__NOTOC__ 2009 (MMIX) was a common year starting on Thursday in the Gregorian calendar. It was the 2009th year of the Common Era or the Anno Domini designation, the 9th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 10th and last of the 2000s decade.

2009 was designated the: International Year of Astronomy. International Year of Natural Fibres.

Events

January

January 1

* Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, and Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.

The Czech Republic takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from France.

* Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, becomes the American Capital of Culture and Vilnius and Linz become the European Capitals of Culture.

Slovakia adopts the euro as its national currency, replacing the Slovak koruna.

January 3 – Israel launches a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip as the Gaza War enters its second week. January 7 – Russia shuts off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly endorses the move and urges greater international involvement in the energy dispute. January 13 – Ethiopian military forces begin pulling out of Somalia, where they have tried to maintain order for nearly two years. January 17 – Israel announces a unilateral ceasefire in the Gaza War. It comes into effect the following day, on which Hamas declares a ceasefire of its own. January 21 – Israel completes its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Intermittent air strikes by both sides of the preceding war continue in the weeks to follow. January 22 – Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda is captured by Rwandan forces after crossing over the border into Rwanda.

January 26

The first trial at the International Criminal Court is held. Former Union of Congolese Patriots leader Thomas Lubanga is accused of training child soldiers to kill, pillage, and rape.

The Icelandic government and banking system collapse; Prime Minister Geir Haarde immediately resigns.

February

February 1

Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow is enthroned as the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world's first openly lesbian head of government.

February 7 – The deadliest bushfires in Australian history begin; they kill 173, injure 500 more, and leave 7,500 homeless. The fires come after Melbourne records the highest-ever temperature (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires are ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.

February 8 – The Taliban releases a video of Polish geologist Piotr Stańczak, whom they had abducted a few months earlier, being beheaded. It is the first killing of a Western hostage in Pakistan since American journalist Daniel Pearl was executed in 2002. February 10 – A Russian and an American satellite collide over Siberia, creating a large amount of space debris. February 11 – Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Zimbabwe following the power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe signed in September, 2008. February 17 – The JEM rebel group in Darfur, Sudan sign a pact with the Sudanese government, planning a ceasefire within the next three months. February 26 – Former Serbian president Milan Milutinović is acquitted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia regarding war crimes during the Kosovo War.

March

March 2 – The President of Guinea-Bissau, João Bernardo Vieira, is assassinated during an armed attack on his residence in Bissau. March 3 – Gunmen attack a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, Pakistan, killing eight people and injuring several others. March 4 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002.

March 7 – NASA's Kepler Mission, a space photometer which will search for extrasolar planets in the Milky Way galaxy, is launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA.

March 17 – The President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, is overthrown in a coup d'état, following a month of rallies in Antananarivo. The military appoints opposition leader Andry Rajoelina as the new president.

April

wearing surgical masks due to the outbreak of swine flu]]

April 1 – Albania and Croatia are admitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

April 2 – The second G-20 summit, involving state leaders rather than the usual finance ministers, meets in London. Its main focus is an ongoing global financial crisis.

April 3–April 4 – The 21st NATO Summit is held, 60 years after the founding of the organization. Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is appointed as the new Secretary General of NATO.

April 5 – North Korea launches the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket, prompting an emergency meeting of—but no official reaction from—the United Nations Security Council. April 6 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing nearly 300 and injuring more than 1,500.

April 7 – Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.

April 10 – A political crisis begins in Fiji when President Josefa Iloilo suspends the nation's Constitution, dismisses all judges and constitutional appointees and assumes all governance in the country after the Court of Appeal rules that the government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is illegal. April 11–April 12 – The Fourth East Asia Summit is postponed after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declares a state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas.

April 17 – Thirty-four heads of state and government meet in Port of Spain, Trinidad for the 5th Summit of the Americas.

April 18 – Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist, is sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage by an Iranian court. She is released the following month, after an appeals court reduces and suspends her sentence. April 21 – UNESCO launches The World Digital Library. April 24 – The World Health Organization expresses concern at the spread of influenza from Mexico and the United States to other countries. International cases and resulting deaths are confirmed. April 29 – Amidst Russia's effort to improve relations with NATO and with the West in general, NATO expels two Russian diplomats from NATO headquarters in Brussels over a spy scandal in Estonia. Russia's Foreign Ministry criticises the expulsions.

