2006⚡ Event
Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 Crash
An Antonov An-24 operated by the Slovak Air Force crashed in northern Hungary, killing 42 of the 43 people on board.
disasterwar
What Happened in 2006?
Explore 80 historical moments from 2006 — 45 events, 34 birthdays, and 1 notable deaths.
Events in 2006(45)
2006⚡ Event
Evo Morales inaugurated as President of Bolivia
Evo Morales was inaugurated as President of Bolivia on January 22, 2006, becoming the country's first indigenous president.
politics
2006⚡ Event
Discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb
Three independent observing campaigns announced the discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, a super-Earth exoplanet. It is located 21,500 ± 3,300 light-years away from Earth near the center of the Milky Way.
sciencespace
2006⚡ Event
Irfan Pathan's Test Cricket Hat-trick
India's Irfan Pathan achieved a historic feat by becoming the first bowler to take a Test cricket hat-trick in the opening over of a match.
sports
2006⚡ Event
Prison escape in Yemen
Twenty-three convicts, including several al-Qaeda militants, escaped from a prison in Sanaa, Yemen. The prison was administered by the Political Security Organization.
law
2006⚡ Event
Methane explosion in Mexican coal mine
A methane explosion in a coal mine in Nueva Rosita, Mexico, trapped and killed 65 miners.
disastertechnology
2006⚡ Event
Securitas depot robbery
Seven men staged the largest cash robbery in Britain at a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent.
law
2006⚡ Event
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enters orbit
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached and entered orbit around Mars.
sciencespacetechnology
2006⚡ Event
Mahmudiyah murders
U.S. Army soldiers gang-raped a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdered her along with her family members.
war
2006⚡ Event
Vandalism of Erawan Shrine
A man smashed the statue of Phra Phrom at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, with a hammer. He was subsequently beaten to death by bystanders.
2006⚡ Event
First Twitter Message Sent
Jack Dorsey sent the first message on the social-media network Twitter.
technology
2006⚡ Event
Hannah Montana premiere
The television series Hannah Montana, starring Miley Cyrus as a teenage girl with a secret pop star identity, premiered on March 24, 2006.
entertainment
2006⚡ Event
Seattle Rave Shooting
A gunman entered a Seattle rave afterparty, killing six and wounding two before committing suicide.
disasterentertainment
2006⚡ Event
Belarusian Election Protests
Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus were arrested, including opposition leader Alyaksandr Kazulin.
politicslaw
2006⚡ Event
Cyclone Mala
Cyclone Mala made landfall near Thandwe, Myanmar, causing 37 deaths. The storm brought significant destruction to the region.
disaster
2006⚡ Event
Nepal Strips King of Powers
The Parliament of Nepal unanimously voted to strip King Gyanendra of many of his powers. This was a significant shift in the country's political landscape.
politicslaw
2006⚡ Event
An Inconvenient Truth released
The documentary film 'An Inconvenient Truth,' which raised global awareness of climate change and energized the environmental movement, was released.
science
2006⚡ Event
Yogyakarta earthquake
A powerful earthquake struck near Yogyakarta, Indonesia, causing widespread damage and killing over 5,700 people.
disaster
2006⚡ Event
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument established
US president George W. Bush designated 140,000 square miles around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
politicsexploration
2006⚡ Event
UN Security Council Meets on North Korea
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting after North Korea reportedly tested at least seven ballistic missiles.
politicswar
2006⚡ Event
Italy wins FIFA World Cup
Italy secured its fourth World Cup title, defeating France 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in extra time.
sports
2006⚡ Event
Typhoon Ewiniar hits South Korea
Typhoon Ewiniar made landfall in South Korea, causing damages amounting to 2.06 trillion won (US$1.4 billion).
disaster
2006⚡ Event
Hezbollah initiates conflict with Israel
Hezbollah forces crossed the Israel–Lebanon border, attacking military positions and towns, sparking a five-week war.
warpolitics
2006⚡ Event
Israeli airstrike in Qana
The Israeli Air Force attacked a building near Qana, Lebanon, killing at least 28 civilians, including 16 children during the Lebanon War.
war
2006⚡ Event
Fidel Castro Transfers Power
Following intestinal surgery, Fidel Castro provisionally transferred the duties of the Cuban presidency to his brother Raúl. This marked a significant shift in Cuban leadership.
politics
2006⚡ Event
Mutur Massacre
Seventeen employees of the French NGO ACF International were massacred in Mutur during the Sri Lankan civil war.
war
2006⚡ Event
Transatlantic aircraft plot foiled
British police arrested 24 people for conspiring to detonate liquid explosives on airliners traveling from the UK to the US and Canada.
law
2006⚡ Event
Grigori Perelman awarded Fields Medal
Grigori Perelman was awarded the Fields Medal for his proof of the Poincaré conjecture but refused to accept it.
sciencephilosophy
2006⚡ Event
Natascha Kampusch escapes
Natascha Kampusch escaped from her captor's house in Strasshof an der Nordbahn after more than eight years in captivity. She had been abducted at the age of ten in Vienna.
