2008
The year 2008 is a leap year which begins on a Tuesday. It is the 2008th year of our era, the 8th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century and the 9th year of the decade 2000-2009.
It has been declared the Year of Mathematics in Germany, the International Year of Sanitation, the International Year of Languages and the International Year of the Potato by the UN.
Other calendars
The year 2008 of the Gregorian calendar corresponds to the following dates:
Chinese calendar: 4705 / 4706 (Chinese New Year 4706 of the Year of the Earth Rat occurs on February 7, 2008)
Hebrew Calendar: 5768 / 5769 (1st Tishri 5769 is September 30, 2008)
Indian calendar: 1929 / 1930 (the 1st chaitra 1930 takes place on March 21, 2008)
Japanese calendar: Heisei Era 20 (Japanese calendar uses Gregorian days)
Muslim Calendar: 1428 / 1429 / 1430 (1st Muharram 1429 is January 10, 2008, 1st Muharram 1430 is December 29, 2008)
Persian calendar: 1386 / 1387 (the 1st farvardin 1387 takes place on March 20, 2008)
Republican calendar: 215 / 216 (the 1st vendémiaire 216 takes place on September 22, 2008)
Julian days: 2,454,466.5 to 2,454,831.5,
Territorial chronology
World
The year 2008 has 1 extra second. Indeed, because of the slowing down of the Earth's rotation, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures decided to add 1 second to the last minute of the year 2008.
Africa
America
Asia
Middle East
Europe
Oceania
Monthly Timeline
January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December
Thematic timeline
Arts and culture
Science and Technology
Sports
International Honors
Nobel Prize
The 2008 Nobel Prize winners are:
Nobel Prize in Physics: Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa and Yoichiro Nambu.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Harald zur Hausen, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier.
Nobel Prize in Literature: J.M.G. Le Clézio.
Nobel Peace Prize: Martti Ahtisaari.
"Nobel Prize" in economics: Paul Krugman.
Other prices
Pritzker Prize (architecture): Jean Nouvel.
Foundations in 2008
Births in 2008
Death in 2008
Major personalities who died in 2008
January 17: Carlos (French singer)
January 27: Soeharto (Indonesian general and politician)
February 13: Henri Salvador (French singer)
February 18: Alain Robbe-Grillet (French writer)
April 5: Charlton Heston (American actor)
April 17: Aimé Césaire (French writer and politician)
May 12: Robert Rauschenberg (American painter, visual artist and lithographer)
May 26: Sydney Pollack (American filmmaker)
June 1: Yves Saint Laurent (French fashion designer)
August 3: Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Russian writer)
September 18: Mauricio Kagel (Argentine composer)
September 26: Paul Newman (American actor)
October 20: Sister Emmanuelle (Belgian, French and Egyptian nun)
December 24: Harold Pinter (British playwright)
Notes and References
See also
Related Articles
2000s
21st century
External links
The year 2008 on the site of the National Library of France Portal of the 21st century Portal of the 2000s