Look Back To 2006: What Happened That Year

Arctic Monkeys, the Wii and another World Cup penalty shoot-out.

Here's 2006 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 2006

• Arctic Monkeys' debut album became the fastest-selling debut in British chart history at the time.
• Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy' was the first single to reach number one on downloads alone.
• Leona Lewis's 'A Moment Like This' was the Christmas number one.

In the news in 2006

• Scotland's smoking ban came into force in March.
• Twitter launched in the United States in July.
• Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in August.

On screen in 2006

• Life on Mars, The Inbetweeners' precursors and Torchwood arrived; Big Brother was still huge.
• Casino Royale rebooted James Bond with Daniel Craig.
• The Queen and Borat were the films people argued about.

In sport in 2006

• England went out of the World Cup in Germany on penalties to Portugal again.
• Italy won the World Cup; Zinedine Zidane was sent off in the final.
• Ryder Cup Europe won again at the K Club.

Everyday life in 2006

• The Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3 launched at the end of the year.
• Facebook opened to everyone over thirteen in September.
• Sky+ boxes made recording easy and appointment television started to fade.

If you were born in 2006

• Anyone born in 2006 is the same age as Twitter and the Nintendo Wii.
• They have never known Pluto as a planet.
• Anyone born in 2006 turns 30 in 2036, 40 in 2046, 50 in 2056, 60 in 2066 and 70 in 2076.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 2009
• Look back to 2008
• Look back to 2007
• Look back to 2005
• Look back to 2004
• Look back to 2003
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• 2000s party playlist
• 00s quiz questions
• Dial-up, MSN and MySpace
• Adverts we can still recite
• Decade music round questions
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the Christmas number one in 2006?

'A Moment Like This' by Leona Lewis.

What record did Arctic Monkeys set in 2006?

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not became the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history at the time.

How old is someone born in 2006?

Subtract 2006 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2046, 50 in 2056, 60 in 2066 and 70 in 2076.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.