2006
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
| Centuries: | 20th century · 21st century · 22nd century |
| Decades: | 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s |
| Years: | 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 |
| 2006 by topic |
|---|
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
It has been designated:
- The Year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar. The next year of the dog will be in the year 2018.
- International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
- The International Asperger's Year, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr Hans Asperger, discoverer of Asperger's Syndrome.
- The Year of Mozart, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Climate
The first half of 2006 has been tied with 1998 as the warmest for any year since the 1890s, indicating it may top 2005 as the warmest year on record.
Events
- January 1 - Russia cuts natural gas to Ukraine over a price dispute.
- January 2 - The Bad Reichenhall ice rink roof in Germany collapses after heavy snowfall in the Bavarian Alps, killing 15.
- January 3 - Twelve deceased coal miners and 1 survivor are discovered in the Sago Mine Disaster near Buckhannon, West Virginia in the United States.
- January 4 - Powers are transferred from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to his deputy, Vice Premier Ehud Olmert, after Sharon suffers a massive hemorrhagic stroke.
- January 5 - A hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia collapses, killing 76 pilgrims visiting to perform hajj.
- January 6 - The record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season officially draws to a close as Tropical Storm Zeta dissipates.
- January 7 - Embroiled in multiple scandals, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay announces he will not seek to reassume his former post.
- January 7 - U.K. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy resigns after revelations that he has a drinking problem.
- January 8 - A powerful, magnitude 6.9 earthquake epicentered off the coast of the Greek island of Kythera shakes much of Greece and is felt throughout the eastern Mediterranean basin. Only a few minor injuries and no significant damage are reported.
- January 8 - Former UK Sports Minister Tony Banks dies at the age of 62, after a massive stroke the previous day.
- January 9 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 11,000 for the first time since June 7, 2001, closing at 11,011.90.
- January 11 - The Augustine Volcano in Alaska erupts twice, marking its first major eruption since 1986.
- January 12 - A stampede during the Stoning of the devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills 362 Muslim pilgrims.
- January 14 - A natural gas explosion in a coal mine kills 8 in Romania.
- January 15 - NASA's Stardust mission successfully ends, the first to return dust from a comet.
- January 23 - Stephen Harper wins the federal election in Canada, forming a minority government.
- January 25 - Hamas wins the majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections.
- January 25 - Deus Caritas Est, the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, is promulgated.
- January 27 - Celebrations are held in Salzburg and around the world for the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- January 28 - A trade hall roof collapses in Katowice, Poland, killing 65 people.
- January 31 - Samuel J. Alito is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as sworn in as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
- February 1 - UAL Corp, United Airlines' parent company, emerges from bankruptcy after being in that position since December 9, 2002, the longest such filing in history.
- February 5 - The Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl XL, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 21-10.
- February 7 - An aging Egyptian passenger ferry carrying more than 1,400 people sinks in the Red Sea off the Saudi coast.
- February 8 - Four hundred four soldiers desert their barracks in East Timor (the start of the 2006 East Timor crisis).
- February 8 - The 48th Annual Grammy Awards are held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The big winners of the night are U2 who sweep all 5 nominations, beating Mariah Carey for Album and Song of the Year Awards. Mariah Carey, Kanye West, John Legend, Alison Krauss and her band Union Station each win 3; Kelly Clarkson wins 2.
- February 10 - The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin, Italy. The closing ceremony occurs on February 26.
- February 11 - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots his friend and lawyer, Harry Whittington, in the face on a south Texas ranch.
- February 16 - Kobe Airport, a controversial offshore airport in Kobe, Japan, opens for airline service.
- February 17 - As many as 1,800 people die when a mudslide occurs on the island of Leyte in the Philippines.
- February 19 - Pasta de Conchos mine disaster: Sixty-five miners become trapped underground after an explosion in Nueva Rosita, Mexico; all 65 die.
- February 22 - A blast heavily damages the Al Askari Mosque, a Shiite holy site in Samarra, Iraq, causing a wave of protests and counterattacks across Iraq.
- February 22 - Over £53.1 million is stolen during the Securitas depot robbery, the largest ever cash robbery in the United Kingdom.
- February 22 - The 1 billionth song is purchased from the Apple iTunes Store.
- February 23 - A roof collapses on a Moscow market, killing 56 people.
- February 24 - A state of emergency is declared in the Philippines, after an alleged coup d'etat against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is foiled.
- February 25 - Six police officers, seven protesters, and a journalist receive head wounds when a protest prior to the Love Ulster parade turns into a major riot.
- February 25 - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni wins his second re-election, sparking riots in Kampala by opposition supporters.
- March 3 - The first World Baseball Classic opens in Tokyo, Japan.
- March 4 - A new species of shark, Mustelus hacat, is discovered in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, bringing the number of Mustelus species found in the eastern North Pacific to 5.
- March 4 - Final contact attempt with Pioneer 10. No response was received.
- March 5 - Crash wins Best Picture, Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) wins Best Director, Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) wins Best Actress, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) wins Best Actor during the 78th Academy Awards. Three 6 Mafia makes history as they become the first African-American hip-hop group to win an Academy Award for Best Song and also become the first hip-hop artists to ever perform at the ceremony.
