2008 in Europe

Events

• May 21 - The first all-English European Cup final saw Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties after a 1–1 draw in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
• August 7–16: Russia–Georgia war
• August 28 – The Russian group Voina staged the Fuck for the heir Puppy Bear! performance at the Timiryazev State Biological Museum in Moscow to protest at the election of Dmitry Medvedev in the 2008 Russian presidential election.

  Deaths

January

• January 2
• *George MacDonald Fraser, British author
• *Günter Schubert, German actor
• January 3
• *Jimmy Stewart, British racing driver
• *Werner Dollinger, German politician
• January 7 – Detlef Kraus, German pianist
• January 9 – John Harvey-Jones, British businessman
• January 19 – Morris Maddocks, British bishop
• January 30 – Jeremy Beadle, British television presenter, writer and producer

  February

• 28 February – Mike Smith, British singer

  March

• 8 March – Carol Barnes, British newsreader
• 18 March – Anthony Minghella, British film director
• 19 March
• *Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction author and inventor
• *Paul Scofield, British actor
• 20 March – Brian Wilde, British actor
• 23 March – Neil Aspinall, British record producer and business executive
• 28 March – Michael Podro, British art historian

  April

• 1 April – Jim Finney, British football referee
• 7 April – Mark Speight, British television presenter
• 25 April – Humphrey Lyttelton, British jazz musician and broadcaster

  May

• 16 May – David Mitton, British producer and director
• 24 May – Rob Knox, British actor
• 28 May – Beryl Cook, British artist

  July

• 2 July – Elizabeth Spriggs, British actress
• 3 July – Clive Hornby, British actor
• 4 July – Charles Wheeler, British journalist
• 14 July – Hugh Lloyd, British actor

  August

• 11 August – Bill Cotton, British producer
• 29 August – Geoffrey Perkins, British comedy producer, writer and performer
• 31 August – Ken Campbell, British actor and raconteur

  September

• 15 September – Richard Wright, British musician
• 24 September - Ruslan Yamadayev, Russian politician

  November

• 3 November – Brooks Mileson, British businessman,
• 4 November – Syd Lucas, British World War I veteran
• 12 November – Mitch Mitchell, British drummer
• 16 November – Reg Varney, British actor

  December

• 8 December – Oliver Postgate, British animator, puppeteer and writer
• 14 December – Kathy Staff, British actress
• 24 December – Harold Pinter, British playwright