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* [[July 27]] - [[Tour de France]] winner [[Floyd Landis]] tests positive for high levels of [[testosterone]] during the race. |
* [[July 27]] - [[Tour de France]] winner [[Floyd Landis]] tests positive for high levels of [[testosterone]] during the race. |
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* [[July 28]] - [[Alejandro Toledo]] concludes his term as [[President of Peru]]. [[Alan Garcia]] becomes president. |
* [[July 28]] - [[Alejandro Toledo]] concludes his term as [[President of Peru]]. [[Alan Garcia]] becomes president. |
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* [[July 30]] - The world's longest running music show ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' broadcasts for the last time on [[BBC Two]], after 42 years. |
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* [[July 30]] - |
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**[[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict]]: A israeli [[2006 Qana airstrike|airstrike on Qana]] allegedly kills 28 people, including 16 children, with 13 people reported missing. The building collapsed seven hours after being bombed, while refrigerated trucks brought in corpses from around the country. **The world's longest running music show ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' broadcasts for the last time on [[BBC Two]], after 42 years. |
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* [[July 31]] - [[Fidel Castro]], president of [[Cuba]], temporarily relinquishes power to his brother [[Raúl Castro|Raúl]] before surgery. |
* [[July 31]] - [[Fidel Castro]], president of [[Cuba]], temporarily relinquishes power to his brother [[Raúl Castro|Raúl]] before surgery. |
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===[[August 2006|August]]=== |
===[[August 2006|August]]=== |
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{{MonthR_31_Tu|August}} |
{{MonthR_31_Tu|August}} |
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*[[August 4]] - [[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict]]: A israeli [[2006 al-Qaa airstrike|airstrike om al-Qaa]] kills thirty-three farm workers, mostly Syrian and Lebanese Kurds. |
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*[[August 9]] - [[Hezbollah]] rockets have so far killed 51 civilians in Israel, 17 of them Israeli Arabs. |
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*[[August 10]] - [[London Metropolitan Police]] make 21 arrests in connection to an apparent [[2006 transatlantic aircraft plot|terrorist plot]] that involved aircraft travelling from the [[United Kingdom]] to the [[United States]]. |
*[[August 10]] - [[London Metropolitan Police]] make 21 arrests in connection to an apparent [[2006 transatlantic aircraft plot|terrorist plot]] that involved aircraft travelling from the [[United Kingdom]] to the [[United States]]. |
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*[[August 11]] - [[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict]] |
*[[August 11]] - A resolution to end the [[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict]] is unanimously accepted by the [[United Nations Security Council]]. |
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==Predictions and scheduled events== |
==Predictions and scheduled events== |
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Revision as of 17:08, 12 August 2006
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
| Centuries: | 20th century · 21st century · 22nd century |
| Decades: | 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s |
| Years: | 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 |
| 2006 by topic |
|---|
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
Climate
The first half of 2006 has been tied with 1998 as the warmest for any year since the 1890s, indicating it may become the warmest year on record, which had already happened only a year earlier.
It has been designated:
- The year of Aquarius, the Water Bearer in Western astrology. The next year for Aquarius will be in the year 2018.
- The Year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar. The next year of the dog will be in the year 2018.
- International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
- January 1 - Russia cuts natural gas to Ukraine over a price dispute.
- January 2 - Fifteen are killed when the Bad Reichenhall ice rink roof in Germany collapses after heavy snowfall in the Bavarian Alps.
- January 3 - Twelve deceased coal miners and one survivor are discovered in the Sago Mine Disaster near Buckhannon, West Virginia in the United States.
- January 4 - Powers are transferred from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to his deputy, Vice Premier Ehud Olmert, after Sharon suffers a massive hemorrhagic stroke.
- January 5 - A hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia collapses, killing 76 pilgrims visiting to perform hajj.
- January 6 - The record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season officially draws to a close as Tropical Storm Zeta dissipates.
- January 7 - Embroiled in multiple scandals, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay announces he will not seek to reassume his former post. U.K. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy resigns after revelations that he has a drinking problem.
- January 8 - A powerful, magnitude 6.9 earthquake epicentered off the coast of the Greek island of Kythera shakes much of Greece and is felt throughout the eastern Mediterranean basin. Only a few minor injuries and no significant damage were reported.
- January 9 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 11,000 for the first time since June 7, 2001 closing at 11,011.90.
- January 11 - Augustine Volcano in Alaska erupts twice, marking its first major eruption since 1986.