May

May 18

* The third C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group meets in Seoul.

Following more than a quarter-century of fighting, the Sri Lankan Civil War ends with the total military defeat of the LTTE.

May 23 – Former President of South Korea Roh Moo-hyun, under investigation for alleged bribery during his presidential term, commits suicide. May 25 – North Korea announces that it has conducted a second successful nuclear test in the province of North Hamgyong. The United Nations Security Council condemns the reported test.

June

June 1 – Air France Flight 447, en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 on board.

June 11 – The outbreak of the H1N1 influenza strain, commonly referred to as "swine flu", is deemed a global pandemic, becoming the first condition since the Hong Kong flu of 1967–1968 to receive this designation. June 13 – Following the reelection of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, supporters of defeated candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi accuse the government of fraud, and launch a series of sustained protests.

June 18 – NASA launches the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/LCROSS probes to the Moon, the first American lunar mission since Lunar Prospector in 1998.

June 20 – The death of Neda Agha-Soltan, an Iranian student shot during a protest, is captured on what soon becomes a viral video that helps to turn Neda into an international symbol of the civil unrest following the presidential election.

June 21 – As a step toward total independence from the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland assumes control over its law enforcement, judicial affairs, and natural resources. Greenlandic becomes the official language. June 25 – The death of American entertainer Michael Jackson triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief. Online, reactions to the event cripple several major websites and services, as the abundance of people accessing the web addresses pushes internet traffic to potentially unprecedented and historic levels. June 28 – The Supreme Court of Honduras orders the arrest and exile of President Manuel Zelaya, claiming he was violating the nation's constitution by holding a referendum to stay in power. The coup d'état is condemned by the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and multiple nations around the world. June 30 – Yemenia Flight 626 crashes off the coast of Moroni, Comoros, killing all but one of the 153 passengers and crew.

July

July 1 – Sweden assumes the presidency of the European Union. July 4 – The Organization of American States suspends Honduras due to the country's recent political crisis after its refusal to reinstate President Zelaya.

July 5 – Over 150 are killed when a few thousand ethnic Uyghurs target local Han Chinese during major rioting in Ürümqi, Xinjiang.

July 7 – A public memorial service is held for musician Michael Jackson. It is regarded as one of the most prominent funerals of all time.

July 15 – Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashes near Qazvin, Iran, killing all 168 on board.

July 16 – Iceland's national parliament, the Althingi, votes to pursue joining the EU.

July 22 – The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting up to 6 minutes and 38.8 seconds, occurs over parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

August

August 3 – Bolivia becomes the first South American country to declare the right of indigenous people to govern themselves. August 4 – North Korean leader Kim Jong-il pardons two American journalists, who had been arrested and imprisoned for illegal entry earlier in the year, after former U.S. President Bill Clinton meets with Kim in North Korea. August 7 – Typhoon Morakot hits Taiwan, killing 500 and stranding more than 1,000 via the worst flooding on the island in half a century. August 20 – Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, imprisoned for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, is released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds as he has terminal prostate cancer. He returns to his native Libya.

September

countries present at the Pittsburgh Summit]] September 25 – At the G-20 Pittsburgh summit, world leaders announce that the G-20 will assume greater leverage over the world economy, replacing the role of the G-8, in an effort to prevent another financial crisis like that in 2008. September 26 – Typhoon Ketsana begins to cause record amounts of rainfall in Manila, Philippines, leading to the declaration of a "state of calamity" in 25 provinces.

September 28 – At least 157 demonstrators are killed in a clash with the Guinean military.

September 29 – An 8.3-magnitude earthquake triggers a tsunami near the Samoan Islands. Many communities and harbors in Samoa and American Samoa are destroyed, and at least 189 are killed.

September 30 – A 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes just off the coast of Sumatra, killing around 1,000 in Indonesia.

