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Ekneth Solkar

Ekneth Solkar

Eknath Dhondu Solkar (born March 18 1948 in Mumbai; died June 26 2005 in Mumbai) was an Indian all-round cricketer who played 27 Tests and seven One-Day Internationals for his country. He was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, and died in the same city at the age of 57. Solkar was renowned for his excellent close fielding, and his catches helped India to victory against England at The Oval in 1971, the team's first Test win in England.

External links


- Solkar, Eknath Solkar, Eknath Solkar, Eknath Solkar, Eknath Solkar, Eknath Solkar, Eknath Solkar, Eknath

March 18

March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). There are 288 days remaining.

Events


- 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius' will and proclaims Caligula emperor.
- 731 - Saint Gregory III begins his reign as a Catholic pope.
- 1229 - Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor declares himself King of Jerusalem during the Sixth Crusade.
- 1438 - Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Germany.
- 1608 - Sissinios formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia
- 1673 - John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton sells his part of New Jersey to some Friends (Quakers).
- 1766 - American Revolution: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act, which was very unpopular in the British colonies.
- 1850 - American Express is founded by Henry Wells & William Fargo.
- 1865 - American Civil War: The Congress of the Confederate States of America adjourns for the last time.
- 1871 - President of the French government Thiers orders evacuation of Paris, a socialist government rules the city.
- 1874 - Hawaii signs a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trading rights.
- 1909 - Einar Dessau uses a short-wave radio transmitter becoming the first to broadcast as a ham radio operator.
- 1913 - George I of Greece is assassinated.
- 1915 - World War I: Three battleships are sunk during a failed British & French naval attack on the Dardanelles.
- 1921 - The second Peace of Riga between Poland and Soviet Union. Despite the recent Polish successes, Soviets annex Ukraine and Belarus. Government of Ukraine emigrates to France. Famine kills millions of Russians.
- 1922 - In India, Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience. He would serve only 2 years.
- 1925 - The Tri-State Tornado hits the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people.
- 1937 - The New London School explosion kills three hundred, mostly children.
- 1937 - Spanish Civil War: Spanish Republican forces hand the Italian forces a grave defeat at the Battle of Guadalajara.
- 1938 - Mexico nationalizes all foreign-owned oil properties within its borders.
- 1940 - World War II: Axis Powers - Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet at Brenner Pass in the Alps and agree to form an alliance against France and the United Kingdom.
- 1945 - World War II: 1,250 American bombers attack Berlin.
- 1953 - An earthquake hits western Turkey killing 250.
- 1959 - American President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill into law allowing for Hawaiian statehood, which would become official on August 21.
- 1961 - In Cannes, France, Jean-Claude Pascal wins the sixth Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg singing "Nous les amoureux" (We the lovers).
- 1962 - France and Algeria sign an agreement ending the Algerian War.
- 1963 - Mark Tinley, Singer/ Songwriter is born.
- 1962 - In Luxembourg, Isabelle Aubret wins the seventh Eurovision Song Contest for France singing "Un premier amour" (A first love).
- 1965 - Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space.
- 1968 - Gold standard: The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency.
- 1970 - Lon Nol ousts Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.
- 1971 - A landslide at Chungar, Peru crashes into Lake Yanahuani killing 200.
- 1974 - Oil embargo crisis: Most OPEC nations end a five-month oil embargo against the United States, Europe and Japan.
- 1980 - On Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia 50 persons were killed at an explosion of a Vostok-2M rocket on its launch pad during a fueling operation.
- 1985 - The first episode of popular soap Neighbours airs on Australian TV.
- 1989 - In Egypt, a 4,400-year-old mummy is found in the Pyramid of Cheops.
- 1990 - 12 paintings, collectively worth $100 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the largest art theft in US history.
- 1992 - Microsoft ships Windows 3.1.
- 1997 - The tail of a Russian An-24 charter plane breaks off while en-route to Turkey causing the plane to crash and killing all 50 on board. This leads to the grounding of all An-24s.
- 2000 - 2000 Taiwanese presidential election: Chen Shui-bian is elected President of the Republic of China.
- 2005 - "The Screen Savers" TV show name was changed to Attack of the Show, ending an era of technological television.
- 2005 - The first ever Muslim Friday prayer, woman led mixed-gender congregation in New York City. This day marks a 1426 year Islamic tradition being broken.
- 2005 - Terri Schiavo's feeding tube is removed at the request of her husband, fueling a nationwide debate about her.