- January 12 - A stampede during the Stoning of the devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills 362 Muslim pilgrims.
- January 14 - A natural gas explosion in a coal mine kills eight in Romania.
- January 15 - NASA's Stardust mission successfully ends, being the first to return dust from a comet.
- January 23 - Stephen Harper wins the federal election in Canada forming a minority government.
- January 25 - Hamas wins the majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections.
- January 25 - Deus Caritas Est, the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, is promulgated.
- January 27 - Celebrations in Salzburg and around the world for the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Mozart.
- January 28 - A trade hall roof collapses in Katowice, Poland, killing 65 people.
- February 1 - UAL. Corp, United Airlines' parent company emerges from bankruptcy after being in such position since December 9, 2002, the longest such filing in history.
- February 7 - An aging Egyptian passenger ferry carrying more than 1,400 people sinks in the Red Sea off the Saudi coast.
- February 8- Four hundred four soldiers desert their barracks in East Timor. This is seen as the start of the 2006 East Timor crisis
- February 10 - The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin, Italy. The closing ceremony occurs on February 26. The next 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in the cities of Whistler and Vancouver in Canada.
- February 11 - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots friend and lawyer Harry Whittington, on a south Texas ranch.
- February 16 - Kobe Airport, a controversial offshore airport in Kobe, Japan, opens for airline service.
- February 17 - As many as eighteen hundred people die when a mudslide occurs on the island of Leyte in the Philippines.
- February 19 - Sixty-five miners become trapped underground after an explosion in Nueva Rosita, Mexico during the Pasta de Conchos mine disaster. There are no survivors.
- February 22 - A blast heavily damages the Al Askari Mosque, a Shiite holy site in Samarra, Iraq, causing a wave of protests and counterattacks across Iraq.
- February 22 - Over £53.1 million is stolen during the Securitas depot robbery, the largest ever cash robbery in the United Kingdom.
- February 22 - The one billionth song is purchased from Apple iTunes.
- February 23 - A roof collapses on a Moscow market, killing 56 people.
- February 24 - A state of emergency is declared in the Philippines after an alleged coup d'etat against President Gloria Arroyo is foiled.
- February 25 - Six police officers, seven protesters, and a journalist receive head wounds when a protest prior to the Love Ulster parade turns into a major riot.
- February 25 - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni wins 2nd re-election, sparking riots in Kampala by opposition supporters.
- March 3 - The first World Baseball Classic opens in Tokyo, Japan.
- March 4 - A new species of shark, Mustelus hacat, is discovered in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, bringing the number of Mustelus species found in the eastern North Pacific to five.
- March 4 - The Deep Space Network tries one final attempt to contact Pioneer 10.
- March 5 - Crash wins Best Picture, Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) wins Best Director, Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) wins Best Actress, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) wins Best Actor during the 78th Academy Awards.
- March 7 - Fifteen people die and many others are injured in three blasts throughout Varanasi, India.
- March 9 - NASA's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft discovers geysers of a liquid substance shooting from Saturn's moon Enceladus, signaling a possible presence of water.
- March 10 - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enters Mars orbit.
- March 11 - Slobodan Milošević, former Yugoslav president, dies of a heart attack in his prison cell in The Hague, Netherlands.
- March 11 - Michelle Bachelet is sworn in as the first female President of Chile.
- March 15-March 26 - The 2006 Commonwealth Games take place in Melbourne, Australia.
- March 20 - Tropical Cyclone Larry makes landfall in Queensland, Australia as what is considered to be the worst cyclone to hit the region since 1931.
- March 22 - Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) declares a permanent ceasefire in their campaign for Basque independence from Spain.
- March 25 - An estimated 500,000 people take to the streets in downtown Los Angeles in protest of a proposed federal crackdown on illegal immigration.
- March 25 - A revolutionary scramjet jet engine Hyshot III designed to fly at seven times the speed of sound is successfully tested at Woomera, South Australia.
- March 26 - The ban on smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants comes into effect in Scotland.
- March 30 - The first Brazilian astronaut, Marcos Pontes, goes to space in a Russian spaceship, Soyuz TMA-8, at 2:29:00 CET.
- March 30 - The al-Dana capsizes off the coast of Bahrain killing at least forty-eight people.
- April 5 - A swan with Avian Flu is discovered in Cellardyke in Fife, Scotland: the first case in the United Kingdom.
- April 8 - The bodies of eight murdered men are found in Shedden, Ontario (see Shedden massacre).
