied special forces operating from Jordan to enter Iraq undetected."
Combat and occupation summary
Coalition forces managed to topple the government and capture the key cities of a large nation in only 28 days, taking minimal losses while also trying to avoid large civilian deaths and even high numbers of dead Iraqi military forces. The invasion was, in a military context, a complete success, and did not require the huge army built up for the 1991 Gulf War, which numbered half a million Allied troops. This did prove short-sighted, however, due to requirement for a much larger force to combat the irregular Iraqi forces in the aftermath of the war. The Saddam-built army had no weapons that could stand up to Coalition forces, and managed only to stage a few ambushes that gained a great deal of media attention but in reality did nothing to slow the Coalition advance. The Iraqi T-72 tanks, the heaviest armored vehicles in the Iraqi Army, were both outdated and ill-maintained, and when they did stand up to Coalition forces they were destroyed quickly, thanks in part due to the Coalition's control of the air. The U.S. Air Force and British Royal Air Force operated with impunity throughout the country, pinpointing heavily defended enemy targets and destroying them before ground troops arrived. The main battle tanks (MBT) of the Coalition forces, the U.S. M1 Abrams and British Challenger 2, proved their worth in the rapid advance across the country. Even with the large number of RPG attacks by irregular Iraqi forces, few Coalition tanks were lost and no tank crewmen were killed by hostile fire. All three British tank crew fatalities were a result of friendly fire. The only tank loss sustained by the British Army was a Challenger 2 of the Queen's Royal Lancers that was hit by another Challenger 2, killing two crewmen. The Iraqi Army suffered from poor morale, even amongst the supposedly elite Republican Guard, and entire units simply melted away into the crowds upon the approach of Coalition troops. Other Iraqi Army officers were bribed by the CIA or coerced into surrendering to coalition forces. Worse, the Iraqi Army had incompetent leadership - reports state that Qusay Hussein, charged with the defense of Baghdad, dramatically shifted the positions of the two main divisions protecting Baghdad several times in the days before the arrival of U.S. forces, and as a result the units within were both confused and further demoralized when the U.S. Army attacked. By no means did the Coalition invasion force see the entire Iraqi military thrown against it, and it is assumed that most units disintegrated to either join the growing Iraqi insurgency or return to their homes.
Invasion
On March 20 2003 at approximately 02:30 UTC (05:30 local time), about 90 minutes after the lapse of the 48-hour deadline set by the coalition for Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq, explosions were heard in Baghdad and Australian Special Air Service Regiment personnel crossed the border into southern Iraq. At 03:15 UTC, or 10:15 pm EST, U.S. President George W. Bush announced that he had ordered the coalition to launch an "attack of opportunity" against targets in Iraq. Before the invasion, many observers had expected a lengthy campaign of aerial bombing in advance of any ground action, taking as examples the Persian Gulf War or the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. In practice, U.S. plans envisioned simultaneous air and ground assaults to decapitate the Iraqi forces as fast as possible (see Shock and Awe), attempting to bypass Iraqi military units and cities in most cases. The assumption was that superior U.S. mobility and coordination would allow the U.S. to attack the heart of the Iraqi command structure and destroy it in a short time, which would minimize civilian deaths and damage to infrastructure. It was expected that the elimination of the leadership would lead to the collapse of the army and the government, and that much of the population would support the invaders once the government had been weakened. Occupation of cities and attacks on peripheral military units were viewed as undesirable distractions. Following Turkey's (muslim country) decision to deny any official use of its territory, the U.S. was forced to abandon a planned simultaneous attack from north and south, so the primary bases for the invasion were in Kuwait and other Persian Gulf nations. One result of this was that one of the divisions intended for the invasion was forced to relocate and was unable to take part in the invasion until well into the war. Persian Gulf image of Baghdad, April 2, 2003.]] 2003 The invasion was swift, with the collapse of the Iraq government and the military of Iraq in about three weeks. The oil infrastructure of Iraq was rapidly secured with limited damage in that time. Securing the oil infrastructure was considered important. Presumably, oil infrastructure was secured for financial reasons (for the Iraqi people) as well as strategic (for military operations). In the first Persian Gulf War, while retreating from Kuwait, the Iraqi army had set many oil wells on fire, in an attempt to disguise troop movements and to distract Coalition forces — a side effect of these actions were many environmental problems. The British Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade launched an air and amphibious assault on the Al-Faw peninsula during the closing hours of 20 March to secure the oil fields there; the amphibious assault was supported by frigates of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, attached to 3 Commando Brigade, attacked the port of Umm Qasr. The British 16 Air Assault Brigade also secured the oilfields in southern Iraq in places like Rumaila. In keeping with the rapid advance plan, the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division moved westward and then northward through the desert toward Baghdad, while the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and 1 (UK) Armoured Division moved northward through marshland. All forces avoided major cities except when necessary to capture river crossings over the Tigris and Euphrates. The British 7 Armoured Brigade ('The Desert Rats') fought their way into Iraq's second-largest city, Basra, on 6 April, coming under constant attack by regulars and Fedayeen, while the 3rd Parachute Regiment cleared the 'old quarter' of the city that was inaccessible to vehicles. The entering of Basra had only been achieved after two weeks of conflict, which included the biggest tank battle by British forces since World War II when the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards destroyed 14 Iraqi tanks on 27 March. The UK's control of the city was, however, limited. Element's of 1 (UK) Armoured Division began to advance north towards U.S. positions around Al Amarah on 9 April. Pre-existing electrical and water shortages continued through the conflict and looting began as Iraqi forces collapsed. While British forces began working with local Iraqi Police to enforce order, humanitarian aid began to arrive from ships landing in the port city of Umm Qasr and trucks entering the country through Kuwait. After a rapid initial advance, the first major pause occurred in the vicinity of Hillah and Karbala, where U.S. leading elements, hampered by dust storms, met resistance from Iraqi troops and paused for some days for re-supply before continuing toward Baghdad. The first Civil Affairs unit to enter Iraq, the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, was on hand to restore basic services, distribute humanitarian aide, and begin the arduous process of building a democratic government from scratch. This unit would later play a pivotol role in the Iraqi elections when they returned to Iraq a second time. The 2nd Battalion of the U.S. 5th Special Forces Group (part of the Green Berets) conducted reconnaissance in the cities of Basra, Karbala and various other locations. In the North 10th SFG had the mission of aiding the Kurdish factions such as the Union of Kurdistan and the Democratic Party of Kurdistan. Turkey had officially forbidden any US troops from using their bases, so lead elements of the 10th had to make certain detours; their journey was supposed to take four hours but instead it took ten. However, Turkey did allow the use of its air space and so the rest of the 10th flew in. The mission was to destroy Ansar al-Islam and a Kurdish faction. The target was Sargat and after heavy fighting with both groups the special forces finally took Sargat and pushed the remaining units out of Northern Iraq. After Sargat was taken, Bravo Company along with their Kurdish Allies pushed south towards Tikrit and the surrounding towns of Northern Iraq. During the Battle of the Green Line, Bravo Company with their Kurdish allies pushed back, destroyed, or routed 13th Iraqi Armoured and Infantry Division. Bravo took Tikrit. The 173rd Airborne Brigade parachuted into H3, an Iraqi Airfield, and secured it for future use. Iraq was the largest deployment of Special Forces since Vietnam.
Fall of Baghdad
Three weeks into the invasion, U.S. forces moved into Baghdad. Initial plans were for armor units to surround the city and a street-to-street battle to commence using Airborne units. However, within days a "Thunder Run" of US tanks was launched to test Iraqi defenses, with about 30 tanks rushing from a staging base to the Baghdad airport. They met heavy resistance, including many suicide attacks, but launched another run two days later into the Palaces of Saddam Hussein, where they established a base. Within hours of the palace seizure, and television coverage of this spreading through Iraq, Iraqi resistance crumbled around the city. Iraqi government officials had either disappeared or had conceded defeat. On April 9 2003, Baghdad was formally secured by US forces and the power of Saddam Hussein was declared ended. Saddam had vanished, and his whereabouts were unknown. Many Iraqis celebrated the downfall of Saddam by vandalizing the many portraits and statues of him together with other pieces of his personality cult. personality cultOne widely publicized event was the dramatic toppling of a large statue of Saddam in central Baghdad by a US tank, while a crowd of Iraqis apparently cheered the Marines on. The spontaneity of this event has been disputed, with evidence that it was staged by US forces. More detail is available under media coverage. General Tommy Franks assumed control of Iraq as the supreme commander of occupation forces. Shortly after the sudden collapse of the defense of Baghdad, rumors were circulating in Iraq and elsewhere that there had been a deal struck (a "safqua") wherein the US had bribed key members of the Iraqi military elite and/or the Ba'ath party itself to stand down. In May 2003, General Franks retired, and confirmed in an interview with Defense Week that the U.S. had paid Iraqi military leaders to defect. The extent of the defections and their effect on the war are unclear. Coalition troops promptly began searching for the key members of Saddam Hussein's government. These individuals were identified by a variety of means, most famously through sets of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.
Seizure of other areas
In the north, Kurdish forces opposed to Saddam Hussein had already occupied for years an autonomous area in northern Iraq. With the assistance of U.S. Special Forces and airstrikes, they were able to rout the Iraqi units near them and, on 10 April, to occupy oil-rich Kirkuk, a city of significant emotional importance to Kurds, causing further complications in U.S.-Turkish relations. Coalition special forces had also been involved in the extreme west of Iraq, attempting to occupy key roads to Syria and airbases. In one case two armored platoons were used to convince Iraqi leadership that an entire armored battalion was entrenched in the west of Iraq. On 15 April, Multinational forces mostly took control of Tikrit, the last major outpost in central Iraq, with an attack led by the U.S. Marines' Task Force Tarawa (comprised of units from 1st Marine Expeditionary Force) and followed by elements of the Army's 4th Infantry Division.
Bush's 'Mission Accomplished'
On 1 May 2003 George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gave a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq war. Bush's landing was criticized by opponents as an overly theatrical and expensive stunt. Clearly visible in the background was a banner stating "Mission Accomplished." It was criticized by some as premature - especially later as the guerrilla war dragged on. However, one crewmember later stated the banner referred specifically to the aircraft carrier's mission and not the war itself. In the weeks that followed Bush's dramatic aircraft carrier landing, all types of crime significantly increased in Iraq due to the end of the Saddam Hussein regime.
Rise of the insurgency
S-3 Viking In May of 2003, after the Iraqi conventional forces had been defeated, the coalition military noticed a gradually increasing flurry of attacks on the multinational troops in various regions, such as the "Sunni Triangle." In the chaos after the war, massive looting of the infrastructure, and most catastrophically, munitions occurred. According to the Pentagon, 250,000 tons (of 650,000 tons total) of ordnance were looted, providing an endless source of ammunition for the insurgents. The insurgency in Iraq was concentrated in, but not limited to, an area referred to by Western media and the occupying forces as the Sunni triangle. This location includes Baghdad [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraqi_freedom-ops-maps.htm]. Critics point out that the regions where violence was most common was also the most populated regions, but this was not entirely true. The three provinces that had the most number of attacks were Baghdad, Anbar, and Salah Ad Din. Combined they account for 32% of the population. This may be misleading because Baghdad has a low ratio of attacks per capita. This resistance has been described as a type of guerrilla warfare. Insurgent tactics include mortars, suicide bombers, roadside bombs, small arms fire, and RPGs, as well as sabotage against the oil, water, and electrical infrastructure. There is evidence that some of the resistance was organized, perhaps by the fedayeen and other Saddam Hussein or Ba'ath loyalists, religious radicals, Iraqis angered by the occupation, and foreign terrorists. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/135125876_guerrilla30.html] The insurgents are generally known to the Coalition forces as Anti-Iraqi Forces or AIF.
- Operation Planet X (15 May 2003)
Post-invasion Iraq, early- and mid-2003
The post-invasion environment began after the Hussein regime had been overthrown. It centers around Coalition and U.N. efforts to establish a democratic state capable of defending itself , versus various insurgent demands that the foreign forces leave the country Coalition military forces launched several operations around Tigris River peninsula and in the Sunni Triangle. A series of similar operations were launched throughout the summer in the Sunni Triangle. Toward the end of 2003, the intensity and pace of insurgent attacks began to increase. A sharp surge in guerilla attacks, ushered in an insurgent effort that was termed the “Ramadan Offensive,” as it coincided with the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Coaliton forces brought to bear the use of air power for the first time since the end of the war. Suspected ambush sites and mortar launching positions struck from the air and with dfjmsfdgmlery fire. Surveillance of major routes, patrols, and raids on suspected insurgents were stepped up. In addition, two villages, including Saddam’s birthplace of al-Auja and the small town of Abu Hishma were wrapped in barbed wire and carefully monitored. On 22 July 2003, during a raid by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division and men from Task Force 20, Saddam Hussein's sons (Uday and Qusay) and one of his grandsons were killed.
- Operation Peninsula Strike (09 June 2003 - 12 June 2003)
- Operation Desert Scorpion (15 June 2003 - 29 June 2003)
- Operation Scorpion Sting
- Operation Spartan Scorpion
- Operation Rifles Scorpion
- Operation Sidewinder (29 June 2003 - 07 July 2003)
- Operation Soda Mountain (12 July 2003 - 17 July 2003)
- Operation Ivy Serpent (12 July 2003 - 21 July 2003)
- Operation Iron Bullet (July 2003)
- Operation Tyr (July 2004)
- Operation Ivy Lightning (12 August 2003)
- Operation Silverado (16 August 2003)
- Operation Ivy Needle (26 August 2003 - ?)
- Operation Longstreet (September 2003)
- Operation Tiger Clean Sweep (07 September 2003)
- Operation Industrial Sweep (October 2003)
- Operation Chamberlain (15 October 2003 - ?)
- Operation Sweeney (15 October 2003 - ?)
- Operation O.K. Corral (19 October 2003)
- Operation Iron Hammer (November 2003)
- Operation Eagle Curtain (November 2003)
- Operation All American Tiger (06 November 2003 - ?)
- Operation Ivy Cyclone (07 November 2003 - ?)
- Operation Ivy Cyclone II (17 November 2003 - ?)
- Operation Boothill (10 November 2003)
- Operation Rifles Blitz (20 November 2003 - ?)
- Operation Rifle Sweep (26 November 2003)
- Operation Bayonet Lightning (02 December 2003)
- Operation Bulldog Mammoth (04 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Clear Area (06 December 2003)
- Operation Abilene (08 December 2003)
- Operation Panther Squeeze (10 December 2003)
Capture of Saddam
Operation Panther Squeeze In the wave of intelligence information fueling the raids on remaining Ba’ath Party members connected to insurgency, Saddam Hussein himself was captured on December 13 2003 on a farm near Tikrit. The operation was conducted by the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force 121.
- Operation Red Dawn (13 December 2003)
Post-invasion Iraq, late-2003
With the capture of Saddam and a drop in the number of insurgent attacks (an average of 18 a day), some concluded the multinational forces were prevailing in the fight against the insurgency. With the weather growing cooler, United States forces were able to operate in full armor which reduced their casualty rate. The provisional government began training a security force intended to defend critical infrastructure, and the United States promised over $20 billion in reconstruction money in the form of credit against Iraq's future oil revenues. Of this, less than half a billion dollars had been spent in 10 months after it had been promised. Oil revenues were also used for rebuilding schools and for work on the electrical and refining infrastructure. Shortly after the capture of Saddam, elements left out of the CPA began to agitate for elections and the formation of a Iraqi Interim Government. Most prominent among these was the Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani. More insurgents stepped up their activities. The two most turbulent centers were the area around Fallujah and the poor Shia sections of cities from Baghdad to Basra in the south.
- Operation Panther Backroads (15 December 2003)
- Operation Ivy Blizzard (17 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Arrowhead Blizzard (17 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Iron Justice (18 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Rifles Fury (21 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Salm (23 December 2003)
- Operation Devil Siphon (23 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Iron Grip (24 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Iron Force (24 December 2003 - ?)
- Operation Choke Hold (30 December 2003)
Military occupation, early-2004
Early 2004 was marked by a relative lull in violence. Insurgent forces reorganized during which the multinational forces' tactics were studied and a renewed offensive planned. Guerilla attacks were less intense. During the early occupation, a number of widely-cited humanitarian, tactical, and political errors by United States and United Kingdom planners and forces led to a growing armed resistance, usually called the "Iraqi insurgency" (such as the mainstream media and coalition governments). The anti-occupation forces are believed to be predominantly, but not exclusively, Iraqi Sunni Muslim Arabs, plus some foreign Arab and Muslim fighters, some of the latter tied to al-Qaeda. Several minor coalition members have pulled out of Iraq; this has been widely considered a political success for the anti-occupation forces. The failure to restore basic services to above pre-war levels, where over a decade of sanctions, bombing, corruption, and decaying infrastructure had left major cities functioning at much-reduced levels, also contributed to local anger at the IPA government headed by an executive council. On 2 July 2003, President Bush declared that American troops would remain in Iraq in spite of the attacks, challenging the opponents with "My answer is, Bring 'em on," a line the President later expressed misgivings about having used. In the summer of 2003, the multinational forces focused on hunting down the remaining leaders of the former regime, culminating in the shooting deaths of Saddam's two sons in July. In all, over 200 top leaders of the former regime were killed or captured, as well as numerous lesser functionaries and military personnel.
Increased terrorism and the Mahdi Army
Terroristic acts increased during the beginning of 2004. Hundreds of Iraqi civilians and police were killed over this period in a series of massive bombings. The bombings indicated that as the relevance of Saddam Hussein and his followers was diminishing, radical Islamists, both foreign and Iraqi. An organized Sunni insurgency, with deep roots and both nationalist and Islamist motivations, was becoming clearer. The Mahdi Army also began launching attacks on coalition targets and to seize control from Iraqi security forces. The southern and central portions of Iraq were beginning to erupt in urban guerilla combat as multinational forces attempted to keep control and prepared for a counteroffensive.
- Operation Warhorse Whirlwind (January 2004)
- Operation Iron Resolve (January 2004)
- Operation Market Sweep (13 January 2004)
- Operation Saloon (14 January 2004)
- Operation Rock Slide (15 January 2004)
- Operation Final Cut (28 January 2004 - ?)
- Operation Saber Turner II (February 2004)
- Operation Tomahawk (February 2004)
- Operation Trailblazer (February 2004)
- Operation Eagle Liberty 3 (19 February 2004)
- Operation Devil Clinch (21 February 2004)
- Operation Rocketman (26 February 2004)
Fallujah and the Shiite south
The coalition and the Coalition Provisional Authority decided to face the growing insurgency with a pair of assaults: one on Fallujah, the center of the "Mohammed's Army of Al-Ansar", and another on Najaf, home of an important mosque, which had become the focal point for the Mahdi Army and its activities. Just before the attack on Fallujah, four private military contractors, working for Blackwater USA, were ambushed and their corpses mutilated by a large crowd, receiving a great deal of media attention. mutilate After four private military contractors were killed and mutilated, preperation took place for the US Marines to take over responsibility for al-Anbar province in which Fallujah is located. On April 4, the multinational forces began assaults to clear Fallujah of insurgents. On April 9, the multinational force allowed more than 70,000 women, children and elderly residents to leave the besieged city, reportedly also allowing males of military age to leave. On April 10, the military declared a unilateral truce to allow for humanitarian supplies to enter Fallujah. Troops pulled back to the outskirts of the city; local leaders reciprocated the ceasefire, although lower-level intense fighting on both sides continued. A new documentary released by an Italian Newspaper documents the reported "indiscriminate" use of white phosphorus on insurgents. At least one member of the military confirmed the use of the incendiary weapon against enemy combatants. He state that there was a "technique [of firing] a white phosphorus round into the position because the combined effects of the fire and smoke - and in some case the terror brought about by the explosion on the ground - will drive them out of the holes so that you can kill them with high explosives". This weapon was reportedly directed at insurgents. If true, this use of white phosphorous weapons is a violation of the Geneva convention. The city of Fallujah remained under insurgent control despite the Marine's attempt to recapture it in Operation Vigilant Resolve. In the April battle for Fallujah, Coalition troops killed about 600 insurgents and a number of civilians, while 40 Americans died and hundreds were wounded in a fierce battle. The coalition forces were unable to dislodge the insurgents, and instead suffered repeated attacks on its own rear and flank. The Marines were ordered to stand-down and cordon off the city, maintaining a perimeter around Fallujah. A compromise was reached in order to ensure security within Fallujah itself by creating the local "Fallujah Brigade". While the Marine Division attacking had clear superiority in ground firepower and air support, it decided to accept a truce and a deal which put a former Baathist general in complete charge of the town. This compromise soon fell apart and insurgent control returned. By the end of the spring uprising, the cities of Fallujah, Samarra, Baquba, and Ramadi had been left under guerilla control with coalition patrols in the cities at a minimum. Meanwhile, the fighting continued in the Shiite south. The marines were then shifted south, because Italian and Polish forces were having increasing difficulties retaining control over Nasiriya and Najaf. The marines relieved the Poles and Italians, and put down the overt rebellion, but were unable to reestablish control over the centers of the towns. British forces in Basra were faced with increasing insurgency and became more selective in the areas they patrolled

