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Introductory material |
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Events of the first quarter, second quarter with April, May, and June, third quarter with July, August, and September and fourth quarter, including October, November, and December will eventually be examined.
2007 first quarter includes current events: It is in progress and incomplete.
Events of January can be examined.
Jan 1. Boise State University defeated the University of Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
Jan 1. Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was shot and killed.
Jan 2. Smoking ban began in most bars and restaurants in Washington DC.
Jan 2. Memorial service held for late former US president Gerald Ford in Washingon, DC.
Jan 3. Late former US president Gerald Ford buried in Grand Rapids, MIchigan.
Jan 4. The 110th US Congress was sworn in. Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Jan 9. The 2007 MacWorld convention opened, Apple computer intoduced the iPhone, a mobile phone/iPod hybrid.
Jan 9. The US conducted air strikes in Somalia, possibly killing a senior al-Qaeda member.
Jan 10. US President George Bush announce a plan to "surge" 21,500 troops in Iraq.
Jan 12. The US Embassy in Athens, Greece, was attacked with a low range missile.
Jan 27. Tens of thousands of anti-Iraq War protesters converged on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Jan 31. Shareholders of Delta Airlines rejected a hostile takeover bid by US Airways.
Events of February and March have not yet been assimilated. Events of the 2nd quarter including April, May, and June are not yet analyzed.
Events of the the 3th quarter including July and August have not yet been fully assimilated.
Cultural events
1 Sept. In a stunning college football upset, Appalachian State defeated #5-ranked Michigan at Michigan Stadium by a score of 34-32. This was the first time a team from the second-tier NCAA Division I FCS has defeated an AP-ranked Division I FBS opponent.
8 Sept. Justine Henin of Belgium won the U.S. Open women's tennis singles championship defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-1 6-3 in the final.
9 Sept. Kevin Everett of the National Football League's Buffalo Bills suffered a life-threatening spinal cord injury in a game against the Denver Broncos. The surgeon who operated on him says Monday Everett is unlikely to walk again, assuming he survives.
9 Sept. 2007 U.S. Open: Roger Federer of Switzerland defeated Novak Ðokovic in the final of the men's singles in straight sets 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.
11 Sept. Doctors said injured National Football League player Kevin Everett has moved his arms and legs and, contrary to earlier predictions, is likely to recover his ability to walk.
11 Sept. September 11, 2001 attacks commemoration The United States commemorated the anniversary of the attacks with ceremonies in New York City, Washington, DC and Shanksville, PA. Osama bin Laden released a video for the anniversary.
16 Sept. The Sopranos won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in the Primetime Emmy Awards.
20 Sept. American cyclist Floyd Landis was officially stripped of his win in the 2006 Tour de France and banned from competition for two years after an arbitration panel found him guilty of doping during the 2006 Tour. He has 30 days to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
30 Sept. U.S. college football: The new AP Poll results were released, with nine of the ten ranked teams that lost this past weekend either dropping further down the list or out of the poll completely. LSU rose to #1 for the first time since 1959, Kentucky and Boston College rose into the Top Ten for the first time since 1977 and 1992, respectively, and South Florida ascended into the Top Ten for the first time ever.
Economic events
4 Sept. Mattel and the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the United States announced that it is recalling 700,000 Chinese made toys on the grounds of excessive lead paint making it the third recall in the past month.
5 Sept. Steve Jobs announced new Ipods at "The Beat Goes On" event in San Francisco.
11 Sept. Burger King announced that it would limit advertising to children younger than 12 to foods that met strict nutritional guidelines.
13 Sept. Alexis Debat, a consultant for ABC News and writer at The National Interest, alleged expert on terrorism, wass forced to resign after Rue 89 revealed that he made two bogus interviews, one with Barack Obama and another with Alan Greenspan.
15 Sept. Negotiations between General Motors and the United Automobile Workers continued in Detroit, Michigan past the deadline with a strike to start if negotiations fail.
17 Sept. Microsoft lost its appeal against a European Union antitrust ruling forcing it to pay a 497 million euro fine.
21 Sept. Mattel admitted that most of the toys recalled in recent safety scares had "design flaws" and that Chinese manufacturers were not to blame.
23 Sept. The United Automobile Workers set a deadline of 11am Monday for General Motors to avoid a strike.
24 Sept. Members of the United Automobile Workers Union walked off their jobs at General Motors plants across the United States as union and company officials failed to reach agreement on a new contract.
25 Sept. 73,000 United Auto Workers union workers went on strike against General Motors, the first general strike against the company in 37 years. Talks between the parties continued.
26 Sept. More than half a million Chinese-manufactured toys were recalled in the United States due to excess levels of lead paint including 269,000 of RC2 Corp's "Thomas & Friends" toy trains.
26 Sept. The United Auto Workers announced a tentative agreement with General Motors ending a two-day strike.
30 Sept. The Topps Meat Company recalled 21.7 million pounds (9,800 tonnes) of frozen beef patties because of potential contamination with E. coli. Twenty-five cases of illness due to E. coli had been reported in the Northeastern United States.
Governmental events
5 Sept. Lawyers for U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) asked the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to reject a complaint following a guilty plea to disorderly conduct charges in Minneapolis. The Ethics Committee rejected his plea.
5 Sept. Fred Thompson, a former U.S. Senator and actor, announced that he was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election.
