The 2000s is the decade that started on January 1, 2000 and will end on December 31, 2009. It is the current decade.

The decade was dominated by several wide-ranging topics, including international trade, a growing concern over 2000s energy crisis, the explosion in telecommunications and data communications, the ecological crisis, a widespread economic failure in the last quarter of the decade, further integration and dependence on technology, concerns with international terrorism and war, natural disasters, an escalation of the social issues of the 1990s, and the global warming debate.

[edit] Names of the decade

Unlike the decades before, which were called "The Twenties", "The Seventies", "The Nineties" and so on, the 2000s never attained a name, at least not one that was agreed upon, while they were the present decade. Even in December of 2009, the decade had no name. ^[1]

The "The Noughties" however (Nought being a common word for Zero used throughout the English speaking world), is seen as one of the main contenders for the honour. The BBC listed this name as potential moniker in the article "The noughties: So where are we now?" on January 1, 2000 ^[2] and can be seen referenced in hundreds of thousands of search results today.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the decade of 2001–2010 the "Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World".^[3]

Because of the overall negative experiences that occurred during this decade: e.g. (9/11/2001, War in Iraq, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, Economic Collapse, etc.), Time Magazine states in an article entitled "The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell" that this decade will be probably be known as the "Decade from Hell", "the Reckoning", "Decade of Broken Dreams", or the "Lost Decade".^[4]

Other Names Include:

"The Aughts", a term used to describe the decade of 1900-1909, was proposed, but never caught on. ^[5]

"uh-oh decade" (or uh-ohs).^[6][7] Also making reference to the negative elements of this decade.

"twenty-stubbies" has been used in North America, but is far from commonplace.

[edit] Economics

Economic developments in the first half of the 2000s focused on the explosion of Asia and South America's economic and political potential, and its impact on the world market.

China experienced immense economic growth and has now been identified as a rising superpower by academics and other experts.^[8][9][10] India’s economy has become technologically integrated with those of the world’s more developed nations. Many fast-growing economies throughout the world, especially in Asia, have been a major factor in the rapidly increasing demand for fossil fuels, which—along with fewer new petroleum finds, greater extraction costs, and political turmoil—forced two other trends: a soar in the price of petroleum products and a push by governments and businesses to promote the development of environmentally friendly technology (known informally as "Green" technology). However, a side-effect to the push by some industrial nations to "go green" and utilize biofuels has been a decrease in the supply of food and a subsequent increase in the price of the same. This, in turn, may threaten the world's poorer nations with an even more severe shortage of food.^[11] The economic developments in the latter third of the decade were dominated by a worldwide economic downturn, which appears to have started with the crisis in housing and credit in the United States in late 2007, and led to the bankruptcies of entities as large as Iceland ^[12].

[edit] Late 2000s Recession

Beginning in December 2007 in the United States according to the National Bureau of Economic Research—and with much greater intensity since September 2008—most of the industrialized world has been undergoing a recession. This global recession has been taking place was sparked by the outbreak of the financial crisis of 2007–2009. Some economists have also referred to it as a full blown depression^{[citation needed]}, as unlike the recessions of the early 1980s, early 1990s and early 2000s, this recession has required direct intervention.

[edit] Top Economies of the 2000s

Economic rankings by GDP (nominal) in 2008.

The United States continued to have the largest economy of any individual country in the world, though the combined economies of the EU nations was larger than the US. Germany was seen as the largest economy within the European Union, this is with accordance to records on the GDP (Nominal), many of the economies have dropped since due to the late 2000s recession.

[edit] Technology

Technological advancements have been as revolutionary and diversified as previous decades. In the field of digital electronics, advancements have been considerable. Mobile phones, digital cameras, and digital audio players^[13] became household items over the course of a few years. Email and broadband Internet connections have become nearly ubiquitous in the industrialized world. The entertainment industry has struggled to find digital delivery systems for music, movies, and other media that reduce piracy and preserve profit. Internet commerce has become standard for reservations, stock trading, promotion of music, arts, literature, and film, shopping, and other activities. During this decade certain websites and search engines became prominent worldwide as transmitters of goods, services and information. Some of the most popular and successful online internet sites or search engines of the 00s include: Wikipedia, Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Ebay, Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, and YouTube. Email has become the dominant form of interpersonal written communication with popular addresses available to the public on Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoomail.

[edit] Electronics & communications

An Asus Eee PC netbook from the late 2000s.

