January 2004

Thursday 01:

Pervez Musharraf receives a vote of confidence to continue as the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from Parliament and the provincial assemblies.

Friday 02:

Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that it will return to Earth two years later.

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.

Thursday 08:

Queen Elizabeth names the Queen Mary II cruise liner, the largest passenger ship ever built.

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.

Friday 16:

Goatse.cx is shut down by the Christmas Island Registry

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.

Sunday 25:

Opportunity (MER-B) lands on surface of Mars.

Wednesday 28:

September Dossier: Lord Hutton publishes his report into the death of UN weapons inspector Dr. David Kelly.

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.

Saturday 31:

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ends its run on the Sci-Fi Channel.