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This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

2006 by topic:

News by month

Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

Arts

Architecture - Art - Literature Music (Country,UK) - Film - Television - Home video

Politics

Elections - Int'l leaders - Politics - State leaders

Science and technology

Archaeology - Aviation - Birding/Ornithology Meteorology - Railroads - Science

Sports

Sport - Tennis - Motor Racing Ice Hockey - Football (Soccer) - Baseball

By country

Australia - Canada - India - Iraq - Ireland Mexico - South Africa - Wales

Other topics

Deaths - Awards - Gay rights - Games - Law - Religious leaders - Video Gaming

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It corresponds to the years 5766-5767 in the Hebrew Calendar, 5107-5108 in the Hindu Calendar, 1426-1427 in the Islamic calendar, 2256 in the Runic calendar, 1384-1385 in the Iranian calendar, 4702-4703, 乙酉-丙戌 (Pinyin: yǐyǒu-bǐngxū) in the Chinese calendar, and 2759 a.U.c. It is also the current year.

It has been designated:

• The International Year of Deserts and Desertification
• The Rembrandt Year, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the birth of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Netherlands' greatest 17th-century painter.
• The Tricentennial or 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist and Statesman.
• The Mozart Year, celebrating the 250th birthday of the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Also the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dmitri Shostakovich.
• The Tesla Year, celebrating the 150th birthday of the electrotechnician Nikola Tesla.
• The International Asperger's Year, marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Hans Asperger, discoverer of Asperger's Syndrome.
• The Year of city of Patras as European Capital of Culture.
• The year of the Dog in Chinese Astrology (beginning on January 29).
• The Year of Study abroad (by resolution of the United States Senate).
• The year of Aquarius, the Water Bearer in traditional astrology.

Contents 1 Events 1.1 January 1.2 February 2 Predicted and scheduled events 2.1 February 2.2 March 2.3 April 2.4 May 2.5 June 2.6 July 2.7 August 2.8 September 2.9 October 2.10 November 2.11 December 3 Major religious holidays 4 Unknown/undecided dates 5 Deaths 6 Fictional references

Events

January

• January 1 - Russia cuts natural gas to Ukraine over a price dispute.
• January 2 - Fifteen are killed when a German ice rink collapses after heavy snowfall in the Bavarian Alps.
• January 3 - Twelve coal miners are discovered dead in the Sago Mine Disaster near Buckhannon, West Virginia in the United States. A single survivor was rescued early the following morning in critical condition.
• January 4 - Powers are transferred from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to his deputy, Vice Premier Ehud Olmert, after Sharon suffers a massive hemorrhagic stroke.
• January 5 - A hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia collapses killing 76 pilgrims visiting to perform hajj.
• January 6 - The record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season officially draws to a close as Tropical Storm Zeta, which formed on December 30, dissipates.
• January 7
  • Embroiled in multiple scandals, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay announced he would not seek to reassume his former post.
  • U.K. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy resigns after revelations that he has a drinking problem.

• January 11 - Augustine Volcano in Alaska erupts twice, marking its first major eruption since 1986.
• January 12 - A stampede during the Stoning of the devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills 362 Muslim pilgrims.
• January 14 - A natural gas explosion in a coal mine kills eight in Romania.
• January 15
  • NASA's Stardust mission successfully ends with the return of the first comet samples.
  • Socialist Michelle Bachelet is elected the first female President of Chile.
• January 16 - Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is inaugurated as the first female President of Liberia.
• January 19 - NASA launched the New Horizons spacecraft on the first mission to Pluto. Terrorist blows himself up in Tel Aviv, killing only himself but injuring twenty people, one of them seriously.
• January 22
  • Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous American president.
  • Portugese elections are won by Anibal Cavaco Silva. He is the first right wing winner since the Carnation Revolution in 1974
• January 23
  • A train crashed near Bioče, a village nine miles northeast of Podgorica in Serbia and Montenegro killing 44 and injuring 184 people after the train's brakes failed. See also Bioče train disaster.
  • In the Canadian federal election, the Conservatives win a plurality of seats in the House of Commons to form a minority government.
• January 25
  • Hamas wins the Palestinian legislative election, gaining 76 of 132 legislative seats.
  • Pope Benedict XVI issues his first papal encyclical, Deus Caritas Est.
• January 27 - Worldwide celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Mozart.
• January 28
  • Arrests in Tehran of many bus workers' union activists, hours before a strike calling for the release of their leader Mansour Osanlou.
  • The roof of a trade hall collapses near the southern Polish city of Katowice, killing 67 people.
• January 29
  • Tarja Halonen wins a second term in office in the Finnish presidential election.
  • ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff's vehicle is blown up while he is reporting in Iraq
• January 31
  • Samuel Alito is confirmed to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the US Supreme Court
  • Ben Bernanke is confirmed to replace Alan Greenspan who had been the Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the United States since 1987.

