Events from the year 2006 in the United States.

Incumbents

Federal government

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

( R-

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

) *

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

(R-

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

) * Chief Justice:

John Roberts John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American jurist serving since 2005 as the 17th chief justice of the United States. He has been described as having a Moderate conservatism, moderate conservative judicial philosophy, thoug ...

(

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

) * Speaker of the House of Representatives:

Dennis Hastert John Dennis Hastert ( ; born January 2, 1942) is an American former politician, teacher, and wrestling coach who represented from 1987 to 2007 and served as the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. Hast ...

(R-

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

) *

Senate Majority Leader The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and people of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as chief spokespersons for their respective political parties, holding the ...

Bill Frist William Harrison Frist (born February 22, 1952) is an American physician, businessman, conservationist and policymaker who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1995 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as ...

(R-

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

) *

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

: 109th

Events

January

* January 2 ** The annual

Rose Parade The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if New ...

in California is drenched in heavy rain for the first time in 51 years. **

PepsiCo PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase, New York, Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the f ...

announces its purchase of Star Foods for an undisclosed price saying that the purchase would strengthen its place as

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

's number one seller of

potato chip Potato chips (North American English and Australian English; often just chip) or crisp (British English and Hiberno-English) are thin slices of potato (or a thin deposit of potato paste) that has been deep frying, deep fried, baking, baked, ...

s. * January 3 – Twelve dead coal miners and one survivor are discovered in the Sago Mine disaster near

Buckhannon, West Virginia Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States. Located along the Buckhannon River, the population was 5,299 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is southwe ...

. * January 4 – The

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and ...

led by

Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Young was selected by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in th ...

defeat the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...

in the

2006 Rose Bowl The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, was an American college football bowl game that served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featu ...

41–38, regarded as one of the greatest college football games ever played. * January 5 ** The Bush administration proposes spending $114 million on educational programs to expand the teaching of

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, Chinese,

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and other languages typically not taught in public schools. **

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

says that it would freeze pension benefits for its American employees starting in 2008 and offer them only a

401k In the United States, a 401(k) plan is an employer-sponsored, defined contribution, defined-contribution, personal pension (savings) account, as defined in subsection 401(k) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Periodic employee contributions come d ...

retirement plan in future. * January 6 **

AOL AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online ...

agrees to pay customers as much as $25 million to settle claims that it wrongly billed them for some online services and products. **

NYSE The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

says that it has picked Bear Wagner as the firm that will handle trading of its shares when it goes public. * January 7 – Embroiled in multiple scandals, former U.S.

House Majority Leader Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are el ...

Tom DeLay Thomas Dale DeLay (; born April 8, 1947) is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, DeLay represented Texas's 22nd congress ...

announces he will not seek to reassume his former post. * January 9 **Vice President

complains of

shortness of breath Shortness of breath (SOB), known as dyspnea (in AmE) or dyspnoea (in BrE), is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that con ...

and is treated at the hospital. The

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

says the trip was necessary because of fluid retention as a

side effect In medicine, a side effect is an effect of the use of a medicinal drug or other treatment, usually adverse but sometimes beneficial, that is unintended. Herbal and traditional medicines also have side effects. A drug or procedure usually use ...

of a drug Mr. Cheney had taken to treat chronic foot ailments. ** The

Dow Jones Industrial Average The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity indice ...

closes above 11,000 (11,011.90) for the first time since June 7, 2001. * January 10 –

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

proposes a $125.6 billion budget increasing spending without raising taxes. * January 11 – The

Augustine Volcano Augustine Volcano (Sugpiaq language, Sugpiaq: ''Utakineq''; Denaʼina language, Dena'ina: ''Chu Nula'') is a stratovolcano in Alaska consisting of a central complex of summit lava domes and flows surrounded by an apron of tephra, pyroclasti ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

erupts twice, marking its first major eruption since 1986. * January 13 ** The

US Government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...

reports that

wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...

inflation in 2005 increased by highest amount since 1990. ** Rick Wagoner, CEO of the loss-making

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

says that results will improve in 2006 and 2007. * January 15 –

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

's Stardust mission successfully ends, the first to return dust from a

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...

. * January 17 – California executes Clarence Ray Allen (death by

lethal injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium) for the express purpose of causing death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but t ...

), who was sentenced to death in 1982 for arranging the murders of three people. * January 18 –

American International Group American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an American multinational finance and insurance corporation with operations in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. As of 2023, AIG employed 25,200 people. The company operates through three core ...

(AIG), the world's largest insurer, says that its chief operating officer Donald P. Kanak has resigned and stepped down from the board "for personal reasons". * January 19 –

launches the ''

New Horizons ''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research Institut ...

'' spacecraft in a 9-year, 3 billion mile space mission, to flyby and observe the dwarf planetary system of

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon ( ; ) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the worlds of the living and ...

and possibly other Kuiper belt objects. * January 20 – A

judge strikes down a state law banning

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

saying the measure violated a state constitutional amendment prohibiting sex discrimination. * January 26 –

reports an $8.6 billion loss for 2006, its biggest loss since 1992. * January 27 – An inhaled form of

insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin (''INS)'' gene. It is the main Anabolism, anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabol ...

wins federal approval offering an alternative to

injection Injection or injected may refer to: Science and technology * Injective function, a mathematical function mapping distinct arguments to distinct values * Injection (medicine), insertion of liquid into the body with a syringe * Injection, in broadca ...

s for millions of people with

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

. * January 30 **The

announces that President Bush has chosen Professor

Edward Lazear Edward Paul Lazear (, ; August 17, 1948November 23, 2020) was an American economist, the Morris Arnold and Nona Jean Cox Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the Davies Family Professor of Economics at Stanford Gradu ...

, a

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

business professor to succeed

Ben Bernanke Ben Shalom Bernanke ( ; born December 13, 1953) is an American economist who served as the 14th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014. After leaving the Federal Reserve, he was appointed a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Insti ...

as chairman of his

Council of Economic Advisors The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is a United States agency within the Executive Office of the President established in 1946, which advises the president of the United States on economic policy. The CEA provides much of the empirical resea ...

who will succeed

Alan Greenspan Alan Greenspan (born March 6, 1926) is an American economist who served as the 13th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006. He worked as a private adviser and provided consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates L ...

as Chairman of the

Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a series of ...

. ** Jennifer San Marco kills seven people before committing suicide at a postal facility in

Goleta, California Goleta ( ; ; Spanish for "schooner") is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated populated area in the county. As of the 200 ...

. San Marco had worked at the facility previously, but had been let go due to her erratic behavior. * January 31 **

State of the Union Address The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condit ...

. **

Samuel Alito Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. ( ; born April 1, 1950) is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was Samuel Alito Supreme Court ...

is sworn in as an associate justice of the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

. ** Two federal appeals courts uphold rulings that the Partial Birth Abortion Act passed by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in 2003 is

unconstitutional In constitutional law, constitutionality is said to be the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; "Webster On Line" the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or set forth in the applic ...

because it does not include an exception when the health of a pregnant woman is at risk.

February

* February 1 –

UAL Corporation UAL Corporation is the former name of United Airlines Holdings, an airline holding company, incorporated in Delaware with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. UAL held a 100 percent controlling interest in United Airlines, Inc., one of the worl ...

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...

