- Fidel Castro steps down as president of Cuba after almost 50 years in power
- Usain Bolt breaks the 100m sprint world record in 9.72 seconds.
- Barack Obama elected President of the United States
- Christian Bale returned as The Dark Knight, and Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhatten apartment
- China hosted the Olympics
- Resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan
- Terrorist attacks in Mumbai
- Kosovo declared independent
- The Russia-Georgia war
- Global Financial Crisis
- Boris Johnson elected Mayor of London
- NASA spacecraft sent back first pictures of an unexplored region of Mars
- Fire destroyed the historic grand pier at Weston-super-Mare
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