- March 7 - Fifteen people die and many others are injured in three blasts throughout Varanasi, India.
- March 9 - NASA's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft discovers geysers of a liquid substance shooting from Saturn's moon Enceladus, signaling a possible presence of water.
- March 10 - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enters Mars orbit.
- March 11 - Slobodan Milošević, former Yugoslav president, dies of a heart attack in his prison cell in The Hague, Netherlands.
- March 11 - Michelle Bachelet is sworn in as the first female President of Chile.
- March 15-March 26 - The 2006 Commonwealth Games take place in Melbourne, Australia.
- March 17 - The United States, the last nation in the world to have battleships in a reserve fleet, strikes its 2 remaining Iowa-class battleships from the Naval Vessel Register, ending the age of the battleship.
- March 20 - Tropical Cyclone Larry makes landfall in Queensland, Australia as what is considered to be the worst cyclone to hit the region since 1931.
- March 22 - Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) declares a permanent ceasefire in their campaign for Basque independence from Spain.
- March 25 - An estimated 500,000 people take to the streets in downtown Los Angeles to protest a proposed federal crackdown on illegal immigration.
- March 25 - A revolutionary scramjet jet engine, Hyshot III, designed to fly at 7 times the speed of sound, is successfully tested at Woomera, South Australia.
- March 26 - The ban on smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants comes into effect in Scotland.
- March 30 - The first Brazilian astronaut, Marcos Pontes, goes to space in a Russian spaceship, Soyuz TMA-8, at 2:29:00 CET.
- March 30 - The al-Dana capsizes off the coast of Bahrain, killing at least 48 people.
- April 5 - A swan with Avian Flu is discovered in Cellardyke in Fife, Scotland (the first cases in the United Kingdom).
- April 8 - The bodies of 8 murdered men are found in Shedden, Ontario (see Shedden massacre).
- April 8 - Bristol, United Kingdom celebrates the 200th birthday of Isambard Kingdom Brunel (actually April 9) by relighting the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
- April 8 - Numbersixvalverde ridden by Niall Madden wins the Grand National at Aintree.
- April 9 - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is removed from office after 4 months in a coma.
- April 10 - Romano Prodi narrowly defeats Silvio Berlusconi in the Italian parliamentary elections.
- April 11 - The ESA's Venus Express spaceprobe enters Venus' orbit.
- April 11 - President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirms that Iran has successfully produced a few grams of 3.5% low-grade enriched uranium.
- April 16 - HSH Albert II, Prince of Monaco, reaches the North Pole, becoming the first reigning monarch ever to do so.
- April 17 - A suicide bombing by Islamic Jihad in Tel Aviv kills 9 people and injures dozens.
- April 18 - The Centennial of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake is observed.
- April 19 - Han Myung-sook becomes South Korea's first female Prime Minister.
- April 20 - Iran announces a uranium enrichment deal with Russia, involving a joint uranium enrichment firm on Russian soil; 9 days later Iran announces that it will not move all activity to Russia, thus leading to a de-facto termination of the deal.
- April 22 - War on Terror: Four Canadian soldiers are killed 75 kilometers north of Kandahar, Afghanistan by a roadside bomb planted by Taliban militants (the worst 1-day combat loss for the Canadian army since the Korean War).
- April 24 - Three explosions in a tourist section of Dahab, Egypt kill 30 and injure over 115.
- April 29 - Massive anti-war demonstrations and a march down Broadway in New York City mark the third year of war in Iraq.
- April 29 - The Global Night Commute takes place in over 130 cities around the world to promote the visibility of the Invisible Children in Uganda.
- May 1 - Bolivian President Evo Morales nationalizes his nation's gas fields.
- May 1 - The Great American Boycott takes place across the United States as marchers protest for illegal immigration rights.
- May 4 - A new coalition government takes office in Israel. Its four political parties hold 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset.
- May 5 - NASA astronomers announce the discovery of a storm system in the Jovian atmosphere, dubbed the Red Spot Junior on the planet Jupiter, which has a striking similar appearance to the famous Great Red Spot.
- May 5 - Fiat chairman Sergio Marchionne announced that the Alfa Romeo automobile brand would return to the United States in 2008, after a thirteen-year hiatus. Alfa Romeo sales were to be initally handled by Maserati dealerships.
- May 9 - After 14 days trapped underground after the Beaconsfield mine collapse, miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb are rescued in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia.
- May 13 - Liverpool defeats West Ham to win the FA Cup on penalties after a 3-3 draw. [1]
- May 18 - FC Barcelona defeats Arsenal in the final of the UEFA Champions League played in Paris
- May 20 - Finland's Lordi wins the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest held in Athens. The monster-like band earns the most points ever given in the 51-year-old contest.
- May 24 - East Timor's Foreign Minister Horta officially requests military assistance from the governments of Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Portugal.
- May 27 - A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes central Java in Indonesia, killing more than 6,000, injuring at least 36,000 and leaving some 1.5 million people homeless.
- May 27 - The first demonstration for homosexual rights in Moscow is broken up by the police.
- May 28 - President Alvaro Uribe Velez is re-elected in Colombia for a second term. He becomes the first president in over a century to serve consecutive terms.
- June 3 - Montenegro declares independence after a May 21 referendum. The state union of Serbia and Montenegro is dissolved on June 5 leaving Serbia as the successor state.