Births


- 1395 - John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, English military leader (d. 1447)
- 1555 - François, Duke of Anjou (d. 1584)
- 1590 - Manuel de Faria e Sousa, Portuguese historian and poet (d. 1649)
- 1603 - Simon Bradstreet, Massachusetts Bay colonist (d. 1693)
- 1634 - Marie-Madeleine Pioche de la Vergne, comtesse de la Fayette, French writer (d. 1693)
- 1640 - Philippe de la Hire, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1719)
- 1657 - Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian composer (d. 1743)
- 1679 - Matthew Decker, English merchant and writer (d. 1759)
- 1685 - Ralph Ersine, Scottish minister (d. 1752)
- 1690 - Christian Goldbach, Prussian mathematician (d. 1764)
- 1701 - Niclas Sahlgren, Swedish merchant and philanthropist (d. 1776)
- 1782 - John Calhoun, Vice President of the United States (d. 1850)
- 1813 - Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German writer (d. 1864)
- 1828 - William Randal Cremer, English politician and pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1908)
- 1837 - Grover Cleveland, President of the United States (d. 1908)
- 1840 - William Cosmo Monkhouse, English poet and critic (d. 1901)
- 1842 - Stéphane Mallarmé, French poet (d. 1898)
- 1844 - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer (d. 1908)
- 1858 - Rudolf Diesel, German inventor (d. 1913)
- 1869 - Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1940)
- 1872 - Anna Held, Polish actress amd singer (d. 1918)
- 1877 - Edgar Cayce, American psychic (d. 1945)
- 1882 - Gian Francesco Malipiero, Italian composer (d. 1973)
- 1886 - Edward Everett Horton, American actor (d. 1970)
- 1898 - Jake Swirbul, American aircraft manufacturer (d. 1960)
- 1899 - Jean Goldkette, Greek-born jazz musician (d. 1962)
- 1904 - Srečko Kosovel, Slovenian poet (d. 1926)
- 1905 - Robert Donat, English actor (d. 1958)
- 1905 - Thomas Townsend Brown, American scientist (d. 1985)
- 1910 - Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Republic of China (d. 1988)
- 1915 - Richard Condon, American novelist (d. 1996)
- 1918 - Al Benton, baseball player (d. 1968)
- 1918 - Bob Broeg, American sports writer (d. 2005)
- 1922 - Egon Bahr, German politician
- 1926 - Peter Graves, American actor
- 1927 - John Kander, American songwriter
- 1927 - George Plimpton, American writer and actor (d. 2003)
- 1928 - Julia Mullock, Princess of Korea
- 1928 - Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Philippines
- 1932 - John Updike, American author
- 1936 - Frederik Willem de Klerk, President of South Africa, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- 1937 - Mark Donohue, American race car driver (d. 1975)
- 1938 - Charley Pride, American musician
- 1941 - Wilson Pickett, American singer
- 1943 - Kevin Dobson, American actor
- 1949 - Alex Higgins, Irish snooker player
- 1950 - Brad Dourif, American actor
- 1951 - Bill Frisell, American jazz musician
- 1952 - Mike Webster, American football player (d. 2002)
- 1956 - Ingemar Stenmark, Swedish skier
- 1959 - Luc Besson, French producer, writer, and director
- 1959 - Irene Cara, American actress and singer
- 1960 - Richard Biggs, American actor (d. 2004)
- 1962 - Thomas Ian Griffith, American actor
- 1963 - Vanessa Lynn Williams, American beauty queen, actress, and singer
- 1964 - Bonnie Blair, American speed skater
- 1964 - Courtney Pine, British jazz saxophonist
- 1964 - Rozalla, Zambian singer
- 1966 - Jerry Cantrell, American musician (Alice in Chains)
- 1969 - Vassily Ivanchuk, Ukrainian chess player
- 1970 - Queen Latifah, American singer and actress
- 1972 - Dane Cook, American comedian
- 1973 - Max Barry, Australian author
- 1973 - Jason Beam, American artist
- 1977 - Danny Murphy, English footballer
- 1979 - Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
- 1980 - Alexei Yagudin, Russian figure skater

Deaths


- 978 - King Edward the Martyr of England
- 1227 - Pope Honorius III (b. 1148)
- 1583 - King Magnus of Livonia (b. 1540)
- 1584 - Tsar Ivan IV of Russia (b. 1530)
- 1675 - Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall, Irish soldier (b. 1606)
- 1689 - John Dixwell, English judge (b. 1607)
- 1696 - Robert Charnock, English conspirator
- 1745 - Sir Robert Walpole, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1676)
- 1746 - Anna Leopoldovna, regent of Russia (b. 1718)
- 1768 - Laurence Sterne, Irish writer (b. 1713)
- 1835 - Christian Gunther von Bernstorff, Danish and Prussian statesman and diplomat (b. 1769)
- 1871 - Augustus De Morgan, Indian-born British mathematician and logician (b. 1806)
- 1898 - Matilda Joslyn Gage, American suffragist (b. 1826)
- 1907 - Marcellin Berthelot, French chemist and politician (b. 1827)
- 1913 - King George I of Greece (b. 1845)
- 1947 - William C. Durant, American automobile pioneer (b. 1861)
- 1962 - Walter W. Bacon, Governor of Delaware (b. 1880)
- 1964 - Sigfrid Edström, Swedish sports official (b. 1870)
- 1965 - King Farouk I of Egypt (b. 1920)
- 1977 - Marien Ngouabi, President of the Republic of the Congo (b. 1938)
- 1978 - Leigh Brackett, American author (b. 1915)
- 1986 - Bernard Malamud, American writer (b. 1914)
- 1990 - Robin Harris, American actor and comedian (b. 1953)
- 1996 - Odysseus Elytis, Greek writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
- 1999 - Adolfo Bioy Casares, Argentinian writer (b. 1914)
- 2001 - John Phillips, American musician (The Mamas and the Papas) (b. 1935)
- 2002 - R.A. Lafferty, American science fiction writer (b. 1914)
- 2003 - Karl Kling, German race car driver (b. 1910)
- 2003 - Adam Osborne, British computer pioneer (b. 1939)
- 2004 - Harrison McCain, Canadian businessman (b. 1927)

Holidays and observances


- Aruba - Flag Day (1976)
- Ancient Latvia - Bindus Diena
- United States - National Biodiesel Day
- Feast day of St Cyril of Jerusalem

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/18 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/3/18 Today in History: March 18] ---- March 17 - March 19 - February 18 - April 18 -- listing of all days ko:3월 18일 ms:18 Mac ja:3月18日 simple:March 18 th:18 มีนาคม

Mumbai

Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई ) (pronounced in Marathi, and in English), formerly known as Bombay is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and is the most populous Indian city with a 2005 estimated population of about 18 million. Mumbai is located on Salsette Island off the west coast of India. Along with the neighbouring towns, it forms one of the world's most populous metropolitan areas, with an extended population of 20 million. The city, which has a deep natural harbour, is also the largest port in western India, handling over half of India's passenger traffic. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India, and houses important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. Because of the immense business opportunities available in Mumbai and the relatively high standard of living, it has attracted migrants from all over India and South Asia, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures. Bollywood, the epicentre of the country's Hindi film and television industry is located in Mumbai. Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to accommodate a national park, Borivali National Park within its city limits. The appellation Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba — the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai — meaning mother in Marathi. In the 16th century, the Portuguese named the area Bom Bahia, which means Good Bay. This was later corrupted to Bomaím or Bombaim, by which name it is still known in Portuguese; and after the British gained possession, it was anglicised to Bombay. The name was officially changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995, but the former name is still popularly used in the West and by many of the city's inhabitants and famous institutions.

