2008 Fun Facts, Trivia and History

2008 Pop Culture History

Quick Facts from 2008:

  • Beer: During a worldwide hop shortage in 2008, The Sam Adams Brewing Company sold craft brewers their hops at cost to keep them in business and even gave cash loans to small breweries, helping the entire micro-brew industry.
  • The Top Song was Low by Flo Rida with T-Pain
  • Influential Songs include: Foundations by Kate Nash, Fifteen by Taylor Swift, The Prayer by Celine Dion and Josh Groban, Leavin’ by Jesse McCartney, and Forever by Chris Brown
  • The Movies to Watch include WALL-E, Tropic Thunder, Iron Man, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Dark Knight
  • The Most Famous Person in America was probably Usain Bolt
  • People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive: Hugh Jackman
  • Notable books include: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  • Price of a postage stamp in 2008: 42 cents
    Zune 120 released: $249.95
    Xbox 360 game system: $279.99
  • The Funny Guy was: Louis C.K.
    The Funny Late Night Host: Jay Leno
  • Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record Holder Usain Bolt ate 100 chicken nuggets a day (1,000 total) and still managed to win three gold medals while competing and staying in Beijing, China.
  • Michael Jackson tried to hang out casually at a club and people watch and was surprised when he heard the DJ play remixes of his songs and said “Wow, I didn’t know that they still played my music [in 2008]”.
  • The Movie Question: How did they get so many talented actors to join the cast of Mamma Mia?
Year of the Rat
The year of the rat is one of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The rat is the first animal in the cycle.
The years of the rat include: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032, 2044, 2056
The year of the rat is associated with intelligence, charm, and a quick wit. People born in the year of the rat are said to be hardworking, ambitious, and good at saving money. They are also said to be adaptable and resourceful, able to make the best of any situation.
Top Ten Baby Names of 2008:
Emma, Isabella, Emily, Olivia, Ava, Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua, Daniel
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols:
Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Michelle Geller, Christina Aguilera, Charlize Theron, Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, Beyonce, Marissa Miller, Eva Longoria, Vanessa Hudgens, Rihanna, Hayden Panettiere, Elisha Cuthbert, Eva Mendes, Lindsay Lohan, Ashley Tisdale
Leading Men and Hollywood Hunks:
David Beckham, Robert Pattinson, Antonio Sabàto, Jr., Hugh Laurie, Christian Bale, George Clooney, Brad Pitt
“The Quotes”
“I can see Russia from my house!”
-Comedian Tina Fey, while impersonating Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

“You know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick”
-Sarah Palin
 
“You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”
-Barack Obama
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year:
Barack Obama
Miss America:
Kirsten Haglund
Miss USA:
Crystle Stewart

The Scandals:
John Edwards (D)  admitted having an affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter

The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People’s Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, contaminated with melamine. China reported an estimated 300,000 victims.

Democrat New York governor Eliot Spitzer (aka Client #9) had a scandalous, ongoing tryst with escort Ashley Alexandra Dupre.

Pop Culture Facts & History:
A 2008 study of the British authorities’ Convict Transportation Registers from 1788 to 1868 estimated that 22 percent of living Australians had a convict ancestor.

DNA tests were made available to the public.

The Large Hadron Collider went online September 10, 2008.

Cost of a Superbowl ad in 2008: $2,700,000

 The Habit:
Showing off your Apple iPod nano 8 GB, Arguing over Team Jacob or Team Edward
2008 Toys inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame:
The Stick, The Baby Doll, The Skateboard
1st Appearances & 2008’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents:
Lego Star Wars rebel scout speeder, Hannah Montana Holiday Singing Doll

East End Show – Jersey Boys (Musical) Opened on March 18, 2008 and closed on March 26, 2017

Broadway Show – In the Heights (Musical) Opened on March 30, 2008 and closed on January 9, 2011

Broadway Show – Billy Elliot the Musical (Musical) Opened on November 13, 2008 and closed on January 8, 2012

Best Film Oscar Winner:
No Country For Old Men (Presented in 2008)

2008 Entries to The National Film Registry:
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (released in 1958)
The Asphalt Jungle (released in 1950)
Deliverance (released in 1972)
Disneyland Dream (released in 1956)
A Face in the Crowd (released in 1957)
Flower Drum Song (released in 1961)
Foolish Wives (released in 1922)
Free Radicals (released in 1979)
George Stevens’ World War II Footage (released in 1943/1946)
Hallelujah! (released in 1929)
In Cold Blood (released in 1967)
The Invisible Man (released in 1933)
Johnny Guitar (released in 1954)
The Killers (released in 1946)
The March (released in 1964)
No Lies (released in 1973)
On the Bowery (released in 1957)
One Week (released in 1920)
The Pawnbroker (released in 1965)
The Perils of Pauline (released in 1914)
Sergeant York (released in 1941)
So’s Your Old Man (released in 1926)
The Terminator (released in 1984)
Water and Power (released in 1989)
White Fawn’s Devotion (released in 1910)

The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo)

1. The Dark Knight
2. Iron Man
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. Hancock
5. WALL-E
6. Kung Fu Panda
7. Twilight
8. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
9. Quantum of Solace
10. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!

2008 Most Popular TV Shows:
1. American Idol Results (Fox)
2. Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
3. CSI (CBS)
4. NCIS (CBS)
5. The Mentalist (CBS)
6. Sunday Night Football (NBC)
7. Desperate Housewives (ABC)
8. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
9. Criminal Minds (CBS)
10. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Notable Books:
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman
Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
Audition by Barbara Walters
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer
Brisingr (Inheritance Cycle #3) by Christopher Paolini
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) by Cassandra Clare
Chosen (House of Night #) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Dewey by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3) by Stephenie Meyer
Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, Shadow Mountain (Fablehaven #3) by Brandon Mull
Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead
Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2) by Melissa Marr
Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1) by Kristin Cashore
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Home by Julie Andrews
Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg
Losing It by Valerie Bertinelli
Mistaken Identity by Don and Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak, with Mark Tabb
New Moon (The Twilight Saga Book 2) by Stephenie Meyer
The Obama Nation by Jerome R. Corsi
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Paper Towns by John Green
The Revolution by Ron Paul
The Shack by William P. Young
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead
The Snowball by Alice Schroeder
Stori Telling by Tori Spelling
StrengthFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
The Summoning (Darkest Powers #1) by Kelley Armstrong
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (supplement to the Harry Potter series) by J.K. Rowling
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace – One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson
The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl #6) by Eoin Colfer
Tom Cruise by Andrew Morton
Too Fat to Fish by Artie Lange with Anthony Bozza
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) by Stephenie Meyer
Untamed (House of Night #) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Volume IX: Princess Mia / The Princess Diaries: To The Nines by Meg Cabot
What Happened by Scott McClellan
When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris
Sports:
World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies
Superbowl Champions: New York Giants
NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
Stanley Cup Champs: Detroit Red Wings
U.S. Open Golf Tiger Woods
U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Roger Federer/Serena Williams
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Rafael Nadal/Venus Williams
NCAA Football Champions: Florida
NCAA Basketball Champions: Kansas
Kentucky Derby: Big Brown
World Cup (Soccer): N/A