February

• February 1 - West Virginia governor Joe Manchin orders an indefinite halt on coal production in the state pending safety checks, after two more West Virginia coal miners die in separate accidents.
• February 2 - Henrico, Virginia A little girl is born whose initals are N.G.K. and is born to a family of 5 sons and 2 daughters. You know who you are. She is a Taino-Cherokee mix.
• February 3 - The Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 sinks in the Red Sea with heavy casualties.
• February 4
  • A stampede occurs outside ULTRA Stadium in Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, killing 79 and injuring hundreds before the taping of the show Wowowee (see Pasig City stampede).
  • The Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus, Syria are stormed by protestors and set alight, in response to cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad which were published in several European newspapers.
• February 5
  • The Danish Consulate in Beirut, Lebanon is stormed by protestors and set on fire.
  • Super Bowl XL is played at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Seattle Seahawks 21 - 10.

Predicted and scheduled events

This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future events. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the event approaches and more information becomes available.

February

• February 6
  • Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper succeeded Paul Martin as Prime Minister of Canada.
  • Zacarias Moussaoui's trial begins in Alexandria, Virginia with the selection of the jury.
  • New Zealand recognises the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, in the form of Waitangi Day.
• February 8
  • 48th Grammy Awards: Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Kayne West all receive 8 nominations
• February 10 to 26 - Torino 2006 Winter Olympics
• February 11 - President of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi will dissolve the national parliament.
• February 12 International Day of Prayer for Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and Semantic-Pragmantic Language Disorder.
• February 16 - Kobe Airport, a controversial offshore airport in Kobe, Japan, is scheduled to open for airline service.
• February 20 to 21 - Solidarity conference in Bil'in in Palestine.

March

• March 1 - Local government elections in South Africa.
• Al Jazeera will launch its new satellite service, Al Jazeera International, in Europe, Asia, and North America.
• March 2 - The U.S. Federal Reserve will release the redesigned $10 bill into circulation. [1]
• March 3 - The first match of World Baseball Classic tournament will be held at Tokyo Dome in Japan, followed by matches in the US. Final match of the tournament will be held at PETCO Park in San Diego, California on March 20. The tournament will feature 16 teams from around the globe from spanning 6 continents. Major league players will have the option of choosing a country they are a citizen of, or a country they or one of their parents was born in.
• March 5 - 78th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart.
• March 7 - Census in New Zealand
• March 11 - Michelle Bachelet will be sworn in as the first female President of Chile.
• March 16 - New Kitakyushu Airport in Japan will be in operation from this day on
• March 18 - South Australia to hold legislative elections.
• March 20 - Iranian Oil Bourse starts. See petroeuro
• March 26 - The ban on smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants comes into effect in Scotland.
• March 26 - Ukrainian Parliamentary elections.
• March 28 - Israeli Parliamentary elections.
• March 29 - Total solar eclipse (Brazil, Mid Atlantic ocean, Sahara, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia).
• March 29 - Attack Submarines USS Groton to start to be deactivated. Los Angeles class submarines USS Indianapolis, USS-Birmingham, USS-New York City and USS-Atlanta also begin to be deactivated.
• March 30 - The launch of Channel 6, Ireland's newest television service.

April

• April 2: Former Connecticut governor John Rowland is scheduled to be released from the federal prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania.
• April 3: WrestleMania 22 will take place in Chicago, Illinois.
• April 7 - EU citizens are now able to register .eu domain names, which replaced the old eu.int TLD on December 7, 2005.
• April 9 - Peruvians will elect the successor of Alejandro Toledo in the Peruvian national election, 2006
• April 9 - Italians will vote for new Parliament and elect the successor of Silvio Berlusconi in the Italian general elections, 2006
• April 9 - Election in Hungary; first turn
• April 13 - Punjabi New Year
• April 14 - Tamil New Year
• April 23 - Election in Hungary; second turn
• April 23 - Census in Ireland.

