Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar.
Events of 2004
January
- January 3 - Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashes into the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, killing all 148 aboard.
- January 4 - Mikhail Saakashvili wins the presidential elections in Georgia.
- January 4 - NASA's MER-A (Spirit) lands on Mars at 04:35 UTC.
- January 8 - Queen Elizabeth II christens the RMS Queen Mary 2 cruise liner,
- January 19 - U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) wins the Iowa Democratic caucus. Vermont Governor Howard Dean's concession speech ends with a lively but controversial scream.
- January 24 - NASA's MER-B (Opportunity) lands on Mars at 05:05 UTC.
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- February 1 - The New England Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVIII.
- February 2 - An 11-story apartment building collapses in Konya, Turkey, killing more than 90 residents.
- February 3 - The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
- February 3 - Jóannes Eidesgaard becomes Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands.
- February 7 - Several leaders of Abnaa el-Balad are arrested in Israel.
- February 10 - The French National Assembly votes to pass a law banning religious items and clothing from schools.
- February 13 - Athens gets hit by a major blizzard which blankets the entire city for days, causing widespread havoc.
- February 13 - Scientists in South Korea announce the cloning of 30 human embryos.
- February 14 - The roof of the Transvaal water park in Moscow collapses, killing 25 and injuring more than 100.
- February 17- 20 - A nor'easter blizzard devastates Atlantic Canada, dumping more than 95 centimeters on some areas.
- February 18 - A train carrying a convoy of petrol, fertiliser, and sulfur derails and explodes in Iran, killing 320 people.
- February 20 - Conservatives win a majority in the Iranian parliament election.
- February 24 - A 6.5 Richter scale earthquake in Northern Morocco hits in the Rif mountains near the city of Al Hoceima, killing 400. Ait Kamara is destroyed; 517 are killed.
- February 26 - The United States lifts a 23-year travel ban against Libya.
- February 26 - Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski is killed in a plane crash near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- February 29 - The 76th Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, are held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King directed by Peter Jackson, winning a record-tying 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
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- March 2 - John Kerry effectively clinches the 2004 U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination by winning 9 out of 10 " Super Tuesday" primaries and caucuses.
- March 2 - NASA announces that the Mars rover MER-B (Opportunity) has confirmed that its landing area was once drenched in water.
- March 10 - Five British men are released from detention at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay. After they land at RAF Brize Norton, 4 of them are immediately arrested for questioning.
- March 14 - Spanish legislative election, 2004: The incumbent government led by José María Aznar is defeated by the Socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
- March 14 - Russian presidential election, 2004: Vladimir Putin easily wins a second term.
- March 15 - The new Spanish Government announces that it will withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq.
- March 19 - The United Nations launches a political corruption investigation due to the scandal over its Iraqi Oil for Food program.
- March 20 - President Chen Shui-bian wins the Taiwanese presidential election by 0.2% of the vote. The day before, he and Vice President Annette Lu were shot. Lien Chan refuses to concede and demands a recount. A controversial peace referendum opposed by the People's Republic of China is invalidated.
- March 21 - Malaysian general election, 2004: The incumbent Barisan Nasional party wins 198 out of 219 seats in the Parliament of Malaysia.
- March 21 - Salvadoran presidential election, 2004: Antonio Saca is elected President of El Salvador (inaugurated June 1).
- March 22 - Palestinians protest in the streets after an Israeli helicopter gunship fires a missile at the entourage of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza City, killing him and 7 others.
- March 25 - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, in return for the dismantling of Libya's Weapons of mass destruction programme in December 2003 - the first time a major western leader has visited the nation in several decades.
- March 28 - In France, the government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin suffers a stunning and unprecedented defeat in regional elections.
- March 28 - The first ever South Atlantic hurricane makes landfall in South Brazil on the state of Santa Catarina - the hurricane is dubbed Hurricane Catarina.
- March 29 - The Republic of Ireland bans smoking in all enclosed work places, including restaurants, pubs and bars.
