- January 10
- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson quits the Presidential race. [452.125]
- January 13
- In Beverly Hills, California, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announces winners of the Golden Globe Awards at a press conference. The usual three-hour broadcast was scrapped due to threats of strikers and a boycott.
- Best Film Drama and Best Original Score: Atonement,
- Best Film Musical: Sweeny Todd,
- Best Actor: Johnny Depp in Sweeny Todd.
[35]
- In the USA, Fox airs the debut of the TV show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. [48.29]
- January 15
- In Michigan, USA, the Rupublican caucuses choose Mitt Romney as candidate for the presidential election on November. [35]
- The governments of Singapore, Kuwait, and South Korea invest US$21 billion in American finance companies Citigroup and Merrill Lynch through sovereign-wealth funds. [107.11]
- In the USA, Fox airs the 7th season premiere of the TV show American Idol. [48.43]
- January
- Heritage Auction Galleries FUN auction:
- US 1792 fusion alloy cent pattern VF30 PCGS $603,750;
- US 1796 $2.50 no stars MS65 PCGS $1,725,000;
- US 1796 $2.50 with stars MS65 NGC $1,006,250.
[454.1] [548.79]
- Stanford Coins and Bullion of Houston, Texas, sells the Louis Eliasberg specimen of the 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar for US$1.3 million to Certified Acceptance Corporation. [482.10]
- January 16
- In Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Oracle Corp announces it will acquire BEA Systems for US$8.5 billion in cash. [35]
- January 22
- The U.S. Federal Reserve reduces the federal funds rate by 0.75 points, to 3.5 percent, the largest single drop in 23 years. [35] [108.11]
- Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson drops out of the race to be US President. [452.125]
- January 23
- At the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York, Virgin Galactic unveils the design of its next generation of space vehicles, named White Knight Two, and SpaceShipTwo, intending to take paying passengers into space on a regular basis next year. [35] [108.12,66]
- January 25
- In the USA, Spike TV debuts the GameTrailers TV series, airing trailers, industry news, interviews, and more. [49.60]
- In Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino is evacuated due to a fire which engulfed parts of the upper floors, facade and roof before being brought under control. [35]
- January 26
- In South Carolina, USA, the Democratic caucuses choose Barack Obama as candidate for the presidential election on November. The Republican caucuses choose John McCain. [35]
- January 28
- In Florida, USA, the Rupublican caucuses choose John McCain as candidate for the presidential election on November. The Democratic caucuses choose Hillary Clinton. [35]
- January 31
- Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo for US$44.6 billion: US$31 per share in cash and stock. [35]
- In the USA, ABC airs the season four premiere of series Lost. [50.60]
- February 3
- In Glendale, Arizona, the NFL's Super Bowl XLII is played. The New York Giants beat the previously undefeated New England Patriots with a 17-14 victory. Most Valuable Player is Giants' Quarterback Eli Manning. [35]
- February 4
- U.S. President George W. Bush unveils a record US$3.1 trillion spending plan for fiscal 2009, including US$515 billion for military spending, and US$70 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan for just part of 2009. Domestic programs would be deeply cut. The budget is the first to be presented electronically. [35] [112.32]
- February 5
- In the USA, 24 states hold Republican and/or Democratic caucus elections for presidential nominee. This day is referred to as "Super Tuesday". For the Democrats, Barack Obama wins in 12, Hillary Clinton wins in 7 For the Republicans, John McCain wins in 8 states, Mitt Romney wins in 6, and Mike Huckabee wins in 5. [35]
- U.S. stock market indices plunge more than 3 percent after a report shows signs of economic recession in the service sector. The S&P 500 fall 3.2 percent, The Dow Jones Industrial Average 370 points. [310]
- (to February 6) A tornado outbreak, the deadliest in 23 years, kills 58 in the Southern United States. [310]
- February 6
- Over 60 tornadoes across the US South in two days kill 48 and injure over 150. [35]
- February 7
- In the USA, CBS airs the premiere of the reality TV show Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites. [51.60]
- STS-122: Space Shuttle Atlantis launches to deliver the European-built Columbus science laboratory to the International Space Station. [310]
- February 8
- In the USA, the Supreme Court of Nebraska rules the electric chair is unconstitutional (cruel and unusual). This is the last state in the country to have allowed death by the electric chair. [113.39]
- February 9
- At a Philip Weiss auction, a 24-cent US postage stamp of 1869, Declaration of Independence with inverted-center error sells for US$1.27 million, a new record for a single US stamp. [280.8]