• The Digital Audio Player began a steady climb in popularity, including the iPod which cemented itself as a cultural and technological icon of the 2000s.
• Laptops become more popular in terms of sales than desktops.
• Touchscreen and flip-phone mobiles become extremely popular and useful, as well as mobiles as a whole which nears usage of 100% in Europe and America.
• High Definition TV becomes popular in the western world.
• Digital Cameras become useful and well used in the developed world.
• Digital Video Recorders replaced VCRs as the preferred medium for TV recording.

[edit] Robotics

There were extraordinary robotic advancements made throughout the decade:

• The U.S. Army used increasingly effective unmanned robotic aircraft missions in war zones such as Afghanistan.
• Space exploration robotics have become highly advanced, the best known of this decade is Spirit and Opportunity send to explore Mars by NASA.
• Deep sea exploration robotics have also become highly advanced, helping to locate shipwrecks and new life-forms under the oceans. Ocean explorer Robert Ballard and other scientists and oceanographers have made important technological breakthroughs in explorations of the deep with the assistance of robot technology.^[14][15]

[edit] Software

Windows Vista, released in 2006.

• Microsoft Windows ME, XP, Vista and 7 are released.
• Mac OS X is released.
• The Year 2000 Problem (commonly known as Y2K) computer glitch disaster does not happen, at least not as feared.
• Voice recognition software becomes useful and more reliable towards the end of the decade.
• Computer Generated Imagery software is widely used to create top quality films, and is highly successful as seen in films such as transformers and 2012
• Open Source software such as the Linux Operating System and the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser begin to gain ground.

[edit] Media, music & celebrity

Thousands of full-length films were produced during the 2000s. Building on developments in the 1990s, computers are used to create effects that would have previously been more expensive. Music in the 2000s was largely two tone, between the sounds of hip hop and the sounds of alternative rock. Mainstream, modern music declined in sales in the decade, along with music in general, with classic rock groups outselling current acts both in concert and in album sales. Pop legend Michael Jackson died in June of 2009, reviving long-waning interest in his music, and creating the largest public mourning since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales 12 years earlier in 1997. The decade saw a media generated cult of celebrity.

[edit] Film

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, best selling movie series of the decade.

• Usage of computer generated images CGI became more widespread in films during the 2000s.
• Documentary and Mockumentary films were popular in the 2000s e.g. March of the Penguins, which was narrated by Morgan Freeman.
• Online films become popular.

[edit] Music

Main article: 2000s in music

[edit] Video games

• The number one selling game console of all time, the PlayStation 2, released in 2000, was popular up to the end of the decade, even after PlayStation 3 was released.
• The Wii was the best selling video game platform despite being released late (2006) in the decade.
• Popular video games include Gran Turismo, FIFA, The Sims, Jet Set Radio Future, the Halo series, Wii Sports, Nintendogs, Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.
• Online gaming became very popular, especially seen in games such as World of Warcraft, released in 2004 and with many expansion packs in the years following.

[edit] Print media

• The decade has heralded the steady decline of books, magazines and newspapers as the main conveyors of information and advertisements.^[16][17][18]
• Online internet news blogs have grown in readership and popularity; cable news and other online media outlets became competitive in attracting advertising revenues and capable journalists and writers are joining online organizations. Books became available online and electronic devices like Amazon Kindle are threatening to replace printed books.^[19][20]
• Paradoxically according to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) the decade has shown a continuous increase in reading, although circulation of newspapers has declined in conjunction with the Economic Recession.^[21]

[edit] Politics and wars

Twin Towers as seen on September 11th 2001.

The War on Terrorism and War in Afghanistan began with the September 11 attacks in 2001^[22][23]. the International Criminal Court or (ICC) is formed a year later. then US-led coalition invaded Iraq, and the Iraq war began with the end of Saddam Hussein's reign as Iraqi President. Al-Qaeda continued terrorism until around the end of the decade, with the Madrid Train Bombings in 2004, 7/7 London Bombings in 2005, and the Mumbai attacks related to Al-Qaeda in 2008. The EU's expansion was important and some former communist nations also joined, the now superpower. North Korea and Iran was seen as strong nuclear threats with two North Korea nuclear tests, and some stronger Iranian threats.

A key political change in this decade occurred in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States as he was the first African-American US President.^[24]. meanwhile the known superpowers of the 2000s (decade) is Russia, United States, Peoples Republic of China, India and The European Union.