- June 3 - Seventeen men are arrested in the Greater Toronto Area for alleged ties to a terrorist plot to blow up targets in the region. (see also: 2006 Toronto terrorism case)
- June 6 - The Union of Islamic Courts gain control of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, ending warlord rule of the city.
- June 7 - Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and 7 of his aides are killed in a U.S. air raid just north of the town of Baqouba, Iraq.
- June 9 - An explosion kills 8 Palestinian civilians on a Gaza beach. After an investigation, Israel denies responsibility for the blast.
- June 9 - Thailand begins celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the accession of Bhumibol Adulyadej to the throne.
- June 9 - The FIFA World Cup 2006 begins in Germany.
- June 10 - President Mahmoud Abbas sets July 26 as the date for a national referendum in Palestine.
- June 18 - The first Kazakh space satellite "KazSat" is launched.
- June 22 - The Magen David Adom and Palestine Red Crescent Society are officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- June 23 - In Miami, the FBI arrests 7 men, accusing them of planning to bomb the Sears Tower and other attacks in Miami.
- June 25 - Warren Buffett donates over $30 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- June 28 - Israel launches Operation Summer Rains, an offensive against militants in Gaza.
- June 29 - The Dutch cabinet Balkenende II resigns after the political party of D'66 drops its support.
- June 29 - The United States Supreme Court rules in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that the military commissions to be used to try some detainees in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp are illegal.
- June 29 - Women vote for the first time in elections for the National Assembly of Kuwait
- July 1 - The Qinghai-Tibet Railway launches a trial operation, connecting China proper and Tibet for the first time.
- July 2 - A presidential election is held in Mexico. Felipe Calderón is confirmed as the winner on September 5.
- July 4 - Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. It returns safely on July 17.
- July 5 - North Korea test fires at least 7 missiles including a long-range Taepodong-2.
- July 6 - The Nathula Pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.
- July 9 - S7 Airlines Flight 778 crashes into a concrete barrier shortly after landing, killing at least 122 people and leaving many injured.
- July 9 - Italy wins the FIFA World Cup 2006 by beating France 5-3 on penalties. The score after regular time is 1-1.
- July 10 - Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688 crashes in Multan, Pakistan shortly after takeoff, killing all 45 people on board.
- July 11 - A series of coordinated bomb attacks strikes several commuter trains in Mumbai, India during the evening rush hour.
- July 12 - 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict: Israeli troops invade Lebanon in response to Hezbollah kidnapping 2 Israeli soldiers and killing 3. Hezbollah declares open war against Israel 2 days later.
- July 14 - Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the Law and Justice party, is sworn in as Prime Minister of Poland by his identical twin, President Lech Kaczyński.
- July 23 - American Floyd Landis wins the Tour de France; however, tour officials soon announce that he has failed a doping test.
- July 23 - Zuleyka Rivera becomes Puerto Rico's 5th Miss Universe, beating 85 other contestants from around the globe to claim the title
- July 28 - Alejandro Toledo concludes his term as President of Peru. Alan Garcia becomes president.
- July 30 - The world's longest running music show, Top of the Pops, broadcasts for the last time on BBC Two, after 42 years.
- July 31 - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba, temporarily relinquishes power to his brother Raúl before surgery.
- August 10 - London Metropolitan Police make 21 arrests in connection to an apparent terrorist plot that involved aircraft traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States. New TSA regulations are put into effect, permanently banning all liquids and gels, including but not limited to deodorants, colognes, toothpaste, and gel implants, in both checked and carryon baggage.
- August 11 - A resolution to end the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict is unanimously accepted by the United Nations Security Council.
- August 14 - A UN cease fire takes effect in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.
- August 22 - Pulkovo Airlines Flight 612 crashes near the Russian border in Ukraine, killing 171 people, including 45 children.
- August 22 - The ICM awards Grigori Perelman the Fields Medal for proving the Poincare conjecture, one of seven Millennium Prize Problems. Perelman refuses the medal.
- August 24 - The International Astronomical Union defines 'planet' at its 26th General Assembly, demoting Pluto to the status of 'dwarf planet' more than 70 years after its discovery.
- August 27 - Comair Flight 5191, carrying 50 people, crashes shortly after take off from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. Only the first officer survives.
- August 31 - Edvard Munch paintings The Scream and Madonna are recovered in a police raid in Oslo, Norway.
- September 1 - A fire kills 29 of 148 people aboard an Iran Air Tours Tu-154M aircraft after the plane lands in Mashhad, Iran.
- September 7 - Taiwan formerly Chiang Kai-shek International Airport is changed name to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
- September 9 - Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-115 to build up the International Space Station. It returns safely on September 21.
- September 10 - Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher announces his retirement from the sport of Formula 1 for the end of the year.
- September 12 - A stampede at a rally in Yemen leaves 41 dead.
- September 12 - Pope Benedict XVI gives a lecture in Germany; he quotes a criticism of the Islam faith, sparking mass protest.
- September 13 - The Dawson College Shooting takes place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, leaving 1 student dead and 19 others injured.
- September 13 - The solar system's largest dwarf planet, designated until now as 2003 UB313, is officially named "Eris"; its satellite is now known as "Dysnomia".
