What happened in the 2000s
The disputed U.S. election
The Bush-Gore presidential election becomes one of the era’s most disputed political moments.
The September 11 attacks
The attacks profoundly reshape global politics, security, and international relations.
The euro becomes physical currency
Europe takes a major step toward deeper economic integration.
The Iraq War begins
The U.S.-led invasion becomes one of the defining global events of the early 2000s.
November, year by year
- The first resident crew moves into the International Space Station
- Microsoft launches the Xbox, and Harry Potter reaches cinemas
- The Sims becomes the best-selling PC game ever made
- The Matrix Revolutions opens in every major market at the same hour
- Firefox 1.0 ships, and the Nintendo DS reaches shops
- Microsoft launches the Xbox 360 a year ahead of its rivals
- Sony launches the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo the Wii, eight days apart
- Amazon launches the Kindle, and Google announces Android
- Barack Obama is elected president
- Modern Warfare 2 takes 550 million dollars in five days
The 2000s catalogue
Games, films, animation and hardware, drawn from Wikidata.
Games
Films
Handle it in 3D
Objects from this decade, hand-built in Three.js.
Nokia 3310
The indestructible candy-bar phone that ruled the early 2000s, rebuilt from photos of a real one down to its green backlight (turn your sound on). Press the Navi key for Menu and pick Games. In Snake II, 2, 4, 6 and 8 steer. In Space Impact, hold 2, 4, 6 and 8 to fly; 5 fires and 0 launches the bonus weapon. C pauses. Your computer's number keys work too. The key on top switches the phone off and on.
iPod classic
The music player of the mid-2000s, rebuilt from photos of a white 2005 iPod with video down to its mirror-steel back (turn your sound on). It plays real 30-second previews, with their album art, of the songs from Apple's silhouette adverts and other 2004-05 hits. Run a finger round the click wheel to scroll, or to turn the volume up and down while a song plays; press the centre to choose, and the edges of the wheel for MENU, play/pause and skipping. The Hold switch on top locks it. On a computer, the arrow keys scroll and skip, Enter chooses, Space plays or pauses and Backspace goes back. Drag beside the iPod to turn it round.
This week
Release anniversaries from this decade, in the next seven days.
