2006

Events

Dated Events

• Real World: January 4. Ehud Olmert receives the powers of Prime Minister of Israel after Ariel Sharon suffers a massive stroke.

• Real World: January 23. Stephen Harper becomes Prime Minister of Canada.

• Real World: January 25. Palestinian Legislative Council elections are held; Hamas wins a majority of seats.

• Real World: February 11. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots his friend Harry Whittington while hunting quail in southern Texas.

• Real World: February 22. The al-Askari Mosque, a major Shi'ite holy site in Iraq, is bombed, resulting in a series of protests and reprisal attacks throughout the nation.

• Doctor Who, Doctor Who (Expanded Universe): March. The Ninth Doctor brings Rose Tyler home over a year late. The Doctor and Rose, with Mickey Smith's help, foils a plot by the Slitheen to turn the Earth into a nuclear cinder. (Doctor Who: "Aliens of London", "World War Three"; 12 months after "Rose")

• Real World: March 9. The NASA Cassini-Huygens spacecraft detects the possible presence of water on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

• Real World: March 11. Slobodan Milosevic found dead in his cell.

• Real World: March 25. An estimated 500,000 people participate in a protest in Los Angeles against a proposed crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States.

• Real World: May 1. Opponents of a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States stage a nationwide boycott of schools and businesses to demonstrate the significance of illegals to the U.S. economy.

• Real World: June 6. Islamist forces seize control of Mogadishu, Somalia.

• Real World: June 7. Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. airstrike.

• Real World: June 23. Seven men are arrested by the FBI, accused of planning to bomb the Sears Tower and other targets in Miami, Florida.

• Real World: June 28. Israel launches a new offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza.

• Real World: June 29. The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that the military commissions proposed to try some detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are illegal.

• Real World: July 2. Presidential elections are held in Mexico, but the outcome remains contested for the next two months.

• Real World: July 11. Coordinated bombings hit passenger trains during the evening rush hour in Mumbai, India.

• Real World: June 12. Israeli troops invade Lebanon after Hezbollah forces kidnap two Israeli soldiers.

• Real World: August 10. London police foil a terrorist plot to smuggle explosives in liquid form aboard aircraft traveling from the U.K. to the U.S.

• Real World: August 14. A United Nations cease-fire ends the clash between Israeli and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

• Real World: August 24. Pluto is demoted to the status of "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union.

• Real World: August 31. The stolen Edvard Munch paintings The Scream and Madonna are retrieved by police in Oslo, Norway.

• Real World: September 5. Felipe Calderon is verified as the winner in the 2006 Mexican presidential elections.

• Real World: September 12. Mass protests erupt in the Muslim world after Pope Benedict XVI gives a lecture in Germany in which he quotes a criticism of Islam.

• Real World: September 13. The dwarf planet 2003 UB313 is officially designated "Eris."

• Real World: September 15. Spinach contaminated with E. coli kills one and poisons 100 in the United States.

• Real World: September 19. A military coup d'etat deposes Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand.

• Real World: September 26. Shinzo Abe becomes Prime Minister of Japan.

• Real World: October 9. North Korea claims it has conducted its first nuclear test.

• Real World: October 13. Ban Ki-moon becomes Secretary-General of the United Nations.

• Real World: November 7. Following midterm elections in the United States, Democrats win control of the U.S. Congress. Keith Ellison of Minnesota becomes the first Muslim elected to the House of Representatives.

• Real World: November 8. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld retires. He is replaced by former CIA director Robert Gates.

• Real World: November 23. Ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko is assassinated through poisoning with polonium-210.

• Real World: November 30. South Africa legalizes gay marriage.

• Real World: December 15. An alleged assassination attempt is made on Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, sparking in-fighting between factions within the Palestinian population.

• Real World: December 30. Saddam Hussein is executed.

Undated Events

• Transformers (Marvel U.K.): By this time, the Decepticons rule Cybertron, while the Autobots operate from Cybertron's two moons. (Transformers: The Movie (U.K. comic adaptation))

• Transformers (Marvel U.K.): The Decepticons attack Autobot City by hijacking a shuttle sent for a supply run. In the ensuing battle, Optimus Prime and other Autobots die, while Megatron is mortally wounded. Megatron and his injured troops are abandoned in interstellar space by Starscream, who seizes Decepticon leadership. Unicron transforms Megatron and company into Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps, and sends them to destroy the Creation Matrix. Galvatron reclaims Decepticon leadership by killing Starscream. Unicron consumes Cybertron's two moons. A group of Autobots led by Ultra Magnus escape Galvatron's attack, leaving Autobot City; on the planet Junk, Ultra Magnus is slain and Galvatron claims the Matrix, but is unable to use it against Unicron. Unicron attacks Cybertron just as the Autobots arrive, and is destroyed by Hot Rod, who unleashes the Matrix and becomes Rodimus Prime. Galvatron and Unicron's head are both thrown into deep space. Rodimus Prime assumes Autobot leadership. (Transformers: The Movie (U.K. comic adaptation))

• Transformers (U.S. Animated): The Quintessons begin their attempts to retake Cybertron. Quintessa is destroyed in an attempt to kill the Autobot leaders, making the Quintessons nomads. Galvatron is located on Thrull and retakes leadership of the Decepticons- however, his insane leadership "style" leads to few victories and much dissent. The Quintessons fail to retake Cybertron on their first attempt, leading to several other plans- their attempts feature such pawns as a resurrected Optimus Prime, a Time Window and the Trans-Organics. Trypticon is created, only to lose to Metroplex on several occasions. Starscream returns as a spark ghost, and is eventually set adrift in space after nearly resurrecting Unicron. Grimlock saves the universe from Tornitron. The Hate Plague is stopped by a truly reborn Optimus Prime, who saves the universe from it by using all the energies of the Matrix. (Transformers: "Five Faces of Darkness," "Dark Awakening," "Forever is a Long Time Coming," "The Dweller in the Depths," "Thief in the Night," "The Ultimate Weapon," "Starscream's Ghost," "Ghost in the Machine," "Call of the Primitives," "The Return of Optimus Prime")

Notable Fictional Works

Notable Books

• Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris, Cell by Stephen King, Brother Odd by Dean Koontz.

Notable Films

• An American Haunting, Black Christmas, Bloodrayne, Casino Royale, Children of Men, Clerks II, Click, The Covenant, The Da Vinci Code, The Descent, Eragon, Fearless, Final Destination 3, The Fountain, The Grudge 2
• The Hills Have Eyes, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Lady in the Water, The Lake House, Mission Impossible III, Monster House, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Nanny McPhee, Night of the Living Dead 3D, The Omen, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Poseidon
• Pulse, The Return, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, The Santa Clause 3, A Scanner Darkly, The Shaggy Dog, Silent Hill, Slither, Stay Alive, Stranger Than Fiction, Superman Returns, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Tristan and Isolde
• Ultraviolet, Underworld: Evolution, V for Vendetta, The Wicker Man, X-Men: The Last Stand, Zoom

Notable Television Series

• Beginning: Ben 10, Bleach (U.S.), The Emperor's New School, Eureka Seven, Fantastic Four, Heroes, Jericho, Legion of Super-Heroes, Life on Mars, The Lost Room (miniseries), Torchwood, Trinity Blood (U.S.)
• Continuing: 24, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Battlestar Galactica, Danny Phantom, Doctor Who, GI Joe: Sigma 6, Naruto (U.S.), Smallville, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Xiaolin Showdown
• Ending: Alias, Charmed, Sonic X, Teen Titans

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