What Happened in Baby’s World 2012

The world is constantly changing, and 2012 certainly was no exception to this everlasting march towards a better future! But for some of us, this article will be much less about retrospection and more about documenting the moments most relevant to our history that coincided with the birth year of someone very special: a beloved child! So without further delay, BabySakes.com presents…What Happened In Baby’s World, 2012 Edition!

Influential Heads of State in 2012

• USA: President Barack Obama
• UK: Prime Minister David Cameron
• Canada: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
• North Korea: Kim Jong-un
• China – President Hu Jintao
• France: President Nicolas Sarkozy
• Germany: President Christian Wulff
• Italy: Prime Minister Mario Monti
• Russia: President Vladimir Putin
• Iran: President Mahmoud Ahmajinedad
• Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai

 Major News Stories of 2012 (in no particular order)

Source: Time.com,

1. Syria’s Civil War – The end of 2012 marks the second year that the Syrian people have been involved in a civil war between government and civilian rebels. The war was incited in February 2011 after a peaceful uprising against their leader of government, President Bashar Assad. Many parts of the country are now under rebel control with estimates of 40,000 dead after two years of conflict.
2. Re-election of President Obama – After a long campaigning season, President Obama was re-elected to another term in office, beating out Republican candidate Mitt Romney and smaller party candidates. Looming over his continued presidency were the“fiscal cliff” that could trigger spending cuts and increased taxes at the New Year, the idea of ObamaCare, and wars overseas.
3. The Eurozone Crisis – Citizens in countries across Southern Europe, including Greece, Italy, and Spain, protested in 2012 against austerity measures (spending cuts that proportionally cut back on funding for public services and benefits) imposed as conditions for bailouts from other countries due to growing debt. Unemployment reached nearly 25% in Spain. Citizens began turning against political parties associated with those who would be bailing them out.
4.  Hurricane Sandy – In October, Hurricane Sandy hit portions of the Caribbean and proceeded to ravage the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern US, and parts of Eastern Canada. A Category 2 storm at its peak and the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, the storm took out power for millions of residents, flooding streets and destroying infrastructure, resulting in $60 billion in damages and 131 dead.
5. Crisis in Mali – After being deemed a Democractic success, Mali descended into political turmoil in 2012. A military coup ousted the democratically-elected government in March, turning the northern regions of Mali into areas of rebel control by multiple ethnic/ideological groups. The relocated government is currently working on strategies to reclaim the land.
6.  NASA on Mars – NASA’s rover, Curiosity, landed on Mars in August, taking stunning photographs of the planet’s surface. It is currently searching for environments suitable for microbial development – a primitive form of life.
7. Afghanistan Moving to a Close – After an 11-year war, the US has plans to withdraw troops at the end of 2014. 2012, however, saw the reduction in troops from allies, such as the French, who withdrew their troops at the end of the year. Drone strikes were also ramped up by the Obama Administration.
8. Amnesty for Undocumented – President Obama signs an executive order that provides relief from deportation to undocumented immigrants under the age of 30 who have been brought into the US before the age 16. While providing amnesty to 1.7 million youths, this sparked a discussion between both parties about creating more comprehensive immigration reform.
9. Focus on Gay Marriage – President Obama announces his support for gay marriage and nine states in the United States pass gay marriage as a legal right: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Maryland, and Washington State.
10. Red Bull Stratos Jump – Felix Baumgartner of Austria, sponsored by Red Bull, performed a near-space skydriving feat (at 128,100 feet), breaking the sound barrier AND the record for the highest and fastest jump in history. He also became the first man to break the sound barrier outside of a vehicle.

 Stock Market and Economy

Source: Time.com

The housing market bottomed out in 2012 and slowly began to climb up. Improvements were made – the number of foreclosures hit 57,000 in September, a sharp contrast from double that number in 2010. The Federal Reserve reports that outstanding debt is increasing, although student debt surpassed credit card debt this year.

In September, the Dow reached its highest level since the start of the recession in 2007 and it has gained more than 20% this year alone.

