What happened in 2004
264 entries recorded for 2004, listed by date. That was 22 years ago.
2004 at a glance
- Years ago
- 22 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 21st century
- Decade
- 2000s
- Generation born
- Generation Z
- Entries here
- 264
- Breakdown
- 150 historical events · 93 births · 21 deaths
January
- January 1
Motion of no confidence
In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007.
- January 1
Lamine Camara
Lamine Camara, Senegalese footballer
- January 2
Stardust (spacecraft)
The Stardust space probe flew by the comet Wild 2 and collected particle samples from its coma, which were later returned to Earth.
- January 3
Flash Airlines Flight 604
Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashed shortly after departure from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport which killed all 148 occupants on board.
- January 3
Toby Collyer
Toby Collyer, English footballer
- January 3
Carlos Baleba
Carlos Baleba, Cameroonian footballer
- January 3
Habib Diarra
Habib Diarra, Senegalese footballer
- January 4
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution.
- January 4
Spirit (rover)
Spirit (artist's impression depicted), the first of two rovers of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, successfully landed on Mars.
- January 4
Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama, French basketball player
- January 5
Shane Wright
Shane Wright, Canadian ice hockey player
- January 8
Queen Mary 2
The RMS Queen Mary 2, then the largest ocean liner ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
- January 9
Inflatable boat
An inflatable boat carrying illegal Albanian emigrants stalls near the Karaburun Peninsula en route to Brindisi, Italy; exposure to the elements kills 28. This is the second deadliest marine disaster in Albanian history.
- January 9
Souhardya De
Souhardya De, Indian author and columnist
- January 12
Ocean liner
The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
- January 13
Uzbekistan Airways Flight 1154
Uzbekistan Airways Flight 1154 crashes while landing at Tashkent International Airport, killing 37.
- January 15
Grace VanderWaal
Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter
- January 21
NASA
NASA's MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceases communication with mission control. The problem lies in the management of its flash memory and is fixed remotely from Earth on February 6.
- January 21
Ingrid Alexandra, Crown Princess of Norway
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
- January 23
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton, German-Australian photographer (born 1920)
- January 23
Julio Enciso (footballer, born 2004)
Julio Enciso, Paraguayan footballer
- January 24
Leônidas (footballer, born 1913)
Leônidas, Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1913)
- January 25
Mars Exploration Rover
Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed on Mars and rolled into Eagle crater, a small crater on the Meridiani Planum.
- January 25
Laila Edwards
Laila Edwards, American ice hockey player
- January 28
Emoni Bates
Emoni Bates, American basketball player
- January 28
Liam Öhgren
Liam Öhgren, Swedish ice hockey player
February
- February 1
2004 Erbil bombings
Double suicide attack in Erbil on the offices of Iraqi Kurdish political parties by members of Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
- February 1
Halftime show
During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, Janet Jackson's breast was exposed by Justin Timberlake in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction", resulting in an immediate crackdown and widespread debate on perceived indecency in U.S. broadcasting.
- February 1
Incidents during the Hajj
Hajj pilgrimage stampede: In a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, 251 people are trampled to death and 244 injured.
- February 2
Roger Federer
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer became the top-ranked men's singles player, a position he held for a record 237 consecutive weeks.
- February 2
Tennis
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the No. 1 ranked men's singles player, a position he will hold for a record 237 weeks.
- February 2
Eleonore Caburet
Eleonore Caburet, French rhythmic gymnast
- February 3
Scoot Henderson
Scoot Henderson, American basketball player
- February 3
Rei (singer)
Rei, Japanese rapper and singer
- February 4
Facebook
Facebook, a mainstream online social networking site, is founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin.
- February 5
National Revolutionary Front for the Liberation and Reconstruction of Haiti
The National Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Haiti captured the city of Gonaïves, starting a coup d'état against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government.
- February 5
Common cockle
At least 21 cockle-gatherers were drowned by an incoming tide in Morecambe Bay, England, prompting the establishment of the British government's Gangmasters Licensing Authority.
- February 10
Fokker 50
Forty-three people are killed and three are injured when a Fokker 50 crashes near Sharjah International Airport.
- February 12
San Francisco
The city of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.
- February 13
Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
The Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announces the discovery of the universe's largest known diamond, white dwarf star BPM 37093. Astronomers named this star "Lucy" after The Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
- February 14
Moscow
In a suburb of Moscow, Russia, the roof of the Transvaal water park collapses, killing more than 28 people, and wounding 193 others.
- February 15
Šimon Nemec
Šimon Nemec, Slovak ice hockey player
- February 18
Nishapur
Up to 295 people, 182 of which being rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran, when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes.
- February 19
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown, English actress, model and producer
- February 20
Jared McCain
Jared McCain, American basketball player
- February 24
Seismic magnitude scales
The 6.3 Mw Al Hoceima earthquake strikes northern Morocco with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). At least 628 people are killed, 926 are injured, and up to 15,000 are displaced.
