When Chou En-Lai was asked about the long-term impact of the French revolution, he famously replied: "It's too soon to tell. " That sort of lofty vagueness can earn you a reputation for great wisdom if you happen to be a Chinese revolutionary leader. But for a journalist to adopt a similar approach would be professional suicide - rushing to judgment is all part of the job.

So, in that spirit, my offering this week is a shortlist of the five most significant events of 2006. Here they are, in chronological order.