2008

Events from the year **2008 in the United States**.

Governors
* Governor of Alabama: Bob Riley (Republican)
* Governor of Alaska: Sarah Palin (Republican)
* Governor of Arizona: Janet Napolitano (Democratic)
* Governor of Arkansas: Mike Beebe (Democratic)
* Governor of California: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican)
* Governor of Colorado: Bill Ritter (Democratic)
* Governor of Connecticut: Jodi Rell (Republican)
* Governor of Delaware: Ruth Ann Minner (Democratic)
* Governor of Florida: Charlie Crist (Republican)
* Governor of Georgia: Sonny Perdue (Republican)
* Governor of Hawaii: Linda Lingle (Republican)
* Governor of Idaho: Butch Otter (Republican)
* Governor of Illinois: Rod Blagojevich (Democratic)
* Governor of Indiana: Mitch Daniels (Republican)
* Governor of Iowa: Chet Culver (Democratic)
* Governor of Kansas: Kathleen Sebelius (Democratic)
* Governor of Kentucky: Steve Beshear (Democratic)
* Governor of Louisiana: Kathleen Blanco (Democratic) (until January 14), Bobby Jindal (Republican) (starting January 14)
* Governor of Maine: John Baldacci (Democratic)
* Governor of Maryland: Martin O'Malley (Democratic)
* Governor of Massachusetts: Deval Patrick (Democratic)
* Governor of Michigan: Jennifer Granholm (Democratic)
* Governor of Minnesota: Tim Pawlenty (Republican)
* Governor of Mississippi: Haley Barbour (Republican)
* Governor of Missouri: Matt Blunt (Republican)
* Governor of Montana: Brian Schweitzer (Democratic)
* Governor of Nebraska: Dave Heineman (Republican)
* Governor of Nevada: Jim Gibbons (Republican)
* Governor of New Hampshire: John Lynch (Democratic)
* Governor of New Jersey: Jon Corzine (Democratic)
* Governor of New Mexico: Bill Richardson (Democratic)
* Governor of New York: Eliot Spitzer (Democratic) (until March 17), David Paterson (Democratic) (starting March 17)
* Governor of North Carolina: Mike Easley (Democratic)
* Governor of North Dakota: John Hoeven (Republican)
* Governor of Ohio: Ted Strickland (Democratic)
* Governor of Oklahoma: Brad Henry (Democratic)
* Governor of Oregon: Ted Kulongoski (Democratic)
* Governor of Pennsylvania: Ed Rendell (Democratic)
* Governor of Rhode Island: Donald Carcieri (Republican)
* Governor of South Carolina: Mark Sanford (Republican)
* Governor of South Dakota: Mike Rounds (Republican)
* Governor of Tennessee: Phil Bredesen (Democratic)
* Governor of Texas: Rick Perry (Republican)
* Governor of Utah: Jon Huntsman Jr. (Republican)
* Governor of Vermont: Jim Douglas (Republican)
* Governor of Virginia: Tim Kaine (Democratic)
* Governor of Washington: Christine Gregoire (Democratic)
* Governor of West Virginia: Joe Manchin (Democratic)
* Governor of Wisconsin: Jim Doyle (Democratic)
* Governor of Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal (Democratic)

Lieutenant Governors
* Lieutenant Governor of Alabama: Jim Folsom Jr. (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Alaska: Sean Parnell (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas: Bill Halter (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of California: John Garamendi (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Colorado: Barbara O'Brien (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: Michael Fedele (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Delaware: John Carney (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Florida: Jeff Kottkamp (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Georgia: Casey Cagle (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii: Duke Aiona (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Idaho: Jim Risch (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Illinois: Pat Quinn (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Indiana: Becky Skillman (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Iowa: Patty Judge (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kansas: Mark Parkinson (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky: Daniel Mongiardo (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana: Mitch Landrieu (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Maryland: Anthony Brown (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: Tim Murray (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: John D. Cherry (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota: Carol Molnau (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi: Amy Tuck (Democratic) (until January 10), Phil Bryant (Republican) (starting January 10)
* Lieutenant Governor of Missouri: Peter Kinder (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Montana: John Bohlinger (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska: Rick Sheehy (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nevada: Brian Krolicki (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico: Diane Denish (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of New York:
	+ until March 17: David Paterson (Democratic)
	+ March 17 – June 24: Joseph Bruno (Republican)
	+ starting June 24: Dean Skelos (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina: Bev Perdue (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota: Jack Dalrymple (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Ohio: Lee Fisher (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma: Jari Askins (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania:
	+ until November 12: Catherine Baker Knoll (Democratic)
	+ November 12 – December 3: vacant
	+ starting December 3: Joseph B. Scarnati (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: Elizabeth H. Roberts (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: André Bauer (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota: Dennis Daugaard (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee: Ron Ramsey (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Texas: David Dewhurst (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Utah: Gary Herbert (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: Brian Dubie (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Virginia: Bill Bolling (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Washington: Brad Owen (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin: Barbara Lawton (Democratic)