' parent company, emerges from bankruptcy after being in that position since December 9, 2002, the longest such filing in history. * February 2 – After over 30 years, the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

says it would relinquish ownership of a 2,500-year-old Greek vase, the

Euphronios Krater The Euphronios Krater (or Sarpedon Krater) is an ancient Greek terra cotta calyx-krater, a bowl used for mixing wine with water. Created around the year 515 BC, it is the only complete example of the surviving 27 vases painted by the renowned E ...

, to Italy. * February 3 – Suspicious fires destroy three small churches and damage two others in Bibb County, Alabama. * February 5 –

Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2005 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh S ...

: The

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

defeat the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

by a score of 21–10 at

Ford Field Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL), the Mid-Americ ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. It is a homecoming for Detroit native

Jerome Bettis Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" due to his l ...

, who was playing the final game of his 12-year career. * February 9 –

AIG American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an American multinational finance and insurance corporation with operations in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. As of 2023, AIG employed 25,200 people. The company operates through three core ...

apologizes for deceptive business practices and reaches a $1.64 billion settlement with federal and state securities and insurance regulators. * February 10–26 – The

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

competes at the

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, Italy and wins 9 gold, 9 silver and 7 bronze medals. * February 11 – Vice President

accidentally shoots and wounds a lawyer while quail hunting in southern

. * February 14 –

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is lis ...

says that

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American investor and philanthropist who currently serves as the chairman and CEO of the conglomerate holding company Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his investment success, Buffett is ...

, the soft drink maker's largest shareholder, would leave the board in April after 19 years to spend more time managing

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally a textile manufacturer, the company transitioned into a conglomerate starting in 1965 under the management of c ...

. * February 15 – A group of institutional investors already involved in a lawsuit with the company sue

Tyco International Tyco International was a security systems company incorporated in the Republic of Ireland, with operational headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, United States (Tyco International (US) Inc.). Tyco International was composed of two major busin ...

to stop its proposed breakup plan. * February 16 ** The state of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

sues

for underreporting premiums to reduce its tax bill refusing a settlement of $1.2 million. ** The chairman of the

, testifies to the US Senate that Chinese ownership of US assets is not large enough to put the country at risk economically. ** The

Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government. It is responsible for gathering data for business ...

reports that housing starts jumped 14.5% to a 33-year high in January.

March

* March 2 – The colorized $10 bill is released, with the same color-shifting ink and security features of the $20 and $50 bills that preceded it. * March 4 – The final contact attempt with

Pioneer 10 ''Pioneer 10'' (originally designated Pioneer F) is a NASA space probe launched in 1972 that completed the first mission to the planet Jupiter. ''Pioneer 10'' became the first of five artificial objects to achieve the escape velocity needed ...

receives no response. * March 5 – The

78th Academy Awards The 78th Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time Zone, P ...

, hosted by

Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and television host. The long-running host of ''The Daily Show'' on Comedy Central from 1999 to 20 ...

, are held at

Kodak Theatre The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, with

Paul Haggis Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutive Best Picture Oscar winners ''Million Dollar Baby'' (2004) and ...

' '' Crash'' controversially winning

Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

. The film is part of a four-way tie in winning the most awards, with it,

Ang Lee Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...

's ''

Brokeback Mountain ''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from Brokeback Mountain (short story), the 1997 short story by Annie Proulx, the screenplay ...

'',

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy (2012–2014), both of which ar ...

's ''

King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...

'' and

Rob Marshall Robert Doyle Marshall Jr.http://www.alumni.cmu.edu/s/1410/images/editor_documents/alumnirelations/getinvolved/alumniawards/all_honorees_2018june1.pdf (born October 17, 1960) is an American film and theater director, producer, and choreographer. ...

's '' Memoirs of a Geisha'' all winning three. ''Brokeback Mountain'' leads with eight nominations, with Lee also winning

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...

. The telecast garners nearly 39 million viewers. * March 6–20 – The first

World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also referred to as the Classic, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in World Baseball Clas ...

is held in San Diego, California. * March 9 –

's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft discovers

geysers A geyser (, ) is a spring with an intermittent water discharge ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. The formation of geysers is fairly rare and is caused by particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in a few places on Ea ...

of a liquid substance shooting from

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...

's moon

Enceladus Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn and the 18th-largest in the Solar System. It is about in diameter, about a tenth of that of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. It is covered by clean, freshly deposited snow hundreds of meters thick, ...

, signaling a possible presence of water. * March 10 – NASA's

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter The ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (''MRO'') is a spacecraft designed to search for the existence of water on Mars and provide support for missions to Mars, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. It was launched from Cape Canaveral on Au ...

enters Mars orbit. * March 14 – Crystal Mangum makes false rape accusations against three members of the Duke University men's lacrosse team, an event which marked the beginning of the Duke lacrosse case * March 16 – The

Blu-ray disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of ...

format is released in the United States. * March 17 – The United States strikes its 2 remaining s from the

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...

, ending the age of the battleship. * March 22 – The

stops the publishing of M3 money supply data. * March 25 – Seven die in the Capitol Hill massacre in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington. Perpetrator Kyle Huff's rampage is fueled by his hatred of "rave scene" gatherings.

April

* April 2 –

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

holds

WrestleMania 22 WrestleMania 22 was a 2006 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the 22nd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 2006, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rose ...

at the

Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before ...

. * April 4 – First material action in the Minor League Baseball umpire strike. * April 29 – Massive anti-war demonstrations and a march down

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in New York City mark the third year of

war in Iraq This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Iraq and its predecessor states. , style="background:#F88" , Coalition of Gulf War, Coalition victory * Kuwait, State of Kuwait resumes self-governance over all Kuwaiti sovereign territory * Esta ...

May

* May 1 – The Great American Boycott takes place across the United States as marchers protest for immigration rights. * May 5 –

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

chairman Sergio Marchionne announces that the

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...

automobile brand will return to the United States in 2008, after a 13-year hiatus.

June

* June 7 –

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq (; AQI), was a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. It was founded on 17 October 2004, and was led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until its disbandment on 15 October 2006 after he was killed in a targ ...

leader

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (; , "Father of Musab, of Zarqa"; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel Nazal al-Khalayleh (), was a Jordanian militant jihadist who ran a training camp in Afghanistan. He became known after going to Iraq a ...

and seven of his aides are killed in a U.S. air raid just north of the town of Baquba, Iraq. * June 9 –

Pixar Animation Studios Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney S ...

' seventh feature film, ''

Cars A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...

'', is released in theaters. * June 12 –

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...

crashes his motorcycle near

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

's 10th Street bridge. He is rushed to Mercy Hospital for emergency surgery. * June 19 – The

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

defeat the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

3–1 in game 7 of the

2006 Stanley Cup Finals The 2006 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2005–06 season, and the culmination of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. The first Stanley Cup Finals since 2004 after a lockout canceled the entirety ...

to give the Hurricanes their first

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

in franchise history. It is also the first Stanley Cup Finals since the 2004–05 lockout that cancelled all games that year. * June 20 – The

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

defeat the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

in the

2006 NBA Finals The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2005–06 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks were favored to win the championship over the Miami Heat. Despit ...

in six games, winning their first NBA championship in franchise history. * June 23 – In Miami, the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

arrests seven men, accusing them of planning to bomb the

Sears Tower The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110- story, skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan ...

and other attacks in Miami. * June 25 –

donates over $30 billion to the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...

. * June 26 –

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) (roughly ) is a World Heritage Site, World Heritage listed National monument (United States), U.S. national monument encompassing of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of th ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

is established as the largest protected area in the world.