- March 29 - The largest expansion of North Atlantic Treaty Organization to date takes place, allowing Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia into the organization.
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- April 5 - Queen Elizabeth II begins a state visit to France to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.
- April 8 - Darfur conflict: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and 2 rebel groups.
- April 16 - India defeats Pakistan in their first cricket tour in 14 years.
- April 17 - Israeli helicopters fire missiles at a convoy of vehicles in the Gaza Strip, killing the Gaza leader of Hamas, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi.
- April 21 - Mordechai Vanunu, who revealed an Israeli nuclear weapons programme in the 1980s, is released from prison in Israel after serving 18 years for treason.
- April 22 - The last coal mine in France closes, ending nearly 300 years of coal mining.
- April 24 - Referendums on the Annan Plan for Cyprus, which proposes to re-unite the island of Cyprus, take place in both the Republic of Cyprus controlled and the Turkish controlled parts. Although the Turkish Cypriots vote in favour, the Greek Cypriots reject the proposal.
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- May 1 - The largest expansion to date of the European Union takes place, extending the Union by 10 member-states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus.
- May 4 - A WNBC helicopter crashes in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. This event is covered by rival station WABC-TV.
- May 9 - Canada wins the World Ice Hockey Championship in Prague.
- May 10 - Philippine general election, 2004: Incumbent president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is elected for 6-year term.
- May 13 - In India, the Congress Party wins a surprise victory in the elections to the Lok Sabha.
- May 14 - Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, marries Australian Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen.
- May 15 - Arsenal complete a whole English Premiership season unbeaten, 38 games.
- May 15 - South Africa is awarded the 2010 FIFA World Cup
- May 15 - Ruslana wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 for Ukraine with the song Wild Dances in İstanbul, Turkey.
- May 19 - Tony Blair is hit with a purple flour bomb in the chamber of the House of Commons during a session of Prime Minister's Questions.
- May 23 - A section of the ceiling in Terminal 2E at Paris's Charles de Gaulle International Airport collapses, claiming at least 6 lives.
- May 23 - Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visits North Korea, to secure the release of the families of the 9 abducted Japanese citizens returned earlier.
- May 26 - F.C. Porto wins the European Champion Clubs Cup defeating A.S. Monaco by 3–0
- May 29 - The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, DC.
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- June 3 - All outgoing flights from the UK are temporarily grounded following an air traffic control computer failure. (BBC)
- June 3 - Central Intelligence Agency director George Tenet tenders his resignation, citing "personal reasons". John E. McLaughlin, CIA Deputy Director, becomes the acting Director until a permanent Director is chosen and confirmed by Congress.
- June 5 - Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, dies at his home in Bel-Air, California at the age of 93. A six-day state funeral follows after his death.
- June 8 - The first transit of Venus since 1882 occurs; the next one will occur in 2012.
- June 8 - The 30th G8 summit takes place over the next 2 days on Sea Island, in Georgia, USA.
- June 12 - A 1.3 kg chondrite type meteorite strikes a house in Ellerslie, New Zealand, causing serious damage but no injuries.
- June 16 - The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (or "9/11 Commission") issues an initial report of its findings.
- June 21 - In Mojave, California, SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately-funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.
- June 28 until June 29 - 2004 Istanbul Summit
- June 28 - The U.S.-led coalition occupying Iraq transfers sovereignty to an Iraqi Interim Government.
- June 28 - Canadian election: The Liberal Party, led by Paul Martin, is reduced to a minority government, after holding a majority since November 1993.
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- July 1 - The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft arrives at Saturn.
- July 1 - Vatican gains full membership rights in the United Nations except voting.
- July 4 - Groundbreaking for the Freedom Tower begins at Ground Zero in New York City.
- July 4 - Greece beats Portugal 1–0 to win the Euro 2004.
- July 22 - The Old Bridge of Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina is reconstructed and reopened after being destroyed by Bosnian Croat forces on November 9, 1993.