- February 24
Rafael Obrador
Rafael Obrador, Spanish footballer
- February 24
Samuele Vignato
Samuele Vignato, Italian football player
- February 25
Tyler Sanders
Tyler Sanders, American actor (died 2022)
- February 26
Bibisara Assaubayeva
Bibisara Assaubayeva, Kazakhstani chess grandmaster
- February 27
MV SuperFerry 14
A bombing of a SuperFerry by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines' worst terrorist attack kills more than 100 passengers.
- February 27
Shoko Asahara
Shoko Asahara, the leader of the Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo, is sentenced to death for masterminding the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack.
- February 29
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown following popular rebel uprising.
- February 29
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie wears a White Marc Bouwer dress to the 76th Academy Awards, which has since been placed on numerous lists for best red carpet fashion.
- February 29
Lydia Jacoby
Lydia Jacoby, American swimmer
- February 29
Jerome Lawrence
Jerome Lawrence, American playwright and author (born 1915)
- February 29
Lorrie Wilmot
Lorrie Wilmot, South African cricketer (born 1943)
- February 29
Abdukodir Khusanov
Abdukodir Khusanov, Uzbek footballer
- February 29
Kagamisato Kiyoji
Kagamisato Kiyoji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 42nd Yokozuna (born 1923)
- February 29
Harold Bernard St. John
Harold Bernard St. John, Barbadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Barbados (born 1931)
March
- March 1
Mian Ghulam Jilani
Mian Ghulam Jilani, Pakistani general (born 1914)
- March 2
Iraq War
War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.
- March 8
Transitional Administrative Law (Iraq)
A new constitution is signed by Iraq's Governing Council.
- March 8
Kit Connor
Kit Connor, English actor
- March 8
Muhammad Zaidan
Muhammad Zaidan, Syrian militant, founded the Palestinian Liberation Front (born 1948)
- March 10
Matt Poitras
Matt Poitras, Canadian ice hockey player
- March 11
2004 Madrid train bombings
Madrid train bombings: Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid, Spain kill 191 people.
- March 11
Margarita Kolosov
Margarita Kolosov, German rhythmic gymnast
- March 12
President of South Korea
President of South Korea, Roh Moo-hyun, is impeached by its National Assembly, the first such impeachment in the nation's history.
- March 12
DannyLux
DannyLux, American singer-songwriter
- March 13
Rachelle Ann Go
The Filipino singer Rachelle Ann Go won the reality talent show Search for a Star, performing a cover of Mariah Carey's "Through the Rain" in the grand final.
- March 13
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff, American tennis player
- March 15
Isaiah Bond
Isaiah Bond, American football player
- March 17
2004 unrest in Kosovo
Unrest in Kosovo broke out, resulting in the deaths of 28, the wounding of more than 600 others, and the destruction of several Serb Orthodox churches and shrines.
- March 19
March 19 shooting incident
March 19 Shooting Incident: The Republic of China (Taiwan) president Chen Shui-bian is shot just before the country's presidential election on March 20.
- March 19
Konginkangas bus disaster
The Konginkangas bus disaster kills 23 and injures 14 people in Äänekoski, Finland.
- March 19
Catalina affair
Catalina affair: A Swedish DC-3 shot down by a Soviet MiG-15 in 1952 over the Baltic Sea is finally recovered after years of work.
- March 20
Belle (singer)
Belle, American singer
- March 22
Ahmed Yassin
Ahmed Yassin, co-founder and leader of the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group Hamas, two bodyguards, and nine civilian bystanders are killed in the Gaza Strip when hit by Israeli Air Force Hellfire missiles.
- March 24
Gonzalo García (footballer, born 2004)
Gonzalo García, Spanish footballer
- March 26
Awra Briguela
Awra Briguela, Filipino actor and comedian
- March 27
HMS Scylla (F71)
HMS Scylla, a decommissioned Leander-class frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe.
- March 28
Anna Shcherbakova
Anna Shcherbakova, Russian figure skater
- March 29
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia join NATO as full members.
- March 29
Council on Vertical Urbanism
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat certifies Taipei 101 as the world's tallest building, based on the building having been topped out on 1 July 2003, even though the building was not completed until 31 December 2004.
- March 29
Kim Ju-chan
Kim Ju-chan, South Korean footballer
- March 31
Anbar campaign (2003–2011)
Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed.
- March 31
Old National Library Building
The Old National Library Building in Singapore was closed to make way for a tunnel, despite widespread protests.
- March 31
Mateo Sanabria
Mateo Sanabria, Argentine professional footballer
- March 31
Alex Luna (footballer)
Alex Luna, Argentine professional footballer
- March 31
Samson Baidoo
Samson Baidoo, Austrian professional footballer
April
- April 1
Google
Google launches its Email service Gmail.