5 Sept. Norman Hsu, controversial fund-raiser for the U.S. Democratic Party, skipped a bail hearing, prompting a new warrant for his arrest.
5 Sept. Paul Gillmor, United States Representative from Ohio's 5th congressional district, was found dead in his Washington, D.C. apartment.
5 Sept. Judge William Hoeveler placed a stay on ex-Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega's extradition from the United States to France so that his defence can present a new appeal.
5 Sept. The Military Times reported that a United States Air Force B-52 bomber carried six nuclear warheads from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in violation of rules concerning the handling of nuclear weapons. In addition, the bombs were not reported as missing from the Minot weapons inventory. The squadron commander was relieved of his position, but Representative Ike Skelton says that his committee would investigate the incident.
6 Sept. Democratic Party fundraiser Norman Hsu was arrested in Grand Junction, Colorado and charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
6 Sept. United States District Court judge Victor Marrero strick down a key part of the Patriot Act authorising national security letters.
7 Sept. United States District Court judge William Hoeveler refused to block the extradition of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega to France to face charges.
7 Sept. The United States was investigating a video which it had obtained, to see if the claims that the man on it is Osama bin Laden are genuine. If they are found to be, it will have been the first time he has been seen since October 2004.
13 Sept. U.S. President George W. Bush ordered gradual troop reductions in Iraq but stood firm against dramatic troop reductions.
14 Sept. War in Iraq: U.S. General Peter Pace, outgoing chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that mistakes were made during the war.
14 Sept. Michael Sulick was named the new Director of the United States' National Clandestine Service.
15 Sept. Over 190 anti-Iraq War protesters were arrested outside the United States Capitol.
17 Sept. Andrew Meyer, a 21-year-old fourth-year undergraduate, was apprehended by five police officers and tasered while allegedly having interrupted a speech by U.S. Senator John Kerry.
17 Sept. Hillary Clinton, a candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination in the United States presidential election, 2008, announced a proposal for a universal healthcare plan.
17 Sept. President George W. Bush nominated Michael Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales as the next Attorney-General of the United States.
18 Sept. Nuclear program of Iran: The United States was drafting a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for sanctions against Iran prior to discussions amongst the five permanent members.
18 Sept. The United States Federal Reserve cut a key short-term interest rate by a half-percentage point, resulting in a stock market rally.
19 Sept. The United States Senate failed to pass a bill providing more home leave to United States troops in Iraq with the necessary 60 percent margin with 56 for and 44 against.
19 Sept. The United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cautioned the International Atomic Energy Agency that it "is not in the business of diplomacy."
19 Sept. U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced that he would begin an investigation into the activities of Howard Krongard, Inspector General of the State Department. Krongard has been accused of interfering with investigations into corruption involving fraud in the building of the new United States Embassy in Iraq, the smuggling of illegal weapons into Iraq by Blackwater USA employees, and the activities of former chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, Kenneth Tomlinson, in the use of his office for personal gain.
19 Sept. Republican lawmakers blocked the United States Senate from taking up a bill to grant voting rights to Washington DC.
21 Sept. NASA released new plans for moon base in 2020.
26 Sept. United States District Court judge Ann Aiken ruled that two sections of the USA PATRIOT Act are unconstitutional because they allow search warrants to be issued without a showing of probable cause.
26 Sept. The United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asks for $190 billion to cover the cost of the war in Iraq and war in Afghanistan during 2008.
27 Sept. The spacecraft Dawn was launched by NASA on a mission to explore mainbelt asteroids Vesta and Ceres.
28 Sept. Richard Garriott, famed game designer and son of former NASA Skylab astronaut Owen Garriott, would become the sixth space tourist, visiting the International Space Station in 2008.
30 Sept. John Bolton, the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, says the government of China was the key to political change in Burma, not United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari who has met the military junta.
Religious events
25 Sept. Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was found guilty of two counts of rape in the U.S. state of Utah.
26 Sept. The bishops of the United States Episcopal Church agreed to "exercise restraint" by not consecrating more gay bishops or authorizing rites for the blessing of same-sex unions in order to prevent a schism in the Anglican Church worldwide.
Local events
1 Sept. Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig resigned from the United States Senate effective 30 September following a guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge following his arrest in a restroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
4 Sept. A spokesman for Idaho Senator Larry Craig indicated that the Senator is rethinking his decision to resign following his plea of guilty to "disorderly conduct" charges in Minneapolis.
4 Sept. Adventurer Steve Fossett was reported missing over the Nevada desert.
4 Sept. A week long heatwave in Southern California results in the death of 13 people and 500,000 people losing power in outages.
6 Sept. 12 people, including 11 New Jersey public officials, were arrested by the FBI on corruption charges. Among those arrested were Mayor Samuel Rivera of Passaic and Mayor Mims Hackett of Orange.
6 Sept. Erie, Pennsylvania Broke its weather high of 90 degrees. It was recorded to be 93 degrees.
7 Sept. Two owners of a New Orleans nursing home were found not guilty of negligent homicide concerning the death of 35 residents after Hurricane Katrina.
7 Sept. The second annual International Ska Circus was held in Las Vegas, Nevada
13 Sept. Miami police shot dead in an exchange of fire a man suspected of the murder of one police officer and the shooting of another three officers hours earlier.
13 Sept. 2007 Atlantic hurricane season: Hurricane Humberto made landfall on the southeast Texas coast near the Louisiana border. 13 Sept. The Governor of Louisiana Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency. At least one person was killed in Texas before Humberto weakens into a tropical storm.