- July 25 - Over 100,000 opponents of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004 participate in a human chain from Gush Katif, to the Western Wall, Jerusalem (90 kilometers).
- July 25 - Lance Armstrong of Austin, Texas wins an unprecedented 6th consecutive Tour de France cycling title.
- July 26 – July 29 - The Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts nominates John Kerry for U.S. President and John Edwards for Vice President.
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- August 1 - A supermarket fire in Asunción, Paraguay, kills about 400 and leaves over 100 missing.
- August 3 - The Statue of Liberty reopens after security improvements.
- August 3 - NASA's MESSENGER is launched. It will be captured into Mercury's orbit on March 18, 2011.
- August 6 - A United Nations report blaming the government of Sudan for crimes against humanity in Darfur is released.
- August 9 - At the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant, a pipe leaking hot water and steam kills 5 and injures 6 others. It is the 2nd worst nuclear disaster of Japan.
- August 12 - Singapore's prime minister Goh Chok Tong hands over his position to Lee Hsien Loong.
- August 13 – August 29 - The 2004 Summer Olympics are held in Athens.
The Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics, held in
Athens.
- August 13 - Hurricane Charley kills 27 people in Florida after killing 4 in Cuba and 1 in Jamaica. Charley made landfall near Cayo Costa, FL as a Category 4 hurricane. Charley is the most intense hurricane to strike the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
- August 16 - Severe flooding occurs in the village of Boscastle in Cornwall.
- August 18 - In Dublin, Ireland, the Dublin Port Tunnel excavation works are completed and the final tunnel boring machine breakthrough ceremony takes place.
- August 20 - Elbegdorj Tsakhia, the peaceful democratic revolutionary leader of Mongolia, becomes Prime Minister of Mongolia for the second time.
- August 29 - Around 200,000 protesters demonstrate in New York City against U.S. President George W. Bush and his government, ahead of the 2004 Republican National Convention.
- August 29 - Michael Schumacher wins a record seventh world championship title by finishing second in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
- August 30 – September 2 - U.S. President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are renominated at the Republican National Convention in New York City.
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- September - The Great Laxey Mine Railway of the Isle of Man is re-opened.
- September 2 - The United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 1559, calling for the removal of all foreign troops from Lebanon.
- September 3 - Russian forces end the siege at a school in Beslan, Northern Ossetia. At least 335 people (among which are 32 of the approximately 40 hostage-takers) are killed and at least 700 people injured.
- September 3 - Hurricane Frances makes landfall in Florida. After killing 2 people in the Bahamas, Hurricane Frances kills 10 people in Florida, 2 in Georgia and 1 in South Carolina.
- September 2 - Hurricane Ivan forms.
- September 7 - The Scottish Parliament meets in the new Scottish Parliament Building for the first time.
- September 7 - Hurricane Ivan passes directly over Grenada, killing 37 people. It passes over other Caribbean islands over the next 2 days, killing 5 people in Venezuela, 4 in the Dominican Republic, 1 in Tobago and 20 in Jamaica.
- September 8 - In the "Rathergate" affair, the first Internet posts appear pointing out that documents claimed by CBS News to be typewritten memos from the early 1970s appear instead to have been produced using modern word processing systems.
- September 9 - Typhoon Songda hits western Japan, killing 45 and injuring another 1,352.
- September 13 - The U.S. Assault Weapons Ban expires.
- September 15 - Davíð Oddsson, Prime Minister of Iceland, steps down after serving as prime minister since April 30, 1991. Oddson trades posts with his foreign minister Halldór Ásgrímsson, who then becomes Prime Minister.
- September 15 - Security at the Palace of Westminster is compromised when the House of Commons is stormed by a small group of protestors during a debate about fox hunting.
- September 16 - Hurricane Ivan strikes Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 3 storm, killing 25 in Alabama and Florida, becoming the 3rd costliest hurricane in American history (currently the 4th following the destruction of 2005's Hurricane Katrina).
- September 17 - Hurricane Jeanne causes mudslides in Haiti, killing 3006.