## Events

### January

* January 3 – Joe Biden drops out of the running for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
* January 5 – A levee bursts in Fernley, Nevada, flooding a large portion of the town and forcing the evacuations of 3,500 residents.
* January 7
	+ A tornado outbreak passes through eastern North America, producing at least 75 tornadoes across the mid-eastern United States and record-breaking temperatures in eastern Canada. Four fatalities are reported.
	+ NBC announces the 2008 Golden Globe Awards Ceremony will be canceled due to the Writers Guild of America strike. The network announces the winners in a 1-hour news conference. Mickey Rourke and Tina Fey, among others, are winners.
* January 9 – President George W. Bush begins a tour of the Middle East with a stop in Israel. Other destinations include Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt.
* January 10 – Bill Richardson drops out of the U.S. presidential election due to shortage of money.
* January 15 – The Food and Drug Administration declares that food from cloned cattle, swine, goats, and their progeny is safe to eat.
* January 18 – President George W. Bush announces an economic stimulus package, proposing $800 per individual and $1600 per couple in tax refunds.
* January 21 – Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. recession, fueled by the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis.
* January 22 – Actor Heath Ledger, 28, is found dead at his home in New York City. He would later be awarded a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in *The Dark Knight*, released in July 2008.
* January 25 – In Las Vegas, the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino catches fire.
* January 27 – The 2008 NHL All-Star Game occurs in Atlanta.
* January 28 – President George W. Bush delivers his final State of the Union address.
* January 30 – U.S. presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards drop out of the race.
* January 31 – Weardrobe online street fashion site is launched.

### February

* February 1 – The Food and Drug Administration issues a Public Health Advisory on Chantix, an anti-smoking medication, due to a possible "association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms."
* February 2 – The military accidentally kills nine civilians in a raid in Iraq.
* February 3 – Super Bowl XLII: The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots 17–14 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
* February 5
	+ U.S. stock market indices plunge more than 3% after a Non-Manufacturing ISM Report on Business shows signs of economic recession in the service sector. The S&P 500 fall 3.2%, The Dow Jones Industrial Average 370 points.
	+ Super Tuesday tornado outbreak begins: A tornado outbreak, the deadliest in 23 years, kills 58 in the Southern United States.
* February 6 – Super Tuesday tornado outbreak ends.
* February 7
	+ STS-122: Space Shuttle *Atlantis* launches to deliver the European-built Columbus science laboratory to the International Space Station.
	+ The Senate passes a $170 billion economic stimulus package by a margin of 81–16.
	+ Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton kills five and wounds two people at city hall before being shot and killed by police in Kirkwood, Missouri.
	+ Mitt Romney suspends his campaign of the Republican Party nomination for the U.S. presidency.
* February 10
	+ The 50th Annual Grammy Awards take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Americans Herbie Hancock and Kanye West, among others, are winners.
	+ Maine holds its Democratic caucuses in the U.S. presidential election. Barack Obama wins 15 out of the possible 24 delegates.
* February 11
	+ A marine is arrested on suspicion of raping a fourteen-year-old Japanese girl in Okinawa, Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda calls this "grave case...unforgivable". Ambassador Tom Schieffer later offers a personal apology.
	+ A former Boeing engineer and Defense Department analyst are arrested and charged with espionage for allegedly passing information to the Chinese government.
* February 12
	+ The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike ends effectively at 6:51pm PST (02:51 UTC, February 13) as members vote to stop picket lines in response to a tentative deal reached by the WGA and the AMPTP three days earlier.
	+ Lawrence "Larry" King, a 15-year-old 8th grade student at E.O. Green Junior High School, is shot to death by 14-year-old student Brandon McInerney, for being gay.
* February 14 – Steven Kazmierczak opens fire, killing five and wounding 18 before fatally shooting himself at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.
* February 17 – The USDA recalls 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse.
* February 20 – The United States Navy destroys an American spy satellite, USA 193, with a missile, prompting international speculation that it is testing its capability to destroy the satellites of other countries.
* February 24 – The 80th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, take place at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, with the Coen brothers' *No Country for Old Men* winning four awards out of eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film is tied in nominations with Paul Thomas Anderson's *There Will Be Blood*. The telecast garners 31.7 million viewers, making it the least-watched broadcast since 1974.

### March

* March 4 – John McCain secures the 2008 U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination after winning primary elections in Texas, Vermont, Ohio, and Rhode Island.
* March 6 – During the early hours of the morning, a small bomb explodes at an unoccupied military recruiting station in Times Square, New York City. No one is injured.
* March 12 – New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announces his resignation (effective March 17) days after being linked to a high-priced prostitution ring. Lieutenant Governor David Paterson succeeds the governorship of New York.
* March 13 – The colorized $5 bill is released, with nearly all of the features of the earlier colorized currency (the color-shifting numeral was not added).
* March 15 – A construction crane falls on a residential building in Manhattan, killing four people and injuring at least 17.
* March 18 – The Federal Reserve System cuts the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to 2.25%.
* March 24 – Relatives of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre report that the government of Virginia will offer victims compensation of $100,000 to forestall lawsuits.
* March 26 – Former First Lady of the United States Nancy Reagan endorses John McCain for the presidency.