- September 15 - Spinach contaminated with E. coli kills 1 person and poisons over 100 others in 20 states of the United States.
- September 16 - Five churches are attacked in Palestinian areas following the Pope's comments on Islam.
- September 18 - The Alliance for Sweden claims victory in the Swedish general election, 2006.
- September 19 - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand declares a state of emergency in Bangkok as members of the Royal Thai Army stage a coup d'état. The army announces the removal of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power.
- September 22 - A Transrapid Maglev train crashes into a maintenence vehicle on a test track in Germany, killing 23 and injuring 10, the first recorded fatal accident involving a Maglev.
- September 24 - CPC Central Political Bureau committee member, Shanghai Municipal Party Committee Secretay Chen Liangyu was dismissed for alleged corruption charges.
- September 25 - The Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans re-opens 13 months after Hurricane Katrina with extensive repairs, including the largest re-roofing project in the United States.
- September 26 - Diet of Japan elects Shinzō Abe as new Prime Minister of Japan succeeding Junichiro Koizumi.
- September 26 - An armed suspect holds 6 female students as hostages in Platte Canyon High School located in Baily, Colorado. One hostage is fatally wounded as the gunman kills himself. [2]
- September 28 - After 40 years of development, Suvarnabhumi Airport, opens in Bangkok, Thailand.
- September 29 - U.S. Representative Mark Foley (R-FL) resigns after it is revealed that he sent explicit e-mails for several years to underage male pages.
- September 30 - West Coast Eagles win the AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Fox Footy Channel in Australia ceases transmission.
- October 1 - Australian National Rugby League Grand Final at Telstra Stadium. (Brisbane Broncos versus Melbourne Storm.) This is the first time in the 98 year history of the ARL/NRL that a New South Wales team has not made the Final. Brisbane Broncos win 15-8, their 6th NRL Grand Final Victory.
- October 1 - Vodafone Japan, which was already purchased from Vodafone by SoftBank, is officially changes its name to Softbank Mobile Corp..
- October 2 - The Amish school shooting takes place, where Charles Carl Roberts IV, a 32-yr-old milk-truck driver, kills 5 female students at an Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania before shooting himself. Several others are wounded. [3]
- October 2 - Per Westerberg takes office as Speaker of the Riksdag (Speaker of the Parliament) in Sweden.
- October 3 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Index reaches its all-time high (as of 2006) of 11,727.34 and an all-time intra-day high of 11,758.95.
- October 4 - The Dow Industrial Average closes above 11,800 for the first time rising 123.27 points, or 1.05%, finishing at 11,850.61.
- October 6 - Hazardous waste plant near Apex, North Carolina explodes releasing chlorine gas, resulting in the evacuation of thousands and the hospitalization of over 100 residents.
- October 9 - North Korea claims to have conducted its first ever nuclear test.
- October 10 - Google buys YouTube for USD $1.65 billion
- October 15 - The UN agrees to sanction North Korea over nuclear testing issue.
- October 15 - Chief Justice of Japan Akira Machida retires upon reaching the age of 70.
- October 17 - The United States population reaches 300 million based on a United States Census Bureau projection.
- October 18 - Microsoft publicly releases Windows Internet Explorer 7.
- October 23 - Jeffrey Skilling is sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison on charges relating to the financial collapse of Enron.
- October 25: New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously rules in favor of marriage equality; 4-3 say decision whether to rewrite marriage law or write civil union law for gays (separate but equal debate) is left to the legislature in the next six months. The three dissenting justices dissented because they believed same-sex couples should have the full right to marry[4].
- October 27 - Restorative Justice pioneer Howard Zehr receives the Community of Christ International Peace Award.
- October 27 - The St. Louis Cardinals win the 2006 World Series.
- October 29 - Aviation Development Company Flight 53 crashes shortly after take off in Nigeria.
- October 30 - Former Chilean Dictator Augusto Pinochet is placed under house arrest for crimes committed at the Villa Grimaldi detention centre where thousands were tortured between 1974 and 1977.
- October 30 - An airstrike on a madrasah in Bajaur kills dozens of suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.
Predictions and scheduled events
- November 7 - Midterm elections will be held in the United States.
- November 8 - A transit of Mercury will occur beginning at 19:12 UTC.
- November 8 - Microsoft plans to release Windows Vista to corporate partners.
- November 17 - Sony's PlayStation 3 is set to launch in North America.
- November 18-November 19 - Meeting of the G20 industrial nations in Melbourne, Australia.
- November 19 - Nintendo's Wii is set to launch in North America.
- November 19 - The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship will be determined at
the Ford 400 in Homestead, Florida.
- November 22 - Election in The Netherlands for the Tweede Kamer.
- November 22 - A General Election will take place for the House of Keys in the Isle of Man.
- November 24 - Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair's deadline on [[Northern
Ireland]] power sharing.
- November 28-November 29 - The NATO Summit 2006 will take place in Latvia.
- November 30 - The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season and the 2006 Pacific hurricane season officially end.
- December 1 - President elect Felipe Calderón will be sworn into office by the congress in Mexico
- December 2-December 3 - The Liberal Party of Canada will hold its leadership convention
- December 3 - 2006 presidential elections expected to take place in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
- December 5 - Release of next ASIMO.
