The Defining Moments of 2006

[EuroTroll]

As we approach the end of the year (the Kiwis have just over two hours of it left as I write this), how will you remember the Old Year? Was it a good year for you?

For me, on the positive side, the event that brought the most inspiration was the Torino Winter Olympics. Estonia won three gold medals (that's more than Norway, China, Japan, Finland and obviously the UK :p : :p : ), and the two weeks of the Olympics in February was a time of wonderful national unity and joy. :up: "Look at us - we are small, but capable of great things," was the general feeling.

In politics, still on the positive side, I'll remember the year for the NATO summit in Riga, Latvia which was an event of great symbolic importance for the Balts. We were also honoured by the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and George Dubya Bush in Tallinn at the end of the year. Think of Dubya what you will, but the visit of the President of the USA is always a significant and happy day.

In sports, on the neutral-and-amusing side, Zidane's head-butt takes the cake. :laugh: Wonderful drama, wonderful comedy.

On the negative side there isn't much. However, Russia is becoming more of an Evil Empire year after year, and this is a cause for great concern. I'm happy, however, that more and more people in Western Europe are becoming aware of this.

Overall, a good year for me and a good year for my country. How about you?

[LeonBrooke]

The execution of Saddam Hussein - how low are we that we still execute people? Especially an old man who no longer posed a threat to anyone. It was pure vengeance and a despicable act.[/*:m:3117cpyi]
The Zidane headbutt - a fun and completely shocking act. Well, the act wasn't fun, but the huge tonnes of ink and pixels spilled over it were.[/*:m:3117cpyi]
The moment one of the people I nursed told me that I was his favourite person - I felt so good about myself... and before anyone says anything, it did really happen! :)[/*:m:3117cpyi]
The death of the Maori queen - a sad event, and one that left me thinking, "I thought she was already dead"...[/*:m:3117cpyi]
The Fiji coup - when the army told the government that they were going to take over, then stopped to have a rugby game against the police, and took their time over the coup. Utterly farcical.[/*:m:3117cpyi]
That's all I can think of for now...

[Captain VXR]

Andy Priaulx and Matt Neal showing how good British race drivers can be :up:
Finding out that if everyone in the British Isles gave up their cars, the amount of pollution China would make in a week would be the same as the amount lost from giving our cars up.

[LotusElise]

Saddam Hussein's execution, whether you agree with it or not, is a defining moment in history.
The Israel/Hezbollah stand-off really brought the Middle East situation to the forefront of everyone's minds and galvanised opinions.
The Alexander Litvinenko affair looks like it could be the start of something very big and serious.

On the lighter side:
Zidane headbutting Materazzi completely overshadowed Italy's World Cup win. (Which I won money on!)
Schumacher's retirement - the end of a motorsport era.
The Thames whale.

[Drew]

I'm not terribly interested in how the year was for the UK :\

But for me, it was pretty good. I managed to do well in my exams and somehow managed to get to uni (physically and theoretically). I also got to see the world cup final in Italy, with loads of crazy Italians :p :

[Hazell B]

Ronaldo and his wink is something that'll stick in my mind to sum up the year.

It split the country 10/90 between those who saw something reasonably fair, and those who saw a man kicking another as fair and another winking as a hanging offence! Seriously, one wink and Ronaldo's a monster who should be burned at the stake, yet so much of the UK wanted to see no death penalty in Iraq. :s

[jso1985]

The motorsport season was again a fundamental part of my life and had mani highlights than will remain in my memory:
- Alonso's fight for the WDC, with all the drama and controversy in the middle
- Schumacher's retirement, never liked the guy but I do respect him
- Loeb's dominance
- Pons comedy with his co-driver
- Hornish win at Indy
- Pedrosa taking Hayden out of the race
- Rossi making a rookies mistake in Valencia

Besides that the defining moments for me were:
- Zidane's headbutt
- My home team Universitario gaining promotion to 1st division, qualifying for the South American cup and defeating Bolivia's giant Bolivar all in the same year! while city rivals Independiente almost getting relegated to 3rd division :D
- The bolivian goverment putting us in a highway to hell :mark:
- All world politics wheter good or bad were defining

[BeansBeansBeans]

It split the country 10/90 between those who saw something reasonably fair, and those who saw a man kicking another as fair and another winking as a hanging offence!

Totally agree. The whole nation tried to blame Ronaldo for Rooney's completely deserved red card.

[millencolin]

motorsport based - Will Power's pole at Surfers

non motorsport based
- Brisbane winning the premiership, Queensland Winning the Origin, and Australia winning the tri-nations
-Australia winning the ashes