### April

* April 7 – The Kansas Jayhawks beat the Memphis Tigers, 75–68 OT for the NCAA Basketball Championship.
* April 11 – The Newseum opens in Washington, D.C.
* April 15 – Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States. Among his destinations are the White House, The Catholic University of America, the United Nations General Assembly, and the site of the fallen World Trade Center. Benedict XVI also celebrates Mass at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium.
* April 18 – The 5.4 Mw Illinois earthquake hits southeastern Illinois with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (*Very strong*), causing several injuries and limited damage.
* April 20 – Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to win a top-level sanctioned open wheel car racing event.
* April 22 – Senator Hillary Clinton wins the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary.
* April 28 – General Motors announces that it will cut production of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles in three plants in Michigan and one in Oshawa, Ontario and negotiate layoffs with the United Auto Workers and Canadian Auto Workers.

### May

* May 1 – A tornado outbreak in the Southern and Central United States kills seven.
* May 2 – *Iron Man*, directed by Jon Favreau, is released by Marvel Studios as the first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the first film of its "Phase One" slate.
* May 3 – The Stiletto Spy School is founded.
* May 6 – Senator Barack Obama wins the North Carolina Democratic Primary. Senator Hillary Clinton narrowly wins the Indiana Democratic Primary.
* May 7 – Several tornadoes cause substantial damage in the Midwestern United States and kill 28 people.
* May 14 – NASA announces the discovery of Supernova remnant G1.9+0.3.
* May 15
	+ California becomes the second state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state's own Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional.
	+ The United States Department of the Interior lists the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, citing the melting of Arctic sea ice as the primary threat to the polar bear.
* May 20
	+ Senator Hillary Clinton wins the Kentucky Democratic primary while Senator Barack Obama wins the Oregon Democratic primary.
	+ Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he has a malignant glioma, a type of cancerous brain tumor.
* May 22 – A series of tornado outbreaks affecting the central plains of the United States is one of the largest continuous tornado outbreaks on record. A total 239 tornadoes are confirmed. There are 13 fatalities.
* May 24 – After over thirteen years, Kids' WB, The CW's children's programming block, ceases airing and becomes The CW4Kids when the network sells the air time to Grupo Clarin (through its subsidiary 4Kids Entertainment).
* May 25 – NASA's Phoenix spacecraft becomes the first to land on the northern polar region of Mars.

### June

* June 1
	+ A large fire engulfs parts of Universal Studios in Universal City, California, destroying a vault with the master tapes of as many as half a million songs.
	+ Landmark Broadway musical Rent ends its run after 12 years and more than 4,300 shows.
* June 3 – Barack Obama secures the 2008 U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination, becoming the first African American presumptive presidential candidate for a major political party.
* June 4
	+ Travis Alexander is stabbed multiple times then shot in the forehead by his former girlfriend, Jodi Arias, in Mesa, Arizona. The murder and subsequent trial received widespread media attention.
	+ The Detroit Red Wings win their 11th Stanley Cup, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins.
* June 7 – Big Brown, previously undefeated, fails to become the first winner of the Triple Crown since 1978, finishing last at the 2008 Belmont Stakes.
* June 11 – Four Boy Scouts are killed and 48 others are injured when a tornado strikes Little Sioux Scout Ranch in Little Sioux, Iowa. Many acts of bravery occurred during and after the storm and many awards for heroism were awarded.
* June 13 – *The Incredible Hulk*, directed by Louis Leterrier, is released as the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
* June 17 – The Boston Celtics earn their 17th NBA championship by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers.
* June 18 – Tiger Woods announces he will undergo ACL surgery and won't play golf again until 2009.
* June 25 – Gunman Wesley Higdon opens fire in a plastics factory in Kentucky, murdering five before committing suicide.
* June 26 – The U.S. Supreme Court decides *District of Columbia v. Heller*, holding that the District of Columbia's ban on handguns, among other statutory provisions, is unconstitutional.
* June 27
	+ After three decades as the Chairman of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates steps down from daily duties to concentrate on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
	+ Pixar Animation Studios' ninth feature film, *WALL-E*, is released in theaters.

### July

* July 10 – The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game takes place at Yankee Stadium. The home American League wins 4–3 in 15 innings, giving home field advantage in the 2008 World Series to the AL champion, which eventually came to be the Tampa Bay Rays.
* July 18 – *The Dark Knight*, directed by Christopher Nolan, is released. It was the highest-grossing film of the year, with a worldwide gross of $997,000,000.
* July 23 – Vibra Bank in Chula Vista, California opens.
* July 25 – The Avenue of the Saints expressway project, linking St. Louis, Missouri and St. Paul, Minnesota, is finally completed with a ribbon cutting ceremony near Wayland, Missouri.
* July 29 – The 5.5 Mw Chino Hills earthquake affected the Greater Los Angeles Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (*Strong*), causing eight injuries and limited damage.