October

as the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics]]

October 2

* The International Olympic Committee awards the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro.

Ireland holds a second referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty. The amendment is approved by the Irish electorate, having been rejected in the Lisbon I referendum held in June 2008.

October 20 – European astronomers discover 32 exoplanets.

November

November 3

The Czech Republic becomes the final member-state of the European Union to sign the Treaty of Lisbon, thereby permitting that document's initiation into European law.

The Prime Minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, is designated the first permanent President of the European Council, a position he takes up on 1 December 2009.

November 13 – Having analyzed the data from the LCROSS lunar impact, NASA announces that it has found a "significant" quantity of water in the Moon's Cabeus crater. November 20 – CERN restarts the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator in Geneva, Switzerland; they had shut it down on September 19, 2008. November 23 – In the Philippines, at least 58 are abducted and killed in an election-related massacre in the province of Maguindanao. This appears to be the deadliest attack on journalists in recent history. November 27 – Dubai requests a debt deferment following its massive renovation and development projects, as well as the late 2000s economic crisis. The announcement causes global stock markets to drop.

December

December 1 – The Treaty of Lisbon comes into force. December 7 – December 18 – The UNFCCC's United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 conference is held in Copenhagen, Denmark. December 16 – Astronomers discover GJ1214b, the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.

Deaths

January

January 1

* Nizar Rayan, Palestinian military and political leader (b. 1959)

* Johannes Mario Simmel, Austrian writer (b. 1924)

* Helen Suzman, South African activist and politician (b. 1917)

January 12

* Claude Berri, French film director (b. 1934)

* Arne Næss, Norwegian philosopher (b. 1912)

January 13 – Patrick McGoohan, American-born British actor (b. 1928)

January 14 – Ricardo Montalbán, Mexican-born American actor (b. 1920)

January 15 – Said Seyam, Palestinian politician (b. 1957)

January 16 – Andrew Wyeth, American painter (b. 1917)

January 20 – Stéphanos II Ghattas, Egyptian Patriarch of Alexandria (b. 1920)

January 25 – Mamadou Dia, 1st Prime Minister of Senegal (b. 1910)

January 27

* John Updike, American writer (b. 1932)

* R. Venkataraman, 8th President of India (b. 1910)

January 30 – Ingemar Johansson, Swedish boxer (b. 1932)

February

February 6 – James Whitmore, American actor (b. 1921)

February 9 – Eluana Englaro, Italian patient in right-to-die case (b. 1970)

February 25 – Philip José Farmer, American writer (b. 1918)

February 27 – Manea Mănescu, Romanian Prime Minister (b. 1916)

March

March 2 – João Bernardo Vieira, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1939)

March 14 – Alain Bashung, French singer, songwriter and actor (b. 1947)

March 15 – Ron Silver, American actor and political activist (b. 1946)

March 18 – Natasha Richardson, English actress (b. 1963)

March 20 – Abdellatif Filali, 13th Prime Minister of Morocco (b. 1928)

March 25 – Yukio Endo, Japanese gymnast (b. 1937)

March 28 – Janet Jagan, American-born President of Guyana (b. 1920)

March 29 – Maurice Jarre, French composer and conductor (b. 1924)

March 31 – Raúl Alfonsín, 49th President of Argentina (b. 1927)

April

April 12

* Marilyn Chambers, American pornographic actress (b. 1952)

* Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, American social theorist (b. 1950)

April 14 – Maurice Druon, French novelist (b. 1918)

April 19 – J. G. Ballard, English novelist (b. 1930)

April 22

* Ken Annakin, English film director (b. 1914)

* Jack Cardiff, English cinematographer (b. 1914)

April 25 – Beatrice Arthur, American actress (b. 1922)

April 28 – Ekaterina Maximova, Soviet-Russian ballerina (b. 1939)

May

May 2

* Augusto Boal, Brazilian theatre director (b. 1931)

* Jack Kemp, American politician and football player (b. 1935)

May 4 – Dom DeLuise, American actor and comedian (b. 1933)

May 9 – Chuck Daly, American basketball coach (b. 1930)

