December 27, 2007. Copyright 2007, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Review of the Year 2007
By Julie Mullins

LONDON, December 27, Graphic News: Captions accompany graphic GN21942.  UPDATED to take in assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

January 1. Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union, swelling the organisation to 27 countries and 489 million people
January 10. U.S. President George W. Bush announced that he was sending a surge of 21,500 extra troops to Iraq
January 11. English soccer star David Beckham signed a five-year, $250m deal with U.S. team L.A. Galaxy, worth $1m a week
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February 3. At least 130 people were killed and 305 injured in a suicide truck bombing at a market place in central Baghdad
February 25. Director Martin Scorsese, Oscar-nominated six times, finally won for his gangster film The Departed, which also won Best Picture
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March 12. BBC correspondent Alan Johnston was abducted in Gaza by Islamic militants; he was held for 114 days
March 18. The Cricket World Cup was marred by the sudden death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer less than 24 hours after the teamÕs shock exit from the tournament. Initial reports indicated murder but these were later refuted
March 19. SydneyÕs iconic Harbour Bridge celebrated its 75th birthday
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April 4. IranÕs President Ahmadinejad freed 15 British naval personnel captured at gunpoint in the Gulf and held for 12 days
April 23. Boris Yeltsin, who played a key role in the demise of the Soviet Union, died
April 16. The deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history killed 33 people at Virginia Tech university in Blacksburg, Virginia
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May 3. Three-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann disappeared from her hotel room in Praia da Luz, Portugal, sparking global headlines and a high-profile media campaign
May 6. Nicolas Sarkozy defeated Segolene Royal to become President of France
May 8. Home rule returned to Northern Ireland, with DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn FeinÕs Martin McGuinness taking office as First Minister and Deputy First Minister, respectively
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June 4. The war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor began in The Hague
June 27. Tony Blair stepped down as British prime minister after 10 years, handing power to Gordon Brown
June 29. AppleÕs eagerly awaited iPhone finally went on sale, retailing initially at $500
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July 8. Roger Federer won Wimbledon for the fifth consecutive year
July 10. Pakistani forces stormed the Red Mosque in Islamabad, killing up to 100 militants
July 21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final volume of the Harry Potter series, was released worldwide, selling millions of copies within hours
July 22. The English town of Tewkesbury became an island as much of the country suffered severe flooding following torrential rain
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August 1. A bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 people
August 2. Russian submersibles made the first ever descent to the seabed of the North Pole
August 8. ChinaÕs Yangtze River dolphin was declared probably extinct, wiped out due to human activity
August 15. An earthquake in Peru killed over 500 people
August 23. Wildfires raged throughout much of Greece, destroying 2,700 sq. km. of forest, olive groves and farmland
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September 3. U.S. adventurer Steve Fossett went missing after taking off in his single-engine aircraft from a Nevada airstrip
September 14. Formula 1 championship leaders McLaren were stripped of all constructorsÕ points and fined $100m for unauthorised possession of Ferrari secrets
September 26. Mass demonstrations led by Buddhist monks in Myanmar were violently suppressed by the ruling military junta
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October 6. President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan won a third term in office, on condition he gave up his army post
October 18. Suicide bombs killed 138 people on former prime minister Benazir BhuttoÕs return to Pakistan
October 28. ArgentinaÕs first lady, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, graduated to the top job when she succeeded husband Nestor Kirchner as president
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November 20. BritainÕs Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary
November 24. LaborÕs Kevin Rudd swept to victory in AustraliaÕs general election, unseating Liberal leader John Howard after more than 10 years in power
November 27. U.S. authorities warned that the subprime mortgage meltdown, which had disrupted money markets around the globe, would continue to take a heavy toll in 2008
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December 3. Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka broke Shane WarneÕs record to become test cricketÕs leading wicket-taker, with 709 wickets
December 10. Former media tycoon Conrad Black was jailed for 78 months in the U.S. for mail fraud and obstruction of justice
December 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would become prime minister if his chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, won next yearÕs presidential election
December 27. Pakistan was plunged deeper into turmoil after Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi moments after leaving an election rally
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