Spain at the Beginning of 21st Century/Main events by year

Below is a list of the main historical events in Spain, at each year of the period covered by this book.

2000

As the rest of the world, Spain enters year 2000 with concerns about Y2K bug. In the end, nothing serious happened.
On January 2, María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Orleans, mother of king Juan Carlos I, dies in Lanzarote (Canary Islands).
Social psychosis over alleged ice chunks falling from the sky (incorrectly called aerolites by the media, that devoted a large part of the news coverage to this subject).^[1]
On March 12, the People's Party won an absolute majority in the general elections, thus renewing José María Aznar's mandate as prime minister for another four years.
On July 22, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is elected Secretary General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), following the resignation of Joaquín Almunia after losing the general elections.
On November 7, Spain closes the border to breeding cattle from France and Ireland due to mad cow disease. First cases in Spain are diagnosed before the end of the year.

2001

Compulsory military service ends in Spain.
On 13 May, elections are held in Basque Country autonomous community. PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) wins and Juan José Ibarretxe is reelected as lehendakari or Basque president.
Spain is affected by the global crisis that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City.
First airing of the Spanish version of Star Academy, Operación Triunfo (meaning "Operation Triumph") talent show on TVE. This first edition brought to fame singers as David Bisbal, Chenoa, Rosa López or David Bustamante. David Bisbal later had a huge international success, while show winner Rosa López represented Spain at 2002 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Europe's Living a Celebration (the show was also used as the selection of Spain's representative at Eurovision Song Contest).

2002

On January 1, leaded gasoline is banned in Spain.
On March 1, peseta ceases to be legal tender, and the euro becomes the only official currency in Spain (both the peseta and the euro had been legal tender since 1999, when euro was introduced).
On April 5, Parque Warner Madrid theme park is inaugurated.
On June 20, a general strike is called by UGT and CCOO trade unions.
Between July 11 and July 20, a conflict develops between Spain and Morocco over Spanish Perejil island, taken over by Moroccan military. An agreement is reached with the mediation of the United States, and Moroccan troops leave the island.
On November 19, Prestige oil tanker sinks off the Galician coast, causing an important ecological and political crisis.

2003

Large protests against the participation of Aznar's government in the Iraq War launched by George Bush. On February 11, all oposition parties in parliament support a motion against the militaristic position of Bush and Aznar in the Iraq crisis.
On May 3, Pope John Paul II visits Spain for fifth time. It would be his last visit to the country, before his death in 2005.
On May 25, municipal elections are held. Regional elections are also held in some autonomous communities.
On May 26, a Yakovlev Yak-42 plane carrying home 62 Spanish military personnel from Afghanistan crashes in Turkey. All 75 people on board died.
On October 11, AVE high-speed train joins Madrid, Zaragoza and Lleida for the first time.
On November 1, the wedding engagement between Felipe de Borbón (Prince of Asturias and heir to the Spanish throne) and journalist Letizia Ortiz is announced.

2004

On February 13, the electronic national identity card (DNI electrónico) is launched.
On March 11, a jihadist terrorist attack against 4 trains in Madrid leaves 193 dead and about 2,000 injured. A political controversy over alleged ETA or Al Qaeda authorship followed over the following days. 7 terrorists who participated in the attacks would commit suicide on April 3 in Leganés, near Madrid, killing a policeman.
On March 14, general elections are held, won by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), who becomes prime minister or president of the government.
First edition of Universal Forum of Cultures takes place in Barcelona from May 9 to September 26.
On May 22, Prince of Asturias and heir to the Spanish throne, Felipe de Borbón, marries Letizia Ortiz in Madrid. He would become king 10 years later, as Felipe VI, following the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos I.
On June 11, Un, dos, tres ("One, two, three") game show is aired for the last time in TVE. Its first broadcast had taken place in 1972, and it has been considered as one of the most important programs in the history of Spanish television. Its creator, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, died in 2019.
On November 20, Spanish 9-year-old María Isabel wins 2004 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, held in Lillehammer (Norway), with the song Antes muerta que sencilla ("Better dead than simple").
On December 5, Davis Cup of tennis is won by Spain for the second time in history, with the final matches being played in Seville. A young Rafael Nadal became known to the general public. He would later win many Grand Slam tournaments, becoming one of the best tennis players in history.

