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Definition
In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2001-2100. The 21st century is the first century of the 3rd millennium (2001 - 3000).
Important developments, events, achievements
- Politics
- November 2000 Election of George W. Bush to the USA presidency
- 2004 EU Enlargement: 10 countries join
- Final draft of the European Constitution is accepted, 2004
- Science and technology
- 2002 Mars Odyssey arrives in orbit around Mars.
- 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster February 1
- 2003 Dolly the sheep dies prematurely February 14
- 2003 Chinese space program launches its first manned space flight, Shenzhou 5 October 15.
- 2003 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) spreads around the globe.
- 2004 Mars rovers discover evidence of likely flowing water on Mars.
- 2004 Cassini-Huygens probe arrives at Saturn.
- 2004 SpaceShipOne makes first privately-funded human spaceflight, June 21
- Wars, battles, and terrorism
Five overall largest mass killings of the 21st century as of 2004
- Congolese Civil War, approx. 1.8 million deaths (3.3 million since 1997)
- Darfur conflict, 70,000 deaths.
- U.S. Invasion in Iraq, most estimates claim 10,000 - 30,000 Iraqi and 1,200 coalition deaths. The Lancet recently estimated 100,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the invasion.
- Civil War in Ivory Coast, 3,000 deaths.
- September 11, 2001 attacks, 2,749 - 2,752 deaths.
The regime of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is believed to have caused many deaths, but the exact number is unknown.
Furthermore, there are several wars and dictatorships continuing from the 20th century. Mostly the number of deaths they caused during the 21st century is unknown.
Influential people in politics as of 2004
(in alphabetical order)
- Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, de facto government leader
- Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations
- the lateYasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestinian Authority
- Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime Minister
- Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda leader
- Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Hans Blix, Chief United Nations Weapons Inspector
- George W. Bush, President of the United States of America
- Jacques Chirac, President of France
- John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia
- Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan
- Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China
- Saddam Hussein, deposed President of Iraq, currently held by US forces
- Hamid Karzai, interim president of the Afghan Transitional Administration
- Colin Powell, United States Secretary of State
- Pervez Musharraf Pakistani President.
- Dr. Manmohan Singh Indian Prime Minister
- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation
- Gerhard Schröder, German Bundeskanzler (chancellor)
- Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel
Influential people in technology as of 2004
- Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corporation
- Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux
- Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer
Influential people in science as of 2004
Influential people in mathematics as of 2004
Influential people in popular entertainment as of 2004
- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series
- Britney Spears, singer
- Christina Aguilera, singer
- Michael Jackson, singer
- Eminem, rapper
- Charlize Theron, actress
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress
- Tom Cruise, actor
- Brad Pitt, actor
- Peter Jackson, director
- Weezer
See also: Timeline of the future in forecasts
Astronomical events
- Tuesday, June 8, 2004 - Transit of Venus occurs after 122 years
- full eclipse of moon during World Series, 2004
Astronomical predictions
- Wednesday, June 6, 2012 - Transit of Venus to occur 2nd time this century
- 2061: next return of Comet Halley.
- Friday, November 10, 2084 - Transit of Earth as seen from Mars
- 2024 (plus or minus 5 years): next predicted return of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks.
Decades and years
| Decades and years | |
|---|---|
| 21st century 19th century ← 20th century ← ↔ → 22nd century → 23rd century |