History

Present-day Mumbai was originally made up of seven isles. Artefacts found near Kandivali in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands had been inhabited since the Stone Age. In the 3rd century BCE, they were part of the Maurya empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor Ashoka. The Hindu rulers of the Silhara dynasty later governed the islands until 1343, when it was annexed by the kingdom of Gujarat. Some of the oldest edifices of the archipelago–the Elephanta Caves and the Walkeshwar temple complex date to this era. In 1534, the Portuguese appropriated the islands from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. They were ceded to Charles II of England in 1661 as dowry or, more appropriately, wedding gifts of Catherine de Braganza. They in turn were leased to the British East India Company in 1668 for a sum of £10 per annum. The company found the deep harbour at Bombay eminently apposite, and the population rose from 10,000 in 1661 to 60,000 by 1675. In 1687, the East India Company transferred their headquarters from Surat to Bombay. From 1817 the city was reshaped, with large civil engineering projects aimed at merging the islands into a single amalgamated mass. This project, the Hornby Vellard, was completed by 1845 and resulted in the area swelling to 438 km². Eight years later, in 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to Thana. During the American Civil War, (1861–1865) the city became the world's chief cotton market, resulting in a boom in the economy and subsequently in the city's stature. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest Arabian Sea ports. 1869 The city grew into a major urban centre over the next thirty years, spurred by an improvement in the infrastructure and the construction of many of the city's institutions. The population of the city swelled to one million by 1906, making it the second largest in India, after Calcutta. It later became a major base for the Indian independence movement, with the Quit India Movement called by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 being its most rubric event. After independence, the city incorporated parts of the island of Salsette, expanding to its present day limits in 1957. It became the capital of the new linguistic state of Maharashtra in 1960. In the late 1970s Bombay witnessed a construction boom, with a significant increase in population owing to the influx of migrants. By 1986 it had overtaken Calcutta as the most populated Indian city. The city's secular fabric was torn in 1992, after large-scale Hindu-Muslim riots caused extensive losses to life and property. A few months later, on March 12, simultaneous bombings of the city's establishments by the underworld killed around three hundred. In 1995, the city was renamed Mumbai after the right wing Shiv Sena party came into power in Maharashtra, in keeping with their policy of renaming colonial institutions after historic local appellations.

Geography

Shiv Sena Mumbai is located on Salsette Island which lies at the mouth of Ulhas River off the western coast of India in the coastal region known as the Konkan. Most of Mumbai is at sea level and the average elevation ranges from 10 to 15 metres. The northern part of Mumbai is hilly and the highest point of the city is at 450 metres (1,450 feet). Mumbai spans a total area of 468 km² (169 square miles). Three lakes are located within the metropolitan limits — the Tulsi Lake, Vihar Lake and the Powai Lake. The first two are located within the Borivali National Park and supply part of the city's drinking water. Mumbai also has three small rivers within the city limits originating in the National Park. The coastline of the city is indented with numerous creeks and bays. On the eastern seaboard, large mangrove swamps rich in biodiversity occupy most of the region. Soil cover in the city region is predominantly sandy due to its proximity to the sea. In the suburbs the soil cover is largely alluvial and loamy. The underlying rock of the region is composed of black Deccan basalt flows and their acid and basic variants dating back to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene geological eras. Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity. The area is classified as a Zone III region, which means an earthquake of magnitude of up to 6.5 can be expected. Mumbai is classified as a metropolis of India, under the jurisdiction of the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation. It consists of two discrete regions — the City and the Suburbs, which also form two districts of Maharashtra. The city region is also commonly referred to as the Island City by most media publications.

Climate

media publications The city, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, does not experience distinct seasons, but the climate can broadly be classified into two main seasons — the humid season and the dry season. The humid season, between March to October, is characterised by high humidity and temperatures of over 30 °C (86 °F). The monsoon rains lash the city during June to September and supply most of the city's annual rainfall of 2,200 mm (85 in). The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (135.89 in) in 1954. The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37.16 inches) on 2005-07-26. The dry season, between November and February, is characterised by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a high wind chill factor during January and February. The annual temperatures range from a high of 38 °C (100 °F) to a low of 11 °C (52 °F). The record high is 43 °C (108 °F) and record low is 7.4 °C (45 °F) on 1962-01-22.