- February 12
- In the USA, General Motors reports a fiscal 2007 year loss of US$39 billion. [35]
- In the USA, CBS airs the premiere of the reality TV show Big Brother 9. [52.47]
- In Los Angeles and New York, film and television writers vote to lift their 100-day-old strike against major studios and return to work. Writers Guild of America members voted 92.5 percent in favor of ending the strike, with a new three-year contract approved in principle. [35]
- February 13
- US President George Bush signs a law for individual tax rebates and temporary investment incentives worth US$168 billion. [113.81]
- February 14
- At Northern Illinois University, former student Stephen Kazmierczak fires over 50 shots, killing five students and himself, injuring 16 others. [35]
- February 15
- In New York, Wal-Mart Stores announces it will exclusively sell high-definition DVDs in the Blu-Ray format. Sales of HD DVD systems and drives will be phased out until June. [35]
- Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, Illinois, declares missing millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett legally dead, five months after the airplane he was flying disappeared over Nevada. [35] [136.106]
- February 17
- Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company recalls 143 million pounds of beef, the USA's largest meat recall in California, due to the slaughter of cattle unfit for human consumption. [109.36]
- February 18
- Europe's major powers and the United States recognize the independence of Kosovo. [35]
- Space shuttle Atlantis departs from the International Space Station, after delivering a European laboratory. [35]
- February 19
- A fireball and sonic boom are reported in parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. [521]
- February 20
- In Wisconsin and Hawaii, Democratic caucuses Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton for Presidential candidate. John McCain wins Wisconsin on the Republican side. [35]
- A U.S. Navy warship neat Hawaii fires a missile at a defunct spy satellite 153 miles up in the atmosphere, to destroy the fuel tank of hydrazine fuel, to prevent it from being released as a toxic gas if it had fallen to Earth. [35] [310]
- February 21
- Monaco Rare Coins of California sells a 1861 Coronet Paquet Reverse double eagle for US$2.5 million. [421.108]
- February 24
- Electronic Arts video game company makes a hostile bid of US$2 billion for Take-Two. [109.68]
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds its 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. Some Oscar trophy winners are:
- Best Movie: No Country For Old Men,
- Best Director: No Country For Old Men,
- Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country For Old Men,
- Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men,
- Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood,
- Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton,
- Best Actress: Marion Cotillard in La Vie En Rose,
- Best Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters,
- Best Animated Film: Ratatouille,
- Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody for Juno,
- Best Original Song: "Falling Slowly" by Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard, in Once.
[35]
- February 27
- The US dollar drops to an all-time low against the euro, at 66 cents. [35]
- In the USA, the Fannie Mae government-backed mortgage company reports a loss of US$3.55 billion for the fourth quarter of 2007, due to increased foreclosures. [109.77]
- February 28
- Legislation (HR 5512) is introduced in the House of Representatives, the Coin Modernization and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2008. It includes replacing the copper-plated zinc cent with a steel coin, and requiring the US Mint lose money on any circulating coin for five years before changing alloys. [397.1]
- A report by the Pew Center on the United States says the American penal system held more than 2.3 million adults at the start of the year, meaning more than one in every 100 American adults is confined in a prison or jail, the highest ratio in the nation's history. The report also notes that the United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. [35]
- February 29
- American TV show The Young and the Restless has now been the number one rated daytime drama for 1000 consecutive weeks in the US, since December 1988. [156.13]
- February (month)
- U.S. government budget deficit for the month is a record US$175.56 billion. [35]
- March 1
- The 59-acre Aquatica water park opens at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, USA. [146.18]
- March 7
- The US Federal Reserve promises to provide up to US$200 billion in temporary loans to banks and bond-market dealers. [144.10]
- A dozen tornadoes cause much damage in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Cars are flipped, trees and power poles knocked down, homes and businesses damaged, and two people are killed. [35]
- March 8
- Debut of The Spectacular Spider-Man on TV in the US and Canada. [155.23]
- March 11
