21st century

The 21st Century is the present century of the, in accordance with the. It began on, and will end ,. A common misconception is that it started in 2000 and will end in 2099, but due to the fact that there was no year zero, 2000 is part of the 20th century, not the 21st.

Technologically, the major differences to date from the are the changes brought about by the  of the  and, and particularly the. While the 20th century was marked by the rapid development of travel fueled mostly by, the 21st century is marked by concern over how to cope with consequences of and.

Regarding pronunciation of 21st century years, academics suggest that since former years such as and  were commonly pronounced as "eighteen oh" or "nineteen oh" five, the year  should naturally have been pronounced as "twenty oh-five". A less common variation would have been "twenty nought-five". Many experts agree that majority usage of "two thousand (and) X" is a result of influences from the hype, as well as the way "" was pronounced in the influential  film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Many people, ranging from and  experts to Internet gers, predict that the "twenty X" pronunciation method will eventually prevail, but a timeframe as to when this change will occur often differs. The year is suggested by many,  and the, taking place in 2010, is being officially referred to by Vancouver 2010 as "the twenty-ten olympics", while  and  are popular as well. The latest timeframes for change are usually placed at.

Politics

 * The ignite a global "".  On,  the  invades.
 * gains independence from.
 * opens. On,  the United States invades , beginning Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the.
 * - A series of  revolutions known as the s overthrow authoritarian regimes in, ,  and.
 * : 10 countries join, 8 of which are former nations.
 * decides s in will be tried by the International Criminal Court (Resolution 1593)
 * gains independence and becomes the 192nd member of the.
 * On th, conducted its.
 * ,, former president, is  in.
 * : and  join the EU.

Space Exploration

 * becomes the first by paying $20 million to board the.
 *  arrives in orbit around.
 * The launches its first manned space flight,  on.
 * s land on ;  discovers evidence that that area of was once covered in water.
 *  probe arrives at.
 *  makes first privately-funded ,
 *  probe lands on, the largest of Saturn's moons,.
 *  probe impacts,.
 *  launches on a 10 year voyage to.
 *  arrives at.
 * reclassified from being a to a, leaving the solar system with only eight planets.
 * reclassified from being a to a, leaving the solar system with only eight planets.

Medicine

 * dies prematurely.
 * (SARS) spreads around the globe.
 * First successful partial  (France)
 * Dr developed a  for

Personal Technology

 * usage approaches 100% in Europe.

Other

 * Discovery of an old dwarf human species,  by modern humans (published in October, ).
 * Discovery of four s, of, ,  and.

Conflicts and civil unrest

 * (1983-present)
 * on
 * (20 March 2003-present)
 * (2003-present)
 * (2005-present)
 * (2001-present)
 * (2005-present)
 * (2001-present)
 * (2005-present)
 * (2001-present)
 * (2005-present)
 * (2001-present)
 * (2005-present)
 * (2001-present)
 * (2001-present)
 * (2001-present)

Worldwide deaths from war and terror attacks
Furthermore, there are several wars and dictatorships continuing from the 20th century. In most cases, the death toll is unclear. See also.
 * , approximately 1.8 million deaths (3.8 million since )
 * , approximately 1.2 million deaths,.
 * , approximately 400,000 deaths
 * Civil War in, 3,000 deaths
 * , 2,997 deaths, Twin Towers of the destroyed.
 * December 13, 2001 attacks,, terrorists storm the Indian Parliament Builiding in and kill six police officers.
 * ,  kill 202 people.
 * suicide terrorist attacks shake several train stations on Spain's capital, killing 190 people and injuring 1,247.
 * suicide terrorist attacks shake transport system killing 52 people and injuring 700.
 * , terrorists attack various markets in, killing 61 people and injuring 188 more, right before the start of the festival season in India.
 * , six bombs explodes in train stations in  killed 190.

