Astronaut Buzz Aldrin inside the Apollo 11 prior to the lunar landing on July 20, 1969. (Credit: NASA)

The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

The 21st century has been a volatile period, beginning with the 9/11 attacks, the war on terrorism, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

21st Century: Terrorism, Recession & COVID-19 | HISTORY

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Discover what happened on September 13 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

September 13

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2007

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May 19

2003

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October 31

2006

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August 31

Discover what happened on September 9 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

September 9

Officially the first year of the new millennium, 2001 is remembered now for a single day: September 11, when terrorist-hijacked airliners brought down the Twin Towers, slammed into the Pentagon and nosedived into a Pennsylvania field. Congress responded by passing the Patriot Act, giving the government expanded powers to combat terrorism, and authorized the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the plotters’ base. The year also introduced iTunes, the Xbox, Wikipedia and the first Harry Potter movie.

2001

Discover what happened on August 15 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

August 15

Barack Obama became the first Black American elected president in 2008, a year that also brought the release of “Iron Man,” the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the Great Recession deepened, investment manager Bernard Madoff was arrested for perpetrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history and the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto wrote a white paper introducing Bitcoin cryptocurrency to the world. Meanwhile, a fuzzy blanket with sleeves called the “Snuggie” sold some 4 million units over the holidays while inspiring a slew of parody commercials.   

2008

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February 15

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2002

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July 2

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January 15

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December 2

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December 31

Discover what happened on October 13 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

October 13

Explore the wars, battles, leaders, civilizations, regimes, prominent figures and major events from the continent that encompasses 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. From Stonehenge to the Great Awakening to the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Communism in Russia, see how Europe’s often tumultuous history unfolded.

21st Century ‑ This Day In History

Satoshi Nakamoto publishes a paper introducing Bitcoin

Prince Harry weds Meghan Markle

Wikipedia launches

Wuhan government confirms dozens of cases of virus later ID’d as COVID‑19

649‑day tree sit‑in at the University of California, Berkeley begins

William Shatner goes to space

72‑year‑old Buzz Aldrin punches a moon landing conspiracy theorist in the face

U.S. withdraws from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan

Kabul falls to the Taliban after U.S. withdrawal

Angela Merkel says “Wir schaffen das” on accepting refugees

Millions protest the impending invasion of Iraq

UN’s watershed Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is adopted