• Crude oil prices surge past $100 a barrel briefly in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit This article is about the price of crude oil see Gasoline usage and pricing for information about derivative motor fuels The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container traditionally made of Wood Staves and bound with Iron Hoops The The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX is the World 's largest physical Commodity Futures exchange, located in New York City. (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
• Clashes in Kenya (2007-present):
  • Both sides in Kenya's disputed election accuse the other of violence as diplomatic efforts intensify to defuse the country's political crisis. The 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis refers to a political economic and humanitarian crisis that erupted in Kenya after incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south (BBC News)
  • There were reports of several more deaths overnight, with two police officers killed in Kericho by youths armed with bows and arrows. Kericho is a Kenyan district located to the South West of the country and lies within the highlands west of The Great Rift Valley (BBC News)
• Islamic insurgency in Algeria (2002–present): A suicide attack kills at least three people in Naciria, east of Algiers. The Maghreb (more specifically Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco) has been the subject of an Insurgency since 2002 waged by the neo- This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons Algiers (الجزائر Algerian Arabic: Dzayer ( (From kabyle pronunciation Kabyle: Ledzayer, Alger) is the Capital and largest (BBC News)
• A bomb targeting a military bus in Colombo, Sri Lanka kills at least four people including 2 soldiers and injures another 20. A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island (BBC News)
• Technip is awarded a $1. Technip is a French engineering company headquartered in La Défense, Paris. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 2 billion contract to develop the Pazflor oil deposit in Angola. The Pazflor oil development is an offshore oil development in Angola. Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central Acergy is awarded a $700 million contract to assist in petroleum production at Pazflor. Acergy () is an international offshore seabed to surface Engineering and Construction Company previously known as Stolt Offshore and Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit (Bloomberg)
• A fire at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, England forces its evacuation. The Royal Marsden Hospital is a specialist Cancer treatment hospital in London, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland (BBC News)

• United States presidential election, 2008:
  • Voters in Iowa go to the polls for the first caucus to determine presidential nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. (BBC News)
  • Illinois Senator Barack Obama wins the Democratic caucus. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The 2008 Democratic caucuses in Iowa occurred on January 3, 2008, and were the state caucuses of the Democratic Party in Iowa. (CNN)
  • Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee wins the Republican caucus. The Governor of the State of Arkansas is the chief executive of the state and Commander-in-chief of its military forces. Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24 1955 is a former Republican governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and a political Commentator The 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a Straw poll. (CNN)
  • Senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Biden withdraw their candidacy. Christopher John Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American Lawyer and Democratic Politician, who is currently serving (AP via Yahoo! News)
• Benazir Bhutto assassination: President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf denies any role in Benazir Bhutto's death. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on December 27 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The President of Pakistan ( Urdū: صدر Sadr-e-Mumlikat) is the Head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of Benazir Bhutto ( Sindhi: بينظير ڀٽو Urdu: بینظیر بھٹو beːnəziːɾ bɦʊʈːoː (21 June 1953 &ndash 27 December 2007 was a (CNN)
• The price of gold reaches a new record of $865. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 35 per troy ounce in the a. Troy weight is a system of units of Mass customarily used for Precious metals Black powder, and Gemstones Named after Troyes m. London Gold Fixing, breaking the previous high of 21 January 1980. The Gold Fixing (also known as the London Gold Fixing or Gold Fix) is the procedure by which the price of Gold is set on the London market by Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) (LBMA)

• China allows academics to own patents (RSC)
• Transaven crash: A Venezuelan Let L-410 Turbolet carrying at least 14 people crashes near the Los Roques Archipelago. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National On 4 January 2008, a scheduled domestic Transaven flight from Simón Bolívar International Airport serving Caracas to Los Roques Airport Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The Let-410 Turbolet is a twin engined short-range Transport aircraft, manufactured by the Czech aircraft manufacturer LET, mostly used for passenger transport The Los Roques islands are a federal dependency of Venezuela, consisting of about 350 Islands Cays or Islets The archipelago is (Reuters)
• The 2008 Dakar Rally is cancelled due to safety concerns in Mauritania. The 2008 Dakar Rally would have been the 30th running of the annual off-road race Mauritania (موريتانيا Mūrītāniyā officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country (Jornal de Negócios)
• North Korean officials accuse the United States of not fulfilling its promise of humanitarian aid after an international disarmament agreement. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Humanitarian aid (also called succour) is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes typically in response to humanitarian crises The six-party talks aim to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. (AP via CNN)
• Winter storms in California cause power outages, destruction of property and flight delays in San Francisco. The January 2008 Western North American super storm was a powerful Pacific Ocean coastal storm that affected a large area in Western North America stretching from western California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city
• Former Indonesian leader Suharto is taken to hospital in critical condition for anemia and low blood pressure. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Suharto, also spelled Soeharto (June 8 1921 &ndash January 27 2008 was an Indonesian military leader and the second President of Indonesia, holding Anemia ( AmE) or anæmia/anaemia ( BrE) (from the Ancient Greek grc-Latn anaîmia, meaning “without blood” is defined as a qualitative In Physiology and Medicine, hypotension refers to an abnormally low Blood pressure. (BBC)

• Early presidential elections are held in the country of Georgia. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common A presidential election was held in Georgia on January 5, 2008, having been brought forward by President Mikheil Saakashvili Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between

Montana Sharps Birthday

• Greece is hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία 5. The epicenter is 70 km (43 miles) below Leonidio. Leonidio (Λεωνίδιο is a municipality in Arcadia, Greece, with a population of 6294 (2001 There were no reports of casualties or serious damage. (RTÉ)
• Georgian presidential election, 2008: Georgian Incumbent President Mikhail Saakashvili has been re-elected for a new mandate following a snap poll with nearly 53% of the votes. A presidential election was held in Georgia on January 5, 2008, having been brought forward by President Mikheil Saakashvili Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Mikheil Saakashvili (მიხეილ ნიკოლოზის ძე სააკაშვილი (born 21 December 1967, a Georgian Politician, the (BBC News)
• Five armed Iranian boats confront three U.S. Navy warships in international waters near the Strait of Hormuz. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Navigation Ships moving through the Strait follow a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS which separates inbound from outbound traffic to reduce the risk of collision (The International Herald Tribune)