- April 2
Islamism
Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted.
- April 2
Diana Shnaider
Diana Shnaider, Russian tennis player
- April 3
Islamic terrorism
Islamic terrorists involved in the 2004 Madrid train bombings are trapped by the police in their apartment and kill themselves.
- April 6
Rolandas Paksas
Lithuanian president Rolandas Paksas became the first European head of state to be removed from office by impeachment.
- April 9
TommyInnit
TommyInnit, English YouTuber and streamer
- April 10
Ismaël Gharbi
Ismaël Gharbi, French-Spanish footballer
- April 10
Sávio (footballer, born 2004)
Savinho, Brazilian footballer
- April 18
Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara, Fijian politician, 2nd President of Fiji (born 1920)
- April 19
Norris McWhirter
Norris McWhirter, English author and activist co-founded the Guinness World Records (born 1925)
- April 20
Nicoll Highway
The Nicoll Highway in Singapore collapses, killing four workers.
- April 20
Nicoll Highway MRT station
An incomplete tunnel leading to the Nicoll Highway MRT station in Singapore collapsed, resulting in four deaths and the station's relocation.
- April 21
2004 Basra police station bombings
Five suicide car bombers target police stations in and around Basra, killing 74 people and wounding 160.
- April 22
Ryongchon disaster
Flammable cargo exploded at a railway station in Ryongchon, North Korea, killing at least 54 people and injuring more than a thousand others.
- April 24
Economic sanctions
The United States lifts economic sanctions imposed on Libya 18 years previously, as a reward for its cooperation in eliminating weapons of mass destruction.
- April 25
March for Women's Lives (2004)
The March for Women's Lives brings over one million protesters, mostly pro-choice, to Washington D.C. to protest the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and other restrictions on abortion.
- April 27
Arch Manning
Arch Manning, American football player
- April 28
CBS News
CBS News releases evidence of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. The photographs show rape and abuse from the American troops over Iraqi detainees.
- April 29
Oldsmobile
The final Oldsmobile is built in Lansing, Michigan, ending 107 years of vehicle production.
- April 30
Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse
U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers committing war crimes against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
- April 30
The New Yorker
The New Yorker published an online article and photographs detailing accounts of torture and abuse by American military personnel of Iraqi prisoners held at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.
May
- May 1
Cyprus
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.
- May 1
Charli D'Amelio
Charli D'Amelio, American social media influencer and dancer
- May 2
Yelwa massacre
The Yelwa massacre concludes. It began on 4 February 2004 when armed Muslims killed 78 Christians at Yelwa, Nigeria. In response, about 630 Muslims were killed by Christians on May 2.
- May 5
Kirsty Muir
Kirsty Muir, Scottish freestyle skier
- May 5
Jenna Davis
Jenna Davis, American actress and YouTuber
- May 6
The Last One (Friends)
The final episode of the television sitcom Friends was aired.
- May 7
Killing of Nick Berg
American businessman Nick Berg is beheaded by Islamist militants. The act is recorded on videotape and released on the Internet.
- May 7
Minji (singer)
Minji, South Korean singer
- May 7
Ashlyn Krueger
Ashlyn Krueger, American tennis player
- May 14
Constitutional Court of Korea
The Constitutional Court of South Korea overturns the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun.
- May 14
Frederik X
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson are married at Copenhagen Cathedral.
- May 14
Rico Linhas Aéreas Flight 4815
Rico Linhas Aéreas Flight 4815 crashes into the Amazon rainforest during approach to Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus, Brazil, killing 33 people.
- May 15
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal became the first football team in England's top flight to finish a season undefeated since Preston North End did so in 1888–1889.
- May 17
Same-sex marriage
The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. are performed in the state of Massachusetts.
- May 17
Massachusetts
Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage.
- May 22
Richard Biggs
Richard Biggs, American actor (born 1960)
- May 22
Peyton Elizabeth Lee
Peyton Elizabeth Lee, American actress
- May 28
Iraqi Governing Council
The Iraqi Governing Council chooses Ayad Allawi, a longtime anti-Saddam Hussein exile, as prime minister of Iraq's interim government.
- May 29
World War II Memorial
The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
June
- June 1
Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols is sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
- June 4
Granby, Colorado
In Granby, Colorado, U.S., Marvin Heemeyer went on a rampage with a modified bulldozer over a zoning dispute, destroying several buildings before dying by suicide.
- June 4
Mackenzie Ziegler
Mackenzie Ziegler, American child actress, dancer, and recording artist
- June 5
Noël Mamère
Noël Mamère, the mayor of Bègles, conducted a marriage ceremony for two men, even though same-sex marriage in France had not yet been legalised.
- June 8
2004 transit of Venus
The first Venus Transit in well over a century takes place, the previous one being in 1882.
