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2008

From Wikination

2008 was a year and a leap year that started on Tuesday. It follows on 2007 and seems to be an important year as well for Lovian history. The year 2008 preceeds 2009. In Lovia Prime Minister Yuri Medvedev and King Dimitri I governed the country in 2008, leading the Medvedev I Government.

Contents

[edit] Designations

International Year of Planet Earth

2008 has been designated as:

  • International Year of Languages;[1]
  • International Year of Planet Earth;[2]
  • International Year of the Potato;[3]
  • International Year of Sanitation;[4]
  • European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (more here);[5]
  • Year of the Frog, as declared by the international conservation initiative Amphibian Ark;[6]
  • Year of the Dolphin (extended from 2007).[7]

In Chinese astrology, most of 2008, starting with February 7, will overlap with the Year of the Rat (dates before February 7 are Year of the Pig). The next Year of the Rat will be in 2020.

This year will be the only year in the 21st century during which two dates correspond to perfect numbers[8]; one is June 28 (composed of the perfect numbers 6 and 28), which is always a date composed of perfect numbers, and the other is August 12 (composed—if one omits inconvenient digits—of the perfect number 8128, as in August 12, 2008). The next year during which there will be two dates composed of perfect numbers is the year 3008.

[edit] In the world

  • January
    • 1 - Cyprus, Malta, and Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro.[9][10]
    • 1 - Slovenia takes over the presidency of European Union as the first of new member states.[11]
    • 2 - The price of petroleum hits US$100 per barrel for the first time.
    • 3 - A car bomb detonates, killing at least 4 and injuring 68, in Diyarbakır, Turkey. Police blame Kurdish rebels.
    • 4 - An unforecasted blizzard creates havoc across eastern Northern Ireland, with falls of 8 inches in one hour.
    • 8 - An attempted assassination of Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is thwarted after the Boy Scout grabbed the attacker's knife. The Boy Scout was injured, but after a scuffle ensued police arrested the attacker.
    • 12 - The Kuomintang (KMT)-led Pan-Blue Coalition wins the legislative elections in Taiwan with over 70% of the votes.
    • 14 - At 19:04:39 UTC, the MESSENGER space probe is at its closest approach during its first flyby of the planet Mercury.[12]
    • 15 - Federal Court of Australia orders a Japanese whaling company to stop research whaling within their Exclusive Economic Zone.
    • 16 - The South Korean Presidential Transition Team announces a plan to merge the Unification Ministry, which works toward unification with North Korea, with the Foreign Ministry, but does not follow through on the idea.[13]
    • 17 - British Airways Flight 38 Boeing 777 lands short of runway at London Heathrow Airport, injuring 19 among the 152 people on board.
    • 20 - Presidential election in Serbia.
    • 20 - Legislative elections in Cuba.
    • 24 - Iraqi Parliament adopts a new flag of Iraq, removing three stars associated with the Baath Party; a permanent design is expected within the next year.
    • 24 - Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi resigned his post, after he lost the vote of confidence in the Senate.
    • 27 - Novak Đoković and Maria Sharapova won 2008 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia.
Kosovo declares its independence
  • February
    • 1 - Libertan Vice President Dimitri Neyt and King of Lovia Dimitri I visit France.
    • 1 - Microsoft offers $44.6 billion to buy Yahoo!.
    • 3 - The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII.
    • 5 - Super Tuesday, massive multi-state primary in U.S. presidential election, with primaries and caucuses in 24 states, is held.
    • 9 - Camden Market area in London, United Kingdom is devastated by fire, causing evacuations in nearby houses and flats.
    • 16 - Making his first trip to Africa since 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush arrives in Benin, with stops in Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia coming in the days ahead.
    • 17 - Kosovo formally declares independence from Serbia, despite opposition from Serbia, Russia, China, Spain, Romania, and other nations. However Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, U.K., and U.S. express support after an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
    • 19 - Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, to be effective on February 24.
    • 20 - Total lunar eclipse - North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Western Asia.
    • 24 - Raúl Castro is unanimously elected as President of Cuba by the National Assembly.
    • 24 - The 80th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, are held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, with 'No Country for Old Men' winning Best Picture.
  • March
    • 1 - Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest ferris wheel, opens to the public.
    • 2 - 2008 Russian presidential election: Dmitry Medvedev is elected President of Russia with about 70% of the vote. He is scheduled to succeed Vladimir Putin in May.
    • 6 - Eight Israeli civilians are killed and nine wounded when a Palestinian attacker opens fire at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem.
    • 14 - Demonstrations by Tibetan separatists turn violent, with rioters targeting government and Han Chinese-owned buildings.
    • 14 - Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the new Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport.
    • 14 - Legislative election in Iran.
    • 17 - David Paterson is sworn in as the first black Governor of New York (and the fourth ever in the U.S.) after Eliot Spitzer resigns amidst a prostitution scandal.
    • 17 - In Adelaide, South Australia, a 15-day heatwave, a once-in-3,000-years occurrence, comes to an end.
    • 20 - A permanent coalition government agreement is reached in Belgium, ending a nine-month stalemate, as Yves Leterme is sworn in as Prime Minister.
    • 21 - In Tibet, East Asia, Anti-Chinese Protest's death toll rises to 99.
    • 22 - Republic of China presidential election was held in Taiwan.
    • 24 - Libertas' National Holiday: celebration of the independence. Libertas revives after months of inactivity.
    • 25 - African Union and Comoros forces invade the rebel-held island of Anjouan.
    • 29 - Earth Hour (8 - 9 PM local time) in 60 cities and surrounding regions around the world.