Natural disasters

 * Up to 50,000 people were killed in, , and other an countries in the summer of due to a prolonged  coinciding with a shortage of medical and nursing staff.
 * in, on ,  killed more than 26,000 people.
 * . On an undersea earthquake in the  created a large, which impacted land across the region and caused approximately 310,000 deaths in , , ,  and other countries in the region.
 * hurricanes, , , and batter  and the  in  and , causing over 3,200 deaths, 3,000 of which resulted from Jeanne's torrential flooding rains in . The hurricanes caused a combined $50 billion in damage in the.
 * In, impacts the  as a strong Category 3 hurricane with top sustained winds before landfall near 125 mph, flooding , and causing significant damage in , , and . The current number of fatalities stands at 1,836. Katrina surpassed  in cost of damage, approaching $75 billion and becoming the costliest natural disaster in U.S history.
 * on, , which has claimed at least 87,350 lives in  and.
 * hit along the  in October  and moved into . Hurricane Stan combined with powerful storms already occurring in the region and contributed to the deaths of 1,620 people. It is unclear how many deaths are due directly to Stan and how many from the already existing storms, or perhaps a combination of the two.
 * . On and undersea earthquake in the vian coast caused the death of more than 500 people and the entire destruction of the coast cities of  and.

Sports

 * -, , completes the , winning four golf majors in a row
 * - (American stock car) driver  dies after hitting the wall on the last lap of the . Earnhardt's son,, claimed a tearful victory in the next race held at Daytona, less than four months later.
 * - win the  after beating the  4 games to 3 in a best of seven series.
 * -  gain their first entrance to the.
 * - becomes the first player to win the World Darts Championship 10 times [PDC], following a 7-0 whitewash of.
 * - In the held in  and,  won the  becoming the first team to win the trophy 5 times.
 * - held in, ,.
 * -  wins his first of 2  championships.
 * - win their third  in team history, defeating the, 4 games to 3.
 * - win  championship over, 4 games to 2.
 * - becomes the first former World Middleweight Boxing Champion in 106 years to win a portion of the World Heavyweight title, following his twelve-round unanimous decision over then-WBA champion, March 1st.
 * - win the
 * -, 's national woman's netball team, wins the , beating in
 * - wins the, becoming the first team from the  to win the cup.
 * -  wins his first   Championship
 * - win the  without losing a single game, having the longest unbeaten league run of 49 games from May 2003 to October 2004.
 * - win the  for the first time.
 * - held in.
 * - win the  over the . It was their first World Series win in 86 years.
 * - wins his 5th consecutive.
 * -  wins the first  championship with the Chase points system.
 * - win the  for the fifth time in their history, enabling them to keep the trophy permanently.  In a dramatic final, they came from 3-0 down at half time to win 3-2 on  against.
 * - American cyclist wins his 7th consecutive  and retires.
 * - In, wins  defeating  2-1. This win is the first for England in 18 years.
 * - win  championship over, 4 games to 3.
 * - win the  (4-0) over the . It was their first World Series win in 88 years.
 * -  wins his 2nd NASCAR championship.
 * - beat the, 21-10, to win the teams fifth  in six tries.
 * - held in,.
 * - win the  in.
 * - win the, defeating the  in game 7, winning the series 4-3.
 * - win the NBA Finals against  4 games to 2; after losing the first two games, and winning the last four straight.
 * - wins the, but not without.
 * - In  regain, whitewashing  5-0. , the world's most prolific wicket-taker, retires after taking 708 test wickets.
 * - win their 10th  4 games to 1 over the.
 * - driver  wins his first Nascar championship.
 * - defeat the, 29-17, to claim the team's first Super Bowl in 36 years.
 * - win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
 * - win the, defeating the  in 5 games, winning the series 4-1.
 * - win  championship over  in 4 games, sweeping the championship series.
 * - The is held in  from September to October, and won by.
 * - leaves  to join  and is greeted by a record 30,000 fans (10,000 more than ) at the
 * - of the  breaks the all time career home run record with 756 career HR, the previous was 755 career HR held by
 * - win the  sweeping the  4-0.