### August

* August 8 – The United States compete at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and win 36 gold, 39 silver, and 37 bronze medals. Michael Phelps wins his eighth gold medal, breaking the record set by Mark Spitz, and sets the record for the most golds in a single Olympics.
* August 8 – Former U.S. Senator and vice-presidential and presidential candidate John Edwards admits to an adulterous affair with former campaign worker Rielle Hunter after months of tabloid speculation, but denies being the father of her baby. Edwards would later admit to being the baby's father.
* August 15 – The U.S. government condemns the Russian invasion of the Caucasian country of Georgia.
* August 19 – Lady Gaga releases her debut album *The Fame*.
* August 24 – An aircraft crashes in Guatemala, killing 10, including four Americans on a humanitarian mission.
* August 25 – Barack Obama and Joe Biden are declared the Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
* August 26 – Hurricane Gustav makes landfall on Louisiana as Category 2 and kills seven in the United States, after making landfall on western Cuba as Category 4, and killing 66 in Haiti, eight in the Dominican Republic, and 11 in Jamaica.
* August 28 – Hurricane Hanna kills seven in the United States, and 529 in Haiti, mostly due to floods and mudslides.
* August 29 – Republican presidential candidate John McCain chooses Sarah Palin as his running mate.

### September

* September 1
	+ Hurricane Ike makes landfall on Texas as Category 2 and kills 27 in the United States, after killing four in Cuba, one in the Dominican Republic, and 75 in Haiti.
	+ John McCain and Sarah Palin are declared the Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
	+ Sarah Palin announces that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant.
* September 6 – DT Carnage is released on the PlayStation 2, developed by Axis Entertainment, and published by Agetec
* September 7 – The U.S. Government takes control of the two largest mortgage financing companies in the U.S., Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
* September 8 – *The Rachel Maddow Show* premieres on MSNBC.
* September 12 – A Metrolink train collides head-on into a freight train in Los Angeles, California, killing 25 and injuring 130.
* September 15 – Wall Street investment bank Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
* September 21 – The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards are presented. The telecast becomes the lowest rated and least viewed ceremony in its televised history. *John Adams*, *30 Rock*, *Mad Men*, *The Amazing Race*, and *The Daily Show with John Stewart*, among others, are winners.
* September 26 – John McCain and Barack Obama engage in the first presidential debate, held at University of Mississippi and moderated by Jim Lehrer.
* September 28 – SpaceX Falcon 1 becomes the world's first privately developed space launch vehicle to successfully make orbit.
* September 29 – the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 777 points due to the financial panic.

### October

* October 3 – Global financial crisis: U.S. President George W. Bush signs the revised Emergency Economic Stabilization Act into law, creating a 700 billion dollar Treasury fund to purchase failing bank assets.
* October 6 – NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft makes its second of three flybys of Mercury, decreasing the velocity for orbital insertion on March 18, 2011.
* October 10
	+ Connecticut legalizes gay marriage.
	+ The Alaska Legislative Council votes to release an investigative report that found that Sarah Palin had abused her power as governor in relation to the July 2008 dismissal of Alaskan Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.
* October 15 – Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama meet in their third and final televised debate at Hofstra University.
* October 29
	+ Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines, forming the world's largest commercial carrier.
	+ The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series. The series score was 4–1.

### November

* November 4 – 2008 United States presidential election: Democratic U.S. Senator Barack Obama is elected as the 44th President of the United States and U.S. Senator Joe Biden is elected the 47th Vice President. Barack Obama becomes the first African-American President-elect.
* November 11 – Taylor Swift releases her second studio album *Fearless*. It would later become the most-awarded country album of all time.
* November 14 – STS-126: Space Shuttle *Endeavour* uses the MPLM Leonardo to deliver experiment and storage racks to the International Space Station. There will be only three more launches of Endeavour after this mission.
* November 17 – *Twilight*, based on Stephenie Meyer's 2005 novel of the same name, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, premieres.
* November 21 – Walt Disney Animation Studios' 48th feature film, *Bolt*, is released. Despite a relatively marginal box-office performance, the film receives the studio's strongest critical reception since 1999's *Tarzan* and is renowned for playing an important role in instigating what is widely referred to as the Disney Revival, as well as setting the studio in a new creative direction that would lead to other critically acclaimed features such as 2010's *Tangled* and 2013's *Frozen*.