• Litokwa Tomeing is elected as President of the Marshall Islands. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Litokwa Tomeing (born October 14, 1939 at Wotje Atoll) has been the President of the Marshall Islands since January 2008 An indirect presidential election was held in the Marshall Islands on 7 January 2008. List of Presidents of the Marshall Islands See also High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Radio New Zealand)
• The Supreme Court of the United States hears arguments on whether execution by lethal injection is a violation of the Constitution's ban on "cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Capital punishment of a Felon in the United States, in modern times is employed and in practice only in cases involving murder The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. The Eighth Amendment ( Amendment VIII) to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights which took effect in 1791 " (BBC News)
• The war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor resumes at The Hague, Netherlands. War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire The following is a list of Presidents of the Republic of Liberia, made up of the 24 heads of state in the history of Liberia. Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born January 28, 1948) served as President of Liberia from August 2, 1997 to August 11 The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands (CNN)
• A warehouse fire in Icheon, South Korea, kills at least 40. Icheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province South Korea. It should not be confused with the much larger Incheon Metropolitan City South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː (BBC News)
• Portions of Eastern Australia are affected by the worst floods in the last 20 years. The Eastern states of Australia refers to the states adjoining the east coast of Australia. (BBC News)
• Two United States Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, a F/A-18E and two-seat F/A-18F, flying off the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, crash in the Persian Gulf. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with Commissioning ceremony The keynote speaker of the commissioning ceremony was President Bill Clinton. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the The aviators were safely recovered. There was no indication of hostile fire. (CNN)
• The government of Tanzania cannot account for Sh$260 million (approx US$200,000) in aid from the Global Fund initiative to fight AIDS and HIV. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria (often commonly called "The Global Fund" was established in January 2002 to dramatically increase global Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (allAfrica)

• United States presidential election, 2008:
  • Voters in New Hampshire go to the polls for the first primary election to determine presidential nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The New Hampshire primary of 2008 was held on January 8, 2008 to determine the allocation of New Hampshire 's Delegates to the national presidential A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party.
  • New York Senator Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic primary. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The 2008 New Hampshire Democratic primary on January 8, 2008 was the first primary in the United States in 2008.
  • Arizona Senator John McCain wins the Republican primary. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The 2008 New Hampshire Republican primary took place on January 8, 2008, with 12 national delegates being allocated proportionally to the popular vote (CNN)
• Former relief pitcher Rich Gossage is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. A relief pitcher or reliever is a Baseball or Softball Pitcher who enters the game after the Starting pitcher is removed due to injury Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5 1951 in Colorado Springs Colorado) is a former right-handed Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (ESPN)

• China will ban stores from handing out plastic bags as of June 2008. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National (BBC)
• After conducting further research, NASA astronomers have determined that asteroid 2007 WD5 now has a 0. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program is a diameter Apollo class Near-Earth object and a Mars-crosser asteroid discovered on November 20[[ 007]] by Andrea Boattini 01% chance of striking Mars on January 30, 2008, effectively ruling out an impact. See also Impact crater An impact event is the Collision of a large Meteoroid, Asteroid or Comet (generically Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common (NASA)
• India's Tata Motors launches the world's cheapest production car, Tata Nano, in Pragati Maidan, Delhi. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Tata Motors Limited', formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai The Tata Nano is a proposed City car &mdash a small affordable rear-engined four-passenger car aimed primarily at the Indian market &mdash first presented by Pragati Maidan ( Hindi:प्रगती मैदान literally "progress grounds" is a venue for large exhibitions in New Delhi. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population (CNN-IBN)
• The price of gold in the London Gold Fixing rises above €600 per troy ounce for the first time. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 The Gold Fixing (also known as the London Gold Fixing or Gold Fix) is the procedure by which the price of Gold is set on the London market by Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Troy weight is a system of units of Mass customarily used for Precious metals Black powder, and Gemstones Named after Troyes (€603. 528, a. m. Fixing. ) (LBMA)
• Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charges Lucky Igbinedion, the former governor of Edo State, with 142 counts of money laundering. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Lucky Igbinedion (born 13 May 1957) was governor of Edo State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 History Edo State was formed on August 27, 1991 when Bendel State was split into Edo and Delta States The 1992 gubernatorial election He is the eighth governor charged with corruption-related charges. (BBC News)
• Peter de Villiers is appointed the first black coach of the South African rugby union team. Peter de Villiers (born 3 June 1957) is a South African Rugby union coach. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short (The Times)

• Operation Emmanuel: FARC guerrillas release Colombian hostages Clara Rojas and Consuelo González. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Operation Emmanuel (Operación Emmanuel was a humanitarian operation that rescued politician Clara Rojas, her son Emmanuel (born in captivity and former senator The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security Clara Leticia Rojas González (born December 20, 1964, Bogotá) is a Colombian tax lawyer university lecturer and campaign manager for former Operation Emmanuel (Operación Emmanuel was a humanitarian operation that rescued politician Clara Rojas, her son Emmanuel (born in captivity and former senator (BBC News)
• U.S. President George W. Bush says Israel must return to its pre-1967 borders to enable the establishment of a Palestinian state. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently (BBC News)
• United States presidential election, 2008:
  • Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson withdraws his candidacy. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Governors Governors of New Mexico Territory Governors of New Mexico William Blaine "Bill" Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is the current Governor of New Mexico and was a candidate for the 2008 (CNN)
  • Former presidential candidate John Kerry endorses Illinois Senator Barack Obama. The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives (CNN)
  • Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich calls for a recount in the New Hampshire primary, citing “unexplained disparities between hand-counted ballots and machine-counted ballots. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Dennis John Kucinich (kuˈsɪnɪtʃ (born October 8[[ 946]] is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and was a candidate for An election recount takes place in the event that the initial vote tally during an Election is extremely close and that therefore a recount of the Ballots is The New Hampshire primary of 2008 was held on January 8, 2008 to determine the allocation of New Hampshire 's Delegates to the national presidential The New Hampshire primary of 2008 was held on January 8, 2008 to determine the allocation of New Hampshire 's Delegates to the national presidential Premier Election Solutions, formerly Diebold Election Systems Inc ” (Business Wire) (The Hill)
  • Republican candidates debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. See also Democratic Party (United States presidential primaries 2008 Candidates See also United States Republican presidential candidates 2008 South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. (FOX News)
• Four people die after two tractor trailers collide crossing the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge on the Mexico–United States border. truckcartransporterarp750pixjpg|thumb|right|A tractor with an auto-transport Semi-trailer. The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge serves as one of the most important ports on entry for the U (CNN)

