2008 Campaign Withdrawal
Withdraws after the Iowa caucuses.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
2008 in United States of America
Explore 196 historical events and records for United States of America in 2008.
Historical records for United States of America in 2008
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 196 unique records.
196Unique records
1 of 5Page
24Named events on this page
15Named people on this page
7Places on this page
January
Election
Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee are victorious in the Iowa caucuses, the first races of the presidential primary season
Election
Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee are victorious in the Iowa caucuses, the first races of the presidential primary season
Iowa Caucus
Wins the Republican Iowa caucus at the start of the presidential race
Iowa Caucus
Wins the Iowa Democratic caucus and becomes a leading presidential contender
Election
Democrat Hillary Clinton finishes first in the New Hampshire primary, ahead of Barack Obama and John Edwards
Election
Democrat Hillary Clinton finishes first in the New Hampshire primary, ahead of Barack Obama and John Edwards
New Hampshire Primary
Wins the New Hampshire Democratic primary after losing Iowa
New Hampshire Primary
Wins the New Hampshire Republican primary and revives his presidential campaign
Countrywide
Bank of America buys struggling Countrywide for $4 billion
Credit Crunch
Bank of America buys struggling Countrywide for $4 billion
Mercury Imaging
MESSENGER images terrain on Mercury that had never previously been seen by spacecraft during the first flyby.
MESSENGER Mercury Flyby
MESSENGER completes its first Mercury flyby and returns the first close-up observations of the planet in more than thirty years.
Credit Crunch
Merrill Lynch sub-prime losses top $23 billion
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch sub-prime losses top $23 billion
Economy of USA
Bush proposes a $145 billion stimulus package, responding to a crisis in the housing market and rising oil prices, president says a combination of tax cuts for individuals and businesses will "provide a shot in the arm" to the economy
Economy of USA
Responding to fears that the US is headed for an imminent recession, stock markets fall drastically in Frankfurt, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Paris, London, and other major cities in Europe and Asia
Credit Crunch
The Federal Reserve makes an emergency three-quarter-point interest-rate cut between scheduled meetings as global markets fall sharply and recession risks increase.
Death of Heath Ledger
Dies in New York before the release of The Dark Knight
Economy of USA
In response to the plunge in markets around the world, the Federal Reserve bank cuts interest rates by .75%, the largest single-day reduction in the bank's history
Emergency Interest Rate Cut
The Federal Reserve cuts its target rate after sharp declines in international markets.
Federal Reserve
In response to the plunge in markets around the world, the Federal Reserve bank cuts interest rates by .75%, the largest single-day reduction in the bank's history
Economy of USA
The Bush administration hands out a $146 billion stimulus package that gives rebates of $300-$600 for individuals earning up to $75,000 and to couples with incomes up to $150,000
South Carolina Primary
Wins a major South Carolina Democratic primary victory over Hillary Clinton
Election
Kennedy gave an endorsement to Obama despite appeals by both Clintons not to do so
Obama Endorsement
Endorses Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination
State of the Union Address
Bush delivers his last State of the Union address
Credit Crunch
The Federal Reserve cuts the federal funds target again, reducing it by half a percentage point as financial conditions continue deteriorating.
Al-Qaeda
The United States announces that Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior commander of al-Qaeda who recruited and trained operatives, is killed in a missile strike in northwest Pakistan
Election
Among the January 2008 DNC-sanctioned state contests, Obama ties with Hillary Clinton for delegates in the New Hampshire primary and wins more delegates than Clinton in the Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina elections and caucuses
Health of Patrick Swayze
Diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer and undergoes chemotherapy and other treatments at the Stanford University Medical Center
February
Super Bowl XLII
Leads the New York Giants to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots
Super Tuesday
Competes with Hillary Clinton across multiple Super Tuesday Democratic contests
Visit to Israel and Palestinian Territories for the first
President George W Bush visits Israel and Palestinian Territories for the first time
Credit Crunch
Bush signs the Economic Stimulus Act, providing tax rebates and business incentives intended to support demand as the financial downturn spreads.
Economic Stimulus Act
Signs the Economic Stimulus Act to send tax rebates and business incentives during the downturn
Voyager 2 Planetary Radio Astronomy Shutdown
Voyager 2's planetary radio astronomy experiment is switched off to conserve spacecraft power.
March
Election
John McCain secures the 2008 US Republican Party presidential nomination after winning primary elections in Texas, Vermont, Ohio, and Rhode Island
Republican Nomination
Secures the Republican presidential nomination after further primary victories
Credit Crunch
The Fed releases another $200 billion emergency funding. Former bosses of Citigroup and Merrill Lynch face a congressional committee grilling over pay
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.