Featured moment
Global Financial Crisis & Lehman Brothers Collapse
The collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered a worldwide financial meltdown, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
The crash. The hope.
Wall Street collapsed, but a historic election brought change. Iron Man launched the MCU, and Android challenged the iPhone.
The Cost of Living in 2008
Gallon of Gas
$2.59
Loaf of Bread
$1.26
Gallon of Milk
$3.23
World Population
6.79 billion
Featured moment
Barack Obama Elected President
Obama became the first African American president of the United States, running on a platform of "Hope" and "Change."
Featured moment
Iron Man Launches the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark kicked off the MCU, which would become the highest-grossing film franchise in history.
The wider picture
More from 2008
A few more things worth remembering.
Technology
Satoshi Nakamoto Publishes Bitcoin Whitepaper
An anonymous paper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" planted the seed for cryptocurrency.
Technology
Android 1.0 Released (HTC Dream)
Google's mobile operating system launched on the HTC Dream, beginning Android's rise to dominate the smartphone market.
Technology
App Store Launches
Apple opened the App Store with 500 apps, creating an entirely new mobile software economy.
Science & Space
Large Hadron Collider Activated at CERN
The world's largest particle accelerator powered up, beginning experiments to unlock the fundamental nature of matter.
Cinema & TV
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel featuring Heath Ledger's iconic Joker became the first superhero film to cross $1 billion.
Sports
Beijing Olympics
China hosted a spectacular Olympics. Usain Bolt ran the 100m in 9.69 seconds, and Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals.
Gaming
Grand Theft Auto IV
Rockstar's open-world crime epic received perfect scores from major publications and earned $500M in its first week.
Cinema & TV
WALL-E Released
Pixar's nearly silent robot love story earned critical acclaim as one of the studio's most ambitious and touching films.
Music
Spotify Launches in Europe
The Swedish music streaming service opened to the public, offering free legal streaming as an alternative to piracy.
You arrivedin 2008.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 2008 to today.