May 13 – Achille Compagnoni, Italian mountaineer (b. 1914)

May 17 – Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan writer (b. 1920)

May 18 – Velupillai Prabhakaran, Sri Lankan militant (b. 1954)

May 19 – Robert F. Furchgott, American scientist (b. 1916)

May 23 – Roh Moo-hyun, 16th President of South Korea (b. 1946)

May 27 – Clive Granger, British economist (b. 1934)

May 30

* Luís Cabral, 1st President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1931)

* Ephraim Katzir, 4th President of Israel (b. 1916)

* Gaafar Nimeiry, 5th President of the Sudan (b. 1930)

June

June 2 – David Eddings, American author (b. 1931)

June 3

* David Carradine, American actor (b. 1936)

* Koko Taylor, American musician (b. 1928)

June 6 – Jean Dausset, French immunologist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)

June 8 – Omar Bongo, President of Gabon (b. 1935)

June 12 – Félix Malloum, 3rd President of Chad (b. 1932)

June 13 – Mitsuharu Misawa, Japanese professional wrestler (b. 1962)

June 17 – Ralf Dahrendorf, German-British social theorist and politician (b. 1929)

June 25 – Farrah Fawcett, American actress (b. 1947)

June 25 – Michael Jackson, American performer and recording artist (b. 1958)

June 30 – Pina Bausch, German choreographer (b. 1940)

July

July 1

* Alexis Argüello, Nicaraguan boxer and politician (b. 1952)

* Karl Malden, American actor (b. 1912)

July 4 – Allen Klein, American businessman (b. 1931)

July 6

* Vasily Aksyonov, Russian novelist (b. 1932)

* Robert McNamara, 8th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1916)

July 17

* Meir Amit, Israeli general and politician (b. 1921)

* Walter Cronkite, American newscaster (b. 1916)

* Leszek Kołakowski, Polish philosopher (b. 1927)

July 19 – Frank McCourt, Irish-American author (b. 1930)

July 26 – Merce Cunningham, American choreographer (b. 1919)

July 31 – Bobby Robson, English footballer and manager (b. 1933)

August

August 1 – Corazon Aquino, 11th President of the Philippines (b. 1933)

August 5 – Budd Schulberg, American screenwriter (b. 1914)

August 6

* John Hughes, American film director and writer (b. 1950)

* Willy DeVille, American singer-songwriter (b. 1950)

August 8 – Daniel Jarque, Spanish Footballer (b. 1983)

August 11 – Eunice Kennedy Shriver, American founder of the Special Olympics (b. 1921)

August 13 – Les Paul, American musician and inventor (b. 1915)

August 18 – Kim Dae-jung, 15th President of South Korea (b. 1925)

August 24 – Toni Sailer, Austrian alpine ski racer (b. 1935)

August 25 – Ted Kennedy, American politician (b. 1932)

August 26 – Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, Iraqi politician and theologian (b. 1953)

August 27 – Sergey Mikhalkov, Soviet-Russian author (b. 1913)

September

September 8 – Aage Bohr, Danish physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)

September 11

* Juan Almeida, Cuban revolutionary and politician (b. 1927)

* Yoshito Usui, Japanese manga artist (b. 1958)

September 12

* Norman Borlaug, American agronomist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)

* Jack Kramer, American tennis player (b. 1921)

September 14

* Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (b. 1952)

* Henry Gibson, American actor and songwriter (b. 1935)

September 17 – Noordin Mohammad Top, Malaysian Islamist militant (b. 1968)

September 18 – Irving Kristol, American writer and political commentator (b. 1920)

September 23 – Ertuğrul Osman, 43rd Head of the Ottoman Dynasty (b. 1912)

September 25 – Alicia de Larrocha, Spanish pianist (b. 1923)

September 28 – Guillermo Endara, President of Panama, 1989–1994 (b. 1936)

September 29 – Pavel Popovich, Soviet cosmonaut (b. 1930)

October

October 2 – Marek Edelman, Polish political and social activist (b. 1922)

October 4

* Shōichi Nakagawa, Japanese politician (b. 1953)

* Günther Rall, German fighter pilot (b. 1918)

