2000's Decade Timeline Project by Isabelle Kim

Spirit and Opportunity - Isabelle

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:30:46 UTC

During the 1980s to late 2000’s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), put all their time and resources into exploring deeper into space. In 2004, NASA had successfully sent two robotic rovers, Spirit and Opportunity on Mars. Their goal was to study the planet for any signs of life whether in the present or the past. Both rovers found evidence of water on Mars in the past, yet they stopped operating in 2010 (Mod 32, 1268).

Human Genome Project

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:50:21 UTC

In 2003, scientists had created a map representing the thousands of genes in human DNA. In this project called the Human Genome Project, scientists were able to completely change the medical field. This huge advancement in molecular medicine helped scientists detect diseases before development, find new ways to treat diseases, and ultimately create gene therapy (Mod 32, 1271)

Great Recession

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:51:00 UTC

The period of the Great Moderation began to decline as the housing market activity peaked in 2006. Once the residential construction industry began to choke, people in the US began to lose mortgage-related financial assets. This ultimately caused strains in the global financial market. This era, known as the Great Recession, was one of the economy's biggest downturns since the Great Depression. Even with the Federal Reserve’s help to supply liquidity and other support programs, the economy continued to plummet (Mod 32, 1279).

Avatar

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:51:33 UTC

James Cameron, known at the time for his blockbuster, Titanic, made the highest grossing movie in the 2000's called the Avatar. This 2009 hit movie made $2.7 billion by using its acclaimed “motion-capturing technology” and “stereoscopic 3-D effects”. This movie followed actor Sam Worthington who played Jake Sully, a crippled veteran sent to a different planet to help get rid of the natives. He was given a genetically modified body and assimilated himself into the native population of Na’vi’s. Overtime he forms a deep connection with a native, Neytiri, and learns to love the planet’s natural beauty, deciding to fight for its protection.

Lord Of The Rings

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:51:59 UTC

Lord of the rings is written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a renowned author known for his other works such as the Hobbit. As the novel increased in popularity it was quickly transformed into a movie series. The series follows Frodo and Sam in their mission to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom. They are accompanied by dwarves, elves, and the famous wizard, Gandalf, as they face threats that try to prevent them from destroying the ring. The build-up to the final of the series was immense, leaving several people invested in Frodo’s quest. Unsurprisingly, the movie released in 2003 and was a hit, gaining a lot of traction, and grossing around $1.1 billion.

Dark Knight

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:52:28 UTC

The movie, the Dark Knight, produced by Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Emma Thomas in 2008, grossed around $1 billion. This movie follows actor, Christian Bale who plays Bruce Wayne (Batman). This movie follows a billionaire and socialite, Bruce Wayne, who’s alter ego, Batman, fights crime and keeps the city of Gotham under control. As an insane criminal under the alias, “The Joker” wreaks havoc in the city of Gotham, Batman builds alliances with James Gordan and Harvey Dent to defeat the crazed thug.

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:54:30 UTC

Coldplay’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is one of the most iconic albums of the 2000s era, released on June 12th, 2008. With hits like “Viva la Vida” and “Violet Hill,” the album achieved massive success, earning Grammy Awards and topping charts globally.

Graduation

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:55:05 UTC

Kanye West’s album Gradation is one of the most influential albums of the 2000s, reshaping hip hop with bold creativity and beats no one had ever heard before. Kanye fused rap with other genres like electronic pop, creating hits like “Stronger and “Flashing Lights”. It was released on September 11th, 2007. The colorful, anime-style cover was designed by legendary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.

808's and Heartbreaks

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:55:29 UTC

Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak, released on November 24, 2008, marked a bold departure from traditional hip hop and moved toward a different style of rap. Created after the death of his mother, Donda West, and the end of his engagement, he created this album to channel his heartbreak.