July

* July 4 – STS–121: Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' is launched to the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

. It returns safely on July 17. It is the second "return to flight" mission after the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster. * July 5 – North Korea test fires missiles, timed with the liftoff of Space Shuttle ''Discovery'', preceding the fireworks celebrations that night in America. The long range Taepodong–2 reportedly fails shortly after takeoff. * July 7 – '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' is released in theaters as the second film in the

Pirates of the Caribbean ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' is a Disney media franchise encompassing numerous theme park rides, a series of films, and spin-off novels, as well as a number of related video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with Wa ...

series, marking the debut of the CGI Walt Disney Pictures logo arranged by

Mark Mancina Mark Mancina (born 1957) is an American film composer. A veteran of Hans Zimmer's Media Ventures, Mancina has scored over sixty films and television series including ''Speed'', '' Bad Boys'', ''Twister'', ''Tarzan'', '' Training Day'', '' Brothe ...

. * July 10 –

Henry Paulson Henry "Hank" Merritt Paulson Jr. (born March 28, 1946) is an American investment banker and financier who served as the 74th United States secretary of the treasury from 2006 to 2009. Prior to his role in the Department of the Treasury, Paulson ...

is sworn in as the new

Secretary of Treasury A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

, succeeding John W. Snow. * July 22 –

Needles, California Needles is a city in San Bernardino County, in the Mojave Desert region of Southern California. Situated on the western banks of the Colorado River, Needles is located near the California border with Arizona and Nevada. The city is accessible v ...

experiences a record high low temperature of 100 °F (38 °C) at 6:00 am with a high temperature exceeding 120 °F (49 °C), making it one of the few locations on Earth that have recorded a triple-digit overnight low temperature.

August

* 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. Liquids and gels are banned from checked and carry-on baggage. As of September 26, the

Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within and connecting to the United States. It was created ...

adjusts its ban on liquids, aerosols and gels. Travelers are permitted to carry liquids through security checkpoints in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 mL) or less that fit comfortably in one quart-size clear plastic zip-top bag. This procedure came to be known as "3–1–1 for carry-ons" (3.4 ounce containers in a 1 quart bag, 1 bag per passenger). Items purchased in the airside zone after clearing security could be brought on board without restriction. Other exemptions to this restriction include medications and breast milk. * August 27 – Comair Flight 5191, carrying 50 people, crashes shortly after takeoff from

Blue Grass Airport Blue Grass Airport is a public airport in Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States, 6 miles west of downtown Lexington, Kentucky, Lexington. Located among horse farms and situated directly across from Keeneland Race Cou ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

. Forty-nine people are killed, leaving the first officer as the sole survivor of the accident. * August 28 – A

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

bus from New York City to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

carrying 52 people crashes at mile 115 on Interstate 87 near Elizabethtown, killing five people, including the driver, and seriously injuring others. * August 29 – The United States commemorates the first anniversary of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

September

* September 3 – Gordon B. Hinckley dedicates the Sacramento California Temple, the LDS Church's seventh temple in California. * September 4 – While filming ''

Ocean's Deadliest ''Ocean's Deadliest'' is a 2007 nature documentary hosted by Philippe Cousteau Jr. and Steve Irwin. It was the final documentary made by Irwin before his death, which occurred during filming. Documentary The documentary is largely filmed ar ...

'', television host

Steve Irwin Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 19624 September 2006), known as "the Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian zookeeper, Conservation movement, conservationist, television personality, wildlife educator, and environmentalist. Irwin grew up ar ...

is stung by a sting ray and killed off the coast of Australia. * September 8 – The world's tallest living tree, a tall

coast redwood ''Sequoia sempervirens'' ()''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995: 606–607 is the sole living species of the genus '' Sequoia'' in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include coast redwood, coast ...

(sequoia) now named " Hyperion", is discovered in

Redwood National Park The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are a complex of one List of national parks of the United States, United States national park and three List of California state parks, California state parks located along the coast of northern Cali ...

. * September 11 – The United States commemorates the fifth anniversary of the

9/11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

in New York City. * September 15 – Spinach contaminated with E. coli kills two and poisons over 100 others in 20 states. *September 18 –

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

network debuts as the sixth broadcast network, merging with

UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that operated from 1995 to 2006. It was originally a joint venture between Chris-Craft Industries (later sold to News Corporation)'s subsidiary, United Television, ...

(owned by

CBS Corporation CBS Corporation was an American multinational media company with interests primarily in commercial broadcasting, publishing and television production. It was split from Viacom on December 31, 2005, alongside an entirely new Viacom; both ...

which

split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

from the original Viacom, three days after UPN ceased operations) and

The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...

(owned by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, a day after The WB ceased operations). *September 24 – The

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

play their first game at the

Louisiana Superdome Caesars Superdome (originally Louisiana Superdome and formerly Mercedes-Benz Superdome), commonly known as the Superdome, is a domed multi-purpose stadium in the Southern United States, southern United States, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

since

with a 23–3 victory over NFC South rival

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

October

* October – The unemployment rate drops to 4.4%, the lowest since May 2001. * October 2 – Charles Carl Roberts IV, a 32-year-old milk-truck driver, kills five girls at an

Amish The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church fellowships with Swiss people, Swiss and Alsace, Alsatian origins. As they ...

schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, before shooting himself. * October 3 – The

gains 56.99 points, or 0.49 percent, with a close of 11,727.34, its first all-time high in more than 6 years after it last hit in a record high of 11,722.98 on January 20, 2000. * October 6 – A hazardous waste plant near

Apex, North Carolina Apex () is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. At its southern border, Apex encompasses the community of Friendship. In 1994, the downtown area was designated a historic district, and the Apex train depot, built in 1867, is de ...

explodes, releasing chlorine gas, and resulting in the evacuation of thousands and the hospitalization of over 200 residents. * October 10 – Google buys YouTube for $1.65 billion. * October 11 – A plane crashes into a high-rise building in New York City, killing two. * October 12 – Lake Storm "Aphid": A freak snowstorm blows into

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, leaving over 400,000 without power and killing 13. * October 16 – The last American MASH is decommissioned. * October 19 – The

closes 12,000 for the first time, 12,011.73. * October 24 –

MESSENGER Messenger, Messengers, The Messenger or The Messengers may refer to: People * Courier, a person or company that delivers messages, packages, or mail * Messenger (surname) * Bicycle messenger, a bicyclist who transports packages through cities * M ...

spacecraft makes its first flyby of

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

(it will be captured into Mercury's orbit on March 18, 2011). * October 27 –

2006 World Series The 2006 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2006 season. The 102nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National Lea ...

: The

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

defeat the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

in five games to win their 10th World Series championship.

November

* November 7 – The

midterm elections Apart from general elections and by-elections, a midterm election refers to a type of election where the people can elect their representatives and other subnational officeholders (e.g. governor, members of local council) in the middle of the te ...

result in a historic victory for the Democrats, who gain control of both chambers of

and a majority of the state governorships. * November 10 – The final episode of ''

Reading Rainbow ''Reading Rainbow'' is an American educational children's television series that originally aired on PBS and afterward PBS Kids from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with reruns continuing to air until August 28, 2009. 155 30-minute episodes ...

'' airs on PBS. * November 19 – Nintendo's

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

is released in the United States.