[edit] Events in Politics

• Many major political events in the 2000s have revolved around the War on Terrorism; this was triggered by the September 11 attacks by Al Qaida in 2001, and led to the 2001 invasion of Taliban-led Afghanistan and the 2003 Iraq War.
• The War on Terrorism generated extreme controversy around the world, with questions regarding the justification for U.S. actions leading to a loss of support for the American government, both in and outside the United States.
• Additional armed conflict occurred in the Middle East, including Israel's wars with Hezbollah in south Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
• The greatest loss of life came from the 2004 tsunami killing around a quarter-million people and displacing well over a million others. The greatest loss of property value came in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina flooded nearly the entire city of New Orleans.
• The 2009 Copenhagen Summit on climate change was seen as the biggest political summit in human history, they called it 14 days to save the world.

[edit] Political Changes

• George W. Bush was elected in 2000 after a statewide election deadlock in Florida and a controversial 5 to 4 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, succeeding Bill Clinton as the 43rd President of the United States. Eight years later in 2008 Barack Obama became the 44th U.S. President succeeding George W. Bush, notably becoming the first African-American president.
• Premier Wen Jibao and President Hu Jintao, replaced former Peoples Republic of China Premier Zhu Rongji and former Peoples Republic of China President Jiang Zemin.
• Gordon Brown replaced Tony Blair as UK Prime Minister.
• Dmitry Medvedev took over as Russian President from the current Prime Minister of Russia Vladmir Putin.

[edit] Wars

• 9/11 lead to War in Afghanistan (2001-present), and War in Iraq under the larger heading The War on Terrorism.
• War in Iraq (2003-present), led to the fall of Saddam Hussein. This war was originally presented as part of the War on Terror, which proved to be based on a false claim.^[25]
• 2008 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia.
• The Gaza war increased tension between Israel and Palestine.
• The War in Somalia spawns pirates who invade ships off the coast of Somalia constantly.

[edit] Massacres Linked To Terrorism

• September 11 attacks in Washington, DC, New York City and Pennsylvania with nearly 3,000 killed.
• 2004 Madrid train bombings with more than 100 killed.
• 2005 7/7London bombings with nearly 50 people killed.
• 2008 Mumbai attacks with nearly 300 people killed.

[edit] Nuclear Threats

• In 2003 the United States invaded Iraq, over concerns leader Saddam Hussien had weapons of mass destruction including Nuclear Bombs, the Iraq Inquiry (still ongoing) may explain more on this situation, but in the end, the US end the regime of Suddam Hussein and no Nuclear Bombs were used.
• On October 9, 2006, North Korea successfully performed its first Nuclear Test
• On November 30th 2009, The Iranian Government announced plans to build 10 more uranium nuclear plants.
• The Doomsday Clock, the symbolic represenation of the threat of nuclear annihilation, moved four minutes closer to midnight. Two minutes in 2002 and two minutes in 2007 to 5 minutes to midnight.

[edit] Others

[edit] Society

The 2000s saw many achievements for gay rights.

Social issues which became more pronounced included issues pertaining to gay rights, in particular the issue of homosexual unions. Same-sex marriage was legalized by some major developed nations, and in others, varying degrees of civil recognition were granted to gay relationships. However, such unions continued to meet resistance in many countries and in most U.S. states. Other social issues of worldwide concern during the 2000s have been gender equality and human rights. In the United States, health care and civil liberties have also been prominent issues.

[edit] Energy Crisis

From the mid-1980s to September 2003, the inflation-adjusted price of a barrel of crude oil on NYMEX was generally under $25/barrel. During 2003, the price rose above $30, reached $60 by August 11, 2005, and peaked at $147.30 in July 2008.^[26] Commentators attributed these price increases to many factors, including reports from the United States Department of Energy and others showing a decline in petroleum reserves,worries over peak oil, Middle East tension, and oil price speculation.^[27]

For a time, geo-political events and natural disasters indirectly related to the global oil market had strong short-term effects on oil prices, such as North Korean missile tests, the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanon, worries over Iranian nuclear plans in 2006,Hurricane Katrina,and various other factors.By 2008, such pressures appeared to have a insignificant impact on oil prices given the onset of the global recession.The recession caused demand for energy to shrink in late 2008 and early 2009 and the price plunged as well. However, it surged back in May 2009, bringing it back to November 2008 levels.^[28]

[edit] Natural Disasters

In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake a town near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruin on January 2, 2005. This picture was taken by a United States military helicopter crew from the USS Abraham Lincoln that was conducting humanitarian operations.