- December 8 - Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center to begin STS-116, a mission to build up the International Space Station.
Major religious holidays
- January 6 - Feast of Epiphany or Día de los Reyes Magos (Day of the Magic Kings).
- January 7 - Christmas in the Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic and other Eastern Christian church calendars.
- January 10 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Adha begins (ends on January 12).
- January 11 - Vaikunta Ekadashi is observed by Hindus. This is the day when the Gates of Heaven open and remain open for the next ten days.
- January 14 - Mahayana Buddhist New Year.
- January 14 - Pongal Harvest Festival in Tamil Nadu.
- January 15 - Maatu Pongal, Festival of Cows in Tamil Nadu.
- January 16 - Uzhavar Tirunaal, Farmer's Day in Tamil Nadu.
- January 29 - Year of the Dog, 4703, begins. Chinese/Asian New Year.
- January 31 - Muslim New Year.
- February 1 - Imbolc Cross-quarter day (Celebrated on February 2 in some places).
- February 9 - Day of Ashurah.
- February 13 - Tu Bishvat.
- February 28 - Mardi Gras.
- March 13 - Jewish holiday of Purim begins at sunset.
- March 14 - Sikh New Year.
- March 21 - Iranian New Year's Day (Norouz).
- March 30 - Hindu New Year.
- April 5 - Qingming Festival.
- April 11 - Birth anniversary of Muhammad.
- April 12 - Pesach or Passover begins at sunset, continues for a week.
- April 13 - Theravada Buddhist New Year.
- April 13 - Punjabi New Year.
- April 14 - Good Friday in the Western Church Calendar, Sikh Holiday of Vaisakhi.
- April 14 - Puththaandu Tamil New Year in the Tamil Calendar, observed by people in Tamil Nadu.
- April 16 - Easter in the Western Church Calendar.
- April 21 - Good Friday in the Eastern Church Calendar.
- April 23 - Easter in the Eastern Church Calendar.
- May 1 - Beltane Cross-quarter day.
- June 1 - Jewish holiday of Shavuot begins at sunset.
- August 1 - Lammas Cross-quarter day.
- September 22 - Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown. Continues until nightfall of the 24th.
- September 23 - First day of Ramadan.
- October 1 - Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins at sundown. Ends at nightfall of the 2nd.
- October 21 - Hindu festival of Diwali.
- October 24 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Fitr.
- October 31 - Samhain Cross-quarter day.
- December 16 - Channukah.
- December 22 - Winter Solstice or Yule.
- December 25 - Christmas Day in the Western Church Calendar.
- December 31 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Adha begins (ends on January 2, 2007).
Births
- June 3 - Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg
- June 18 - Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg
- August 16 - Princess Luisa of Savoy
- September 6 - Prince Hisahito of Akishino, third in line to the throne of Japan
Deaths
January
- January 1 - Bryan Harvey, American musician (b. 1956)
- January 2 - Steve Rogers, Australian rugby player (b. 1954)
- January 3 - Bill Skate, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (b. 1954)
- January 4 - Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (b. 1946)
- January 6 - Lou Rawls, American singer (b. 1933)
- January 8 - Tony Banks, British politician (b. 1943)
- January 12 - Amrish Puri, Indian actor (b. 1932)
- January 14 - Jim Gary, American sculptor (b. 1939)
- January 14 - Shelley Winters, American actress (b. 1920)
- January 15 - Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1926)
- January 19 - Geoff Rabone, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1921)
- January 19 - Wilson Pickett, American singer (b. 1941)
- January 21 - Ibrahim Rugova, first President of Kosovo (b. 1944)
- January 24 - Chris Penn, American actor (b. 1965)
- January 27 - Johannes Rau, President of Germany (b. 1931)
- January 28 - Henry McGee, British actor (b. 1929)
- January 28 - Yitzchak Kadouri, Iraqui-born rabbi (b. around 1900)
- January 30 - Coretta Scott King, American civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1927)
February
- February 3 - Al Lewis, American actor (b. 1923)
- February 4 - Betty Friedan, American feminist, activist, and writer (b.1921)
- February 10 - J Dilla, American music producer (b. 1974)
- February 12 - Ken Hart, American composer, journalist, and playwright (b. 1917)
- February 13 - P. F. Strawson, English philosopher (b. 1919)
- February 14 - Shoshana Damari, Israeli singer and actress (b. 1923)
- February 15 - Sun Yun-suan, Premier of the Republic of China (b. 1913)
- February 17 - Bill Cowsill, American singer (b. 1948)
- February 22 - Sinnathamby Rajaratnam, Singapore politician (b. 1925)
- February 23 - Mauri Favén, Finnish painter (b. 1920)
- February 23 - Zarra, Spanish football player (b. 1921
- February 24 - Don Knotts, American actor (b. 1924)
- February 24 - Dennis Weaver, American actor (b. 1924)
- February 25 - Darren McGavin, American actor (b. 1922)
- February 27 - Linda Smith, English comedian (b. 1958)
March
- March 2 - Jack Wild, British actor (b. 1952)