May

• May 3 - Unofficial launch date for Space Shuttle STS-121 Discovery (ISS-18) Pad B, (ISS-18-ULF1.1: Return-To-Flight Test, MPLM, Logistics)
• May 4 - UK local elections, 2006 - Local elections to be held across England.
• May 14 -
  • 58th Anniversary, by the Western Calendar, of the Independence of Israel.
  • Last original show of Malcolm in the Middle.
• May 20 - The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 grand final takes place in Athens, Greece.
• May 25-May 28 - Pope Benedict XVI's pilgrimage to Poland

June

• Parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic
• June 9 - Football World Cup 2006 in Germany starts with the first game (Germany v Costa Rica) held at Munich World Cup Stadium(aka Allianz Arena).

July

• July 1 -
  • Electronic equipment imported to or sold in the European Union will have to be lead free soldered, to comply with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive.
• July 2 - Presidential election in Mexico.
• July 9 - FIFA World Cup 2006 Final Game at the Olympic Stadium, Berlin.
• July 23 - Microsoft releases the Windows Vista Operating System
• July 28 - Alejandro Toledo concludes his term as President of Peru.
• July 29 to August 5 - World Congress of Esperanto in Florence, Italy.

August

• August 8 - Census in Australia.
• August 13 to August 18 - The XVI International AIDS Conference will be held in Toronto, Canada.
• August 14 to August 25 - The 26th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Prague, Czech Republic.
• August 19 to September 3 - FIBA Basketball World Championship 2006 scheduled to be held in Japan. Qualifying matches scheduled to be held in Sapporo, Sendai, Hamamatsu, and Hiroshima, followed by the final tournament at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City.

September

• September 4 - The CW Television Network will launch, combining the American networks UPN and The WB.
• September 11 - The 5th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
• September 16 - Oktoberfest begins.
• September 17 - Sweden general election, 2006: Sweden holds elections for the Riksdag.
• September 19-20 - 2006 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, Singapore
• September 22 - Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

October

• October 2 - Brazilian General Elections, 2006: Presidential election, Legislative: full renewal of the Chamber of Deputies and renewal of one third of the Federal Senate (one of each state's three seats); State sphere: Gubernatorial elections, renewal of the State Legislative body (State Assembly) in all states.
• October 3 - Oktoberfest ends.
• October 15 - Chief Justice of Japan Akira Machida will be forced to retire upon reaching the age of 60.
• October 24 - NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft to Mercury makes the first of two Venus flybys.

November

• November 7 - US Mid-term Election which includes:
  • all 435 seats of the US House of Representatives (outlook)
  • 33 of the 100 seats in the US Senate (outlook)
  • Gubernatorial elections in 36 of the 50 states (outlook)
  • Many other state-wide offices in those states such as attorneys general and state auditors
• November 8 - Transit of Mercury.
• November 12 - Gerald Ford, if he is still alive, becomes the oldest ever US President.
• November 22 - A General Election will take place for the House of Keys in the Isle of Man.
• November 30 - The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season and the 2006 Pacific hurricane season will officially end.

December

• December 1 - The 15th Asian Games will be held in Doha, Qatar until December 15
• December 19 - The USA is expected to reach 300,000,000 population on or around this date.

Major religious holidays

• January 6 - Feast of Epiphany or Dia de los Reyes Magos (Day of the Magi Kings).
• January 7 - Christmas in the Russian Orthodox church calendar.
• January 10
  • Islamic festival of Eid ul-Adha begins (ends on January 12)
  • Vaikunta Ekadasi is observed by Hindus. This is the day when the Gates of Heaven open and remain open for the next ten days.
• January 14 - Mahayana Buddhist New Year.
• January 14 - Pongal Harvest Festival in Tamilnadu.
• January 15 - Maatu Pongal, Festival of Cows in Tamilnadu.
• January 16 - Uzhavar Tirunaal, Farmer's Day in Tamilnadu.
• January 29 - Year of the Dog, 4704, begins. Chinese/Asian New Year.
• January 31 - Muslim New Year.
• February 9 - Day of Ashurah.
• February 13 - Tu Bishvat
• March 14 - Sikh New Year.
• March 21 - Bahai New Year.
• March 30 - Hindu New Year.
• April 12 - Pesach or Passover begins at sunset, continues for a week.
• April 13 - Theravada Buddhist New Year.
• April 14 - Good Friday in the Western Church Calendar.
• April 14 - Puththaandu Tamil New Year in the Tamil Calendar, observed by people in Tamilnadu.
• April 16 - Easter in the Western Church Calendar.
• April 21 - Good Friday in the Eastern Church Calendar.
• April 23 - Easter in the Eastern Church Calendar.
• September 10 - Gandhi's great-grandson, Premal Kamdar is 15.
• September 22 - Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown. Continues until nightfall of the 24th.
• September 23 - First day of Ramadan.
• October 1 - Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins at sundown. Ends at nightfall of the 2nd.
• October 24 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Fitr.
• October 26 - Hindu festival of Diwali.
• December 25 - Christmas in the Western Church Calendar.
• December 31 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Adha begins (ends on January 2, 2007)