Issues and concerns
Some of the things that have dominated discussion and debate so far in this century include:
 * Note* Some of the following details are debatable, and must be considered accordingly.


 * . Advances in and, the expansion of  and , and  agreements have resulted in unprecedented global economic and cultural integration.  This has caused (and is continuing to cause) huge economic and cultural shifts which have been the subject of considerable controversy.   It is surmised*  that gradual ethical steps in three main areas (animals and the environment, employees, and consumers), are what will turn the tide in a favourable direction. The three stakeholders responsible for these changes are: governance, industry, and consumers.


 * . In December, 2005 the global oil production peak was passed, meaning that humanity had used over half the worlds oil.  The consequences of constantly diminishing production will be economically disastrous and may lead to global famine, disease, revolution, and armed conflict.  Energy shortfalls will dramatically alter the way people live in the 21st Century.  Depletion of other vital resources, such as water, threaten intense instability and death.


 * . The estimates that  will reach 9.1 billion by mid-century. Such growth raises questions of ecological  and creates many  and  disruptions.  In response, many countries have adopted policies which either force or encourage their citizens to have fewer children, and others have limited . Considerable debate exists over what the ultimate carrying capacity of the planet may be; whether or not population growth containment policies are necessary; to what degree growth can safely occur thanks to increased economic and ecological efficiency; and how markets should accommodate demographic shifts. Evidence suggests that developed countries (such as ) suffer population implosion, and the population debate is strongly tied with poverty.


 * . Poverty remains the root cause of many of the world's other ills, including, , and insufficient . Poverty contains many self-reinforcing elements (for instance, poverty can make education an unaffordable luxury, which tends to result in continuing poverty) that various aid groups hope to rectify in this century.   lending has also started to gain a profile as a useful anti-poverty tool.


 * , such as content,, and  continue from the.


 * .,  and  each kill over a million people annually.  remains without a cure or vaccine, and is growing rapidly in  and much of the n continent.  is a growing concern for organisms such as . Other diseases, such as , , and  variations, are also causes for concern. The  has warned of a possible coming flu  resulting from  s.


 *  and .  continue around the world, including civil wars in the  (the largest war since ),, , , , , and  (mainly in ). The  triggered invasions of  and partially and controversially . The  has seen controversies over , accusations of , continued terrorist attacks and ongoing instability, violence, and military occupation. Violence continues in the . Considerable concern remains about , especially in  and , and the availability of  to rogue groups.


 * . Most climate scientists concord that the earth is currently undergoing significant (human-induced) .  The resulting economic and ecological costs are hard to predict, and by the end of the 21st century could be quite severe. However, predictions have become more dramatic in recent years. Some scientists argue that human-induced global warming risks destroying life on earth unless considerable sociopolitical changes are introduced, particularly in patterns of mass consumption. On the other hand, climate change has already begun to wreak havoc on entire communities on the fringes of the developing world.


 * Other environmental changes. Trends such as increased, and  loss occurring in the 20th century are likely to continue into the 21st century.


 * Global power. Issues surrounding the cultural, economic, and military dominance of the and its role in the world community have become even more pointed given its recent military activities, problematic relations with the, disagreement over several international treaties, and its economic policies with regard to globalization.  Integration of the  and the  have proceeded.


 * . The increasing popularity of digital formats for entertainment media such as movies and music, and the ease of copying and distributing it via the and  networks, has raised concerns in the media industry about . Much debate is proceeding about the proper bounds between protection of,  and  rights versus  and the , where some argue that such laws have shifted greatly towards intellectual property owners and away from the interests of the general public in recent years, while others say that such legal change is needed to deal with the threat of new technologies against the rights of authors and artists (or, as others put it, against the outmoded business models of the current entertainment industry).  "cybersquatting" and access to patented drugs to combat epidemics in third-world countries are other IP concerns.