December

* December 7 – Smoking is banned in all

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

bars, restaurants, workplaces and other public places. * December 10 – Space Shuttle Mission STS–116: Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' lifts off from the

Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten NASA facilities#List of field c ...

on the first night launch since the 2003 loss of ''Columbia''. * December 13 – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson ( D–South Dakota) suffers a

brain hemorrhage The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

during a conference call with reporters. * December 14 – The U.S.

spy satellite A reconnaissance satellite or intelligence satellite (commonly, although unofficially, referred to as a spy satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. The ...

USA–193, also known as NRO Launch 21 (NROL–21 or simply L–21), is launched but malfunctions. * December 15 –

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

's F–35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter successfully flies for the first time. * December 18 –

Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and retained b ...

is sworn in as the new Secretary of Defense, succeeding

Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, businessman, and naval officer who served as United States Secretary of Defense, secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and again ...

. * December 20 – The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act is signed into law. * December 22 – The Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' lands at

, concluding a two-week mission to the

. * December 25 – Funk singer

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

dies of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at the age of 73. * December 26 – Former President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

dies at the age of 93 in

Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is a low-density desert community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled along the foothills ...

, California. * December 30 – Former Iraqi President

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

executed Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...

hanging Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

for

crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are certain serious crimes committed as part of a large-scale attack against civilians. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during both peace and war and against a state's own nationals as well as ...

Undated

United States housing bubble The 2000s United States housing bubble or house price boom or 2000s housing cycle was a sharp run up and subsequent collapse of house asset prices affecting over half of the U.S. states. In many regions a Real-estate bubble, real estate bubb ...

: A total of 1,259,118 foreclosures are filed during 2006, up 42 percent from 2005. *

Subprime mortgage crisis The American subprime mortgage crisis was a multinational financial crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010, contributing to the 2008 financial crisis. It led to a severe economic recession, with millions becoming unemployed and many busines ...

: This summer, the housing bubble bursts, starting a chain of events that would eventually develop into a full-blown market meltdown. * Mangroomer shaving product is introduced. * OneSimCard, an international cell phone service provider is founded. * For Fair Trade Towns USA, Media, Pennsylvania is the first fair trade town in the United States. * Fight Forever Foundation: is founded in Illinois. * The Culinistas, a home-chef and boutique catering service is founded.

Ongoing

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...

(2001–2014) *

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

(2003–2011)

Births

January 17 Events Pre-1600 * 38 BC – Octavian divorces his wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla, ending the fragile peace between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey. * 1362 – Saint Marcellus' flood kills at least 25,000 peopl ...

– Nick Holliday, soccer player *

January 26 Events Pre-1600 * 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph. * 1531 – The 6.4–7.1 Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people. * 1564 – The Council of T ...

–

Mo Gaba Mossila Kingsley Gaba (January 26, 2006 – July 28, 2020) was an American superfan of the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens and a sports radio personality. In 2019, he became the first person to announce an NFL draft pick written in Braille. Gaba ...

, notable baseball superfan and cancer victim (d.

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

) *

February 14 It is observed in most countries as Valentine's Day. Events Pre-1600 * 748 – Abbasid Revolution#Persian phase, Abbasid Revolution: The Kaysanites Shia#History, Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad ...

– Josh Pierson, racing driver *

February 17 Events Pre-1600 * 1370 – Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau. * 1411 – Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons ...

– Matthew Corcoran, soccer player *

March 1 Events Pre-1600 * 509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia. * 293 – Emperor Diocleti ...

– Julian Grey, actor *

March 20 Events Pre-1600 *1206 – Michael IV of Constantinople, Michael IV Autoreianos is appointed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. *1600 – The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden: five Swedish n ...

–

Barron Trump Barron William Trump (born March 20, 2006) is the fifth and youngest son of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and his third wife, First Lady Melania Trump; he is the sole child of said marriage. Barron was an ...

, son of Donald Trump *

March 27 Events Pre-1600 * 1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized Ferrara, a papal fiefdom. * 1329 – Pope John XXII ...

– Kaii Winkler, swimmer *

March 29 Events Pre-1600 * 1430 – The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of Venice. * 1461 – Battle of Towton: Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Edward IV of England, bringing a ...

– Haven Coleman, activist *

April 4 Events Pre-1600 * 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines. * 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground. * 611 &nd ...

– Minna Stess, skateboarder *

April 26 Events Pre-1600 * 1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. * 1478 – The Pazzi family attack on Lorenzo de' Medici in order to displace the ruling Medici family kills his brother Giuliano during High Mass in Fl ...

– Andy Walken, actor *

April 29 Events Pre-1600 * 801 – An earthquake in the Central Apennines hits Rome and Spoleto, damaging the basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura. * 1091 – Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Kom ...

– Xochitl Gomez, actress *

May 1 Events Pre-1600 * 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor. * 880 – The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches. * 1169 & ...

– Gianna Bryant, daughter of

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

(d.

) *

June 1 Events Pre-1600 * 1252 – Alfonso X is proclaimed king of Castile and León. * 1298 – Residents of Riga and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeat the Livonian Order in the Battle of Turaida. * 1495 – A monk, John Cor, rec ...

–

Bombette Martin Bombette Martin (born 1 June 2006) is a British-American skateboarder. She won the women's park event at the 2021 GB Skateboard Championships. Martin and Sky Brown were selected to represent Great Britain in skateboarding at the 2020 Summer Oly ...

, skateboarder *

June 25 Events Pre-1600 * 524 – The Franks are defeated by the Burgundians in the Battle of Vézeronce. * 841 – In the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye, forces led by Charles the Bald and Louis the German defeat the armies of Lothair I of ...

–

Mckenna Grace Mckenna Grace (born June 25, 2006) is an American actress and singer. Born in Grapevine, Texas, she began acting professionally at age five and relocated to Los Angeles, California, as a child. Her earliest roles included Jasmine Bernstein in ...

, actress *

June 28 Events Pre-1600 *1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha, Kerbogha of Mosul at the Battle of Antioch (1098), battle of Antioch. *1360 – Muhammed VI, Sultan of Granada, Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid dynasty, Nas ...

– Laurel Griggs, actress (d. 2019) *

June 29 Events Pre-1600 * 226 – Cao Rui succeeds his father as emperor of Wei. * 1149 – Raymond of Poitiers is defeated and killed at the Battle of Inab by Nur ad-Din Zangi. * 1170 – A major earthquake hits Syria, badly damagi ...

– Sam Lavagnino, voice actor *

July 16 Events Pre-1600 * 622 – The Hijrah of Muhammad begins, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar. * 997 – Battle of Spercheios: Bulgarian forces of Tsar Samuel are defeated by a Byzantine army under general Nikephoros Ouran ...

– Corey Jackson, rapper *

July 22 Events Pre-1600 * 838 – Battle of Anzen: The Byzantine emperor Theophilos suffers a heavy defeat by the Abbasids. *1099 – First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of ...

–

Javon Walton Javon Anthony Walton (born July 22, 2006), also known by his ring name Wanna, is an American actor and professional boxer, who is best known for his portrayal of Ashtray in the HBO series ''Euphoria''. After his work in ''Euphoria'', he began ...

, boxer, gymnast *

July 28 Events Pre-1600 *1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina. *1540 – Henry VIII of England marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. *1571 – La Laguna encomienda, known t ...

– Katelyn Jong, gymnast *

August 17 Events Pre-1600 * 310 – Pope Eusebius dies, possibly from a hunger strike, shortly after being banished by the Emperor Maxentius to Sicilia (Roman province), Sicily. * 682 – Pope Leo II begins his pontificate. * 986 – Byzanti ...