October 4 – Mercedes Sosa, Argentine singer (b. 1935)

October 5 – Israel Gelfand, Soviet-American mathematician (b. 1913)

October 7 – Irving Penn, American photographer (b. 1917)

October 13 – Al Martino, American singer and actor (b. 1927)

October 19 – Joseph Wiseman, Canadian actor (b. 1918)

October 30 – Claude Lévi-Strauss, French anthropologist (b. 1908)

October 31 – Qian Xuesen, Chinese scientist (b. 1911)

November

November 3 – Francisco Ayala, Spanish novelist (b. 1906)

November 8 – Vitaly Ginzburg, Russian physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)

November 10 – Robert Enke, German footballer (b. 1977)

November 15

* Patriarch Pavle, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (b. 1914)

* Pierre Harmel, 39th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1911)

November 16 – Antonio de Nigris, Mexican footballer (b. 1978)

November 20 – Lino Lacedelli, Italian mountaineer (b. 1925)

November 21 – Konstantin Feoktistov, Soviet cosmonaut (b. 1926)

November 24 – Samak Sundaravej, 25th Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1935)

November 30 – Milorad Pavić, Serbian writer (b. 1929)

December

December 3 – Richard Todd, Irish-born British actor (b. 1919)

December 4

* Eddie Fatu, Samoan-American professional wrestler (b. 1973)

* Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Soviet-Russian actor (b. 1928)

December 5

* Alfred Hrdlicka, Austrian artist (b. 1928)

* Otto Graf Lambsdorff, German politician (b. 1926)

December 9 – Gene Barry, American actor (b. 1919)

December 13 – Paul Samuelson, American economist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)

December 16

* Roy E. Disney, American businessman (b. 1930)

* Yegor Gaidar, Russian politician (b. 1956)

December 17 – Jennifer Jones, American actress (b. 1919)

December 19

* Hussein-Ali Montazeri, Iranian scholar and human rights activist (b. 1922)

* Kim Peek, American savant (b. 1951)

December 20 – Brittany Murphy, American actress (b. 1977)

December 21 – Edwin G. Krebs, American biologist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)

December 23 – Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Tibetan politician (b. 1910)

December 24 – Rafael Caldera, 54th and 60th President of Venezuela (b. 1916)

December 30 – Abdurrahman Wahid, 4th President of Indonesia (b. 1940)

Nobel Prizes

Chemistry – Ada Yonath, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, and Thomas A. Steitz Economics – Elinor Ostrom and Oliver E. Williamson

Literature – Herta Müller

Peace – Barack Obama

Physics – Charles K. Kao, Willard Boyle, and George E. Smith Physiology or Medicine – Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak

Major religious holidays

January 6 – Christmas in most Armenian Apostolic Churches of Christianity

January 7 – Christmas in the Russian Orthodox Church and Georgian Orthodox Church of Christianity

January 14 – Pongal

January 26 – Lunar New Year

February 23 – Shivaratri

February 25 – Ash Wednesday

March 10 – Mawlid

March 11 – Holi

April 3 – Rama Navami

April 8 – Passover begins

April 12 – Easter in Western Christianity

April 14 – Vaisakhi in Sikhism

April 19 – Easter for many Eastern Christians

May 2 – Buddha's Birthday

May 8 – Buddha Purnima / Vaisakhi Purnima

May 28 – Shavuot begins

August 6 – Raksha Bandhan

August 14 – Krishna Janmashtami

August 22 – Ramadan begins

August 23 – Ganesh Chaturthi

September 2 – Onam

September 18 – Rosh Hashanah begins

September 19 – Navratri begins

September 20 – Eid ul-Fitr

September 27 – Yom Kippur begins

September 28 – Dussehra

October 2 – Sukkot begins

October 17 – Diwali

November 1 – All Saints' Day in Western Christianity

November 27 – Eid al-Adha

December 11 – Hanukkah begins

December 18 – Islamic New Year (1 Muharram 1431)

December 25 – Christmas in Western Christianity and most Eastern Orthodox Churches

