During this decade, the world entered a time of progressive change, documented in our 2008 newspaper articles. Barack Obama became the first African-American candidate nominated by a major political party to become the president of the United States and Thomas Beatie, the world’s first pregnant man, gave birth to a daughter.
January 2, 2008
The price of petroleum hits $100 per barrel for the first time.
January 22, 2008
Heath Ledger, Australian actor (b. 1979) dies at the age of 28.
January 28, 2008Â
President George W. Bush delivers his final State of the Union address.
February 5-6, 2008Â
The Super Tuesday tornado breaks out, killing 58 people in the Southern United States. The tornado is the deadliest in 23 years.
February 10, 2008Â
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
February 17, 2008
A suicide bombing by a Taliban member kills up to eighty people in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
February 18, 2008
The British government introduces emergency legislation to temporarily nationalize Northern Rock, the fifth largest mortgage bank in the United Kingdom, due to the bank’s financial crisis.
March 1, 2008
In the Gaza Strip, at least fifty-two Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers are killed in the most intense Israeli air strikes since 2005.
May 25, 2008
NASA’s “Phoenix” spacecraft becomes the first to land on the northern polar region of Mars, enabling research into microbial life and the history of water on the planet.
June 3, 2008Â
Barack Obama secures the 2008 U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination, becoming the first African American presumptive presidential candidate for a major political party.
July 8–24, 2008
The 2008 Summer Olympics take place in Beijing, China.
August 17, 2008
American swimmer Michael Phelps surpasses Mark Spitz in Gold Medals won at a single Olympic Games. He wins a total of eight.
September 3, 2008
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani of Pakistan survives an assassination attempt near Islamabad, while on his way to meet British Leader of the opposition, David Cameron.
September 26, 2008
Paul Newman, American actor (b. 1925) dies of lung cancer.
October 3, 2008
President George W. Bush signs the revised Economic Stabilization Act, creating a $700 billion Treasury fund to purchase falling bank assets.
November 4, 2008
Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States, becoming the first ever African-American President-elect. Joe Biden is elected the 47th Vice President, completing a historic year for American politics. Biden is the first ever Roman-Catholic to be elected into this position.
November 26, 2008
Pakistan-based Islamic militants launch a series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai, killing 195 people and injuring a further 250.
December 31, 2008
An extra leap-second is added to the end of the year. The last time this occurred was in 2005.
Historical events like these are just some of the major events of this decade. The beauty of a 2008 newspaper is that key moments in history are accessible in their original detail, including reports, articles and adverts to give the individual a concrete piece of history. A single newspaper could hold with it a mountain of memories too. If you want an exact newspaper on particular events or persons, you can contact research@historic-newspapers.com for in-depth articles.
Newspapers are unique connections with the past. As all of our newspapers are genuine originals, there are no embellishments or changes, meaning the paper you choose is the most concrete piece of history for any event. For readers, seeing the event as it was originally reported could trigger any memories tied to specific headlines of the year.