- April 8 - Bristol, United Kingdom celebrates the 200th birthday of Isambard Kingdom Brunel (actually April 9) by relighting the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
- April 9 - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is taken out of office after four months in a coma.
- April 10 - Romano Prodi narrowly defeats Silvio Berlusconi in Italian parliamentary elections.
- April 11 - ESA's Venus Express spaceprobe enters Venus's orbit.
- April 11 - President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirms that Iran had successfully produced a few grams of 3.5% low-enriched uranium.
- April 16 - HSH Albert II, Prince of Monaco, reaches the North Pole, becoming the first reigning monarch ever to do so.
- April 17 - A suicide bombing by Islamic Jihad in Tel Aviv kills nine people, injures dozens.
- April 18 - Centennial of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
- April 19 - Han Myung-sook becomes South Korea's first female Prime Minister.
- April 20 - Iran announces a uranium enrichment deal with Russia, involving a joint uranium enrichment firm on Russian soil. Nine days later Iran announces that it will not move all activity to Russia, thus leading to a de-facto termination of the deal.
- April 22 - War on Terror: Four Canadian soldiers are killed 75 kilometers north of Kandahar, Afghanistan by a roadside bomb planted by Taliban militants, the worst one-day combat loss for the Canadian army since the Korean War.
- April 24 - Three explosions in a tourist section of Dahab, Egypt kill 30 and injure over 115.
- April 29 - Massive anti-war demonstrations and a march down Broadway in New York City mark the third year of war in Iraq. Also, the Global Night Commute takes place in over 130 cities around the world to promote the visibility of the Invisible Children in Uganda.
- May 1 - Bolivian President Evo Morales nationalizes his nation's gas fields.
- May 1 - The Great American Boycott takes place across the US nation as marchers protest for illegal immigration rights.
- May 4 - A new coalition government takes office in Israel, with four political parties, which together hold 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset.
- May 5 - After disappointing results in the English local elections, British Prime Minister Tony Blair holds major reshuffle of his cabinet, due also to political crises of some high ranking members.
- May 5 - NASA astronomers announce the discovery of a storm system in the Jovian atmosphere, dubbed the Red Spot Junior, which has a striking similar appearance to the famous Great Red Spot.
- May 8 - Judgment is given in London in favour of Apple Computer in Apple Corps v. Apple Computer, a trademark lawsuit brought by The Beatles' company, Apple Corps.
- May 8 - Fighting between Palestinian factions leave one Fatah gunman and two Hamas gunmen dead.
- May 9 - After 14 days trapped underground after the Beaconsfield mine collapse, miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb are rescued in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia.
- May 13 - Liverpool defeat West Ham to win the FA Cup on penalties after a 3-3 draw. [1], [2], [3]
- May 17 - Captain Nichola Goddard of the 1st RCHA becomes Canada's first female casualty since World War II, and Canada's first female combat arms casualty.
- May 20 - Finland's Lordi wins the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest held in Athens. The monster-like band earns the most points ever given in the fifty-one year-old history of the contest.
- May 22 - Belfast City Airport is officially renamed the George Best Belfast City Airport in memory of the football legend on what would have been his 60th birthday.
- May 23 - The collision of a Greek and a Turkish fighter jet above southeastern Aegean Sea results in the death of the Greek pilot. The accident took place as the two aircraft were involved in a mock fight.
- May 24 - East Timor's Foreign Minister Horta officially requests military assistance from the governments of Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Portugal
- May 27 - A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes central Java in Indonesia, killing more than 5,400, injuring at least 6,500 and leaving some 100,000 people homeless. Death toll likely to rise over time.
- May 27 - First attempt of a demonstration for the rights of homosexual people in Moscow. It was broken up by the police because it was illegal.
- May 28 - President Alvaro Uribe Velez is re-elected in Colombia for a second term. He becomes the first president in over a century to serve consecutive terms.
- June 3 - Montenegro declares independence from Serbia after a May 21 referendum.
- June 3 - Seventeen men are arrested in the Greater Toronto Area for alleged ties to a terrorist plot to blow up targets in the region. (see also: 2006 Toronto terrorism case)
- June 6 - Serbia and Montenegro is formally dissolved.
- June 7 - War on Terror: Al-Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and seven of his aides are killed in Iraq during a US air raid just north of the town of Baqouba.
- June 9 - An explosion kills eight Palestinian civilians on a Gaza beach. Four days later, after an investigation, Israel very strongly denies any responsibility for the blast.
