This document summarizes the events that led to the 2008 financial crisis and banking sector meltdown. It discusses the housing bubble from 2001-2005, the subprime mortgage explosion, the bursting of the housing bubble in 2005-2006, the subprime crisis in 2007, and the financial collapse in 2008. Charts and data are presented on home prices, delinquencies, foreclosures, private and government debt levels to illustrate the scale of the crisis and its underlying causes in the real estate and banking sectors.