15 Sept. Wildfires forced the evacuation of thousands of residents of San Bernardino and San Diego Counties in the U.S. state of California.
16 Sept. O.J. Simpson was charged with six felonies in relation to an alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas hotel room.
18 Sept. O.J. Simpson was charged with several felonies in Las Vegas, Nevada.
19 Sept. Nevada authorities called off the search for missing US adventurer Steve Fossett two weeks after he went missing.
20 Sept. A police officer in Warren, Ohio, was caught on camera using a taser on a woman while she was handcuffed.
20 Sept. Iran: The New York Police Department denied a request by the President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City.
20 Sept. Tens of thousands of people, including Howard University students and NAACP members, arrived in the U.S. city of Jena, Louisiana, to protest in support of six black teenagers involved in a schoolyard brawl.
21 Sept. Two students were shot at Delaware State University.
26 Sept. Superior Courts of California judge Larry Fidler declared the trial of record producer Phil Spector as a mistrial due to the inability of the jury to reach a verdict.
27 Sept. The Third Circuit Court of Appeal in the U.S. state of Louisiana ruled that Mychal Bell should not have been tried as an adult in the Jena Six case, and he was released on a $45,000 bail bond.
29 Sept. Robert Levy, mayor of the U.S. city of Atlantic City, New Jersey, disappeared on after being found to have embellished his Vietnam War record.
Events of the fourth quarter are only partly analyzed.
Anthropological events
29 Oct. The strain of HIV most common in the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and much of South America was traced back to Haiti in 1969.
Cultural Events
6 Oct. Adventurer Jason Lewis of Expedition 360 completed the first human-powered circumnavigation of the globe.
7 Oct. U.S. college football: On the heels of last week's historic AP Poll shakeup, another one of comparable size occured, in which four Top Ten teams and eleven ranked teams overall moved down the list or off the poll entirely. LSU received first place from all 65 sports critics, the first time that has occurred for any team since December 2006. #2 California earned its highest rank since 1951, #4 Boston College earned its highest showing since 1984, and #5 South Florida continued its ascent after first moving into the AP Poll three weeks ago.
8 Oct. U.S. athlete Marion Jones returned the five medals she won at the Sydney Olympics and accepted a two-year ban from the sport after admitting to her use of a prohibited substance.
21 Oct. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians 11-2 winning the 2007 American League Championship Series and going on to meet the Colorado Rockies, the 2007 National League champions, in the 2007 World Series.
28 Oct. The Boston Red Sox baseball team swept the Colorado Rockies to win the 2007 World Series.
Economic Events
5 Oct. Topps Meat Company announced that it was going out of business as a result of recalling 21.7 million pounds of beef in the United States linked to 30 cases of E. coli-related illness.
7 Oct. The United Auto Workers set a Wednesday deadline to reach a new four-year contract with Chrysler.
10 Oct. The United Automobile Workers reached a tentative agreement with Chrysler shortly after workers commenced strike action.
19 Oct. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 369.1 points, or 2.7%, on the 20th anniversary of Black Monday.
22 Oct. The United States dollar reached a new record low against the euro, which was traded at $1.4348.
Government events
3 Oct. The United States and Russia signed a pact to use Russian technology on NASA missions to hunt for water on the moon and Mars.
3 Oct. United States President George W. Bush vetoed an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
9 Oct. The United States Supreme Court dismissed the case of the German citizen Khalid El-Masri who accused the CIA of abducting him to a secret prison in Afghanistan where he claims he was tortured. The US government had argued that a public trial would reveal state secrets.
10 Oct. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned consumers not to eat Banquet pot pies or other pot pies made by ConAgra with a printed code ending in C9 due to possible links with a salmonella outbreak.
10 Oct. The first Malaysian astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, and the first female space station commander, Peggy Whitson, were launched towards the International Space Station on board Soyuz TMA-11.
19 Oct. Two US Marines including a battalion commander were to face a court martial in connection with the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha in 2005.
19 Oct. Four United States Air Force officers were relieved of command following an investigation of an incident where live nuclear warheads were carried on a B-52 bomber from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
19 Oct. Sam Brownback, Senator for Kansas, pulled out of the United States presidential election, 2008 due to a lack of support and funds.
21 Oct. Speaking at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, United States Vice President Dick Cheney stated: "The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message - we will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
22 Oct. The President of the United States George W. Bush asked the United States Congress for $189.3 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
23 Oct. Space Shuttle Discovery successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the United States. The Shuttle was carrying the STS-120 crew on an assembly mission to the International Space Station, as well as the Harmony module.
23 Oct. A United States Government report stated that the Department of State was unable to account for much of the $1.2 billion in funding that it gave to DynCorp International to train Iraqi police. (CNN)
24 Oct. Richard J. Griffin resigned as head of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security in the United States State Department following the Blackwater shooting in Iraq.
25 Oct. Supporters of a U.S. congressional resolution condemning the Armenian genocide drop called for a vote.
25 Oct. The United States imposed economic sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for its support of terrorism.
30 Oct. The United States Supreme Court halted an execution in Mississippi pending its decision as to whether lethal injections are a form of cruel and unusual punishment.
30 Oct. The President of the United States George W. Bush nominated James Peake as the next United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
30 Oct. The United States Congress voted to extend a ban on Internet taxes for another seven years.
31 Oct. The United States Federal Reserve reduced short-term interest rates to 4.5 per cent, the second cut in three months.