9-11

9-11 can refer to:
- The September 11, 2001 attacks
- A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky,9-11, by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks
- September 11 (month-day date notation)
- 9 November (day-month date notation)
- The North American universal emergency telephone number, 9-1-1. It was originally referred to as the "nine-eleven" service, but has long been exclusively called "nine-one-one" to emphasize the buttons pressed to activate it.
- Additionally in 2005 911 was the name coined for the bombings of an Iranian Hotel complex, that was popularly frequented by foreigners. The 9-11 date stems from the Arabic date system, in which the day is preceeded by the month (the 9th of November). In the Middle East, this date is now considered the "9-11" of the Middle East. See also 911 (disambiguation)

2000s

This article is about the decade starting at the beginning of 2000 and ending at the end of 2009. For the century or millennium starting in 2001, see the links below.

The decade as a whole

The 2000s decade in its most obvious sense refers to the decade spanning from 2000 to 2009. So far, the 2000s has been marked generally with an escalation of the social issues the world inherited from the 1990s and the post-Cold War era which included the rise of terrorism, the rapid expansion of communications and telecommunications with cell phones and the Internet, international pop culture, and the rapid, exponential expansion of globalization on an unprecedented scale. Politically, the 2000s has been almost entirely dominated by the War on Terrorism, with major terrorist attacks including the World Trade Center attack, the Moscow Theatre Siege, the Madrid train bombings, the Beslan school hostage crisis, the 2005 London bombings, and the October 2005 New Delhi bombings. In the news almost daily, especially in North America and Europe, the war on terrorism dominates headlines weekly. The controversy of the War on Terror, its consequences, and justifications, or lack thereof, have led to a politically and socially divided world. The 2000s have also witnessed the incredible economic growth of the world's two most populous nations, India and China, and the ramifications their growth has had on the western world.

Names of the decade

In contrast to the decades from 1920 to 1999, which are called "The Twenties", "The Nineties", and the like; the 2000s has had no generally-accepted name, although it is usually referred to awkwardly as the "Two Thousands". It is also occasionally termed, in historical contexts, the "turn of the millennium" or "turn of the century" (or "turn of the new century," since the idea of 1900 being the "turn of the century" is still fresh in people's minds). This terminology would probably seem silly, however, if used in an informal context. Other names include the "Noughties", the "New Nineties", the "Double-O's", and the "Aughts". The United Nations General Assembly declared the decade of 2000-2009 as the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World."

Criticisms of the Decade

The 2000s are so far not a highly regarded decade by most people in the world as many find the 1990s to have been a much more prosperous time and look fondly upon earlier decades such as the 1960s and 1980s. Common criticisms of the decade include a bad economy, the slowing of the tech boom even despite innovations such as broadband Internet and the Ipod, pop music, television, and movies lacking creativity, the disappointing similarity with the 1990s the decade holds, and the War on Terror and criticisms of President George W. Bush.

Events and trends

Technology

George W. Bush
- A huge jump in broadband internet usage, from 6% of U.S. internet users in June, 2000 to what [http://news.com.com/Study+Broadband+penetration+to+surge+by+2010/2100-1034_3-5815756.html one study] predicts will be 62% by 2010.
- Boom in music downloading and the use of data compression to quickly transfer music over the Internet, with a corresponding rise of portable digital audio players typified by Apple Computer's iPod.
- Digital cameras become very popular due to rapid decreases in size and cost while photo resolution steadily increases. Sales of film reel cameras diminish greatly as a result.
- Google search engine increases trafficability of the internet and "to Google" becomes a verb.
- Due to an increase in ability to store data, USB flash drives begin to replace zip disks and 3.5-inch diskettes.
- Graphic cards become powerful enough to render nearly photo-realistic scenes in real time.
- Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 become the ubiquitous industry standard in personal computer software. Open source and free software continues to be a notable but minority interest, with versions of GNU/Linux gaining in popularity, as well as the Mozilla Firefox web browser.
- Liquid crystal displays begin displacing cathode ray tubes.
- Major advances in Hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, Escape, and the Honda Insight.
- Greater interest in future energy development due to global warming and the potential exhaustion of crude oil.
- Blogs, portals, and wikis become common electronic dissemination methods for professional amateurs and businesses to conduct knowledge management.
- Wikipedia began, and grew rapidly.
- DVDs replace VCR technology as the common standard at video stores.
- Wireless networks become commonplace in homes, education institutes and urban public spaces.
- LASIK eye surgery becomes popular as costs and potential risk decreases and results further improve.
- OLED (Organic light-emitting diode) technology revolutionizes display technology, making it possible to "print" screens on everyday objects.
- Home automation and home robotics become popular in North America; iRobot's "Roomba" is the most successful domestic robot and has sold 1.2 million units.
- GPS (Global Positioning System) becomes very popular especially in the tracking of items or people, and the use in cars.
- RFID (Radio Frequency ID) becomes widely used in retail giants such as Wal-Mart, as a way to track items and automate stocking and keeping track of items.
- DVRs (Digital Video Recorders), typified by TiVo, allow consumers to modify content they watch on TV, and to record TV programs and watch them later, leading to problems as consumers can fast-forward through commercials, making them useless.
- Self-serve kiosks become very widely available, used for all kinds of shopping, airplane boarding passes, hotel check-ins, fast food, and car rental.
- Internet usage surpasses TV viewing in 2004.
- Emerging use of robotics in medicine, particularly for surgery.
- Many more computers and other technologies incorporated into vehicles such as Xenon HID headlights, GPS, DVD players, self-diagnosing systems, advanced pre-collision safety systems, memory systems for car settings, back-up sensors and cameras, in-car media systems, MP3 player compatibility, USB drive compatibility, keyless start and entry, satellite radio, voice-activation, cellphone connectivity, adaptive headlights, HUD (Head-Up-Display), infrared cameras, and Onstar (on GM models).
- Peer-to-peer technology use: internet telephony (Skype), file-sharing.
- Deceleration in the technology industry compared to the rapid growth of the 1990s.

Science

- The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission successfully reached the surface of Mars, and sent detailed data and images of the landscape there back to Earth.
- The Human Genome Project was completed. (2000)
- SpaceshipOne made the first privately-funded human spaceflight. (June 21, 2004)
- National Geographic and IBM fund a research project which traces every living human down to a "Scientific Adam". Human Geneology Project

War, peace and politics

IBM IBM
- Major controversy over U. S. presidential election (November 7-December 13, 2000)
- September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New York's World Trade Center and Virginia's Pentagon killing almost 3000 people. A resultant change in stance towards international terrorism (See New Era and War on Terror) has ripple effects on the USA's foreign policy and military strategy.
- Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002 against Hugo Chávez
- U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to depose the Taliban regime in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks (September 18, 2001 – July 18, 2003).
- The Convention on the Future of Europe proposing first European constitution (i.e., of the EU). The Constitution is rejected by French and Dutch electorate in 2005 leading to political crisis in EU.
- East Timor gains official independence from Indonesia. (May 20, 2002)
- International Criminal Court established, used for judging war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide (July 1, 2002)
- American 2003 invasion of Iraq
- Darfur conflict in Sudan
- "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine leads to election of Viktor Yushchenko as President after initial election victory of incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych is annulled due to vote-rigging
- Revolution in Kyrgyzstan overthrows government of President Askar Akayev
- Beslan school hostage crisis, in which multinational terrorists take a school in Beslan, Russia hostage and subsequently kill 344 people including children (September 1, 2004)
- United States expands international influence, in particular in the Middle East The US also hold a number of war games pertaining to the Strait of Taiwan in preparation for a possible war with the People's Republic of China over a Taiwanese secession. China and Russia display a strategic relationships during a simulated "humanitarian" crisis in the same region during Peace Mission 2005.
- Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and his conservative Liberal Democratic Party are re-elected in a landslide election in September 2005, mainly due to a booming Japanese economy and Junichiro's plans to privatise the Japanese postal service.
- In 2005, Early elections in Germany produce the first Grand Coalition for the country in almost forty years. After weeks of talks, the center-left Social Democrats and center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union agree to let conservative Angela Merkel become chancellor. She is first chancellor to be from eastern Germany, as well as the country's first female chancellor.

Economics

- Globalization: Transnational companies become more pervasive, and anti-globalization protests occur frequently during meetings of IMF and WTO, especially in the early 2000s.
- The euro becomes legal tender in twelve European Union countries in 2002. It's the largest monetary union in history. The euro eases trade in the Eurozone.
- The NASDAQ, the American Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange closed for six days after the September 11th, 2001 attacks the longest close since the Great Depression in 1929.
- Major downturn in the value of dot-com shares, with occasional exceptions (Google's IPO on August 13, 2004)
- The US dominance over the world economy continues, but economically rising nations like China, show signs of becoming contending world powers.
- Significant oil price rises. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline opens on 25 May 2005, potentially removing the dependence of the United States and other Western nations on Middle Eastern oil.
- Enron and other major accounting and corporate governance scandals prompt reviews of corporate government legislation worldwide (eg Sarbanes-Oxley Act)
- The 1990s stock market boom ends in Mid-March to Early September.

Culture and religion

1990s
- The vast proliferation of information technology and digital media leads to many cultural paradigm shifts as people grapple with information overload. Generation Y (Millennials) are said to be adept at these technological developments.
- Reality television becomes a well-established sector of the television programming industry. Nightly news broadcasts continue to lose viewership to 24-hour internet news coverage. Changing television habits that involve increased use of the internet and the preponderance of TiVo make marketers rethink the paradigm of the 30-second TV ad. Viral marketing, and product placement within reality television shows and movies are some increasingly used alternatives. Spam is used as an alternative, irritating many.
- European society continues to become more secular; in contrast, religious groups increase their political influence in the United States and the Middle East.
- The divisive US presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 leads to commentators describing the country as split between Red States and Blue States.
- April 2, 2005: Pope John Paul II dies at age 84; succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI on April 24.
- Same-sex marriage becomes a major cultural issue in developed countries. In 2001, the Netherlands becomes the first country to allow gay couples to wed. This is followed by Belgium in 2003, and by Canada and Spain in 2005. In 2004, Massachusetts becomes the first U.S. state to permit same-sex marriage.

Other

In 2004, Massachusetts.]]
- 2002–2003: SARS virus outbreak, most notably in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Toronto.
- February 1, 2003: The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts onboard, prompting investigation into NASA communication abilities and safety. Space shuttle flight resumes in late 2005, only to be suspended again.
- Major earthquake rocks the ancient city of Bam, in Iran. Cost over 50,000 lives.
- On December 26, 2004, a major earthquake and ensuing tsunami causes devastation in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Maldives and many other areas around the rim of the Indian Ocean. As of January 2005 the death toll is estimated to be nearly 290,000, prompting the largest humanitarian response for a natural disaster in history.
- Methamphetamine use skyrockets while crime rates in the U.S. and use of most other drugs drops.
- Extended alcohol sales becomes popular public policy in US and UK.
- Bird flu spreads through South East Asia; countries begin preparing for a potential bird flu epidemic, fearing that it could mutate into a form that could transfer easily from person to person and kill millions of people. Bird flu spreads rapidly into Europe in October 2005.
- Criticism of Vladimir Putin's governmental policies and reforms mount and a backlash of Soviet-nostalgia occurs in Russia.
- On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina strikes southeastern Louisiana, U.S., killing 1,300 people and devastating the city New Orleans and the Mississippi coast. People and life later return to New Orleans, but many analysts expect that New Orleans will never return to the way it was before.
- A major earthquake in Kashmir kills close to 80,000 people on October 8, 2005, devastating Kashmir and forcing the mass evacuation of mountain towns as winter approaches.
- Arctic sea ice cover reaches record lows; global warming continues to be a major concern.
- National Social Norms Resource Center established in U.S.
- DWI Courts introduced in U.S.
- The 2005 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season becomes the most active on record. First use of the Greek naming system after traditional names exhausted.

Trends and Fashion

- Fashion slowly becomes less grungy and more excessive as the wearing of flannel by people under 30 declines and acid-washed jeans and shaggy hair become again commonplace for boys and men. For girls and women hoop earrings, originally popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, return to style circa 2004.
- Wearing baseball caps backwards peacefully falls out of style, in favor of wearing them sideways or forwards. Sunglasses begin to become less widespread as a fashion statement.
- Increase of tattoos, which began to be popular around 1994
- Big and poofy hair makes large return, such as the Afro and perm.
- Fad diets such as Atkins popular; "less is more" a common statement in 1990s and 2000s
- Slang words used often in the 2000s (some predate the decade)include "Sweet", "Retarded", "Gay", "Crunk", "Wanksta", "Awesome", and "Tight".
- Cell phones become a necessity to teenagers and often a fashion statement as opposed to a preppie toy. As the phones can also be potentially used as a "tracking device", many teenagers and young adults try to avoid having worrisome or over-protective parents know they have one.
- MP3 players (such as the iPod) become very common as they become more powerful and easier to use.
- Generation Y supplants Gen X as current youth generation.
- Interracial dating and relationships become more common in the US, however the double standard of black male-white female pairings and white male-asian female pairings largely continues to persist.
- Strong cultural similarities with the 1990s as the pop culture of that decade continues to be trendy and cherished by the 2000s youth as exampled by the success of Mariah Carey and Green Day in the mid-2000s and by the fact that the Nineties receive only minimal backlash among current youth.
- A very strong nostalgia for the 1980s emerges, and as a result many things from the 80s are "brought back" and certain aspects of the decade become cool again such as New Wave music. Nontheless, the 2000s' kinship with the 1990s prevents a complete acceptance of the 80s.
- Poker becomes a craze, as many Americans are enticed by online poker rooms and games with their friends and neighbors. The World Series of Poker aired on ESPN becomes a huge success.

Music

- Rap music, especially of the post-gangsta and crunk varieties, reaches new heights of popularity, surpassing even the early 1990s in presence and begins to overtake rock and roll as the music of the youth. Popular and definitive artists include Eminem, Jay Z, Nelly, 50 Cent, Ja Rule, DMX, OutKast, and Kanye West.
- Nu metal, an offshoot of grunge and old school hip hop, popular early in the decade but dates itself by about 2003.
- Pop-punk, pioneered by late 90s band Blink 182, rises in popularity throughout the decade, becoming a staple of Gen Y culture. The similar if not identical Emo trend emerges.
- Pop R&B continues to be popular, fueled further by combination with Rap.
- Crunk becomes a household word in 2003 when Lil' Jon popularizes the genre.
- Pop country begins to slip in popularity in the mid-2000s as singers like Faith Hill and Shania Twain no longer top the charts, but it maintains a niche in Middle America.
- Teen pop of the late 90s variety rises and falls in popularity between 1999 and 2002, although maintains a strong media presence afterward and morphes into more adult-oriented music such as Kelly Clarkson.
- Rock bands begin to ditch the Grunge image in favor of more avant-garde and traditional forms of rock music while keeping so-called "Alternative Rock" ethos, beginning around 2002. (see Emo)
- Fall of dance music from pop charts in United States, despite ruling the clubs.
- Underground hip hop thrives on Internet with the likes of Atmosphere and Aesop Rock.

Film

- The two Spider-Man movies make a huge impact on popular culture. The scene in the movieSpider-Man where Mary Jane kisses Spider-Man upside down becomes a commonly spoofed scene on many shows. Being two of the biggest movies of the decade, much anticipation builds around the time of the release of these movies.
- Movie remakes and sequels hit an all-time high, causing many to complain that originality in Hollywood is at an all-time low.
- Decline in ticket sales due to general lack of quality films and decline of the general moviegoing experience, as movie theaters keep ticket prices high and increase the duration of advertisements before movies, in some cases going as long as 20 minutes. Other trends emerge, such as the decreasing cost and increasing size of quality home theater displays along with the availability mail-based movie rental services, most notably Netflix, which offered an unlimited number of DVD rentals for a fixed price per month. Movie executives attempted to place some of the blame on online piracy due to the advent of BitTorrent, however its effect has been disupted, as some claim that those who download these movies would not have paid to see them in the first place.
- Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, comic book movies, and the new Star Wars movies dominate the box office. The high profitability of these franchises arguably has much to do with the lack of investment and quality in newer and more original films in the 2000s.
- The Matrix very influential on special effect styles (ie: 'bullet-time', dramatic effects in slow motion).
- Disney abandons traditional 2D animation in 2005, with Home on the Range being the last 2D Disney movie. Chicken Little becomes the first movie of Disney's 3D era.