 *  developments show no sign of ending. technology continues to augment the intelligence of individual humans, collections of humans, and machines. Cultures are forced into the position of sharply defining humanity and determining boundaries on desire, thought, communication, behavior, and manufacturing. Some, notably  have predicted that by the middle of the century there will be a  if  that outsmart humans is created. If these AIs then create even smarter AI's technological change will accelerate in ways that are impossible for us to foresee.(However, gradual and simultaneous use of AI technology to increase our own intelligence might prevent this from ever occurring.)


 *  is becoming scarce and more expensive, due to the escalating for  ("oil") and oil-based products such as  and, unmatched by production. Discovery of new  has not been sufficient to sustain current levels of production, and some fear that the earth may be running out of economically viable oil. While complete depletion will not happen in the near future, some fear that a  in production will cause an end to the trend of  expansion in modern society, perhaps resulting in a collapse of modern  itself.  Economists argue that alternative sources of energy will prevent this disaster.

The lists global issues on its agenda and lists a set of Millennium Development Goals(s) to attempt to address some of these issues.

However, it is important to note that the current year is only 2024, which means we are only at the start of the century. Therefore, it is impossible to make detailed predictions about the future of this century.

Influential people in politics as of 2007
(in alphabetical order)
 * , Palestinian President
 * King
 * , President of Greece
 * , Secretary General of the
 * , Prime Minister of
 * , former Secretary-General of the
 * , Former Prime Minister of
 * , Prime Minister of the
 * , President of the European Commission
 * , former Prime Minister and leader of the opposition  coalition
 * , leader
 * , former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
 * , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
 * , President of the
 * , President of
 * , President of
 * , former president of
 * , President of
 * , U.S. Vice President (2001-present)
 * , former Prime Minister of
 * , President of
 * , Prime Minister of
 * , former President of the
 * , United States Senator and former First Lady
 * , of the
 * , Prime Minister
 * , fomer President of
 * , Prime Minister
 * , former Vice President of the
 * , Prime Minister of
 * , Prime Minister of
 * , deposed President of, executed on ,


 * , President of the
 * , President of
 * , of
 * , President of
 * , General Secretary of the and chairman of the National Defense Commission of
 * , former Prime Minister of
 * , of
 * , of
 * , President of the
 * , former Prime Minister of
 * , n president and current leader of the
 * , German  (chancellor)
 * i President
 * , of
 * , first woman to become
 * , President of
 * , President of the n Federation
 * , Prime Minister of
 * , Prime Minister of
 * , of
 * , President Bush's senior advisor, chief political strategist, and deputy chief of staff in charge of policy.
 * , President of
 * , former German  (chancellor)
 * , President of
 * , n
 * , Foreign policy chief of the
 * , former President of
 * , Secretary-General of
 * , President of
 * , Prime Minister of
 * , President of
 * , Prime Minister of

Influential people in spirituality as of 2007

 * , 14th of
 * , proclaimed in "America's Best Theologian"
 * , President of
 * , Founder of
 * (now deceased)
 * (now deceased)
 * , the founder of the movement.
 * , Founder and Lead Pastor of, author of ; major figure in the American Christian church
 * , leader
 * , author of the world-known series and numerous others
 * , the founder of the movement.
 * , Founder and Lead Pastor of, author of ; major figure in the American Christian church
 * , leader
 * , author of the world-known series and numerous others
 * , leader
 * , author of the world-known series and numerous others

Influential people in technology as of 2007

 * , co founder of
 * , co founder of
 * , of
 * , co founder and chairman of
 * and, founders of the search engine
 * , founder of and creator of
 * , founder of the
 * , creator of the
 * , pioneer of, , and