- June 9 - Thailand begins celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the accession of Bhumibol Adulyadej to the throne
- June 9 - FIFA World Cup 2006 begins in Germany, with a 4-2 win for the host nation against Costa Rica, and a 2-0 victory for Ecuador over Poland.
- June 10 - President Mahmoud Abbas sets July 26 as the date for a national referendum in Palestine.
- June 11 - The first tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season is upgraded by the National Hurricane Center to the year's first tropical storm, Alberto.
- June 18 - The first Kazakh space satellite "KazSat" is launched.
- June 22 - The Magen David Adom and Palestine Red Crescent Society are officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross
- June 23 - War on Terror: In Miami, the FBI arrests seven men, accusing them of planning to bomb the Sears Tower and other attacks in Miami, Florida.
- June 23-June 29 - Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006
- June 25 - Warren Buffett donates over $30 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- June 28 - Mideast Crisis:The beginning of Israeli Operation Summer Rains in Gaza.
- June 29 - The Dutch cabinet Balkenende II resigned after the political party of D'66 dropped its support.
- June 29 - The United States Supreme Court rules in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that the military commissions to be used to try some detainees in Guantanamo Bay's Camp Delta are illegal.
- June 29 - Kuwaiti elections.
- July 1 - Qinghai-Tibet Railway launches trial operation, connecting China proper and Tibet for the first time.
- July 2 - Presidential election is held in Mexico. Felipe Calderon is confirmed as the winner on July 6.
- July 4 - Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station.
- July 5 - North Korea test fires at least seven missiles including a long-range Taepodong-2
- July 6 - The Nathula Pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.
- July 9 - S7 Airlines Flight 778 crashes into a concrete barrier shortly after landing killing at least 122 people and leaving many injured.
- July 9 - Italy wins FIFA World Cup 2006 by beating France 5-3 on penalties. Score after regular time was 1-1.
- July 10 - Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688 crashes in Multan, Pakistan shortly after takeoff killing all 45 people on board.
- July 10 - Ceiling panels in one of the tunnels of Boston's Big Dig collapse, crushing a passing vehicle and killing its driver leaving one alive.
- July 11 - A series of coordinated bomb attacks strikes several commuter trains in Mumbai, India during evening rush hour.
- July 12 - 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict: Israeli troops enter Lebanon in response to Hezbollah kidnapping two Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah declares open war against Israel two days later.
- July 17 - A magnitude 7.2 earthquake causes a tsunami to hit Indonesia
- July 23 - Miss Universe pageant takes place in Los Angeles, USA. Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico is proclaimed the winner.
- July 23 - American Floyd Landis wins the Tour de France, after what may be considered the greatest comeback in Tour history.
- July 27 - Tour de France winner Floyd Landis tests positive for high levels of testosterone during the race.
- July 28 - Alejandro Toledo concludes his term as President of Peru. Alan Garcia becomes president.
- July 30 - The world's longest running music show Top of the Pops broadcasts for the last time on BBC Two, after 42 years.
- July 31 - Fidel Castro, president of Cuba, temporarily relinquishes power to his brother Raúl before surgery.
- August 10 - London Metropolitan Police make 21 arrests in connection to an apparent terrorist plot that involved aircraft travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States.
- August 11 - A resolution to end the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict is unanimously accepted by the United Nations Security Council.
Predictions and scheduled events
- September 1 - Execution of Mirza Hussain.
- September 9-September 14 - Pope Benedict XVI will visit his hometown of Marktl am Inn.
- September 17 - Swedish general election, 2006: Sweden holds elections for the Riksdag.
- September 18 - Chile's 196th foundation anniversary.
- September 19-September 20 - 2006 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, Singapore
- September 20 - Election for President of Liberal Democratic Party, determining the successor of Junichiro Koizumi, not only as President of LDP, but also as Prime minister of Japan.
- September 22 - Junichiro Koizumi concludes his term as a President of Liberal Democratic Party.
- September 26 - Scheduled reopening date of the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA after repairs to the Superdome from damages sustained during Hurricane Katrina.
- September 28 - Suvarnabhumi Airport, one of the biggest airports in Southeast Asia, scheduled to be opened in Bangkok, Thailand.
- September 29 - Diet of Japan convened for the election of new Prime minister of Japan, who succeeds Junichiro Koizumi.
- October 1 - Vodafone Japan, which was already sold from Vodafone to SoftBank, is officially changed to Softbank Mobile Corp..