- September 17 - The 2004 Summer Paralympics commences in Athens, Greece.
- September 17 - Mexico and Japan finish 2-year-long negotiations and sign a Free Trade Agreement in Mexico City.
- September 21 - Construction of the Burj Dubai begins.
- September 23 - Mount St. Helens becomes active again.
- September 23 - Tropical Storm Ivan, having come around and reformed in the Gulf of Mexico, makes its final landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, to little effect. In total, the storm will kill 92 people.
- September 24 - Major League Baseball announces that the Montreal Expos will move to Washington D.C. in 2005
- September 25 - Port Adelaide Power win their first premiership against Brisbane Lions in AFL Grand Final
- September 25 - Hurricane Jeanne makes landfall near Port Saint Lucie, Florida, near location Hurricane Frances hit two weeks earlier. Jeanne kills over 3,030, mostly in Haiti.
- September 29 - In Mojave, California, the first Ansari X-Prize flight takes place of SpaceShipOne, which is competing with a number of spacecraft (including Canada's Da Vinci Project, claimed to be its closest rival) and will go on to win the prize on October 4th.
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- October 5 - A fire breaks out on the Canadian submarine HMCS Chicoutimi, leaving it stranded without power in the North Atlantic ocean, off the north coast of Ireland; 1 crewmember is killed.
- October 8 - Martha Stewart begins serving a 5-month sentence for insider trading at the Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia.
- October 9 - Queen Elizabeth II opens the new Scottish Parliament Building in a ceremony in Edinburgh.
- October 9 - Incumbent Prime Minister of Australia John Howard leads the Liberal-National coalition to victory over the Labor Party led by Mark Latham in federal elections.
- October 9 - Direct elections for president are held for the first time in Afghanistan. Interim president Hamid Karzai is eventually declared the winner.
- October 10 - Abdullahi Yusuf is chosen as the new transitional president of Somalia.
- October 14 - Prince Norodom Sihamoni is chosen as the new king of Cambodia.
- October 16 - Arsenal loses for the first time in 49 league games, a national record, going down 2–0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
- October 17 - A referendum in Belarus approves the lifting of constitutional term limits for the presidency.
- October 19 - General Khin Nyunt is replaced by Lieutenant-General Soe Win as Prime Minister of Myanmar.
- October 19 - Polytechnic University of the Philippines celebrates its centennial founding.
- October 19 - A team of explorers reached the bottom of the world's deepest cave, located in Krubera. The depth reached was 2,080 meters (6,824 feet), setting a world record. (National Geographic)
- October 20 - First release of the Ubuntu operating system
- October 20 - Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 crashes in Missouri, killing 13 people and injuring 2.
- October 20 - Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono becomes the first directly elected President of Indonesia.
- October 21 - The Ministry of Defence approves the deployment of the Black Watch regiment of the British Army to Baghdad, Iraq after a request for assistance by the U.S. government.
- October 21 - Typhoon Tokage hit western Japan. 98 killed, 552 injured.
- October 23 - A Magnitude 6.7 earthquake and aftershocks of similar scale occur in the Tokamachi area. A huge landslide occurs on the outskirts of Nagaoka. According to Japanese officials, 68 people are killed, 4,085 are injured, and 103,000 are rendered homeless.
- October 24 - Brazil successfully launches its first rocket into space.
- October 24 - Michael Schumacher wins his 7th Formula One World Drivers Championship, 5th consecutive making him the most successful driver in the history of Formula One.
- October 26 - The Cassini probe passes within 1,200km of Titan.
- October 27 - The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918, breaking the Curse of the Bambino.
- October 27 - Details of the discovery of a new, recent species of fossil hominid, Homo floresiensis, from the island of Flores, Indonesia, are published.
- October 29 - European heads of state sign in Rome the Treaty and Final Act establishing the first European Constitution.
- October 30 - A 163-metre-high radio mast in Peterborough, UK collapses at a fire.
- October 31 - Leftist candidate Tabaré Vázquez is elected President of Uruguay.
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