- March 3 - William Herskovic, Hungarian Holocaust hero and philanthropist (b. 1914)
- March 4 - Roman Ogaza, Polish footballer (b. 1952)
- March 4 - Edgar Valter, Estonian illustrator and cartoonist (b. 1929)
- March 4 - John Reynolds Gardiner, American author and engineer (b. 1944)
- March 6 - Dana Reeve, American actress, wife of Christopher Reeve (b. 1961)
- March 6 - King Floyd, American singer (b. 1945)
- March 6 - Kirby Puckett, baseball player (b. 1960)
- March 9 - Hanka Bielicka, Polish actress (b. 1915)
- March 11 - Slobodan Milošević, President of Serbia (b. 1941)
- March 13 - Peter Tomarken, American game show host (b. 1942)
- March 14 - Lennart Meri, President of Estonia (b. 1929)
- March 23 - Cindy Walker, American songwriter (b. 1918)
- March 25 - Rocio Durcal, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)
- March 25 - Buck Owens, American musician (b. 1929)
- March 26 - Paul Dana, American race car driver (b. 1975)
- March 27 - Stanisław Lem, Polish writer (b. 1921)
- March 28 - Caspar Weinberger, United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1917)
April
- April 2 - Nina Schenk von Stauffenberg, German wife of soldier Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg (b. 1913)
- April 4 - Denis Donaldson, Irish Republican informer (shot) (b. 1950)
- April 5 - Gene Pitney, American singer (b. 1941)
- April 8 - Gerard Reve, Dutch author (b. 1923)
- April 11 - Proof, American musician (D12) (b. 1975)
- April 11 - Les Foote, Australian footballer (b. 1924)
- April 11 - June Pointer, American singer (b. 1953)
- April 12 - Dr. Rajkumar, Indian actor (b. 1929)
- April 12 - William Sloane Coffin, American university chaplain and activist (b. 1924)
- April 13 - Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist (b. 1918)
- April 15 - Louise Smith, American race car driver (b. 1916)
- April 17 - Calum Kennedy, Scottish singer (b. 1928)
- April 19 - Scott Crossfield, American pilot (b. 1921)
- April 21 - Telê Santana, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1931)
- April 23 - Alida Valli, Italian actress (b. 1921)
- April 24 - Nasreen Pervin Huq, Bangladeshi social worker and human rights activist (b. 1958)
- April 24 - Bonnie Owens, American singer (b. 1929)
- April 24 - Steve Stavro, Canadian businessman and sports team owner (b. 1927)
- April 24 - Moshe Teitelbaum, Hassidic rabbi (b. 1914)
- April 25 - Jane Jacobs, American-born writer and activist (b. 1916)
- April 25 - Peter Law, British politician (b. 1948)
- April 27 - Julia Thorne, American author and ex-wife of Senator John Kerry (b. 1944)
- April 28 - Steve Howe, baseball player (truck accident) (b. 1958)
- April 29 - John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian economist (b. 1908)
May
- May 1 - John Edward Hawkins, American rapper (Big Hawk) (b.1969)
- May 2 - Louis Rukeyser, American television host (b. 1933)
- May 3 - Earl Woods, American athlete and father of Tiger Woods (b. 1932)
- May 3 - Karel Appel, Dutch painter (b. 1921)
- May 6 - Lillian Asplund, the last American survivor of the Titanic disaster (b. 1906)
- May 6 - Konstantin Beskov, Russian footballer and coach (b. 1920)
- May 6 - Shigeru Kayano, Japanese activist (b. 1926)
- May 6 - Grant McLennan, Australian singer and songwriter (The Go-Betweens) (b. 1958)
- May 7 - Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (b. 1943)
- May 8 - Iain MacMillan, British photographer (b. 1938)
- May 10 - Val Guest, British film director (b. 1911)
- May 10 - Soraya, Colombian-born singer and musician (b. 1969)
- May 11 - Yossi Banai, Israeli singer and actor (b. 1932)
- May 11 - Floyd Patterson, American boxer (b. 1935)
- May 13 - Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian (b. 1923)
- May 16 - Jorge Porcel, Argentine actor (b. 1936)
- May 19 - Freddie Garrity, English singer (Freddie and the Dreamers) (b. 1940)
- May 21 - Katherine Dunham, American dancer, choreographer, and songwriter (b. 1909)
- May 21 - Billy Walker, American singer (b. 1929)
- May 22 - Lee Jong-wook, Korean Director-General of the World Health Organisation (b. 1945)
- May 23 - Lloyd Bentsen, American politician (b. 1921)
- May 25 - Desmond Dekker, Jamaican singer and songwriter (b. 1941)
- May 25 - Tobías Lasser, Venezuelan botanist (b. 1911)
- May 25 - Kari S. Tikka, Finnish professor (b. 1944)
- May 26 - Édouard Michelin, French businessman (b. 1963)
- May 27 - Paul Gleason, American actor (b. 1944)
- May 27 - Alex Toth, American comic book artist and cartoonist (b. 1928)
- May 28 - Arthur Widmer, American film special effects pioneer (b. 1914}
June
- June 1 - Rocio Jurado, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)
- June 2 - Johnny Grande, American keyboardist (Bill Haley & His Comets) (b. 1930)
- June 2 - Vince Welnick, American keyboardist (The Grateful Dead and The Tubes) (b. 1951)
- June 6 - Arnold Newman, American photographer (b. 1918)
- June 6 - Billy Preston, American artist and musician (b. 1946)
- June 6 - Hilton Ruiz, Puerto Rican jazz pianist (b. 1952)
- June 7 - John Tenta, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1963)