• The Lithuanian government confirms a nuclear waste site. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Radioactive wastes are Waste types containing radioactive Chemical elements that do not have a practical purpose (Alfa)
• Snow falls in Baghdad, Iraq for the first time in a century. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. A century (from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred is One hundred consecutive Years Centuries are numbered ordinally (e (Reuters)
• Former U.S. track and field athlete Marion Jones is sentenced to 6 months in prison for lying about performance enhancing drug usage and her role in a check fraud scheme. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Marion Lois Jones, also known as Marion Jones-Thompson (born October 12, 1975 in Los Angeles California) is a former world champion American Cheque (or check fraud refers to a category of criminal acts that involve making the unlawful use of Cheques in order to illegally acquire or borrow funds that do (CNN)

• A tanker crash, explosion and fire in Port Harcourt, Nigeria leaves at least 30 dead. Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Port Harcourt is the Capital city of Rivers State, Nigeria. It lies along the Bonny River Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal (CNN)
• A collision near Bathurst, New Brunswick results in the deaths of 7 Bathurst High School basketball team members. Bathurst ( 2006 population 12714 UA 18154 CA population 31424 is a Canadian city in Gloucester Bathurst High School is an English-language secondary school located in Bathurst New Brunswick, Canada. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m (CTV)
• Republic of China legislative election, 2008: The Kuomintang (KMT) and its coalition allies win a landslide victory over the Democratic Progressive Party, garnering 86 of 113 seats in the Legislative Yuan. Legislative elections were held on January 12, 2008 in the Republic of China (Taiwan. The Pan-Blue Coalition ( or Pan-Blue Force ( is a Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Kuomintang In Politics, a landslide victory (or landslide) is the victory of a candidate or Political party by an overwhelming margin in an Election The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP ( Taiwanese: Bîn-chú-chìn-pō͘-tóng Traditional Chinese: zh-Hant 民主進步黨 Simplified Chinese: zh-Hans The Legislative Yuan ( is the Legislative body of the Republic of China (ROC which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and (ChinaPost) (BBC News)

• Atonement wins the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama at the 65th Golden Globe Awards. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Atonement is a 2007 film adaptation of Ian McEwan 's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, directed by Joe Wright, and based This page lists the winners and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture — Drama, since its institution in 1951 65th Golden Sweeney Todd wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 2007 musical thriller and the Film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy has been awarded annually since 1952 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. (AP via Google News)
• Floods in Mozambique kill 50 people, lead to the evacuation of 30,000 and make 72,000 homeless. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa (AFP via ABC News Australia)
• A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota announce the creation of a beating rat heart using cells from the heart of newborn rats and a heart structure from a dead rat. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. Rats are various medium sized long-tailed Rodents of the superfamily Muroidea The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic (The New York Times)

• Alvaro Colom is sworn in as President of Guatemala. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Álvaro Colom Caballeros (born 15 June 1951 in Guatemala City) is the President of Guatemala for the 2008-2012 term The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839 when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz. (AP via Google News)
• MESSENGER, a NASA mission, flies by Mercury, the second spacecraft to do so and the first in thirty-three years. The MErcury Surface Space ENvironment GEochemistry and Ranging ( MESSENGER) probe is a NASA Spacecraft, launched August 3, 2004 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program (BBC News)
• The Taliban attacks the Serena Hotel in Kabul, resulting in the deaths of at least six people. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Serena Hotel is a hotel chain that operates in Afghanistan, Kenya, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with (AP via Google News)
• The European Commission opens two new probes on alleged anti-competitive behavior by Microsoft Corporation. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer (AP via The Melbourne Age)
• War in Waziristan: At least seven Pakistani soldiers die in a clash with pro-Taliban militants in a tribal area near the Afghan border. The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistani Army and Islamist militants made up by local tribesmen the Taliban and foreign extremists Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Pakistan Armed Forces ( Urdu: پاک عسکری) are the overall unified military forces of Pakistan The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Twenty-three tribal militants also die in the fighting in Mohmand agency. (BBC News)
• Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert warns that "all options are being taken into consideration" to stop Iran from going nuclear. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. (Ynet News) (AP via Yahoo! News)
• Bobby Jindal is sworn in as the 56th Governor of Louisiana. Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10 1971 is the current Republican governor of the U Colonial period (French and Spanish governors See also List of colonial governors of Louisiana United States territorial period The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America He is the first Indian American governor in U.S. history. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government (NPR)

• Fox's Hit Series Prison Break returns today on its 3rd season after a 2 month hiatus due to the "Writers Strike"

• 20 Palestinians are killed by the Israeli Defense Forces including 14 fighters and five civilians, with 55 people wounded. Prison Break is an American action / Serial drama television series that premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on August 29 2005 Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar's son is killed. Mahmud al-Zahar (محمود الزهار (born 1945 is a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Palestinian occupied Gaza Strip. Dozens of rockets are fired into Israel by Hamas, landing in the town of Sderot, injuring 4 Israelis. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Sderot (שְׂדֵרוֹת a western Negev City, in the Southern District of Israel. An Ecuadorian laborer is also shot and killed by Hamas. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. (The Washington Post)
• United States presidential election, 2008: Mitt Romney wins the Republican Michigan primary with John McCain finishing second. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive The 2008 Michigan Republican primary took place on January 15, 2008. Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic contest but she was the only leading contender in that election. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The 2008 Michigan Democratic primary took place on January 15, 2008 to determine the number of delegates in favor of a candidate at the National Convention Democratic candidates brace for a competitive primary in Nevada while Republicans contend for the South Carolina primary. Statewide opinion polling for the Republican Party presidential primaries 2008This article is a collection of state-wide public opinion polls that have been conducted relating to the Statewide opinion polling for the Democratic Party presidential primaries 2008 This article is a collection of state-wide public Opinion polls that have been conducted relating (Canadian Press via Google News) (AP via Google News) (CNN) (MSNBC)
• Bombing of northern Iraq: Turkish warplanes bomb Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq, in the fourth aerial attack on rebel positions since the military launched a bombing campaign on 16 December. TalkKurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan Region ( Kurdish: هه رێمى كوردستان Herêmi Kurdistan, Arabic:إقليم كردستان العراق, Iqlĩm Kurdistãn Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion (Ynet)
• War in Afghanistan (2001-present): The Pentagon announces plans to send 3,200 additional Marines to Afghanistan. The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, (BBC News)
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows the production and sale of foods derived from cloned animals. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cloning in Biology is the process of producing populations of genetically-identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as Bacteria, Insects (BBC News)

