Energy Crisis: In 2003 the price of oil began to rise from the 1980's 30$/Barrel to over 60$/Barrel, and reached its peak of 147$ per Barrel. This is partially due to the events that transpired in 2006 such as the conflict between Lebanon and Israel, Hurricane Katrina, and Iran's plans for nuclear activity. This continued until the prices returned to stable numbers between 70$ and 120$.
Automotive Crisis: As an added side effect of the Energy Crisis, the automobile industry took a heavy blow. The shortage of oil caused more people to buy vehicles with better fuel economy as opposed to pick ups and SUVs. The US along with Japan, Korea, and Europe suffered because they house many popular car companies that had not adapted to the change.
Russian Recession: Once again the culprit here is crude oil, but in Russia it was the value that decreased by 70%. Not only that, 1 trillion dollars was essentially wiped from Russian share values. Even so the recession was short lived and lasted only less than 2 years.
Interest Rates: The Federal Reserve decreased interest rates from 6.0% in 2000 to 2.0% in 2001. There were numerous events such as the 9/11 attacks and the US-Afghanistan war. However interest rates increased like inflation as the economy improved. By June of 2006 the interest rates have reached 5.25% and everything balanced out. However as the recession rolled around in 2007, interest rates plummet. At the end of 2008 it had reached .25%.