Economy

1962-01-22.]] Mumbai contributes 10% of factory employment, 33% of income tax collections, 60% of customs duty collections, 20% of central excise tax collections, 40% of India's foreign trade and rupees 40,000 crore (US $9 billion) in corporate taxes. Headquarters of a number of Indian financial institutions such as the Bombay Stock Exchange, Reserve Bank of India, National Stock Exchange of India, the Mint, as well as numerous Indian conglomerates such as the Tata Group, Godrej and Reliance are located in Mumbai. Most of these offices are located in downtown South Mumbai which is the nerve centre of the Indian economy, leading its Dalal Street to become known as "the Indian Wall Street". Many foreign establishments also have their branches in this area. Mumbai has traditionally owed its prosperity largely to its textile mills and its seaport till the 1980s. This has now been replaced by industries employing more skilled labour such as engineering, diamond polishing, healthcare and information technology. As Mumbai is the state capital, government employees make up a large percentage of the city's workforce. Mumbai also has a large unskilled and semi-skilled labour population, who primarily earn their livelihood as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics and other such proletarian professions. The port and shipping industry too employs many residents directly and indirectly. The entertainment industry is the other major employer in Mumbai. Most of India's television and satellite networks are located in Mumbai, as well as the major publishing houses. The epicentre of the Hindi movie industry, Bollywood, is also located in Mumbai, along with the largest studios and production houses.

Civic administration

studio The city is administered by a municipal corporation (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)), whose titular head is the Mayor who has few executive powers. The real executive power of the corporation is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the state government. The BMC is in charge of the civic needs and infrastructure of the metropolis. Mumbai is divided into twenty-three municipal wards, each overseen by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner for administrative purposes. The corporators of the administration are voted through a popular vote and almost all the state political parties field their candidates. The metropolis is composed of two districts in Maharashtra, and each district comes under the jurisprudence of the District Collector. The collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central government. They also oversee the national elections held in the city. Like other metropolises in India, the Mumbai Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an IPS officer. The Mumbai Police comes under the state Home Ministry. Mumbai is divided into seven police zones and seventeen traffic police zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Mumbai Police. Mumbai is the seat of the Bombay High Court, which has under its jurisdiction the states of Maharashtra, Goa and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu. Mumbai also has two lower courts, the Small Causes Court, for civil matters, and the Sessions Court for criminal cases. Mumbai contributes six seats to the Lok Sabha (India's Lower House of Parliament) and thirty-four seats to the Maharashtra state assembly.

Transport

Maharashtra state assembly Maharashtra state assembly Most of the city inhabitants rely on public transport to travel to and from their workplace, due to the paucity of parking spaces and traffic bottlenecks. The backbone of the city's transport, the Mumbai Suburban Railway, is composed of three rail networks and runs along the length of the city. The Western Railway runs along the western region of the city, while the Central Railway covers most of the central and northeast parts of the metropolis. Both these lines extend to the exurbs of the city, each covering a total one-way length of around 125 km. The Harbour Line is a sub-division of the Central Railway, covering a distance of 54 km along the extreme east areas of the city region near the docks and extending into New Bombay. Public buses run by the BEST (an autonomous body under the BMC) cover almost all parts of the metropolis as well as parts of New Bombay and Thane. Buses are used for short to medium distance commuting as train fares are more economical for long distances. The BEST fleet consists of single-decker, double-decker, air-conditioned and vestibule buses. The BEST also operates ferries across creeks in northern Mumbai. Black and yellow metered taxis, accommodating up to four passengers, cover most of the metropolis. Auto rickshaws, allowed to operate only in the suburban area, are the main form of hired transport there. These three-wheeled vehicles can accommodate up to three passengers. Auto rickshaw Mumbai's Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport is the busiest airport in India, and caters to cargo and international flights. Santacruz Airport caters to domestic flights. The nearby Juhu aerodrome was India's first airport and now hosts a flying club and a heliport. Mumbai is well connected by trains to all parts of India. The city is also the headquarters of two rail divisions, the Central Railway (CR) headquartered at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus) and the Western Railway (WR) headquartered at Mumbai Central. With its unique topography, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbours in the world handling 50% of the country's passenger traffic and much of India's cargo. It is also an important base of the Indian Navy.

Utility services

Indian Navy The BMC supplies potable water to the city most of which come the Tulsi and Vihar lakes, as well as a few lakes further north. The water is then filtered at Bhandup, which is also Asia's largest water filtration plant. The BMC is also responsible for the road maintenance and garbage collection in the city. Almost all the city daily refuse of 7,800 metric tonnes is transported to dumping grounds in Gorai in the northwest, Mulund in the northeast and Deonar in the east. Sewage treatment is carried out in Worli and Bandra. Electricity is provided by the BEST in the city and by Reliance Energy and MSEB in the suburbs. Most of the city's electricity is hydroelectric and nuclear based. The government owned MTNL is the largest telephone service provider in the city, ascribed to the fact that it was a monopoly till 2000. It provides fixed line services as well as mobile WLL services. Cell phone coverage is extensive and the main service providers are Hutch, Airtel, BPL group, Reliance Infocomm and Tata Indicom. Both GSM and CDMA services are available in the city. Broadband internet penetration is increasing in the city with MTNL and Tata being the leading service providers.

Demographics

Tata The population of Mumbai is over 17 million residents at a density of 45,662 persons per square kilometre. There are 811 females to every 1,000 males. This relatively low ratio exists because many working males in the city leave their families in the rural areas where they hail from. The total literacy rate is 77%, which is higher than the national average. Out of this figure 82% of adult males and 71.6% of adult females are literate. Hindus comprise 68% of the population, Muslim 17%, Christian 4% and Buddhist 4%. The remaining are followers of Parsi, Jain, Sikh and Jewish religions and atheist ideology. For a city of its size, Mumbai has a moderate crime rate. Mumbai recorded 27,577 incidents of crime in 2004, which is down 11% from 30,991 in 2001. The city's main jail is the Arthur Road Jail. According to a report in the August 12 edition of BusinessWeek, around 45-48% of the population lives in shanty towns and slums. Mumbai has a large polyglot population but the most common language spoken on the city streets is a colloquial form of Hindi, known as Bambaiya Hindi, which is a blend of Hindi, Marathi, Indian English and a few invented colloquial words. Marathi is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. English is also extensively spoken and is the principal language used by the city's white collar workforce. Other languages spoken in Mumbai include Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Urdu, Malayalam, Telugu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Konkani, Nepali and Kannada. See also: Growth of Mumbai, Mumbai statistics