31 Oct. The President of the United States George W. Bush nominated Fmr. Governor of North Dakota Ed Schafer for United States Secretary of Agriculture.
31 Oct. A United States district court blocked new patent rules relating to continuation practice at the USPTO, originally scheduled to take effect on November 1, 2007.
Religious Events
17 Oct. The Dalai Lama was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress; the decision was defended by George W. Bush.
Local events
2 Oct. Five workers were trapped underground in an Xcel Energy hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colorado, United States due to a chemical fire. They were later found dead.
4 Oct. The recording industry won a key victory with a court in the U.S. state of Minnesota finding that a woman was liable for damages of $220,000 for sharing copyrighted music online through Kazaa.
4 Oct. United States Republican Party Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico announced that he would retire at the end of his current term due to a degenerative brain disease.
4 Oct. Republican Party Senator Larry Craig from Idaho vowed to serve out his term in the United States Senate despite losing a court bid to rescind a guilty plea for an indecent act in a Minneapolis Airport men's room.
7 Oct. A sheriff's deputy shot dead six young people in Crandon, Wisconsin, United States. It was initially believed that he was killed by a police sniper after a manhunt, but is now believed to have committed suicide by multiple gunshots.
7 Oct. Record-setting temperatures cause the 2007 Chicago Marathon to shut down after only three and a half hours and after the race had a men's open division photo finish, a death, and sprint finishes in the women's open and men's wheelchair divisions.
8 Oct. Washington plane crash: Air crews conducted search and rescue missions for an airplane carrying 8-10 passengers that was believed to have crashed in a mountainous area of the U.S. state of Washington 45 miles west of Yakima. The wreckage of a small plane carrying nine skydivers and the pilot was found in Washington with no sign of survivors.
10 Oct. A 14-year-old high school student went on a shooting rampage in Cleveland, Ohio, wounding two teachers and two students before his death.
11 Oct. Mychal Bell of the Jena 6 was ordered to spend 18 months in a juvenile facility for violating probation for previous convictions.
12 Oct. Three people were dead at the Newhall Pass interchange on Interstate 5 just north of Los Angeles, California after thirty-one vehicles collided in a highway tunnel, closing the freeway entirely.
18 Oct. Tornado touched down in Nappanee, Indiana @ 10:15 P.M. measured later @ EF3 (about 160mph winds) Damage to area factories and resteraunts as well as homes
19 Oct. Six people died as a result of storms in the midwestern United States and Washington state.
20 Oct. Bobby Jindal of the Republican Party was elected as the next Governor of Louisiana and became the first Indian American governor in the history of the United States. With 53% of the vote, he defeated five Democrats, a Libertarian and five independents without requiring a runoff.
21 Oct. 2007 California fires: At least nine wildfires burned out of control in Southern California leading to the death of a San Diego man. Fire engulfed parts of Malibu, California leading to the evacuation of homes including those of James Cameron and Olivia Newton-John. The Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties including Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernadino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura County.
22 Oct. California wildfires of October 2007: At least a dozen wildfires burning throughout Southern California forced the evacuations of more than 250,000 residents. The Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the deployment of 1500 California National Guard members to help fight the fires. More than 600 homes were destroyed in the fires.
23 Oct. California wildfires of October 2007: President George W. Bush declared that an "emergency exists" in areas of California and authorises the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate relief. Over 1,000,000 people were forced to evacuate in southern California due to the wildfires. More than 1,300 houses had been destroyed including 1,000 in San Diego County, California, alone. The death toll from the fires rose to five.
24 Oct. Moderating winds improved the outlook in the fight against the California wildfires of October 2007.
26 Oct. An explosion shook the Mexican consulate in New York City. The explosion was caused by two thrown hand grenades aided by additional explosive material. 7 injuries were reported, with several windows blown out and debris entering the building.
27 Oct. California wildfires: Some fires were reported in the Mexican state of Baja California, south of the U.S. border, but these were generally brought fairly swiftly under control.
27 Oct. The Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger vows to personally "hunt down" those responsible for starting the fires.
25 Oct. The death toll from the California wildfires of October 2007 rose to 12 as four bodies were discovered near the Mexican border.
30 Oct. A moderate earthquake of 5.6 magnitude struck 9 miles northeast of San Jose, California.
31 Oct. Los Angeles authorities revealed that a boy playing with matches caused one of the Los Angeles fires.
Cultural events
14 Nov. The 2007 National Book Awards went to Denis Johnson (Tree of Smoke), fiction, Tim Weiner (Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA), non-fiction, Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian), young people's literature, and Robert Hass (Time and Materials), poetry.
18 Nov. Jimmie Johnson won his second straight NASCAR Nextel Cup championship for the 2007 season.
Educational events
26 Nov. Newsweek Magazine will come out with a new edition, about the top ranked schools in the United States.
Economic events
1 Nov. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged over 360 points, or 2.6%, in its worst daily loss since February 27. Similar percentage losses occurred in Europe earlier in the day.
5 Nov. Members of the Writers Guild of America asked 12,000 of its members to join a Hollywood screenwriters strike over a dispute over residuals.
10 Nov. Stagehands belonging to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees went on strike, shutting down most Broadway plays and musicals.
12 Nov. IBM announced it would buy business intelligence firm Cognos for US$5 billion.
12 Nov. Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase agreed to a US$75 billion plan designed to heal the credit markets.