Unknown/undecided dates

• NATO Summit 2006 will take place in Latvia.
• White House proposed Plebiscite to decide whether Puerto Rico will mantain its territorial status or change to another status (to be decided then in other referenda)
• The third Chinese manned space mission Shenzhou 7 is scheduled with the first Chinese space walk ever to be performed.
• Airbus plans to release into service Airbus A380, the biggest commercial airliner in the world.
• The European Space Agency plans to launch the KEO space time capsule
• Irish referendum on the European Constitution: The Republic of Ireland is expected to hold a referendum on the European Constitution.
• Manuel Noriega becomes eligible for parole.
• The new Wembley Stadium is expected to open.
• A bridge linking Savannakhet, Laos, over the Mekong, to Mukdahan, Thailand is expected to be completed late in the year.
• Windows Vista to be released in late 2006.
• The Stardust Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada will officially close in late 2006 after 55 years of continuous operation to make way for the $4 billion dollar Echelon Place a new mega resort scheduled to officially open in 2010.
• Sony's Playstation 3 will be released.
• Sony's first hearing for the lawsuit of faulty PS2's will commence sometime in April or May.
• NASA Plans to Launch STS-115 using The Space Shuttle Atlantis which will be the Nineteenth station flight.
• Nintendo will release its next home console, codenamed Revolution.
• New albums are set to be released by many female artists - most of whom are making a comeback. Comebacks are expected from Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Whitney Houston and albums are set to be released by Jessica Simpson, Pearl Jam, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Pink (musician) and LaToya Jackson.
• New albums are set to be released by many rock artists as well - most of whom are also making a comeback. Comebacks are expected from The Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Flaming Lips, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, Incubus, and Umphrey's Mcgee

Deaths

Main article: Deaths in 2006

• January 1 - Henry Magdoff, American political commentator (b. 1913)
• January 2 - Steve Rogers, Australian rugby player (b. 1954)
• January 3 - Bill Skate, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (b. 1954)
• January 4 - Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (b. 1946)
• January 4 - Irving Layton, Canadian poet (b. 1912)
• January 5 - Rod Dedeaux, college baseball coach (b. 1914)
• January 6 - Lou Rawls, American singer (b. 1933)
• January 7 - Heinrich Harrer, Austrian mountaineer and explorer (b. 1912)
• January 8 - Tony Banks, British politician (b. 1943)
• January 14 - Shelley Winters, American actress (b. 1920)
• January 15 - Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1926)
• January 16 - Stanley Biber, American physician (b. 1923)
• January 19 - Wilson Pickett, American singer (b. 1941)
• January 21 - Ibrahim Rugova, first President of Kosovo (b. 1944)
• January 24 - Chris Penn, American actor (b. 1965)
• January 27 - Johannes Rau, President of Germany (b. 1931)
• January 28 - Yitzchak Kaduri, Iraqi-born rabbi (b. 1894?)
• January 31 - Coretta Scott King, American civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1927)
• February 4 - Al Lewis, American actor (b. 1923)
• February 4 - Betty Friedan, American feminist (b. 1921)

Fictional references

• March 28 to March 29 - The events of the Doctor Who episodes Aliens of London and World War Three take place.
• September - The events of Doctor Who episode Boom Town take place.
• December 24 to December 25 - The events of Doctor Who episode The Christmas Invasion take place.
• The events of the third season of the Transformers cartoon take place.
• In 2001, an actor portraying a future version of Stan Marsh tells his younger counterpart that he'll be sent to juvenile hall sometime during the course of the year on South Park.
• The central character in the BBC series Life on Mars came from 2006 before he travelled through time to 1973.