Video Games

- Video games begin to approach real-looking graphics as the GameCube, Playstation, and Xbox series push the bounds on technology, beginning around the end of the year 2000.
- Halo (2001) and Halo 2 (2004) massive successes
- Grand Theft Auto games very popular, controversy about their violence and disrespect appears
- Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube, Ported to PS2) gets great reviews (Nintendo Power: 10/10, IGN 9.8/10)
- Xbox Power adapters catch fire, Microsoft replaces them for no charge.
- November 21, 2004: Nintendo releases dual screen, WIFI ready, mic equipped, touch screen handeld, the Nintendo DS, which, after an okay launch, begins to get top rated games (Meteos, Kirby Canvas Curse, Trauma Center: Under the Knife, etc.).
- The Nintendo WIFI Connection (WFC), Nintendo's online service, launches November 2005 along with Mario Kart DS (IGN 9.5/10).
- Sony releases the PSP (suffers from nuemerous dead pixles and mediocre launch titles, now mainly used for homebrew) to compete with the DS.
- Next Generation Systems: Nintendo chooses to focus on Innovation in their console, code-named Nintendo Revolution (coming in 2006, <$300), while Microsoft (Xbox 360, $400 and up) and Sony (Playstation 3, at least $500, most think much higher) choose to make consoles that have better graphics and PC-like features.

Television and Radio

- Reality TV shows, such as The Apprentice, Survivor, and The Amazing Race have become extremely popular, beginning in the year 2000. Big Brother began the craze in Europe a year earlier in the fall of 1999. The rise of Reality to the main networks was one of the first trends that differentiated 2000s television from that of the 1990s. As early as the second season (2000-2001) of Reality TV the trend began to receive criticism by some.
- Popular and definitive TV shows include Lost (2004-), the short-lived Chappelle's Show (2003-2005), Survivor (2000-), South Park (1997-), Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-), 24 (2001-), Spongebob Squarepants (1999-), CSI (1999-), and Desperate Housewives (2004-). 1990s TV shows The Simpsons (1989-), Friends (1994-2004), Law and Order (1990-) and The Real World (1992-) remain varyingly definitive into the 2000s.
- The popular series LOST spawns many copycats in the mid-2000s, including Ghost Whisperer and Invasion.
- Continued trend of animated sitcoms as traditional sitcoms such as Family Matters and Third Rock From The Sun decline in number. Medical TV shows, which rose to popularity in the mid-1990s with ER, are in vogue, along with crime shows.
- Rise of media violence, sex, and language decreases with the 2004 Janet Jackson incident at the Super Bowl. The FCC made their censorship rules more conservative at this point.
- The Nineties sitcom Friends ends in a similar fashion to the end of Cheers in 1993.
- Nickelodeon nearly abandons the live action shows it had in the 1980s and 1990s in favor of Nicktoons. This ends towards the middle of the decade, as the network adds live action fare such as Drake and Josh (2004-), Unfabulous (2004-), and Zoey 101 (2005-). In addition, the network begins to skew to a younger audience than in previous years, cancelling programs popular among teenagers, such as Invader Zim and As Told By Ginger, in favor of programs for younger adolescents, such as All Grown Up, Unfabulous, and Zoey 101.
- Disney Channel shifts from classic Disney programming to live action shows in late 1990s and early 2000s (see Zoog Disney), while turning towards original cartoons beginning in 2001 with The Proud Family.
- Japanimation becomes focus of Cartoon Network and a staple of children's programming, along with more adult-oriented material (see Animatrix and Adult Swim).
- The Simpsons remains incredibly popular despite being nearly 20 years old, but has worn out the welcome of some who believe it's no longer funny or representative of the times.
- Family Guy returns with new episodes in May of 2005 after a 3-year cancellation as many people bought the DVDs of the original 1999-2002 run.
- Talk radio shows such as Al Franken, Coast to Coast AM and Rush Limbaugh keep people on the AM dial.

Sports

- Basketball dips somewhat in popularity with the loss of Michael Jordan and the Kobe Bryant controversy; football continues to become more popular, while professional soccer makes inroads into the United States and Canada.
- Baseball in the United States undergoes controversy due to steroids; stars such as Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, ranked #1 and #2 in single-season home runs, are suspected to have used steroids, while others such as Jason Giambi and Rafael Palmeiro are confirmed to have been using the drugs.
- Beach volleyball becomes an increasingly popular sport worldwide, establishing its first generation of superstars and branching out into large inland cities.

People

World leaders

- President Hamid Karzai (Afghanistan)
- President Néstor Kirchner (Argentina)
- Prime Minister John Howard (Australia)
- Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel (Austria)
- Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (Belgium)
- President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil)
- President Hugo Banzer Suarez (Bolivia)
- President Jorge Quiroga Ramirez (Bolivia)
- President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada Bolivia)
- President Carlos Mesa Gisbert (Bolivia)
- President Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé (Bolivia)
- Prime Minister Jean Chrétien (Canada)
- Prime Minister Paul Martin (Canada)
- President Ricardo Lagos (Chile)
- President Jiang Zemin (China)
- President Hu Jintao (China)
- Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (Convention on the Future of Europe)
- President Alvaro Uribe (Colombia)
- President Stjepan Mesić (Croatia)
- Prime Minister Ivica Račan (Croatia)
- Prime Minister Ivo Sanader (Croatia)
- Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (Denmark)
- Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Denmark)
- President Hosni Mubarak (Egypt)
- President Tarja Halonen (Finland)
- Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen (Finland)
- Prime Minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki (Finland)
- Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Finland)
- President Jacques Chirac (France)
- Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (Germany)
- Chancellor Angela Merkel (Germany)
- Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee (India)
- Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh (India)
- President Megawati Sukarnoputri (Indonesia)
- President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Indonesia)
- President Mohammad Khatami (Iran)
- President Saddam Hussein (Iraq)
- President Ghazi al-Yawer (Iraq)
- President Jalal Talabani (Iraq)
- President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (Latvia)
- Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (Ireland)
- President Mary McAleese (Ireland)
- Prime Minister Ehud Barak (Israel)
- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (Israel)
- Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (Italy)
- President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (Italy)
- Emperor Akihito (Japan)
- Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro (Japan)
- President Vicente Fox Quesada (Mexico)
- Queen Beatrix (The Netherlands)
- Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (The Netherlands)
- Prime Minister Helen Clark (New Zealand)
- President Pervez Musharraf (Pakistan)
- President Yasser Arafat (Palestinian Authority)
- Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian Authority)
- President Joseph Ejercito Estrada (Philippines)
- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Philippines)
- President Jorge Sampaio (Portugal)
- Prime Minister António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (Portugal)
- Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso (Portugal)
- Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes (Portugal)
- Prime Minister José Sócrates (Portugal)
- President Ion Iliescu (Romania)
- President Traian Băsescu (Romania)
- President Vladimir Putin (Russia)
- King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Arabia)
- Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić (Serbia)
- Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong (Singapore)
- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore)
- President Thabo Mbeki (South Africa)
- President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (Spain)
- Prime Minister Göran Persson (Sweden)
- President Joseph Deiss (Switzerland)
- President Chen Shui-bian (Republic of China on Taiwan)
- Queen Elizabeth II (United Kingdom, et. al.)
- Prime Minister Tony Blair (United Kingdom)
- President Bill Clinton (United States)
- President George W. Bush (United States)
- Pope John Paul II (Vatican City) (d. 2005)
- Pope Benedict XVI (Vatican City)
- President Hugo Chávez (Venezuela) State leaders by year: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006...

Entertainers

- 50 Cent
- Adam Sandler
- Alkaline Trio
- Annie Lennox
- Angelina Jolie
- Ben Stiller
- Beyoncé (Dangerously in Love)
- Brad Pitt
- Britney Spears
- Bruce Willis
- Catherine Zeta Jones (Traffic)
- Christina Aguilera
- Christopher Guest
- Coldplay (Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, X&Y)
- Conan O'Brien
- Destiny's Child (Survivor, 8 Days of Christmas

January 1

January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Here a calendar year refers to the order in which the months are displayed, January to December. The first day of the medieval Julian year was usually a day other than January 1. This day was adopted as the first day of the Julian year by all Western European countries except England between about 1450 and 1600. The Gregorian calendar as promulgated in 1582 did not specify that January 1 was to be either New Year's Day or the first day of its numbered year. Although England began its numbered year on March 25 (Lady Day or Annunciation Day), between the 13th century and 1752, January 1 was called New Year's Day, and was, with Christmas and occasionally Twelfth Night, a holiday when gifts were exchanged. 364 days (365 in leap years) remain in the year after this day.

Events

- 45 BC - The Julian calendar first takes effect.
- 404 - Last known gladiator competition in Rome takes place.
- 630 - Prophet Muhammad sets out toward Mecca with the army that will capture it bloodlessly.
- 990 - Kievan Rus' adopts the Julian calendar.
- 1438 - Albert II of Habsburg is crowned King of Hungary.
- 1600 - Scotland begins using the Julian calendar.
- 1651 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland
- 1673 - Regular mail delivery begins between New York and Boston.
- 1700 - Russia begins using the Julian calendar.
- 1707 - John V is crowned King of Portugal
- 1738 - Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier.
- 1788 - First edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.
- 1797 - Albany replaces New York City as the capital on New York.
- 1801 - Legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland is completed to form United Kingdom.
- 1801 - The first known asteroid, 1 Ceres, is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.
- 1804 - French rule ends in Haiti.
- 1808 - Importation of slaves into the United States is banned.
- 1818 - Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus is published.
- 1855 - London, Ontario is incorporated as a city.
- 1861 - Porfirio Diaz conquers Mexico City.
- 1863 - American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect.
- 1863 - The first claim under the Homestead Act is made by Daniel Freeman for a farm in Nebraska.
- 1880 - Ferdinand de Lesseps begins French construction of the Panama Canal.
- 1887 - Queen Victoria was proclaimed empress of India in Delhi.
- 1892 - Ellis Island opens to begin accepting immigrants to the United States.
- 1893 - Japan begins using the Gregorian calendar.
- 1894 - The Manchester Ship Canal, England, was officially opened to traffic.
- 1898 - New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25th by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
- 1899 - Spanish rule ends in Cuba.
- 1901 - Nigeria becomes a British protectorate.
- 1901 - The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes first Prime Minister.
- 1901 - The first official Mummers Parade is held.
- 1902 - The first Rose Bowl game is played in Pasadena, California.
- 1908 - For the first time, a ball is dropped in New York City's Times Square to signify the start of the New Year.
- 1911 - Northern Territory is separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control.
- 1912 - The Republic of China is established.
- 1916 - German troops abandon Yaoundé and their Kamerun colony to British forces and begin the long march to Spanish Guinea.
- 1934 - Alcatraz Island becomes a U.S. federal prison.
- 1934 - Nazi Germany passes the "Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring".
- 1935 - Bucknell University wins the first Orange Bowl 26-0 over the University of Miami.
- 1937 - Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua.
- 1937 - The first Cotton Bowl game is played in Dallas, Texas.
- 1939 - The Vienna New Year's Concert is first held.
- 1942 - The Declaration by the United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.
- 1948 - British railways are nationalised to form British Rail.
- 1948 - After partition, India declines to pay the agreed share of Rs.550 million in cash balances to Pakistan.
- 1948 - Enrico De Nicola formally becomes President of the Italian Republic, but refuses to be a candidate for the first constitutional election the following May.
- 1949 - UN Cease-fire orders to operate in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
- 1956 - The Republic of the Sudan achieves independence from the Egyptian Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- 1958 - The European Community is established.
- 1959 - Fulgencio Batista, President of the Republic of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro's forces.
- 1960 - The Republic of Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- 1962 - Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa.
- 1964 - The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is divided into the independent republics of Zambia and Malawi, and the British-controlled Rhodesia.
- 1969 - Marien Ngouabi formally becomes the President of the Republic of Congo.
- 1970 - The Unix epoch begins at 00:00:00 UTC.
- 1971 - Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.
- 1973 - The Kingdom of Denmark, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland are admitted into the European Community.
- 1976 - NBC introduces its new logo: an abstract N, similar to the Nebraska Educational Television Network logo.
- 1978 - Air India Flight 855 Boeing 747 explodes and crashes into the sea off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
- 1979 - Formal diplomatic relations are established between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America.
- 1981 - The Republic of Greece is admitted into the European Community.
- 1981 - The Republic of Palau achieves self-government; it is not yet independent from the United States of America.
- 1983 - The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.
- 1984 - AT&T is broken up into twenty-two independent units.
- 1984 - The Sultanate of Brunei becomes independent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- 1985 - The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
- 1985 - The first British mobile phone call is made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone.
- 1986 - Aruba becomes independent of Curaçao, though it remains in free association with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- 1986 - Spain and Portugal are admitted into the European Community.
- 1988 - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America comes into existence, creating the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States of America.
- 1993 - Velvet Divorce: Czechoslovakia is divided into the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.
- 1993 - A single market within the European Community is introduced.
- 1993 - Pakistan is elected member of the 15-nation UN Security Council.
- 1994 - The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican State of Chiapas.
- 1994 - The North American Free Trade Agreement comes into effect.
- 1995 - The World Trade Organization comes into effect.
- 1995 - The Kingdom of Sweden and the republics of Austria and Finland are admitted into the European Union.
- 1995 - The Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe becomes the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
- 1996 - Curaçao gains limited self-government, though it remains within free association with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- 1997 - The Republic of Zaïre officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Zaïre.
- 1998 - Smoking is banned in all bars and restaurants in the State of California.
- 1999 - The Euro currency is introduced.
- 2002 - Euro banknotes and coins become legal tender in twelve of the European Union's member states.
- 2002 - The Republic of China officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei.
- 2002 - The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty, initially signed in 1992, officially enters into force.
- 2003 - Luís Inácio Lula da Silva becomes president of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- 2004 - Pervez Musharraf receives a vote of confidence to continue as the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from Parliament and the provincial assemblies.

Births

- 766 - Ali ar-Rida, Shia Imam (d. 818)
- 1431 - Pope Alexander VI (d. 1503)
- 1449 - Lorenzo de Medici, Italian statesman (d. 1492)
- 1484 - Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss Protestant leader (d. 1531)
- 1516 - Margareta Leijonhufvud, queen of Gustav I of Sweden (d. 1551)
- 1557 - Stephen Bocskay, Prince of Transylvania (d. 1606)
- 1600 - Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (d. 1649)
- 1614 - John Wilkins, English Bishop of Chester (d. 1672)
- 1618 - Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Spanish painter (d. 1682)
- 1638 - Emperor Go-Sai of Japan (d. 1685)
- 1648 - Elkanah Settle, English writer (d. 1724)
- 1655 - Christian Thomasius, German jurist (d. 1728)
- 1684 - Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch classical scholar (d. 1748)
- 1704 - Soame Jenyns, English writer (d. 1787)
- 1711 - Franz Freiherr von der Trenck, Austrian soldier (d. 1749)
- 1714 - Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian poet (d. 1780)
- 1735 - Paul Revere, American silversmith and patriot (d. 1818)
- 1750 - Frederick Muhlenberg, first speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1801)
- 1752 - Betsy Ross, American seamstress (d. 1836)
- 1774 - André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist (d. 1860)
- 1793 - Francesco Guardi, Italian artist (b. 1712)
- 1823 - Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet and revolutionary (d. 1849)
- 1833 - Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect (d. 1902)
- 1839 - Ouida, English writer (d. 1908)
- 1854 - Sir James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist (d. 1941)
- 1860 - George Washington Carver, American educator, inventor, and botanist (d. 1943)
- 1863 - Pierre de Coubertin, French initiator of the modern Olympic Games (d. 1937)
- 1864 - Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer (d. 1946)
- 1873 - Mariano Azuela, Mexican novelist (d. 1952)
- 1874 - Gustave Whitehead, German-American inventor (d. 1927)
- 1876 - Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (d. 1933)
- 1879 - E. M. Forster, English novelist (d. 1970)
- 1887 - Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral (d. 1945)
- 1890 - Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer (d. 1966)
- 1892 - Artur Rodzinski, Croatian conductor (d. 1958)
- 1894 - Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian mathematician (d. 1974)
- 1895 - J. Edgar Hoover, American Federal Bureau of Investigation director (d. 1972)
- 1900 - Xavier Cugat, Catalan-Cuban musician, bandleader (d. 1990)
- 1902 - Buster Nupen, South African cricketer (d. 1977)
- 1904 - Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani politician (d. 1982)
- 1906 - Giovanni D'Anzi, Italian songwriter (d. 1974)
- 1909 - Dana Andrews, American actor (d. 1992)
- 1909 - Barry M. Goldwater, U.S. Senator from Arizona and Presidential candidate (d. 1998)
- 1911 - Hank Greenberg, baseball player (d. 1986)
- 1912 - Kim Philby, British spy (d. 1988)
- 1917 - Jule Gregory Charney, meteorologist (d. 1981)
- 1917 - Albert Mol, Dutch actor (d. 2004)
- 1919 - J. D. Salinger, American novelist
- 1920 - Virgilio Savona, Italian singer and songwriter (Quartetto Cetra)
- 1921 - Isma'il Raji' al-Faruqi, Palestinian-born philosopher and comparative religion scholar (d. 1986)
- 1922 - Rocky Graziano, American boxer (d. 1990)
- 1925 - Stymie Beard, American actor (d. 1981)
- 1927 - Vernon L. Smith, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1927 - Doak Walker, American football star (d 1998)
- 1928 - Ernest Tidyman, American writer (d. 1984)
- 1933 - Frederick Lowy, Canadian medical educator, ethicist, and university president
- 1933 - Joe Orton, English writer (d. 1967)
- 1940 - Frank Langella American actor
- 1942 - Martin Frost, American politician
- 1942 - Country Joe McDonald, American musician (Country Joe and the Fish)
- 1942 - Gennadi Sarafanov, cosmonaut
- 1943 - Don Novello, American actor, comedian, and writer
- 1945 - Jacky Ickx, Belgian race car driver
- 1946 - Rivelino, Brazilian football player
- 1953 - Greg Carmichael, British guitarist
- 1957 - Luis Guzmán, Puerto Rican actor
- 1958 - Grandmaster Flash, West Indian-born singer
- 1959 - Azali Assoumani, Comorese president
- 1961 - Mark Wingett, British actor
- 1964 - Dedee Pfeiffer, American actress
- 1966 - Embeth Davidtz, American actress
- 1968 - Davor Šuker, Croatian footballer
- 1969 - Verne Troyer - American actor
- 1970 - Gabriel Jarret, American actor
- 1972 - Neve McIntosh, Scottish actress
- 1975 - Joe Cannon, American soccer player
- 1977 - Hasan Salihamidžić, Bosnian footballer
- 1978 - Erica Durance, Canadian actress
- 1978 - Jared Fogle, American calibate
- 1978 - Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda, Indian spiritual guru
- 1978 - Nina Bott, German actress
- 1979 - Brody Dalle, Australian singer (The Distillers)
- 1979 - Koichi Domoto, Japanese artist
- 1980 - Elin Nordegren, Swedish model
- 1981 - Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian race car driver
- 1981 - Abdulkadir Kocak, Turkish boxer
- 1982 - David Nalbandian, Argentinian tennis player
- 1985 - Steve Davis, Irish footballer

