2004 - What happened in 2004 ?

January 2004

Saturday 03:

Flight 604, a Boeing 737 owned by Flash Airlines, an Egyptian airliner, plunges into the Red Sea, killing all 148 aboard.

Sunday 04:

Spirit, a NASA Mars Rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.

Wednesday 14:

The national flag of Georgia, the so-called "five cross flag", was restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years.

Wednesday 21:

NASA's MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceased communication with mission control. The problem was with Flash Memory management and fixed remotely from Earth on Feb 6th.

Thursday 29:

A whale explodes in the town of Tainan, Taiwan. A build-up of gas in the decomposing 56-foot long Sperm whale is suspected of causing the explosion.

February 2004

Thursday 12:

Mattel Inc. announces the split of Barbara Millicent Roberts and Ken Carson after 43 years of dating.

Friday 13:

Travis Metcalfe from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics discovers the universe's largest known diamond, white dwarf star BPM 37093.

Saturday 14:

In a suburb of Moscow, Russia, the roof of the Transvaal water park collapses, killing more than 25 people, and wounding more than 100 others.

Sunday 15:

John Daly the PGA golfer, wins his first PGA TOUR event in 9 years by winning the Buick Invitational golf tournament on the first hole of a playoff in San Diego, California.

Saturday 28:

Over 1 million Taiwanese participating in the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally form a 500-kilometre (300-mile) long human chain to commemorate the 228 Incident in 1947

March 2004

Tuesday 02:

War in Iraq: A United Nations report from the weapons inspection teams states that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction of any significance after 1994, despite President Bush's objection to the contrary before the invasion.

Friday 19:

Taiwanese president Chen Shui-ban is shot just before the country's presidential election on March 20. See 3-19 Shooting Incident.

Sunday 21:

In Malaysia, the 11th Federal and State elections are held, returning the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional to power with an increased majority.

Thursday 25:

Air Holland files for bankruptcy in response to unproven allegations of marijuana abuse by their pilots.

Saturday 27:

HMS Scylla, a decommissioned Leander frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe.

April 2004

Thursday 01:

The first legal same-sex marriage in the Canadian province of Quebec: Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf wed in Montreal.

Friday 02:

Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt a thwarted bombing of the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid.

Saturday 03:

Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks are trapped by the police in their apartment and kill themselves with explosives.

Thursday 29:

Richard Cheney and George W. Bush testify before the 9/11 Commission in a closed, unrecorded hearing in the Oval Office.

Friday 30:

The last edition of NPR's Morning Edition with Bob Edwards as host airs.

May 2004

Friday 14:

Insurgents or terrorists in Iraq detonate a 155 mm shell containing several liters of binary precursors for sarin. The shell was designed to mix the chemicals as it spun during flight and the explosion failed to mix them properly. Although it only resulted in a small release of sarin, two U.S. soldiers are treated for exposure after displaying the early symptoms.

Monday 17:

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Massachusetts.

Tuesday 18:

Randy Johnson pitches a perfect game for the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. the Atlanta Braves.

Saturday 29:

World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, DC

Monday 31:

A foul-up during routine software update at the Royal Bank of Canada leads to a three-day misplacement of 10 million account balances.

June 2004

Tuesday 08:

First Transit of Venus in this millennium.

Friday 11:

Ronald Reagan's funeral held at Washington National Cathedral

Saturday 12:

A 1.3 kg chondrite type meteorite strikes a house in Ellerslie, New Zealand causing serious damage but no injuries.

Sunday 20:

Ken Griffey, Jr. becomes the 20th member of the 500 home run club with a home run at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.

Monday 21:

SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.

July 2004

Saturday 03:

Official opening of Bangkok's subway system.

Sunday 04:

National Team of Greece won the EURO 2004 Cup after the Final against Portugal with 1-0.

Monday 05:

Éric Gagné's consecutive baseball saves streak comes to an end at 84 games.

Wednesday 21:

The United Kingdom government publishes Delivering Security in a Changing World, a paper detailing wide-ranging reform of the country's armed forces.

Friday 30:

A gas explosion kills 16 people in Belgium.

August 2004

Sunday 01:

A supermarket fire kills 215 people and injures 300 in Asunción, Paraguay.

Saturday 14:

Sales tax holiday in Massachusetts. All sales taxes are suspended on purchases of $2500 or less.

Tuesday 17:

The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Boze Pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.

Wednesday 18:

In Dublin, Ireland the Dublin Port Tunnel excavation works are completed.

Sunday 22:

The Scream, the painting by Edvard Munch, is stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Oslo, Norway.

September 2004

Tuesday 07:

The Serbian government backs a decision by Minister of Education and Sport Ljiljana ?oli? to require the teaching of both creationism and evolution in schools.

Saturday 11:

Petros VII, the (Greek Orthodox) Patriarch of Alexandria and his company are killed in an unexplained helicopter crash outside Mount Athos, Greece.

Monday 13:

The anime InuYasha finishes its run in Japan with episode 167.

Wednesday 15:

Davíð Oddsson the longest serving Prime Minister of Iceland, steps down after serving in office from 1991, and becomes minister for foreign affairs. At the time he was the longest serving PM in Europe

Thursday 23:

At least 1,070 in Haiti reported killed by floods due to Hurricane Jeanne.

October 2004

Sunday 03:

The Montreal Expos play their last major league baseball game before the franchise is moved to Washington, D.C.

Saturday 09:

The tri-annual federal election is held in Australia and Liberal Party of Australia leader, John Howard, wins a fourth term as Prime Minister in a landslide victory over opponent, Mark Latham of the Australian Labor Party.

Thursday 21:

The Boston Red Sox win the American League pennant, defeating the New York Yankees 10-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, capping off a remarkable comeback from three games to none down to win.

Monday 25:

Official Guided by Voices Day in Bloomington, Indiana.

Wednesday 27:

Matti Nykänen, once a very successful Finnish ski-jumper, is found guilty of attempt of manslaughter and sentenced to a two year and two month jail term for stabbing a family friend.

November 2004

Monday 01:

The Bank of Japan issues a new series of 1000, 5000, and 10,000 yen notes. Both old and the new series will circulate together.

Sunday 07:

War in Iraq: The interim government of Iraq calls for a 60-day "state of emergency" as U.S. forces storm the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.

Monday 15:

New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey leaves office, three months after resigning due to a gay extra-marital affair. State Senator Richard Codey takes over as interim governor.

Tuesday 16:

X-43A scramjet becomes the fastest air-breathing jet flying at nearly Mach 10 at approx. 11,200 km/h or 3.11 km/s

Sunday 21:

2004 - The second round of the Ukrainian presidential election is held, unleashing massive protests and controversy with regards to the election's integrity.

December 2004

Thursday 02:

Brian Williams succeeds Tom Brokaw as host of NBC Nightly News.

Wednesday 08:

2004 - Population of Victoria (Australia) reaches 5 million for the first time.

Sunday 12:

Portuguese football team FC Porto wins the last-held Intercontinental Cup against Colombia's Once Caldas in an 8-7 penalty shoot-out.

Tuesday 14:

The Millau viaduct, the highest bridge in the world, is officially opened.

Saturday 25:

Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which will land on Saturn's moon, Titan on January 14, 2005.