What happened in 2008? — events across the world

Europe

Establishment of Vatnajökull National Park
2008World Heritage
In June 2008, Vatnajökull National Park was established in southern Iceland, merging the former Skaftafell and Jökulsárgljúfur protected areas and surrounding regions to encompass the entire Vatnajökull glacier. Covering around 14,000 km², it is the largest national park in Iceland and the second largest in Europe. The area is renowned for its diverse landscapes shaped by glaciers, rivers, volcanic and geothermal activity.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Justraveling.com / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
Second Chechen War
1999–2009Chechnya
The Second Chechen War was an armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Chechen separatists, lasting from August 1999 to April 2009. Following its defeat in the first war, Russia regained control over Chechnya. The conflict involved major combat and prolonged counterinsurgency operations.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Kosovo Declaration of Independence
2008
The Assembly of Kosovo adopted a declaration of independence, proclaiming the Republic of Kosovo an independent and sovereign state. The declaration was approved by a majority of the assembly members, but international recognition was divided. It was the second independence declaration by Kosovo's Albanian-majority political institutions.
SourcesWikipedia ↗

Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Held
2008Beijing
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad were held in Beijing from 8 to 24 August 2008, marking the first time China hosted the Summer Olympics. Nearly 11,000 athletes from 204 NOCs competed in 28 sports and 302 events. It was the third Summer Olympics held in East Asia.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
2008 Sichuan earthquake
2008
On May 12, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, China, with a focal depth of 19 km and a fault rupture exceeding 240 km. It was felt as far away as Beijing and Shanghai and triggered about 200,000 landslides and over 800 quake lakes. Many school and civilian buildings collapsed due to inadequate seismic resistance predating modern codes, leading to post-earthquake revisions of seismic design standards for schools and public buildings in China.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Formation of Mount Sanqing
2008World Heritage
Mount Sanqing is located in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, China. As the main peak of the Huaiyu mountain range, it consists of three summits: Yujing, Yuxu, and Yuhua. A Taoist sacred mountain, its natural landscape features fantastically shaped granite peaks and pillars. The highest peak, Yujing, rises over 1,800 metres. In 2008, Mount Sanqing was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: xiquinhosilva / CC BY 2.0 ↗

War on Terror begins
2001–2021五角大樓
The United States launched the global War on Terror in 2001, following the September 11 attacks, a military campaign spanning multiple theaters.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
2008 United States presidential election
2008Washington, D.C.
The 2008 United States presidential election was held on November 4. Democratic candidate Barack Obama defeated Republican candidate John McCain, becoming the first African American elected to the presidency. The election also determined seats in Congress.
SourcesWikipedia ↗

Establishment of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area
2008World Heritage
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area was established in Kiribati, a large marine protected area in the central Pacific. Covering around 408,250 sq km, it is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world, aiming to conserve an intact coral archipelago ecosystem and rich marine life.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Kerry Lagueux, New England Aquarium. / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

Outbreak of the Iraq War
2003–2011Baghdad
The Iraq War broke out in 2003 and lasted until 2011. The armed conflict began with a US-led coalition invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's government. The invasion was followed by a prolonged insurgency.
SourcesWikipedia ↗