Deaths

- 379 - Saint Basil of Caesarea (b. 330)
- 404 - Saint Telemachus
- 874 - Hasan al-Askari, eleventh Shia Imam (b. 846)
- 898 - Odo, Count of Paris (b. 860)
- 1204 - King Haakon III of Norway
- 1384 - King Charles II of Navarre (b. 1332)
- 1515 - King Louis XII of France (b. 1462)
- 1554 - Pedro de Valdivia, Spanish conquistador
- 1559 - Christian III of Denmark and Norway (b. 1503)
- 1560 - Joachim Du Bellay, French poet
- 1617 - Hendrik Goltzius, Dutch painter (b. 1558)
- 1679 - Jan Steen, Dutch painter
- 1716 - William Wycherley, English dramatist
- 1730 - Samuel Sewall, English-born judge (b. 1652)
- 1742 - Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English statesman (b. 1686)
- 1748 - Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (b. 1667)
- 1766 - James Francis Edward Stuart, "The Old Pretender" (b. 1688)
- 1782 - Johann Christian Bach, German composer (b. 1735)
- 1789 - Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, English politician (b. 1716)
- 1793 - Francesco Guardi, Venetian painter (b. 1712)
- 1800 - Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, French naturalist (b. 1716)
- 1817 - Martin Heinrich Klaproth, German chemist (b. 1743)
- 1892 - Roswell B. Mason, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1805)
- 1894 - Heinrich Hertz, German physicist (b. 1857)
- 1933 - Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (b. 1876)
- 1944 - Charles Turner, Australian cricketer (b. 1862)
- 1953 - Hank Williams, American singer (b. 1923)
- 1958 - Edward Weston, American photographer (b. 1886)
- 1960 - Margaret Sullavan, American actress (b. 1911)
- 1964 - Bechara El Khoury, President of Lebanon (b. 1890)
- 1972 - Maurice Chevalier, French actor and singer (b. 1888)
- 1981 - Beulah Bondi, American actress (b. 1888)
- 1986 - Alfredo Binda, Italian cyclist (b. 1902)
- 1992 - Grace Hopper, American computer pioneer (b. 1906)
- 1994 - Lord Arthur Espie Porritt, Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1900)
- 1994 - Cesar Romero, American actor (b. 1907)
- 1995 - Fred West, British serial killer (suicide) (b. 1941)
- 1995 - Eugene Wigner, Hungarian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
- 1996 - Arleigh Burke, U.S. admiral (b. 1901)
- 1997 - Townes Van Zandt, American musician (b. 1944)
- 1998 - Helen Wills Moody, American tennis player (b. 1905)
- 2001 - Ray Walston, American actor (b. 1914)
- 2003 - Joe Foss, American politician and fighter pilot (b. 1915)
- 2005 - Shirley Chisholm, first black U.S. Congresswoman (b. 1924)
- 2005 - Hugh John Frederick Lawson, 6th Baron Burnham, British newspaperman and politician (b. 1931)
- 2005 - Bob Matsui, U.S. Congressman (b. 1941)

Holidays and observances

- The seventh day and eighth night of Christmas in Western Christianity.
- Many countries around the world using Gregorian Calendar - New Year's Day; often celebrated at 0:00 with fireworks.
- Catholicism - Holy Day of Obligation Octave of Christmas, Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God (New calendar).
- Catholicism - Feast of the Circumcision (Old calendar).
- Catholicism - National Migration Week begins (varying official support by the office of U.S. President, not strictly religious)
- Haiti Independence Day
- Taiwan Founding of Republic of China.
- Sudan Independence Day
- Cuba Liberation Day
- Slovakia: Establishment of Slovak Republic.
- Last day of Kwanzaa
- Vienna New Year's Concert
- Pasadena, California - The Tournament of Roses parade and, traditionally, the Rose Bowl football championship
- World Day for Prayer for Peace

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/1 BBC: On This Day] ---- December 31 - January 2 - December 1 - February 1 — listing of all days ko:1월 1일 ms:1 Januari ja:1月1日 simple:January 1 th:1 มกราคม

Republic of China

The Republic of China (, Wades-Giles: Chung¹-hua² Min²-kuo², Tongyong Pinyin: JhongHuá MínGuó, Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó, Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tiong-hoâ Bîn-kok) is a state that currently has jurisdiction over the island groups of Taiwan, the Pescadores, Kinmen, and Matsu. From 1912 to 1949 the ROC encompassed all of China. The name "Taiwan" is often used synonymously with the existing Republic of China, while the term "China" usually refers to the People's Republic of China (PRC) or mainland China. The ROC was founded in 1912 to replace the Qing Dynasty, ending 2,000 years of imperial rule in China. Its existence on mainland China was scarred by warlordism, Japanese invasion, and civil war and ended in 1949 when the Kuomintang (KMT) was overthrown by the Chinese Communists and was forced to evacuate to Taiwan. There the KMT declared Taipei the provisional capital and continued to regard itself as the sole legitimate government of China. Meanwhile, the Communists proclaimed the People's Republic of China and claimed to have succeeded the ROC over all of China and that the ROC government in Taiwan was an illegitimate government. From its early days to its move to Taiwan to the early 1990s, the Republic of China was closely associated with the KMT, a party formed by the revolutionaries that originally established the Republic and was the authoritarian ruling party of the ROC. However, with political liberalization beginning in the late 1980s the country has transformed into a multiparty representative democracy. The political status of Taiwan continues to remain a contentious issue. The national boundaries have never been officially redrawn, but the ROC no longer pursues its claims over mainland China and Mongolia. The ROC was one of the founding members of the United Nations; however, in 1971, it was replaced in the UN by the PRC. Because the PRC claims sovereignty over Taiwan, the ROC's diplomatic recognition since the 1970s has suffered as a result of the One-China Policy and because of diplomatic maneuvers by the larger and more economically-significant PRC. Most countries switched their recognition from the ROC to the PRC in the 1970s; currently, the ROC is officially recognized by 25 states.

Political History

Republican China, 1911-1949

The Republican Era of China developed out of the Wuchang Uprising against the Qing Dynasty on October 10, 1911. The Republic of China government was declared on January 1, 1912, with Sun Yat-sen as first elected provisional president. As part of the agreement to have the last emperor Puyi abdicate, Yuan Shikai was officially elected president in 1913. However, Yuan dissolved the ruling KMT, ignored the provisional Constitution in asserting presidential power, and ultimately declared himself emperor in 1915. 1915 In response, Yuan's supporters deserted him, and many provinces declared independence and became warlord states. Yuan Shikai died of natural causes in 1916. This thrust China into a decade of warlordism. Sun Yat-sen, forced into exile, returned to Guangdong province with the help of southern warlords in 1917 and 1920, and set up successive rival governments. Sun reestablished the KMT in October 1919. After Sun's death in 1925, Chiang Kai-shek became the effective leader of the KMT having, with the help of the Soviet Union, led the successful Northern Expedition, which defeated the warlords and united China nominally under the KMT. However, Chiang soon dismissed his Soviet advisors, and purged communists and leftists from the KMT, catalyzing the Chinese Civil War. The 1930s were a decade of growth for the areas under KMT control, while the Communists were being pushed into the interior as Chiang Kai-shek sought to destroy them. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and made massive territorial gains during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). With Japan's surrender in 1945, the Republic of China emerged victorious and became one of the founding members of the United Nations. The civil war resumed and intensified after the Japanese surrender, and it ended in the Communist victory in 1949.

The Republic of China on Taiwan, 1945-present

After the defeat of Japan during World War II, Taiwan was surrendered to the Allies and occupied by the ROC government on behalf of the Allied Powers. It was governed under a corrupt military administration leading to widespread island unrest, culminating in the bloody 228 Incident. Martial law was declared in 1948. In this tumultuous climate, after the defeat of the KMT in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek evacuated the Republic of China government to Taiwan and declared Taipei the provisional capital of China. Accompanying his retreat were some 2 million refugees from mainland China, adding to the already present population of approximately 6 million. During the Cold War, the Republic of China was seen by the West as "Free China" and a bastion against Communism, while in contrast the People's Republic of China was seen as "Red China" or "Communist China". The Republic of China was recognized as the sole legitimate government of both Mainland China and Taiwan by the UN and many Western nations until the 1970s. Taiwan remained under martial law, under the name of the "Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion" (動員戡亂時期臨時條款) and one-party rule for four decades from 1948 until 1987, when Presidents Chiang Ching-kuo and Lee Teng-hui gradually liberalized and democratized the system. In 2000, Chen Shui-bian of the more pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected president, becoming the first non-KMT constitutional president of the Republic of China. In the 2004 presidential elections, after being shot while campaigning just one day before, Chen was reelected by a narrow margin of just 0.2%. In both Chen's terms the DPP and the Taiwanese independence leaning Pan-Green Coalition failed to secure a majority of seats in the legislature, losing to the KMT and the pro-eventual unification leaning Pan-Blue Coalition.

Politics

Republican China, 1911-1949

The original founding of the Republic centered on the Three Principles of the People (san min zhuyi): nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood. Nationalism meant standing up to Japanese and European interference, democracy meant elected rule modeled after Japan's parliament, and people's livelihood or socialism, meant government regulation of the means of production. Another lesser known principle that the Republic was founded upon was "five races under one union" (五族共和), which emphasized the harmony of the five major ethnic groups in China as represented by the colored stripes of the original Five-Colored Flag of the Republic. However, this five races under one union principle and the corresponding flag were abandoned in 1927. In reality these three principles were left unrealized. Republican China was marked by warlordism, foreign invasion, and civil war. Although there were elected legislators, from its inception, it was actually a largely one-party dictatorship apart from some minor parties [http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-4/mswv4_17.htm#bm7], including the Chinese Youth Party[http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ics/journal/summaries/number7/Chang%20Yu-fa.htm], the National Socialist Party and the Rural Construction Party[http://english.chinamil.com.cn/site2/special-reports/2005-08/01/content_263104.htm], with suppression of dissent, within the KMT of the Communists. As the central government was quite weak, little could be done in terms of land reform or redistribution of wealth either. Politics of this era consisted primarily of the political and military struggle between the KMT and the CCP, in between bouts of active military resistance against Japanese invasion.

Republic of China on Taiwan, 1949-Present

The constitution of the Republic of China was drafted before the fall of mainland China to the Communists and was created for the purpose of forming a coalition government between the Nationalists and the Communists for rule of all of China, including Taiwan. However, the CCP boycotted the National Assembly, and it is also worth noting, that the Taiwanese representatives were not elected. The constitution went into effect December 25, 1947. Because Taiwan remained under martial law from 1948 until 1987, much of the constitution was not in effect. Since the lifting of martial law, the Republic of China has undergone a drastic process of democratisation and reform, removing legacy components that were originally meant for the governing of mainland China. Many legacy components that still remain are nonfunctional. This process of amendment continues today as the government continues to reform itself. In May of 2005, a new national assembly was elected to reduce the number of parliamentary seats and implement several constitutional reforms. These reforms have since been passed, with the national assembly essentially voting to abolish itself and transferring the power of constitutional reform to the popular ballot.

Political status and the major camps

One key issue has been the political status of Taiwan itself. With the diplomatic isolation brought about in the 1970s and 1980s, the notion of "recovering the mainland" by force has been dropped and the Taiwanese localization movement stengthened. The relationship with the People's Republic of China and the related issues of Taiwan independence and Chinese reunification continue to dominate Taiwanese politics. The political scene in the ROC is divided into two camps, with the pro-unification and center-right KMT, People First Party (PFP), and New Party forming the Pan-Blue Coalition, and the pro-independence and center-left Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and centrist Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) forming the Pan-Green Coalition. Supporters of the Pan-Green camp tend to favor emphasisizing Taiwan as being distinct from China. Many Pan-Green supporters seek Taiwanese independence and for dropping the title of the Republic of China. However, more progressive members of the coalition, such as current President Chen Shui-bian, claim that it is unnecessary to proclaim independence because Taiwan is already "an independent, sovereign country" and that the Republic of China is the same as Taiwan. Some members take a much more extreme view about Taiwan's status, claiming that the ROC is nonexistent and calling for the establishment of an independent Republic of Taiwan. Supporters of this idea have even gone as far as issuing passports for their republic. While the Pan-Green camp favors Taiwan having an identity separate from that of China, Pan-Blue members seem to be strongly supportive of the concept of the Republic of China, which remains an important symbol of their links with China. Pan-Blue views reunification as something that will happen eventually, but until then the current status quo is preferable to declaring independence. During his visit to mainland China in April 2005, KMT Party Chairman Lien Chan reiterated his party's belief in the "One China" policy that states that there is only one China controlled by two governments and that Taiwan is a part of China. PFP Party Chair James Soong expressed the same sentiments during his visit in May. For its part, the PRC has indicated that it finds a Republic of China far more acceptable than an independent Taiwan, and ironically, though it views the ROC as an illegitimate entity, it has made it clear that any effort on Taiwan to formally abolish the ROC or formally renounce its claim over the Mainland would result in a strong and possibly military reaction.

National political structure

The head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote for a four-year term on the same ticket as the vice-president. The president has authority over the five administrative branches (Yuan): the Executive Yuan, Legislative Yuan, Control Yuan, Judicial Yuan, and Examination Yuan. The president appoints the members of the Executive Yuan as his cabinet, including a premier, who is officially the President of the Executive Yuan; members are responsible for policy and administration. The main legislative body is the unicameral Legislative Yuan with 225 seats, of which 168 are elected by popular vote. Of the remainder, 41 are elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight are elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the same principle, as are the eight seats for the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms. Originally the unicameral National Assembly, as a standing constitutional convention and electoral college, held some parliamentary functions, but the National Assembly was abolished in 2005 with the power of constitutional amendments handed over to the Legislative Yuan and all eligible voters of the Republic. The Judicial Yuan is Taiwan's highest judicial body. It interprets the constitution and other laws and decrees, judges administrative suits, and disciplines public functionaries. The president and vice president of the judicial yuan and 15 justices, which form the Council of Grand Justices, are nominated and appointed by the president of the republic, with the consent of the legislative yuan. The highest court, the Supreme Court, consists of a number of civil and criminal divisions, each of which is formed by a presiding judge and four associate judges, all appointed for life. In 1993 a separate constitution court was established to resolve constitutional disputes, regulate the activities of political parties and accelerate the democratization process. Trial is not by jury, but the right to a fair public trial is protected by law and respected in practice; many cases will be presided over by multiple judges. Taiwan's political system does not fit traditional models. The Premier is selected by the President without the need for approval from the Legislature, but the Legislature can pass laws without regard to the President, as neither he nor the Premier wields veto power. Thus, there is little incentive for the President and the Legislature to negotiate on legislation if they are of opposing parties. In fact, since the election of the pan-Green's Chen Shuibian as President in 2000 and the continued control of the Legislative Yuan by the pan-Blue majority, legislation has repeatedly stalled, as the two sides have been deadlocked. Another curiousity of the Taiwanese system is due to historical artifact--because Taiwan was previously dominated by strong-man single party politics, real power in the system shifted from one position to another, depending on what position was currently occupied by the leader of the state (Chiang Kai-shek and later his son, Chiang Ching-kuo). The term ruling party was previously applied to the KMT, and rightfully so, as it was the authoritarian party that controlled all aspects of government. Under a Leninist style one party state, there was little difference between the ROC government, the KMT, and the army. Today, however, the term "ruling party" is used to describe the party holding the Presidency, though this is incorrect since the KMT is now only one of the two major parties, and since Taiwan does not have a parliamentary system, where the executive branch would be occupied by the same party or coalition that held a majority in the legislature.

Regional political divisions

one party state According to the 1947 Constitution, written before the fall of mainland China to the Communists and with the intention of applying it to all of China, the highest level administrative division is the province (the provincial level also includes special administrative regions, regions, centrally administered municipalities). However, since 1998, the only provincial governments to remain fully functional under ROC jurisdiction—Taiwan Province—has been effectively streamlined with responsibility assumed by the central government and the county-level governments (the other existing provincial government, Fuchien, was streamlined much earlier). The ROC currently administers two provinces and two provincial level cities:
- Taiwan Province (all): the Taiwanese main island, except the two municipalities, plus Penghu county (Pescadores Islands)
- Sixteen counties
- Five provincially administrated cities
- Fuchien Province (part): several islands off the Chinese mainland:
- Kinmen County: Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen and Wuchiu
- part of Lienchiang County, namely Matsu, Dongyin, Siyin and Jyuguang
- Two Central Municipalities
- Kaohsiung
- Taipei The Republic of China also controls the Dongsha Islands and Taiping Island, which are part of the disputed South China Sea Islands. They have been placed under Kaohsiung City after the retreat to Taiwan. Taichong is currently under consideration for elevation to central municipality status. Also, Taipei County and Kaohsiung County are considering mergers with their respective cities. Taichong Additionally, although the ROC has not constitutionally renounced sovereignty over Mainland China (including Tibet), outer Mongolia, and Tannu Uriankhai, though in 1991 President Lee Teng-hui it stated that his government does not dispute the fact that the Communist Party rules mainland China. The DPP government under Chen Shui-bian has made moves to ignore such claims, including removing outer Mongolia from the ROC's official maps and the establishment of a representative office in Mongolia's capital, Ulan Bator. One reason the ROC has never officially dropped its claims is fear that the PRC would use such a move as a pretext for invasion, calling it a move towards Taiwan independence. Official boundaries continue to show 35 provinces, 14 municipalities, 1 special administrative region, and 2 regions, instead of 23 provinces, 4 municipalities, and autonomous regions shown on the maps from the PRC that reflect the PRC actual political divisions; however, the ruling DPP government has dropped regulations that require Taiwanese map makers to depict the official boundaries.

Foreign relations

Republican China, 1911-1949

The foreign relations of Republican China were complicated by a lack of internal unity with competing centers of power that all claimed legitimacy as well as foreign interference and invasion. Japan, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, and other major powers all at one point or another made claims to various parts of China during this time. During the early years of the Republic, almost all foreign powers recognized the "warlord" government controlled by Yuan Shi-kai in Beijing as the legitimate government in China. In return for recognition, the Republic had to give up control of Outer Mongolia and Tibet. China would remain suzerain, but Russia would be allowed to influence Mongolia while the British would be allowed in Tibet. It was also this government that sent representatives to sign Treaty of Versailles (over protests by students in the May Fourth Movement). With the conclusion of World War I, China became one of five permanent members in the League of Nations. After the defeat of the Beiyang government in Beijing by the Kuomintang (Nationalists), the Nationalist Government in Nanjing received widespread diplomatic recognition. This recognition lasted throughout the Chinese Civil War and World War II (though Japan established a rival puppet government during the invasion that received some recognition from the Axis). Having fought on the side of the Allied Powers during World War II, the Republic of China became one of the founding members of the UN and held one of five permanent seats on the UN Security Council. [http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/his/republican.php]

Republic of China on Taiwan, 1949-Present

After the KMT retreat to Taiwan, most countries, notably the countries in the Western bloc, continued to maintain relations with the ROC government. Recognition gradually eroded and many countries switched recognition to the PRC in the 1970s. Today, the Republic of China on Taiwan continues to be officially recognized by 25 nations, mostly small countries in Central America and Africa but also including the Holy See of the Catholic Church. The People's Republic of China has a policy of not having diplomatic relations with any nation which recognizes the Republic of China and insists that all nations with which it has diplomatic relations make a statement which recognizes its claims to Taiwan. In practice, however, most major nations maintain unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan and the statement which is required by the PRC is couched in extremely carefully worded ambiguity. In some major nations who do not recognize it, the ROC has representative offices called the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office or the "Taipei Representative Office" for short, that take on most of the functions of an official embassy, such as issuing visas. Likewise, many nations maintain counterpart trade and economic offices in the ROC, such as the American Institute in Taiwan, which is the de facto embassy of the United States in the ROC. The Republic of China was in the United Nations as one of its founding members and held China's seat on the Security Council until 1971, when it was expelled by General Assembly Resolution 2758 and replaced in all UN organs with the government of the People's Republic of China. Multiple attempts by the Republic of China to re-join the UN have not made it past committee. (See China and the United Nations) Besides the dispute with the PRC over the mainland, the ROC also has a controversial relationship with Mongolia. Until 1945, the ROC claimed jurisdiction over Mongolia, but under Soviet pressure, it recognized Mongolian independence. Shortly thereafter, it repudiated this recognition and continued to claim jurisdiction over Mongolia until recently. Since the late 1990s, the relationship with Mongolia has become a controversial topic. Any move to renounce sovereignty over Mongolia is controversial because the PRC claims that it is a prelude to Taiwan independence.