In fiction

References

Name	Smosh
	360px
Birth date	Anthony Padilla: September 16, 1987 Ian Hecox: November 30, 1987
Nationality	American
Home town	Sacramento, California
Occupation	YouTube comedy duo
Years active	2005–2007 2007-Present
Website	smosh.com

Smosh is a web-based comedy duo consisting of Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla. Anthony Padilla first began posting flash movies on Newgrounds in early 2003, under the name smosh when later joined in by his friend Ian Hecox. Following up they started posting videos on YouTube in the autumn of 2005 and have become one of the most popular channels on that site, with over 2.4 million subscribers as of May 2011. Until 2008, Smosh was the most-subscribed-to-YouTube account.

Four Smosh related channels exist on YouTube. The base "Smosh" channel, where both Ian and Anthony post their skits and other videos, "IanH", which at first was for vlogs and other non scripted videos, but now is used for posting their new side series "Ian is Bored" and "Lunchtime with Smosh". Their other channel called "AskCharlie" is based on the popular Smosh character, Charlie the Drunk Guinea Pig, and their last channel, "AnthonyPadilla" is where Anthony makes videos by himself. The base "Smosh" channel makes videos every Friday, while "AskCharlie" upload Charlie the Drunk Guinea Pig "ask and answers" videos every Wednesday, "IanH" upload "Ian is Bored" every Monday and upload "Lunchtime with Smosh" every Thursday.

History

Formation and Pokémon Theme Music Video: 2005–2009

Smosh began when Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla made videos together lip syncing to theme songs such as Mortal Kombat, Power Rangers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. At first, these videos were not intended to be posted online, but after they sent them to their friends, they soon decided to start a YouTube channel. Each created two channels: "IanH" and "AnthonyPadilla." Ultimately, they decided on making a new channel, Smosh as their main channel, with "IanH" and "AnthonyPadilla" serving as alternate channels that would feature behind the scenes material, vlogs, etc.

One of Smosh's earliest videos, "Pokémon Theme Music Video," was released in November 2005, in the same style as their other earlier videos. The video features the duo lip-synching the original English theme song for the Pokémon anime. However, the video instantly became much more popular than any of their other videos, and, over the course of its lifetime, gained 24.7 million views, becoming the most-viewed video on all of YouTube at that time, a title it held for at least six months. However, just as it was about to reach 25 million, it was removed by YouTube after the website received a notice from Shogakukan Productions Co., Ltd., indicating copyright infringement. In 2008 they said as an April's Fools joke that the Pokémon company were suing them for 20 million dollars because of copyright infringement, as an advertisement for the Smosh store. The two then posted a video called "Pokemon Theme Song REVENGE", showing their hate towards their video being removed.

Nevertheless, the success of their Pokémon video and other videos led Smosh to be featured in the "Person of the Year: You" issue of Time Magazine, published December 13, 2006. It also inspired them to expand their style beyond basic lip-synching videos, and eventually start doing their videos more like mini-skits and sketch comedies. In March 2007, a user named Andii2000 re-uploaded the original Pokémon video, it has over 11 million views as of May 2011.

2010 era

In January 2010, Smosh launched the "Smosh Pit" feature, which is a blog that consists of anything they (or a handful of other "Smoshers") feel like posting. In addition, 2010 saw the channel launch 3 different Smosh-based web series': "Ian is Bored," which is a collection of comedic videos by Ian Hecox; "Ask Charlie" (which is an interactive series where people ask Charlie, from their January 2010 "Charlie the Drunk Guinea Pig" video, random questions); and "Lunchtime with Smosh," a Comedy series featuring Smosh getting and eating food from various places.

Also in early 2010, Smosh created the "iShut Up App" for Android phones as part of a Google sponsorship; it eventually made its way to the iTunes app store.

In November 2010, they guest appeared in the 35 minute film Agents of Secret Stuff.

As of May 2011, Smosh is the third most-subscribed channel on YouTube.