### December

* December 1 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 680 points, its fourth worst drop in its history, after the National Bureau of Economic Research declared on the same day that the United States economy officially entered a recession in December 2007.
* December 2 – The unemployment rate soars to 7.3%, the highest since December 1992.
* December 5 – Retired American football player O. J. Simpson is sentenced to 33 years in prison in relation to a September 2007 armed robbery. Simpson would be granted parole and released in October 2017.
* December 9 – Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is arrested by federal agents on public corruption charges. Prosecutors allege Blagojevich attempted to solicit bribes to occupy the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama upon his election to the presidency. Blagojevich was later convicted.
* December 11
	+ Bernie Madoff is arrested and charged with securities fraud in relation to what would later be revealed to be the largest Ponzi scheme in history.
	+ Nobel Prize winners are announced. Americans Yoichiro Nambu, Martin Chalfie, Roger Y. Tsien, and Paul Krugman, among others, are recipients.
* December 18 – Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi throws both of his shoes at President George W. Bush during an Iraqi press conference.
* December 24 – Bruce Pardo, while wearing a Santa suit, kills nine people during a Christmas Eve party and burns down the house during the Covina, California massacre.

## Memoriam

### January

* January 1 – Salvatore Bonanno, leader of organized crime (aged 75; Tucson, AZ, USA)
* January 7
	+ Philip Agee, spy and writer (aged 72; Havana, Cuba)
	+ Buddy LeRoux, businessman and baseball executive (aged 77; Wolfeboro, NH, USA)
* January 10
	+ Christopher Bowman, figure skater (aged 40; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Maila Nurmi, Finnish-born actress and television personality (aged 85; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* January 11 – Carl Karcher, businessman (aged 90; Fullerton, CA, USA)
* January 13 – Johnny Podres, baseball player (aged 75; Glens Falls, NY, USA)
* January 15 – Brad Renfro, actor (aged 25; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* January 17
	+ Bobby Fischer, American-born Icelandic chess grandmaster (aged 64; Reykjavík, Iceland)
	+ Ernie Holmes, American football player (aged 59; Beaumont, TX, USA)
	+ Allan Melvin, actor (aged 84; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* January 18
	+ Georgia Frontiere, American football team owner, entertainer, and philanthropist (aged 80; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Lois Nettleton, actress (aged 80; Woodland Hills, CA, USA)
* January 19
	+ Frances Lewine, journalist (aged 86; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Suzanne Pleshette, actress (aged 70; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ John Stewart, singer and songwriter (aged 68; San Diego, CA, USA)
* January 22
	+ Roberto Gari, actor (aged 87; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Miles Lerman, Polish-born activist and museum administrator (aged 88; Philadelphia, PA, USA)
	+ Heath Ledger, Australian actor and director (aged 28; New York City, NY, USA)
* January 24 – Randy Salerno, television journalist (aged 45; Eagle River, WI, USA)
* January 27 – Gordon B. Hinckley, minister and executive (aged 97; Salt Lake City, UT, USA)
* January 29
	+ Raymond Jacobs, marine, member of the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima (aged 82; Redding, CA, USA)
	+ Margaret Truman, singer, writer, historian, and daughter of Harry S. Truman (aged 83; Chicago, IL, USA)

### February

* February 1 – Shell Kepler, actress (aged 49; Portland, OR, USA)
* February 2
	+ Earl Butz, 18th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1971 to 1976 (aged 98; Kensington, MD, USA)
	+ Joshua Lederberg, Nobel molecular biologist and college administrator (aged 82; New York City, NY, USA)
* February 4
	+ Harry Richard Landis, World War I soldier (aged 108; Sun City Center, FL, USA)
	+ Sheldon Brown, bicycle mechanic and writer (aged 63; Newton, MA, USA)
* February 6 – John McWethy, journalist (aged 60; Keystone, CO, USA)
* February 8 – Phyllis A. Whitney, Japanese-born American writer (aged 104; Faber, VA, USA)
* February 10 – Roy Scheider, actor and boxer (aged 75; Little Rock, AR, USA)
* February 11 – Tom Lantos, Hungarian-American United States Representative from California from 1981 to 2008 (aged 80; Bethesda, MD, USA)
* February 12 – Oscar Brodney, screenwriter and lawyer (aged 100; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* February 13 – Roger Voisin, French-born musician (aged 89; Boston, MA, USA)
* February 15 – Johnny Weaver, wrestler and sportscaster (aged 72; Charlotte, NC, USA)
* February 21 – Ben Chapman, actor (aged 79; Honolulu, HI, USA)
* February 24 – Larry Norman, musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer (aged 60; Salem, OR, USA)
* February 26 – Buddy Miles, musician (aged 60; Austin, TX, USA)
* February 27
	+ William F. Buckley Jr., writer and commentator (aged 82; Stamford, CT, USA)
	+ Boyd Coddington, automobile producer and television host (aged 63; Whittier, CA, USA)
	+ Myron Cope, American football sportscaster (aged 79; Mount Lebanon, PA, USA)
* February 28 – Joseph M. Juran, Romanian-born management consultant and engineer (aged 103; Rye, NY, USA)

