2008 in the United States

2008 in the United States
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Years in the United States:	2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Centuries:	20th Century · 21st century · 22nd century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

1 Political incumbents
2 Events
- 2.1 January
- 2.2 February
- 2.3 March
- 2.4 April
- 2.5 May
- 2.6 June
3 Scheduled and expected events
4 References

Political incumbents

Events

January

January 3 - Joe Biden drops out of the 2008 U.S. presidential election
January 5 - A levee bursts in Fernley, Nevada, flooding a large portion of the town and forcing the evacuations of 3,500 residents.
January 7 to January 10 - A storm passes through eastern North America, producing 64 tornadoes across the mideastern United States and record-breaking temperatures in eastern Canada.
January 7 - NBC announces the 2008 Golden Globe Awards Ceremony will be cancelled due to the Writers Guild of America strike. The network says it will announce the winners in a 1 hour news conference.
January 9 - U.S. President George W. Bush begins a tour of the Middle East with a stop in Israel. Other destinations include Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Egypt.
January 10 - Bill Richardson drops out of the U.S. presidential election due to shortage of money.
January 15 - United States Food and Drug Administration declares that food from cloned cattle, swine, goats, and their progeny is safe to eat.^[1]
January 18 - U.S. president George W. Bush announces an economic stimulus package, proposing $800 per individual and $1600 per couple in tax refunds.
January 25 - Las Vegas Casino Monte Carlo catches fire.
January 26 - The All American Football League (AAFL) holds its inaugural draft. ^[2]
January 27 - The 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta occurs.
January 28 - U.S. President George W. Bush delivers his final State of the Union Address.^[3]
January 30 - U.S. presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards drop out of the race.

February

February 1 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Public Health Advisory on Chantix, an anti-smoking medication, due to a possible "association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms."^[4]
February 2 - U.S. military accidentally kills nine civilians in a raid in Iraq.^[5]
February 3 - The New York Giants defeat the heavily favored New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII, played at University of Phoenix in Glendale, Arizona.^[6]
February 5 - A series of deadly tornadoes sweeps across Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, and Illinois, reportedly killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 100.
February 7 - The United States Senate passes a $170 billion economic stimulus package by a margin of 81-16.
February 7 - Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton kills five and wounds two people at city hall before being shot and killed by police in Kirkwood, Missouri.^[7]
February 7 - Mitt Romney suspended his campaign for the Republican Party nomination for the U.S. presidency.^[8]
February 10 - The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
February 10 - Maine Democratic primary in U.S. presidential election.
February 11 - A U.S. Marine was arrested on suspicion of raping a fourteen-year-old Japanese girl in Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called this "grave case" "unforgivable". ^[9] Ambassador Tom Schieffer later offered a personal apology.^[10]
February 11 - A former Boeing engineer and United States Defense Department analyst are arrested and charged with espionage for allegedly passing information to the Chinese government.^[11]
February 12 - The 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike ends effectively at 6:51pm PST (02:51 UTC, February 13) as members vote to stop picket lines in response to a tentative deal reached by the WGA and the AMPTP three days earlier.^[12]
February 12 - Lawrence "Larry" King, a 15-year-old 8th grade student at E.O. Green Junior High School, was shot to death by fellow 14-year-old student, Brandon McInerney, for being gay.
February 14 - Steven Kazmierczak opens fire, killing 6 and wounding 16 before shooting himself at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.^[13]
February 17 - USDA recalled 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse^[14]
February 20 - The U.S. Navy destroys American spy satellite USA 193 with a missile, prompting international speculation that it was testing its "anti-missile defence system's capability to destroy other countries' satellites."^[15]
February 24 - The 80th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, takes place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California^[16], with No Country for Old Men winning Best Picture.^[17]

March

March 4 - John McCain secures the 2008 U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination after winning primary elections in Texas, Vermont, Ohio, and Rhode Island.
March 6 - During the early hours of the morning, a small bomb explodes at an unoccupied U.S. military recruiting station in Times Square, New York City. No one is injured.
March 12 - New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announces his resignation (effective March 17) days after being linked to a high-priced prostitution ring.
March 15 - A construction crane falls on a residential building in Manhattan, New York City, killing four people and injuring at least 17.^[18]
March 18 - The Federal Reserve System cuts the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to 2.25%. ^[19]
March 24 - Relatives of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre report that the Government of Virginia will offer victims compensation of $100,000 to forestall law suits.
March 26 - Former First Lady of the United States Nancy Reagan endorses John McCain for the presidency.^[20]