Nov. 7, 2000: The Bush-Gore Presidential election ends in a virtual tie. The Supreme Court stops the Florida election recount, making George W. Bush the 43rd President of the United States.

Sept. 11, 2001: A tragic coordinated terror attack unfolds, in which 19 terrorists hijack four commercial jet airliners, hitting the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Arlington, VA; and the last crashing into a field near Shanksville, PA.

Oct. 23, 2001: Apple launches the iPod, a portable digital music player. As of September 2009, more than 220,000,000 iPods have been sold worldwide, making it the bestselling digital audio player series in history.

Feb. 1, 2003: Space Shuttle Columbia breaks up on re-entry, killing all seven crew members aboard. The accident and subsequent investigation led to NASA’s decision to retire the Shuttle orbiter fleet in 2010.

Sept. 13, 2004: Oprah Winfrey shocks America by giving each of the the 276 members of her audience a brand-new Pontiac G-6 to celebrate her 19th season as the top daytime talk program in U.S. syndication. Each car was worth $28,400.

Oct. 20, 2004: The Boston Red Sox defeat the New York Yankees and go on to win the World Series for the first time since 1918.

Feb. 15, 2005: YouTube is launched. The site allows anyone in the world to upload a video and have it viewed by everyone else for free. The site has brought to light a new set of intellectual property rights issues but remains an integral part of the online experience.

Sept. 4, 2006: Global conservation loses a passionate and well-known spokesperson when Steve Irwin, the “Crocodile Hunter,” tragically dies after being pierced in the chest by a stingray.

July 21, 2007: The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series hits store shelves, bringing to a close the immensely popular children’s fiction series. Since the release of the first book in 1997, the series has sold more than 400 million copies and has been translated into 67 languages.

Feb. 3, 2008: A loss in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants destroys the New England Patriots’ chance at the first perfect season in 35 years.

Nov. 4, 2008: Illinois Senator Barack Obama wins the presidential election as the country’s first black president and is inaugurated on January 20, 2009.

Apr. 11, 2009: Frumpy, middle-aged Susan Boyle takes the stage on the hit reality TV show "Britain's Got Talent." Her powerful performance leaves the crowd stunned and is viewed more than 100 million times on the Internet. Her first album debuted in November 2009 as the number one bestselling CD around the world.