People and culture

Mumbai statistics A resident of Mumbai is called a Mumbaikar or Bombayite. Many residents prefer to stay close to major railway stations for easy access to their workplaces as a significant amount of time is spent on daily commuting. Thus many live a fast-paced life with very little time for other activities. Mumbai is known to be one of the most liberal and cosmopolitan cities of India, with the city embracing many concepts which would be taboo in other cities. Mumbai residents celebrate Western and Indian celebrations and festivals with great fanfare. Festivals and celebrations are observed by residents of all communities and religions. The metropolis has its own local roadside fast food consisting of vada pavs, paani puri, pav bhaji and bhelpuri. South Indian and Chinese food are also very popular in the city. A cosmopolitan city, residents have their unique tastes in cuisine, music, film and literature, both Indian and international. In 2004, Mumbai received three heritage conservation awards from the UNESCO. UNESCO Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema, with the oldest film shot here in 1896. Mumbai also boasts of large number of cinemas, including Asia's largest IMAX dome theatre, which feature mainstream Bollywood and Hollywood films. Besides cinemas, the city also hosts various plays and cultural performances. There are also two art galleries: The Jehangir Art Gallery and The National Gallery of Modern Art and a museum, The Prince of Wales Museum in South Mumbai. Built in 1833, the Asiatic Society of Bombay is the oldest public library in the city. Mumbai has six sister cities, the maximum permitted by the Indian government. Its sister cities are London, Los Angeles, Yokohama, Berlin, Saint Petersburg and Stuttgart. See also:
- List of theatres in Mumbai
- List of tourist attractions in Mumbai

Media

Mumbai is served by numerous newspaper publications, television stations and radio. The Times of India, Midday, Afternoon, Asian Age, Economic Times, Mumbai Mirror, D N A - Daily News And Analysis, Hindustan Times and the Indian Express are the major English language newspapers sold in the city. Popular Marathi newspapers include Loksatta, Maharashtra Times, Nava Kaal, and Saamana. In addition to these papers, newspapers are printed in Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Bengali, Urdu, Telugu and Tamil. Most of the households in Mumbai are served by one of the three main cable networks serving the city. Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster, has two free terrestrial channels on air. Direct To Home, though present, has yet to gain mass acceptance due to its higher costs. Mumbai receives over a hundred television channels and a majority of them are produced to cater to the city's polyglot populace. The metropolis is also the hub of many international media corporations with many news channels and print publications having a major presence. There are nine radio stations in Mumbai, with six broadcasting in the popular FM band and three All India Radio stations broadcasting in the AM band. ;FM
- Radio City — 91 MHz
- Go 92.5 FM — 92.5 MHz
- Red FM — 93.5 MHz (India Today Group)
- Radio Mirchi — 98.3 MHz (ENIL group)
- AIR FM Gold — 100.7 MHz
- AIR FM Rainbow — 107.1 MHz ;AM
- 558 kHz
- 1044 kHz
- 1188 kHz

Education

Schools in Mumbai are either run by the BMC, in which case they are called public schools, or privately by trusts and individuals. Private schools have been preferred by a majority of city residents because of better facilities and use of English as a medium of instruction. All private schools are affiliated either to the Maharashtra state SSC board or the all-India Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and CBSE boards. Demand is especially high for ICSE, CBSE affiliated schools and those run by convents or by the Jesuits. The government-run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only options for most of the poor who cannot afford the fees in private schools. After ten years of schooling, students enroll for two years in a Junior College where they choose from one of the four popular streams: Arts, Commerce, Science and Law. This is followed by a professional degree course in the corresponding stream. All professional colleges in Mumbai are affiliated to the University of Mumbai, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of matriculation. The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, one of world's premier engineering universities, and the SNDT Women's University, open to women only, are the other universities in Mumbai. See also:
- List of Mumbai Colleges
- Education in India

Sports

Education in India Cricket is the most popular sport in the city and is usually played in the maidans (grounds) around the city. Gully cricket, a modified form of cricket, is played in the narrow gullies in the city, especially on Sundays. International cricket is widely watched, and the city almost comes to a standstill on days when the Indian cricket team plays important matches. The city has two international cricket stadiums, the Wankhede Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium. The local Mumbai cricket team is among the strongest competitors in the Ranji Trophy, the nation's top domestic cricketing event. Football (soccer) is the second most popular sport. The city has its own clubs and the football season is played during the monsoons, when other outdoor sports cannot be played. The Football World Cup is one of the most widely watched television events in Mumbai. Hockey, India's national sport, has gone into a sharp decline in the recent years, losing out in terms of popularity to cricket, though many players who make up the national team are from Mumbai. Other sports are mostly played in the numerous clubs and gymkhanas and include tennis, squash, billiards, badminton, table tennis and golf. Mumbai also has a rugby club, the only one in the country. Every February, Mumbai holds the Derby equestrian races in the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. The event sees many of the city's glitterati attending, arrayed in the latest fashions. In recent times Formula 1 racing has also caught the public's attention. Other sports such as volleyball and basketball are mostly popular in schools and colleges.

Problems

basketball Like many fast growing larger cities in India and other developing countries, Mumbai suffers from major urbanization problems. Widespread poverty is also a problem, which leads to generalized health, employment and education handicaps for a large group among its huge population. In Mumbai, half the city population lives in under- or unserviced squalor in slums or is homeless, and social exclusion are at the root of the major problems faced by the city. With nowhere to expand, built as it is on a spit of land jutting out into the Arabian Sea, Mumbai confines its residents to often cramped, relatively expensive housing, usually far from workplaces and therefore requiring long commutes on crowded public transit or clogged roadways. There is, however, much wealth in the city and Mumbai's real estate prices in some areas are among the most expensive in the world.

