The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It began on January 1, 2001 and will end December 31, 2100. Turn of the 21st century (2001–present) In contemporary history, the 21st century began with the United States as the sole superpower in the absence of the Soviet Union, with several other entities, such as China, India and the European Union as potential superpowers and Brazil as a potential great power in the coming decades. As the Cold War was over and terrorism said to be on the rise, the United States and its allies turned their attention to the Middle East. Digital technology, in its early stages of mainstream use in the 1980s and 1990s, became widely accepted by most of the world, though concerns about stress and antisociality from the overuse of mobile phones, the Internet and related technologies remains controversial. In 2008, 3.3 billion people globally, or nearly half the world's population used cell phones, and in 2005, over a billion people worldwide used the Internet. PronunciationRegarding pronunciation of 21st century years, academics suggest that since former years such as 1805 and 1905 were commonly pronounced as "eighteen oh" or "nineteen oh" five, the year 2005 should naturally have been pronounced as "twenty oh-five". [—The Times] A less common variation would have been "twenty nought-five". Many experts agree that majority usage of "two thousand (and) X" is a result of influences from the Y2K hype. Many people, ranging from linguistic and academic experts to Internet bloggers, predict that the "twenty X" pronunciation method will eventually prevail, but a time frame as to when this change will occur often differs. The year 2010 "twenty ten" is suggested by many, with the "two thousand x" pronunciation reserved only for the "two thousands" decade of 2000s and the Vancouver Olympics, taking place in 2010, is being officially referred to by Vancouver 2010 as "the twenty-ten olympics", while 2011 and 2013 are popular as well. The latest timeframes for change are usually placed at 2020. According to The Stanley Kubrick archives, in the press release for his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, film director Stanley Kubrick included specific instructions for journalists to refer to the movie as "two thousand and one" instead of the commonplace pronuciation of "twenty-oh-one". Kubrick said he did this in the hope that if the film became popular, it would influence the pronuciation of that year. Significant eventsPolitics, war, and genocidePolitics in this century have so far been divisive, in the United States and to a lesser degree the whole Western World between the ideologies of liberalism and conservatism; more precisely, the Democratic Party vs the Republican Party. Genocide still remains a problem in the century with the concern of the situation in Darfur and the growing concern in Sri Lanka. Low estimates on the deaths in Darfur stand around 200,000 deaths with 2.5 million in displacement, there has been much outrcy against the perpetrators, the Sudanese government, and the very weak international response. Also controversies from past genocides remain commonplace in the minds of victims and average people alike. - 1998–2002 – The Second Congo War continued into the early 21st century. A 1999 ceasefire quickly broke down and a UN peacekeeping mission, MONUC, was unable to control the fighting. Troops from Rwanda and Uganda continued to support rebel groups against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and rifts also grew between Rwanda and Uganda as they accused each other of supporting rival rebel groups as well. Laurent Kabila, president of the DRC, was assassinated in January 2002 and his son, Joseph Kabila, took power. Throughout 2002 steps were made towards peace and Rwanda and Uganda both removed their troops from the country. On December 17, 2002, a massive treaty officially ended the war. However, the DRC only holds power in less than half of the country, with most of the eastern and northern portions still controlled by rebel groups, where there is still significant infighting. In addition, Rwanda still supports anti-DRC rebels and anti-Rwandan rebels continue to operate from the DRC. The war killed an estimated 3.9 million people, displaced nearly 5.5 million, and led to a widespread and ongoing famine that continues to result in deaths. Severe human rights violations continue to be reported.
- 2001–present – The U.S. and NATO invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 and overthrew the Al-Qaeda-supportive Taliban government. Troops remained to install a democratic government, fight a slowly escalating insurgency, and to hunt for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
- 2003–present – In February 2003, a conflict in Darfur, Sudan began and soon escalated into full-scale war. It is soon considered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. By 2008 it is believed that up to 400,000 people have been killed and over 2.5 million displaced. In 2005, the ICC decided that Darfur war criminals would be tried, and on July 14, 2008, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir was charged with 5 accounts of crimes against humaninty and 2 accounts of war crimes, although the ICC currently has no power to enforce these charges.
- 2003–present – The U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003 and overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein (who was executed by the Iraqi government on December 30, 2006). Coalition troops remain in the country to install a democratic government and fight an escalating insurgency. In addition to an insurgency against the American presence, Iraq also suffered from a civil war for several years. The war was soon seen as the central front of the War on Terror by many governments, despite growing international dissatisfaction with the war. The total death toll has been estimated at near 150,000 but these estimations are highly disputed. After the U.S.-led coalition initiated a troop surge in 2007, casualty numbers have decreased significantly.