– E. J. Tamayo, stock car racing driver *

August 23 Events Pre-1600 * 30 BC – After the successful invasion of Egypt, Octavian executes Marcus Antonius Antyllus, the eldest son of Mark Antony, and Caesarion, the last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt and only child of Julius Ca ...

– Victoria Martens, notable victim of child abuse (d.

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

) *

September 4 Events Pre-1600 * 476 – Romulus Augustulus is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself "King of Italy", thus Fall of the Western Roman Empire, ending the Western Roman Empire. * 626 – Li Shimin, Posthumous name, posthumously known as ...

–

Maximus Williamson Maximus Williamson (born November 28, 2006) is an American competitive swimmer. He has won 6 world junior championship gold medals. He is a 100 m freestyle and 200 m individual medley Champion in 2023 World Junior Championships, also win gold m ...

, swimmer *

September 7 Events Pre-1600 * 878 – Louis the Stammerer is crowned as king of West Francia by Pope John VIII. * 1159 – Cardinal Rolando Bandinelli is elected Pope Alexander III, prompting the election of Cardinal Octaviano Monticelli as Anti ...

** Dannielynn Birkhead, notable paternity case subject and daughter of

Anna Nicole Smith Vickie Lynn Marshall (née Hogan; November 28, 1967 – February 8, 2007), known professionally as Anna Nicole Smith, was an American model, actress, and television personality. Smith started her career as a ''Playboy'' magazine centerfold in M ...

** Ian Chen, actor *

September 8 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – After the capture of Herod's Palace the previous day, a Roman army under Titus secures and plunders the city of Jerusalem. * 617 – Battle of Huoyi: Li Yuan defeats a Sui dynasty army, opening the path ...

– Desideri Trujillo, film director, actor, writer, editor, animator and music supervisor *

September 12 Events Pre-1600 * 490 BC – Battle of Marathon: The conventionally accepted date for the Battle of Marathon. The Athenians and their Plataean allies defeat the first Persian invasion force of Greece. * 372 – Sixteen Kingdoms: Sima ...

–

Zackary Arthur Zackary Arthur Herrera (born September 12, 2006) is an American actor, known for portraying the lead role of Jake Wheeler in ''Chucky (TV series), Chucky'', a television continuation of the Child's Play (franchise), ''Child's Play'' film franchise ...

, actor *

September 13 Events Pre-1600 *585 BC – Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victories over the Sabines, and the surrender of Collatia. *509 BC – The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on Rome's Capitoline Hill ...

– Isabella Rice, actress *

September 17 Events Pre-1600 * 1111 – Highest Galician nobility led by Pedro Fróilaz de Traba and the bishop Diego Gelmírez crown Alfonso VII as "King of Galicia". *1176 – The Battle of Myriokephalon is the last attempt by the Byzantine E ...

–

Ella Jay Basco Ella Jay Basco (born September 17, 2006) is an American actress best known for her work in ''Birds of Prey (2020 film), Birds of Prey'' (2020). In 2020, she released an EP, ''Middle School''. In February 2022, she released her single Eye to Eye ...

, actress *

October 1 Events Pre-1600 * 331 BC – Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. * 366 – Pope Damasus I is consecrated. * 959 – Edgar the Peaceful becomes king of all England, in succession to E ...

–

Priah Ferguson Priah Nicole Ferguson (born October 1, 2006) is an American actress from Atlanta, Georgia. She is best known for her role as Erica Sinclair on the Netflix's series ''Stranger Things''. Ferguson began acting at a young age and her career spans TV ...

, actress *

October 16 Events Pre-1600 * 456 – Ricimer defeats Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the Western Roman Empire. * 690 – Empress Wu Zetian ascends to the throne of the Tang dynasty and proclaims herself ruler of the Chinese Empire. * ...

– Naomi Wadler, activist *

October 18 Events Pre-1600 * 33 – Heartbroken by the deaths of her sons Nero and Drusus, and banished to the island of Pandateria by Tiberius, Agrippina the Elder dies of self-inflicted starvation. * 320 – Pappus of Alexandria, Greek phil ...

– Charlotte Figi, notable medical cannabidiol patient and rare disease victim (d.

) *

October 30 Events Pre-1600 * 637 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Antioch surrenders to the Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of the Iron Bridge. * 758 – Guangzhou is sacked by Arab and Persian pirates. * 1137 – Ranulf of Apulia defeats Ro ...

– Saniyya Sidney, actress *

November 2 Events Pre-1600 * 619 – A qaghan of the Western Turkic Khaganate is assassinated in a Chinese palace by Eastern Turkic rivals after the approval of Tang emperor Gaozu. * 1410 – The Peace of Bicêtre suspends hostilities in t ...

– Hilde Lysiak, journalist *

November 9 Events Pre-1600 * 694 – At the Seventeenth Council of Toledo, Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery. * 1180 – The Battle of Fujigawa: Minamoto forces (30,000 ...

– Honestie Hodges, notable victim of police brutality (d.

) *

November 16 Events Pre-1600 * 951 – Emperor Li Jing sends a Southern Tang expeditionary force of 10,000 men under Bian Hao to conquer Chu. Li Jing removes the ruling family to his own capital in Nanjing, ending the Chu Kingdom. *1272 – W ...

– Mason Ramsey, singer *

December 2 Events Pre-1600 * 1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon. *1409 – The University of Leipzig opens. 1601–1900 *1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren follow ...

– Ruby Lilley, skateboarder *

December 5 Events Pre-1600 *63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations. * 633 – Fourth Council of Toledo opens, presided over by Isidore of Seville. *1033 – The 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake, Jordan Rift Val ...

– Ava Kolker, actress *

December 19 Events Pre-1600 * 1154 – Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey. * 1187 – Pope Clement III is elected. * 1490 – Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy. * 1562 &ndas ...

–

Christopher Yoo Christopher S. Yoo is the John H. Chestnut Professor of Law, Communication, and Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the founding director of the Center for Technology, Innovation, and Competition. ...

, chess player

Deaths

January

* January 1 ** Harry Magdoff, economist, (b. 1913) ** Gideon Rodan, Romanian-born American physician (b. 1934) ** Hubert Schoemaker, Dutch-born American biochemist and executive (b. 1950) * January 6 **

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American baritone singer. He released 61 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably the song " You'll Never Find Another Love like Min ...

, African-American singer, songwriter and actor (b. 1933) ** Hugh Thompson, Jr., soldier and pilot (b. 1943) * January 8 – David Rosenbaum, journalist (b. 1942) * January 9 **

Elliot Forbes Elliot Forbes (August 20, 1917, Cambridge, Massachusetts – January 9, 2006, in Cambridge), known as "El", was an American conductor and musicologist noted for his Beethoven scholarship. Life and career Forbes came from a Boston Brahmin family ...

, conductor and musicologist (b. 1917) ** W. Cleon Skousen, American conservative author and professor (b. 1913) * January 10 – Ira Black, physician and neuroscientist (b. 1941) * January 11 **

Nixzmary Brown Nixzmary Brown (July 18, 1998 – January 11, 2006) was a seven-year-old American girl from BROOKLYN, New York, Brooklyn, New York, whose physical Child abuse, abuse, Child neglect, parental neglect and murder led to reforms in New York City ...

, murder victim (b. 1998) ** Eric Namesnik, swimmer (b. 1970) * January 12 ** Eldon Dedini, cartoonist (b. 1921) ** Anne Meacham, actress (b. 1925) * January 14 –

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ' ...