18 Nov. 2007 Writers Guild of America strike: Screenwriters announce they will resume negotiations with movie studios on November 26.
28 Nov. Striking Broadway stagehands and producers reached a deal.
28 Nov. Ford Motor Company settled class action lawsuits in California, Connecticut, Illinois and Texas over 1991-2001 models of the Ford Explorer.
Government events
7 Nov. Space Shuttle Discovery landed at the Kennedy Space Center, ending STS-120, a 15-day mission to the International Space Station.
8 Nov. A United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Santa Lucia di Piave, Italy, killing four people and injuring six.
8 Nov. The United States Senate confirmed Michael Mukasey as the Attorney General of the United States.
8 Nov. The United States Congress overrode President George W. Bush's veto of the $23 billion Water Resource Bill.
9 Nov. Iraqi insurgency: The United States Army released five Iranian suspects who had been arrested in Iraq.
10 Nov. Six American forces serving under NATO's International Security Assistance Force were killed in an insurgent ambush while patrolling in eastern Afghanistan.
12 Nov. War in Afghanistan: The United States Army killed 15 insurgents and three civilians in the Helmand Province.
15 Nov. The United States Treasury froze all assets of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation, claiming that it acted as a "front to facilitate fundraising" for the Tamil Tigers.
16 Nov. Senator John Kerry accepted T. Boone Pickens' one-million-dollar Swift Boat challenge.
21 Nov. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the White House wanted to broker a permanent deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority before President George W. Bush leaves office.
21 Nov. Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan claimed that United States President George W. Bush was involved in the Plame affair.
22 Nov. United States presidential election, 2008: New Hampshire set January 8, 2008 as the date for the presidential primary, maintaining the tradition of being the first state to vote. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants may not be able to vote because of backlog at the Citizenship and Immigration Services agency.
26 Nov. Syria accepted a United States invitation to participate in the 2007 Mideast peace conference.
27 Nov. Texas oilman Oscar Wyatt Jr. was sentenced to a year and one day in jail for breaching the rules of the United Nations oil-for-food program.
27 Nov. The Annapolis Conference, a peace conference trying to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, was held in Annapolis, Maryland, in the United States.
28 Nov. The United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that retired United States Marine Corps General James L. Jones would be a special envoy for Middle East security.
Religious events
20 Nov. Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was sentenced to five years to life in jail for complicity in rape.
Local events
15 Nov. The execution of Mark Dean Schwab in Florida was suspended while the United States Supreme Court decides if lethal injection is unconstitutional.
28 Nov. An explosion and fire southeast of Clearbrook, Minnesota, killed two workers and forced the closure of a pipeline that carries nearly a fifth of U.S. crude oil imports from Canada.
28 Nov. Arlington High School (LaGrange, New York) announced that a Columbine-style attack on the school was thwarted by New York State Police, who arrested three students.
30 Nov. The Miami-Dade Police Department arrested four people in relation to the killing of Washington Redskins player Sean Taylor.
30 Nov. A man took hostages at U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire. He had a package strapped to his chest. The siege ended at 6pm with his arrest.
30 Nov. Amtrak Pere Marquette train #371 en route from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois, collided with a parked freight train on the south side of Chicago, seriously or critically injuring five Amtrak employees and slightly injuring 100 to 150 of the 187 passengers on board.
30 Nov. DNA tests confirmed that "Baby Grace", the deceased two-year-old found floating on Galveston Bay in Texas, was indeed Riley Ann Sawyers. Earlier in the week, her mother and stepfather confessed to beating the child to death.
California
9 Nov. The Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency to clean up an oil spill in San Francisco Bay caused by a container ship hitting the San Francisco Bay Bridge on Wednesday.
15 Nov. Major League Baseball player Barry Bonds was indicted by a federal grand jury in San Francisco for perjury and obstruction of justice, having allegedly lied under oath about his use of steroids.
24 Nov. Wildfires in Malibu, California, caused 100 homes in 3 separate communities to be evacuated. 250 acres of state park land burned south of Malibu Lake.
25 Nov. A wildfire in Malibu, California, destroyed 51 structures, including 49 homes. The fire has also burned 4,720 acres (1,910 hectares) and caused the evacuation of 10,000 people. It is currently 40% contained, being fueled by Santa Ana winds that gusted up to 60 mph (96 kph) on November 24.
December is still too new to have many events listed.
The first quarter 2008 is fairly recent. For January I have no events recorded at present. During February
February 5 - U.S. stock market indices plunged more than 3% after a report showed signs of economic recession in the service-sector. The S&P 500 fell 3.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 370 points.
February 5–6 - A tornado outbreak, the deadliest in 23 years, killed 58 in the Southern United States.
February 7 - Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on mission STS-122 to deliver the European-built Columbus science laboratory to the International Space Station.
February 20 - United States Navy destroyed a spy satellite containing toxic fuel by shooting it down with a missile launched from USS Lake Erie in the Pacific Ocean.
During March I have no information at present on US events. The second quarter 2008 has various events. For April I have no information on US events at present. For May I have no events except announcments of a couple of astronomical discoveries by NASA. June has recent events.
9 June 2008 June 2008 Midwest Flood: A stalled storm system in the midwest of the United States caused further heavy flooding in Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin with storms on the weekend causing 10 deaths in four states.