Military

Militaries of Republican China, 1911-1949

As power was fractured, several armies were associated with this era, including those of the various warlords, the KMT, and the CPC. There were two armies to be regarded the "national army": the Beiyang Army of the Warlord government and later the National Revolutionary Army of the Nationalist Government. The founding of the Republic was made possible by mutiny within the Qing New Army. When Yuan Shikai took over as president, he was already commander of the Beiyang Army, which controlled North China. However, with Yuan's death in 1916, numerous factions within the Beiyang Army broke loose, and the leading generals of the Beiyang Army became warlords, operating huge fiefdoms in the following decade. Regulars in these warlord armies often did not wear uniforms and the distinction between bandit and soldier was blurred. With the help of the Comintern, Sun Yat-sen established the National Revolutionary Army in 1925 in Guangdong with a goal of reunifying China under the Kuomintang. To this end, it initially fought against the warlords that had fractured China, successfully unifying China, and later against the Communist Red Army. It also fought against Japanese invasion during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931/1937-1945), which became a part of the larger World War II. Leadership of the military during this time empowered political leadership. Following the lines of Leninism and the Three Principles of the People, the distinction among party, state, and army were blurred. With the defeat by the Communist People's Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War, much of the National Revolutionary Army retreated to Taiwan along with the government. It was later reformed into the Republic of China Army.

Military of the Republic of China on Taiwan

Republic of China Army Today, the Republic of China on Taiwan maintains a large military establishment, mainly as defense against the constant threat of invasion by the People's Republic of China, which is seen as the predominant threat and which has not renounced the use of force against the ROC. From its retreat from mainland China in 1949 until the 1970s, the military's primary mission had been to "retake the mainland." Given its current mission of defense against invasion, the ROC military has begun to shift emphasis from the traditionally dominant army to the air force and navy. Control of the armed forces has also passed into the hands of the civilian government, though the top class of officers is still dominated by mainlanders and their descendants. The officer class votes nearly completely for the KMT in elections. The ROC's armed forces number approximately 300,000, with nominal reserves totaling 3,870,000. The ROC begun its implementation of a force reduction program to scale down its military from a level of 430,000 in the 1990s, and is drawing to a close by 2005. Conscription remains universal for qualified males reaching age 18, but as a part of the reduction effort many are given the opportunity to fulfill their draft requirement through alternative service and are redirected to government agencies or defense related industries. Current plans call for a transition to a predominantly professional army over the next decade, with conscription decreasing by two months each year, with the final result being conscription will be limited to a period of 3 months. The armed forces primary concern at this time is the possibility of an attack by the PRC, consisting of a naval blockade, airborne assault and/or missile bombardment. Four upgraded Kidd-class destroyers were recently purchased from the United States, significantly upgrading Taiwan's air defense and submarine hunting abilities. The Ministry of National Defense planned to purchase diesel-powered submarines and Patriot anti-missile batteries from the United States to counter the recent threat, but its budget has been stalled repeatedly by the opposition-Pan-Blue Coalition controlled legislature as of 2005. The defense package, stalled since 2001, has been stalled to the point that there is now debate about the relevance of the submarines and whether different hardware should be purchased. A significant amount of military hardware has been bought from the United States, and continues to be legally guaranteed today by the Taiwan Relations Act. In the past, the ROC has also purchased hardware from France and the Netherlands. The immediate defense against invasion by the PRC is, of course, the ROC's own armed forces. The current strategy is to hold-out against an invasion or blockade for as long as it would take until the U.S. military could respond. A defense pact between the U.S. and Japan signed in 2005 also implies that Japan would be involved in any response to a PRC invasion. In the event of an invasion, other U.S. allies, especially Australia, would also likely be expected to respond.

Economy

Economy of Republican China, 1912-1949

During the first half of the 20th century the ROC economy was essentially capitalist, with much foreign interference. Progress was impeded by constant war, internal and external strife. With the fall of the emperor and the end of political isolation also came the end of economic isolation. The weak national government led to little government control of the economy other than rampant inflation. China at the time was largely agrarian with most of the land, and thus the wealth, concentrated in a wide pyramid structure – much of the land was owned by a few very wealthy landowners with the general population tenant farmers who did not own land. This situation of severe inequality is exactly the one that both the original revolutionists that had formed Republican China and the Communist party had aimed to overturn. The Henan famine (1943-1944), among general inequality, was one major event that helped aid in the collapse of the Republican government. Labor unions had also been crushed in the purge of the the Communists from the Kuomintang, leading to even more inequality. Meanwhile, in areas controlled by Communists, the CCP implemented land and tax reform as well as improved administration. The Nationalists were propped up through massive economic loans by the United States, to help them carry out their war. Due to political instability and the overprinting of money by the government to finace the wars against the Japanese and against the Communists, this period also suffered runaway inflation.

Economy of Taiwan, history and current situtation

20th century, is in Taipei]] The Republic of China on Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist, export-driven economy with gradually decreasing state involvement in investment and foreign trade. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Real growth in GDP has averaged about eight percent during the past three decades. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Prior to becoming a Japanese colony in 1895, Taiwan was almost a completely agrarian society that was largely undeveloped. After gaining control of Taiwan, Japan began to develop Taiwan as an agricultural supplier for the Japanese empire, supplying rice and sugar cane. During this time, Japan built up basic modern industrial infrastructure in Taiwan, building telephone lines, railroads, and expanding and upgrading the road network, in order to help the colonial Japanese agricultural corporations. Besides the prohibition of studies in law, Taiwanese education was also greatly improved. It is thought that this period of infrastructure improvement laid the foundation for Taiwan's later rapid economic development. After the KMT government retreated to Taiwan, the government implemented a policy of import-subsitution, that is, a policy of attempting to produce imported goods domestically. Much of this was made possible through US economic aid, subsidizing the higher cost of domestic production. Because Taiwanese were largely excluded from the mainlander dominated government, many went into the business world to find success. Today, agriculture constitutes only two percent of the GDP, down from 35 percent in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved offshore and replaced with more capital- and technology-intensive industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in Mainland China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam; 50,000 Taiwanese businesses are established in Mainland China. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the Asian financial crisis in 1998–1999. Unlike its neighbors South Korea and Japan, the Taiwanese economy is dominated by small and medium sized businesses, rather than the large business groups. The global economic downturn, however, combined with poor policy coordination by the new administration and increasing bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first whole year of negative growth since 1947. Due to the relocation of many manufacturing and labor intensive industries to mainland China, unemployment also reached a level not seen since the 1970s oil crisis. This became a major issue in the 2004 presidential election. Because the PRC objects to having other countries maintain diplomatic or official relations with the ROC, the ROC often joins international organizations under a different name. The Republic of China is a member of governmental trade organizations such as the World Trade Organization under the name Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (台灣、澎湖、金門及馬祖個別關稅領域) and APEC under the name Chinese Taipei.

Culture

Culture of Republican China, 1912-1949

The abolition of the empire had an immediate effect on dress and customs: the largely Han Chinese population immediately cut off the queues that they had been forced to grow in submission to the ruling Manchus. In accordance with the tradition of changing the style of dress for successive dynasties, Sun Yat-sen popularized the changshan (the female equivalent is the qipao). Mao Zedong would later adapt the upper part of changshan and wear the style become known to westerners as the Mao suit. Old imperial practices such as footbinding, viewed as backwards and unmodern, were discontinued. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, students and intellectuals began to challenge old customs in what became the New Cultural Movement. The era called for iconoclasm, the assertion of individuality, and the liberalization of society (such as through the abolition of arranged marriages). Universities began to incorporate western subjects into the curriculum and discussion of numerous philosophies such as communism and anarchism ensued. Notably, Lu Xun published his satire Diary of a Madman to challenge Confucianism, Ba Jin questioned the heirarchical family structure, and Hu Shih called for writing in Vernacular Chinese instead of Literary Chinese for mass appeal. The literary journal New Youth, edited by Chen Duxiu, promoted science and democracy. These changes, though affecting urban and upper class society, failed reach the peasantry who remained mostly illiterate. In the 1930s, Chiang Kai-shek launched the New Life Movement to promote traditional Confucian social ethics, while rejecting individualism and Western capitalistic values. It also aimed to build up morale in a nation that was besieged with corruption, factionalism, and opium addiction. Some goals included courtesy to neighbors, following rules set by the government, keeping streets clean, and conserving energy. The concurrent National Goods Movement asked citizens to buy Chinese-manufactured products.

Culture of Taiwan

National Goods Movement in Taipei.]] National Goods Movement National Goods Movement After the retreat to Taiwan, the Nationalists took steps to preserve traditional Chinese culture and suppress the local Taiwanese culture. The government launched a program promoting Chinese calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, folk art, and Chinese opera. One of Taiwan's greatest attractions is the National Palace Museum, which houses more than 650,000 pieces of Chinese bronze, jade, calligraphy, painting and porcelain. The KMT moved this collection from the Forbidden City in Beijing in 1949 when it fled to Taiwan. The collection, estimated to be one-tenth of China's cultural treasures, is so extensive that only 1 percent is on display at any time. Since Taiwan localization movement of the 1990s, Taiwan's cultural identity has been allowed greater expression. Taiwan's mainstream culture is primarily derived from traditional Chinese culture, with significant influences also from Japanese and American cultures, especially in the areas of politics and architecture. Fine arts, folk traditions, and popular culture embody traditional and modern Asian and Western motifs. About 80 percent of the people in Taiwan belong to the Holo subethnic group and speak Taiwanese as the primary language. Mandarin is the primary language of instruction in schools, having been mandatory since the coming of the KMT, and is spoken by almost all Taiwanese (except older generations who were educated under Japanese rule). The Hakka, about 10 percent of the population, have a distinct Hakka language. Aboriginal minority groups still speak their native languages, although most also speak Mandarin and Taiwanese. English is a common second language, with many large private schools such as Hess providing English instruction services. English also features on several of Taiwan's education exams. The status of Taiwanese culture is a subject of debate due to identity politics. Along with the political status of Taiwan, it is disputed whether Taiwanese culture is a segment of Chinese culture (due to the Han ethnicity and a shared language and traditional customs with mainland Chinese) or a distinct culture separate from Chinese culture (due to the long period of recent political separation and the past colonization of Taiwan). Speaking Taiwanese under the localization movement has become an emblem of expressing Taiwanese identity. Karaoke is incredibly popular in Taiwan, where it is known as KTV and is an example of something the Taiwanese have drawn from contemporary Japanese culture. Taiwan has a high density of convenience stores, which in addition to the usual services, provide services on behalf of financial institutions or government agencies such as collection of the city parking fee, utility bills, traffic violation fines, and credit card payments. Taiwanese culture also has influenced the West: Bubble tea and milk tea are popular drinks readily available around city centers in Europe and North America. Ang Lee is the famous Taiwanese movie director of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Eat Drink Man Woman, among other films.

Calendrical system

Following the imperial tradition of using the sovereign's era name and year of reign, official ROC documents and most people in Taiwan still use the Min Guo (Chinese: 民國, pinyin: míngúo, literal meaning: "The Country of the People" or in this case, "Republic") system of numbering years in which year one was 1912, the date of the founding of the Republic of China. For example, Year 2005 is the 94th year of "Min Guo" ("94th year of the Republic") or "Min Guo 94 (jiu shisi) nian" (民國九十四年) in Chinese. As Chinese era names are traditionally two characters long, Min Guo is employed as an abbreviation of the entire ROC title. Coincidentally, this calendrical system is the same as the Juche calendar used in North Korea, which begins with Kim Il Sung's birth in 1912.

References

#[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4616043.stm "Taiwan assembly passes changes"]. BBC News, June 7, 2005. #Feuerwerker, Albert. 1968. The Chinese Economy, 1912-1949. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Miscellaneous topics

- Chinese law
- List of China-related topics
- List of Republic of China-related topics
- Republic of Taiwan
- Human rights in Taiwan

External links

Government websites

- [http://www.gio.gov.tw/ Government Information Office]
- [http://english.www.gov.tw/index.jsp Taiwan e-Government]
- [http://www.president.gov.tw/index_e.html Office of the President]
- [http://www.na.gov.tw/en/index-en.jsp National Assembly]
- [http://www.ey.gov.tw/web/english Executive Yuan]
- [http://www.ly.gov.tw/ly/en/01_introduce/01_introduce_01.jsp Legislative Yuan]
- [http://www.judicial.gov.tw/e-index.htm Judicial Yuan]
- [http://www.exam.gov.tw/english/eng_index.htm Examination Yuan]
- [http://www.cy.gov.tw/ Control Yuan]
- [http://www.mofa.gov.tw/webapp/mp?mp=6 Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
- [http://www.tecro.org/ Taipei Economic & Cultural Representative Office in the U.S.]

Other

- [http://www.kmt.org.tw/Aboutus/English/Aboutus-12.html Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) of the Republic of China on Taiwan]
- [http://wufi.org/english.html WUFI - World United Formosans for Independence]
- [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/taiwan_pol92.pdf Map of ROC's current jurisdiction] (pdf)
- [http://www.geocities.com/athens/delphi/1979/map.html Maps (also showing counties)]
- [http://www.taiwandocuments.org/ Taiwan Documents Project]
- [http://newton.uor.edu/Departments&Programs/AsianStudiesDept/china-taiwan.html Cross-Strait Relations between China and Taiwan] collection of articles.
- [http://www.olympicwatch.org/topics.php?id=11 Olympic Watch (Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games in a Free and Democratic Country) on Taiwan security-related issues]
- [http://www.cna.com.tw/eng/index.html Central News Agency]
- [http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/ China History Forum]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1285915.stm BBC News - Country Profile: Taiwan]
- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tw.html CIA World Factbook - Taiwan]
- [http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/0,7368,450622,00.html Guardian Unlimited - Special Report: Taiwan and China]
- [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/china/ PBS Frontline - Dangerous Straits]
- [http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317916/us559898/us559967/us560229/ LookSmart - Republic of China (Taiwan)] directory category
- [http://dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Taiwan/ Open Directory Project - Taiwan] directory category
- [http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Taiwan/ Yahoo! - Taiwan] directory category
- [http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Taiwan Yahoo! News - Full Coverage: Taiwan]
- [http://www.asiasociety.org/speeches/johnhchang.html Feb 1999 KMT Speech] Taiwan, Republic of China Taiwan, Republic of China Taiwan, Republic of China Category:First republics in Asia Category:Island nations als:Republik China (Taiwan) ja:中華民国 ko:중화민국 simple:Republic of China th:สาธารณรัฐจีน zh-min-nan:Tiong-hôa Bîn-kok

