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2006: Facts & Events That Happened in This Year

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2006: Facts & Historical Events That Happened in This Year

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2006 was a year of significant change and memorable moments across various fields, marking milestones in technology, entertainment, and science.

This year saw Facebook and Twitter, two now-ubiquitous social media platforms, open their doors to the general public, revolutionizing how we connect and communicate.

In the realm of space exploration, NASA published groundbreaking photographs indicating the presence of liquid water on Mars, sparking renewed curiosity about the possibility of life beyond Earth.

The entertainment industry was abuzz with the debut of Miley Cyrus as the wholesome teenager Hannah Montana and the release of Sacha Baron Cohen’s film Borat, which brought a mix of humor and controversy to the big screen.

Tragically, 2006 was also the year we lost the beloved wildlife expert and environmentalist Steve Irwin, who died after a stingray attack.

Continue reading to uncover the remarkable events, chart-topping music hits, inspiring quotes, and influential deaths that shaped the year 2006.

Events

Here you’ll discover a collection of fascinating and unforgettable events that shaped the world in 2006.

Jan 8

A 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook the entire Eastern Mediterranean.

At 13:35 (local time), the earthquake struck 120 miles south of Athens and was felt in the entire Eastern Mediterranean basin. Although there was significant damage, there were only three casualties.

Jan 22

Evo Morales was inaugurated as Bolivia’s first indigenous President.

Jan 24

Walt Disney announced it was going to buy Pixar.

OTD in 2006: Walt Disney announced it was going to buy Pixar.

The sale of the computer animation film studio Pixar cost Disney $7.4 billion. The deal was approved the following day.

Feb 22

The UK’s biggest robbery happened, where at least six thieves stole £53 million.

That’s equivalent to $92.5 million, and it was stolen from the Securitas Depot, Tonbridge, Kent, UK. The robbery took 7 hours, and more than 37 arrests were made in conjunction with the event.

Mar 10

After seven months of travel, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrived safely to Mars.

OTD in 2006: After seven months of travel

Mar 11

Michelle Bachelet became the first female president of Chile.

Mar 21

The first-ever Tweet was published on Twitter.

Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, wrote the first tweet. His first message was posted at 09:50 on this day and said, “just setting up my twttr.”

May 16

The Apple MacBook was released.

OTD in 2006: The Apple MacBook was released.

May 27

The 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake occurred.

OTD in 2006: The 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake occurred.

This 6.4 magnitude earthquake killed over 5,700 people and left 200,000 people homeless. The damage effects were limited in public infrastructure and lifelines, while housing and private businesses took the most of the damage.

Jun 5

Serbia declared its independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.

The decision followed a referendum in May of that year which showed that 55% of voters favored independence. The last time Serbia was an independent state was in 1918.

Jun 21

Two newly discovered moons orbiting Pluto were named Nix and Hydra.

Nix is named after the Greek goddess of darkness and night, who also happens to be the mother of Charon. Hydra, on the other hand, is named after a mythological multi-headed serpent that Hercules defeated. Nix and Hydra were only first spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope in June 2005, partially because their orbits are much further out than Pluto’s previously known moon, Charon.

Jun 24

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest premiered at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California.

The movie had a budget of $225 million but amassed $1.066 billion at the Box Office.

Jul 11

A series of seven bomb blasts killed 209 people in Mumbai, India.

The bombings took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai.

Jul 13

British singer-songwriter Lily Allen released her first album, “Alright, Still,” in the UK.

Jul 15

Twitter was launched to the public.

It rapidly became one of the largest social media platforms in the world.

Aug 6

At just 30 years old, golf professional Tiger Woods won the 50th PGA, making him the youngest person ever to win a PGA.

OTD in 2006: At just 30 years old

Aug 25

Naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor discovered the world’s tallest tree in Redwood National Park, California.

OTD in 2006: Naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor discovered the world's tallest tree in Redwood National Park

Atkins and Taylor named the tree Hyperion, which measured 380.1 ft (115.85 m) tall, making it the largest known tree on earth.

Aug 31

Two of Edvard Munch’s stolen artworks were found after being missing for two years.

OTD in 2006: Two of Edvard Munch's stolen artworks were found after being missing for two years.

In August 2004, two gunmen took the famous “Scream” and “Madonna” paintings from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, and got away in a third suspect’s car. The paintings were found in Norway after a police raid on this day and were still in excellent condition.

Sep 6

Stephanie Myers published New Moon, the second novel in the Twilight series.

At first, only 100,000 copies of New Moon were printed, which was far from enough to make up for the enormous demand for the romantic vampire fantasy novel. As a result, eager fans clamoring for the second book spent hundreds of dollars per copy on auction sites like eBay.

Sep 7

Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary “Borat” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

However, the projector broke twenty minutes into the showing, and all attempts to fix the equipment failed. So, the film was successfully screened the following night.

Oct 4

Julian Assange launched WikiLeaks.com.

OTD in 2006: Julian Assange launched WikiLeaks.com.

WikiLeaks is a website that archives documents, often of a sensitive, governmental nature.