### March

* March 4 – Gary Gygax, writer and game designer (aged 69; Lake Geneva, WI, USA)
* March 5 – Joseph Weizenbaum, German writer and computer scientist (aged 85; Ludwigsfelde-Gröben, Germany)
* March 9 – Gus Giordano, dancer (aged 84; Chicago, IL, USA)
* March 12 – Howard Metzenbaum, U.S. Senator from Ohio in 1974 and from 1976 to 1995 (aged 90; Aventura, FL, USA)
* March 15 – Vicki Van Meter, aviator (aged 26; Meadville, PA, USA)
* March 16
	+ Ivan Dixon, actor, director, and producer (aged 76; Charlotte, NC, USA)
	+ Gary Hart, wrestler and wrestling manager (aged 66; Euless, TX, USA)
* March 20 – Abigail Rose Taylor, notable accident victim (aged 6; Edina, MN, USA)
* March 22 – Cachao, Cuban musician (aged 89; Coral Gables, FL, USA)
* March 23 – Al Copeland, entrepreneur (aged 64; Munich, Germany)
* March 24
	+ Hal Riney, businessman, founded Publicis, and Hal Riney (aged 75; San Francisco, CA, USA)
	+ Richard Widmark, actor (aged 93; Roxbury, CT, USA)
* March 28
	+ Herb Rich, American football player (aged 79; Nashville, TN, USA)
	+ Ron Slinker, wrestler (aged 62; Tampa, FL, USA)
	+ Helen Yglesias, writer (aged 92; New York City, NY, USA)
* March 30
	+ Douglas Kent Hall, writer and photographer (aged 69; Albuquerque, NM, USA)
	+ Dith Pran, Cambodian-born photojournalist (aged 65; New Brunswick, NJ, USA)
* March 31 – Jules Dassin, film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, and husband of Melina Mercouri (aged 96; Athens, Greece)

### April

* April 2 – Ray Poole, American football player and coach (aged 86; Gloster, MS, USA)
* April 5 – Charlton Heston, actor (aged 84; Beverly Hills, CA, USA)
* April 8 – Stanley Kamel, actor (aged 65; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* April 11 – Merlin German, soldier and charity founder (aged 22; San Antonio, TX, USA)
* April 12 – Barbara McDermott, last American survivor of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania (aged 95; Wallingford, CT, USA)
* April 13 – John Archibald Wheeler, physicist (aged 96; Hightstown, NJ, USA)
* April 14 – Ollie Johnston, animator (aged 95; Sequim, WA, USA)
* April 16
	+ Joe Feeney, tenor (aged 76; Carlsbad, CA, USA)
	+ Edward Norton Lorenz, mathematician and meteorologist (aged 90; Cambridge, MA, USA)
	+ Joseph Solman, painter (aged 99; New York City, NY, USA)
* April 17 – Danny Federici, musician (aged 58; New York City, NY, USA)
* April 21 – Al Wilson, singer (aged 68; Fontana, CA, USA)
* April 22 – Paul Davis, singer, songwriter, and musician (aged 60; Meridian, MS, USA)

### May

* May 1
	+ Buzzie Bavasi, baseball executive (aged 93; San Diego, CA, USA)
	+ Elaine Dundy, writer and actress (aged 86; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Jim Hager, country music singer and television actor (*Hee Haw*) (aged 66; Nashville, TN, USA)
	+ Deborah Jeane Palfrey, escort agency proprietor (aged 52; Tarpon Springs, FL, USA)
* May 2 – Beverlee McKinsey, actress (aged 72; Santa Maria, CA, USA)
* May 4 – Fred Baur, chemist and inventor (aged 89; Cincinnati, OH, USA)
* May 5
	+ Irv Robbins, Canadian-born entrepreneur (aged 90; Rancho Mirage, CA, USA)
	+ Jerry Wallace, country and pop singer (aged 79; Corona, CA, USA)
* May 8 – Eddy Arnold, singer, songwriter, and musician (aged 89; Nashville, TN, USA)
* May 9 – Judy Grable, professional wrestler (aged 72; Bremerton, WA, USA)
* May 11 – Dottie Rambo, singer, songwriter, and musician (aged 74; Mount Vernon, MO, USA)
* May 12 – Robert Rauschenberg, artist (aged 82; Captiva, FL, USA)
* May 13 – John Phillip Law, actor (aged 70; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* May 15
	+ Alexander Courage, composer (aged 88; Pacific Palisades, CA, USA)
	+ Willis Lamb, Nobel physicist (aged 94; Tucson, AZ, USA)
* May 16 – Robert Mondavi, winemaker (aged 94; Yountville, CA, USA)
* May 18 – Joseph Pevney, film and television director (aged 96; Palm Desert, CA, USA)
* May 20 – Hamilton Jordan, 8th White House Chief of Staff from 1979 to 1980 (aged 63; Atlanta, GA, USA)
* May 22 – Robert Asprin, writer (aged 61; New Orleans, LA, USA)
* May 23 – Cornell Capa, Hungarian-American photographer (aged 90; New York City, NY, USA)
* May 24 – Dick Martin, comedian, television director, actor, and producer (aged 86; Santa Monica, CA, USA)
* May 26
	+ Earle Hagen, composer (aged 88; Rancho Mirage, CA, USA)
	+ Sydney Pollack, actor, director, and producer (aged 73; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* May 28 – Robert H. Justman, television producer and director (aged 81; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* May 29 – Harvey Korman, actor and comedian (aged 81; Los Angeles, CA, USA)