• The proposed lyrics for the Spanish national anthem are withdrawn. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common es '''La Marcha Real''' ("The Royal March " is the National anthem of Spain. (AP via The International Herald Tribune)
• The discovery of Tahina spectabilis, a palm in northern Madagascar that dies after flowering, is announced. Tahina spectabilis is a rare palm that is found in northern Madagascar. Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae, which is taxonomically invalid or commonly palm tree) the palm family is a family of Flowering Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern (BBC News)
• Three United States Army soldiers are killed and another two wounded by small arms fire in the northern Salahuddin province of Iraq. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Small arms is a term used by the Armed forces to refer to Infantry Weapons such as the Firearms that an individual soldier can carry For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (Reuters)
• War in Somalia (2006–present): A huge blast in Mogadishu targeted an Ethiopian army convoy as it drove through a major intersection, killing seven soldiers on board, witnesses reported. The War in Somalia is an ongoing armed conflict involving largely Ethiopian and Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG forces versus the Somali Mogadishu ( Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar, Hamar; مقديشو Maqadīshū (Garowe Online)

• War in Pakistan (2004–present); Sararogha Fort raid: Islamic militants overrun and capture a Pakistani military outpost, Sararogha Fort, close to the Afghan border in a battle that kills seven Pakistani soldiers and leaves 20 missing. The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistani Army and Islamist militants made up by local tribesmen the Taliban and foreign extremists The Sararogha Fort raid occurred on 15-16 January 2008 when several dozen Islamic militants overrun a paramilitary fort in South Waziristan, Pakistan, killing or kidnapping Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Sararogha Fort raid occurred on 15-16 January 2008 when several dozen Islamic militants overrun a paramilitary fort in South Waziristan, Pakistan, killing or kidnapping Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Pakistani military claims 50 attackers also died. The Pakistan Armed Forces ( Urdu: پاک عسکری) are the overall unified military forces of Pakistan (AP via Google News)
• Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister, resigns from the Cabinet of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with 10 party colleagues resigning from the government as well. Avigdor Levi Lieberman (אביגדור ליברמן also spelled Liberman, born 5 June 1958) is an Israeli politician and leader of the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader (AFP via Google News)
• The Israel Defense Forces are dispatched to evacuate two settlements on the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria (AP via Google News)
• A roadside bomb hits a bus in Buttala in southeastern Sri Lanka killing at least 23 people and injuring 67 others. A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island (AP via Yahoo! News) (CNN)
• Sun Microsystems announces the acquisition of MySQL AB, a leading open source relational database management system vendor, for US$1 billion. Sun Microsystems Inc ( is a multinational vendor of Computers computer components Computer software, and Information technology services MySQL AB (founded 1995 acquired by Sun Microsystems 2008 was dual headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden and Cupertino, California Open source is a development methodology which offers practical accessibility to a product's source (goods and knowledge A Relational database management system (RDBMS is a Database management system (DBMS that is based on the Relational model as introduced by E (AP via Google News)

• NYSE Euronext, the holding company for the New York Stock Exchange, agrees to buy the American Stock Exchange for $260 million in stock. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common NYSE Euronext Inc (formerly NYSE Group Inc and Euronext NV) is a Euro - American for-profit corporation that operates multiple A holding company is a company that owns part all or a majority of other companies' outstanding Stock. The New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE) is a Stock exchange based in New York City. The American Stock Exchange ( AMEX) is an American Stock exchange situated in New York. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Software for Fixed assets management and Stock control developed in 2004. (Fox Business)
• Russian security officer Vasily Khitryuk is convicted of spying for Lithuania. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the (PR-inside)
• Crash landing at London Heathrow: A British Airways Boeing 777 flying from Beijing, China to London, England lands on the grass short of the south runway and continues onto the runway, stopping on the white stripes, injuring 13 people, but resulting in no fatalities. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. The chaos results in the cancellation of 200 flights. (BBC News)
• War in Pakistan (2004–present): Another Pakistani security outpost near the border with Afghanistan is abandoned by government troops due to threats from pro-Taliban fighters. The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistani Army and Islamist militants made up by local tribesmen the Taliban and foreign extremists Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately (Aljazeera)
• Civil unrest in Kenya (2007–2008): Kenya's police fire into the air to disperse opposition supporters in cities across the country on the second day of protests against disputed polls. The 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis refers to a political economic and humanitarian crisis that erupted in Kenya after incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south (BBC News)
• The Russian government closes British Council offices in St Petersburg and Ekaterinburg. The British Council is a Public Body of the United Kingdom Government which specialises in educational and development opportunities Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбу́рг also romanized Ekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk) is a major city in the central part of Russia (BBC News)

• Former psychiatric patient Matthew Higa is charged with killing a two-year-old boy by throwing him off a pedestrian overpass and into oncoming traffic on Interstate H-1 in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common A Pedestrian separation structure is any Structure that removes Pedestrians from a Vehicle Roadway. Interstate H-1 (abbreviated H-1) is the busiest Interstate highway in Hawaii, United States, located on the island of O‘ahu. Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U (The Honolulu Advertiser)
• Dana Stubblefield, a former defensive lineman in the NFL, pleads guilty to making false statements in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative investigation. Dana William Stubblefield (born November 14, 1970 in Cleves, Ohio) is a former American football Defensive tackle in the A defensive lineman is any of the down positions on the defensive side of Canadian and American football. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative also known as BALCO was an American company led by founder and owner Victor Conte. (The New York Times)
• A man wearing a tactical vest and carrying a loaded shotgun is arrested near the United States Capitol. A ballistic vest is an item of protective clothing that absorbs the impact from gun-fired Projectiles and shrapnel fragments from explosion A shotgun (also known as a scattergun) is a Firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number (Reuters) (WUSA9)
• Dr. Samuel Wood along with several colleagues used some of their skin cells to clone human embryos. Samuel H Wood is a scientist noted for donating DNA that was used in Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT to produce mature human embryos that were clones of An embryo (from Greek:, plural, lit "that which grows" from en- "in" + bryein "to swell be full" is a multicellular (Newsday)
• Israel kills one Palestinian and injures 40 as it temporarily closes all its border crossings with Gaza Strip. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west (BBC News)
• Cloverfield comes out in the USA. Cloverfield is a 2008 monster / Horror film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

• Adolfo Nicolás is elected as the thirtieth Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Reverend Father Adolfo Nicolás Pachón, SJ, STD (born April 29, 1936) is a Spanish priest The Superior General of the Society of Jesus is the official title of the leader of the Society of Jesus &mdashthe Roman Catholic religious order also known The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order (BBC News)
• United States presidential election, 2008:
  • Voters in Nevada and South Carolina go to the polls to determine presidential nominations for the Republican and Democratic parties. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral
  • Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney wins the Nevada Republican caucus. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The Nevada Republican caucuses 2008 was held on January 19, the same day as the 2008 South Carolina Republican primary, with 31 delegates at stake (The New York Times)
  • Nevada Democratic caucus: New York Senator Hillary Clinton wins 51% of state delegates, but Illinois Senator Barack Obama wins the state's national delegates 13 to 12. The 2008 Nevada Democratic Caucuses took place on January 19, 2008 after having been moved from a later date by the Nevada Democratic Party New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. (CNN)
  • Arizona Senator John McCain wins the South Carolina Republican primary. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The South Carolina Republican primary 2008 was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake (CNN)
  • California Congressman Duncan Hunter withdraws his candidacy. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. California's 52nd congressional district covers part of San Diego county Duncan Lee Hunter (born May 31, 1948) is an American politician (CNN)

• NFL playoffs, 2007-08:
  • The New York Giants defeat the Green Bay Packers 23-20 in overtime to advance to Super Bowl XLII. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The National Football League playoffs for the 2007 season lead up to Super Bowl XLII on February 3 2008 at University of Phoenix The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay Wisconsin. Super Bowl XLII featured the National Football Conference (NFC champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC champion New England (The New York Times)
  • The New England Patriots defeat the San Diego Chargers 21-12 to advance to Super Bowl XLII. The New England Patriots, commonly called the " Pats " by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. Super Bowl XLII featured the National Football Conference (NFC champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC champion New England (ESPN)
• Chinese President Hu Jintao shakes hands with Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association leader Liu Bainian at a party-sponsored New Year's tea party. The President of the People's Republic of China ( literally Chairman of the Chinese People's Republic or abbreviated Guójiā Zhǔxí 国家主席 literally State Chairman Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association ( Chinese: 中国天主教爱国会 Pinyin: Zhōngguó Tiānzhǔjiào Àiguó Huì) abbreviated Anthony Liu Bainian ( Simplified Chinese: 刘柏年 Traditional Chinese: 劉柏年 the current vice chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the Chinese New Year is the most important of the Traditional Chinese holidays. In Anglo-American culture a Tea party is typically a formal ritualized gathering (traditionally of women for afternoon tea, although men may be invited to participate (The Washington Post)
• Israel blocks fuel to the Gaza City power plant, causing a citywide blackout. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of (CNN)
• A bus carrying pilgrims crashes near Nashik, India killing at least 37, including 5 children. http//wwwmapsofindiacom/maps/maharashtra/roads/nashik_roadjpg Nashik (नाशिक India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country (CNN)

• A Turkish court bans YouTube for the second time because of clips deemed disrespectful to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman (PhysOrg.com)
• An Israeli TecSAR spy satellite is launched aboard an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. TecSAR, also known as TechSAR and Polaris, is an Israeli Reconnaissance satellite, equipped with Synthetic aperture radar developed A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or Communications satellite deployed for India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country (PhysOrg.com)
• President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez disallows the exportation of agricultural goods and promises to nationalize any farm that does. ||-||} Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The President of Venezuela (Presidente Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela. In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government (BBC News)
• 2008 stock market downturn:
  • Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U. January 2008 was an especially volatile month in world stock markets with a surge in Implied volatility measurements of the US-based S&P 500 index, and a sharp decrease A stock market, or (equity market is a private or public market for the trading of company Stock and derivatives of company S. recession, fueled by the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis. A recession is a contraction phase of the Business cycle. The U The subprime mortgage crisis is an ongoing financial crisis characterized by contracted Liquidity in global credit markets and Banking (BBC News) (thisislondon.co.uk)
  • North American Markets: U.S. markets are closed for Martin Luther King Day. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Martin Luther King Jr Day is a United States Holiday marking the birthdate of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr Stock futures are down, with March contracts on the Dow Jones Industrial Average trading 482 points lower to 11,624. In Finance, a futures contract is a standardized Contract, traded on a Futures exchange, to buy or sell a certain Underlying instrument The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( also called the DJIA, Dow 30, INDP, or informally the Dow Jones or The Dow) is one of several S&P 500 futures are also down 55 points to 1,270. The S&P 500 is a Stock market index containing the stocks of 500 Large-Cap Corporations all of which are from the United States. 10 and Nasdaq 100 futures are down 72. The NASDAQ-100 is a Stock market index of 100 of the largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange it is a modified 25 points to 1,777. 25. The Toronto Stock Exchange loses over 500 points during morning trading at 12,233. (MarketWatch) (CBC)
  • European Markets: The French CAC 40 index closes down 6. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The CAC 40 ( French: CAC quarante IPA /kakkaʁɑ̃t/ which takes its name from the Paris Bourse 's early automation system Cotation Assistée 8% at 4,744. 45, the German DAX 30 index closes down 7. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. DAX 30 ( Deutscher Aktien IndeX 30, formerly Deutscher Aktien-Index 30 (German stock index is a Blue Chip Stock market index consisting of the 2% at 6,790. 19, and the UK's FTSE 100 index closes down 5. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The FTSE 100 Index (ˈfʊtsiː footsie, abbreviated Financial Times Stock Exchange Index) is a Share index of the 100 most highly capitalised 5% at 5,578. 20. (MarketWatch)
  • Asian Markets: The Indian Sensex is down 1,408. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The BSE Sensex or Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index is a value-weighted index composed of 30 stocks with the base April 1984 = 100 35 points, or 7. 4%, to 17,605. 35, tumbling a record 11% down at one point in the day. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ends the day down 5. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders 5% at 23,818. 86. Japan's Nikkei falls 3. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. 9% to 13,436. 94. (MarketWatch)
• A gas explosion at an illegal mine in Shanxi, China kills at least 20. ( Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National (BBC News)
• Former Liberian warlord Joshua Milton Blahyi confesses that he is responsible for at least 20,000 deaths during the First Liberian Civil War. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire A warlord is a person with power who has military control over a subnational area due to Armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority Joshua Milton Blahyi (born ca 1970 also known as General Butt Naked, is a Liberian Warlord -turned- Preacher. The First Liberian Civil War was a conflict in Liberia from 1989 until 1996. (CNN)
• The Na-Dene language of Eyak goes extinct with the death of Marie Smith Jones, its last native speaker. Eyak is an extinct Na-Dené language that was historically spoken in southcentral Alaska, near the mouth of the Copper River. Marie Smith Jones ( May 14, 1918 &ndash January 21, 2008) was the last surviving speaker of the Eyak language of Southcentral (BBC)