9 June 2008 McDonalds stopped serving sliced tomatoes in its hamburgers in the United States following a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to raw tomatoes.
9 June 2008 The President of the United States George W. Bush commenced the last visit to Europe of his presidency.
9 June 2008 The United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates nominated Norton Schwartz to be the next Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force with Michael B. Donley nominated as the next United States Secretary of the Air Force.
10 June 2008 President George W. Bush attended the final United States-European Union summit of his Presidency with agreements to tighten sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program.
10 June 2008 United States Republican senators blocked moves to levy a windfall profits tax on oil companies.
11 Jun 2008 The United States Food and Drug Administration had received 167 reported incidents of Salmonellosis from eating tainted tomatoes in 17 states with New Mexico and Texas the worst affected areas.
11 Jun 2008 NASA launched the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
11 Jun 2008 June 2008 tornado outbreak sequence: A tornado at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch near Little Sioux, Iowa killed four Boy Scouts and injured several others.
11 Jun 2008 The United States House of Representatives voted on whether to refer Articles of Impeachment against George W. Bush introduced Monday evening by Rep. Dennis Kucinich to a committee.
11 Jun 2008 Former basketball referee Tim Donaghy accused other referees in the National Basketball Association of rigging games, including Game 6 in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, allowing the Los Angeles Lakers to win that game, the series, and ultimately the 2002 NBA Finals.
11 Jun 2008 President George W. Bush said that he wants to solve the Iran issue peacefully but "all options are on the table" in a joint media conference with the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.
12 Jun 2008 Four thousand homes in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are evacuated as the Cedar River floods due to heavy rain in recent days.
12 Jun 2008 The Salmonella outbreak in the United States caused by tainted tomatoes continued to worsen with 228 victims in 23 states.
12 Jun 2008 The United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates invited Pakistan and Afghanistan to participate in an investigation of the Gora Prai airstrike.
12 Jun 2008 In Boumediene v. Bush, the U.S. Supreme Court helds that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantánamo Bay have constitutional rights to challenge their detention there in US courts.
13 June 2008 Midwest floods: The Governor of Iowa Chet Culver declared that 83 of the 99 counties in Iowa were disaster areas as flooding leads to evacuations in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.
13 June 2008 The upper Mississippi River was closed to shipping as three people died in Indiana and three in Iowa.
The third quarter 2008 has more recent events. For July, I have no information except a G8 economic summit and a US-India treaty dealing with nuclear weapons. In August, Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals at the Beijing Summer Olympics. On Aug 26-Sept 1, Hurricane Gustav struck Louisiana, and on Aug 28-Sept 7, Hurricane Hanna struck Texas. In September, Hurricane Ike struck Texas, there was a passenger train crash in California, and a series of major corporate and bank failures signalled a global financial crisis.
Events of the fourth quarter including events of October can be considered.
On Oct 1, the United States Senate passed the civilian nuclear agreement with India by a vote of 86–13. India had not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, but may now undertake nuclear trade to the States The National Transportation Safety Board reported that a Metrolink engineer sent a text message 22 seconds before the Chatsworth train collision in Los Angeles, California, that killed 25 people. United States Army General David D. McKiernan, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, said that a greater military presence is "needed as quickly as possible." U.S. Representative Carol Shea-Porter said that "more than 400 economists, including Nobel laureates, appealed to Congress to slow down and make sure [they] got [the bailout bill] right". Swedish Minister for Finance Anders Borg slammed the culture of "greed" exemplified by U.S. financial institutions and its role in precipitating the current financial crisis. The U.S. Senate approved HR1424, a revised version of the proposed bailout of the nation's financial system. A new U.S. Armed Forces Unified Combatant Command for Africa—AFRICOM—was created. Main functions of AFRICOM include fighting terror, securing oil supplies in Africa, and supporting U.S. foreign policy in the region where Chinese influence is growing. On Oct 2, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden had their only scheduled debate for the vice presidency of the United States. A search team found the wreckage of the airplane flown by adventurer Steve Fossett in the mountains of Madera County, California, and what appear to be some of his personal effects nearby. Fossett had disappeared on September 3, 2007. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission said it would extend the short-sale ban to as long as October 17 or up to three business days after the passage of the proposed bailout plan, but will not make it permanent. The Wall Street Journal reports that the short-sale ban failed to prevent stock-price declines, increased the volatility in the stock market and made trading more expensive for investors. U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said that no Democrats who opposed the proposed bailout plan earlier this week have pledged to back it. On Oct 3. President Bush signed the revised Emergency Economic Stabilization Act into law, creating a $700 billion Treasury fund to purchase failing bank assets after the law was approved by the House of Representatives. Investigators in the United States announced that they had found human remains in what is believed to be the wreckage of Steve Fossett's plane, which went missing over California a year ago. The United States government announced the sale of billions of dollars of arms to Taiwan to keep a balance with China's massive arms buildup aimed at Taiwan. A jury convicted retired American football player O.J. Simpson of armed robbery and kidnapping, 13 years to the day after he was acquitted of killing his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles. On Oct 4, Mahir al-Zubaydi, senior commander for al Qaeda in Iraq for Bagdad east of the Tigris River, was killed by U.S. troops. On Oct 6, the Dow Jones industrial average fell by as much as 800.06 points, its biggest intraday drop on record; the Dow closed below the 10,000 mark for the first time since October 26, 2004. Speaking before a U.S. House Committee, Richard Fuld, CEO of failed Lehman Brothers says that he believed all his decisions "were both prudent and appropriate" given the information he had at the time. Significant losses were marked on stock exchanges world-wide: São Paulo Stock Exchange suspended trading after a 15 percent drop in its benchmark index. The UK's leading share index, the FTSE 100 closes down 391.1 points (7.85%), the largest single day points fall since it was launched in 1984. The French CAC 40 also recorded a record drop of 9.04%, whilst Germany's DAX finished down 7.09%. United States Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson announced that Neel Kashkari will be in charge of administering the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The U.S. annonuced that it would rely on Russia for manned space flights between 2010 and 2015. On Oct 7, The United States Federal Reserve announced plans to buy billions of dollars of short-term commercial paper to restore liquidity to the money market.Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke warned that the crisis will weaken the United States economy well into 2009 and expressed a willingness to cut interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 500 points following Bernanke's comments. On Oct 8, The United States Federal Reserve Board cut interest rates by half a percentage point to 1.5% as part of coordinated activity with the European Central Bank and other central banks. The United States embassy in Beirut sought assistance in finding two US journalists missing in Lebanon.
