2000-2025 in images: 25 events that changed the course of history

A quarter century that saw terror attacks and wars, along with massive technological progress and innovation. Here are 25 images that best represent this historic period

Jan 02, 2026, 18:12 IST9 min

1/25

ICC Women's World Cup win (2025) | India's women in blue lifted their inaugural World Cup on November 3, 2025, and along with it, ushered in a new era of equality in the sport. The victory ignited a surge of investment in women's cricket, and turned its star players into household names. Photo by Punit Paranjpe / AFP

2/25

2001: World Trade Centre attacks | An event that changed the world as we knew it: Terror struck the heart of America on September 11, 2001, as New York's World Trade Centre went down. It reshaped geopolitics and travel norms around the world. The event's aftermath spawned wars, surveillance and a new era of counter-terrorism. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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2004: Launch of Facebook and the subsequent rise of social media | On February 4, 2004, Facebook was launched from a Harvard University dorm room in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Mark Zuckerberg and his college collaborators. What began as a student networking site quickly expanded beyond universities, opening to the public in 2006. This moment marked the start of a global social media revolution. Over time, social media stopped being just a tool and became a habit, shaping friendships, opinions, careers, and even daily-life-routines. It even lent itself to the rise of a new economy—the creator economy armed with all its 'influencers'. Photo by John Green/San Mateo County Times via Getty Images

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2006: MGNREGA | The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), one of the largest work guarantee programmes in the world, was passed in Parliament in August 2005 and came into force on February 2, 2006. It guaranteed 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work. In December 2025, it was repealed by the Parliament of India after the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB–G RAM G). Photo by Anand Sharma/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

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2007: iPhone Launch | On June 29, 2007, Apple introduced the first iPhone, a device that combined a phone, music player, and internet browser into one sleek package. This revolutionary launch changed the way people communicate, work, and interact with technology, kickstarting the smartphone era we live in today. Photo by Kimberly White / Reuters

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2007: T20 World Cup win | India became champions of the inaugural T20 World Cup by beating Pakistan in a thriller which ended in the last over. The shorter version of the game gained more popularity after the tournament in South Africa in 2007. A year later, the first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) took place, revolutionising not only the way cricket was played and watched, but also the commercial aspects—auctions, contracts, sponsorship deals and broadcasting rights. Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images

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2008: Global financial crisis | The 2008 global financial crisis, sparked by the US housing bubble and risky lending practices, cascaded into a worldwide economic meltdown. Major banks collapsed, credit markets froze and stock markets plunged. Beyond numbers, the human toll was immense, as millions of jobs were lost and savings evaporated. Governments scrambled with bailouts and stimulus packages, while the crisis reshaped financial regulations and left lasting scars on global economies and societies. Photo by Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

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2008: 26/11 Mumbai terror attack | Mumbai was under siege for three days starting November 26, when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists stormed into the city and attacked key places, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel. Over 170 died and more than 300 people were injured in one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country. While nine attackers were shot dead, the lone surviving terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, was captured, and executed in 2012. Photo by India Today Group/Getty Images

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2010: The launch of Aadhaar | Aadhaar was the Government of India’s initiative to provide a unique identification number to every Indian resident, which would also serve as proof of identity and address. Pioneered by a team led by Nandan Nilekani, the first Aadhaar number was issued on September 29, 2010, by the UIDAI, which maintained a database of residents’ biometric and other data. Photo by Pallava Bagla/Corbis via Getty Images

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2011: Osama Bin Laden is killed | After a manhunt spanning almost 10 years, US forces raided a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, and killed Osama Bin Laden, the Saudi millionaire and fugitive leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. Bin Laden planned and executed the 9/11 US terror attacks that killed about 3,000 Americans in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Photo by CNN via Getty Images