• January 2008 stock market downturn: After further losses in international markets, the United States Federal Reserve System cuts its primary interest rate by 75 basis points to 3. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common January 2008 was an especially volatile month in world stock markets with a surge in Implied volatility measurements of the US-based S&P 500 index, and a sharp decrease The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 5%, the largest move in the interest rate since 1982. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The Dow Jones Industrial Average recovers after initial losses of almost 500 points to close at 11,971. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( also called the DJIA, Dow 30, INDP, or informally the Dow Jones or The Dow) is one of several 19, down only 1. 06%. (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
• Bird flu cases in poultry spread in India, as the H5N1 virus infects seven districts in the state of West Bengal. For the H5N1 subtype of Avian influenza see H5N1. Avian influenza, sometimes Avian flu, and commonly Bird flu refers India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Influenza A virus subtype H5[[Neuraminidase N1]], also known as A(H5N1 or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the Influenza A virus which can cause West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
• A study released by two non-profit journalism watchdogs concludes that the Bush administration released "an orchestrated campaign" of 935 erroneous public statements about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and ties to al Qaeda in the months leading up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The Presidency of George W Bush began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. This article concerns the Iraqi government's use possession and alleged intention of acquiring more types of Weapons of mass destruction (WMD during the presidency of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda link allegations were made by some U The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia (AP)
• U.S. presidential election, 2008: Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson withdraws his candidacy. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives (CNN)
• The nominees of the 80th Academy Awards are announced. The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honoring the best in film for 2007, was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood California on ABC (BBC News)
• Is the official day of Great Grimsby (Grimsby Telegraph)
• Death of Australian Actor, Heath Ledger

• 20 people are killed in a military transport plane crash near Mirosławiec, northern Poland; senior Polish Air Force officers are among the victims. Grimsby (or archaically Great Grimsby) is a Seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008 was an Australian television and film actor Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Mirosławiec (Märkisch Friedland is a town in Wałcz County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4837 inhabitants (2007 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Polish Air Force ( Siły Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej Siły Powietrzne RP - Air Forces of the Polish Republic is the Air force branch of the Polish (BBC News)
• Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo, being built for Virgin Galactic to become the world's first commercial spacecraft, is unveiled, and will begin test flights in mid-2008. Scaled Composites (often abbreviated as Scaled) formerly the Rutan Aircraft Factory, is a company currently owned by Northrop Grumman that is located Scaled Composites' Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2 is a Suborbital Spaceplane for carrying future Space tourists that is currently under development by Virgin Galactic is a company within Sir Richard Branson 's Virgin Group which plans to provide Sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public A spacecraft is a Vehicle or machine designed for Spaceflight. (BBC News)
• Contractors for the Big Dig project pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit from the Massachusetts government over a fatal tunnel collapse and associated flaws. A government contractor is a private company that produces goods or services under contract for the Government. The Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project ( CA/T) a Megaproject that rerouted the The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. At approximately 1100 pm on Monday July 10, 2006, four sections of ceiling tiles fell to the roadway on eastbound Interstate 90, along a section of connector tunnel The Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project ( CA/T) a Megaproject that rerouted the (AP via Google News)
• January 2008 stock market downturn:
  • Asian stock markets recover, with the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index rising 10. January 2008 was an especially volatile month in world stock markets with a surge in Implied volatility measurements of the US-based S&P 500 index, and a sharp decrease 7% and the Mumbai BSE Sensex rising 5. The BSE Sensex or Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index is a value-weighted index composed of 30 stocks with the base April 1984 = 100 2%, but European markets are still weak, with the London FTSE 100 Index, the Paris CAC 40 and the Frankfurt DAX all posting significant losses. The FTSE 100 Index (ˈfʊtsiː footsie, abbreviated Financial Times Stock Exchange Index) is a Share index of the 100 most highly capitalised The CAC 40 ( French: CAC quarante IPA /kakkaʁɑ̃t/ which takes its name from the Paris Bourse 's early automation system Cotation Assistée DAX 30 ( Deutscher Aktien IndeX 30, formerly Deutscher Aktien-Index 30 (German stock index is a Blue Chip Stock market index consisting of the (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
  • Despite early added losses, as much as 323 points, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes up 298. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( also called the DJIA, Dow 30, INDP, or informally the Dow Jones or The Dow) is one of several 98 points (2. 5%) to 12,270. 17. (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
• Thousands of Palestinians flee into Egypt, as the border wall with Gaza in Rafah is blown up by militants. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai (BBC News) (AP via Google News)
• Police in Zimbabwe arrest Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, the principal opposition party. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Morgan Richard Tsvangirai ( English ˈtʃæŋgəˈraɪ Shona ts͡ɸaŋgiˈra The Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC) is a Zimbabwean Political party. (ABC News Australia)

• Australia's longest running magazine, The Bulletin, is closing down after almost 130 years of publishing. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Bulletin is a discontinued Australian weekly Magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008 (ABC News Australia)
• A medical student at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm is expelled when it turns out that he was paroled from a maximum-security prison after being convicted of murder in 2000. Karolinska Institutet (often translated from Swedish into English as the Karolinska Institute, and in older texts often as the Royal Caroline ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the (The New York Times)
• Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi is forced to resign following a lost vote of confidence in the Senate. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest In Italy, the Prime Minister of Italy (officially the President of the Council of Ministers, Italian Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri) is the country's (born 9 August 1939 is an Italian politician and statesman He served as President of the Council of Ministers (prime minister of Italy twice from 17 May On 24 January 2008 Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi lost a vote of confidence in the Senate by a vote of 161 to 156 A Motion of Confidence is a motion of support proposed by a government in a Parliament or other assembly of elected representatives to give members of parliament (or The Italian Senate ( Italian: Senato della Repubblica, 'Senate of the Republic' is the Upper house of the Parliament of Italy. (BBC News)
• An Australian girl spontaneously switches blood types and adopts her donor's immune system following a liver transplant in the first known case of its type. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A blood type (also called a blood group) is a classification of Blood based on the presence or absence of inherited Antigenic substances on the An immune system is a collection of mechanisms within an Organism that protects against Disease by identifying and killing Pathogens and Tumor The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals (Breitbart)
• The Brazilian government passes legislation aimed at curbing Amazon deforestation. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Politics of Brazil takes place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President of Brazil Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland (BBC News)
• Jérôme Kerviel is blamed for worsening the January 2008 stock market downturn by allegedly losing €4. Jérôme Kerviel (born January 11 1977) is a French trader who has been charged in the January 2008 Société Générale trading loss incident January 2008 was an especially volatile month in world stock markets with a surge in Implied volatility measurements of the US-based S&P 500 index, and a sharp decrease Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e 9 billion ($7 billion) for French bank Société Générale. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Société Générale ( is one of the main European financial services companies and also maintains extensive activities in others parts of the world (The Daily Mail)