### June

* June 2
	+ Bo Diddley, singer, songwriter and musician (aged 79; Archer, FL, USA)
	+ Mel Ferrer, actor, director and producer, spouse of Audrey Hepburn (aged 90; Santa Barbara, CA, USA)
* June 6 – Dwight White, American football player (aged 58; Pittsburgh, PA, USA)
* June 7 – Jim McKay, television sports journalist (aged 86; Monkton, MD, USA)
* June 9 – Algis Budrys, science fiction writer (aged 77; Evanston, IL, USA)
* June 10 – John Rauch, American football player and coach (aged 80; Oldsmar, FL, USA)
* June 12 – Charlie Jones, television sportscaster and actor (aged 77; La Jolla, CA, USA)
* June 13 – Tim Russert, television journalist and lawyer (aged 58; Washington, DC, USA)
* June 15
	+ Johnathan Goddard, American football player (aged 27; Clay County, FL, USA)
	+ Stan Winston, film and television special effects and makeup artist (aged 62; Malibu, CA, USA)
* June 16 – Caylee Anthony, alleged murder victim (aged 2; Orlando, FL, USA)
* June 17 – Cyd Charisse, actress and dancer, spouse of Tony Martin (aged 87; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* June 19 – Bennie Swain, basketball player and coach (aged 74; Houston, TX, USA)
* June 21
	+ Scott Kalitta, race car driver (aged 46; Old Bridge Township, NJ, USA)
	+ Kermit Love, puppeteer and costume designer (aged 91; Poughkeepsie, NY, USA)
* June 22
	+ George Carlin, writer, actor, comedian and obscenity law central figure (aged 71; Santa Monica, CA, USA)
	+ Dody Goodman, actress (aged 93; Englewood, NJ, USA)
* June 24 – Leonid Hurwicz, Nobel economist and mathematician (aged 90; Minneapolis, MN, USA)
* June 26 – Katherine Loker, philanthropist (aged 92; Oceanside, CA, USA)
* June 27
	+ Polk Robison, basketball coach (aged 96; Lubbock, TX, USA)
	+ Michael Turner, comic book artist (aged 37; Santa Monica, CA, USA)
* June 29 – Don S. Davis, actor and soldier (aged 65; Gibsons, BC, Canada)

### July

* July 1
	+ John Pont, American football coach (aged 80; Oxford, OH, USA)
	+ Mark Dean Schwab, murderer (aged 39; Raiford, FL, USA)
* July 3 – Larry Harmon, clown (aged 83; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* July 4
	+ Jesse Helms, politician (aged 86; Raliegh, NC, USA)
	+ Evelyn Keyes, actress and wife of John Huston and Artie Shaw (aged 91; Montecito, CA, USA)
	+ Terrence Kiel, American football player (aged 27; San Diego, CA, USA)
* July 6 – Bobby Durham, jazz drummer (aged 71; Genoa, Italy)
* July 11 – Michael DeBakey, surgeon and inventor (aged 99; Houston, TX, USA)
* July 12 – Tony Snow, journalist and 26th White House Press Secretary from 2006 to 2007 (aged 53; Washington, DC, USA)
* July 16 – Jo Stafford, singer (aged 90; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* July 22 – Estelle Getty, actress (aged 84; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* July 25
	+ Johnny Griffin, saxophonist (aged 80; Paris, France)
	+ Randy Pausch, writer and computer scientist (aged 47; Chesapeake, VA, USA)

### August

* August 3 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian Nobel writer (aged 89; Moscow, Russia)
* August 9 – Bernie Mac, actor and comedian (aged 50; Chicago, IL, USA)
* August 10 – Isaac Hayes, singer, songwriter, musician, and actor (aged 65; Memphis, TN, USA)
* August 11 – George Furth, librettist, playwright, and actor (aged 75; Santa Monica, CA, USA)
* August 12 – Patricia W. Malone, naval officer (aged 84; Kennesaw, GA, USA)
* August 13 – Sandy Allen, tallest woman in the world (according to Guinness World Records) (aged 53; Shelbyville, IN, USA)
* August 15
	+ James Orthwein, businessman (aged 84; Huntleigh, MO, USA)
	+ Leroy Sievers, journalist (aged 53; Berkeley, CA, USA)
	+ Jerry Wexler, music producer and journalist (aged 91; Sarasota, FL, USA)
* August 16 – Roberta Collins, actress (aged 63; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* August 17 – Philip Saffman, English-American mathematician (aged 77; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* August 19
	+ Julius Carry, actor (aged 56; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ LeRoi Moore, musician (aged 46; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* August 20 – Phil Guy, blues guitarist (aged 68; Chicago Heights, IL, USA)
* August 23 – Thomas Huckle Weller, American Nobel virologist (aged 93; Needham, MA, USA)
* August 28 – Phil Hill, race car driver (aged 81; Monterey, CA, USA)