The 2000s have seen some of the worst and most destructive natural disasters in history. 2003 produced one of the worst heatwaves in recorded human history, as Europe was hit by a 40 degrees celsius heatwave. The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake which caused a massive tsunami, was the most destructive tsunami, and the second most destructive earthquake and fifth most destructive natural disaster of all time. Several other earthquakes were hugely destructive including the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and the 2003 Bam earthquake.

Several typhoons and hurricanes resulted in extreme destruction in this decade, with Hurricane Katrina nearly destroying New Orleans, and was followed by Hurricane Rita that wreaked destruction along the U.S. Gulf Coast; and in 2008 the massive Hurricane Ike (that was the size of the Gulf of Mexico) becoming the third most destructive hurricane to ever make landfall in the United States. the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) flu pandemic which is progressing into 2010 which is essentially swine flu is considered also a natural disaster, and is the worst epidemic/pandemic of the decade with nearly 10,000 deaths so far.

Cyclone Nargis (JTWC designation: 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis), was a strong tropical cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Burma (officially known as Myanmar).^[29] The cyclone made landfall in the country on May 2, 2008, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 146,000 fatalities with thousands more people still missing.^[30]

[edit] Science

Aritst Concept of the Mars Exploration Rovers, which were well known (if not the most well known) spacecrafts of the decade.

Astrophysicists studying the universe confirm its age at 13.7 billion years, they determine that it will most likely expand forever without limit, and conclude that only 4% of the universe's contents are ordinary matter (the other 96% being still-mysterious dark matter, dark energy, and dark flow). The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission successfully reached the surface of Mars in 2004, and sent detailed data and images of the landscape there back to Earth. While NASA's original mission timeline of 3 months was strikingly underestimated, the mission was tremendously successful overall in the long term, as the MER Mission continues until this day, lasting more than 20 times the projected length. The Human Genome Project was completed in (2000). National Geographic and IBM fund The Genographic Project which traces every living human down to a single male ancestor.

In 2005 the discovery of Eris, a Kuiper Belt object larger than Pluto, is announced. In August 2006 Pluto is demoted to a "dwarf planet" after being considered a planet for 76 years. Other "dwarf planets" in our solar system now include Ceres and Eris. Space tourism/Private spaceflight begins with American Dennis Tito, paying Russia $20 million USD for a week long stay to the International Space Station in 2001, On average, one person went into space as a space tourist every year in the 2000s. The Voyager I spacecraft entered the heliosheath, marking its departure from our solar system. Having analyzed the data from the LCROSS lunar impact, NASA announced that it had found a "significant" quantity of water in the Moon's Cabeus crater, in 2009. Meanwhile CERNS Large Hadron collider was the main collider machine of the decade, yet the project is still ongoing into the 2010s. ^[31]

[edit] Sports

[edit] Timeline

[edit] Decade Timeline in European Union

• January 1, 2002 - The euro replaces the currencies of 12 of the EU's 15 members.
• May 1, 2004 - The largest expansion to date of the European Union takes place, extending the Union by 10 member-states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus.
• December 7, 2005 - The European Union TLD .eu is launched, and replaces .eu.int. Initially this will be only for business purposes. From 7 April 2006 onwards, EU citizens can also register .eu domains.
• January 1, 2007 - Bulgaria and Romania join the EU.
• June 12, 2008 - Ireland votes to reject the Treaty of Lisbon, in the only referendum to be held by a European Union member state on the treaty.
• November 3, 2009 - The Czech Republic becomes the final member-state of the European Union to sign the Treaty of Lisbon, thereby permitting that document's initiation into European law.
• November 3, 2009 - The Prime Minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, is designated the first permanent President of the European Council,a position he takes up on 1 December 2009.^[32]

[edit] Decade Timeline in The United States

NASA's space view of hurricane Katrina as it strikes the US Coast.