• President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez accuses Colombia of preparing a "military aggression against Venezuela". Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ||-||} Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The President of Venezuela (Presidente Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the (AP via Google News)
• United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the U.S. is "ready and willing" to send troops to Pakistan to combat al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Robert Michael Gates (born September 25 1943) is currently serving as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately (CBS)
• Iraq War: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claims al-Qaeda in Iraq has been pushed out of most of the nation, and Iraqi security forces are preparing a "decisive" offensive against the group in Mosul, their last stronghold, in response to attacks in the city that have killed around 40 people, including the area's police chief. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Office The Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraq's Head of government. Nouri Kamel Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki ( Arabic: نوري كامل محمّد حسن المالكي transliterated Nūrī Kāmil al-Mālikī; born June Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI is a group playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. Iraqi Security Forces (ISF is the Multi-National Force-Iraq umbrella name for military Paramilitary and civilian law enforcement entities that serve under the For the village in Azerbaijan see Mosul Azerbaijan. Mosul (الموصل Al Mūṣul, Kurdish: Mosul/Ninawa, Musul (Reuters)
• Power shortages cause South African mines to suspend production. Mining in South Africa has been the main driving force behind the history and development of Africa's most advanced and richest economy (BBC News)
• Semion Mogilevich, an organised crime boss with ties to the Russian Mafia, is detained in Moscow. Semion Yudkovich Mogilevich ( June 30, 1946 in Kiev, Ukraine, in Russian Семен Могилевич, also written as Russian Mafia ( Русская мафия, Russkaya Mafiya) Red Mob ( Красная мафия Krasnaya Mafiya) or Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of (AP via Google)
• United States presidential election, 2008: Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich withdraws his candidacy. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Dennis John Kucinich (kuˈsɪnɪtʃ (born October 8[[ 946]] is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and was a candidate for (CNN)
• An explosion in a Beirut suburb (Hazmiyeh) kills Lebanon's top anti-terror investigating officer and his driver. Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية (CNN) (AP via Yahoo! News) (AFP via Yahoo!)
• A fire at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada causes the entire building to be evacuated. The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino is a Hotel and Casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA. The Las Vegas Strip (also known as The Strip) is an approximately 4 mile (6 Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. (CNN)

• United States presidential election, 2008: Illinois Senator Barack Obama wins the South Carolina Democratic primary. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The 2008 South Carolina Democratic Presidential primary took place on January 26, 2008. (The New York Times)
• The United States government warns that a spy satellite is losing power and propulsion and could hit the Earth in February or March. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or Communications satellite deployed for EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Overview February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the Events in March American Red Cross Month Fire Prevention month ( The Philippines) Women's History Month ( United (BBC News)
• Police in Zimbabwe arrest Nicholas van Hoogstraten for allegedly violating the Exchange Control Regulations Act by asking his tenants to pay in foreign currency. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Nicholas van Hoogstraten (born February 25, 1945) is a controversial wealthy British businessman and property owner He is also accused of violating the Censorship Act for possessing pornography. Police seize Z$20 billion ($0. The dollar is the Currency of Zimbabwe. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 6m). (BBC News)
• Maria Sharapova wins the Australian Open women's title defeating Ana Ivanović 7-5, 6-3. Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ( Mariya Yur’evna Sharapova; born April 19 1987 is a Russian professional Tennis player The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments held each year Ana Ivanović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Ана Ивановић ˈana iˈvaːnɔviʨ born November 6 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia Andy Ram & Yoni Erlich win the men's doubles title. Andy Ram ( אנדי רם, born April 10, 1980) is a professional Right-handed Tennis player from Israel, and the first Israeli Jonathan Dario "Yoni" Erlich ( Hebrew: יונתן דאריו "יוני" ארליך, born April 5, 1977) is a professional (BBC News)

• 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis: At least nine people are killed in western Kenya, reports say, in violence apparently linked to last month's disputed elections. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis refers to a political economic and humanitarian crisis that erupted in Kenya after incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south (BBC News)
• Taiwan's Premier Chang Chun-hsiung remains in office as President Chen Shui-bian rejects his resignation. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The President of the Executive Yuan ( commonly known in English as the Premier of Taiwan ( is the head of the Executive Yuan, the Executive Chang Chun-hsiung ( POJ: Tiuⁿ Chùn-hiông born March 23, 1938, a politician in Taiwan, is a former Premier of the Republic of China The President of the Republic of China ( is the Head of state of the Republic of China (ROC (commonly known as Taiwan since the 1970s Chen Shui-bian ( born October 12, 1950) is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. (Taipei Times)
• War in Pakistan (2004–present): Troops close in on Darra Adam Khel in Pakistan after fierce clashes. The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistani Army and Islamist militants made up by local tribesmen the Taliban and foreign extremists Darra Adam Khel ( Urdu: درہ آدم خیل) is a town in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, located between Peshawar and Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and (DAWN)
• Novak Đoković wins the men's title of the 2008 Australian Open. ( Serbian: Новак Ђоковић Novak Đoković, ˈnɔvaːk 'ʥɔːkɔviʨ born May 22 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia (part of Yugoslavia at The 2008 Australian Open was a Tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. (India Times)

• George W. Bush delivers his final State of the Union Address as President of the United States. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The 2008 State of the Union Address was a speech given by United States President George W The Presidency of George W Bush began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by (The Los Angeles Times)
• War in Pakistan (2004–present): A group of schoolchildren are taken hostage by militants in Bannu, Pakistan, but later released. The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistani Army and Islamist militants made up by local tribesmen the Taliban and foreign extremists Bannu (بنوں the principal city of Bannu District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, is an important road junction and market city Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and (Sky News)
• Inflation in Zimbabwe rises to about 150,000%. In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election The Zimbabwean dollar is essentially worthless. The dollar is the Currency of Zimbabwe. It is subdivided into 100 cents. (allAfrica)