- 2004 – On March 11, bombings carried out by Islamic militants killed 191 people on the commuter rail system of Madrid, Spain.
- 2006–2008 – The dismantling of former Yugoslavia continues after Montenegro gained independence on June 3, 2006 and Kosovo declared independence on February 17, 2008. However, Kosovo's independence is disputed by Russia and many of its allies and is currently only partially recognized.
- 2006 – On July 12, Hezbollah militants crossed the border of Lebanon and captured two Israeli troops. Israel responded by sending troops across the border and bombing Hezbollah strongholds, while Hezbollah fired missiles on towns in northern Israel, approximately 6 each day. At the end of the war 300–450 Lebanese civilians, 600 Hezbolla troops, 44 Israeli civilians and 121 Israeli soldiers died. A ceasefire was signed on August 14, after which Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon. Many military sources in Israel have warned about the danger of a new Israeli-Lebanese conflict back in the year 2000, when Israel has withdrawn from Lebanon.
- 2006 – On July 11, bombs planted on the train system in Mumbai exploded, killing 209 people.
- 2006 – North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9. This was preceded by years of political wrangling with the U.S. over the status of their nuclear program.
- 2007 – A civil war escalated in the Gaza Strip throughout June, which resulted in Hamas eventually driving most Fatah-loyal forces from the Strip. In reaction, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and dissolved the Hamas-ruled parliament. Scattered conflict continues.
- 2008 – Russia invaded Georgia on August 7 as a response to a Georgian military attack on the capital of the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Russia extensively bombed the infrastructure of the country and occupied some small cities, but a ceasefire was signed about a week later. Russia occupied the Georgian breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and officially recognized their independence.
- 2008–2009 – Israel launches a military campaign on the Gaza Strip, due to continuous rocket launching on south Israeli cities, in a period of 8 years, endangering the lives of 1.5 million civilians.
- 2009 – North Korea tests a Nuclear bomb beneath the ground in North East of the nation, which creates an earthquake that shows as 4 on the Richter scale.
Science and technologySpace exploration- 2005 – The Huygens probe lands on Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons, January 14.
- 2008 – NASA's MESSENGER flies by Mercury, becoming the first spacecraft to do so in 33 years.
- 2008 – Phoenix Lander successfully arrives at Mars; later tests conducted by the spacecraft reveal evidence of ice on Mars.
- 2008 – Chinese space program launches its third manned space flight carrying its first three-person crew and conducts its first spacewalk that makes China the third nation after Russia and USA to do that, Shenzhou 7 on September 25.
Medicine- 2005 – The first successful partial face transplant is performed in France.
- 2008 – Japanese scientists create a form of artificial DNA.
- 2009 – The mouse genome is fully sequenced.
- 2009 - The horse genome is fully sequenced.
Personal technology Laptops are a common example of widely used wireless technologies. Other- 2003 – Discovery of an old dwarf human species, Homo floresiensis by modern humans (published October 2004).
- 2004 – The first ever recorded hurricane in the South Atlantic forms.
- 2007 – The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) releases its Fourth Assessment Report.
- 2009 – Details of Darwinius, a vital ‘missing link’ in human evolution dated to 47 million years ago, are published.
ConflictsWorldwide deaths from war and terrorist attacks- September 11, 2001 19 members of al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners, intentionally crashing two of them into The World Trade Centers in New York City, and one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane was intended for the White House, but the passengers took the plane back and crashed it in a field in Pennsylvania. 2,997 people from 90 different countries died. It remains the worst terrorist attack in world history.
- March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks shake several train stations on Spain's capital Madrid, killing 191 people and injuring 1,247.
- 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings, terrorists attack various markets in New Delhi, killing 61 people and injuring 188 more, right before the start of the festival season in India.
- July 11, 2006 six bombs explode in train stations in Mumbai, killing 190.
Civil UnrestNatural disasters- Approximately 30,000 people are believed to have died across Western Europe, particularly in France, due to a prolonged heat wave during the summer of 2003. Shortages of medical and nursing staff are believed to have contributed to the disaster.
- On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sumatra created a large tsunami, which impacted the entire Indian Ocean rim with heights of over 30 feet (10 meters) and killed at least 230,000 people, and likely more, in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and other countries.
- Hurricane Katrina killed at least 1,836 people after making landfall near New Orleans, United States on August 29, 2005. The city, insufficiently protected by its levee system, was left underwater for weeks. It was the costliest disaster in U.S. history, causing over $75 billion in direct damage.
- Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Myanmar on April 27, 2008 and moved across the country's heavily populated lowlands, leaving approximately 134,000 people dead or missing and 2.5 million people homeless.
- A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing at least 308 and injuring more than 1,500
New countriesSome territories have gained independence during the 21st century. This is a list of sovereign states that have gained independence in the 21st century and have been recognized by foreign governments. 1: Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia are disputed regions in Georgia and have been recognized as independent states by Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela.2: Kosovo has been recognized by 60 UN member nations and the Republic of China.3: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was reconstituted as the State Union Serbia and Montenegro in 2003. But split apart into Serbia and Montenegro in 2006.Sports- 2002– Phil Taylor becomes the first player to win the World Darts Championship 10 times [PDC], following a 7–0 whitewash of Peter Manley.
- 2002– The San Francisco Giants play the Anaheim Angels in the MLB World Series. This is the first time two wild card teams had ever played each other in world series history.
- 2003– Roy Jones, Jr. becomes the first former World Middleweight Boxing Champion in 106 years to win a portion of the World Heavyweight title, following his twelve-round unanimous decision over then-WBA champion John Ruiz.
- 2004– Arsenal win the English Premier League without losing a single game, having the longest unbeaten league run of 49 games from May 2003 to October 2004.
- 2004– [Vodacom Tri-Nations] South Africa wins the Vodacom Tri-Nations beating Australia and New Zealand in the annual Rugby tounament competed by the 3 southern hemisphere rugby giants.
- 2005– Liverpool FC win the European Cup for the fifth time in their history, enabling them to keep the trophy permanently. In a dramatic final, they come from 3–0 down at half time to win 3–2 on penalties against AC Milan.
- 2005– In cricket, England wins The Ashes defeating Australia 2–1. This win is the first for England in 18 years.
- 2006– Miami Heat win the NBA Finals against Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 2; after losing the first two games, and winning the last four straight.
- 2007– Republic of South Africa wins 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup going through the tournament unbeaten.
- 2007– The New England Patriots finish the NFL regular season 16–0, the first team to go undefeated in a sixteen-game season. The Patriots would go on to beat the Jaguars and Chargers in the playoffs. Despite being heavily favored to win the Super Bowl and complete a 19–0 Season, the Patriots would lose to the New York Giants, 17–14. Eli Manning threw a game winning touchdown to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left.
- 2008- The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins to win their eleventh Stanley Cup title as a franchise. They win in a game 6 road game. Henrik Zetterberg is named the Conn Smythe winner as the playoffs MVP.
- 2008– World No.3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia Defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win the Australian open.
- 2008– Usain Bolt sets a new world record for the Men's 100m & 200m sprint, lowering the new times to 9.69 seconds & 19.30 seconds respectively, both in the Beijing Olympics.
- 2008– World No.2 and Four time U.S. Open Champion Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray of UK to claim his fifth consecutive U.S. Open Men's Singles crown
- 2009 Matthew Stafford was taken as the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, he set a record for a rookie player earning over 78 million dollars in 6 years and 41 million guaranteed money.
- 2009 Carl Edwards went airborne at Talledega on the last lap hitting a safety fence and injuring 7 fans, he had no injuries.
- 2009 UNC wins its second National Title of the decade.
- 2009 Usain Bolt breaks the 100 and 200m world record at the 2009 Berlin World Championships.
- 2009– South Africa becomes the Number 1 Ranked Rugby and Cricket nation in the world, following Australia's loss to England in the Ashes Series.
Business and industry- Music Industry: The early 21st century has had a profound impact on the condition of music distribution. Recent advents in digital technology have fundamentally altered industry and marketing practices as well as players in unusual rapidity.
Issues and concernsThere are several points-of-view pertaining to the following items, all of which should be considered accordingly.Issues that have been frequently discussed and debated so far in this century include: - Overpopulation. The United Nations that world population will reach 9.2 billion by mid-century. Such growth raises questions of ecological sustainability and creates many economic and political disruptions. In response, many countries have adopted policies which either force or encourage their citizens to have fewer children, and others have limited immigration. Considerable debate exists over what the ultimate carrying capacity of the planet may be; whether or not population growth containment policies are necessary; to what degree growth can safely occur thanks to increased economic and ecological efficiency; and how distribution mechanisms should accommodate demographic shifts. Evidence suggests that developed countries (such as Japan) suffer population implosion, and the population debate is strongly tied with discussions about the distribution of wealth.
- Abortion. Debates between "Pro-choice" and "Pro-life" factions on the controversial procedure continue. The approximate number of induced abortions performed worldwide in 2003 was 42 million.
