Events 2004

Greece -- Summer Olympics The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad were held in Athens, Greece during The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad were held in Athens, Greece during August . A total of 10,625 athletes (4,329 women and 6.296 men) from 201 countries participated in 301 sporting and athletic events. These were the first Games in which record-breaking U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps won his first (6) gold medals and set the record for most medals won at a single Games with 8 in total. Several events were held at Ancient Olympic sites and the site of the 1896 Olympics (the first in modern times). These games were also the first to feature women’s wrestling and women’s sabre fencing.





United States - Mars Spirit Rover After a brief period of inactivity due to a glitch, NASA’s Spirit rover, part of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission, returns to full functionality during



After a brief period of inactivity due to a glitch, NASA’s Spirit rover, part of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission, returns to full functionality during February . The Spirit rover was launched in June of 2003 and arrived on Mars early in January of 2004. It suffered an issue with its flash memory that required NASA to send a software patch and reformat its memory. Once it was updated it resumed its scientific mission which included searching for evidence of water on Mars, analyzing rocks and minerals, evaluating the terrain, searching for iron, and assessing if there were ever the conditions to sustain life on the planet. NASA lost contact with Spirit in March of 2010 and officially ended the mission on May 24 , 2011.





Space - Cassini-Huygens Probe 1. The Cassini-Huygens orbiter and probe entered Saturn’s orbit and took the first close photos of Saturn’s rings during

2. The space craft was launched in

3. Its mission was to study Saturn’s atmosphere, weather, magnetic fields, moons, and rings.

4. The space craft cost $3.3 billion to build and was one of NASA’s most ambitious and sophisticated projects to date.

5. During December of 2004, Cassini released the Huygens probe which landed on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.

6. In



1. The Cassini-Huygens orbiter and probe entered Saturn’s orbit and took the first close photos of Saturn’s rings during July , 2004.2. The space craft was launched in October of 1997 and made a seven year journey over 2.2 billion miles.3. Its mission was to study Saturn’s atmosphere, weather, magnetic fields, moons, and rings.4. The space craft cost $3.3 billion to build and was one of NASA’s most ambitious and sophisticated projects to date.5. During December of 2004, Cassini released the Huygens probe which landed on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.6. In May of 2008 , Cassini concluded its primary mission but continued to study Saturn and the surrounding area.





NASA Launches Gravity Probe B NASA launches the Gravity Probe B satellite during



NASA launches the Gravity Probe B satellite during April . It was launched on a Delta II rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and went into a very precise polar orbit. The purpose of the mission was to test two parts of Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the geodetic effect and frame-dragging. It measured the spacetime curvature near Earth and confirmed the theories by using four very precise gyroscopes to note slight changes that would indicate the gravity of a large object (Earth) was warping space and time and the rotation of it was pulling space and time.





UK

Queen Elizabeth II christens the RMS Queen Mary 2 cruise liner, currently the largest ocean liner in the world

U.S.

The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Iraq

Suicide Bombers Detonate car bombs in Basra, Iraq, killing at least 74

Spain

Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid kill 190 people. Five suspects blow themselves up

U.S.

CBS uncovers systematic torture of Iraq Prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison

Spain

Spain withdraws Spanish troops from Iraq.

Iraq

US transfers sovereignty and control of Iraq back to the Iraq people

World

The 60th anniversary of D-Day is remembered by world leaders

Europe

The EU undergoes it's largest expansion so far by accepting 10 new states into the EU Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus.

More Information and Timeline for European Union Expansion

The European Union goes through a huge expansion as ten countries are added on the 1st of May in 2004. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus and the Czech Republicare all added. The expansion of the European Union was an important step in joining the economies of the Eastern countries to the Western countries for the first time since the break up of the Soviet Union. Later that year the 25 European Union countries establish a constitution.