- At the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US space shuttle Endeavour lifts off headed for the International Space Station. Its cargo includes part of a Japanese space laboratory and a Canadian-built robotic system. [35]
- The US Federal Reserve promises to lend up to US$200 billion of Treasury bonds on a monthly basis with mortgage-backed securities as collateral. [144.10]
- March 12
- Oil hits a record US$110 per barrel. [144.117]
- March 13
- The US dollar drops below 100 Japanese yen for the first time in 12 years, and gold rises to US$1000 per ounce. [144.87] [207.83]
- New redesigned Series 2006 $5 Federal Reserve notes begin circulating. The new notes feature purple ink and two watermarks. [400.106]
- March 16
- American investment bank Bear Stearns, 5th largest on Wall Street, is bought by JP Morgan Chase for $2 per share, a total of $236 million. In mid-2006, Bear Stearns was worth $200 per share. The Federal Reserve also provides a US$30 billion loan, and announces it will directly loan to other investment banks and brokers. [207.11,79]
- March 17
- The US dollar hits an all-time low of US$1.59 to the euro. [139.100]
- Share prices of American investment bank Lehman Brothers lose 20 percent of value on the stock market. [207.8]
- March 18
- The US Federal Reserve cuts the interest rate by a further 0.75, down to 2.25 percent. [35] [207.81]
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes 420 points higher than the previous day. [35]
- March 23
- US soldier death toll in the Iraq war reaches 4000, after five years of fighting. [35]
- March 24
- In Iowa City, Iowa, USA, former bank executive Steven Sueppel, facing trial for embezzlement, beats to death his wife Sheryl Sueppel and the couple's four adopted children, then kills himself by ramming his car into a highway sign post. [35]
- March 26
- Tata Motors of India announces it will buy Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor of the USA for US$2.3 billion. [35]
- US space shuttle Endeavour returns to Earth, landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission delivered the first part of the Japanese Kibo research laboratory and a Canadian maintenance robot to the International Space Station. Space station flight engineer Leopold Eyharts returned with the shuttle, after spending seven weeks setting up the Columbus lab. [35]
- Advanced Micro Devices unveils the "Phenom" microprocessor for desktop personal computers. [35]
- April 3
- ATA Airlines of the USA files for bankruptcy for the second time in 5 years and ceases all operations. [5]
- April 7
- Child Protective Services of Texas remove 401 children from a ranch in west Texas belonging to jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, and dozens of women leave or are removed in an investigation of sexual and child abuse. [35]
- In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the US Mint launches the 47th coin in the 50 State Quarters Program, the 2008 circulating New Mexico quarter dollar coin. [400.4] [403.107] [404.4] [406.58] [407.84]
- The 92nd annual Pullitzer Prize Awards are announced by Columbia University. Some award recipients:
- Breaking News: the Washington Post for its coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre;
- Public Service Journalism: the Washington Post for exposing the poor hospital treatment of US soldiers returning home after being wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan;
- Breaking News Photography: Reuters news agency for its picture of a Japanese videographer killed during last year's demonstrations in Burma;
- National reporting: the Washington Post;
- International Reporting: the Washington Post;
- Feature Writing: the Washington Post;
- Commentary: the Washington Post;
- Investigative Reporting: the New York Times;
- Explanatory Reporting: the New York Times.
[57]
- April 13
- In Augusta, Georgia, the final round of the U.S. Masters golf tournament is held. Trevor Immelman wins by three shots over Tiger Woods, with a score of 75, the first South African to win the U.S. Masters in 30 years. [35]
- April 14
- Delta Air Lines announces it will acquire Northwest Airlines for US$3 billion in stock, creating the world's biggest airline. [35]
- April 16
- Pope Benedict XVI makes his first official visit to the US, welcomed by President George Bush at Andrews Air Force Base. [35] [57] [141.63]
- US President George Bush announces an initiative to have American greenhouse gas emissions peak by 2025. [142.42]
- Heritage Auction Galleries auctions the Queller Collection. The Mickley specimen of the Class I US 1804 dollar sells for $3,737,500. [525.78]
- April 17
- At the Central States Numismatic Society convention, in Rosemont, Illinois, Heritage Auction Galleries hosts the US Coin Signature Auction. Some highlights:
- USA 1870-S $1, EF-40 NGC: US$805,000,
- USA 1839 25-cent, no drapery, PR-65 NGC: US$517,500,
- USA 1794 $1, AU-58 NGC: US$488,750,
- USA 1802 $1, "Novodel", PR-65 Cameo PCGS: US$920,000,
- USA 1804 Draped Bust $1, Class I, Mickley, PR-62 NGC: US$3,737,500.