- Poverty. Poverty remains the root cause of many of the world's other ills, including famine, disease, and insufficient education. Poverty contains many self-reinforcing elements (for instance, poverty can make education an unaffordable luxury, which tends to result in continuing poverty) that various aid groups hope to rectify in this century. Microcredit lending has also started to gain a profile as a useful anti-poverty tool.
- War and terrorism. Active conflicts continue around the world, including civil wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the largest war since World War II), Chechnya, Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia, Senegal, Colombia, and Sudan (mainly in Darfur). The 9/11 terrorist attacks triggered invasions of Afghanistan and partially and controversially Iraq. The War on Terrorism has seen controversies over civil liberties, accusations of torture, continued terrorist attacks and ongoing instability, violence, and military occupation. Violence continues in the Arab–Israeli conflict. Considerable concern remains about nuclear proliferation, especially in Iran and North Korea, and the availability of weapons of mass destruction to rogue groups.
- Global warming. Climate scientists have postulated that the earth is currently undergoing significant anthropogenic (human-induced) global warming. The resulting economic and ecological costs are hard to predict. Some scientists argue that human-induced global warming risks considerable losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services unless considerable sociopolitical changes are introduced, particularly in patterns of mass consumption and transportation. Others, however, doubt or deny human influence and counter-action were in effect significant, or question whether global warming will actually be a significant detriment to the planet.
- Power in international relations. Issues surrounding the cultural, economic, and military dominance of the United States and its role in the world community have become even more pointed given its recent military activities, problematic relations with the United Nations, disagreement over several international treaties, and its economic policies with regard to globalization. Integration of the European Union and the African Union have proceeded.
- Intellectual property. The increasing popularity of digital formats for entertainment media such as movies and music, and the ease of copying and distributing it via the Internet and peer-to-peer networks, has raised concerns in the media industry about copyright infringement. Much debate is proceeding about the proper bounds between protection of copyright, trademark and patent rights versus fair use and the public domain, where some argue that such laws have shifted greatly towards intellectual property owners and away from the interests of the general public in recent years, while others say that such legal change is needed to deal with a perceived threat of new technologies against the rights of authors and artists (or, as others put it, against the outmoded business models of the current entertainment industry). Domain name "cybersquatting" and access to patented drugs and generics to combat epidemics in third-world countries are other IP concerns.
- Technology developments show no sign of ending. Communications and control technology continues to augment the intelligence of individual humans, collections of humans, and machines. Cultures are forced into the position of sharply defining humanity and determining boundaries on desire, thought, communication, behavior, and manufacturing. Some, notably Ray Kurzweil, have predicted that by the middle of the century there will be a Technological Singularity if artificial intelligence that outsmart humans is created. If these AIs then create even smarter AI's technological change could accelerate in ways that are impossible for us to foresee. (However, gradual and simultaneous use of AI technology to increase our own intelligence might prevent this from ever occurring.)
- Fossil fuels are becoming scarce and more expensive, due to the escalating demand for petroleum ("oil") and oil-based products such as gasoline and kerosene, unmatched by production. Discovery of new oil fields has not been sufficient to sustain current levels of production, and some fear that the earth may be running out of economically viable oil, pressing for alternatives. As Agrofuel, one possible alternative, yields further hazards for the environment and endangers food security, debate is far from over.
- NATO–Russia relations seem to remain strained as the "Western Alliance" and NATO square off with Russia and other nations over international policy and the future of the ex-Soviet sphere. An Eastern Europe Missile Defense Shield, military and social conflicts in former Yugoslavia and the Caucasus (particularly Georgia and Chechnya), fossil fuel infrastructures like the Nabucco pipeline and the future of nuclear arsenals are among the topics that have strained the relations between the two sides with eerie reminders reminiscent of the Cold War.
The United Nations lists global issues on its and lists a set of ( MDGs) to attempt to address some of these issues. Astronomical events (passed or to come) in the 21st centuryList of the long total solar eclipses- August 12, 2045: Solar eclipse, of 6 min 06 s, saros 136.
- August 24, 2063: Solar eclipse, of 5 min 49 s, .
- May 11, 2078: Solar eclipse, of 5 min 40 s, saros 139.
- May 22, 2096: Solar eclipse, of 6 min 07 s, .
Other phenomena- December 23, 2007: grand conjunction a galactic conjunction which happens every 26,000 years.
- 2010/2011: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
- July 12, 2011: Neptune completes its first orbit since its discovery in September 23, 1846.
- Wednesday, June 6, 2012: Transit of Venus to occur a second time (and last time) this century.