- October 2 - Brazilian General Elections, 2006: Presidential election, Legislative: full renewal of the Chamber of Deputies and renewal of one third of the Federal Senate (one of each state's three seats); State sphere: Gubernatorial elections, renewal of the State Legislative body (State Assembly) in all states.
- October 4- The 2006-07 NHL regular season begins.
- October 12 - The USA is projected to reach a population of 300 million residents. [4] [5]
- October 15 - Chief Justice of Japan Akira Machida will be forced to retire upon reaching the age of 70.
- October 21 - The 2006 World Series begins at the home stadium of the American League champions.
- October 23 - Jeffrey Skilling is scheduled to be sentenced on charges relating to the financial collapse of Enron.
- October 24 - NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft to Mercury makes the first of two Venus flybys.
- October 25 - Microsoft plans to release Windows Vista to corporate partners.
- October 31 - The 2006-07 NBA regular season begins.
- November 7 - Midterm elections are held in the United States.
- November 8 - A transit of Mercury will occur beginning at 19:12 UTC.
- November 11 - The PlayStation 3 video game system is to be released in Japan
- November 17 - The PlayStation 3 video game system is to be released in North America, Europe, Australia and the rest of world
- November 17 - The 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale (2006 film), will open in theatres worldwide, New Zealand excluded.
- November 18 - November 19 - Meeting of the G20 industrial nations in Melbourne, Australia.
- November 22 - A General Election will take place for the House of Keys in the Isle of Man.
- November 23 - The PlayStation 3 video game system is to be released in New Zealand
- November 24 - Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair's deadline on Northern Ireland power sharing.
- November 27-December 15 - The XV Asian Games begin Doha
- November 28-November 29 - The NATO Summit 2006 will take place in Latvia.
- November 30 - The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season and the 2006 Pacific hurricane season officially end.
- November - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is expected to end aerobraking stage and begin a two-year long science phase mission.
- December 2-December 3 - The Liberal Party of Canada will hold its leadership convention
- December 3 - 2006 presidential elections expected to take place in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
- December 5 - Release of next ASIMO.
Major religious holidays
- January 6 - Feast of Epiphany or Dia de los Reyes Magos (Day of the Magi Kings).
- January 7 - Christmas in the Russian Orthodox and Serbian Orthodox church calendar.
- January 10 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Adha begins (ends on January 12)
- January 11 - Vaikunta Ekadasi is observed by Hindus. This is the day when the Gates of Heaven open and remain open for the next ten days.
- January 14 - Mahayana Buddhist New Year.
- January 14 - Pongal Harvest Festival in Tamil Nadu.
- January 15 - Maatu Pongal, Festival of Cows in Tamil Nadu.
- January 16 - Uzhavar Tirunaal, Farmer's Day in Tamil Nadu.
- January 29 - Year of the Dog, 4703, begins. Chinese/Asian New Year.
- January 31 - Muslim New Year.
- February 9 - Day of Ashurah.
- February 13 - Tu Bishvat
- February 28 - Mardi Gras
- March 13 - Jewish holiday of Purim begins at sunset.
- March 14 - Sikh New Year.
- March 21 - Iranian New Year's Day (Norouz)
- March 30 - Hindu New Year.
- April 5 - Qingming Festival
- April 11 - Birth anniversary of the last Prophet Muhammad.
- April 12 - Pesach or Passover begins at sunset, continues for a week.
- April 13 - Theravada Buddhist New Year.
- April 13 - Punjabi New Year
- April 14 - Good Friday in the Western Church Calendar, Sikh Holiday of Vaisakhi
- April 14 - Puththaandu Tamil New Year in the Tamil Calendar, observed by people in Tamil Nadu.
- April 16 - Easter in the Western Church Calendar.
- April 21 - Good Friday in the Eastern Church Calendar.
- April 23 - Easter in the Eastern Church Calendar.
- June 1 - Jewish holiday of Shavuot begins at sunset.
- September 22 - Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown. Continues until nightfall of the 24th.
- September 23 - First day of Ramadan.
- October 1 - Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins at sundown. Ends at nightfall of the 2nd.
- October 24 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Fitr.
- October 26 - Hindu festival of Diwali.
- December 16 - Channukah
- December 25 - Christmas Day in the Western Church Calendar.