Top Selling Music Albums of 2012

Source: Billboard

1. “Red,” Taylor Swift
2. “Les Miserables – Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack,” Various Artists
3. “Take Me Home,” One Direction
4. “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars
5. “Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head,” T.I.
6. “Night Visions,” Imagine Dragons
7. “Unapologetic,” Rihanna
8. “Babel,” Mumford & Sons
9. “The Lumineers,” The Lumineers
10.  “Pitch Perfect,” Various Artists

 Top Grossing Movies of 2012

Source: Box Office Mojo

1. Marvel’s “The Avengers” ($623.3 mil)
2. “The Dark Knight Rises” ($448.1 mil)
3. “The Hunger Games” ($408.1 mil)
4. “Skyfall” ($293.7 mil)
5. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” ($287.8 mil)
6. “The Amazing Spiderman” ($262 mil)
7. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” ($246.3 mil)
8. “Brave” ($237.3 mil)
9.  “Ted” ($218.8 mil)
10. “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” ($216.4 mil)

 Highest Paid Actors of 2012

Source: Forbes

1. Tom Cruise $75 million
2. Leonardo DiCaprio $37 million
2. Adam Sandler $37 million
4.Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson $36 million
5. Ben Stiller $33 million
6. Sacha Baron Cohen $30 million
7. Johnny Depp $30 million
8. Will Smith $30 million
9. Mark Wahlberg $27 million
10. Taylor Lautner $26.5 million

Top Books of 2012
Source: Goodrreads.com

1. “Gone Girl,” Gilian Flynn
2. “The Fault in Our Stars,” John Green
3. “Fifty Shades Freed,” E.L. Jamse
4. “Insurgent,” Veronica Roth
5. “The Casual Vacancy,” J.K. Rowling
6. “Bared to You,” Sylvia Day
7. “City of Lost Souls,” Cassandra Clare
8. “Cinder,” Marissa Meyer
9. “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” Cheryl Strayed
10. “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” Susan Cain

Top 10 Highest Rated Television Shows of the 2011-2012 Season

Source: Deadline.com

1. NBC Sunday Night Football
2. American Idol
3. The Voice
4. Modern Family
5. The Big Bang Theory
6. Two and a Half Men
7. X Factor
8. Two Broke Girls
9. Grey’s Anatomy
10. New Girl

 Top Technology Trends of 2012 (in no particular order)

Source: Forbes

1. Instagram
2. Focus on camera quality on mobile phones
3. Rise of free online education (sometimes with support by public universities!) (e.g. Kahn Academy, Coursera, Code Academy)
4. Electric vehicles
5. Retina display on computers (extremely high pixel density), specifically the Macbook 

Fashion Trends of 2012

Source: Elle

1. Skirted peplum sillhouette
2. Pajama-inspired pants
3. Wedge sneakers
4. Baroque-inspired fashions
5. Oxblood (the clolor)
6. Leather-like pants
7. Luxe sweatshirts
8. Leather-sleeved jackets
9. Printed pants

 Average Cost of Items in 2012

• Gallon of Milk: $3.65 (USDA)
• Gallon of Gas: $3.91 (The People History)
• Loaf of Bread: $1.88 (The People History)
• Movie Ticket: $8.20 (The People History)
• Public College Education (with room and board):  $22,261 (College Board)
• Private College Education (with room and board): $42,289 (College Board)
• New House: $263,200 (The People History)
• Home Resale: $146,000 (Statistic Brain)
• New Car: $30,303 (Forbes)
• Diapers: Approximately $0.26/per diaper (for newborn size, dependent on retailer)
• Babysitter: $5-15/hr (depending on experience)
• Sunday Paper: $2.50
• Postage Stamp: $0.45 (The People History)
• Computer: $650 (depends on specs and brand)

Filling Out Your Baby Book: What Happened in Baby’s World (2008 Edition)

You ‘ve been asking and we are always happy to oblige. We at Babysakes  are always keen to help out new moms – especially when it means doing the research so you can fill out those Baby’s World pages in your fabulous  Baby Book from BabySakes.com!

So here we go with the wonderful topsy-turvy year 2008 – just choose the key bits that you would like to add to your baby memory book:

World Leaders:

• President George W. Bush – USA
• Prime Minister Gordon Brown – UK
• President Hu Jintao – China
• President Pratibha Patil  – India
• Prime Minister Kevin Michael Rudd – Australia
• Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy – France
• President Horst Kohler – Germany
• President Dmitry Medvedev- Russia

Top Stories of 2008

Near financial collapse, the US Government came to the aid of some of the historically most financially solvent institutions. Because of the sub-prime mortgage debacle, many banks found themselves out of cash.  Those that weren’t gobbled up by their former competitors, were left floundering. Lehman Brothers was allowed to fail, but Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and AIG were helped out by taxpayers. By the end of the year, consumer spending was at record declines, home values continued to plummet and joblessness on the rise.

Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States in an historic victory that brought the United States its first African-American President. In an equally historic democratic primary, Obama defeated Hillary Clinton for the nomination after a 50-state caucus. On the right, Alaska governer Sarah Palin energized the ticket headed by John McCain in the Republican nomination. The long and hard-fought election also showed a marked generational shift in American Politics with the Internet, mobile phones and social networking being used to rally support for candidates.

For three days in November  Mumbai, the financial and movie capitol of India, was held hostage by 10 armed men. The tourism center was hit hardest with hotels and restrants becoming sites of unbelievable carnage.

The term “Made in China” brought about a great deal of fear in the minds of consumers as the chemical melamine was found in food products given to animals and humans and high levels of lead in children’s toys brought about new consumer saftey standards.

Top Selling Music Albums of 2008

1. As I Am – Alicia Keys

2. Noel – Josh Groban

3. Tha Carter III – Lil Wayne

4. Long Road Out of Eden – Eagles

5. Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift

6. Rock N Roll Jesus – Kid Rock

7. Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends – Coldplay

8. Now 26 – Various Artists

9. Carnival Ride – Carrie Underwood

10. The Ultimate Hits – Garth Brooks

Top Grossing Movies of 2008:

1. The Dark Knight

2. Iron Man

3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

4. Hancock

5. WALL-E

6. Kung Fu Panda

7. Twilight

8. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

9. Quantum of Solace

10. Horton Hears a Who!

Highest Paid Actors of 2008:

1. Will Smith

2. Johnny Depp

3. Eddie Murphy

4. Mike Myers

5. Leonardo Dicaprio

Actresses

1. Angelina Jolie

2. Cameron Diaz

3. Jennifer Aniston

4. Keira Knightly

5. Jennifer Lopez

Best Sellers of 2008:

(Non Fiction)

1. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins

2. The Thief at the End of the World by Joe Jackson

3. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

4. The World Is What It Is by Patrick French

5. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

(Fiction)

1. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño

2. Lush Life by Richard Price

3. Lush Life by Richard Price

4. Anathem by Neal Stephenson

5. Unaccustomed Earth Jhumpa Lahiri

(Children)

1. The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman

2. Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

3. Bats at the Library, Written and illustrated by Brian Lies

4. Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

5. Oodles of Animals by Lois Ehlert

Top 10 Highest Rated Television Shows of 2008:

1. American Idol Tuesday (Fox) 2. American Idol Wednesday (Fox) – 15.3%
3. Dancing with the Stars (ABC) – 4. Dancing with the Stars Results (ABC) – 11.4%
5. The Mentalist (CBS)
6. NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC)
7. CSI (CBS)
8. NCIS (CBS)
9. 60 Minutes (CBS)
10. Survivor: Gabon

What Things Cost in 2008

Gallon of Milk: $3.72

Gallon of Gas: At its highest it was $4.20 for regular unleaded.

Loaf of Bread: Approximately $1.59

Movie Ticket: Average price $7.20

College Education: Private – $25,143 per year Public: $6,585  per year.

House: $206, 200(Median Home Price)

Car: About  25,000 to 35,000 for a moderately priced new car or SUV.

Diapers: Approximately 18 to 28 cents a diaper.

Babysitter: Approximately $12 – 15 an hour for someone over age 18.

Sunday Paper: Average price $2.50 to 3.00 or free online.

Postage Stamp:  42 cents

As always, let us know if there is any more information you need in the comments. We are happy to oblige.

Filling Out Your Baby Book: What Happened in Baby’s World 2005 and What Things Cost in 2005

You told us that you wanted help in filling out your baby memory books and we here at Babysakes.com are always happy to accommodate your requests! We will be slogging backward through history to give you the much needed information to complete the “what happened in baby’s world” section of your baby memory books.

So here we go with the year where Mother Nature really packed a wallop! 2005 here we go!

