• Politics: Montenegro and Japan were at war from 1904 to 2006. Montenegro assisted Russia in the Russo-Japanese War but was not present at the peace treaty signing in 1905. The countries signed it in 2006 when Montenegro became independent.
• Concern: Bees seemed to disappear due to “colony collapse disorder.”
• The Top Song was Irreplaceable by Beyonce
• The Big Movies included Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Night at the Museum and Cars.
• Created in 2000, Blu-Ray discs were made available in 2006. They can contain up to 5 times more information than a DVD.
• Price of a postage stamp in 2006: 39 cents
  Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, 20 oz: $1.99
  Zune 30 released: $249.95
• The World Population was ~ 6,525,000,000
• William Shatner sold GoldenPalace.com one of his kidney stones for $25,000 in 2006. 100% of the proceeds went to Habitat for Humanity
• And… Disney’s High School Musical was that channel’s most viewed and anticipated program. Branded merchandise included everything from school supplies to toys.

David Copperfield and two assistants were robbed at gunpoint. When the thieves turned to him, the renowned magician employed a sleight of hand to conceal his possessions. He was quoted as calling his spontaneous illusion “…reverse pickpocketing.”

Michael Fitzgerald, the first professor of pediatric psychiatry in Ireland to specialize in autism, said, “All human evolution was driven by slightly autistic Asperger’s and autistic people. The human race would still be sitting around in caves chattering to each other if it were not for them.”

NASCAR’s Allstate 400 had 36 cars start the race, a NASCAR record.

Bambi and Bambi II hold the record for the longest gap between movie sequels, the first being released in 1942, the second being released 64 years later in 2006.

iTunes’ billionth song was downloaded in February 2006. It was ‘Speed of Sound’ by Coldplay.

On the first episode of 30 Rock, after Jack discusses how he developed the Trivection Oven, GE ran an ad during a commercial break to ensure the audience knew it was an actual product, not something writers made up as a joke for the show.

VH1 Classic ran a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina relief in which viewers could donate $25 to see the music video they chose. One viewer donated $35, 000. Their choice? ’99 Luftballoons’. For an hour.

Music Magazine NME voted Oasis’s Definitely Maybe as the greatest album of all time.

In Rocky (1976), Rocky 2 (1979), and Rocky Balboa (2006), Rocky’s pet turtles, Cuff and Link, were the same two turtles.

The BBC accidentally filmed a live TV interview with a job applicant due to a waiting room mix-up.

After 30 years of sportscasting for ABC Sports, Al Michaels was traded by parent company Disney to NBC Universal for the rights to one of Walt Disney’s first cartoon characters, Oswald the Rabbit.

Tom Hanks was inducted as an honorary member of the Army Ranger Hall of Fame for portraying Captain Miller in the film Saving Private Ryan.

During a space walk, a Russian cosmonaut hit a golf ball in space for an estimated 2.2 billion-yard drive.

There was a movie from 2006 called Zyzzyx Road, which starred Katherine Heigl. It had a budget of $1.2 million and earned just $30 at the box office.

The first female space tourist was Iranian Anousheh Ansari. She paid $20,000,000 to get onto the International Space Station.

On Domino Day, November 13, 2009, 4,491,863 dominos were toppled – the record as of this writing…

Cost of a Superbowl ad in 2006: $2,500,000.

Japan’s oldest business, temple builder Kongo Gumi, in operation under the founders’ descendants since AD 578, went out of business in 2006.

These years use the same calendars: 2017, 2006, 1995, 1989, 1978, 1967, 1961, 1950, 1939, 1933, and 1922.

Corn Pops were initially named “Corn Pops” in 1950, then “Sugar Corn Pops” in 1951, then “Sugar Pops” in 1955, then back to “Sugar Corn Pops” in 1978, and since 1984, “Corn Pops” again, except for a brief time in 2006 when there were just “Pops”.

The New York Yankees’ team payroll in 2006 was $194 Million compared to the Florida Marlins’ $15 Million.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown

Brian Shaffer, the OSU medical student, was caught on camera going into a bar, the Ugly Tuna Saloona, in Columbus, Ohio, through the only entry/exit door in the whole place, but was never seen or heard from after that.

British woman Joyce Vincent died alone in her bedroom in 2003, but wasn’t discovered until 2006. She was found with the television still on and surrounded with wrapped Christmas presents.

