The Highlights of 2006: A Year That Shaped the Future
2006 (MMVI in Roman Numerals) was the year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2006th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations.
Is 2006 a year special to you? Discover what 2006 was famous for, Key World Leaders of 2006, 2006 Time’s Person of the Year, the #1 song, movie and book in 2006, how old is someone born in 2006 and what Chinese zodiac sign is associated to 2006.
On this page we will address all your questions and curiosities about 2006 to help you enjoy your trip down memory lane.
Table of contents
- What was 2006 known for ?
- Key World Leaders of 2006
- Who was the U.S. President in 2006?
- Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2006?
- Who was the Pope in 2006?
- 2006: Who was Time's Person of the Year?
- What was the number 1 song in the USA in 2006?
- What was the number 1 song in the UK in 2006?
- What was the most popular movie in 2006?
- What was the best selling book in 2006?
- How old is someone born in 2006?
- What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 2006?
What was 2006 known for ?
- Only a few years after the turn of the new millennium, mankind continued to push the bounds of what is possible in space.
- 2006 was the year of NASA’s Stardust mission. Stardust was a space probe that collected samples of cosmic dust from the comet, Wild 2. The probe was able to successfully collect samples and return them to the Earth. This was the first mission of its kind in history.
- Not all technological developments were positive this year, though. Nuclear weapons continued to proliferate throughout the world, as North Korea launched its first nuclear test. This made North Korea a nuclear power and therefore heightened tensions on an already strained region.
- 2006 marked the end of an era in Iraq as well. After the United States and other allied forces invaded Iraq in 2003, Sadaam Hussein, the longtime dictator of Iraq, had been overthrown. In 2006, Hussein was sentenced to die and his execution was carried out. While this was by no means an end to the fighting and political violence in Iraq, this did bring a chapter of Iraqi history to a close.
- There were two other famous violent episodes in 2006 that reverberated through popular culture as well. The first event was the unexpected death of Australian wildlife expert and television show host, Steve Irwin in September. Irwin was killed by a stingray in a freak accident in the shallow waters of the Australian coast. The second was an incident involving a shotgun and the vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney. Cheney accidentally shot his hunting companion, Harry Whittington while participating in a quail hunt in Texas.
- In film, 2006 saw The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, starring Johnny Depp, and Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig top the box office. Crash, Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Walk the Line were the big films at the 78th Academy Awards of 2006.
- The world population in 2006 was 6,623,517,833 people according to data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. This figure includes both urban and rural populations. The urban population at that time accounted for 50.0% of the total population, which is roughly 3.3 billion individuals.The annual population change in 2006 was an increase of +81.8 million people, representing a percentage increase of +1.25% over the previous year.The average population density in 2006 was 27 persons per square mile (or 44 persons per square kilometer).
Key World Leaders of 2006
Who was the U.S. President in 2006?
In 2006, George W. Bush (Republican) was the President of the United States. His term spanned from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009. His administration led the U.S. response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and initiated wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2006?
In 2006 the UK Prime Minister was Tony Blair (Labour). His premiership saw the introduction of New Labour policies, major public service reforms, and military intervention in Iraq and Kosovo.
Who was the Pope in 2006?
The leader of the Catholic Church in 2006 was Pope Benedict XVI who had held the papacy since 2005. His papacy emphasized the need to return to traditional Catholic values, and he became the first pope in 600 years to resign from office.
2006: Who was Time's Person of the Year?
You
In 2006, You was named by TIME magazine as Person of the Year. Representing individual content creators on the World Wide Web.
What was the number 1 song in the USA in 2006?
The number 1 song in the USA in 2006, i.e. the best selling and most popular song of tha year, was Temperature by Sean Paul
What was the number 1 song in the UK in 2006?
The number 1 song in the UK in 2006, i.e. the best selling and most popular song of tha year, was Hips Don't Lie by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean
What was the most popular movie in 2006?
The most popular movie and box office hit was Casino Royale by Martin Campbell
What was the best selling book in 2006?
How old is someone born in 2006?
Someone born in 2006 is 20 years old this year.
Try out our age, time and generation calculators:
What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 2006?
According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 2006 was the Year of the Dog.
Discover Zodiac Sign Characteristics and Personality Traits of people born under the Dog sign.