, American actress (b. 1920) * January 15 –

Edward Hall Edward Hall ( – ) was an English lawyer and historian, best known for his #Chronicle, ''The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke''—commonly known as ''Hall's Chronicle''—first published in 1548. He was ...

, aeronautical engineer and brother of

Theodore Hall Theodore Alvin Hall (October 20, 1925 – November 1, 1999) was an American physicist and an atomic spy for the Soviet Union, who, during his work on United States efforts to develop the first and second atomic bombs during World War II (t ...

(b. 1914) * January 16 – Stanley Biber, surgeon (b. 1923) * January 18 – Thomas Murphy, executive (b. 1915) * January 19 **

Anthony Franciosa Anthony George Franciosa (né Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most often billed as Tony Franciosa at the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of t ...

, American actor (b. 1928) **

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...

, singer and songwriter (b. 1941) * January 23 **

David Weber David Mark Weber (born October 24, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy books series, the best-known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series. His first nov ...

, Lithuanian-born American musician (b. 1913) ** Samuel Koster, general and murderer (b. 1919) * January 24 –

Chris Penn Christopher Shannon Penn (October 10, 1965 – January 24, 2006), credited as Chris Penn after 1991, was an American actor. He was the brother of actor Sean Penn and musician Michael Penn. Noted as a skilled character actor, he was typically cas ...

, actor and brother of

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...

(b. 1965) * January 25 – Herbert Schilder, dental surgeon (b. 1929) * January 28 – Helmut W. Schulz, German physicist and chemical engineer, died in White Plains, New York (b. 1912) * January 30 **

Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his assassination in 1968. As an advocate for African-Ameri ...

, American civil rights activist (b. 1927) **

Wendy Wasserstein Wendy Wasserstein (October 18, 1950 – January 30, 2006) was an American playwright. She was an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. She received the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1989 ...

, writer (b. 1950) * January 31 **

George Koval George Abramovich Koval ( rus, Жорж (Георгий) Абрамович Коваль, p=ˈʐorʐ (ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj) ɐˈbraməvʲɪtɕ kɐˈvalʲ, a=Ru-George Abramovich Koval.flac, Zhorzh Abramovich Koval; December 25, 1913 – January 31 ...

, Soviet intelligence agent (b.

1913 Events January * January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city. * January 3 &ndash ...

) ** Paul Regina, actor (b.

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

)

February

* February 1 –

Dick Brooks Richard Harold Brooks (April 14, 1942 – February 1, 2006) was an American NASCAR driver. Born in Porterville, California, he was the 1969 NASCAR Rookie of the Year, and went on to win the 1973 Talladega 500. Brooks held off veteran Buddy ...

, auto racer (b. 1942) * February 3 ** Lou Jones, track and field athlete (b. 1932) **

Jean Byron Jean Byron (born Imogene Audette Burkhart; December 10, 1925February 3, 2006) was an American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for the role of Natalie Lane, Patty Lane's mother in '' The Patty Duke Show''. She was also know ...

, actress (b. 1925) ** Al Lewis, American actor (b. 1923) * February 4 **

Betty Friedan Betty Friedan (; February 4, 1921 – February 4, 2006) was an American feminist writer and activist. A leading figure in the women's movement in the United States, her 1963 book '' The Feminine Mystique'' is often credited with sparking the s ...

, American feminist, activist, and writer (b. 1921) ** William Jones, minister and civil rights activist (b. 1934) * February 5 –

Franklin Cover Franklin Edward Cover (November 20, 1928 – February 5, 2006) was an American actor best known for his role in ''The Jeffersons'', Tom Willis, half of one of the first interracial marriages to be seen on prime-time television. Life and career C ...

, American actor (b. 1928) * February 8 – Barry Martin, dancer, choreographer, and murder victim (b. 1962) * February 10 **

J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...

, American music producer (b. 1974) ** Norman Shumway, surgeon (b. 1923) ** John Belluso, writer (b. 1969) * February 9 – Phil Brown, American actor (b.

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...

) * February 11 –

Peter Benchley Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author. He is best known for his bestselling novel '' Jaws'' and co-wrote its movie adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works were also adapted for both ...

, writer (b. 1940) * February 13 – Andreas Katsulas, American actor (b. 1946) * February 18 ** Richard Bright, acto **

Bill Cowsill William Joseph Cowsill Jr. (January 9, 1948 – February 18, 2006) was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead singer and guitarist of The Cowsills, who had three top-10 singles in the late 1960s. From the ...

, American musician, songwriter, and producer (b. 1948) * February 20 –

Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward Gowdy (July 31, 1919 – February 20, 2006) was an American sportscaster. He called Boston Red Sox games on radio and TV for 15 years, and then covered many nationally televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports and ABC S ...

, sports announcer (b. 1919) * February 24 **

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

, actor and comedian (b. 1924) **

Dennis Weaver Billy Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weaver's two most ...

, actor (b. 1924) * February 25 –

Darren McGavin Darren McGavin (born William Lyle Richardson; May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006) was an American actor. McGavin began his career working as a set painter for Columbia Pictures. In 1954, he originated roles in Broadway productions of '' My Three ...

, actor (b. 1922) * February 28 –

Owen Chamberlain Owen Chamberlain (July 10, 1920 – February 28, 2006) was an American physicist who shared with Emilio Segrè the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the antiproton, a sub atomic particle, sub-atomic antiparticle. Biography Born i ...

, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)

March

* March 1 –

Harry Browne Harry Edson Browne (June 17, 1933 – March 1, 2006) was an American writer, libertarian political activist, and investment advisor. He was the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee in the U.S. elections of 1996 and 2000 running on a platfor ...

, politician and author (b. 1933) * March 2 – Phyllis Huffman, American casting director (b. 1944) * March 5 – Richard Kuklinski, American hitman (b. 1935) * March 6 **

Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett (March 14, 1960 – March 6, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the Minnesota Twins (1984–1995). Puckett was instrumental in helping the Twins t ...

, baseball player (b. 1960) ** Dana Reeve, American actress (b. 1961) * March 7 –

Gordon Parks Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks (November 30, 1912 – March 7, 2006) was an American photographer, composer, author, poet, and filmmaker, who became prominent in U.S. documentary photojournalism in the 1940s through 1970s—particularly ...

, American photographer (b. 1912) * March 10 **

Anna Moffo Anna Moffo (June 27, 1932 – March 9, 2006) was an American opera singer, television personality, and actress. One of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation, she possessed a warm and radiant voice of considerable range and agili ...

, American soprano (b. 1932) ** Ronald H. Nash, American philosopher (b. 1936) * March 13 **

Peter Tomarken Peter David Tomarken (December 7, 1942March 13, 2006) was an American television personality primarily known as the host of the game show ''Press Your Luck''. Early life Tomarken was born in Olean, New York, the middle son of Barnett and Pearl T ...

, American television personality and host (b. 1942) **

Maureen Stapleton Lois Maureen Stapleton (June 21, 1925 – March 13, 2006) was an American actress. She received numerous accolades becoming one of the few actors to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award ...

, American actress (b. 1925) * March 17 **

Oleg Cassini Oleg Cassini (11 April 1913 – 17 March 2006) was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after starting as a designer in Rome, and quickly got w ...