Fiji Water ran an ad saying, “The label says Fiji because it’s not bottled in Cleveland.” Cleveland took offense to that and ran some tests – it turns out Cleveland’s tap water is better than Fiji’s bottled water.

Scientists discovered the world’s oldest clam, killing it in the process. “Ming the Mollusk” was 507 years old. #RIP

The Duke University lacrosse team scandal occurred when some members allegedly took advantage of a dancer/stripper. Eighty-eight professors at Duke put out a newspaper ad condemning the alleged rapists and Duke’s culture of white male privilege before the trial had begun. The accused players were found not guilty, and the 88 professors never apologized.

Abraham Lee Shakespeare was an American who won a $30 million lottery jackpot, receiving $17 million after taxes in 2006. In 2009, his family declared him missing, and in January 2010, his body was found buried under a concrete slab in the backyard of an acquaintance.

A 12-year-old, Jasmine Roberts, spearheaded a study that revealed 70% of the time, ice at a fast food restaurant is dirtier than their toilet water.

Until 2006, U2 paid no tax in Ireland due to an exemption for artists. When the exemption was capped at $315,000, the band moved its accounts to the Netherlands, rather than face a multi-million tax bill for album sales and royalties.

Terrell Owens supposedly tried to kill himself by taking 35 painkillers.

Rutka Laskier was a Jewish girl from Poland who died in Auschwitz at 14; she wrote a diary describing her experiences under Nazi occupation. Her diary was published in 2006, and she has become known as the “Polish Anne Frank.”

Zinedine Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi during the World Cup Final.

Dick Cheney accidentally shot his (now ex?) friend Harry Whittington in the face. Love Mr. Cheney, or hate him, you don’t mess with this ex-Vice-President.

Celebrity Death: Steve Irwin, TV’s Crocodile Hunter, was killed by a freak stingray accident. He was a hero to millions of children.

Video Games: New Super Mario Bros, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Wii Sports, Wii Play, Brain Age 2

Facebook was open to anyone over 13, with a valid e-mail address.

YouTube, MySpace.
Reading For One More Day by Mitch Albom

(Data is compiled from charts including Billboard’s Pop, Rock, Airplay, R&B/Dance, and Singles Charts. The Hot 100 is the primary chart used for this list.)

January 14, 2006 – January 20, 2006: D4L – Laffy Taffy

January 21, 2006 – February 3, 2006: Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Gipp – Grillz

February 4, 2006 – March 10, 2006: Beyoncé featuring Slim Thug – Check on It

March 11, 2006 – March 17, 2006: James Blunt – You’re Beautiful

March 18, 2006 – March 31, 2006: Ne-Yo – So Sick

April 1, 2006 – April 7, 2006: Sean Paul – Temperature

April 8, 2006 – May 12, 2006: Daniel Powter – Bad Day

May 13, 2006 – June 2, 2006: Rihanna – SOS

June 3, 2006 – June 16, 2006: Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone – Ridin’

June 17, 2006 – June 30, 2006: Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean – Hips Don’t Lie

July 1, 2006 – July 7, 2006: Taylor Hicks – Do I Make You Proud

July 8, 2006 – August 18, 2006: Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland – Promiscuous

August 19, 2006 – September 8, 2006: Fergie – London Bridge

September 9, 2006 – October 27, 2006: Justin Timberlake – SexyBack

October 28, 2006 – November 10, 2006: Ludacris featuring Pharrell Williams – Money Maker

November 11, 2006 – December 1, 2006: Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. – My Love

December 2, 2006 – December 15, 2006: Akon featuring Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Love You

December 16, 2006 – February 23, 2007: Beyoncé – Irreplaceable

(according to boxofficemojo)
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
2. Night at the Museum
3. Cars
4. X-Men: The Last Stand
5. The Da Vinci Code
6. Superman Returns
7. Happy Feet
8. Ice Age: The Meltdown
9. Casino Royale
10. The Pursuit of Happiness

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Cars, Casino Royale, Clerks II, Click, The Da Vinci Code, The Departed, The Devil Wears Prada, Happy Feet, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Idiocracy, Mission Impossible III, Night at the Museum, Over The Hedge, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Pursuit of Happyness, Superman Returns, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, V for Vendetta, X-Men: Last Stand