Influential people in the arts as of 2007

 * , music group
 * , Korean singer and actor
 * , Taiwanese singer
 * , Icelandic singer
 * , music artist
 * , music artist
 * music artist
 * , influental rap music artist
 * , hip-hop artist
 * , music artist
 * , director of and  of 
 * , music artist and actress
 * , music artist and philanthropist
 * , documentary filmmaker
 * , hip hop artist and CEO of
 * , hip hop artist
 * , Mexican New Wave filmmaker
 * , lead singer of Irish rock band
 * , music group
 * , American cellist
 * , music group
 * , music artist and philanthropist
 * , music artist
 * , author of the book & film series
 * , music artist and humanitarian
 * , best-selling female musician of the 21st century
 * , music artist
 * , award winning children's author.
 * , creator of the saga and the  company
 * , director of, and
 * , music artist
 * , most successful artist from Russia
 * , actress and humanitarian
 * , American film actor
 * , Australian actress
 * , Japanese film director
 * , Artist
 * , actress
 * , film composer
 * , American comedian
 * , American comedian
 * , actress
 * , film composer
 * , American comedian
 * , American comedian

Astronomical events

 * Tuesday,, : First for 122 years.
 * , : a galactic conjunction which happens every 26000 years.
 * 2010/2011: Triple conjunction Jupiter-.
 * Wednesday,, : Transit of to occur a second time (and last time) this century.
 * , : Transit of.
 * Monday,,  : First total  of the 21st century for the , and the first visible in the continental US since ,.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * 2024 (plus or minus 5 years): Next predicted return of Comet.
 * 2025/2026: Triple conjunction -Neptune.
 * Friday,, : The  (previously better known by its  2004 MN4) will pass within 30,000 km (18,600 mi) of the Earth.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * 2037/2038: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * 2041/2042: Triple conjunction -Uranus.
 * , : of  by Venus. The last was on, . After 2044 the next occultation of Regulus by Venus will occur on , , although some sources claim it will occur again on ,.
 * 2047/2048: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Neptune.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * July 2061: Next return of.
 * 2063: Triple conjunction Mars-Uranus.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * , : At 12:45 UTC, Venus will occult Jupiter. This event will be the first of a planet by another since, . This event will be very difficult to observe, because the elongation of Venus and Jupiter from the Sun on that date will be only 7 degrees.
 * 2066: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
 * , : At 11:56 UTC, Mercury will occult Neptune. This rare event will be very difficult to observe, because of the constant low elongation of Mercury from the Sun, and the magnitude of Neptune always under the limit of visibility with the naked eye.
 * 2071/2072: Triple conjunction Mars-Neptune.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * 2079: Triple conjunction Saturn-Uranus.
 * , : At 01:30 UTC, Mercury will occult.
 * Friday,, : as seen from Mars, the first and the only one in this century.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * 2085/2086: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Neptune.
 * , : At 13:43 UTC, Mercury will occult Jupiter.
 * 2088/2089: Triple conjunction Mars-Neptune.
 * 2093: Triple conjunction Jupiter-Uranus.
 * , : At 10:48 UTC, Mercury will occult Jupiter.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.
 * , : Transit of Mercury.

Television and film

 * The new series of which began in  has events that take place (more or less) in the 21st century.
 *  takes place between the years and.
 * In the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, a joint American-Soviet space expedition is sent to Jupiter in 2010: The Year We Make Contact.
 * The popular series  takes place in the year 2021.
 * The events of  continue into the early 21st century.
 *  is set in the early 21st century.
 * Transformers: The Movie: is set in the year 2005. The subsequent third season of the takes place after the events of the movie.
 * The Japanese anime show ' spans the years to  (its final episode takes place in January of 2012, and a direct to video epilogue featurette takes place in September 2012).  Its prequel and sequels take place in  ('),  (') and - (').  A dramatized historical fiction movie about the First Space War, The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?, premieres in.
 * The American cartoon show ', composed from the footage of three unrelated anime series (including ', above) spans the years 1999 to, - and -.
 * Part of  is set in.
 * The Japanese anime series  is also set in.
 * The modern classic film  takes place in November,.
 * The series  is set in.
 * The film  starring is set in 2019.
 * Both parts of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "" take place in.
 * The universe of , its sequel Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, and anime television series based on the same premise (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GiG), are centered somewhere around.
 *  is set up during the early years of the 21st century in terms of the wars between humans & Skynet. Some of the intervening years are dealt with by the two sequels, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, with the whole building to a conclusion of the War in.
 * The 2002 version of  has scenes that take place in the.
 * The story  is set in  in.
 * The anime OAV series ' (2032-33), its sequel ' (2034), and its TV-series re-imagining  (2040).
 *  is set in.
 *  was set in.