World Leaders:

• President George W. Bush – USA
• Prime Minister Tony Blair – UK
• President Hu Jintao – China
• President Abdul Kalam – India
• Prime Minister John Howard – Australia
• Prime Minister Jacques Chirac – France
• President Horst Kohler – Germany
• President Vladimir Putin – Russia

Top Stories of 2005

• Hurricane Katrina hit landfall east of New Orleans in the morning of August 29th. The levees protecting New Orleans from flood waters failed ant the area was inundated. Much of the Gulf Coast region was devastated.
• Relief efforts continued for the December 26, 2004 Tsunami that ravaged Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and many other countries. Towns and villages were swept away and more than 200,000 people perished.
• On July 7, During London’s morning rush hour, bombs exploded in three subway trains and one bus. Fifty -two people died and 700 were injured. This was the deadliest attack in Britian since World War II.
• On January 20, President George W. Bush took his second oath of office.
• Iraq held its first free elections in a half-century. Ink-stained fingers became a symbol of democracy as Iraqis went to the polls even under threats of violence.
• Pope John Paul II passed away on April 2 at the age of 84. Weeks later cardinals elected Joseph Ratzinger of Germany as the 265th Pontif. He took the name of Pope Benedict XVI.
• The Chicago White Sox won the 2005 World Series breaking the Curse of the Black Socks after 88 Years.

Top Selling Music Albums of 2005

1. 50 Cent- The Massacre
2. Eminem – Encore
3. Green Day – American Idiot
4. Mariah Carey – The Emancipation of Mimi
5. Kelly Clarkson – Breakaway
6. Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
7. Destiny’s Child – Destiny Fulfilled
8. U2 – How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
9. Shania Twain – Greatest Hits
10. Rascal Flatts – Feels Like Today

Top 10 Top Grossing Movies of 2005:

1. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
2. The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
4. War of the Worlds (2005)
5. King Kong (2005)
6. Wedding Crashers
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
8. Batman Begins
9. Madagascar
10. Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Top 10 Bestselling Books of 2005:

1. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
3. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
4. The Shack by William P. Young
5. Breaking Down by Stephenie Meyer
6. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
7. The story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski
8. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
9. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
10. Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman

Top Actors (Highest Paid) of 2005:

1. Will Ferrell – $40 Million
2. Johnny Depp -$37 Million
3. Ray Romano -$36.5 Million
4. Will Smith – $35 Million
5. Toby Maguire – $32 Million
6. Tom Cruise – $31 Million
7. Denzel Washington – $30 Million
8. Adam Sandler – $28 Million
9. Matt Damon – $27 Million
10. Brad Pitt – $25 Million
11. Drew Barrymore – $22 Million
12. Jennifer Lopez – $17 Million
13. Nicole Kidman -$14.5 Million
14. Jennifer Garner – $14 Million
15. Cameron Diaz – $13 Million

Popular Sports Figures of 2005 (In no particular order)

• Lance Armstrong
• Tom Brady
• Steve Nash
• Alex Rodriguez
• Michelle Wie

Top 10 Highest Rated Television Shows of 2005:

1. American Idol (Tuesday-FOX
2. American Idol (Wednesday-FOX
3. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation-CBS
4. Desperate Housewives -ABC
5. Grey’s Anatomy-ABC
6. Without a Trace-CBS
7. Dancing with the Stars-ABC
8. Survivor: Guatemala-CBS
9. CSI: Miami -CBS
10. House -Fox

What Things Cost in 2005

Gallon of Milk: $3.75

Gallon of Gas: $2.27

Loaf of Bread: $2.29

Movie Ticket: $6.41

College Education: Private – $29, 026 Public: $12, 127

House: $213,900 (Median Home Price)

Car: About 30,000 for a moderately priced car.

Diapers: Approximately 25 cents a diaper.

Babysitter: Approximately $12 an hour for someone over age 18.

Sunday Paper: Average price $1.50

Postage Stamp: 37 cents

As always, let us know if there is any more information you need in the comments. We are happy to oblige.Stay tuned for 2004!

Filling Out Your Baby Book: What Happened in Your Baby’s World in 2007 (part 2 of 2)

Baby is sleeping, you have your pens and your glue and you have decided that today is the day you are going to tackle that baby book that has been sitting, still in its box, next to that unfolded pile of laundry. You had visions of your baby, as an adult, flipping through the pages of their baby book, and asking you questions about what life was like when they were born. The only problem is…you don’t remember. The past year whizzed by filled with baby showers, doctor visits and then, of course, the blessed event. You were too busy choosing between rubber-duck yellow and sunshine yellow for the nursery to pay attention to current events, much less go to a movie at a theatre.