Pope Benidict XVI visits the United States
  • April
    • 1 - The U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 392 points, its eighth biggest gain ever.
    • 2 - The 20th NATO summit begins in Bucharest, Romania.
    • 3 - Jules Verne ATV docks to the International Space Station.
    • 3 - Albania and Croatia are invited to join NATO in 2009. The membership bid of the Republic of Macedonia is rejected due to opposition by Greece. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro engage in an Intensified Dialogue with NATO.
    • 6 - Presidential election in Montenegro.
    • 13 - Elections in Italy: The Silvio Berlusconi-led coalition, which consists of the People of Freedom, Lega Nord, and Movement for Autonomy parties, wins a majority of seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
    • 15-20 - Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States. Among his destinations are the White House, The Catholic University of America, the United Nations General Assembly, and the site of the fallen World Trade Center. Benedict XVI also celebrated Mass at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium.
    • 20 - Fernando Lugo is elected President of Paraguay. This is the first time in 61 years that the Colorado Party has lost a presidential election.
    • 27 - Assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai by the Taliban in a military parade in Kabul.
    • 28 - India sets a world record by sending 10 satellites into orbit in a single launch.
    • 28 - Dozens die in a train crash in China.
    • 28 - The Fritzl incest case is widely publicized after a 42-year-old Austrian woman tells local authorities that she has been imprisoned and abused by her father, Josef Fritzl, since 1984.
  • May
    • 2 - Ohrid Summit 2008. Meeting of Presidents of Central European States in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia.
    • 4 - More than 22,000 are killed by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
    • 6 - Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland Bertie Ahern tenders his resignation to the President of Ireland and as leader of his political party Fianna Fáil. Brian Cowen (elected 9 April) takes over as leader of Fianna Fáil.
    • 7 - Dmitry Medvedev is sworn in as the President of Russia.
    • 8 - Vladimir Putin is confirmed as the 10th Prime Minister of Russia after a vote in the State Duma.
    • 10 - Myanmar holds a constitutional referendum.
    • 11 - Local and parliamentary elections in Serbia.
    • 12 - 80.000 are killed in central China in an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was 90 kilometers (55 miles) west-northwest of Chengdu.
US Presidential Candidate for the Democrats, Barack Obama, here with Ted Kennedy
Treaty of Lisbon is rejected by referendum in the Irish Republic
    • 13 - A series of bomb blasts kills at least 63 and injures 216 in Jaipur, India.
    • 15 - An oil pipeline explodes in Ijegun, Nigeria, killing 100.
    • 15 - The US state of California legalizes same-sex marriage.
    • 16 - Presidential election in the Dominican Republic.
    • 16 - The fifth Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union Summit is held in Lima, Peru.
    • 17 - Parliamentary elections in Kuwait.
    • 21 - Manchester United F.C win the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
    • 21 - Legislative elections are held in the country of Georgia.
    • 22 - The Union of South American Nations, a supranational union, is created by a union between the Andean Community and Mercosur.
    • 24 - Russia wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia.
    • 25 - Michel Sleiman is elected President of Lebanon after voting in the Parliament. The election had been postoned 19 times due to a parliamentary stalemate.
    • 25 - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft lands on Mars.
    • 28 - The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is established after the Assembly votes overwhemingly in favor of abolishing the country's 240-year-old monarchy. Girija Prasad Koirala becomes temporary Head of State.
  • June
    • 1 - A large fire engulfs parts of Universal Studios in Universal City, California.
    • 1 - Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Macedonia.
    • 1 - In the European Union, regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals start to come into force.
    • 2 - A car bomb explodes outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing at least five.
    • 3 - Barack Obama becomes the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, becoming the first African-American to do so in a major U.S. politicial party.[14]
    • 7–29 - Switzerland and Austria host the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.[15]
    • 8 - In the Akihabara area of Tokyo, Japan, a 25-year-old man stabs 7 to death, and wounds 11 more, before being arrested.
    • 8 - A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits western Peloponese in Greece, killing two, injuring at least 220 and leaving more than 3,000 homeless.
    • 8 - A gas pipe explosion causes a collapse in the Karl Marx mine in Yenakiieve, Ukraine, killing 1 and temporarily trapping dozens.
    • 11 - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes to Canada's First Nations for the Canadian residential school system.
    • 12 - Ireland votes and rejects the Treaty of Lisbon, in the only referendum to be held by a European Union member state on the treaty.
    • 14 - Expo 2008 begins in Zaragoza, Spain.
    • 14 - A 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, kills several and injures more than 300.
    • 21 - The first veneration ever held outside Vatican City is held in Beirut, Lebanon.
    • 22 - Typhoon Fengshen hits the Philippines and capsizes the ferry MV Princess of the Stars, leaving hundreds dead or missing.
    • 27 - President Robert Mugabe is re-elected with 85.5% of the vote in the second round of the controversial Zimbabwean presidential election.
    • 27 - Two ministers of the Guatemalan government are killed in a helicopter crash in Alta Verapaz.
    • 28 - A 17-year-old boy is decapitated after being struck by a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia.[16]
    • 28 - Pope Benedict XVI opens the Pauline Year for the Roman Catholic Church in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. It will last until July 29, 2009.
    • 29 - Legislative elections are held in Mongolia.
    • 29 - Spain defeats Germany in the UEFA Euro 2008 Final in Vienna, Austria.
  • Juli