- June 7 - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Jordanian militant (b. 1966)
- June 12 - Chakufwa Chihana, Malawi politician (b. 1939)
- June 12 - György Ligeti, Hungarian composer (b. 1923)
- June 12 - Kenneth Roy Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet, Canadian businessman and art collector (b. 1923)
- June 13 - Charles Haughey, Prime Minister of Ireland (b. 1925)
- June 14 - Jean Roba, Belgian comics author (b. 1930)
- June 15 - Raymond Devos, French humorist (b. 1922)
- June 17 - Bussunda, Brazilian comedian (b. 1962)
- June 18 - Gică Petrescu, Romanian musician (b. 1915)
- June 23 - Aaron Spelling, American television producer (b. 1923)
- June 25 - Arif Mardin, Turkish-born music producer (b. 1932)
- June 25 - Jaap Penraat, Dutch architect and member of Dutch resistance in World War II (b. 1918)
- June 30 - Robert Gernhardt, German satirist (b. 1937)
July
- July 1 - Ryutaro Hashimoto, 53rd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1937)
- July 1 - Fred Trueman, English cricketer (b. 1931)
- July 3 - Benjamin Hendrickson, American actor (b. 1950)
- July 5 - Gert Fredriksson, Swedish kayaker (b. 1919)
- July 5 - Kenneth Lay, American businessman (b. 1942)
- July 7 - Tom Weir, Scottish climber, author, and broadcaster (b. 1914)
- July 7 - Rudi Carrell, Dutch entertainer (b. 1934)
- July 7 - Syd Barrett, English singer, songwriter, and guitarist (Pink Floyd) (b. 1946)
- July 8 - June Allyson, American actress (b. 1917)
- July 8 - Catherine Leroy, French photographer (b. 1945)
- July 10 - Shamil Basayev, Chechen rebel (b. 1965)
- July 11 - Ross M. Lence, American political scientist (b. 1943)
- July 13 - Red Buttons, American comedian (b. 1919)
- July 16 - Bob Orton, American wrestler (b. 1929)
- July 17 - Sam Myers, American musician and songwriter (b. 1936)
- July 17 - Mickey Spillane, American writer (b. 1918)
- July 18 - Raul Cortez, Brazilian actor (b. 1931)
- July 19 - Jack Warden, American actor (b.1920)
- July 20 - Lim Kim San, Singapore politician (b. 1916)
- July 21 - Ta Mok, Cambodian military leader (b. 1926)
- July 21 - Mako Iwamatsu, Japanese-born actor (b. 1933)
- July 22 - José Antonio Delgado, Venezuelan mountain climber (b. 1965)
- July 22 - Gianfrancesco Guarnieri, Italian-born actor and playwright (b.1934)
- July 25 - Hani Mohsin, Malaysian actor (b. 1965)
- July 25 - Carl Brashear, American diver (b. 1931)
- July 28 - David Gemmell, British author (b. 1948)
- July 30 - Al Balding, Canadian golfer (b. 1924)
August
- August 3 - Arthur Lee, American musician (b. 1945)
- August 3 - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, German-born soprano (b. 1915)
- August 5 - Susan Butcher, American sled dog racer and trainer (b. 1954)
- August 9 - James van Allen, American physicist (b. 1914)
- August 11 - Mike Douglas, American entertainer (b. 1925)
- August 14 - Bruno Kirby, American actor (b. 1949)
- August 15 - Te Atairangi Kaahu, Māori queen (b. 1931)
- August 16 - Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay (b. 1912)
- August 20 - Joe Rosenthal, American photographer (b. 1911)
- August 21 - Bismillah Khan, Indian musician (b. 1916)
- August 21 - S. Yizhar, Isreali writer (b. 1916)
- August 23 - Maynard Ferguson, Canadian trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1928)
- August 26 - Rainer Barzel, German politician (b. 1924)
- August 26 - Clyde Walcott, Barbadian cricketer (b. 1926)
- August 27 - Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Indian filmmaker (b. 1922)
- August 30 - Glenn Ford, Canadian actor (b. 1916)
- August 30 - Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
- August 31 - Mohamed Abdelwahab, Egyptian footballer (b.1983)
September
- September 2 - Charlie Williams, British comedian (b. 1928)
- September 2 - Bob Mathias, American athlete (b. 1930)
- September 4 - Steve Irwin, Australian environmentalist and television personality (b. 1962)
- September 4 - Giacinto Facchetti, Italian footballer (b. 1942)
- September 4 - Colin Thiele, Australian author and educator (b. 1920)
- September 8 - Hilda Bernstein, English-born author, artist, and activist (b. 1915)
- September 8 - Peter Brock, Australian race car driver (b. 1945)
- September 9 - Richard Burmer, American composer, sound designer, and electronic musician (b. 1955)
- September 9 - William B. Ziff, Jr., American publishing executive (b. 1930)
- September 10 - Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, King of Tonga (b. 1918)
- September 11 - Joachim Fest, German historian and journalist(b. 1926)
- September 11 - Johannes Bob van Benthem, Dutch lawyer (b. 1921)
- September 13 - Ann Richards, Governor of Texas (b. 1933)
- September 14 - Elizabeth Choy, Singapore World War II hero (b. 1910)
- September 15 - Oriana Fallaci, Italian journalist (b. 1929)
- September 15 - Abe Saffron, Australian nightclub owner and property developer (b. 1920)
- September 15 - Reuben Kane, American professional wrestler (b. 1958)
- September 16 - Rob Levin, head of FreeNode and PDPC (b. 1955)
- September 17 - Patricia Kennedy Lawford, sister of John F. Kennedy (b. 1924)