Don’t fret, we are here to help again with all the important stuff from 2007.  So get out that glitter pen and start writing…

World Leaders:
President George Bush – USA
Prime Minister Tony Blair resigned in June and was replaced by Gordon Brown -UK
President Hu Jintao – China
President Abdul Kalam’s term ended in July and was replaced by Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil- India
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi term ended and was replaced by Yasuo Fukuda- Japan
Dictator Kim Jong-il – North Korea
Prime Minister John Howard – Austrailia
Prime Minister Jacques Chirac replaced by Francois Fillon in May,- France
President Horst Kohler – Germany
President Vladimir Putin replaced by Dmitriy Anatolyevich Medvedev- Russia

Top Stories of 2007

• Nancy Pelosi becomes first female Speaker of the House for the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment of the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, arrives in bookstores and into the hands of anxious fans.
• Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s record major league home run record.
• US Commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, tells a joint Congressional Hearing that the 30,000 additional troops deployed could return home by July 2008 but that any additional troop withdrawls would be “premature.”
• The Bush Administration issues tough sanctions against Iran and declared its Revolutionary Guard a proliferator of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
• Tensions with North Korea eased when Pyongyang began to disable its nuclear weapons facilities.
• For their work to bring attention to the issue of global warming Former US Vice President Al Gore and the UN Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change, received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Award.
• The US mortgage meltdown is predicted to take a heavy toll on housing prices in 2008 with an average 7 percent decline and a loss of $1.2 billion in property values. It is believed that the resetting of adjustable rate mortgages written in 2004 and 2005 is to blame.
• Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination caps a year of turmoil in Pakistan.

Top Selling Music Albums of 2007

1. Daughtry – Daughtry

2. Akon – Konvicted

3. Fergie – The Dutchess

4. Hannah Montana Soundtrack

5. Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts

6. Nickleback – All the Right Reasons

7. Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/LoveSounds

8. High School Musical 2 Soundtrack

9. Various Artists – Now 23

source: billboard.com

Top 10 Grossing Movies:
1. Spiderman III

2. Shrek the Third

3. Transformers

4. Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

6. I Am Legend

7. The Bourne Ultimatum

8. National Treasure: Book of Secrets

9. Alvin and the Chipmunks

10. 300

source: imdb.com

Top 10 Bestselling Books of 2007

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre

2. The Secret – Rhonda Byrne

3. Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

4. A Thousand Splendid Suns –  Khaled Hosseini

5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter – Kim Edwards

6. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

7. Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen

8. The Dangerous Book for Boys – Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden

9. I Am America (And So Can You!) – Stephen Colbert

10. You: Staying Young – Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz

Source: USA Today

Top Actors / Actresses (Highest Paid)

1.Tom Cruise – $67 Million

2. Denzel Washington – $38 Million

3. Johnny Depp – $29 Million

4. Tom Hanks – $29 Million

5. Adam Sandler $29 Million

6. Jodie Foster $27 Million

7. Leonardo DiCaprio – $25 Million

8. Brad Pitt $25 Million

9. Will Smith – $25 Million

10. Kiefer Sutherland – $23 Million

11. Nicole Kidman – $22 Million

12. Renee Zellweger – $21 Million

13. Jim Carrey – $20 Million

14. Jennifer Aniston – $18 Million

15. Halle Berry – $16 Million

16. Scarlett Johansson – $16 Million

17. Cameron Diaz – $15 Million

18. Angelina Jolie – $14 Million

19. Jennifer Lopez – $10 Million

20. Reese Witherspoon – $9 Million

Source: Forbes

Popular Sports Figures (in no particular order)

• Tiger Woods (Golf)
• David Beckham (Soccer)
• Maria Sharapova (Tennis)
• Brett Favre (Football)
• Oscar De La Hoya (Boxing)
• Kobe Bryant (Basketball)
• Derek Jeter (Baseball)
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Racecar driving)
• Barry Bonds (Baseball)

As always, let us know if there is any more information you need in the comments. We are happy to oblige.

Filling Out Your Baby Book – What Things Cost in 2007

Filling Out Your Baby Book   What Things Cost In 2007  Remember last year when you could buy gasoline for the bargain price of $3 a gallon? Those were the days! . And just in case you don’t remember and you haven’t filled out the “what things cost when baby was born” page of your baby book yet, here are some tips that could help you finish that page fast! . And just remember, one day when baby is all grown up, they’ll look back and say “Wow… things sure were cheap back then!” (or maybe even, “What’s gas?”) . Now… on to the national average for the cost of things typically found on the “cost of things” baby book page: . . Gallon of milk: About $3.50 .  Gallon of gas: About $3 .  Loaf of bread: About $2.50 .  Movie Ticket: About $7 .  College Education: Public: $6,185 Private: $23,712 .  House About $300K by year end .  Car: $28,000 new, $13,000 used .  Diaper: 25 cents per disposable diaper .  Babysitter: $12 per hour (over 18) .  Sunday Newspaper: About $1.50 . Postage Stamp: $.41 for a first class stamp .  There you go! Now, it’s the easiest page in the baby book to complete (but you are still on your own for the “dates baby’s teeth first appeared” page!)

