January 1 Cyprus replaces it's currency with the Euro January 1 Malta replaces it's currency with the Euro January 2 Oil reaches $100 per barrel for the first time February 7 Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-122, launches to deliver laboratory to the ISS February 13 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issues a formal apology to the Aboriginal people of Australia February 17 Kosovo declares independence from Serbia February 17 Taliban suicide bombing kills 80 in Kandahar, Afghanistan February 20 U.S. Navy destroys a U.S. spy satellite with a missile February 24 Fidel Castro resigns as President of Cuba, his brother Raul Castro is unanimously elected March 24 Bhutan holds it's first public election March 25 160 square mile part of the Antarctic ice shelf disintegrates May 12 8.0 Earthquake in southwest China kills more than 69,000 May 25 NASA's Phoenix spacecraft lands in the polar region on Mars June 12 Irish voters reject the Treaty of Lisbon June 27 Bill Gates resigns from Microsoft to focus on his charity work July 2 Ingrid Betancourt and other hostages are rescued from FARC by Colombia July 21 Radovan Karadzic arrested on war crimes after a 12 year manhunt August 8 2008 Summer Olympics begin in Beijing, China August 17 Michael Phelps wins 8 Gold Medals in 2008 Olympics August 18 Pervez Musharraf resigns as President of Pakistan August 24 2008 Summer Olympics come to a close in Beijing, China September 15 Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy September 24 Taro Aso becomes the new Prime Minister of Japan October 3 President George W. Bush signs the 700 billion dollar TARP program into law October 9 Iceland takes control of 3 banks due to the global financial crisis October 29 Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines merge November 4 Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States November 4 Joe Biden is elected the 47th Vice President of the United States November 19 Claudia Castillo has a successful trachea transplant from stem-cell created organ November 26 Mumbai terrorist attacks kill over 195 people over four days December 31 One leap second is added to the end of the year
