Featured moment
Minecraft Alpha Released
Markus "Notch" Persson released the sandbox building game that would become the best-selling video game of all time with over 300 million copies.
A new world takes shape.
Minecraft was born, Avatar broke records, Bitcoin launched, and the world slowly recovered from the financial crisis.
The Cost of Living in 2009
Gallon of Gas
$2.68
Loaf of Bread
$1.32
Gallon of Milk
$3.25
World Population
6.87 billion
Featured moment
Avatar Becomes Highest-Grossing Film Ever
James Cameron's 3D sci-fi epic earned $2.9 billion worldwide, pioneering a new era of immersive cinema technology.
Featured moment
Bitcoin Network Goes Live
Satoshi Nakamoto mined the genesis block on January 3, launching the cryptocurrency that would challenge traditional finance.
The wider picture
More from 2009
A few more things worth remembering.
Internet
WhatsApp Founded
Jan Koum and Brian Acton launched the messaging app that would reach 2 billion users worldwide.
Music
Michael Jackson Dies
The King of Pop died at age 50, triggering a global outpouring of grief and record-breaking music sales.
World Events
Swine Flu (H1N1) Pandemic
The first flu pandemic in 41 years spread globally, infecting an estimated 1.4 billion people.
Gaming
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Naughty Dog's action-adventure set a new bar for cinematic storytelling in video games.
Technology
Uber Founded
Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp founded the ride-sharing company that would disrupt transportation globally.
Sports
Usain Bolt Runs 9.58s 100m World Record
Bolt smashed his own world record at the Berlin World Championships, a record that still stands.
Cinema & TV
Up Released by Pixar
The animated film's opening montage became one of cinema's most emotionally powerful sequences.
Science & Space
NASA Discovers Water on the Moon
The LCROSS mission confirmed significant amounts of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the Moon's south pole.
Gaming
Angry Birds Released
Rovio's physics-based mobile game became a global phenomenon with 2 billion downloads.
You arrivedin 2009.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 2009 to today.