- December 31 - Islamic festival of Eid ul-Adha begins (ends on January 2, 2007)
Births
Deaths
January
- January 2 - Steve Rogers, Australian rugby league player (b. 1954)
- January 3 - Bill Skate, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (b. 1954)
- January 4 - Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (b. 1946)
- January 6 - Lou Rawls, American singer (b. 1933)
- January 8 - Tony Banks, British politician (b. 1943)
- January 12 - Amrish Puri, Bollywood Actor (b. 1932)
- January 14 - Jim Gary, American sculptor (b. 1939)
- January 14 - Shelley Winters, American actress (b. 1920)
- January 15 - Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1926)
- January 19 - Geoff Rabone, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1921)
- January 19 - Wilson Pickett, American singer (b. 1941)
- January 21 - Ibrahim Rugova, first President of Kosovo (b. 1944)
- January 24 - Chris Penn, American actor (b. 1965)
- January 27 - Johannes Rau, President of Germany (b. 1931)
- January 28 - Yitzchak Kadouri, Jewish Orthodox rabbi (b. around 1900)
- January 30 - Coretta Scott King, American civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1927)
February
- February 3 - Al Lewis, American actor (b. 1923)
- February 4 - Betty Friedan, American feminist, activist, and writer (b.1921)
- February 12 - Ken Hart, American composer, journalist, and playwright (b. 1917)
- February 13 - P. F. Strawson, English philosopher (b. 1919)
- February 14 - Shoshana Damari, Israeli singer and actress (b. 1923)
- February 15 - Sun Yun-suan, Premier of the Republic of China (b. 1913)
- February 17 - Bill Cowsill, American singer (b. 1948)
- February 24 - Don Knotts, American actor (b. 1924)
- February 24 - Dennis Weaver, American actor (b. 1924)
- February 25 - Darren McGavin, American actor (b. 1922)
March
- March 2 - Jack Wild, British actor (b. 1952)
- March 3 - William Herskovic, Hungarian Holocaust hero and philanthropist (b. 1914)
- March 4 - Roman Ogaza, Polish football player (b. 1952)
- March 4 - Edgar Valter, Estonian children's book illustrator and cartoonist (b. 1929)
- March 4 - John Reynolds Gardiner, American author and engineer (b. 1944)
- March 6 - Dana Reeve, American actress, wife of Christopher Reeve (b. 1961)
- March 6 - King Floyd, American soul singer (b. 1945)
- March 6 - Kirby Puckett, American baseball player (b. 1960)
- March 9 - Hanka Bielicka, Polish actress (b. 1915)
- March 11 - Slobodan Milošević, President of Serbia (b. 1941)
- March 13 - Peter Tomarken, American game show host (b. 1942)
- March 14 - Lennart Meri, President of Estonia (b. 1929)
- March 23 - Cindy Walker, American songwriter (b. 1918)
- March 25 - Rocio Durcal, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)
- March 25 - Buck Owens, American musician (b. 1929)
- March 27 - Stanisław Lem, Polish writer (b. 1921)
- March 28 - Caspar Weinberger, United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1917)
April
- April 2 - Nina Schenk von Stauffenberg, German wife of freedom fighter Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg (b. 1913)
- April 4 - Denis Donaldson, Irish Republican informer (shot) (b. 1950)
- April 5 - Gene Pitney, American singer (b. 1941)
- April 8 - Gerard Reve, Dutch author (b. 1923)
- April 11 - DeShaun "Proof" Holton, American rapper (b. 1975)
- April 11 - Les Foote, Australian footballer (b. 1924)
- April 11 - June Pointer, American vocalist (b. 1953)
- April 12 - Dr. Rajkumar, Indian actor (b. 1929)
- April 12 - William Sloane Coffin, American university chaplain and activist (b. 1924)
- April 13 - Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist (b. 1918)
- April 15 - Louise Smith, American race car driver (b. 1916)
- April 17 - Calum Kennedy, Scottish singer (b. 1928)
- April 19 - Scott Crossfield, American pilot (b. 1921)
- April 21 - Telê Santana, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1931)
- April 23 - Alida Valli, Italian actress (b. 1921)
- April 23 - Ghafar Baba, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister (b. 1925)
- April 24 - Nasreen Pervin Huq, Bangladeshi social worker and human rights activist (b. 1958)
- April 24 - Bonnie Owens, American singer (b. 1929)
- April 24 - Steve Stavro, Canadian businessman and sports team owner (b. 1927)
- April 24 - Moshe Teitelbaum, Hassidic rabbi (b. 1914)
- April 25 - Peter Law, British politician (b. 1948)
- April 25 - Jane Jacobs, American-born writer and activist (b. 1916)
- April 27 - Julia Thorne, American author and ex-wife of Senator John Kerry (b. 1944)
