• Tel Aviv celebrates its 100th anniversary. In the last decade or so, Tel Aviv (which has both more vegans per capita and more dog owners per capita in the world) has won accolades from all over the world, being named third best city in the world by Lonely Planet, ultimate party city, best gay city, one of the world’s top action-packed cities, best beach party spot on the planet, best culinary destination, and even home to the most beautiful people in the world.
• Israeli basketball player Omri Casspi becomes the first Israeli to play in the NBA.
• Weizmann Institute crystallographer Ada Yonath becomes the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first woman in 45 years to win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
• Oren Peli’s film “Paranormal Activity” becomes the surprise hit of the year.