See also

External links


- [http://www.mcgm.gov.in/ Official site of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai]
- [http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/ The Mumbai Pages: The complete guide to the city of Mumbai (Bombay)]
- [http://mdmu.maharashtra.gov.in/pages/Mumbai/mumbaiplanShow.php Official city report]
- [http://www.mumbaispace.com/ Mumbaispace portal]
- [http://www.mumbaimart.com/ MumbaiMart Mumbai Online]
- [http://www.mid-day.com Mid Day Newspaper — Bombay news]
- [http://www.bombay-india.net A Complete Bombay Guide]
- [http://www.amitkulkarni.info/pics/ Places and Pictures around Mumbai]
- [http://www.mumbainet.com/cityinfo/cityinfo.htm Mumbainet]
- [http://thegreatindian.tripod.com/mumbai.htm Birds Eye View of Mumbai City(Rare Photo)]
- [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=19.011154,72.833176&spn=0.332027,0.468361&t=k&hl=en Satellite picture by Google Maps]
-

Further reading


- Fox, Edmund A; Short History of Bombay Presidency (1887) — Thacker & Co — No ISBN
- MacLean, James Mackenzie; A Guide to Bombay (1875 & 1902) — Various editions; No ISBN
- Chaudhari, K.K; History of Bombay (1987) — Modern Period Gazetteers Dept., Govt. of Maharashtra
- Tindall, Gillian; City of Gold (1992) — Penguin ISBN 0-14-009500-4
- Mehta, Suketu ; Maximum City : Bombay Lost and Found (2004) — Knopf ISBN 0-37-540372-8
- Patel, Sujata & Thorner, Alice; Bombay, Metaphor for Modern India (1995) — Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-563688-0
- Katiyar, Arun & Bhojani, Namas; Bombay, A Contemporary Account (1996) — Harper Collins ISBN 81-7225-216-0
- Contractor, Behram; From Bombay to Mumbai (1998) — Oriana Books
- Virani, Pinki; Once was Bombay (1999) — Viking ISBN 0-670-88869-9
- Mappls — Satellite based comprehensive maps of Mumbai (1999) — CE Info Systems Ltd. ISBN 81-901108-0-2

References

# [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1111518012&men=gpro&lng=en&gln=xx&dat=32&geo=392281282&srt=npan&col=aohdq&geo=-1048965 Mumbai], [http://www.world-gazetteer.com World Gazetteer] # [http://www.bhramanti.com/kanheri.html Kanheri, Lungs of Mumbai], Krishnadas Warrier, [http://www.bhramanti.com Bhramanti] # [http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/physical/fault.html The Seismic Environment of Mumbai], [http://theory.tifr.res.in TIFR - Theoretical Physics] # [http://www.mmrdamumbai.org/projects_muip.htm MMRDA Projects], [http://www.mmrdamumbai.org Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)] # [http://mdmu.maharashtra.gov.in/pages/Mumbai/mumbaiplanShow.php Mumbai Plan], [http://mdmu.maharashtra.gov.in Department of Relief and Rehabilitation (Maharashtra)] # Manorama Yearbook 2003, pg 678, ISBN 81-900461-8-7 # The Times of India, Mumbai edition (print), 2004-09-24, pg 1 # The Times of India, Mumbai edition (print), 2005-03-14, pg 5 # The Times of India, Mumbai edition (print), 2005-04-19, pg 2 # Dwivedi, Sharada & Mehrotra, Rahul; Bombay, The Cities Within (1995) — India Book House Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 81-85028-80-X # [http://mdmu.maharashtra.gov.in/pages/Mumbai/mumbaiplanShow.php BMC information on the city] — A complete reference on the city prepared by the BMC # [http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/ TIFR information] — a vast collection of information on the city # Our Greater Bombay (1990) — Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research # The Oxford School Atlas; 28th Revised Edition (1991) — Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-563316-4 # BusinessWeek; August 12, 2005; "China and India" special coverage
- Category:Indian state-capitals Category:Coastal cities ms:Mumbai ja:ムンバイ ko:뭄바이 simple:Mumbai

2005

2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. 2005 is the World Year of Physics, the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese calendar, and the International Year of the Eucharist in Catholicism. See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Events

January


- January 4 - Death of the Governor of Baghdad, Ali Al-Haidri, assassinated by gunmen.
- January 9 - The same storm which pounded the US earlier in the month hits England and Scandinavia, leaving 13 dead with widespread flooding and power cuts.
- January 9 - Mahmoud Abbas is elected to succeed Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority president in the Palestinian election.
- January 12 - Deep Impact is launched from Kennedy Space Center by a Delta 2 rocket.
- January 13 - Terrorists enter into Israel from Gaza and open fire on civilians near border, killing 6 and wounding 5 others. Hamas and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claim joint responsibility for attack.
- January 14 - The Huygens probe lands on Titan, largest moon of Saturn.
- January 16 - Adriana Iliescu gives birth at 66, the oldest woman in the world to do so. Adriana Iliescu.]]
- January 18 - Terrorists murder 1 person and wound 8 people in Gush Katif, Israel. Hamas claims responsibility.
- January 20 - George W. Bush is inaugurated in Washington, D.C. for his second term as 43rd President of the United States.
- January 20 - Ireland completes metrication.
- January 21 - In Belize's capital city Belmopan, the unrest over the government's new taxes erupts into riots.
- January 23 - Viktor Yushchenko is sworn in as the third President of Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine.
- January 25 - A stampede at Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi during a religious pilgrimage in India kills at least 215, mostly women and small children.
- January 30 - The first free Parliamentary elections in Iraq since 1958 take place.
- January 30 - A Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane crashes in Iraq, killing 10 British servicemen. Iraqi insurgents release a video claiming to have shot the aircraft down using a missile.

