Featured moment
Nintendo Wii Launches
Nintendo's motion-controlled console made gaming accessible to everyone, from kids to grandparents, selling over 101 million units.
Wii would like to play.
Nintendo changed gaming with motion controls, Twitter was born in 140 characters, and Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion.
The Cost of Living in 2006
Gallon of Gas
$2.40
Loaf of Bread
$1.15
Gallon of Milk
$3.20
World Population
6.62 billion
Featured moment
Twitter Launches
Jack Dorsey posted the first tweet, launching the microblogging platform that would transform real-time communication and news.
Featured moment
Google Acquires YouTube for $1.65 Billion
Google's acquisition of the video platform was considered expensive at the time but proved to be one of the smartest tech deals ever.
The wider picture
More from 2006
A few more things worth remembering.
Technology
Amazon Web Services Launches
AWS launched its cloud computing services, starting with S3 and EC2, eventually transforming the entire tech industry.
Sports
FIFA World Cup in Germany
Italy won their fourth World Cup in a dramatic penalty shootout final against France, after Zidane's infamous headbutt.
Cinema & TV
An Inconvenient Truth Released
Al Gore's climate change documentary brought global warming into mainstream public discourse.
Music
Spotify Founded in Sweden
Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon founded the music streaming service that would transform how the world listens to music.
Gaming
Wii Sports Becomes a Global Phenomenon
Bundled with the Wii, the sports compilation became the best-selling single-platform game at 82 million copies.
Gaming
PlayStation 3 Launches
Sony's Blu-ray equipped console arrived at $599, starting an uphill battle against the Xbox 360 and Wii.
Gaming
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Bethesda's open-world RPG set a new standard for immersive fantasy gaming with stunning graphics and freedom.
Science & Space
Pluto Reclassified as Dwarf Planet
The International Astronomical Union redefined "planet," stripping Pluto of its status and sparking debate.
You arrivedin 2006.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 2006 to today.