2005

On February 12, in Madrid, Windsor Tower skyscraper is destroyed by fire at night. Despite the huge fire, there were no casualties.
On February 20, a national referendum for the ratification of the European Constitution is held. 76.7 % of the voters approve the new Constitution, but the turnout was only 42 %. This Constitution would later be rejected by France in referendum, so it would never enter into force, since it needed to be approved by all the countries of the European Union.
On July 3, same-sex marriage is legalized. Spain is the third country in the world to do so.
On September 25, at Brazilian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso becomes the first Spanish driver to win the Formula One World Championship. He would be world champion again the following year.
On October 3, an annular solar eclipse is visible in Spain for the first time in 21st Century.
On October 7, UME or Unidad Militar de Emergencias (emergency military unit) for disaster relief is created.
On October 31, Leonor de Borbón, daughter of prince Felipe de Borbón and Letizia Ortiz, is born. She would become Princess of Asturias and heir to the Spanish crown with her father's accession to the throne in 2014.
On December 15, the anti-smoking law that bans smoking in workplaces and some other places is passed.

2006

On February 4, the fourth terminal of Madrid-Barajas airport is inaugurated, increasing its capacity to seventy million passengers per year.
On April 6, an education reform is approved, adding the new subject of Education for Citizenship.
On June 1, the Joan Gamper Sports City of Futbol Club Barcelona is inaugurated.
On June 18, Catalonia's new statute of autonomy is approved in referendum.
On July 1, points-based driving license is introduced in Spain.
On July 3, 43 people die in an accident in the Valencia metropolitan railway.
On July 8, Pope Benedict XVI travels to Spain to attend the V World Meeting of the Family, held in Valencia.
On September 3, the Spanish National Team is crowned world basketball champion for the first time. Pau Gasol is one of the team's players.
On December 16, Madrid-Gibraltar flights are operated by Iberia for the first time.
On December 30, an ETA bomb at Madrid-Barajas airport leaves 2 dead and 19 injured.

2007

On January 1, the Dependency Law is implemented, to help people without personal autonomy.
On May 27, municipal elections are held, along with regional elections in some autonomous communities.
On September 26, Unión Progreso y Democracia (UPyD) centrist political party is founded by ex-socialist politician Rosa Díez. It would have very limited success, until its dissolution in 2020.
On November 10, king Juan Carlos I famously says "Why don't you shut up?" (in Spanish, "¿Por qué no te callas?") in public to Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, at XVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, in Santiago de Chile.
On December 22, Madrid-Segovia-Valladolid and Madrid-Málaga AVE (high-speed train) lines are inaugurated.

2008

On February 20, AVE high-speed train links Madrid with Barcelona for the first time.
On March 9, general elections are held. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE) is reelected as prime minister.
On June 29, the Spanish national soccer team wins the UEFA European Championship, held in Austria and Switzerland. Previously, it had won it only in 1964.
From July 7 to July 19, 49th International Mathematics Olympiad is held in Madrid.
On August 20, flight 5022 of the Spanish airline Spanair crashes shortly after take-off in Madrid-Barajas airport, killing 154 people. 18 people survived.
A global financial crisis begins this year. In Europe, and particularly Spain, the crisis would worsen over the next few years, leading to increased unemployment in the country. The slow recovery would not begin until 2014.

