Memorable Decade - Assignment Example

Memorable decade Memorable decade The 2000s decade was no doubt one of a kind. Both fortunes and mishaps sought a place inthe world’s history during this period. The decade, not only, saw the fall of some of most feared global leaders but also witnessed the rise of unexpected personalities to levels never imagined before. News was constantly filled with shocking as well as appealing events, and more interestingly, each time one event seemed to pave way for another. Perhaps, the juiciest event was the journalist who hit global headlines by attempting to hit President Bush with his shoes.

Although minor, the event raised plenty of reactions across the world. However, this is just but a passing star; there are key events that really shaped the world. Firstly, the decade is memorable for accommodating the fall of Saddam Hussein. Up until the 2000s decade, few people could have imagined that Saddam Hussein’s rein would come to an unprecedented end. With most Arab nations viewing him as a hero and source of strength, his fall, just like the shoe incident, drew both positive and negative remarks.

Even more historic, was the death penalty that followed thereafter. If one thinks that Saddam is the only man who grabbed the global headline in this decade, then he/she must be very wrong (Rohrer, 2009). For the first time in the history of the United States, a black president was elected. It is not just the race that spiced the event but also the euphoria and hope that gripped the world. Basically, it turned out to be a world affair, more especially, considering president Obama’s cosmopolitan background.

Other than, president Obama, Fidel Castro also hit the global headlines when he finally resigned giving way for his brother to take the country’s leadership. Being the tough dictator he was alleged to be, his resignation marked the fall of a second leader perceived as dictatorial, the other being Saddam Hussein (Curtis & Lambert, 2005). This implied the fall of two leaders perceived as the leading dictators in the world. It is not just the global political personalities who have something to talk about in this decade; the religious fraternity too had some part of their history re-drafted.

The catholic faithful’s lost Pope John II, paving way for coronation of a new Pope. Although aged, the death of Pope came as a surprise to the world and the catholic faithful’s alike. It is not just personalities who claimed headlines in the last decade. Various events also claimed a share. Firstly was the Afghanistan war in 2001. This war was of significance as it saw Osama bin laden end up in exile for the rest of his life. It also marked the start of a protracted war on terrorism, which has so far no come to an end.

Similarly claiming a share of headlines was the continued war between Israel and its surrounding Arab nations. Like has been for most of its existence, this decade was no different for the Middle East as its volatility became pronounced more than ever. In Africa, the Darfur war took a new turn as it scaled into a fully-fledged war as Kenya and other nations globally spearheaded the talks to resolve the crisis. Ethiopian forces, alongside the transitional government forces also staged a protracted fight to free Mogadishu from Al Shabaab habitation.

Other than wars, some leaders also faced unprecedented situations including the attempted Venezuelan coup in 2002, the Haitian rebellion that saw premature end to Jean-Bertrand’s reign, the bloodless coup in Thailand, as well as Honduras coup. The nuclear threat also became more real in this decade, with North Korea and Iran topping the list (Wright, 2010). Natural disasters too, did not spare the world in this decade. A series of earthquakes hit different areas of the globe, more pronounced being the earthquake that hit the Indian Ocean with South East Asia being the main victim.

The earthquake with a 9.3 magnitude left approximately 230,000 persons dead, let alone the massive destruction of property (Brian, 2010). In 2008, Asia suffered another massive earthquake measuring, 7.9 magnitude, which killed 69,000 persons in the central part of south western china (Brian, 2010). Grappling with these challenges, there could not be a worse timing for economic downturn than this decade. Beginning late 2007, the world entered into an economic recession whose origin was mainly traced to the crisis in the U.S. mortgage industry.

As the recession hit the United States hard, it gradually spread into Europe and other parts of the world. However, not all nations can claim negative economic situation in the decade (Brian, 2010). China and India experienced the most outstanding economic advancements during this period (Kelly, 2011). Essentially, the decade saw China’s re-emergence as one of the global superpowers as India recorded one of the most tremendous economic growths in the world as economic prospects shifted to the Asian region.

In general, the 2000s decade was one that greatly changed the path of history. Politics, environment, international relations, and even religion, none was spared. Each had its own share of magnanimous events. It’s a decade that has affixed both sweet and sad memories into the minds of people. While some would not want to remember it, some will live to cherish it for the rest of their life. References Brian, S. (2010). The global mishaps. Washington Post, August 13. Curtis, A. & Lambert, S. (2005).

The power of nightmares: The rise of the politics of fear (film). BBC Two. Kelly, T. (2011). A New World Economy. Bloomberg Business Weekly, 345(12), p. 32. Rohrer, F. (2009). Decade dilemma. BBC News. Wright, R. (2010). N. Koreans Taped At Syrian Reactor. The Washington Post, April 21.