Low-rise Jeans

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:56:23 UTC

Low-rise jeans were the it-girl staple of the 2000s, often worn with crop tops to show off flat stomachs and rhinestone belly rings. Celebs like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton made them iconic. The waistlines were so low they sometimes sat just above the hips—fashionable, but not the most comfortable! They first started becoming popular in the 1990s, but really started becoming a staple of mainstream fashion in the early 2000s. By the early 2000s, low-rise jeans were fully mainstream, thanks to brands like True Religion, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Diesel, and their promotion through pop stars, magazines, and MTV.

Ugg Boots

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:56:49 UTC

Ugg boots were one of the most iconic (and controversial) fashion fads of the early 2000s. The classic suede-and-shearling boots became a celebrity staple, worn by everyone from Britney Spears to the Olsen twins. The Ugg boots originated from Australia and New Zealand, where surfers in the 1970s wore them to warm their feet up before getting in the water. The American brand Ugg was founded by Australian surfer brain smith. The brand slowly gained popularity, but it wasn't until the 2000s, thanks to Oprah Winfrey featuring them on her “favorite things list,”

Capri Pants

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:57:32 UTC

Capri pants were originally designed in 1948 by European fashion designer Sonja de Lennart and named after the Italian island of Capri, where they became popular in the 1950s. They were glamorized by Hollywood stars like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, becoming a symbol of chic, European vacation style.

Michael Phelps Dominates the Olympics (2008)

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:58:34 UTC

At the Beijing Olympics, American swimmer Michael Phelps won an incredible 8 gold medals, setting the record for the most gold won at a single Olympic Games. He also broke 7 world records in the process, making him a global sports legend.

Superbowl (2002)

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 15:59:11 UTC

In the Super Bowl (2002), led by a young and relatively unknown quarterback, Tom Brady, the Patriots won 20–17 with a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri. It was the franchise’s first Super Bowl win and marked the beginning of a football dynasty. This game launched Brady’s legendary career and started the Patriots’ era of dominance in the NFL throughout the 2000s and beyond.

Boise State shocked Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 16:00:25 UTC

As huge underdogs, Boise State pulled off a dramatic win in overtime, finishing with a legendary Statue of Liberty play that secured the 43–42 victory.

Iphone

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 16:00:59 UTC

The CEO of Apple inc, Steve Jobs, creates his most innovative invention yet. On January 9, 2007, Jobs promoted his next big hit, which was a touchscreen mobile phone with a built-in camera, access to Web-browsing, and similar features to the iPod. This phone, according to the CEO, was “five years ahead of any other mobile phone”. By the time the phone was open to the public on June 29, 2007, thousands of people across the country were desperate to get their hands on Job’s iPhone. By November of 2007, Apple had sold over 1.4 million iPhones, getting recognized by big time magazines such as TIme and even other countries in Europe and Asia were inspired.

USB Flash Drive

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 16:01:20 UTC

The USB flash drive is a miniature portable device capable of storing between 2 and 64 gigabytes of memory (some can even hold 2 terabytes). It’s hard to pinpoint who exactly created the device, but the Israeli company M-Systems filed the first patent for the USB flash drive. At the time, most computers had a maximum capacity of 1.44 megabytes, so large files had to be broken amongst several “floppy disks”, which were small magnetic disks with little memory/storage capabilities. The creation of the flash drive meant that people no longer had to carry around boxes of these small disks, making life more efficient and convenient for many.

Blu-ray

ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 16:01:40 UTC

Blu-ray was created in the early 2000’s by the BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association), a group of major tech and media companies. This included big names such as Sony, Panasonic, and Philips. The device was created to replace DVD’s in order to compete with the growing demand for higher-quality videos and better storage. The discs use a blue/violet laser which has a shorter wavelength then the DVD’s red laser, allowing it to store significantly more data. The device was officially released in June of 2006. The device easily surpassed the DVD and the movie industry from the late 2000’s to the early 2010’s.

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ikim28_1 — 2025-06-13 16:03:24 UTC