2009

On February 1, a tornado causes significant material damage in the city of Málaga.^[2]
On March 3, the new law on abortion is introduced.
On April 2, the Seville subway is inaugurated.
On April 24, unemployment reaches 4 million people in Spain.^[3] Of them, 1,800,000 became unemployed over the last year.^[4]
On July 30, in Palma Nova (Majorca, Balearic Islands) ETA kills 2 Civil Guard agents. It would be the last murder by the terrorist group in Spanish territory (the last one would be on March 16, 2010 in France), before its eventual dissolution.^[5]
On November 8, more than 50% of the electricity produced in Spain is generated by wind farms, for the first time.^[6]

2010

On January 1, Spain takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, succeeding Sweden.
On July 11, in Johannesburg (South Africa), the Spanish national soccer team wins the FIFA World Cup for the first time, winning to the Netherlands 1-0 in the extra time.
On September 29, a general strike day is held, called by the two main trade union confederations (UGT and CCOO).
On December 4, the Spanish government declares state of alarm after air traffic controllers leave their jobs, in a strike that was not notified previously.

2011

15-M movement protests in Madrid's *Puerta del Sol* square

The historical period covered by this book comes to an end, but several important events occurred during this year:

The anti-austerity protests of 15-M movement, began on 15 May, due to the economic crisis, in a context of many protests in other countries. They included a mass camping at Madrid's Puerta del Sol square.
On 20 October, terrorist organization ETA, which seeked Basque Country's independence through armed struggle, announced the definitive cessation of its armed activity, putting an end to about 50 years of violence.
On 20 November, general elections are held. The People's Party (PP) wins with an absolute majority, and Mariano Rajoy becomes prime minister (president of the government), replacing José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero from Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).

This events can truly be said to mark the beginning of a new stage in Spain's history: a change of government, the end of ETA terrorism, and 15-M movement that would later give rise to the birth of new left-wing political parties. This new stage is clearly different from the 2000s decade in Spain.

References

↑ "20 AÑOS DE "AEROLITOS" EN ESPAÑA". Es Madrid no Madriz (in European Spanish). 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
↑ Press, Europa (2009-02-17). "Málaga sufrió el día 1 el mayor tornado urbano de España en 150 años". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 2025-04-12.
↑ Abellán, Lucía (2009-04-25). "El paro supera los cuatro millones" (in es). El País. ISSN 1134-6582. https://elpais.com/diario/2009/04/25/economia/1240610401_850215.html.
↑ Missé, Andreu (2009-04-26). "España genera en sólo un año la mitad de los parados de Europa" (in es). El País. ISSN 1134-6582. https://elpais.com/diario/2009/04/26/economia/1240696805_850215.html.
↑ MENÉNDEZ, MARÍA (2011-10-20). "El último atentado mortal de ETA fue en marzo de 2010 con el asesinato de un policía francés". RTVE.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-12.
↑ Méndez, Rafael (2009-11-09). "La eólica supera por primera vez la mitad de la producción eléctrica" (in es). El País. ISSN 1134-6582. https://elpais.com/diario/2009/11/09/sociedad/1257721202_850215.html.

[1] "20 AÑOS DE "AEROLITOS" EN ESPAÑA". Es Madrid no Madriz (in European Spanish). 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2024-09-22.

[2] Press, Europa (2009-02-17). "Málaga sufrió el día 1 el mayor tornado urbano de España en 150 años". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 2025-04-12.

[3] Abellán, Lucía (2009-04-25). "El paro supera los cuatro millones" (in es). El País. ISSN 1134-6582. https://elpais.com/diario/2009/04/25/economia/1240610401_850215.html.

[4] Missé, Andreu (2009-04-26). "España genera en sólo un año la mitad de los parados de Europa" (in es). El País. ISSN 1134-6582. https://elpais.com/diario/2009/04/26/economia/1240696805_850215.html.

[5] MENÉNDEZ, MARÍA (2011-10-20). "El último atentado mortal de ETA fue en marzo de 2010 con el asesinato de un policía francés". RTVE.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-12.

[6] Méndez, Rafael (2009-11-09). "La eólica supera por primera vez la mitad de la producción eléctrica" (in es). El País. ISSN 1134-6582. https://elpais.com/diario/2009/11/09/sociedad/1257721202_850215.html.

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