[404.1] [406.5] [454.1] [488.60]
- April 18
- A 5.2-5.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Illinois, USA, centered near West Salem, the largest in the region in 40 years, and felt 350 miles away. [35] [521]
- April 21
- Bank of America, the largest American retail bank, reports a 77 percent decline in the quarter ending March 31, the third straight quarterly loss. The loss included over US$5 billion in write-downs and credit-related costs. [35]
- April 28
- Mars Incorporated and Berkshire Hathaway team up to buy chewing gum manufacturer Wm Wrigley Jr Company for US$23 billion, creating the world's largest confectionery company. Warren Buffet will loan US$4.4 billion for 20 percent stake in Wrigley. [35] [148.62]
- April 29
- Take-Two Interactive Software releases the Grand Theft Auto IV video game for the PlayStation III and Xbox 360 in the USA and UK. First day sales in the UK: 609,000, a record. First week worldwide sales: six million copies, US$500 million. [35] [57]
- May 1
- A US navy ship off the coast of Somalia makes a missile attack on the home of Aden Hashi Ayro in Dusamareb, killing him and at least ten other people. Ayro was military leader of al-Shabab, in control of most of Somalia. [57]
- May 2
- Marvel Entertainment releases the film Iron Man to theaters in the USA. Marvel produced the film itself, at a cost of about US$150 million plus US$75 million in marketing. (Opening weekend theater ticket sales: US$100 million.) [35]
- May 3
- At Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby is held. Race favorite Big Brown wins by nearly five lengths. Second place finisher Eight Belles broke both front ankles, and was immediately euthanized. Race attendance was 157,770, the second-largest in history of the race. [105]
- May 5
- Crude oil prices for June delivery in the US hit a record US$120.36 per barrel. [35]
- May 6
- In Jackson, Georgia, USA, convicted murderer William Earl Lynd is executed by lethal injection, at age 53. Lynd was convicted of killing Ginger Moore in December 1988. [35]
- May 8
- H.R. 5512 "The Coin Modernization and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2008" passes the House of Representatives. The bill proposes changing the 1-cent and 5-cent coins to a core of steel. [410.1]
- May 11
- Tornadoes and strong storms across central United States kill 22 and severely damage towns of Picher, Oklahoma, and Seneca, Missouri. [57]
- May 14
- The U.S. government lists polar bears as a threatened species under its Endangered Species Act because of the effects of global warming. [105]
- Price of a gallon of regular gasoline hits a US record $4 (on average) in Alaska. [35]
- May 15
- CBS announces it will buy web media company CNET Networks for about US$1.8 billion. [35]
- The US Mint releases the John Quincy Adams Presidential dollar coin to circulation. [406.4]
- California Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage. [209.11]
- The Simpsons Ride officially opens at Universal Studios Orlando, in Florida, USA. [147.31]
- May
- Privately held casino operator Tropicana Entertainment files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. [35]
- May 17
- In Baltimore, Maryland, USA, the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes is held. The undefeated 3-year-old Big Brown wins by 5 1/4 lengths, ridden by Kent Desormeaux. [105]
- May 18
- At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards show is held. Some winners:
- Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney,
- Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood,
- Top Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley,
- Best New Female Vocalist: Taylor Swift,
- Crystal Milestone Award: Garth Brooks as "best-selling solo artist of all time".
[35] [157]
- May 20
- In the US Presidential Democratic race, caucus voting results in Oregon and Kentucky give Illinois Senator Barak Obama a majority of pledged delegates. [35]
- May 21
- U.S. crude oil price passes US$130 per barrel, rising $5 above the previous day to a record high of US$134. [35]
- In the final episode of TV's American Idol, rock singer David Cook is declared the winner. [35]
- May 25
- NASA's Mars Phoenix lander touches down in the far north of Mars, sending back to Earth pictures of a region never previously seen up close. [57] [210.83] [310]
- May 27
- A Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas in the USA reports prices of single-family homes dropped a record 14.4 percent in March from a year earlier. The US Commerce Department reports sales of new homes in April were down 42 percent from a year ago, the largest year-over-year drop in nearly 27 years. [35]
- May 29
- In the USA, Bear Stearns shareholders vote 84 percent in favor of selling the 85-year-old investment banking company to JPMorgan Chase & Company for US$9.32 a share, a total of US$1.5 billion. Shares in the company had traded at a record high of US$173 in January 2007. [35]
- May 31
- NASA's Discovery space shuttle blasts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station, delivering a cylinder for Japan's Kibo science lab, and also a new pump to repair the station's toilet. [57]
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