References

External links

Category:Living people Category:American comedians Category:Comedy duos

Danny MacAskill, (born 23 December 1985) also known as 'Danny MegaSkill', is a Scottish street trials pro rider for Inspired Bicycles Ltd. He released 'April 2009', a five-and-a-half-minute street trials video, filmed by his flatmate Dave Sowerby, on YouTube on the 19th April 2009. The video quickly gained popular acclaim and widespread media attention. The video features stunts performed by MacAskill set to 'The Funeral' by Band of Horses.

As of April 2009, MacAskill, who was brought up in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, had been practising for more than 12 years. He gave up his job as a mechanic so he could ride full time. In June 2009, MacAskill appeared in the music video for Doves' single "Winter Hill". MacAskill also appeared in a TV-commercial for the new Volkswagen Golf Estate.

On 16 November 2010 MacAskill released a new video "Way back home" sponsored by Red Bull. The video showcases locations around Scotland including Edinburgh Castle, North Berwick, wartime bunkers on the island of Inchgarvie beneath the Forth Bridge and a hydro-electric power station in the Scottish Highlands.

References

External links

dannymacaskill.co.uk

Category:People from Skye and Lochalsh Category:Scottish cyclists Category:Living people Category:1985 births

Name	Alexander Rybak
Background	solo_singer
Born	May 13, 1986Minsk, Byelorussian SSR
Instrument	Vocals, violin, piano
Genre	Pop, folk, classical
Occupation	Singer, actor, songwriter, composer, pianist
Years active	1991–present
Associated acts	Eurovision Song Contest 2009, Frikar
Url	www.alexanderrybak.com

Alexander Igoryevich Rybak (Russian: Алекса́ндр И́горевич Рыба́к) or in Belarusian Alyaksandr Igaravich Rybak (Аляксандр І́гаравіч Рыбак), born 13 May 1986 in Byelorussian SSR) is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist, writer, and actor. Representing Norway in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, Russia, Rybak won the contest with 387 points—the highest tally any country has achieved in the history of Eurovision—with "Fairytale", a song he wrote and composed. His debut album, Fairytales, charted in the top 20 in nine European countries, including a #1 position in Norway and Russia.

Personal life

Rybak was born on May 13, 1986, in Minsk, Belarus—which at that time was the Belarusian SSR in the Soviet Union. When he was 5 years old, he and his family moved to Norway. Rybak was baptized and raised in the Orthodox religion. At the age of five, Rybak began to play the piano and the violin. He stated "I always liked to entertain and somehow that is my vocation". Rybak bought a new apartment and lives now at Aker Brygge (Oslo, Norway).

Anger issue

In 2010, several incidents of uncontrolled anger caused commentators to question whether Rybak has a temper control problem. During the trials for the ESC 2010 finals in Bærum, Rybak became so infuriated when a sound technician was not doing what he wanted that he smashed his own hand, breaking his fingers. Also, during trials for Swedish television in June 2010, he smashed his violin on the floor. His appearance was then canceled. According to his manager, Kjell Arild Tiltnes, Rybak does not have an issue with aggression. Tiltnes stated that "as long as he abreacts on objects and on himself, I see no reason for this to be something that he needs help dealing with." Rybak said, "I never raised my voice before, and that's why I did what I did. I'm just a human being—and perhaps not the glossy image many believe. So it was good to get out frustrations so I could go on. It's only me that goes beyond the same."

Career

Rybak has been a student at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo since the age of 10. Due to his success in the Eurovision Song Contest, he is currently taking a break from his bachelor's degree studies at the Institute. In 2004, Rybak was awarded the Anders Jahre Culture Prize. In 2005, he entered the Norwegian version of Idol, Idol: Jakten på en superstjerne, reaching the semifinal. In 2006, Rybak won Kjempesjansen (“The Great Opportunity”), a talent competition hosted by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), with his own song, "Foolin". a song inspired by Norwegian folk music. The song was composed and written by Rybak and was performed together with the modern folk dance company Frikar. The song received good reviews with a score of 6 out of 6 in the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet,

In the Norwegian national heats, Rybak achieved a clean sweep, gaining the top score from all nine voting districts and ending with a combined televote and jury score of 747,888, while the runner up, Tone Damli Aaberge, received a combined score of 121,856.

The song competed in the second semi-final and won a place in the Eurovision final.

