2006 was the hottest year on record for the U.S. Worldwide, it is the 6th highest year on record. 2006 Breaks U.S. Temperature Record, National Climatic Data Center Says Last Year Was Warmest In Our History - CBS News Although I must say that concentrating on the last few years and pointing out that the graph has been misread is kind of silly and does nothing to debunk the trend that the graph demonstrates over time. (if you want to use it as a evidence for argument.)