### September

* September 1
	+ Don LaFontaine, television show and advertisement announcer (aged 68; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Jerry Reed, singer, songwriter, actor, and guitarist (aged 71; Nashville, TN, USA)
* September 2 – Bill Melendez, Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer (aged 91; Santa Monica, CA, USA)
* September 6 – Anita Page, actress (aged 98; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* September 9 – Warith Deen Mohammed, American Muslim leader, theologian, philosopher and revivalist (aged 74; Chicago, IL, USA)
* September 12 – David Foster Wallace, writer and columnist (aged 46; Claremont, CA, USA)
* September 14 – Hyman Golden, businessman (aged 85; Great Neck, NY, USA)
* September 19 – Earl Palmer, R&B Drummer (aged 83; Banning, CA, USA)
* September 26 – Paul Newman, actor, film director, entrepreneur and philanthropist (aged 83; Westport, CT, USA)

### October

* October 1 – Robert Arthur, actor (aged 83; Aberdeen, WA, USA)
* October 5 – Kim Chan, Chinese-American actor (aged 90; Brooklyn, NY, USA)
* October 15 – Edie Adams, actress, singer, comedian, businesswoman (aged 81; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* October 17 – Levi Stubbs, singer and actor (aged 72; Detroit, MI, USA)
* October 19
	+ Richard Blackwell, actor, fashion designer and critic (aged 86; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Rudy Ray Moore, actor, musician, and comedian (aged 81; Akron, OH, USA)
* October 26 – Tony Hillerman, writer (aged 83; Albuquerque, NM, USA)
* October 29 – William Wharton, author (aged 82; Encinitas, CA, USA)
* October 31 – Studs Terkel, writer, broadcaster, and historian (aged 96; Chicago, IL, USA)

### November

* November 1 – Tiffany Sloan, model (aged 35; Las Vegas, NV, USA)
* November 4
	+ Michael Crichton, physician, writer, screenwriter, film and television director and producer (aged 66; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Mordechai Dov Brody, notable euthanasia patient (aged 12; Brooklyn, NY, USA)
* November 10 – Miriam Makeba, South African singer (aged 76; Castel Volturno, Italy)
* November 12
	+ Catherine Baker Knoll, educator and politician, 30th Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania (aged 78; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Mitch Mitchell, British musician (aged 62; Portland, OR, USA)
* November 13 – Jules Archer, historian and author (aged 93; Scotts Valley, CA, USA)
* November 21 – Brenden Foster, murder victim (aged 11; Bothell, WA, USA)
* November 22 – MC Breed, rapper (aged 37; Ypsilanti, MI, USA)

### December

* December 1 – Paul Benedict, actor (aged 70; Martha's Vineyard, MA, USA)
* December 2
	+ Kathleen Baskin-Ball, minister (aged 50; Allen, TX, USA)
	+ Odetta, singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and civil rights activist (aged 77; New York City, NY, USA)
* December 4 – Forrest J. Ackerman, writer, columnist, actor, and science-fiction collector (aged 92; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* December 5
	+ Nina Foch, Dutch-born actress (aged 84; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Beverly Garland, actress and businesswoman (aged 82; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* December 6 – Sunny von Bülow, socialite and alleged murder victim, wife of Claus von Bülow (aged 76; New York City, NY, USA)
* December 8
	+ Robert Prosky, actor (aged 77; Washington, DC, USA)
	+ William S. Stevens, lawyer (aged 60; Anchorage, AK, USA)
* December 11
	+ Maddie Blaustein, actress (aged 48; Jersey City, NJ, USA)
	+ Bettie Page, model and actress (aged 85; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* December 12 – Van Johnson, actor (aged 92; Nyack, NY, USA)
* December 14 – Mike Bell, professional wrestler (aged 37; Costa Mesa, CA, USA)
* December 15 – John W. Powell, Chinese-American journalist (aged 89; San Francisco, CA, USA)
* December 16 – Sam Bottoms, actor (aged 53; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* December 17 – Sammy Baugh, American football player and coach (aged 94; Rotan, TX, USA)
* December 18
	+ Majel Barrett, actress, producer (aged 76; Bel Air, CA, USA)
	+ Mark Felt, FBI agent also known as "Deep Throat" from Watergate scandal (aged 95; Santa Rosa, CA, USA)
* December 19 – James Bevel, minister and civil rights activist (aged 72; Springfield, VA, USA)
* December 20 – Robert Mulligan, film and television director (aged 83; Lyme, CT, USA)
* December 24 – Harold Pinter, British Nobel writer, screenwriter, director, and actor (aged 78; London, England, UK)
* December 25 – Eartha Kitt, actress and singer (aged 81; Weston, CT, USA)
* December 29 – Freddie Hubbard, musician (aged 70; Sherman Oaks, CA, USA)
* December 31 – Donald E. Westlake, writer and screenwriter (aged 75; Mexico)