February


- February 6 - The New England Patriots defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 to win their third Super Bowl in four years.
- February 8 - Danish parliamentary elections continue the center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and his Liberal Party.
- February 9 - An ETA car bomb injures 31 people at a conference centre in Madrid.
- February 10 - North Korea announces that it possesses nuclear weapons as a protection against the hostility it feels from the United States.
- February 10 - Saudi Arabia holds its first ever elections for municipal authorities, in which only men are allowed to vote.
- February 12 - Fire devastates the Windsor Building, a 32 story office block, in Madrid.
- February 14 - A massive suicide bomb blast in central Beirut kills Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri and at least 15 other people. At least 135 other people were also hurt.
- February 14 - Around 59 people are killed and 200 injured in a fire at a mosque in Tehran, Iran. Iran emissions of greenhouse gases.]]
- February 16 - The Kyoto Protocol comes into effect, without the support of the United States and Australia.
- February 16 - The National Hockey League cancels its 2004-2005 season becoming the first North American professional league to cancel a season due to a labour dispute.
- February 19 - Suicide bombers kill more than 30 people in Iraq as Shia Muslims mark Ashura, their holiest day.
- February 20 - Spanish referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
- February 20 - Early Legislative elections in Portugal result in a landslide victory for José Sócrates and the Socialist Party.
- February 22 - More than 500 people are killed and over 1,000 injured after entire villages are flattened in an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale in Zarand region of Kerman province in southern Iran.
- February 25 - The Serial Killer Dennis Rader is apprehended by Wichita Police and the FBI.
- February 25 - Terrorists murder 5 people and wound 50 people in Tel Aviv, Israel. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for attack.
- February 26 - Hosni Mubarak the president of Egypt asks parliament to amend the constitution to allow multi-candidate presidential elections before September 2005.

March


- March 1 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules the death penalty unconstitutional for juveniles who committed their crimes under age 18.
- March 3 - At 19:17 the 3500-ton freighter, M/V Karen Danielsen, crashes into the Western bridge of the Great Belt Bridge of Denmark, 800m from Funen. All traffic across the bridge is closed, effectively separating Denmark in two.
- March 3 - Millionaire Steve Fossett breaks a world record by completing the first non-stop, non-refueled, solo flight around the world in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.
- March 10 - Tung Chee Hwa's resignation: Tung Chee Hwa, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, resigns.
- March 11 - In the UK, the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 was finally given Royal Assent after one of the longest ever sittings by the House of Lords.
- March 13 - First round of Central African Republic elections.
- March 14 - The People's Republic of China ratifies an anti-secession law aimed at preventing Taiwan from declaring independence.
- March 14 - Nearly one million people gathered for an opposition rally in Beirut, a month after the death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri — the largest rally in Lebanon history. Lebanon, 2005.]]
- March 16 - Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, accused of the bombing of the Air India Flight 182 in 1985, are found not guilty on all counts.
- March 19 - A suspected suicide bomber in Doha, Qatar, kills one person and injures about 12 others.
- March 19 - A time bomb explodes in a Muslim shrine in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 29 people and wounding 40.
- March 19 - A mine blast occurs at the Xishui coal mine in Shuozhou and rocks nearby Kangjiayao coal mine, killing up to 59.
- March 20 - At least 250 people in Japan are injured and at least one killed by when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck west of Kyushu Island, just 9km (5.5 miles) below the ocean floor.
- March 21 - 10 killed in the Red Lake High School massacre in Minnesota, the worst school shooting since the Columbine High School massacre.
- March 23 - The United States' 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' 2-1 decision refuses to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.
- March 24 - The Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan reaches its climax with the overthrow of president Askar Akayev.
- March 26 - The Taiwanese government called on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of Mainland China. Around 200 000 to 300 000 attended the walk.
- March 28 - The 2005 Sumatran earthquake struck off Sumatra, 3 months after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. At a magnitude of 8.7 it is the second largest earthquake since 1965.

April


- Anti-Japanese demonstrations in China
- April 1 - Newsanchor Peter Jennings hosts what will turn out to be his final World News Tonight telecast.
- April 2 - Pope John Paul II dies, causing widespread grief in the world.
- April 7 - MG Rover, the UK's sole remaining volume producer goes into receivership after a planned alliance with Chinese manufacturer, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation collapses.
- April 7 - A suicide bomber blows himself up in Cairo's Khan al Khalili market, killing two foreign tourists and wounding seventeen others. A group called "Islamic Pride Brigades" claims responsibility.
- April 8 - Referendum in Curaçao on independence vs. integration with the Netherlands.
- April 9 - Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many of them supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr, marched through Baghdad denouncing the U.S. occupation of Iraq, two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and rallied in the square where his statue was toppled in 2003.
- April 9 - The marriage of The Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles takes place. Camilla assumes the titles Her Royal Highness and The Duchess of Cornwall.
- April 12 - Fans hurl lit flares onto the field at San Siro Stadium in Milan during a Champions League quarter-final soccer match.
- April 15 - At least twenty one people died and around fifty people were injured in a devastating fire at a hotel in central Paris.
- April 16 - President Lucio Gutierrez of Ecuador declared a state of emergency in the capital city and dissolved the Supreme Court.
- April 17 - Twelve holidaymakers were killed in southern Switzerland when a bus carrying twenty seven people plunged 200 metres into a ravine.
- April 18 - Five people died in ethnic clashes in Iran's south-west Khuzestan province.
- April 19 - Joseph Ratzinger elected Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of the Papal conclave.
- April 20 - fifty six hurt as earthquake hits Fukuoka and Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake measured a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale.
- April 20 - President Lucio Gutiérrez of Ecuador is said to have fled after Congress voted to sack him amid growing protests.
- April 21 - A bus crash in Vietnam's Central Highlands has left thirty Vietnamese war veterans dead and four other people hurt.
- April 21 - A gunfight on the edge of the Saudi city of Mecca has left two militants and two members of the security forces dead.
- April 23 - Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister of Italy, re-forms government after its dissolution three days earlier.
- April 25 - A passenger train derails in Amagasaki Hyogo Prefecture Japan killing 107 people and injuring another 456. (see Amagasaki rail crash)
- April 26 - Facing international pressure, Syria withdrew the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon ending its twenty nine year military domination of that country.
- April 27 - The Superjumbo jet aircraft Airbus A380 made its first flight from Toulouse.
- April 30 - Attacks on tourists in the Egyptian capital Cairo leave three militants dead and at least ten people injured.