• 20 civilians including 11 children die and 14 are wounded after a mine explodes targeting a school bus in Madhu, Sri Lanka. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common A school bus is a Bus used to transport Children and Adolescents to and from School and school events Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is a Roman Catholic Marian shrine in Mannar district of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island (Sunday Times)
• Iran's judiciary sentences 54 Bahá'í religion followers for "anti-regime propaganda. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The persecution of Bahá'ís is the Religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people " (AFP via Yahoo! News)
• Snow storms cut the Beijing-Guangzhou railway and paralyze China's Chunyun period. Jingguang railway ( Chinese: 京广铁路/京廣鐵路 or 京广线/京廣綫 is a major artery Railway in the China connecting Beijing West railway Chunyun refers to the extremely high traffic load of transportation in China around the time of Chinese New Year. (AP via The Houston Chronicle)
• The United States House of Representatives passes a $146 billion economic stimulus package. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been (AP via The New York Times)
• Venezuelan gunmen hold 30 hostages in a bank in Guárico state before fleeing the scene in an ambulance with several hostages. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money "Guárico" redirects here see also Guárico River. Estado Guárico is one of the 23 states ''(estados'' into which An ambulance is a Vehicle for transporting sick or injured people to from or between places of treatment for an Illness or Injury. The gunmen are subsequently captured. (The Guardian) (AP via Google News)
• United States presidential election, 2008:
  • Voters in Florida go to the polls to determine presidential nominees. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses is one of the first steps in the process of electing the President of the United States of America.
  • New York Senator Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic primary with no delegates awarded. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The 2008 Democratic Presidential primary in Florida took place on January 29, 2008. The 2008 Democratic Presidential primary in Florida took place on January 29, 2008. (CNN)
  • Arizona Senator John McCain wins the Republican primary. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The 2008 Florida Republican primary was held on January 29, 2008, with 57 delegates at stake on a winner-take-all basis (CNN) (The New York Times)
• Near-Earth asteroid 2007 TU₂₄ passes Earth at a distance of 334,000 miles (537,500 km), and observations reduce the estimate of its size from 2,000 feet (610 m) diameter to 800 feet (250 m). Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs are Asteroids whose Orbits are close to Earth 's orbit Asteroid was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona on October 11, 2007. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 (News Limited)
• A missile strike by the Pakistan Army in North Waziristan kills ten suspected militants. The Pakistan Army ( Urdu:) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders the security of administered North Waziristan ( Urdu: شمالی وزیرستان is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan (Reuters)
• A car bomb in Thenia, Algeria kills at least three people. A car bomb is an explosive device placed in a car or other Vehicle and then detonated. Thénia (sometimes incorrectly written as Thenia) with around 40000 inhabitants is the chief town in the Daïra of the same name in the Wilaya of Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's (Canadian Press via Google News)

• United States District Court judge Stanwood Duval dismisses a class action suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over flooding from a levee breach in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States district courts are the general Trial courts of the United States federal court system. A judge, or justice, is an Official who presides over a Court of law Stanwood Richardson Duval Jr (born February 8, 1942, is a New Orleans -based U In Law, a class action or a representative action is a form of Lawsuit where a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel Dike (constructionEmbankmentA levee, levée, dike (or dyke) embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States (AP via Google News)
• Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and state electricity chief Anatoly Chubais call for a less hawkish foreign policy. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Alexei Leonidovich Kudrin (Алексей Леонидович Кудрин (born 12 October, 1960) is a Russian Statesman, and the Russian Anatoly Borisovich Chubais (Анато́лий Бори́сович Чуба́йс (born June 16, 1955, Borisov, Belorussian SSR, Soviet Analysts claim the two are close to the likely next President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( Dmitrij Anatol′evič Medvedev;; born 14 September 1965 is currently President of Russia, inaugurated on 7 May 2008 (The Guardian)
• The United States Federal Reserve cuts the federal funds rate by half a point to 3 per cent, the second cut in this key interest rate in eight days as it acts to head off a recession. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In the United States, the federal funds rate is the Interest rate at which private Depository institutions (mostly banks lend balances ( Federal funds Interest is a fee paid on borrowed capital Assets lent include Money, Shares, Consumer goods through Hire purchase, major assets A recession is a contraction phase of the Business cycle. The U (The New York Times)
• The Government of Australia announces that it will apologize to the "stolen generation" of indigenous Australians in the Parliament of Australia on February 13. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed (AAP via Melbourne Herald-Sun)
• United States presidential election, 2008:
  • Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards withdraws his candidacy. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Johnny Reid "John" Edwards (born June 10 1953 (CNN)
  • Former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani withdraws his candidacy and endorses John McCain. The Mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City. KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with (The New York Times)
  • Republican candidates debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the Presidential library of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States Simi Valley is an incorporated city located in the southeast corner of Ventura County, California, bordering the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles (CNN)
• As snowstorms continue to worsen in China, Premier Wen Jiabao offers an apology to the public while visiting Changsha train station in Hunan as millions are stranded in train stations waiting to go home during Chinese New Year. The 2008 Chinese winter storms are a series of Winter storm events that affected large portions of southern and central China starting on 25 January China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wen. Wen Jiabao ( (born 15 September 1942 is the Premier of the Changsha ( is the Capital city of Hunan, a province of south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river a branch of the ( is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning Chunyun refers to the extremely high traffic load of transportation in China around the time of Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is the most important of the Traditional Chinese holidays. (CNN)
• Government probe finds that Israel "failed . For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. . . to provide an effective military response to the challenge posed to it by the war in Lebanon. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية " (BBC News)
• Internet services are disrupted in the Middle East after an undersea cable in the Mediterranean Sea is damaged. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. (BBC News)

• United States presidential election, 2008: Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama hold the first two-person debate. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from (CNN)
• War in Afghanistan:
  • A suicide bomber at a mosque in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan kills the deputy governor of Helmand Province, Pir Mohammad, and five others. The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger Lashkar Gah (alternative name Bost) is a city in southern Afghanistan, the Capital of Helmand province. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Helmand ( هلمند) is one of the 34 Provinces of Afghanistan. (AP via the San Jose Mercury News)
  • Western officials and al-Qaeda websites claim Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan, has been killed in recent fighting. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The Abu Laith al-Libi (Arabic أبو الليث الليبي, b approx Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, (BBC News)
• Internet failure affects parts of Asia and Africa after two undersea cables, SEA-ME-WE 4 and FLAG, are damaged. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 ( SEA-ME-WE 4) is an Optical fibre Submarine communications cable system that carries Telecommunications Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG is a 28000 kilometer long Submarine communications cable containing Optical fiber that connects the United Kingdom (CNN)
• All government ministers in French Polynesia resign en masse in solidarity with one of their colleagues, who was fined for corruption. French Polynesia ( French: Polynésie française, Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is a French Overseas collectivity in the (Radio New Zealand)
• A new disease, progressive inflammatory neuropathy (PIN), is found in pig slaughterhouse workers in southeastern Minnesota. Progressive inflammatory neuropathy ( PIN) is a Disease that was identified in a report released on January 31 2008 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times A slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (from the French verb abattre, "to strike down" or freezing works ( New Zealand Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers (CDC)