January 1

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

External links

Surveillance

Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior. Systems Surveillance is the process of monitoring the behavior of people, objects or processes within systems for conformity to expected or desired norms in trusted systems for security or social control. See also, deviation analysis. deviation analysis Although the word surveillance literally means (in French) "to watch from above" (i.e. a God's-eye view looking down from on-high) the term is often used for all forms of observation or monitoring, not just visual observation. Nevertheless, the all-seeing eye-in-the-sky is still a general icon of surveillance. The word surveillance is commonly used to describe observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment or other technological means, for example:
- eavesdropping
- telephone tapping
- directional microphones
- communications interception
- covert listening devices or 'bugs'
- Minox subminiature cameras
- closed-circuit television
- electronic tagging
- military reconnaissance
- Reconnaissance aircraft, e.g. Lockheed U-2
- Reconnaissance satellites
- "trusted" computing devices
- Internet and computer surveillance However, surveillance also includes simple, relatively no- or low-technology methods such as direct observation, observation with binoculars, postal interception, or similar methods. The term can also be used to describe the monitoring of diseases by epidemiologists. See Clinical Surveillance .
Surveillance, Counter Surveillance, Inverse Surveillance, Sousveillance
Clinical Surveillance Surveillance is the art of watching over the activities of persons or groups from a position of higher authority. Surveillance may be covert (without their knowledge) or overt (perhaps with frequent reminders such as "we are watching over you"). Surveillance has been an intrinsic part of human history. Sun Tzu's The Art of War, written 2,500 years ago, discusses how spies should be used against a person's enemies. But modern electronic and computer technology have given surveillance a whole new field of operation. Surveillance can be automated using computers, and people leave extensive records that describe their activities. Counter surveillance is the practice of avoiding surveillance or making surveillance difficult. Before computer networks, counter surveillance involved avoiding agents and communicating secretly. With recent developments; the Internet, increasing prevelance of electronic security systems, and computer databases, counter surveillance has grown in scope and complexity. Now counter surveillance involves everything from knowing how to delete a file on a computer to avoiding becoming the target of direct advertising agencies. Inverse surveillance is the practice of reversalism on surveillance, e.g. citizens photographing police, shoppers photographing shopkeepers, and passengers photographing cab drivers who usually have surveillance cameras in their cabs. A well-known example is George Haliday's recording of the Rodney King beating. Inverse surveillance attempts to subvert the Panoptic gaze of surveillance, and often attempts to subvert the secrecy of surveillance through making the inverse surveillance recordings widely available (in contrast to the usually secret or restricted surveillance tapes). Sousveillance (French for "to watch from below") further includes the recording of an activity by a participant in the activity, in addition to inverse surveillance. Recent sousveillance workshops such as Microsoft's [http://research.microsoft.com/CARPE2004/ Continuous Archival and Recording of Personal Experience] are evidence of a growing sousveillance industry including Microsoft (wearable cameras), Nokia, Hewlett Packard ("Casual Capture") and many others. Clinical Surveillance is the monitoring of events (including, for example, the occurances of infectious diseases or chronic diseases) with a significant impact on public health. Increasingly, clinical surveillance is being used to inform public policy in allocating health care resources and meeting patient needs. As health care becomes increasingly dependent on information systems and the use of clinical surveillance becomes more widespread, privacy concerns may arise. Patient centeredness is a form of clinical sousveillance in which information is managed with equiveillance and transparency. Equiveillance is the balance between surveillance and sousveillance.
Impact of surveillance
Image:Moving-camera.gif The greatest impact of computer-enabled surveillance is the large number of organisations involved in surveillance operations:
- The state and security services still have the most powerful surveillance systems, because they are enabled under the law. But today levels of state surveillance have increased, and using computers they are now able to draw together many different information sources to produce profiles of persons or groups in society.
- Many large corporations now use various form of 'passive' surveillance. This is primarily a means of monitoring the activities of staff and for controlling public relations. But some large corporations actively use various forms of surveillance to monitor the activities of activists and campaign groups who may impact their operations.
- Many companies trade in information lawfully, buying and selling it from other companies or local government agencies who collect it. This data is usually bought by companies who wish to use it for marketing or advertising purposes.
- Personal information is obtained by many small groups and individuals. Some of this is for harmless purposes, but increasingly sensitive personal information is being obtained for criminal purposes, such as credit card and other types of fraud. For those who are peacefully working to change society, surveillance presents a problem. Particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, many states now view political dissent as a security issue, and have introduced new laws to strengthen their surveillance powers. Many states have also redefined their legal definition of terrorism to not only include violent acts, but also some types of direct action protest. Even where groups have no involvement in violence, states and corporations may flag members and monitor them more closely. Modern surveillance cannot be totally avoided. However, non-state groups may employ surveillance techniques against an organisation, and some precautions can reduce their success. Some states are also legally limited in how extensively they can conduct general surveillance of people they have no particular reason to suspect. Note: In all the forms of surveillance mentioned below, the issue of patterns is important. Although in isolation a single piece of communications data seems useless, when collected together with the communications data of other people it can disclose a lot of information about organisational relationships, work patterns, contacts and personal habits. The collection and processing of communications data is largely automated using computers. See also: traffic analysis
Telephones and mobile telephones
The official and unofficial tapping of telephone lines is widespread. The contracts or licenses by which the state controls telephone companies means that they must provide access for tapping lines to the security services and the police. For mobile phones the major threat is the collection of communications data. This data not only includes information about the time and duration of the call, but also the geographical location where the call was made from and to whom. This data can be determined generally because the geographic communications cell that the call was made in is stored with the details of the call. But it is also possible to get greater resolution of a persons location by combining information from a number of cells surrounding the persons location. Mobile phones are, in surveillance terms, a major liability. This liability will only increase as the new third-generation (3G) phones are introduced. This is because the base stations will be located closer together. See the article telephone tapping for more details.
Postal services
As more people use faxes and email the significance of the postal system is decreasing (this may not be the case in all countries, certainly the case with international communications, but probably not local). But interception of post is still very important to the security services. There is no easy way to know your post is being read. The machines used to sort and stamp letters often rip up items anyway, so damage is no certain indicator that your post is being read. The simplest counter-measure to stop your post being opened is to put sticky tape along each edge and the seams of the envelope, and then sign the tape with an indelible marker. That prevents all but the most expert tampering. People used to send floppy disks via the post. Today these files can go easily by email. But CDs and DVDs of data are still regularly sent by post. To ensure that this data is not open to reading by anyone, even if its just wrongly delivered, you should encrypt the data.
Surveillance devices - 'bugs'
Surveillance devices or 'bugs' are not really a communications medium, but they are a device that requires a communications channel. The idea of a 'bug' usually involves a radio transmitter, but there are many other options for carrying a signal; you can send radio frequencies through the main wiring of a building and pick them up outside, you can pick up the transmissions from a cordless phones, and you can pick up the data from poorly configured wireless computer networks or tune in to the radio emissions of a computer monitor. Bugs come in all shapes and sizes. The original purpose of bugs was to relay sound. Today the miniaturisation of electronics has progressed so far that even TV pictures can be broadcast via bugs that incorporate miniature video cameras (something made popular recently during TV coverage sports events, etc.). The cost of these devices has dramatically fallen. See the article on bugging for more details.
Computer surveillance
At the very basic level, computers are a surveillance target because you confide your secrets into them. Anyone who can access or remove your computer can retrieve your information. If someone is able to install software on your system they can turn your computer into a surveillance device. Computers can be tapped by a number of methods, ranging from the installation of physical bugs or surveillance software to the remote interception of the radio transmissions generated by the normal operation of computers. Spyware, a term coined by computer security expert Steve Gibson, is often used to describe computer surveillance tools that are installed against a user's will. See the article computer surveillance for more details.
Photography
Photography is becoming more valuable as a means of surveillance. In recent years there has been a significant expansion in the level of stills and video photography carried out at public demonstrations in many countries. At the same time there have been advances in closed circuit television (CCTV) technology and computer image processing that enable digital images taken from cameras to be matched with images stored in a database. Photographs have long been collected as a form of evidence. But as protest and civil disobedience become an ever greater liability to governments and corporations, images are gathered not only as evidence for prosecution, but also as a source of intelligence information. The collection of photographs and video also has another important function - it scares people. See also: Secret photography.
Closed circuit TV
Closed circuit TV (CCTV) - where the picture is viewed or recorded, but not broadcast - initially developed as a means of security for banks. Today it has developed to the point where it is simple and inexpensive enough to be used in home security systems, and for everyday surveillance. The widespread use of CCTV by the police and governments has developed over the last 10 years. In the UK, cities and towns across the country have installed large numbers of cameras linked to police authorities. The justification for the growth of CCTV in towns is that it deters crime - although there is still no clear evidence that CCTV reduces crime. The recent growth of CCTV in housing areas also raises serious issues about the extent to which CCTV is being used as a social control measure rather than simply a deterrent to crime. The development of CCTV in public areas, linked to computer databases of people's pictures and identity, presents a serious risk to civil liberties. Potentially you will not be able to meet anonymously in a public place. You will not be able to drive or walk anonymously around a city. Demonstrations or assemblies in public places could be affected as the state would be able to collate lists of those leading them, taking part, or even just talking with protesters in the street. See the article CCTV for more details.
Electronic trails
Modern society creates large amounts of transaction data. In the past this data would be documented in paper records and would leave a 'paper trail' but today many of these records are electronic, resulting in an 'electronic trail' that is easily reconstructed through automated means. Every time you use a bank machine, pay by credit card, use a phone card, make a call from home, or otherwise complete a recorded transaction you generate an electronic record. When aggregated and analyzed, this information can identify individual behavior patterns that describe how you live and work. One way to protect autonomy and individual freedom in a paper-based world is through anonymous transactions, for example by using cash. When transactions are electronic, that anonymity may be lost. Today, large aggregations of transaction information are assembled by marketing, credit reporting, and other data aggregation companies in order to analyze consumer behavior to determine how companies should manage their marketing or sales strategies, or to assess counterparty "trust" for financial transaction. These data sets are also sold to other companies or to government agencies for additional use. The availability of large data sets of transaction information facilitates the use of automated surveillance or analysis techniques such as data mining to perform [http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/DV/CACM88.html dataveillance].
Data profiling of individuals
Data profiling in this context is the process of assembling information about a particular individual in order to generate a profile -- that is, a picture of their patterns and behavior (compare this use of the term data profiling with that used in statistics or data management where data profiling is the examination of information describing the data or data set itself). Data profiling is used in security, law enforcement and intelligence operations for a variety of applications - for example, to assess 'trust' for security clearances or to grant authorization relating to a trusted system, or to identify or apprehend suspects or threats. The government is able to access information from third parties -- for example, banks, credit companies or employers, etc. -- by requesting access informally, by compelling access through the use of [http://www.cdt.org/security/usapatriot/030924cdt.shtml subpoenas or other procedures], or by purchasing data from commercial data aggregators or data brokers. Under [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=425&invol=435 United States v. Miller] (1976), data held by third parties is generally not subject to Fouth Amendment warrant requirements. Private companies and private investigators can also generally access or purchase data from these aggregators. Information relating to any individual transaction is easily available because it is not generally highly valued in isolation, however, when many such transactions are aggregated they can be used to assemble a detailed profile revealing the actions, habits and preferences of the individual. In the past, much information about individuals has been protected by practical obscurity (a term used by Justice Stevens in his opinion in [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=489&invol=749 USDOJ v. Reporters Committee], 1989). Practical obscurity refers to the practical difficulty of aggregating or analyzing a large number of data points in different physical locations. In addition, information was often transient and not easily available after the fact. Further, even where data was available, correlation of paper-based records was a laborious process. Electronic (and particulaly digital) record keeping has undermined this practical obscurity by making data easily available and potentially making aggregation and analysis possible at significantly lower costs. Thus, as more information becomes available in electronic form -- for example, as public records such birth, court, tax and other records are made available online -- the ability to create very detailed data profiles increases and may raise concerns.
Identities
There are instances when we wish to hide our identity - to remain anonymous - for a whole range of reasons. To eliminate this will be a serious erosion of our civil liberties. This is possible as we move towards the development of 'electronic identities. There are two aspects to this:
- the development of systems of credentials - where you carry a card or a document; and
- the development of biometrics - where you are recognised from your 'unique' biological characteristics. The development of identity systems is being pushed on two fronts:
- The banking industry, who wish to find a more fool-proof system of verifying financial transactions than the possession of a plastic card or the use of a signature;
- Law enforcement, who want a way of identifying individuals easily, even if they have no reason (i.e. evidence) to do so. (See Stop and Search [http://www.met.police.uk/stopandsearch/], [http://www.blink.org.uk/pdescription.asp?key=1726&grp=55&cat=205]) One of the simplest forms of identification is the carrying of credentials. Some countries have an identity card system to aid identification. Other documents, such as drivers licenses, library cards, bankers or credit cards are also used to verify identity. The problem with identity based on credentials is that the individual must carry them, and be identifiable, or face a legal penalty. This problem is compounded if the form of the identify card is 'machine-readable' (could you explain more) In this case it may create a document trail as it is used to verify transactions. As a means of combating the problem of people carrying or falsifying credentials, researchers are increasingly looking at biometrics - measuring biological or physical characteristics - as a way to determine identity. One of the oldest forms of biometrics is fingerprints. Every finger of every person (identical twins included) has a unique pattern, and these have been used for many years to help identify suspects in police enquiries. A finger/thumb print can be reduced to a brief numeric description, and such systems are being used in banks and secure areas to verify identity. A more recent development is DNA fingerprinting, which looks at some of the major markers in the body's DNA to produce a match. However, the match produced is less accurate than ordinary fingerprints because it only identifies people to a certain probability of matching. Further, identical twins have identical DNA, and so are indistinguishable by this method. Handwriting - primarily your signature - has been used for many years to determine identity. However other characteristics of the individual can also be used to check identity. Voice analysis has been used for some as a means to prove identity - but it is not suited to portable use because of the problems of storing a range of voice prints. But perhaps the two most viable portable systems, because identities can be reduced to a series of numeric data points rather than a detailed image or sound, are:
- Iris recognition. Some banks are now using this method of security. The human iris has an almost unique pattern that can be reduced to a simple series of numeric descriptions. The iris reader matches the pattern of the iris to one stored and verifies the match.
- Facial recognition. The configuration of the facial features can be used to accurately identify one individual from another. Again, the configuration can be reduced to a short numeric description. By combining some form of personal identifying feature, with a system of verification it is possible to do everything from buying food to travelling abroad. The important issue is how this information is managed in order to reduce the likelihood of tracking. If you were to combine a particular biometric system with new smart card technology to store the description, that system would be immune from tracking (unless the transaction produced a document/electronic trial). But if the identifying features are stored centrally, and a whole range of systems have access to those descriptions, it is possible that other uses could be made of the data; for example, using high resolution CCTV images with a databases of facial identities in order to identify people at random.
Human operatives and social engineering
The most invasive form of surveillance is the use of human operatives. This takes two forms:
- The use of operatives to infiltrate an organisation; and
- The use of social engineering techniques to obtain information. In groups dealing with issues that are directly contrary to government policy the issue of infiltration often arises. Also, where groups oppose large corporations, infiltration by agents of the corporation is also feared. As well as operatives, the police and security services may put pressure on certain members of an organisation to disclose the information they hold on other members. Running operatives is very expensive, and for the state the information recovered from operatives can be obtained from less problematic forms of surveillance. If discovered, it can also be a public relations disaster for the government or corporation involved. For these reasons, the use of operatives to infiltrate organisations is not as widespread as many believe. But infiltration is still very likely from other organisations who are motivated to discover and monitor the work of campaign groups. This may be for political or economic motivations. There are also many informal links between large corporations and police or security services, and the trading of information about groups and activists is part of this relationship. It is not possible to guard against the infiltration of an organisation without damaging the viability or effectiveness of the organisation. Worrying too much about infiltration within the organisation can breed mistrust and bad working relationships within an organisation. Rather like other forms of surveillance, the professional infiltration of operatives into and organisation is difficult to guard against. Another more likely scenario, especially when dealing with the media or corporate public relations, is social engineering. Social engineering is where someone phones you, interviews you, or just talks to you in the street and tries to make you believe they are someone else, or someone with an innocuous interest in you. But their real interest is to obtain some specific information that they believe you possess. You should develop clear procedures for handling enquiries about your work. For example, one day you get a phone call saying "hi, I'd really like to come on your demonstration against Company X, when is it?", or, "I'm calling for john, he's lost the password for the computer can you give it to me?". You have to guard against the disclosure of information in this way: Unless you have an extremely good reason to, you should never give any security-related information over the phone, and via the Internet you should encrypt security information. Social engineering is easily identified by asking a series a questions to see if a person is aware of facts or future plans that they should not have awareness of. Journalists for well known media organisation can be verified by phoning the editor of that organisation, but freelance or independent journalists should be treated with care - they could be working for anyone. There is of course a balance to be struck here. You need to be able to allow people a certain amount of access to your campaigns. But you also need to preserve the integrity of the groups of people most closely involved in the campaigns work. How you arrive at this balance is your own, difficult, problem to resolve. But however it is resolved, it must be agreed between all those involved in a particular issue in order that you have a consistent policy with all those involved.
Personal counter-surveillance
Counter-surveillance is reliant on good information security planning. Protecting information is the first stage of counter-surveillance. But counter surveillance must also be seen as a balancing of opposing objectives. If you are very good at restricting all information, that state or corporations will have problems monitoring you. However, you are also likely to become more isolated and secretive in the process. Therefore, like information security, counter surveillance requires an effort to protect those activities or information that are sensitive, whilst giving less emphasis to those activities that can be open to all. Information security is primarily based on protecting equipment with security procedures and barriers. Personal counter-surveillance is based on much the same process, but instead you provide security and barriers around your own personal habits. As humans we are creatures of habit. If we exhibit very predictable habits, this makes monitoring of our activities easier. But if on certain occasions we break our habits, it can also give away the fact that we are doing something at that time which is not part of our everyday work. The best way to begin thinking about avoiding surveillance is to think about breaking the regular patterns in your life. This masks regular activity, so making it harder to practice routine surveillance. But it also masks the times when you may undertake activities out of the ordinary. Breaking regular patterns does not mean going to bed at different times, or working different hours everyday. Instead it requires that any activities you wish to avoid being the subject of surveillance are integrated into the other events in your life - but not to the extent that they become predictable. If you change the route you take to work or to shop on a random basis, you make it more difficult to monitor your movements. If you build irregular appointments into activities that might involve surveillance, it creates a background 'noise' in the pattern of your activities that masks any change in your habits. Securing the information on your computer will help your overall security. If you have a portable computer you are presented with a whole new problem because you move that system outside of your ordinary systems of security and access barriers. Therefore special care should be taken with portable computers:
- The system should be secured with a BIOS password to prevent booting;
- Use encryption of the hard disk, where possible, to prevent access to the contents of the hard disk if it is removed from the machine;
- Ensure that your portable computer has different passwords than those used on your static equipment. Securing your information is fairly easy. But the main issue you will have to deal with when considering personal surveillance is how to carry out meetings, and networking with people, when you need to discuss sensitive issues. Primarily, when dealing with sensitive information, avoid generating any kind of documentation or opportunities for surveillance. Think about implementing the following as part of your work:
- Travel -
- If you are travelling to a sensitive meeting take a different route going there and coming back, and if possible do not use the same bus or station when going to or leaving the location you are travelling to. This lessens the likelihood that your destination will be identified.
- If travelling on sensitive business, try to use public transport. Using you own private cars will provide a traceable identity.
- To avoid the CCTV systems in public places move with the crowd; don't rush, don't cut corners, and don't look around for CCTV cameras.
- If you can build in other events/appointments as part of your journey, that will help provide an alternate motive for travelling to that area of a town or city.
- Facial recognition systems work primarily on the configuration of facial features. To work they need to get a good view of the face. Looking at a slight angle towards the ground, and wearing a hat with a brim, helps fool the system.
- If you travel using public transport, roaming tickets are preferable to tickets for a specific journey - they give you more flexibility over the route, and they are more difficult to associate a route travelled with a particular ticket purchase.
- If you have the time available and you can obtain a roaming ticket, build in some extra time to your journey and change trains to make it hard to piece together your journey from CCTV and surveillance sources.
- If travelling in a town, avoid moving through the major shopping areas, or 'controlled environments' such as shopping centres. These have the highest level of CCTV coverage.
- Always assume that public transport vehicles have CCTV installed - travelling during peak hours will help mask your presence.
- To make following you in person or via CCTV more difficult do not wear distinctive clothes or carry distinctive objects - blend in.
- Darkness aids anonymity, but is not a foolproof solution to the latest CCTV cameras which can see in the dark.
- Mobile phones -
- If in doubt, turn it off.
- If travelling to a sensitive location, in an urban area do not use your phone within two or three miles of the location, or in rural areas do not use it within ten or fifteen miles of the location. This will prevent the creation of a trail that associates you with that location on that day.
- If the location you are going to is nowhere near a route you regularly travel, turn off your phone before you start your journey there.
- If you desperately need to mask your location, let someone else carry your phone around for the day - but this is only realistic if you take all precautions to prevent generating other document trails whilst you are moving around.
- Payments -
- If you are travelling to a sensitive location, don't pay by credit/debit card or take money from a cash machine.
- If you need to spend cash when travelling to/working around a sensitive location, do not spend the notes taken directly from the cash machine (their sequential numbers may be logged). Keep a supply of notes received as change elsewhere and use those.
- If you need to buy something when travelling to/working around a sensitive location, do not give any loyalty cards or personalised money off tokens as part of your purchases - they are traceable.
- Communications -
- If you need to make a sensitive phone call that must not be directly associated with you, do so from a public phone box. But beware, if you are associated with the person at the other end of the call, and the content of their calls (rather than just the data) is being monitored, your location at that date and time will be discovered.
- If using public phone boxes, try to use them randomly across an area rather than the ones that are closest to you. Also, try to avoid phone boxes on direct transport routes to your home or place of work.
- If you wish to send something sensitive through the post, wear gloves to prevent creating fingerprints when producing/packing the item, do not lick the envelope or stamps to prevent creating a DNA sample, and post it in a different location to where you normally post your letters (the further the better) using stamps bought on a different day.
- If you need to send a sensitive fax, use a copy shop/bureau which has a self-service desk.
- If you desperately need to keep in communication, buy a pay-as-you-go mobile phone and only use it for a day or two whilst you are engaged in sensitive work.
- Online -
- Maintain a number of alternate personas on the Internet that give you access to web mail and other services should you ever need to use them.
- If you need to use the Internet, use a public access point, such as a cybercafe, a public library that doesn't require an ID, or a college computer lab that doesn't require an ID. Make sure that you do not access your own Internet services from the cybercafe - use an alternate persona.
- If you need to view material that you do not wish to be associated with as part of the server logs of your Internet service provider, use a cybercafe.
- If you use cybercafes as part of your communications, try not to use the same one.
- If you have a laptop computer, and you wish to mask your location, let someone you trust use it online whilst you are away on sensitive work.
- Meetings -
- When organising a private meeting, if you cannot send details to all involved in ways that will not be intercepted always try to agree on meeting in one location near to the meeting place. You can then direct people to the correct location as they arrive. By keeping the location of a private meeting limited, you lessen the likelihood of the location being surveilled.
- If meeting in the home or building of another person or organisation do not make a phone call from their phone to a number that is identified with you, or from a public phone box near to that building.
- If the people going to a private meeting are likely to have mobile phones, ask them to turn them off before travelling to the meeting place (if all the mobile phones of a groups of people are in the same cell at the same time on the same day, it can be assumed that you have had a meeting).
- If you require a private meeting place, do not keep using the same one. Alternate it as much as possible. Also, if you meet in a public place, pick somewhere with a high level of background noise, and with as many obstacles or partitions around the point where you meet, to prevent your conversations being overheard.
- If you must pay for something whilst having a meeting, use cash. Or, if you cannot, get one person to pay. In this way you will not generate paper trails linking you together.
- Meeting in public spaces, streets, in parks, or on public transport is not a good idea - many of these areas are surveilled by CCTV. But bars, cafes and restaurants tend not have their CCTV systems linked to a central control room, and what CCTV systems are installed are concentrated around the till. All forms of technical counter surveillance is achieved through the use or implementation of Technical Surveillance Counter Measures or TSCM. These measures apply equally for the worried individual as to the diligent corporation. Corporate Espionage is on the increase, and because of this it is an ever increasing threat in day to day life and business.
Natural surveillance
Natural surveillance is a term used in "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design"(CPTED) and "Defensible Space" models for crime prevention. These models rely on the ability to influence offender decisions preceding criminal acts. Research into criminal behavior demonstrates that the decision to offend or not to offend is more influenced by cues to the perceived risk of being caught than by cues to reward or ease of entry. Consistent with this research CPTED based strategies emphasise enhancing the perceived risk of detection and apprehension. Natural surveillance limits the opportunity for crime by taking steps to increase the perception that people can be seen. Natural surveillance occurs by designing the placement of physical features, activities and people in such a way as to maximize visibility and foster positive social interaction. Potential offenders feel increased scrutiny and limitations on their escape routes. Natural surveillance is typically free of cost however its effectiveness to deter crime varies with the individual offender. Jane Jacobs, North American editor, urban activist, urban planning critic, and author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), formulated the natural surveillance strategy based on her work in New York's Greenwich Village. Natural surveillance is naturally occurring. As people are moving around an area, they will be able to observe what is going on around them, provided the area is open and well lit. Supporting a diversity of uses within a public space is highly effective. Other ways to promote natural surveillance include low landscaping, street lights, street designs that encourage pedestrian use, removing hiding and lurking places, and placing high risk targets, such as expensive or display items, in plain view of legitimate users, such as near a receptionist or sales clerk. Included in the design are features that maximize visibility of people, parking areas and building entrances: doors and windows that look out on to streets and parking areas, see-through barriers (glass brick walls, picket fences), pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and streets, and front porches. Designing nighttime lighting is particularly important: uniform high intensity "carpet" lighting of large areas is discouraged, especially where lights glare into (and discourage) observers eyes. In its place is feature lighting that draws the observer's focus to access control points and potential hiding areas. Area lighting is still used, but with shielded and cut-off luminaires to control glare. Light sources are typically placed lower to the ground, at a higher density, and with lower intensity than the lighting it is designed to replace. Any architectural design that enhances the chance that a potential offender will be, or might be, seen is a form of natural surveillance. Often, it is not just the fact that the offender might be seen that matters. It is that the offender "thinks" they will be seen that can help deter the opportunity for crime. (See also security lighting.)
See also

