2008
| Centuries: | 20th century · 21st century · 22nd century |
| Decades: | 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s |
| Years: | 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 |
| 2008 by topic |
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Predicted events
January-June
- January 15 - NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury.
- January 20 - Scheduled parliamentary elections in the Faroe Islands
- February 1 - Sweden plans to cease analog television broadcasts
- February 3 - Super Bowl XLII to be held in Glendale, Arizona.
- February 7 - Annular solar eclipse
- March 23 - Easter Sunday. Easter has not fallen this early since 1913.
- April 5 to April 7 - NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four to be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
- May 16 - Presidential election slated in the Dominican Republic.
- June 14 - Expo 2008 scheduled to begin in Zaragoza, Spain.
- June - UEFA Euro 2008 Championship tournament. Joint hosts Switzerland and Austria
July-December
- August 1 - Total solar eclipse: northern Canada, Siberia, Mongolia, northern China
- August 8 - 2008 Summer Olympics scheduled to begin in Beijing, China
- August 15 to August 20 - World Youth Day 2008 in Homebush, Sydney, Australia
- September 11 - Tentative topping-out of Freedom Tower at World Trade Center site
- October 6 - NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft makes the second of three flybys of Mercury.
- November 4 - Presidential election slated in the United States.
- November 26 - If still Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair will surpass Margaret Thatcher's length of time in office.
- Expected time for the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film.
Unknown dates
- Both Liverpool (England) and Stavanger (Norway) are European Capital of Culture
- The ECB is expected to issue a new series of euro banknotes, replacing the old series, and should include new security features along with the incorporation of Cyprus on the EU map.
- Tentative year for the completion of the Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the International Business Center in Seoul, South Korea
- Forecasted year of worldwide production decline in oil given by the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas
- Forecasted year of OPEC oil production exceeding non-OPEC oil production given by "The Peak Of World Oil Production And The Road To The Olduvai Gorge" by Richard C. Duncan
- The United Kingdom plans to begin 5-year process to cease analog television broadcasts region-by-region, starting with Border, Westcountry and HTV Wales.
- According to Paramount, this is the earliest possible year for a new Star Trek TV series.
- Boeing's 787 aircraft will enter service.
- The Rugby League World Cup will be held in Australia.
- Australia plans to cease analogue television broadcasts.
- The Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino will be completed
- A Simpsons film is announced in this year.
Fictional Events
- In the children's book, The Kid Who Ran for President the character Judson Moon runs for President of the United States and wins.
- According to Capcom, the year "200X" in which the original Mega Man takes place is 2008.
- Tom Cruise will denounce the periodic table.