Rybak later won the Eurovision final with a landslide victory, receiving votes from all the participating countries (except Norway, which was not allowed to vote for itself). Rybak finished with a total of 387 points, breaking the previous record of 292 points scored by Lordi in 2006 and scoring 169 points more than the runner-up, Iceland. He is also the fourth most successful artist of Eurovision with 387 points, behind Dima Bilan, Carola and Chiara.

After Eurovision, film and the first album

, at a concert in Norway, September 2009]] Rybak's first album, Fairytales, was released after his Eurovision win. Rybak also co-stars as Levi in the film directed by Grete Salomonsen, which was released in March 2010. Rybak also went on a tour in Norway with former Norwegian Eurovision winner Elisabeth Andreassen, something that had been decided before his Eurovision win and participation. He and Frikar also toured Norway and Europe in 2009. In a December 2009 performance of his hit "Fairytale" at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, held at the Oslo Spektrum, Rybak shared the stage with nine other acts. Too EMI Norway has just released a film entitled Fairytale, the movie, directed by acclaimed Norwegian director, Rune Langlo, documenting the journey of Alexander Rybak since claiming the top prize for Norway in Moscow.

In 2009, he recorded the theme song, called "I Don't Believe in Miracles / Superhero", for the Russian action movie Black Lightning produced by Timur Bekmambetov.-

2010–present: 2nd album and Let's dance Sweden

On January 30, 2010, Rybak performed one of his new singles, "Europe Skies", in national final, Euroviisut 2010, to select the 2010 Finnish entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. On March 12, 2010, Alexander Rybak performed his Eurovision 2009 winning song "Fairytale" on UK TV show . In April 2010, Rybak released a new song, featuring Opptur, called "Fela Igjen". Alexander released his second album on June 14, 2010, called No Boundaries. It was not as successuful as his first album, so far it has peaked at number 7 in Norway, number 8 in Sweden and 32 in Finland. On January 7, 2011, Rybak was one of twelve contestant on the next Swedish season of the dancing show Let's dance also known as Dancing with the stars, in the show Rybak danced to win the competition against other Swedish celebrities. Rybak made it to the Top 4 before being voted off on March 11, having received the lowest scores from both juries and the voting public.

Discography

Albums

Singles

{|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Single !colspan="10"| Chart positions !rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:90%;" ! width=40| NOR ! width=40| UK ! width=40| IRE ! width=40| RUS ! width=40| FIN ! width=40| GRE ! width=40| SWE ! width=40| DEN ! width=40| DUT ! width=40| EU |- |rowspan="3"|2009 |align="left"|"Fairytale" | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|10 | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|3 | style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"|Fairytales |- |align="left"|"Funny Little World" | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|4 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- |align="left"|"Roll With the Wind" | style="text-align:center;"|10 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- |rowspan="2"|2010 |align="left"|"Oah" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | colspan="25" style="text-align:center;"| Other singles |- | 2009 |align="left"|"I Don't Believe in Miracles / Superhero" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|18 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|Black Lightning Soundtrack |- | 2010 |align="left"|"Fela Igjen" (feat. Opptur) | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |Non-Album single |}

Filmography

References

Hyllet i hjembygda (Norwegian), Østlands-Posten, May 18, 2009, about the official Alexander Rybak Fanclub on Facebook

Du kan bli med Alex til Moskva (Norwegian), Akershus Amtstidende, April 15, 2009, about the official Alexander Rybak Fanclub on Facebook

External links

Official homepage

Official Facebook Page

Official International Fansite of Alexander Rybak

Fan web-site of Alexander Rybak

Alexander Rybak PR in Ireland

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from Norway Category:Melodi Grand Prix contestants Category:Melodi Grand Prix winners Category:Naturalised citizens of Norway Category:Norwegian violinists Category:Norwegian male singers Category:Norwegian actors Category:Norwegian composers Category:Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2009 Category:Eurovision Song Contest winners Category:People from Minsk Category:Norwegian people of Belarusian descent Category:People from Nesodden Category:Norwegian multi-instrumentalists Category:Norwegian fiddlers