- ECHELON,
- Espionage,
- Information Awareness Office
- Inverse surveillance
- Mass surveillance
- RFID
- Surveillance aircraft
- Secure computing
- Sousveillance
- The Transparent Society
- Treaty on Open Skies
- Trusted Systems
- TSCM
References

- David Brin (1998), The Transparent Society New York: Addison-Wesley: ISBN 0-201-32802-X
- Simson Garfinkel, Database Nation; The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century. O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. ISBN 0-596-00105-3
- Jacobs, Jane (1961) The Death and Life of Great American Cities New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-60047-7
External links

- Much of the text of this article is taken from [http://secdocs.net/manual/lp-sec/scb7.html "Living Under Surveillance"] written by Paul Mobbs for the Association for Progressive Communications, which is licensed under the GFDL, and hence can be used in Wikipedia
- [http://www.securitypark.co.uk SecurityPark.net] Leading news site for the Security industry, covering access control, biometrics, computer and IT security, CCTV, intruder alarms, manned guarding, perimeter protection, remote monitoring and surveillance
- [http://www.cctvnewsportal.com CCTV news portal] Online news site for CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) systems and products: cameras, cctv domes, IP-based cctv, wireless cctv, monitoring stations, recording equipment
- [http://www.surveillancenewsportal.com Surveillance news portal] Online news site publishing the latest articles on surveillance technology and products
- [http://www.kithrup.com/brin/tschp1.html David Brin's web site]
- [http://www.surveillance-and-society.org/ Surveillance & Society] Free academic e-journal on surveillance. Includes resources
- [http://wearcam.org/iwis/ International Workshop on Inverse Surveillance]
- [http://cryptome.org/dhs-truck.htm DHS surveillance truck]
- [http://www.che-lives.com/home/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=197 Anti-Electronic Surveillance, Are they watching you?] Category:Surveillance

January 5

January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 360 days (361 in leap years) remain in the year after this day.

Events

- 1463 - Poet François Villon is banned from Paris.
- 1477 - Battle of Nancy, Charles the Bold killed, Burgundy becomes part of France.
- 1500 - Duke Ludovico Sforza conquers Milan.
- 1527 - Martyrdom of Felix Manz, a Swiss Anabaptist.
- 1554 - Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
- 1675 - Battle of Colmar, French army beats Brandenburg.
- 1757 - Louis XV of France survives the assassination attempt by Robert–François Damiens, the last person to be executed in France with the traditional and gruesome form of death penalty used for regicides.
- 1759 - George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis.
- 1781 - American Revolutionary War: Richmond, Virginia is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.
- 1846 - The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Territory with the United Kingdom.
- 1854 - The San Francisco steamer sinks, 300 dead.
- 1895 - Dreyfus Affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island.
- 1896 - An Austrian newspaper reports that Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a type of radiation later known as X-rays.
- 1900 - Irish leader John Edward Redmond calls for a revolt against British rule.
- 1909 - Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama.
- 1912 - Prague Party Conference
- 1914 - Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor.
- 1919 - Free Committee for a German Workers' Peace founded, which would become the Nazi party.
- 1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first female governor in the United States.
- 1933 - Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay.
- 1940 - FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time.
- 1944 - The Daily Mail becomes the first transoceanic newspaper.
- 1945 - The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland.
- 1948 - Warner Brothers shows the first color newsreel (Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl).
- 1956 - Elvis Presley records "Heartbreak Hotel."
- 1957 - Major league baseballer Jackie Robinson retires.
- 1961 - Television: Mr. Ed debuts.
- 1964 - Pope Paul VI meets the Greek patriarch Athenagoras I in Jerusalem, the first meeting of Catholic and Orthodox Christianity leaders since 1439.
- 1968 - Alexander Dubček comes to power, "Prague Spring" begins in Czechoslovakia.
- 1970 - Soap opera: All My Children premieres.
- 1972 - President of the United States Richard Nixon orders the development of a space shuttle program.
- 1973 - Netherlands recognizes East Germany.
- 1974 - An earthquake in Lima, Peru kills six, and damages 100s of houses.
- 1975 - The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, is struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, killing twelve people.
- 1976 - Cambodia is renamed Democratic Campuchea.
- 1980 - Hewlett-Packard announces release of its first personal computer.
- 1984 - Richard Stallman starts developing GNU.
- 1987 - President of the United States Ronald Reagan undergoes prostate surgery causing worries about his health.
- 1993 - The oil tanker MV Braer runs aground on the coast of the Shetland Islands spilling 84,700 tonnes of oil.
- 1993 - Washington state executes Westley Allan Dodd by hanging (the first legal hanging in America since 1965).
- 1996 - Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone.
- 1997 - Withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya.
- 2000 - The 1st day of the 2000 Al Qaeda Summit.
- 2002 - Charles Bishop, a 15-year-old student pilot, crashes a light aircraft into a Tampa, Florida building, evoking fear of a copycat 9/11 terrorist attack.
- 2006 - Expected activation of Sober worm.

Births

- 1209 - Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1272)
- 1587 - Xu Xiake, Chinese writer and geographer (d. 1641)
- 1592 - Shah Jahan, Mughal Emperor of India (d. 1666)
- 1614 - Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands (d. 1662)
- 1717 - William Wildman Shute Barrington, British statesman (d. 1793)
- 1779 - Stephen Decatur, American naval officer (d. 1820)
- 1779 - Zebulon Pike, American explorer (d. 1813)
- 1846 - Rudolf Christoph Eucken, German writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1926)
- 1855 - King Camp Gillette, American inventor (d. 1932)
- 1865 - Julio Garavito Armero, Colombian astronomer (d. 1920)
- 1874 - Joseph Erlanger, American physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
- 1876 - Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1967)
- 1880 - Nikolay Medtner, Russian composer (d. 1951)
- 1893 - Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian guru (d. 1952)
- 1900 - Yves Tanguy, French painter (d. 1955)
- 1902 - Stella Gibbons, English novelist (d. 1989)
- 1904 - Jeane Dixon, American astrologer (d. 1997)
- 1909 - Stephen Kleene, American mathematician (d. 1994)
- 1910 - Hugh Brannum, American actor (d. 1987)
- 1910 - Jack Lovelock, New Zealand athlete (d. 1949)
- 1913 - Jean-Pierre Aumont, French actor (d. 2001)
- 1914 - George Reeves, American actor (d. 1959)
- 1915 - Arthur H. Robinson, Canadian-born American cartographer (d. 2004)
- 1920 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist (d. 1995)
- 1921 - Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss writer (d. 1990)
- 1921 - Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
- 1923 - Sam Phillips, American country music producer (d. 2003)
- 1926 - Hosea Williams, American religious leader and civil rights activist (d. 2000)
- 1928 - Ali Bhutto, President of Pakistan (d. 1979)
- 1928 - Walter Mondale, U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate
- 1931 - Alvin Ailey, American choreographer (d. 1989)
- 1931 - Alfred Brendel, Austrian pianist
- 1931 - Robert Duvall, American actor and director
- 1932 - Umberto Eco, Italian philologist and writer
- 1932 - Chuck Noll, American football coach
- 1938 - King Juan Carlos I of Spain
- 1938 - Jim Otto, American football player
- 1938 - Ngugi wa Thiongo, Kenyan writer
- 1940 - Michael O'Donoghue, American writer (d. 1994)
- 1941 - Miyazaki Hayao, Japanese animated film maker
- 1942 - Maurizio Pollini, Italian pianist
- 1942 - Charlie Rose, American talk show host
- 1946 - Diane Keaton, American actress
- 1948 - Ted Lange, American actor
- 1950 - Chris Stein, American guitarist (Blondie)
- 1953 - Pamela Sue Martin, American actress
- 1953 - George Tenet, American Central Intelligence Agency director
- 1954 - Alex English, American basketball player
- 1956 - Chen Kenichi, Japanese-born chef
- 1960 - Phil Thornalley, English bass guitarist (The Cure)
- 1961 - Suzy Amis, American actress
- 1962 - Joe Monzo, American composer
- 1968 - Ricky Paull Goldin, American actor
- 1969 - Marilyn Manson, American singer
- 1972 - Sakis Rouvas, Greek singer
- 1975 - Bradley Cooper, American actor
- 1982 - Janica Kostelic, Croatian skier
- 1985 - Richard Butler, English footballer
- 1985 - Michael Cuccione, Canadian actor and singer (d. 2001)

Deaths

- 842 - Al-Mu'tasim, Abbasid caliph (b. 794)
- 1400 - John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English politician (executed)
- 1465 - Charles, Duke of Orléans, French poet (b. 1394)
- 1477 - Charles, Duke of Burgundy (killed in battle) (b. 1433)
- 1524 - Marko Marulić, Croatian poet (b. 1450)
- 1588 - Qi Jiguang, Chinese general (b. 1528)
- 1589 - Catherine de Medici, queen of Henry II of France (b. 1519)
- 1655 - Pope Innocent X (b. 1574)
- 1740 - Antonio Lotti, Italian composer (b. 1667)
- 1762 - Empress Elizabeth of Russia (b. 1709)
- 1771 - John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, British statesman (b. 1710)
- 1846 - Alfred Thomas Agate, American artist (b. 1812)
- 1858 - Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Austrian field marshal (b. 1766)
- 1891 - Emma Abbott, American soprano (b. 1849)
- 1922 - Ernest Shackleton, Irish explorer (b. 1874)
- 1929 - Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaievich of Russia (b. 1856)
- 1933 - Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States (b. 1872)
- 1941 - Amy Johnson, English pilot (1903)
- 1943 - George Washington Carver, American educator, activist, and botanist (b. 1860)
- 1951 - Andrei Platonov, Russian writer (b. 1899)
- 1956 - Mistinguett, French singer (b. 1875)
- 1963 - Rogers Hornsby, baseball player (b. 1896)
- 1970 - Max Born, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1882)
- 1970 - Roberto Gerhard, Catalan composer (b. 1896)
- 1971 - Douglas Shearer, Canadian film sound engineer (b. 1899)
- 1979 - Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
- 1981 - Harold C. Urey, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1893)
- 1981 - Lanza del Vasto, Italian philosopher, poet, and activist (b. 1901)
- 1982 - Hans Conried, American actor (b. 1917)
- 1988 - Pete Maravich, American basketball player (b. 1947)
- 1990 - Arthur Kennedy, American actor (b. 1914)
- 1991 - Vasko Popa, Yugoslav poet (b. 1922)
- 1994 - Thomas P. 'Tip' O'Neill, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1912)
- 1996 - Yahya Ayyash, Palestinian terrorist (b. 1966)
- 1998 - Sonny Bono, American singer, actor, U.S. Congressman (skiing accident) (b. 1935)
- 2001 - Nancy Parsons, American actress (b. 1942)
- 2003 - Roy Jenkins, British politician (b. 1920)
- 2003 - Jean Kerr, American author (b. 1923)
- 2004 - Tug McGraw, baseball player (b. 1944)
- 2005 - Danny Sugerman, American music group manager (The Doors) (b. 1954)

Holidays and observances

- The eleventh day of Christmas in Western Christianity, and the Twelfth Night of Christmas in Western Christianity.
- Catholicism - Feast day of St. John Neumann.
- Mungday (Discordianism)
- National Bird Day

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/5 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/1/5 Today in History: January 5]
- [http://www.it-observer.com/articles.php?id=972 IT Observer article on Sober worm] ---- January 4 - January 6 - December 5 - February 5 — listing of all days ko:1월 5일 ja:1月5日 simple:January 5 th:5 มกราคม

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a major United States city located in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of Florida. It serves as its county seat. The population within the city limits in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, was 321,772; making it the third largest city in the state, following Jacksonville and Miami. Tampa is a part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area. The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.6 million residents, making it the second largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the state behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, and the third largest in the southeast.

History

The word "Tampa" is an American Indian word used to refer to the area when the first European explorers arrived in Florida. Its meaning, if any, has been lost to the ages, though it is sometimes claimed to mean "sticks of fire" in the language of the Calusa, a Native American tribe. Other historians claim the name refers to "The place to gather sticks". "Sticks of fire" may also relate to the high concentration of lightning strikes that Tampa Bay receives every year during the hot and wet summer months. The name first appears in the "Memoir" of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda (1575), the author of which had spent 17 years as a Calusa captive. He calls it "Tanpa" and describes it as an important Calusa town. Spanish conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez was the first European known to have visited the Tampa area, on April 8, 1528. Hernando DeSoto arrived a year later to rescue the only remaining living member of de Narváez's expedition. A peace treaty was conducted with the local Indians and a short-lived Spanish outpost was established, but this was abandoned when it became clear that there was no gold in the area, and that the local Indians were not interested in converting to Catholicism and were too skilled as warriors to easily conquer. When England acquired Florida in 1763, the bay was named Hillsborough Bay, after Lord Hillsborough, Secretary of State for the Colonies. Spain transferred Florida to the United States in 1821 (see Adams-Onis Treaty). An Indian reservation was established in what is now north Tampa. As part of efforts to firmly establish United States control over southern Florida, then a vast swampy wilderness with sparse Seminole Indian population, a military outpost ("Cantonment Brooke") was established at what is now the Tampa Convention Center in downtown Tampa in 1823 by Colonels George Mercer Brooke and James Gadsden. In 1824, the post was renamed Fort Brooke. It was a vital military asset in the Seminole Wars. The village of Tampa began to grow up around the fort, which was decommissioned in 1883. Except for two cannons now on the University of Tampa campus, all traces of the fort are gone. Tampa was incorporated on January 18, 1849 with 185 inhabitants (excluding military personnel stationed at Fort Brooke). The town's first census came in 1850 when Tampa-Fort Brooke accounted for 974 residents. Tampa was reincorporated as a town on December 15, 1855, and Judge Joseph B. Lancaster became the first Mayor in 1856. During the Civil War, Fort Brooke was occupied by Confederate troops, and martial law was declared in Tampa. In 1862, a Union gunboat shelled the city during the Battle of Tampa. Union forces took Fort Brooke in May of 1864, and occupied the town for the next year. Phosphate was discovered in the Bone Valley region near Tampa in 1883. Tampa is now one of the world's leading phosphate exporters. Henry B. Plant's railroad reached the town shortly thereafter, enabling the commercial fishing industry to thrive. In 1885, the Tampa Board of Trade persuaded Vincente M. Ybor to move his cigar manufacturing operations to Tampa from Key West. The Ybor City district was built to accommodate the factories and their workers. Tampa soon became a major cigar production center. Thousands of Italian (the majority coming from Alessandria Della Rocca and Santo Stefano, two small Sicilian towns which Tampa maintains strong ties with) and Cuban immigrants came to Tampa to work at the factories. Henry Plant built a lavish luxury hotel in the city in 1883, which is now the campus of the University of Tampa. Tampa was an embarkation center for American troops during the Spanish-American War. Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were part of the 30,000 troops stationed in Tampa for training. In 1904, local civic association Ye Mystic Krewe "invaded" the city for the first time, establishing the yearly Gasparilla Pirate Festival. Illegal bolita lotteries became very popular among the Tampa working classes, especially in Ybor City, where many gambling parlors sprang up. Profits from the bolita lotteries and Prohibition-era bootlegging led to the development of several organized crime factions in the city. The first boss of Tampa's organized crime world was Charlie Wall, but various power struggles culminated in consolidation of control by Sicilian mafioso Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his faction in the 1950s. After his death in 1954 from cancer, control passed to his son Santo Trafficante, Jr., who established alliances with families in New York and extended his power throughout Florida and into Batista-era Cuba. The University of South Florida was established in 1956, sparking development in northern Tampa and nearby Temple Terrace. The biggest development of the city was the development of New Tampa that started in 1988 when the city annexed a 24-square mile (mostly rural) area between I-275 and I-75. Today, the district boasts over 22,000 inhabitants. With the advent of air conditioning, thousands of new residents have arrived in Tampa from the northern United States. The population continues to grow rapidly, and construction is proceeding rapidly on new housing developments around Tampa. On January 5, 2002, just four months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 15-year-old amateur pilot Charles Bishop flew a Cessna plane into the 42-story Bank of America Plaza building in downtown Tampa. Bishop died, but there were no other injuries (because the crash occurred on a Saturday, when few people were in the building). A suicide note found in the wreckage expressed support for Osama bin Laden. Bishop had been taking a prescription medicine for acne called Accutane that may have had the side effect of depression or severe psychosis. His family later sued Hoffman-La Roche, the company that makes Accutane, for $70 million; however, an autopsy found no traces of the drug in the teenager's system.