- Monday, August 21, 2017 : First total solar eclipse of the 21st century for the United States, and the first visible in the continental US since February 26, 1979 .
- 2024 (plus or minus 5 years): Next predicted return of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks.
- 2025/2026: Triple conjunction Saturn-Neptune.
- 2037/2038: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
- 2041/2042: Triple conjunction Mars-Uranus.
- October 1, 2044: Occultation of Regulus by Venus. The last was on July 7, 1959. After 2044, the next occultation of Regulus by Venus would occur on July 22, 3126, although some sources claim it will occur again on October 6, 2271.
- 2047/2048: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Neptune.
- 2063: Triple conjunction Mars-Uranus.
- November 22, 2065: At 12:45 UTC, Venus will occult Jupiter. This event will be the first occultation of a planet by another since January 3, 1818. This event will be very difficult to observe, because the elongation of Venus and Jupiter from the Sun on that date will be only 7 degrees.
- 2066: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
- July 15, 2067: At 11:56 UTC, Mercury will occult Neptune. This rare event will be very difficult to observe, because of the constant low elongation of Mercury from the Sun, and the magnitude of Neptune always under the limit of visibility with the naked eye.
- 2071/2072: Triple conjunction Mars-Neptune.
- 2079: Triple conjunction Saturn-Uranus.
- August 11, 2079: At 01:30 UTC, Mercury will occult Mars.
- Friday, November 10, 2084: Transit of Earth as seen from Mars, the first and the only one in this century.
- 2085/2086: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Neptune.
- October 27, 2088: At 13:43 UTC, Mercury will occult Jupiter.
- 2088/2089: Triple conjunction Mars-Neptune.
- 2093: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
- April 7, 2094: At 10:48 UTC, Mercury will occult Jupiter.
Pop cultural references to the remaining years of the 21st centuryTelevision and film- The new series of Doctor Who which began in 2005 depicts many fictional events that take place in the 21st century.
- The television series seaQuest DSV takes place between the years 2018 and 2032.
- The events of Stargate SG-1 continue into the early 21st century.
- The American cartoon show Robotech, composed from the footage of three unrelated anime series (including Macross, above) spans the years 1999 to 2015, 2030–2031 and 2044–2045.
- The modern classic film Blade Runner takes place in November 2019.
- The dystopic sci-fi novel and film Metropolis takes place in 2027.
- The 2002 version of The Time Machine has scenes that take place in the 2030 and 2037 NYC.
- The comedy series Time Trumpet is set in 2031, and "looks back on" the first 30 years of the 21st century.
- Deep space vessel Event Horizon was sent to test an artificial wormhole (black hole) in deep space in the year 2040. The lost ship is found 7 years later by a rescue team on board the ship Lewis and Clark on low orbit around the planet Neptune.
- World War III ends in 2053 according to Star Trek: First Contact, with 600,000,000 dead and most major cities destroyed.
- The Jetsons is supposed to take place in the late 21st century.
- The tagline of Torchwood series one is: "The 21st century is when everything changes. And we have to be ready." In series two, the second sentence changes to: "And Torchwood is ready."
- The 2008 film Repo! The Genetic Opera is set in the year 2056. Plastic surgery and a fictional pain-killing drug known as Zydrate are commonplace as fashion statements and addictions.
- The events of the Sci-Fi anime Planetes is set in the year 2075.
Computer and video games- Duke Nukem 3D is set in the early 21st century and contains evidence (such as calendars) that suggest it is more specifically set in October or December 2007
- Uplink is set on the internet of the year 2010.
- The events of Deus Ex take place in 2052.
- The discovery of the Zohar in Xenosaga takes place in 20XX.
- The Great War of the Fallout universe starts on October 23, 2077; nuclear bombs are launched, nobody knows who the aggressor was.
- The Mega Man Classic series takes place sometime in the 21st century, represented as 20XX.
- The events of Half-Life takes place around 2000–2009.
- The video game and cartoon 20X6 of Homestar Runner supposedly takes place in the seventh year of an unspecified decade in the 21st century.
- The nuclear holocaust of the AquaNox universe takes place in mid-21st century, followed by the massive exodus of survivors underwater.
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (GRAW 2) takes place in 2014
- The events of Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in the fall of 2008.
Internet- Stinkoman 20X6, of Homestar Runner fame, takes place in the seventh year of an unspecified decade in the 21st century.
Novels- Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age is also set in the 21st century, after some disaster befell the centralized telephone network. This led people to build a decentralized network, which they used to transfer money, thus destroying normal methods of taxation and bringing down most large governments.
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