On Oct 9, The U.S. National Security Agency was accused of listening to Americans' private phone conversations. NATO commander U.S. Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock asked member countries for authority to target drug trade in Afghanistan. U.S. claimed 27 militants killed in military operations in Afghanistan. US missile strikes in northwest of Pakistan killed at least nine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 679 points, or 7.3%, and plunged below 8,600 for the first time since May 21, 2003. On Oct 10 An Alaskan legislative committee found that the Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her authority in terminating the Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples have the right to marry in Connecticut. On Oct. 11, President George W. Bush committed to collaborative action with G7 finance ministers. The International Monetary Fund warned of a global meltdown and offered to lend to countries if needed. The State Department removed North Korea from its list of sponsors of terrorism. On Oct 13, the Dow Jones industrial average increased by 935 points or 11.1 percent, the biggest one-day point gain in history, as stock markets around the world responded positively to steps to relieve the economic crisis of 2008. A second wildfire broke out in the hills above Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley prompting mandatory evacuations. Santa Ana winds caused an existing fire in the Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles to flare up resulting in the closure of two freeways. The U.S. Federal Reserve approved the merger of Wells Fargo and Wachovia after Citigroup withdrew the legal case in a New York federal court to put a hold on the merger. On Oct 14, Double murderer Richard Cooey was executed at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, despite his claims that his obesity made lethal injection inhumane. President George W. Bush announced new measures to attack the current economic crisis including plans for the U.S. government to buy stakes in major banks. On Oct 15, retail sales in the United States were reported to have declined by 1.2% in September 2008, a third successive month in decline and the sharpest decline in three years, further evidence that the United States economy is in a recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 733 points, or 7.87%, the second largest one-day point loss ever.
On Oct 16, the United States Environmental Protection Agency set a new standard, cutting the amount of lead that can be released into the atmosphere by 90 percent. The United States consumer price index remained unchanged during September as falling costs for clothes, gasoline and new cars helped to offset rising food and medical prices. Industrial production in the United States fell by 2.8% due to the impact of hurricanes, a strike at Boeing and the credit crunch. On Oct 17, U.S. Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY) was convicted of drunken driving. The United States Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s order requiring state officials in Ohio to supply information that would have made it easier to challenge prospective voters. The State Department claimed that North Korea had stepped up disablement of its nuclear reactor and allowed surveillance of its nuclear facility to resume. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that the beluga whale of Alaska's Cook Inlet was an endangered species. On Oct 18, President Bush met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso to discuss a proposal for a summit of world leaders to discuss the current economic crisis. On Oct 19, retired General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States. On Oct 23, the New York City Council voted 29–22 in favor of extending the term limit on the office of the Mayor to three consecutive four-year terms from two consecutive four-year terms, which will allow current Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for office again in the next mayoral election in November 2009.
On Oc 24, the mother and brother of American actress and singer Jennifer Hudson were murdered. On Oct 26, US Special Operations Forces stationed in Iraq launched a cross-border raid in Syria, attacking a civilian building under construction near Abu Kamal, Syria. The Syrian government stated 8 civilians were killed. On Oct 28, a shooter killed two people and injured another at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. On Oct 27, The Washington, D.C. Metro announced it would randomly search "backpacks, gym bags and any other containers that riders carry with them onto the bus and rail system" during periods of increased threat. Two Neo-Nazi white supremacists were arrested for plotting to assassinate US presidential candidate Barack Obama. US Senator from Alaska Ted Stevens was found guilty on all seven counts of lying on US Senate financial documents. A Treasury Department official announced that nine major US banks would receive a $123 billion capital injection from the federal government. Pakistani intelligence officials claimed that a US missile strike in South Waziristan had killed up to twenty people. The BBC claimed that about 80 people were killed during US strikes into Pakistan over the past month. On Oct 28, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 889.35 points, 10.88%, and brought the total above 9,000 points in the market's 2nd best day ever. On Oc 29, The US Treasury Department spent US $125 billion of its $700 billion bailout fund on nine banks, some of whom had argued that they did not need the money.
Events of November 2008can be connected.
