Recent examples include Under the Net ( 1954 ) by Iris Murdoch, Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird ( 1965 ), Thomas Berger's Little Big Man ( 1964 ), Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle ( 1973 ), John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces ( 1980 ), Isabel Allende's Eva Luna ( 1987 ), Edward Abbey's The Fool's Progress: An Honest Novel ( 1988 ), Robert Clark Young's One of the Guys ( 1999 ), Helen Zahavi's Dirty Weekend ( 1991 ), C. D. Payne's Youth in Revolt ( 1993 ), Christian Kracht's Faserland ( 1995 ), Umberto Eco's Baudolino ( 2000 ), Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver ( 2003 ), and Aravind Adiga's " The White Tiger " ( Booker Prize 2008 )

Sir Harry Paget Flashman VC KCB KCIE is a fictional character created by George MacDonald Fraser ( 1925 – 2008 ), but based on the character " Flashman " in Tom Brown's Schooldays ( 1857 ), a semi-autobiographical work by Thomas Hughes ( 1822 – 1896 ).

In Gordon Brown's autumn 2008 reshuffle, Bryant was promoted from his role as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Harriet Harman to the ministerial position of Deputy Leader of the House of Commons otherwise known as Parliamentary Secretary to the House of Commons.

On 4 September 2008, Clarke once again attacked Gordon Brown's performance as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister, claiming that he only had " months " to improve or else should face a leadership contest.

Pat Brown's best season was a 3rd place title in 2007, while Nelson has had two 1st place titles in the Yamaha / ITP Quadcross, one in 2006 and the other in 2008.

Following Gordon Brown's October 2008 reshuffle, Blizzard was promoted from an Assistant Whip to a Government Whip otherwise known as a ' Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury '.

On 16 September 2008, Cairns resigned from the government during arguments in the Labour party over Gordon Brown's leadership, saying that the time had come to " allow a leadership debate to run its course ".

Following Gordon Brown's October 2008 reshuffle, Cunningham was promoted from Assistant Whip to a Government Whip also known as a ' Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury ', in which role he served until May 2010.

As part of the reshuffle of Gordon Brown's government in October 2008, she assumed additional responsibility for the Government Equalities Office.

Following Gordon Brown's government reshuffle in October 2008, David was moved to be a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Wales Office.

Following Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle of 3 October 2008, Follett was made Minister of Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport replacing Margaret Hodge who went on compassionate leave caring for her ill husband.

Following Gordon Brown's reshuffle in October 2008, he shadowed Ed Miliband in the newly formed Department for Energy and Climate Change.

In Gordon Brown's next reshuffle of 3 October 2008, Pearson was moved to the Treasury as Economic Secretary, also becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Economics and Business.

In Gordon Brown's reshuffle on 3 October 2008 McNulty moved to become Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions and Minister for London, and although not a full member of the cabinet, he was permitted to attend unlike most junior ministers until he resigned on 5 June 2009.

On February 5, 2008, Simon and Schuster released Brown's hardcover auto-biography, Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times, with collaborator P. J. Corkery.

Simmons and Brown, who had been released already from WWE in March 2003 and returned in 2008, were officially released ( again, in Brown's case ) in early January 2009 due to budget cuts.

Brown's appointment filled the vacancy created when prior captain Rob Blake left the Kings in free agency to sign with the San Jose Sharks on July 3, 2008.

** A funk inferno, 16 February 2008, James Brown's Boston concert after the killing of Dr. Martin Luther King

Following Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle of 3 October 2008, Khan was made to be a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Communities and Local Government, replacing Parmjit Dhanda.

The following year at the 29th Worldcon, the first Noreascon that Locus was founded to promote and support, Brown's newszine won its first of a record 29 Hugoes ( as of 2008 ).

Following the resignation of Strachan at the end of the 2008 – 09 season, Brown's former Hibs boss Tony Mowbray became Celtic manager.

The fabrication methods and device characteristics were described at the 50th Electronic Materials Conference in Santa Barbara on June 25, 2008.

The Festival of Flanders had its 50th celebration in 2008.

A special conference of scholars on Pius XII on the 50th anniversary of his death was held in Rome on 15 – 17 September 2008, by Pave the Way Foundation, a nonsectarian organization founded by Gary Krupp, a Jewish American, which promotes interfaith cooperation.

On 9 October 2008, the 50th anniversary of Pius XII's death, Benedict XVI celebrated pontifical mass in his memory.

The 2008 season marked the first year that Barry Bonds was not a member of the team since first signing with them in 1992 and the 50th season in San Francisco.

The tour was also notable for the Manchester gig on 8 March 2008 which also happened to fall on his 50th birthday.

On February 10, 2008, Scruggs was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

In 2008, the SMU School of Engineering, with the DeGolyer Library and the Library of Congress, hosted a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the digital age with Jack Kilby ’ s Nobel Prize-winning invention of the integrated circuit.

In 2009 " America's Best Colleges " ranked Yeshiva University as the 50th best national university rising from the 2008 rank of 52nd.

On 9 September 2008, La Défense celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge fireworks display.

On 2 September 2008 the new CCTV Headquarters was opened on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of CCTV.

In April 2008, the University hosted a 3-day long celebration for the 50th anniversary of the program.

On March 17, 2008 it logged its 50th year in Earth orbit.

In 2008, the 50th anniversary of Buechner's ordination, Rich Barlowe wrote of Buechner in the Boston Globe, " Who knows?

50th anniversary memorial activities took place in 2008.

OLQP School celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, and was honored to have its Fourth Grade teacher, Lorraine Ford, named as a finalist for the 2008 New Jersey Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year award.

In 2008, the 50th festival was held.

In June 2008, Billy played a two-night show with Jello Biafra ( vocals ), Ralph Spight ( guitar ) and Jon Weiss ( drums ) in celebration of Biafra's 50th birthday, and has since recorded an album, The Audacity of Hype, with them.

Vanguard I marked its 50th year in space on March 17, 2008.

The piece was performed by Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang at the 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008.

Old Trafford's Munich Tunnel, unveiled in 2008 on the 50th anniversary of the disaster.

On 6 February 2008, the 50th anniversary of the crash, several television channels showed programmes about it:

Laurence Jackson School, at the eastern end of the town, is the only secondary school and a Specialist Sports College ; it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008.

The two out-of-print A & A board games, Axis & Allies: Classic ( 1984 ) and Axis & Allies: 50th Anniversary Edition ( 2008 ) can be found on various auction websites.

In 2008, Axis & Allies: 50th Anniversary Edition was released as one of the three games celebrating the 50th anniversary of its publisher, Avalon Hill ( the other two games were Acquire and Diplomacy ).