United States - Gravity Probe B NASA launches the Gravity Probe B satellite during



NASA launches the Gravity Probe B satellite during April . It was launched on a Delta II rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and went into a very precise polar orbit. The purpose of the mission was to test two parts of Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the geodetic effect and frame-dragging. It measured the spacetime curvature near Earth and confirmed the theories by using four very precise gyroscopes to note slight changes that would indicate the gravity of a large object (Earth) was warping space and time and the rotation of it was pulling space and time.





World

A World Aid Report tells of 5 million new cases in 2004 and 3 million people died

Japan

Japan is hit with multiple earthquakes and multiple typhoons causing major loss of life and major damage to the economy

France

Lance Armstrong of Austin, Texas wins an unprecedented 6th consecutive Tour de France cycling title

U.S.

Hurricane Charley kills 12 people in Florida after killing four in Cuba and one in Jamaica.

UK

Fox Hunting is outlawed in the UK

United States

The Boston Red Sox win the World Series in baseball for the first time since 1918.

More Information for Boston Red Sox World Series.

The Boston Red Sox baseball team won their first World Series since 1918 in October of 2004, breaking an eighty-six year championship drought. The team had languished since 1918 with several near wins for the title only to come up short, maintaining the third longest World Series drought on record. Referred to as the “Curse of the Bambino,” some believed the drought was related to the Red Sox’s sale of legendary player Babe Ruth to their rival, the New York Yankees, in 1920.

U.S.

The Statue of Liberty is reopened to the public

Sudan

Following ethnic cleansing by government backed militia in Darfur, Sudan one million people flee their homes

Sudan

West African Countries including Chad and Mauritania are suffering the worst Locusts Plagues in 40 years

Afghanistan

Afghanistan held its first democratic election when Hamid Karzai becomes the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Russia

Siege at a school in Beslan, Northern Ossetia. At least 335 people (among which at least 32 of the approximately 40 hostage-takers) have been killed and at least 700 people have been injured.

Grenada

Hurricane Ivan strikes the tiny island of Grenada causing damage to 90% of the Islands Homes

U.S.

After striking Grenada, Jamaica and Cuba Hurricane Ivan strikes mainland US with winds in excess of 130MPH causing massive damage and loss of life.

U.S.

Colin Powell announces his resignation and Condoleezza Rice is nominated as his replacement for Secretary of State

U.S.

President George Bush beats Democratic challenger John Kerry to gain a second term of office

U.S.

Facebook is launched as a social networking site only open to students from Harvard in February by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. It is expanded first to other colleges in the Boston area and other Ivy League Colleges

Haiti

Hurricane Jeanne killed over 3,000, most in Haiti.

U.S.

Oil Peaks at just over $50.00 a barrel then retreats back to below $50.00

U.S.

After increases in Fuel Prices the Major Oil Companies make the highest profits in History Exxon Mobile --- $242,365 Billion, Royal Dutch Shell $235,598 Billion, British Petroleum $232,571 Billion,

European Union

The EU undergoes it's largest expansion so far by accepting 10 new states into the EU Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus

U.S.

Ex-soldier John Muhammad is found guilty of one of a series of sniper shootings that terrorized Washington, D.C.,

U.S.

Martha Stewart is convicted of a felony and sentenced to five months in prison

U.S.

Environmental protection laws dropped to allow increased logging in US National Forests

U.S.

Scott Peterson is found guilty for the murder of his wife Laci Peterson

Taiwan

Taipei 101 currently ( 2007 ) the tallest skyscraper in the world completed

Greece

The Summer Olympics are held in Athens Greece

U.S.

First Same Sex Marriage Performed in Massachusetts

Spain

Spain elects a New Socialist Government

Iraq

Four US Contractors Ambushed and Murdered with Photos released to news agencies worldwide

Iraq

US Marines carry out Operation Phantom Fury to clean out insurgent fighters in the city of Fallujah

U.S.

Merck & Co voluntary withdraw Vioxx from the market following concerns over increased risk of heart attack

World