On Nov. 3, a report issued by independent investigator hired by the Alaska Personnel Board found that Republican Vice Presidential candidate and Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin did not violate the law with regards to the so called "Troopergate scandal", in contradiction to an earlier report by the state Legislature. In the general election on Nov 3, Democrat Barak Obama defeated Republican John McCain, becoming the first black man to be elected President of the United States. In the Congressional elections, The Democratic Party picked up at least five seats in the Senate and retained control of the House of Representatives. In California, Proposition 8, a referendum that amended the State Constitution to define marrage as being between a man and a woman, was passed by voters, thus ending same-sex marriage in California. On Nov. 7, it was reported that unemployment in the United States had reached its highest rate in 14 years.
On Nov 10, reports surfaced that a United States nuclear weapon had been lost somewhere in the ice after the January 21, 1968 crash of a B-52 Stratofortress outside Thule Air Base, Greenland. On Nov 14, General Ann E. Dunwoody becamee the first female four-star general in the history of the United States Army. That same day, it was reported that the Montecito Tea Fire in California had burned 2,500 acres and damaged more than 100 homes and the campus of Westmont College. On Nov 15, the Space Shuttle Endeavor on misson STS - 126 was launched to use the MPLM Leonardo to deliver experiment and storage racks to the International Space Station, which was to increase the crew capacity of the station to 6 members.
On Nov 16, Jimmie Chonhson won NASCAR's 2008 Sprint Cup Series championship, becoming the second driver to win three in a row. President-elect Barack Obama resigned his seat as US Senator representing Illinois.
17 Nov 2008 - Global financial crisis of 2008: Citigroup announced it would lay off 53,000 workers by early 2009 for a total of approximately 75,000. The Japanese economy posted consecutive second-quarter contraction for the first time since 2001, officially putting the country in a recession. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil futures contracts fell by 3.7% to close at $54.95 per barrel, their lowest level in 22 months. 2008 Russian financial crisis: The Russian Trading System stock exchange was suspended after its nine indexes fell by more than 5%. It could remain closed for rest of the session.
18 Nov 2008 - Democrat Mark Begich defeated Republican senior Senator Ted Stevens in Alaska's highly contested Senate race. Begich will be the first Democratic senator representing the state in twenty-eight years.
18 Nov 2008 - Global financial crisis of 2008: Central European stocks dropped to a three-week low on expectations of slowing economic growth. Poland forecast economic growth to drop to 2.3% in 2009 from 5.4% in 2008 and the Warsaw Stock Exchange's WIG 20 index fell 3.5% in two hours. Bulgaria's Sofia Stock Exchange was at a 5-year low. Both Bulgaria and Romania may need International Monetary Fund loans to repay $100 billion of external debt. HSBC Holdings announced 500 layoffs in Hong Kong. Pepsi announced 3,000 layoffs in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
19 Nov 2008 - NASA successfully tested the first deep-space communications protocol to pave the way for Interplanetary Internet.
19 Nov 2008 - Same-sex marriage in California: The state's Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Proposition 8.
19 Nov 2008 - NASA successfully tested the first deep-space communications protocol to pave the way for Interplanetary Internet.
20 Nov 2008 - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered evidence of enormous underground deposits of water ice on Mars. One such deposit, under Hellas Planitia, is estimated to be the size of Los Angeles.
20 Nov 2008 - United States Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed while giving a speech to the Federalist Society in Washington, D.C.
20 Nov 2008 - Global financial crisis of 2008: Executives of the top three U.S. automakers – Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chrysler – testified before Congress for a bailout package. French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën announced plans to cut 2,700 jobs due to falling demand in Europe. The International Monetary Fund approved a $2.1 billion loan to Iceland to help alleviate its financial crisis. The approval marks the first time that a Western European nation has secured an IMF loan since the United Kingdom in 1976. Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark lent Iceland an additional €1.66 billion.
20 Nov 2008 - Five Guantánamo Bay detainees who successfully argued in the Supreme Court case of Boumediene v. Bush were ordered freed by a federal district court in Washington.
21 Nov 2008 - U.S. Intelligence Agencies predicted a major decline in U.S. economic, military, and political dominance over the next two decades
21 Nov 2008 - Confirmation of Neil Barofsky as special inspector general of the Troubled Assets Relief Program was delayed by an unnamed Republican United States Senator.
21 Nov 2008 - According to unofficial sources, Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed to serve as the next U.S. Secretary of State and Timothy F. Geithner as the next Secretary of the Treasury under the presidency of Barack Obama.
Events of December 2008 are not yet well connected.
Events of the first quarter 2009 and second quarter 2009 can be connected. The third quarter 2009 including July 2009, August 2009, and September 2009 can be connected. The fourth quarter 2009 including October 2009, November 2009, and December 2009 are being examined.
Events of the first quarter 2010 are being connected. Events of January 2010, February 2010, and March 2010 are being examined. The second quarter 2010 including April 2010, May 2010, and June 2010 can be considered.
The third quarter 2010 including events of July 2010 and August 2010 can be considered. September 2010 including 2010 week 36, 2010 week 37, 2010 week 38, 2010 week 39, and 2010 week 40 can be connected.
October 2010 including 2010 week 40, 2010 week 41, 2010 week 42, 2010 week 43, 2010 week 44, and 2010 week 45 can be connected. November 2010 including 2010 week 45, 2010 week 46. 2010 week 47, 2010 week 48, and 2010 week 49 can be connected.
December 2010, including events of 2010 week 49, 2010 week 50, and 2010 week 51 can be connected. 2010 week 52 and 2010 week 53 can be connected.