May


- May 1 - A suicide attack targets a Kurdish funeral in the northern Iraqi town of Talafar, near Mosul, and leaves at least 25 people dead and more than 30 others injured. Earlier, at least five policemen and four civilians were killed in two separate attacks in Baghdad.
- May 2 - 4th president of Singapore, Wee Kim Wee dies from prostate cancer.
- May 2 - A blast at an illegal munitions store in northern Afghanistan kills 28 people and injures at least 13 others.
- May 3 - At least 32 people are killed and nine others injured when three two-storey buildings in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore collapsed after gas cylinders stored in one of them exploded.
- May 4 - In one of the largest insurgent attacks in Iraq to date, at least 60 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a suicide bombing at a Kurdish police recruitment center in Irbil, northern Iraq.
- May 5 - The United Kingdom votes in the 2005 general election. The Labour Party is re-elected with a substantially reduced majority.
- May 5 - Two homemade bombs explode outside the British consulate in New York, USA.
- May 10 - A live hand grenade lands about 100 feet (30 m) from United States President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but malfunctions and does not detonate.
- May 11 - Serial killer Michael Ross became first person executed in New England in 45 years.
- May 12 - An election was held in the Cayman Islands 7 months later than originally scheduled due to Hurricane Ivan. It resulted in a change of government, with the United Democratic Party giving four seats to the then-opposition People's Progressive Movement in the 15 member Legislative Assembly.
- May 13 - Uzbek troops kill up to 700 during protests in eastern Uzbekistan over the trials of 23 accused Islamic extremists. President Islam Karimov defends the act.
- May 13 - The United States Department of Defense issues a list of bases to be closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process (BRAC 2005).
- May 13 - The final episode of the TV series Star Trek: Enterprise is broadcast in the United States. This episode may mark the end of the Star Trek franchise itself, which dates back to 1966.
- May 15 - A passenger ferry capsizes and sinks in strong winds in the Bura Gauranga River in Bangladesh, leaving over 100 people missing.
- May 16 - George Galloway appears before a U.S. Senate committee, to answer allegations of making money from the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Programme.
- May 17 - Kuwaiti women granted right to vote.
- May 19 - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith released, effectively completing the Star Wars movie saga begun by George Lucas in 1977 and shattering the opening day box-office record with $50,013,859.
- May 19 - The Canadian House of Commons members narrowly pass two budget bills at second reading allowing the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin to stay in power.
- May 21 - Greece wins the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev.
- May 25 - Liverpool F.C. win the UEFA Champions League by defeating AC Milan 3-2 in a penalty shootout in Istanbul.
- May 25 - The Acting Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Donald Tsang, resigned for participating in the Chief Executive Election in July. As a result, Henry Tang and Michael Suen had become the Acting Chief Executive and Acting Chief Secretary for Administration respectively.
- May 29 - French referendum on the European Constitution votes resoundingly to reject.
- May 31 - W. Mark Felt is confirmed to be Deep Throat.

June


- June 1 - Dutch referendum on the European Constitution votes to reject, the second country to do so.
- June 5 - Switzerland votes to join the Schengen area and to allow same-sex partnerships.
- June 6 - Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam resigns.
- June 9 - Glynn Birch announced as new president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
- June 13 - Singer Michael Jackson acquitted of all charges of harming children (see 2005 trial of Michael Jackson).
- June 17 - A 6.7 aftershock,which followed a 5.3 earthquake the previous day, hits California making it the fourth earthquake since June 12 in California. (California earthquakes of June 2005)
- June 17 - Because of "quadruple-witching" options and futures expiration, the New York Stock Exchange sees the heaviest first-hour trading on record. 704 million shares were traded between 9:30-10:30 A.M. 1.92 billion shares were traded for the day.
- June 19 - Election in the Autonomous Community of Galicia, Spain — preliminary results show that Manuel Fraga and the Partido Popular lose control of the autonomous parliament.
- June 21 - Volna booster rocket carrying the first light sail spacecraft (a joint Russian-United States project) failed 83 seconds after its launch, destroying the spacecraft.
- June 23 - The San Antonio Spurs win the NBA World Championship title.
- June 28 - Queen Elizabeth II conducts the International Fleet Review of 167 international warships in the Solent, as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations.
- June 30 - Spain joins Belgium and the Netherlands in permitting same-sex marriage.

July


- July 2 - Live 8, a series of 10 simultaneous concerts take place throughout the world, raising interest in the Make Poverty History campaign.
- July 4 - NASA's "Copper bullet" from Deep Impact spacecraft hits Comet Tempel 1, creating a crater for scientific studies.
-