 

Filling Out Your Baby Book: What Happened in Baby’s World 2006 (Part 1)

So, almost every baby book has a page in it where you can record what was going on in the world when baby was born. The only problem is… after nine months of pregnancy, most Moms haven’t got a clue what was going on outside of our own uterus.  Bestselling books? Who knows? We were reading “What to Strike Fear Into Your Heart When You Are Expecting: 1001 Things Than Can Go Wrong in Pregnancy.” Famous Bands? Hmmm… we were busy transmitting classical music through our belly so baby’s brain would form super neuro-paths! Fashion trends? Please! It was loose and comfortable, ok?

So, now you’ve come to that page in your baby book and are faced with the daunting task of digging up these facts and figures… so baby doesn’t think you were totally clueless.

But you’ve come to the right place! BabySakes has assembled all of the key “What’s Happening in the World” information so baby will think you were a news junkie and information goddess.

Just take what you need from the info below and add it to your book:

World Leaders:
President George Bush – USA
Prime Minister Tony Blair – UK
President Hu Jintao – China
President Abdul Kalam – India
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi – Japan
Dictator Kim Jong-il – North Korea
Prime Minister John Howard – Austrailia
President Jacques Chirac – France
President Horst Kohler – Germany
President Vladimir Putin – Russia

2006 News Headlines:
War in Iraq: US drive to top Saddam Hussein deteriorates into sectarian violence (hopefully, that’s wrapped up by the time baby is old enough to read.)
U.S. Election: Nancy Pelosi becomes first female Speaker of the House
Global Warming: World concern grows highlighted by the release of the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.”
Pluto No Longer a Planet: We grew up with 9 planets in the solar system … our babies now have 8.
Housing Boom: 2006 starts off with Housing Boom – housing prices decline late 2006/ early 2007

Top 10 Selling Music Albums of 2006
1. High School Musical Soundtrack – 3,719,071
2. Rascal Flatts – Me and My Gang – 3,479,994
3. Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts – 3,015,950
4. Nickelback – All the Right Reasons – 2,688,166
5. Justin Timberlake – FutureSex – 2,377,127
6. James Blunt – Back to Bedlam – 2,137,142
7. Beyonce – B’Day – 2,010,311
8. Soundtrack – Hannah Montana – 1,987,681
9. Dixie Chicks – Taking the Long Way – 1,856,284
10. Hinder – Extreme Behavior – 1,817,350
source: starmometer.com

Top 10 Grossing Movies:
1. Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest
2. The DaVinci Code
3. Ice Age: The Meltdown
4. Casino Royale
5. Night at the Museum
6. Cars
7. X-Men: The Last Stand
8. Mission Impossible III
9. Superman Returns
10. Happy Feet

Top 10 Books of 2006 (forbes.com)
1. For One More Day by Mitch Albom
2. Beach Road by James Patterson & Peter de Jonge
3. Cell by Stephen King
4. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
5. Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
6. Marley & Me by John Grogan
7. The Innocent Man by John Grisham
8, You: On A Diet by Michael F. Roizen
9. State of Denial by Bob Woodward
10. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

Top Actors and Actresses (Higest Paid of 2006)
Actresses:
1. Nicole Kidman
2. Reese Witherspoon
3. Renee Zellweger
4. Drew Barrymore
5. Cameron Diaz
6. Halle Berry
7. Charlize Theron
8. Angelina Jolie
9. Kirsten Dunst
10. Jennifer Aniston

Actors:
1. Tom Cruise
2. Denzel Washington
3. Johnny Depp
4. Tom Hanks
5. Adam Sandler
6. Leonardo DiCaprio
7. Brad Pitt
8. Will Smith
9. Kiefer Sutherland
10. Jim Carrey

Popular Sports Figures: (in no particular order)
• Andre Agassi
• Lance Armstrong
• David Beckham
• Kobe Bryant
• Lindsay Davenport
• Oscar De La Hoya
• Jeff Gordon
• Matt Hasselbeck
• LeBron James
• Derek Jeter

 

Coming next? What things cost in baby’s world — what you need to finish the page. If you have more you’d like to add to the list… just comment below.