Landmarks

The most famous landmark is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Being Florida's largest bridge, and being the worlds longest Cable-Strayed Bridge, It is the best-known landmark in Tampa. The Hillsborough County line extends throughout the bay and to the Gulf of Mexico, in which is part of the city's water area. The current bridge replaced a cantilever bridge that fell when a freighter collided into it in 1980. The city of Tampa is proposing building a more recognizable landmark in the downtown area - and two ideas that have been proposed is a Space Needle building similar to that of Seattle's. Another plan calls for four large fabric "gates" to be placed at four areas leading into the downtown area that would be illuminated at night and would recognizable to outside visitors welcoming them into the downtown area.

Geography

Tampa is located on the West coast of Florida at 27°58'15" North, 82°27'53" West (27.970898, -82.464640). It is bordered by two bodies of water: Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, which both flow to form Tampa Bay, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 441.9 km² (170.6 mi²). 290.3 km² (112.1 mi²) of it is land and 151.6 km² (58.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 34.31% water.

Population and demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 303,447 people, 124,758 households, and 71,236 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,045.4/km² (2,707.8/mi²). There are 135,776 housing units at an average density of 467.8/km² (1,211.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 64.22% White (51.0% White Non-Hispanic), 26.07% Black or African American, 0.38% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.15% Asian, 0.09% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 4.17% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. 19.29% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 124,758 households out of which 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% are married couples living together, 16.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.36 and the average family size is 3.07. In the city the population is spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the city is $34,415, and the median income for a family is $40,517. Males have a median income of $31,452 versus $26,133 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,953. 18.1% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 26.8% of those under the age of 18 and 15.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy

poverty line poverty line Like much of Florida, Tampa's economy is heavily based on services and tourism. There is a huge net influx of cash into the area. Many wealthy people have winter houses there, and the upscale Tampa Palms neighborhood is a desirable destination for retired sports athletes. Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa, and the city is an extremely popular location for call centers. Fortune 500 company Publix, a supermarket chain, is headquartered in nearby Lakeland, Florida.

Weather and climate

Tampa experiences a subtropical to temperate climate. Highs usually stay between 65 and 95 year round °F (18 and 33 °C), and lows rarely go below 32°F (0°C). These rare freezes are an enormous threat to area agriculture and aquaculture. Fog can also be a major problem in the winter and spring. Temperatures are hot June through October. These summer days have highs around 90 °F (32 °C) and high humidity. The summer nighttime temperature drops to only around 75 °F (23 °C). Thunderstorms are a major concern on summer afternoons. High winds, small hail, and torrential rain often accompany these common afternoon thunderstorms which can be severe. Tornadoes are not unheard of. These storms often move out over the Gulf of Mexico at night, where they are easily seen from land as spectacular light shows. Another major concern for Tampa is the Atlantic hurricane season which runs from June 1st to November 30th and peaks in September http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/tampa.html 2. It has been more than 50 years since Tampa has had a direct hit from a hurricane. Tampa also is synonymous as the "Lighning Capital of the World," due in part to the frequent, dangerous and (on rare occasions) deadly lightning strikes.

Education

Institutions of Higher Learning

hurricane
- Florida Metropolitan University (FMU)
- Hillsborough Community College has several campuses around the Tampa Bay area.
- University of South Florida (USF) is located in northern end of the city, near Busch Gardens and Temple Terrace.
- University of Tampa (UT) is a privately-funded institution located just west of downtown Tampa, near the Hillsborough River. UT is a preferred winter practice destination for northern rowing teams from Ivy League schools.

High schools

- Alonso High School - Website: http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/~alonso.high/Index1.htm
- The Academy of the Holy Names
- Armwood High School - Website: http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/~armwood.high/index.htm#P14
- Berkeley Preparatory School - Website: http://www.berkeleyprep.org/
- Blake High School (named after Howard W. Blake)
- Bloomingdale High School
- Brandon High School
- Chamberlain High School
- Durant High School
- East Bay High School
- Freedom High School
- H.B.Plant High School
- Hillsborough High School - Website: http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/~hillsborough.high/
- Jefferson High School
- Jesuit High School of Tampa - Website: http://www.jesuittampa.org/
- King High School - Website: http://king.mysdhc.org/
- Leto High School
- Middleton High School
- Newsome High School
- Plant City High School
- Riverview High School
- Robinson High School
- Sickles High School - Website: http://www.sickles.us/
- Tampa Bay Technical High School
- Tampa Catholic High School
- Tampa Preparatory School
- Vivian Gaither High School - Website: http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/~gaither.high/main/gindex.htm
- Wharton High School

Middle schools

- Adams
- Benito
- Ben Hill
- Booker T. Washington
- Buchanan
- Coleman
- Davidsen
- Dowdell
- Eisenhower
- Farnell
- Ferrell
- Franklin
- Greco
- Hill
- Liberty
- Madison
- Monroe
- McLane
- Memorial
- Orange Grove
- Pierce
- Progress Village
- Roland Park
- Sligh
- Stewart
- Van Buren
- Walker
- Webb
- Williams
- Wilson
- Young

Attractions and points of interest

- Big Red Balloon Sightseeing Adventures offers hot air balloon rides.
- Hyde Park is an upscale district in South Tampa. There are many fine shops and restaurants in the area as well as a movie theatre.
- Malibu Grand Prix is an entertainment complex with two 18-hole miniature golf courses, a gameroom, and two race tracks.
- Seminole Gaming Palace - Seminole reservation, casino, Hard Rock Cafe
- The Skatepark of Tampa is a world-famous skatepark, with many professional skateboarders flocking to it in January for the Tampa Am, and in March, for the Tampa Pro.
- Tampa Union Station is an historic train station between downtown and Ybor City.
- Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District near downtown. It is a hotspot at night (especially on the weekends due to the many nightclubs, bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues in the area). Ybor City and Tampa in general were an integral part of the Florida death metal scene.
- West Tampa south of Raymond James Stadium, includes many Cuban and Spanish businesses, along Columbus Drive. Columbus Drive is also known as Boliche Boulevard after a famous Cuban dish. La Teresita, La Ideal, Lincoln Restaurant, The Italian American Club, and the Letter Carriers Hall are some of the well known local gathering places in Tampa. The "Brothers to the Rescue" Corner monument is in West Tampa at Dale Mabry Highway and Columbus Drive.
- The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg runs in neighboring St. Petersburg.

Cinemas

- Tampa Theatre is a historic movie palace that shows a wide range of independent, foreign and classic films in addition to an occasional live show. It also is the home of several film festivals that occur throughout the year.
- Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has an IMAX dome theater
- The Fun-Lan Drive-In is the only drive-in theater left in Tampa. Fun-Lan has four screens each showing first-run movies. There is also a flea market in the morning five days per week.

Live theatre

- Friday Morning Musicale The building, originally built in 1926, now serves as a community center and theatre. It is located in Hyde Park area of South Tampa.
- Gorilla Theatre is an intimate venue in Drew park.
- Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is located in downtown on the Hillsborough river and hosts a variety of live shows and concerts
- Tampa Theatre shows classic and art house films. It occasionally hosts live performances.
- Jobsite Theater is downtown's 8-year old regional theater company, and resident theater company of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

Museums

- African Art Gallery
- American Victory Museum
- Centre gallery student art gallery at University of South Florida
- Cigar Museum And Visitor Center is in Ybor City.
- Henry B. Plant Museum is located at the University of Tampa across the river from downtown.
- Museum Of Science and Industry (MOSI)
- Salvador Dalí Museum is located across the bay in downtown Saint Petersburg, Florida. It boasts one of the largest collections of Salvador Dalí's art in the world.
- Saunders Planetarium is part of MOSI.
- Tampa Bay History Center is in downtown.
- Tampa Museum of Art is in downtown on the Hillsborough river.
- Tampa Police Museum is in downtown.
- Ybor City Museum State Park is near downtown Tampa in Ybor City.

Shopping centers

- International Plaza and Bay Street, located in the Westshore business district, is home to many upscale department stores (with Nordstrom, Dillard's, Robb & Stucky Interiors and Neiman Marcus as anchors) as well as a hotel that was recently built on the premises.
- WestShore Plaza is a upper-middle class shopping center, one mile away from International Plaza and Bay Street. On the middle class end, the mall is anchored by Sears and JCPenney, and on the higher end, anchored by Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue.
- University Mall, in the northern part of the city near the University of South Florida, with Sears, Macy's, Dillard's, and Burlington Coat Factory as anchors.

Sports teams

Tampa is home to three major professional sports teams and a number of minor league teams.
- National Football League: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa
- National Hockey League: Tampa Bay Lightning: St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa
- Arena Football League: Tampa Bay Storm: St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa
- Major League Soccer: Tampa Bay Mutiny: defunct
- Florida State League (Single-A baseball): Tampa Yankees: Legends Field in Tampa
- Additionally, the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Legends Field.
- The Bulls of USF play at Raymond James Stadium.
- The NCAA football Outback Bowl is held here each January.

Zoological gardens and aquaria

- Big Cat Rescue is a non-profit sanctuary for large cats. The facility is in the Citrus Park area and is open to the public.
- Busch Gardens is a popular theme park with rides, shows and animals.
- Florida Aquarium is located in the Channel District near downtown.
- Lowry Park Zoo is rated one of the nation's top mid-sized zoos.
- Suncoast Primate Sanctuary.
- University of South Florida Botanical Gardens.

Local media

Newspapers

Daily

- St. Petersburg Times
- The Tampa Tribune

Weekly

- La Gaceta: The nation's only trilingual newspaper, written in English, Spanish and Italian
- Weekly Planet: A free "alternative" tabloid
- Tampa Bay Times (TBT): A free information and entertainment tabloid published by the St. Petersburg Times
- Tampa Bay Business Journal: The region's premier source for local business news subscription tabloid

Television

- WEDU Ch. 3 (PBS)
- WFLA Ch. 8 (NBC)
- BAY9 Ch. 9 24 Hour Bay Area News
- WTSP Ch. 10 (CBS)
- WTVT Ch. 13 (FOX)
- WUSF Ch. 16 (PBS)
- WCLF Ch. 22 Independent
- WFTS Ch. 28 (ABC)
- WTTA Ch. 38 (WB)
- WTOG Ch. 44 (UPN)
- WMOR Ch. 32 Independent
- WFTT Ch. 50 Telefutura
- WVEA Ch. 62 Univision
- WXPX CH. 66 Pax

Yearly events

- Bonk Festival of New Music is an annual event to promote public awareness of new music and to foster relationships between musicians. It takes place at a variety of venues around Tampa.
- Florida State Fair lasts about a week in February and features livestock, food, entertainment and midway rides. It takes place at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
- Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a daytime parade that takes place one Saturday in February.
- Sant'Yago Knight Parade is an illuminated nighttime parade that takes place one Saturday in February in Ybor City.
- Guavaween offers daytime events and nighttime parade one Saturday in October in Ybor City.
- Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival lasts a little over a week during October. The movies are primarily shown at the Tampa Theatre although other local venues are occasionally used as well.
- Tropical Heatwave is a diverse series of concerts sponsored by community radio 88.5 WMNF.

MacDill Air Force Base

MacDill Air Force Base, located in south Tampa, is home to CENTCOM, the Central Command of the United States military; and SOCOM, the Special Operations Command. The base is run by the 6th Air Mobility Wing, and includes both the 310th Airlift Squadron, flying the C-37, and the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, flying the KC-135. The base flightline was closed in the 1991 round of base closings under the Base Realignment and Closure committee discussions; at the time, the base was used for F-16 training and the air traffic in the Tampa area was considered detrimental to training; the noise produced was also considered inappropriate in a densely settled area. However, despite committee recommendations, the base remained open to house and support CENTCOM and SOCOM. The flightline was reopened in 1993 for NOAA operations, and in 1996 the air refueling squadron moved to the base from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. Approximately 14,000 people work at MacDill Air Force Base. It is a significant contributor to Tampa's economy, and the city is very supportive of the military community. In 2003 and 2004, the Tampa Bay area was awarded the Abilene Trophy, which annually honors the most supportive Air Force city in the country.

Transportation

Montana Montana

Airports

Tampa International Airport is the city's main airport. In March 2003, Conde Nast Traveler magazine ranked the airport #1 in the US and #3 in the world. There is also a smaller general aviation terminal called Peter O. Knight Airport which is located on Davis Island near downtown. Saint Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is across the bay and offers another option for air travelers.

Train stations

Amtrak services Tampa via the Tampa Union Station which is near downtown.

Seaports

Several cruise ships make use of the Port of Tampa, located in the Channel District.

Mass transit

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HARTline) operates the streetcars as well as the bus system. HARTline has signed transit deals with both the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa, allowing HARTline buses to transfer students and faculty from the two campuses to other areas of Tampa free of charge as long as proof of affiliation with the school is presented. The TECO Line Streetcar System, which links Ybor City, the Channel District and downtown Tampa, began operating on Saturday, October 19, 2002. Although quite limited in the scope of areas that it services, and its slow speed (about 10-15 mph), the air-conditioned cars do offer a comfortable and nostalgic method of getting around. The line is similar to the streetcar network in Tampa in the early 20th century.

Famous Tampa natives

Prominent individuals born in Tampa:
- David Sanborn (b. 1945), saxophonist
- Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975), saxophonist
- Nat Adderley (1931-2000), cornetist
- Aaron Carter (b. 1987), pop singer
- Butterfly McQueen (1911-1995), actress
- Robert Martinez (b. 1934), politician, Florida governor
- Ferdie Pacheco (b. 1927), doctor, boxing analyst
- Santo Trafficante, Jr. (1914-1987), Mafia boss
- Derek Bell (b. 1968), baseball player
- Steve Garvey (b. 1948), baseball player
- Luis Gonzalez (b. 1967), baseball player
- Dwight Gooden (b. 1964), baseball player
- Tony LaRussa (b. 1944), baseball player
- Al Lopez (1908-2005), baseball player
- Tino Martinez (b. 1967), baseball player
- Fred McGriff (b. 1963), baseball player
- Jason Michaels (b. 1976), baseball player
- Jay Feely (b. 1976), football player
- Lou Piniella (b. 1943), baseball player
- Gary Sheffield (b. 1968), baseball player
- Andre Caldwell (b. 1985), football player

Sister cities

Tampa is a sister city with Agrigento, Italy; Barranquilla, Colombia; Córdoba, Argentina; Granada, Nicaragua; Izmir, Turkey; Le Havre, France; Oviedo, Spain and Camarines Sur, Philippines.

External links

- [http://www.tampagov.net/ Tampa, Florida municipal government]
- [http://www.cityoftampa.net/ CityofTampa.net] Tampa's community site
- [http://www.tampabaystart.com/ Tampa Bay Area Start Page]
- [http://www.tampachamber.com/pdfs/sba-br_historyoftampa.pdf History of Tampa] (PDF) from the Tampa Chamber of Commerce
- [http://dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/Florida/Localities/T/Tampa/ Open Directory Project: Tampa]
- [http://www.tampabay-online.org Tampa Bay and Beyond] art and music events for the area
- [http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org Tampa Bay History Center] Category:Cities in Florida Category:Hillsborough County, Florida Tampa, Florida ja:タンパ

September 11, 2001 terrorist attack

The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States of America carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in which hijackers simultaneously took control of four U.S. domestic commercial airliners. The hijackers crashed two planes into the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City — one into each of the two tallest towers, about 18 minutes apart — shortly after which both towers collapsed. The hijackers crashed the third aircraft into the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters, the Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed into a rural field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, 80 miles (129 km) east of Pittsburgh, following passenger resistance. The official count records 2,986 deaths in the attacks including the hijackers. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission) states in its final report that the nineteen hijackers who carried out the attack were terrorists, and were all affiliated with the Islamic Al-Qaeda organization. The report named Osama bin Laden, a Saudi national, as the leader of Al-Qaeda, and as the person ultimately suspected responsible for the attacks, with the actual planning being undertaken by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Bin Laden categorically denied involvement in two 2001 statements , although the denial is widely disbelieved in the West. Bin Laden himself remains at liberty at this time. The 9/11 Commission reported that these hijackers turned the planes into the largest suicide bombs in history. The September 11th attacks are among the most significant events to have occurred so far in the 21st century in terms of the profound economic, social, political, cultural and military effects that followed in the United States and many other parts of the world.

The attacks

The attacks started with the hijacking of four commercial airliners. With jet fuel capacities of nearly 24,000 U.S. gallons (91,000 litres) per aircraft [http://www.boeing.com/commercial/767family/pf/pf_200prod.html], the planes were turned into flying incendiary bombs. American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north side of the north tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) at 8:46:40 AM local time (12:46:40 UTC). At 9:03:11 AM local time (13:03:11 UTC), United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the south tower, covered live on television. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37:46 AM local time (13:37:46 UTC). The fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field near Shanksville and Stonycreek Township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania at 10:03:11 AM local time (14:03:11 UTC), with parts and debris found up to eight miles away. The crash in Pennsylvania is believed to have resulted from the hijackers either deliberately crashing the aircraft or losing control of it as they fought with the passengers. No one survived in any of the hijacked aircraft. The fatalities were in the thousands: 265 on the four planes; 2,595, including 343 New York City firefighters, 23 NYPD police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers in the WTC; and 125 civilians and military personnel at the Pentagon. At least 2,986 people were killed in total. In addition to the 110-floor Twin Towers of the World Trade Center itself, five other buildings at the WTC site and four subway stations were destroyed or badly damaged. In total, on Manhattan Island, 25 buildings were damaged. Communications equipment such as broadcast radio, television and two way radio antenna towers were damaged beyo

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