2006⚡ Event
Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet
The International Astronomical Union passed a resolution redefining the term planet. Pluto was subsequently classified as a dwarf planet.
sciencespace
2006⚡ Event
Comair Flight 5191 Crash
Comair Flight 5191 crashed at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49 of the 50 people on board. This event led to modified air traffic control rules.
disasterlaw
2006⚡ Event
Typhoon Xangsane
Typhoon Xangsane struck the Philippines and Vietnam, causing over 300 fatalities.
disaster
2006⚡ Event
Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 collision
Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 collided in mid-air with an Embraer Legacy business jet near Peixoto de Azevedo, Brazil, killing 154 people and triggering a national aviation crisis.
disastertechnology
2006⚡ Event
Amish school shooting
A gunman killed five Amish girls before committing suicide in a one-room schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.
disasterlaw
2006⚡ Event
Assassination of Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist and human-rights activist, was assassinated in the elevator of her apartment block in Moscow.
politicsliterature
2006⚡ Event
Kiholo Bay Earthquake
An earthquake registering 6.7 Mw occurred off the northwestern coast of the island of Hawaii.
disaster
2006⚡ Event
Assassination of Nadarajah Raviraj
Nadarajah Raviraj, a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politician and human rights lawyer, was assassinated in Colombo.
politicslaw
2006⚡ Event
South Ossetia referendum
South Ossetia held a referendum on independence, with over 99 percent voting in favor of preserving its de facto independent status, despite Georgian government opposition.
politics
2006⚡ Event
Jena Six incident
Six black teenagers assaulted a white student in Jena, Louisiana. The subsequent court cases became a cause célèbre for perceived racial injustice in the United States.
lawpolitics
2006⚡ Event
Mexican drug war begins
The first action in the Mexican drug war began when President Felipe Calderón ordered military and police units into the state of Michoacán.
warpolitics
2006⚡ Event
International conference on the Holocaust opens in Tehran
Criticized worldwide as a 'meeting of Holocaust deniers', the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust opened in Tehran.
politics
2006⚡ Event
Taiwan earthquake damages cables
Two earthquakes off the southwest coast of Taiwan damaged submarine communications cables, disrupting Internet services in Asia and affecting financial transactions.
disastertechnologyeconomics
2006⚡ Event
MV Senopati Nusantara sinks
The Indonesian ferry MV Senopati Nusantara sank in the Java Sea during a storm, killing at least 400 people.
disasterexploration
2006⚡ Event
ETA bombing at Madrid–Barajas Airport
Basque nationalist group ETA detonated a van bomb at Madrid–Barajas Airport in Spain, ending a nine-month ceasefire.
politicswar
2006⚡ Event
War in Somalia
Transitional Federal Government forces attacked the last stronghold of the Islamic Courts Union in Jilib.
war
Born in 2006(34)
2006🎂 Birth
Claudio Echeverri
Claudio Echeverri, an Argentine footballer, was born on January 2, 2006.
sports
2006🎂 Birth
Gianluca Prestianni
Gianluca Prestianni, an Argentine professional footballer, was born.
sports
2006🎂 Birth
Dommaraju Gukesh
Dommaraju Gukesh is the youngest contender to compete for the title of World Chess Champion.
sports
Deaths in 2006(1)
2006🕊️ Death
Slobodan Milošević dies
Former President of Serbia and Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević dies in his cell at The Hague during his war crimes trial.
politicswarmilitary
Dates in 2006
January 2January 4January 6January 9January 19January 22January 25January 29January 31February 3February 19February 22March 2March 10March 11March 12March 21March 24March 25April 15April 29May 11May 12May 15May 18May 24May 27May 29June 13June 15June 22June 29July 5July 9July 10July 12July 19July 21July 22July 30July 31August 2August 4August 9August 18August 22August 23August 24August 27September 6September 7September 21September 28September 29October 1October 2October 5October 7October 15October 28November 4November 10November 12November 16December 4December 11December 21December 22December 26December 29December 30December 31
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened in 2006?
- 2006 saw 80 notable historical moments, including 45 events, 34 famous birthdays, and 1 notable deaths.
- What were the biggest events of 2006?
- Key events of 2006 include: Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 Crash, Evo Morales inaugurated as President of Bolivia, Discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb.
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