- September 17 - Dorothy C. Stratton, Director of the U.S. Coast Guard Women's Reserve (b. 1899)
- September 19 - Roy Schuiten, Dutch cyclist (b. 1950)
- September 20 - Armin Jordan, Swiss conductor (b. 1932)
- September 22 - Carla Benschop, Dutch basketball player
- September 26 - Byron Nelson, American professional golfer (b. 1912)
- September 26 - Etta Baker, American guitarist (b. 1913)
- September 29 - Walter Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1915)
October
- October 3 - Peter Norman, Australian athlete (b. 1942)
- October 6 - Wilson Tucker, American writer (b. 1914)
- October 7 - Anna Politkovskaya, American-born Russian journalist (b. 1958)
- October 9 - Paul Hunter, British snooker player (b. 1978)
- October 11 - Amitabh Bachchan,INDIAN actor (Superstar of the Millennium,(b. 1942)
- October 11 - Cory Lidle, baseball player (b. 1972)
- October 14 - Freddy Fender, American singer (b. 1937)
- October 16 - Lister Sinclair, Canadian broadcaster and playwright (b. 1921)
- October 16 - Valentín Paniagua, President of Peru (b. 1936)
- October 16 - Ross Davidson, British actor (b. 1949)
- October 27 - Joe Niekro, baseball player (brain aneurysm) (b. 1926)
- October 28 - Red Auerbach, American basketball coach and official (b. 1917)
- October 28 - Trevor Berbick, Jamaican boxer (b. 1955)
- October 31 - Pieter Willem Botha, State President of South Africa (b. 1916)
November
- November 1 - William Styron, American writer (b. 1925)
Unknown/undecided dates
- Brazil will officially adopt the Digital TV System (Probably Japanese, or a new system, the Brazilian Digital TV System)
- Al Jazeera will launch its new satellite service, Al Jazeera International, in Europe, Asia, and North America sometime during the spring.
- White House proposed plebiscite to decide whether Puerto Rico will maintain its territorial status or change to another status (to be decided then in other referenda)
- Irish referendum on the European Constitution: The Republic of Ireland is expected to hold a referendum on the European Constitution.
- To those who believe in The Bible Code, 2006 will be the year of the apocalypse.
- A bridge linking Savannakhet, Laos, over the Mekong, to Mukdahan, Thailand is expected to be completed late in the year.
- The Stardust Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada will officially close in late 2006 after 55 years of continuous operation to make way for the $4 billion dollar Echelon Place a new mega resort scheduled to officially open in 2010.
- Boston's Big Dig, or Central Artery/Tunnel Project will be substantially completed after 15 years of construction, totaling $14.6 billion.
- 2006 also spells the end of the VHS format for all movie releases in the United States thus ending its 30 years of mainstream use. All new movies and programs will now be released only on DVD.
Nobel Prizes
- Chemistry - Roger D. Kornberg
- Literature - Orhan Pamuk
- Peace - Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank
- Physics - John C. Mather, George F. Smoot
- Physiology or Medicine - Andrew Z. Fire, Craig C. Mello
- Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel - Edmund Phelps
Beautifulness- Emma Lancaster
Fictional and pop culture references
Books
- Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly (2005): March 20 was the day of the coming of Tartarus.
Comics and manga
- Ghost in the Shell: Presumed year of birth of Motoko Kusanagi.
- Kid Gravity: According to Penny Galactica's robot UNI, 2006 is the first year we build cities on Mars.
Computer and video games
- BattleTanx: Global Assault (1999) is set in 2006.
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004) is set in 2006.
Music
- On the 1978 Blues Brothers live album Briefcase Full of Blues the opening track "I Can't Turn You Loose" features the host lamenting that the Blues will exist only in the classical records department of your local public library by 2006.
- "When I'm Sixty-Four" was written by Paul McCartney in 1967; McCartney turned 64 on June 18.
Television
- Doctor Who
- The events of the 2005 episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three" take place in March
- The events of "Boom Town" take place in September
- The events of "The Christmas Invasion" take place on December 24-December 25
- Jeremiah (2002-2004): 2006 is when a viral plague kills every human being that has entered puberty, leaving only children alive.
- Life on Mars (2006-2007): Central character Sam Tyler travels in time from 2006 to 1973.
- South Park: In "My Future Self n' Me" (2002), an actor portraying a future version of Stan Marsh tells his younger counterpart that he'll be sent to juvenile hall sometime during the course of the year.
- The West Wing: on November 8, Congressman Matt Santos of Texas defeats Senator Arnold Vinick of California in the 2006 US presidential election.
- Jericho (TV series) (2006-) takes place either this year, or 2009 due to speculation.
- Boy Meets World Before Summer 2006, Teacher Mr. Feeny is predicted to have retired.
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