- April 28 - Steve Howe, American baseball player (truck accident) (b. 1958)
- April 29 - John Kenneth Galbraith, American economist (b. 1908)
May
- May 2 - Louis Rukeyser, American television host (b. 1933)
- May 3 - Earl Woods, American athlete and father of Tiger Woods (b. 1932)
- May 3 - Karel Appel, Dutch painter (b. 1921)
- May 6 - Konstantin Beskov, Russian footballer and coach (b. 1920)
- May 6 - Grant McLennan, Australian singer and songwriter (The Go-Betweens) (b. 1958)
- May 6 - Shigeru Kayano, Japanese activist (b. 1926)
- May 7 - Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (b. 1943)
- May 8 - Iain MacMillan, British photographer (b. 1938)
- May 10 - Soraya, Colombian singer and musician (b. 1969)
- May 10 - Val Guest, British film director (b. 1911)
- May 11 - Yossi Banai, Israeli singer and actor (b. 1932)
- May 11 - Floyd Patterson, American boxer (b. 1935)
- May 13 - Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian (b. 1923)
- May 16 - Jorge Porcel, Argentine actor (b. 1936)
- May 19 - Freddie Garrity, English singer (Freddie and the Dreamers) (b. 1940)
- May 21 - Katherine Dunham, American dancer, choreographer, and songwriter (b. 1909)
- May 21 - Billy Walker, American singer (b. 1929)
- May 22 - Lee Jong-wook, Korean Director-General of the World Health Organisation (b. 1945)
- May 23 - Lloyd Bentsen, American politician (b. 1921)
- May 25 - Desmond Dekker, Jamaican singer and songwriter (b. 1941)
- May 25 - Kari S. Tikka, Finnish Professor of Finance (b. 1944)
- May 26 - Édouard Michelin, French businessman (b. 1963)
- May 27 - Paul Gleason, American actor (b. 1944)
- May 27 - Alex Toth, American comic book artist and cartoonist (b. 1928)
- May 28 - Arthur Widmer, inventor (b. 1914}
June
- June 1 - Rocio Jurado, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)
- June 2 - Johnny Grande, American keyboardist (Bill Haley & His Comets) (b. 1930)
- June 2 - Vince Welnick, American keyboardist (The Grateful Dead, The Tubes) (b. 1951)
- June 6 - Billy Preston, American artist and musician (b. 1946)
- June 6 - Hilton Ruiz, Puerto Rican jazz pianist (b. 1952)
- June 6 - Arnold Newman, American photographer (b. 1918)
- June 7 - John Tenta, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1963)
- June 7 - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Jordanian terrorist (b. 1966)
- June 11 - Michael Bartosh, computer scientist (b. 1977)
- June 12 - György Ligeti, Hungarian composer (b. 1923)
- June 12 - Kenneth Roy Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet, Canadian businessman and art collector (b. 1923)
- June 13 - Charles Haughey, former Prime Minister of Ireland (b. 1925)
- June 14 - Jean Roba, Belgian comics author (b. 1930)
- June 15 - Raymond Devos, French humorist (b. 1922)
- June 17 - Bussunda, Brazilian comedian (b. 1962)
- June 18 - Gică Petrescu, Romanian musician (b. 1915)
- June 23 - Aaron Spelling, American television producer (b. 1923)
- June 25 - Jaap Penraat, Dutch architect and member of Dutch resistance in World War II (b. 1918)
- June 25 - Arif Mardin, Turkish-American music producer (b. 1932)
- June 28 - Nathalie Mahy, (10), Belgian girl that went missing 10 june
- June 28 - Stacy Lemmens, (7), Belgian girl that went missing 10 june
- June 30 - Robert Gernhardt, German satirist (b. 1937)
July
- July 1 - Ryutaro Hashimoto, 53rd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1937)
- July 1 - Fred Trueman, English cricketer (b. 1931)
- July 3 - Benjamin Hendrickson, American actor (b. 1950)
- July 5 - Kenneth Lay, American businessman (b. 1942)
- July 5 - Gert Fredriksson, Swedish kayaker (b. 1919)
- July 7 - Tom Weir, Scottish climber, author, and broadcaster (b. 1914)
- July 7 - Rudi Carrell, Dutch entertainer (b. 1934)
- July 7 - Syd Barrett, English singer, songwriter, and guitarist (Pink Floyd) (b. 1946)
- July 8 - June Allyson, American actress (b. 1917)
- July 8 - Catherine Leroy, French photographer (b. 1945)
- July 10 - Shamil Basayev, Chechen rebel (b. 1965)
- July 11 - Ross M. Lence, American political scientist (b. 1943)
- July 13 - Red Buttons, American comedian (b. 1919)
- July 16 - Bob Orton, American wrestler (b. 1929)
- July 17 - Sam Myers, American musician and songwriter (b. 1936)
- July 17 - Mickey Spillane, American writer (b. 1918)
- July 18 - Raul Cortez, Brazilian actor (b. 1931)
- July 19 - Jack Warden, American actor (b.1920)
- July 20 - Lim Kim San, Singapore politician (b. 1916)
- July 21 - Ta Mok, Cambodian military leader (b. 1926)