Oct 9

Google announced that it had acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion.

Oct 17

The US population reached 300 million people.

When the US reached 200 million in 1967, some officials believed that 300 million people in the US would threaten the quality of life in America.

Nov 5

Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against humanity.

OTD in 2006: Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against humanity.

It took the Iraqi Special Tribunal more than two years to lay the charges on the former Iraq President. Several incidents during the trial slowed down the process, including the attempted assassination of Saddam’s lawyers and the replacement of one of the judges.

Nov 14

The James Bond movie “Casino Royale,” with Daniel Craig as Bond, premiered in London.

OTD in 2006: The James Bond movie "Casino Royale

Nov 17

Sony released the PlayStation 3 console in North America.

Nov 19

The Nintendo Wii was released in the US.

OTD in 2006: The Nintendo Wii was released in the US.

The Wii was Nintendo’s fifth major home game console, following the GameCube.

Dec 5

Audrey Hepburn’s dress was auctioned off at a record price.

Hepburn’s classic little black dress from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was auctioned for charity for $923,187. This took the world auction record for a dress made for a film.

Dec 30

The Madrid Barajas International Airport was bombed.

A van bomb exploded in the Terminal 4 parking area of the airport, which killed two and injured 52. Claim for the attack was taken by a separatist group, ETA – Euskadi Ta Askatasuna.

Famous Births

Check out these awesome individuals who were born in 2006!

Mar, 20

Barron Trump

American

Student

Barron Trump

Age:

18 years old

Born In:

New York, USA

Jan, 10

Avi Angel

American

Instagram Star

Avi Angel

Age:

18 years old

Born In:

Arizona, USA

Famous Deaths

Here’s a glimpse at a few famous people who bid us farewell in 2006.

1933

2006

James Brown

American

Singer

James Brown

1933

2006

James Brown

James Brown was an American singer born on May 3, 1933. He died on December 25, 2006, at age 73 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Died On:

Dec 25, 2006 (Age 73)

Died In:

Georgia, USA

1962

2006

Steve Irwin

Australian

Zookeeper

Steve Irwin

1962

2006

Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin was an Australian zookeeper born on February 22, 1962. He died on September 4, 2006, at age 44 in Batt Reef, Queensland, Australia.

Died On:

Sep 4, 2006 (Age 44)

Died In:

Queensland, Australia

1913

2006

Gerald Ford

American

President

Gerald Ford

1913

2006

Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford was an American president born on July 14, 1913. He died on December 26, 2006, at age 93 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.

Died On:

Dec 26, 2006 (Age 93)

Died In:

California, USA

Quotes

Here’s a roundup of the most memorable quotes people said in 2006.

Nov 21

I’m intimidated by the fear of being average.

2006 In Music

2006 brought us a musical journey filled with an incredible mix of chart-toppers that still resonate with us today!

From the infectious hooks of “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean to the heartfelt ballad “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, these songs brought joy and excitement to our ears, making 2006 a year to remember.

These music highlights from 2006 are not to be missed!

Album of the Year

U2’s rock anthem-filled album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” rocked the Grammy stage in 2006, securing them the coveted Album of the Year award.

Song of the Year

U2’s heartfelt anthem “Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own” resonated deeply with audiences, leading them to win the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2006.

Best New Artist

John Legend’s soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics won him the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2006, establishing him as a modern-day R&B icon.

Eurovision Song Contest Winner

The 51st Eurovision Song Contest took place in Athens, Greece, in 2006, offering a blend of contemporary and traditional sounds.

Lordi, an extraordinary Finnish band, rocked the stage with their hard-hitting song “Hard Rock Hallelujah,” delivering Finland’s first Eurovision triumph.

2006 in Numbers

Let’s dive into some interesting number facts! In Roman numerals, 2006 is MMVI, and when converted to binary, it becomes 11111010110.

Chinese Zodiac 2006

Chinese Zodiac 2006: Year of the Fire Dog

According to the Chinese zodiac system, 2006 marked The Year of the Dog, a cycle that repeats itself once every twelve years.

However, there are also five elements in the Chinese zodiac. These elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold (Metal), and Water. So this makes 2006 the Year of the Fire Dog, a cycle which happens once every sixty years.

The Chinese New Year doesn’t always fall on January 1st like in the Gregorian calendar. In fact, in 2006, Chinese New Year began on January 29th, due to the unique lunar cycle that guides the Chinese calendar.

Those born in the Year of the Dog are typically loyal, honest, and trustworthy individuals. They possess a strong sense of justice, are reliable friends, and have a protective nature.

The Years of the Dog have blessed us with influential figures such as Donald Trump, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj.

2006 Trivia

Did you know that in 2006, around 50% of honeybee colonies mysteriously vanished?

This alarming event was attributed to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD occurs when the majority of worker bees disappear from a hive, leaving behind the queen, food stores, and a few nurse bees.

The exact cause of CCD remains unknown, but it is believed to result from a combination of factors such as pesticide exposure, parasites like the Varroa mite, diseases, poor nutrition, and stress from environmental changes and migratory beekeeping practices.

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