2008

Barack Obama delivered his presidential election victory speech before 240,000 people at Grant Park in Chicago, watched by an estimated 70 million television viewers in the US, one of the most watched political events in broadcasting history.

Barack Obama won the Iowa caucus, the first contest of the Democratic presidential primary, in a state that was 95 percent white, demonstrating the national viability of a Black presidential candidate and sending shockwaves through American politics.

Lil Wayne released 'Tha Carter III,' which sold over one million copies in its first week — the highest first-week sales of any album in 2008 — and won the Grammy for Best Rap Album. The album cemented Wayne's claim as the best rapper alive and demonstrated hip-hop's continued commercial and cultural dominance.

New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne released Tha Carter III, which sold over one million copies in its first week, the only album to do so in 2008. It won the Grammy for Best Rap Album and is widely regarded as the pinnacle of his career and one of the defining hip-hop albums of the decade.

New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne released Tha Carter III, which sold over one million copies in its first week, the only album to do so in 2008. It won the Grammy for Best Rap Album and is widely regarded as the pinnacle of his career.

Tiger Woods won the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines in an 18-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate, playing the entire tournament on a fractured leg and torn ACL. The performance is widely considered the most remarkable in golf history.

Tiger Woods won the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines in an 18-hole playoff while playing the entire tournament on a fractured leg and torn ACL. The performance is widely considered the most remarkable in golf history.

Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams in the 2008 Wimbledon final to claim her ninth Grand Slam title, as sisters faced each other in another major final, a recurring dynamic that dominated women's tennis for over a decade.

Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams in the 2008 Wimbledon final for her twelfth Grand Slam title, as sisters faced each other in another major final in a dynamic that dominated women's tennis for over a decade.

Beyoncé released her double-album I Am... Sasha Fierce, which produced the global hit Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), won six Grammy Awards in a single night, and introduced her Sasha Fierce alter ego as one of pop music's most enduring artistic concepts.

Kanye West released 808s and Heartbreak, an Auto-Tune-heavy electronic album that departed radically from hip-hop convention. Critically reassessed as visionary, it directly influenced artists from Drake and Kid Cudi to Future and The Weeknd.

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul set the NBA single-season steals record in 2007-08 while also leading the league in assists for a second consecutive season, establishing himself as the best point guard in basketball.

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul set the NBA single-season steals record in 2007-08 while also leading the league in assists for a second consecutive season, winning the NBA Steals title and establishing himself as the best point guard in basketball.

Mississippi author Jesmyn Ward published her debut novel Where the Line Bleeds, a story of twin brothers navigating poverty and limited opportunity in a fictional Gulf Coast town. The novel introduced one of the most important voices in contemporary American literature.

Mississippi author Jesmyn Ward published her debut novel Where the Line Bleeds, a story of twin brothers navigating poverty on the Gulf Coast that introduced one of the most important voices in contemporary American literature.

The descendant of an immigrant father and white mother becomes the first Black US president — a milestone amid ongoing debate.