• November 7, 2000 - George W. Bush is elected the 43rd President of the United States.
• September 11, 2001 - Al Qaeda Terrorists crash 4 aircraft deliberately after hijacking them across the U.S. Two of them hit the World Trade Center, one hits The Pentagon and another missed its target (crashing in Shanksville, Pennsylvania), most likely The Capitol Building, in all nearly 3,000 people died.
• November 12, 2001 - In New York City, American Airlines Flight 587, headed to the Dominican Republic, crashes in Queens minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 260 on board.
• April 9, 2003 - U.S. forces seize control of Baghdad, ending the regime of Saddam Hussein, during the Iraq War
• January 4, 2004 - NASA of the U.S. land the rover spirit on Mars.
• August 29, 2005 - At least 1,836 are killed, and severe damage is caused along the U.S. Gulf Coast, as Hurricane Katrina strikes coastal areas from Louisiana to Alabama, and travels up the entire state of Mississippi (flooding coast 31 feet (9.4 m)), affecting most of eastern North America.^[33]
• November 4, 2008 - United States presidential election, 2008: Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States and Joe Biden is elected the 47th Vice President. Barack Obama becomes the first African-American President-elect.
• April 29, 2009 - First Swine Flu death confirmed.^[34]

[edit] Decade Timeline in the People's Republic of China

• December 25, 2000 - A shopping center fire at Luoyang, Henan, China kills 309.
• April 1, 2001 - Hainan Island incident: A Chinese fighter jet bumps into a U.S. EP-3E surveillance aircraft, which is forced to make an emergency landing in Hainan, China. The U.S. crew is detained for 10 days and the F-8 Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, goes missing and is presumed dead.
• May 7, 2002 - China Northern Airlines Flight 6136 crashes into the bay near Dalian, killing all 103 passengers and 9 crew members.
• March 15, 2003 - Hu Jintao becomes President of the People's Republic of China, replacing Jiang Zemin.
• May 12, 2008 - Over 69,000 are killed in central south-west China by the Wenchuan quake, an earthquake measuring 7.9 Moment magnitude scale. The epicenter is 90 kilometers (55 miles) west-northwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, Sichuan province.
• August 8 - August 24, 2008 - The 2008 Summer Olympics is held in Beijing in which China won the most gold medals.^[35]

[edit] Decade Timeline in Russia

• March 26, 2000 - Vladimir Putin is elected President of Russia.
• June 5, 2003 - A female suicide bomber detonates a bomb near a bus carrying soldiers and civilians to a military airfield in Mozdok, a major staging point for Russian troops in Chechnya, killing at least 16.
• March 14, 2004 - Russian presidential election, 2004: Vladimir Putin easily wins a second term.
• April 20, 2006 - Iran announces a deal with Russia, involving a joint uranium enrichment firm on Russian soil; 9 days later Iran announces that it will not move all activity to Russia, thus leading to a de-facto termination of the deal.^[36]
• May 26, 2007 - Russia is once again recognized as a full-fledged superpower by the United States.
• May 7, 2008 - Dmitry Medvedev takes office as President of Russia, replacing Vladimir Putin.
• August 7 - August 16, 2008 - 2008 South Ossetia War takes place as Georgia invades South Ossetia leading to Russia's invasion of Georgia, and then soon the independence of South Ossetia.^[37]
• November 27, 2009 - A Russian train traveling from Moscow to St.Petersburg is bombed, dozens are killed.

[edit] Decade Timeline in Rest of the World

• DR Congo - 2004-2009 - The Kivu Conflict sees millions killed and is the worst war since World War II.
• Spain - March 11, 2004 - Madrid Train Bombings lead to the deaths of 191 people.
• South Asia - December 26, 2004 - An Earthquake in the Indian Ocean sees a tsunami crash into the coast of southeast Asia killing up 229,866 People.^[38]
• United Kingdom - July 7, 2005 - Suicide Bombers, Bomb Buses and Underground trains throughout London Killing nearly 50 People.
• North Korea - October 9, 2006 - North Korea Perform their first successful nuclear test.
• India - November 26 - November 29, 2008 - Gunmen attack Mumbai killing up to 175 people.
• Australia - February 7, 2009 - The deadliest bush fires in Australian history begin; they kill 173, injure 500 more, and leave 7,500 homeless. The fires come after Melbourne records the highest-ever temperature (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires are ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.
• Mexico - April, 2009 - the 2009 flu pandemic began spreading in Mexico, in April 2009.

[edit] Gallery

September 11 Attacks	War in Iraq	2004 Southeast Asian Tsunami	Hurricane Katrina
7/7 London Bombings	2008 South Ossetia War	Inauguration of President Barack Obama	Swine Flu Pandemic

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2000s

• 2000s in music
• 2000s in music industry
• 2000s in film
• 2000s in television
• 2000s in books
• 2000s in fashion
• 2000s in economics
• 2000s in sports
• 2000s in science and technology
• 2000s in video gaming

[edit] References