[edit] In Lovia

King Dimitri I visits France
The Newhaven International Airport after the February 2008 renovation
PRC presents its finished railway system
The Constitution after the adaptation of the Second Amendment
The Fighting Téméraire, the top artwork of the Royal Art Gallery
The National Park Service designated Bird National Park as the first NP in Lovia
After the Palati Daidalo burned down May 3-4, a new royal palace was built: the Great Royal Palace
The Founders Inc is the new media holding founded as a result of the Big Business Deal

[edit] Events

[edit] Arts and popular culture

[edit] Births

  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June

[edit] Deaths

[edit] Trivia

Dialogue
This section contains mostly side information on related subjects.

[edit] 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue

“ Dialogue is a delicate process. ”

Many obstacles inhibit dialogue and favor more confrontational communication forms such as discussion and debate. Common obstacles including fear, the display or exercise of power, mistrust, external influences, distractions, and poor communication conditions can all prevent dialogue from emerging.

Intercultural dialogue has long been a principle supported by the European Union and its Institutions. The year 2008 has been designated European Year of Intercultural Dialogue by the European Parliament and the Member States of the European Union. It aims to draw the attention of people in Europe to the importance of dialogue within diversity and between diverse cultures.

Definiton
There is no single and universally accepted definition of Intercultural Dialogue. However, a forum organised by the Council of Europe in November 2006 suggested the following:

  • an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures that leads to a deeper understanding of the other’s world perception.
Other definitions or usages have been closer to concepts such as inter-religious dialogue and often to active citizenship learning. In a number of countries the phrase refers to dialogue between indigenous people and immigrant peoples, and it can also be used as a metaphor for forms of contact between countries which are not based on military power.

The text adopted by the European Union on the "European Year of Intercultural Dialogue" does not use any specific definition, but it underlines the role of intercultural dialogue in:

  • respect for cultural diversity in the complex societies of today
  • the role of dialogue and greater mutual understanding in developing equal opportunities for all
  • supporting the EU's commitment to solidarity and social justice
  • enabling the EU to forge partnerships with other countries and make its voice better heard in the world.

[edit] References and notes

  1. ↑ Source: U.N. General Assembly, Department of Public Information, "General Assembly Proclaims 2008 International Year of Languages, in Effort to Promote Unity in Diversity, Global Understanding" GA/10592.
  2. ↑ Source: International Year of Planet Earth.
  3. ↑ Source: International Year of the Potato 2008.
  4. ↑ Source: International Year of Sanitation.
  5. ↑ Source; European Year of Intercultural Dialogue website.
  6. ↑ Source: Year of the Frog.
  7. ↑ Source: Year of the Dolphin homepage.
  8. ↑ More information: Wikipedia.
  9. ↑ Source: EurActiv: Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone in 2008.
  10. ↑ Source: EUbusiness: Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro.
  11. ↑ Source: Slovenian EU presidency.
  12. ↑ Source: Messenger Mercury Flyby 1.
  13. ↑ Source: The Korea Times: Unification Ministry Will Be Retained.
  14. ↑ Source: CNN.
  15. ↑ Source: UEFA.
  16. ↑ Source: My Fox Atlanta.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

2000s
Years: 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009
Retrieved from "http://nation.wikia.com/wiki/2008"