 * Deep space vessel was sent to test an artificial wormhole  in deep space in the year . The lost ship is found 7 years later by a rescue team on board the ship Lewis and Clark on low orbit around the planet.
 *  has a major nuclear war in and the first manned landing on  in.
 *  was set in.
 * World War III ends in according to Star Trek: First Contact, with 300,000,000 dead and most major cities destroyed.
 * The 1998 remake of  was set in.
 * Most of Star Trek: First Contact takes place in . In Star Trek canon, the human develops faster-than-light travel and makes first contact with  during this year.
 * Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is set in 2065.
 * The story  is set in.
 * The Japanese anime show  is set in.
 * The Nickelodeon cartoon  is set in.
 *  is set in 2072.
 * The story  is set in, albeit in an alternative.
 * The film ', and the story ' is set in.
 * In Star Trek: Insurrection, it is discovered that the moved to the  at some point in this century.
 *  is supposed to take place in the late 21st century.
 * Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (film) and its sequels takes place in the years 2049-2051.


 * The final episode of sets 2012 as the date for alien colonization.
 * The CGI animated series Cubix: Robots for Everyone takes place in.
 * The story  is set in.
 * The story  is set in.
 * The events of Leprechaun 4: In Space takes place in

Computer and video games

 * The most forthcoming game in the of Video Games,  will be set in the year of.
 * The events of take place in 2005, while the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty takes places in the years 2007 (Tanker Chapter) and 2009 (Big Shell Chapter).
 *  is set in the early 21st century and contains evidence (such as calendars) that suggest it is more specifically set in or
 *  is set on the internet of the year.
 * ' is set in and ' is set in.
 * The races in  take place in.
 * The events of  take place in.
 * The levels "Breaking and Entering" and "You Genius, U-Genix" in TimeSplitters: Future Perfect take place in.
 *  is set in.
 * Future Cop: LAPD takes place in the year.
 * The discovery of the Zohar in  takes place in 20XX.
 * The of the  universe starts on, ;  are launched, nobody knows who the aggressor was.
 * The events of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne occur in 20XX.
 * In Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, the 2nd Korean War starts early in this century.
 * Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, will take place sometime around between 2008 and 2010.
 * The series takes place in the 21st century.
 * The arcade game Robotron: 2084 takes place in the year.
 * One Must Fall: 2097 takes place in.
 * The  series (and Dig Dug: Digging Strike, a game in its related timeline) takes place in 20XX.
 * The events of and its s takes place around 2013.
 * The video game and cartoon of  supposedly takes place in the seventh year of an unspecified decade in the 21st century.
 * The of the  universe takes place in mid-21st century, followed by the massive exodus of survivors underwater.
 * Trauma Center: Under the Knife and Trauma Centre: Second Opinion take place in 2018, when AIDS and cancer supposedly have cures.
 * The events of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow takes place in this time; specifically 2035. The sequel, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow takes place one year later, in 2036. These are the only two titles to have taken place beyond the early to mid 20th century thus far.
 * The events of and  take place during 20XX, when Japanese highways have supposedly been opened as racing circuits.
 * The events of takes place during 20XX.
 * In the Command & Conquer: Tiberian series, the 2nd Tiberium War between the and the  begins in . The 3rd Tiberium War takes place 17 years later in, which also sees the arrival of the  to Earth.

Novels

 * 's 2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010: Odyssey Two and 2061: Odyssey Three.
 * '  series is set at some undefined point in the 21st century
 * 's  is also set in the 21st century, after some disaster befell the centralized telephone network. This led people to build a decentralized network, which they used to transfer money, thus destroying normal methods of taxation and bringing down most large governments.
 * Red Mars of 's begins in.
 * Some books by are set in 21st century
 * "" by, is set in 2005-06, 2057, and mainly 2085.