2009 Snapshot
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The Vibe
Pop Culture
MJ Death
Slang
"Swag"
Price Check
Gas: $2.35
Notable Deaths
Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett
Music & Style
Autotune Era
World Affairs
Tea Party Start
Boko Haram Rise
Year's Summary
- Global Events: The H1N1 'Swine Flu' pandemic. The death of Michael Jackson triggers a global outpouring of grief. 'Sully' Sullenberger lands a plane on the Hudson River. Bitcoin is launched.
- Culture & Mood: The dominance of Lady Gaga and the rise of EDM. Avatar becomes the highest-grossing film of all time using 3D tech.
- Fashion & Slang: Leggings as pants and 'Statement' necklaces. 'Totes' (for totally) or 'Awks.'
- Fun Fact: 2009 was the year Angry Birds was released on mobile, and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai became the tallest building in the world!
- 15 Jan 2009: US Airways Flight 1549 Lands Safely on the Hudson River – Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger successfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River after a bird strike disabled both engines shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, resulting in all 155 passengers and crew surviving in the "Miracle on the Hudson."
- 20 Jan 2009: Inauguration of Barack Obama as 44th US President – Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, becoming the nation's first African American commander-in-chief before an estimated crowd of nearly two million people on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
- 3 Jan 2009: Genesis Block of Bitcoin Mined by Satoshi Nakamoto – The pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto mined the genesis block (Block 0) of the Bitcoin network, embedding a message referencing a newspaper headline about bank bailouts and launching the world's first decentralized cryptocurrency system.
- 18 May 2009: End of the Sri Lankan Civil War After Twenty-Six Years – The Sri Lankan military declared complete victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after killing rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, bringing a dramatic conclusion to a protracted twenty-six-year civil conflict.
- 25 Jun 2009: Passing of Michael Jackson Triggers Worldwide Outpouring of Grief – Pop icon Michael Jackson passed away at age fifty from acute propofol intoxication in Los Angeles, sparking worldwide mourning, crashing internet networks under unprecedented web traffic, and honoring his monumental musical legacy.
- 7 Dec 2009: COP15 Climate Summit Opens in Copenhagen – Delegates and heads of state from nearly two hundred nations convened in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the UN Climate Change Conference, producing the Copenhagen Accord and setting global frameworks for international climate finance and emission targets.