Hurricane Katrina wreaks catastrophic damage on the Gulf coast; more than 1,000 die and millions are left homeless. Americans are shaken not simply by the magnitude of the disaster but by how ill-prepared all levels of government are in its aftermath. (Aug. 25-30). In July, millions of people attended Live 8, free concerts in nine countries-South Africa and each of the Group of Eight nations-to promote increased aid to Africa.

May 8 The new Canadian War Museum opens, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-E Day.

Scientists discover the skull of a sea-dwelling crocodile that lived 135 million years ago. Unlike other crocodiles, it has a short snout (Nov. 11).

Movies

· Brokeback Mountain

· Capote

· Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

· The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

· Crash

· Good Night, and Good Luck

· Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

· The History of Violence

· Madagascar

· Match Point

· Munich

· The Squid and the Whale

· Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith

· Walk the Line

· The War of the Worlds

Music

· American Idiot, Green Day

· Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson

· Demon Days, Gorillaz

· Get Behind Me Satan, The White Stripes

· Guero, Beck

· How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2

· I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Bright Eyes

· Late Registration, Kanye West

· Plans, Death Cab for Cutie

· You Could Have It So Much Better, Franz Ferdinand

Books

· On Beauty, Zadie Smith

· Freakonomics, Steven Levitt

· Europe Centra, William Vollmann

· Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J. K. Rowling

· The Lost Painting: The Search for a Caravaggio Masterpiece, Jonathan Harr

· March, E. L. Doctorow

· The Sea, John Banville

· Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door, Lynne Truss

· Teacher Man, Frank McCourt

· The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion