Twenty-First Century History

The third millennium actually started at about 21h00 on 31 December 2000, or even more correctly, on 31 December 1995. See the history of the calendar

2000 Final Peanut comic strip published. Largest ever corporate merger as AOL buys Time-Warner for $162 billion. Vladimir Putin elected President of Russia. George W Bush defeats Al Gore to become US President. The Tate Modern opens in London. Summer Olympics is held in Sydney, Australia. Reality TV introduced in the form of Survivor, based on Swedish game show Operation Robinson.

2001 NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lands on asteroid 433 Eros, a first. Dale Earnhardt killed during Daytona 500 race. 32-year old Erik Weihenmayer of Boulder, Colorado, becomes first blind person to reach summit of Mount Everest. Wikipedia started. On September 11, Al Qaida terrorists fly jet aircraft into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing around 3,000 people. The US launch against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Act of the War on Terrorism is signed by President Bush. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the movie, debuts.

2002 Euro banknotes and coins released. Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, Utah. New order of insects, Mantophasmatodea, announced. East Timor becomes independent state. Brazil wins Football World Cup. The planetoid Quaoar discovered. Jimmy Carter awarded Nobel Peace prize.