- July 21 - Mako Iwamatsu, Japanese-American Actor (b. 1933)
- July 22 - José Antonio Delgado, Venezuelan mountain climber (b. 1965)
- July 22 - Gianfrancesco Guarnieri, Italian-born actor and playwright (b.1934)
- July 25 - Hani Mohsin, Malaysian actor (b. 1965)
- July 25 - Carl Brashear, American diver (b. 1931)
August
- August 3 - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, German-born soprano (b. 1915)
- August 9 - James van Allen, American physicist (b. 1914)
- August 11 - Mike Douglas, American entertainer (b. 1925)
Unknown/undecided dates
- The Nintendo Wii will be released during the 4th quarter of 2006. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has indicated that the system will be launched before Thanksgiving, with specific release dates announced in September.
- Brazil will officially adopt the Digital TV System (Probably Japanese, or a new system, the Brazilian Digital TV System)
- Al Jazeera will launch its new satellite service, Al Jazeera International, in Europe, Asia, and North America sometime during the spring.
- White House proposed plebiscite to decide whether Puerto Rico will mantain its territorial status or change to another status (to be decided then in other referenda)
- The European Space Agency plans to launch the KEO space time capsule
- Irish referendum on the European Constitution: The Republic of Ireland is expected to hold a referendum on the European Constitution.
- To those who believe in The Bible Code, 2006 will be the year of the apocalypse.
- A bridge linking Savannakhet, Laos, over the Mekong, to Mukdahan, Thailand is expected to be completed late in the year.
- The Stardust Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada will officially close in late 2006 after 55 years of continuous operation to make way for the $4 billion dollar Echelon Place a new mega resort scheduled to officially open in 2010.
- NASA plans to launch STS-115 using Space Shuttle Atlantis. It will be the nineteenth station flight. The launch is currently scheduled for August 28.
- The new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand opens, replacing Don Muang as Bangkok's primary airport.
- Boston's Big Dig, or Central Artery/Tunnel Project will be substantially completed after 15 years of construction, totaling $14.6 billion.
Fictional references
- March - The events of the Doctor Who episodes Aliens of London and World War Three take place.
- 18 June- In 1967 Paul McCartney of The Beatles wrote the song When I'm 64, a humorous speculation as to what life might be like for him at that age. He turned 64 on 18 June 2006.
- September - The events of Doctor Who episode Boom Town take place.
- November 8: Congressman Matt Santos of Texas defeats Senator Arnold Vinick of California in the 2006 US presidential election within The West Wing universe.
- December 24-December 25 - The events of Doctor Who episode The Christmas Invasion take place.
- The events of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow take place.
- The events of the third season of the Transformers cartoon take place.
- In 2002, an actor portraying a future version of Stan Marsh tells his younger counterpart that he'll be sent to juvenile hall sometime during the course of the year on South Park.
- The central character in the BBC series Life on Mars came from 2006 before he travelled through time to 1973.
- The N64 video game, BattleTanx: Global Assault took place during this year.
- According to Penny Galactica's robot UNI in Disney Adventures' Kid Gravity comic, this will be the first year we build cities on Mars.
- In Seven Ancient Wonders, a book by Matthew Reilly, March 20th was the day of the coming of Tartarus.
- Presumed year of birth of Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell saga.
- In the 1978 Blues Brothers live album, Briefcase Full of Blues the opening track "I Can't Turn You Loose" features the host lamenting that the Blues will exist only in the classical records department of your local public library by 2006.
- According to the Flash Epic 2015:"...Google unveils the Google Grid, a universal platform offering an unlimited amount of space and bandwidth that can be used to store anything. It allows users to manage their information two ways: store it privately or publish it to the entire grid..."(EPIC 2014)
- In the Playstation 2 video game Driver: Parallel Lines, TK is released from prison in 2006, after been sent into prison in 1978.
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