, Russian-born fashion designer (b. 1913) * March 18 – Bill Beutel, American reporter and journalist (b. 1930) * March 21 – Bob Delegall, actor, director and producer (b. 1945) * March 23 –

Desmond Doss Desmond Thomas Doss (February 7, 1919 – March 23, 2006) was a United States Army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in World War II. Due to his religious beliefs, he refused to carry a weapon. He was twice awa ...

, combat medic (b. 1919) * March 25 **

Richard Fleischer Richard Owen Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director. His career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. He was the ...

, film director (b. 1916) **

Buck Owens Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the frontman for The Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on the ''Billboard'' country music chart. He pioneered what came ...

, singer, bandleader, and TV host (b. 1929) * March 26 – Paul Dana, racing driver (b. 1975) * March 27 – Lyn Nofziger, American journalist, political consultant, and author (b. 1924) * March 28 ** Jerry Brudos, murderer (b. 1939) ** Charles Schepens, Belgium-born American ophthalmologist, surgeon, and insurgent (b. 1912) **

Caspar Weinberger Caspar Willard Weinberger (August 18, 1917 – March 28, 2006) was an American politician and businessman. As a Republican, he served in a variety of state and federal positions for three decades, most notably as Secretary of Defense under ...

, 15th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1917) * March 29 –

Don Alias Charles "Don" Alias (December 25, 1939 – March 28, 2006) was an American jazz percussionist. Alias was best known for playing congas and other hand drums. He was also a capable drum kit performer. He played drums on the song "Miles Runs the V ...

, musician (b. 1939) * March 30 – Philip Hyde, American wildlife photographer (b. 1921) * March 31 –

Jackie McLean John Lenwood McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator. He is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their death. Bio ...

, American jazz musician (b. 1931)

April

* April 3 ** Marshall Goldberg, American football player (b. 1917) ** Al Harker, American soccer player (b. 1910) * April 4 – Fred J. Christensen, American fighter pilot (b. 1921) * April 5 –

Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 h ...

, singer (b. 1941) * April 6 – Francis L. Kellogg, diplomat and prominent socialite (b. 1917) * April 9 ** Billy Hitchcock, American baseball player (b. 1916) ** Jimmy Outlaw, American baseball player (b. 1913) * April 11 **

June Pointer June Antoinette Pointer (November 30, 1953 – April 11, 2006) was an American singer, best known as the youngest of the founding members of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters. Early life and career Born the youngest of six children to minister ...

, American singer (b. 1953) **

Proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a co ...

, American rapper ( D12) (b. 1973) * April 15 –

Louise Smith Louise Smith (July 31, 1916, in Barnesville, Georgia – April 15, 2006) was tied for the second woman to race in NASCAR at the top level. She was known as "the first lady of racing." She went as a spectator to her first NASCAR race at the Dayt ...

, American race car driver (b. 1916) * April 16 **

Morton Freedgood Morton Freedgood (1913 – April 16, 2006) was an American author who wrote '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' and many other detective and mystery novels under the pen name John Godey. Biography Freedgood was born in Brooklyn, New York City ...

, American author (b. 1913) **

Daniel Schaefer Daniel Schaefer (January 25, 1936 – April 16, 2006) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Colorado's 6th congressional district from 1983 to 1999. Early life and education Born in Guttenberg, Iowa, he attended ...

, American politician (b. 1936) * April 17 **

Scott Brazil Scott Brazil (May 12, 1955 – April 17, 2006) was an American television producer and director. Early life and education Brazil was born in Sacramento County, California. His childhood home was in Sacramento's South Land Park Hills neighbo ...

, television producer and director (b. 1955) ** Al Cederberg, American politician (b. 1918) * April 19 – Bob Dove, American football player (b. 1921) * April 24 –

Sibby Sisti Sebastian Daniel "Sibby" Sisti (July 26, 1920 – April 24, 2006) was an American Major League Baseball utility player. Playing career Sisti stood tall and weighed . His perseverance in the face of numerous injuries made him a fan favorite. ...

, American baseball player (b. 1920) * April 25 –

Jane Jacobs Jane Isabel Jacobs (''née'' Butzner; 4 May 1916 – 25 April 2006) was an American-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics. Her book ''The Death and Life of Great American Ci ...

, American-born Canadian writer and activist (b. 1916) * April 29 – Alberta Nelson, American actress (b. 1937)

May

* May 1 – Big Hawk, American rapper (b. 1969) * May 2 – Louis Rukeyser, American financial journalist, commentator, and columnist (b. 1933) * May 4 – Michael Taliferro, American actor (b. 1961) * May 6 – Lillian Asplund, last American survivor of the RMS ''Titanic'' (b. 1906) * May 10 – A. M. Rosenthal, Canadian-American journalist (b. 1922) * May 11 – Floyd Patterson, boxer (b. 1935) * May 12 – Gillespie V. Montgomery, general and politician (b. 1920) * May 13 ** Jaroslav Pelikan, historian (b. 1923) ** Johnnie Wilder Jr., R&B singer (b. 1949) * May 14 ** Lew Anderson, American actor and musician (b. 1922) ** Robert Bruce Merrifield, biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1921) * May 21 – Billy Walker (musician), Billy Walker, country musician (b. 1929) * May 23 – Lloyd Bentsen, U.S. Senator from Texas from 1971 to 1993 (b. 1921) * May 27 – Paul Gleason, actor (b. 1939) * May 29 – Steve Mizerak, American pool player (b. 1944) * May 30 – Robert Sterling, American actor (b. 1917) * May 31 – Raymond Davis Jr., chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)

June

* June 1 – William Winn, American psychologist (b. 1945) * June 2 – Vince Welnick, American keyboardist (b. 1951) * June 6 ** Billy Preston, artist and musician (b. 1946) ** Hilton Ruiz, jazz pianist (b. 1952) *June 7 – John Tenta, Canadian wrestler (b. 1963) * June 8 – Robert Donner, American actor (b. 1931) * June 11 – Michael Bartosh, engineer and businessman (b. 1977) * June 13 ** Freddie Gorman, songwriter (b. 1939) ** Luis Jiménez (sculptor), Luis Jiménez, sculptor (b. 1940) * June 17 – Arthur Franz, American actor (b. 1920) * June 18 – Richard Stahl, American actor (b. 1932) * June 22 – Moose (dog), Moose, canine actor (b. 1990) * June 23 – Aaron Spelling, television producer (b. 1923) * June 24 – Patsy Ramsey, American beauty pageant winner and mother of Killing of JonBenét Ramsey, JonBenét Ramsey (b. 1956) * June 25 – Arif Mardin, Turkish-American music producer (b. 1932) * June 27 – Eileen Barton, singer (b. 1924) .

July

* July 2 – Jan Murray, comedian, actor, and host (b. 1916) * July 3 – Benjamin Hendrickson, actor (b. 1950) * July 5 – Kenneth Lay, businessman (b. 1942) * July 6 – Kasey Rogers, American actress and writer (b. 1925) * July 7 – John Money, New Zealand psychologist, sexologist and author (b. 1921) * July 8 – June Allyson, actress (b. 1917) * July 11 – Barnard Hughes, American actor (b. 1915) * July 13 – Red Buttons, actor and comedian (b. 1919) * July 14 – Carrie Nye, American actress (b. 1936) * July 16 ** Destiny Norton, murder victim (b. 2000) ** Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, politician (b. 1948) * July 17 – Mickey Spillane, writer (b. 1918) * July 19 – Jack Warden, actor (b. 1920) * July 21 ** Mako (actor), Mako, Japanese-American actor and singer (b. 1933) ** J. Madison Wright Morris, actress (b. 1984) * July 30 – Murray Bookchin, American libertarian socialist (b. 1921)

August

* August 1 – Rufus Harley, jazz musician (b. 1936) * August 3 – Arthur Lee (musician), Arthur Lee, American musician (b. 1945) * August 6 – Marcus Fiesel, murder victim (b. 2003) * August 9 – James Van Allen, physicist (b. 1914) * August 11 – Mike Douglas, talk show host and actor (b. 1920) * August 13 – Tony Jay, English-American actor and voice artist (b. 1933) * August 14 – Bruno Kirby, American actor (b. 1949) * August 16 – Herschel Green, fighter pilot (b. 1920) * August 20 – Joe Rosenthal, photographer (b. 1911) * August 21 – John Hulett, African American civil rights activist (b. 1927) * August 23 – Ed and Lorraine Warren, Ed Warren, paranormal investigator and author (b. 1926) * August 28 ** Norman Hitchcock, pool and billiards player (b. 1929) ** Melvin Schwartz, Nobel-winning physicist (b. 1932) * August 30 – Glenn Ford, Canadian actor (b. 1916)

September

* September 1 – Nellie Connally, American socialite (b. 1919) * September 2 – Bob Mathias, American athlete (b. 1930) * September 7 – Robert Earl Jones, American actor and boxer (b. 1910) * September 9 – Herbert Rudley, American actor (b. 1910) * September 10 ** Jane Hope Hastings (Katherine Kelenen), stage actress (b. 1902) ** Daniel Wayne Smith, American actor (b. 1986) * September 11 – Pat Corley, actor (b. 1930) * September 13 – Ann Richards, 45th Governor of Texas (1991–1995) (b. 1933) * September 14 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder (b. 1926) * September 17 – Patricia Kennedy Lawford, American socialite (b. 1924) * September 22 – Edward Albert, American actor (b. 1951) * September 23 – Etta Baker, American piedmont blues guitarist (b. 1913) * September 26 ** Byron Nelson, American golfer (b. 1912) ** Iva Toguri D'Aquino, American propagandist for Japan in World War II (b. 1916) * September 30 – Josh Graves, American bluegrass musician (b. 1927)

October

* October 2 ** Frances Bergen, American actress (b. 1922) ** Tamara Dobson, American actress (b. 1947) * October 5 – George King (basketball, born 1928), George King, American basketball player and coach (b. 1928) * October 6 – Buck O'Neil, American baseball player and manager (b. 1911) * October 7 – Anna Politkovskaya, American-born Russian journalist (b. 1958) * October 9 – Glenn Myernick, American soccer player and coach (b. 1954) * October 11 – Cory Lidle, American baseball player (b. 1972) * October 13 – Hilda Terry, American cartoonist (b. 1914) * October 14 ** Freddy Fender, American singer (b. 1937) ** Gerry Studds, American politician (b. 1937) * October 17 – Megan Meier, notable victim (b. 1992) * October 18 – Alvin Weinberg, American nuclear physicist (b. 1915) * October 19 – Phyllis Kirk, American actress (b. 1927) * October 20 – Jane Wyatt, actress (b. 1910) * October 21 – Sandy West, rock musician, former member of The Runaways (b. 1959) * October 22 – Arthur Hill (Canadian actor), Arthur Hill, Canadian actor (b. 1922) * October 24 – Enolia McMillan, American civil rights activist (b. 1904) * October 27 ** Joe Niekro, American baseball player (b. 1944) ** Brad Will, American activist (b. 1970) * October 28 – Red Auerbach, basketball coach and official (b. 1917) * October 29 – Silas Simmons, Pre-Negro league baseball player, longest-lived professional baseball player (b. 1895) * October 30 – Clifford Geertz, American anthropologist (b. 1926)

November

* November 1 ** Adrienne Shelly, actress & director (b. 1966) ** William Styron, writer (b. 1925 in the United States, 1925) * November 2 ** Red Hayworth, American baseball player (b. 1916) ** Carroll Knicely, American publisher (b. 1929) ** Leonard Schrader, American screenwriter (b. 1943) * November 3 ** Belden Bly, American teacher (b. 1914) ** Sputnik Monroe, American professional wrestler (b. 1928) * November 4 ** Nelson S. Bond, American writer (b. 1908) ** William Lee Brent, American Black Panther Party member (b. 1931) * November 5 – Samuel Bowers, American Ku Klux Klansman and convicted killer (b. 1924) * November 7 – Johnny Sain, American baseball player (b. 1917) * November 8 – Basil Poledouris, American composer (b. 1945) * November 9 – Ed Bradley, African-American journalist (b. 1941) * November 10 ** Gerald Levert, American singer, songwriter, and producer (b. 1966) ** Jack Palance, American actor (b. 1919) * November 14 ** Sumner Shapiro, American admiral (b.1926) ** Pete Suder, American baseball player (b. 1916) * November 16 – Milton Friedman, American Nobel economist (b. 1912) * November 17 ** Ruth Brown, American singer (b. 1928) ** Bo Schembechler, American college football player, coach, and athletic administrator (b. 1929) * November 19 – Jeremy Slate, American actor and songwriter (b. 1926) * November 20 ** Robert Altman, film director (b. 1925) ** Andre Waters, American football player and coach (b. 1962) * November 23 ** Anita O'Day, American singer (b. 1919) ** Willie Pep, American boxer (b. 1922) * November 24 – Walter Booker, American jazz bassist (b. 1933) * November 25 – Kenneth M. Taylor, American pilot (b. 1919) * November 26 – Dave Cockrum, American comic book artist (b. 1943) * November 29 – Emmett Kelly Jr. American clown (b. 1924) * November 30 – Shirley Walker, composer and conductor for film and television (b. 1945)

December

James Brown Live Hamburg 1973 1702730029

* December 2 – Kari Edwards, poet (b. 1954) * December 3 – Logan Whitehurst, musician (b. 1977) * December 7 – Jeane Kirkpatrick, political theorist and U.N. ambassador (b. 1926) * December 8 – Martha Tilton, singer (b. 1915) * December 9 – Georgia Gibbs, singer (b. 1919) * December 11 – Elizabeth Bolden, supercentenarian (b. 1890) * December 12 ** Paul Arizin, basketball player (b. 1928) ** Peter Boyle, actor (b. 1935 in the United States, 1935) ** Ellis Rubin, attorney and author (b. 1925) ** Raymond P. Shafer, politician (b. 1917) * December 13 ** Lamar Hunt, sports executive (b. 1932) ** Homesick James, blues musician (b. 1910) ** Rebecca Riley, murder victim (b. 2002) * December 14 – Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans, American actor (b. 1949) * December 16 – Marjorie F. Lambert, American archaeologist, anthropologist (b. 1908) * December 18 – Joseph Barbera, cartoonist (b. 1911) * December 25 –

, American musician (b. 1933) * December 26 –

, 38th President of the United States (1974–1977) (b. 1913) * December 29 – Red Wolf (bull), Red Wolf, American bucking bull (b. 1988) * December 31 – Seymour Martin Lipset, American sociologist (b. 1922)

References

External links

* {{Year in North America, 2006 2006 in the United States, 2000s in the United States 2006 by country, United States 2006 in North America, United States Years of the 21st century in the United States Articles containing video clips

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January

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See also

References

External links