- June 8
Charles Hyder
Charles Hyder, American astrophysicist and academic (born 1930)
- June 8
Mack Jones
Mack Jones, American baseball player (born 1938)
- June 8
Francesca Capaldi
Francesca Capaldi, American actress
- June 11
Cassini–Huygens
Cassini–Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe.
- June 11
Katrina Scott
Katrina Scott, American tennis player
- June 14
Soyoka Yoshida
Soyoka Yoshida, Japanese entertainer
- June 15
Ahmet Piriştina
Ahmet Piriştina, Turkish politician and mayor of İzmir (born 1952)
- June 18
Gabi Moura
Gabi Moura, Brazilian influencer
- June 19
Millie Gibson
Millie Gibson, English actress
- June 20
Jim Bacon (politician)
Jim Bacon, Australian politician, 41st Premier of Tasmania (born 1950)
- June 21
SpaceShipOne
SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.
- June 22
Bob Bemer
Bob Bemer, American computer scientist and engineer (born 1920)
- June 22
Mattie Stepanek
Mattie Stepanek, American poet and author (born 1990)
- June 24
Capital punishment
In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional.
- June 26
Mikey Williams (basketball, born 2004)
Mikey Williams, American basketball player
- June 28
Iraq War
Iraq War: Sovereign power is handed to the interim government of Iraq by the Coalition Provisional Authority, ending the U.S.-led rule of that nation.
July
- July 1
Saturn
Saturn orbit insertion of Cassini–Huygens begins at 01:12 UTC and ends at 02:48 UTC.
- July 1
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho, Spanish-Argentine footballer
- July 1
Daniela Avanzini
Daniela Avanzini, American singer and dancer
- July 4
One World Trade Center
The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the World Trade Center site in New York City.
- July 4
Greece national football team
Greece beats Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2004 Final and becomes European Champion for first time in its history.
- July 5
2004 Indonesian presidential election
Indonesia held its first direct presidential elections, which resulted in the election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as President of Indonesia after the second round on September 20.
- July 5
Direct election
The first direct Indonesian presidential election is held.
- July 9
Senate Report on Iraqi WMD Intelligence
The Senate Report on Iraqi WMD Intelligence is released by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, casting doubt on the rationale for the Iraq War.
- July 12
Diabé Bolumbu
Diabé Bolumbu, French footballer
- July 13
Nihal Sarin
Nihal Sarin, Indian Chess Grandmaster
- July 14
Noah Clowney
Noah Clowney, American basketball player
- July 16
Millennium Park
Millennium Park, a public park in Chicago, Illinois, and one of the world's largest rooftop gardens, opened to the public.
- July 16
Amiah Miller
Amiah Miller, American actress and model
August
- August 1
Ycuá Bolaños supermarket fire
A supermarket fire kills 424 people and injures 360 others in Asunción, Paraguay.
- August 3
Statue of Liberty
The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopens after being closed since the September 11 attacks.
- August 5
Gavi (footballer)
Gavi, Spanish footballer
- August 6
Takhmina Ikromova
Takhmina Ikromova, Uzbekistani rhythmic gymnast
- August 8
Dave Matthews Band
A tour bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band dumps approximately 800 pounds of human waste onto a boat full of passengers.
- August 13
Democratic Republic of the Congo
One hundred fifty-six Congolese Tutsi refugees are massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi.
- August 13
Tropical Storm Bonnie (2004)
Merely 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie struck the U.S. state of Florida, Hurricane Charley inflicted further damage to the region (example pictured).
- August 14
Marsai Martin
Marsai Martin, American actress and producer
- August 17
National Assembly (Serbia)
The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Bože pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.
- August 18
Kevin McGonigle
Kevin McGonigle, American baseball player
- August 19
Google
Google Inc. has its initial public offering on Nasdaq.
- August 19
Chae Hyun-woo
Chae Hyun-woo, South Korean football player
- August 19
Nguyễn Đình Bắc
Nguyễn Đình Bắc, Vietnamese football player
- August 22
The Scream
Versions of The Scream and Madonna, two paintings by Edvard Munch, are stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Oslo, Norway.
- August 24
2004 Russian aircraft bombings
Ninety passengers die after two airliners explode after flying out of Domodedovo International Airport, near Moscow. The explosions are caused by suicide bombers from Chechnya.
- August 25
Evann Girault
Evann Girault, French-Nigerien sabre fencer
- August 28
Kano Fujihira
Kano Fujihira, Japanese entertainer
- August 31
Jang Won-young
Jang Won-young, South Korean singer and model
September
- September 1
Beslan school siege
The Beslan school siege begins when armed terrorists take schoolchildren and school staff hostage in North Ossetia, Russia; by the end of the siege, three days later, more than 385 people are dead (including hostages, other civilians, security personnel and terrorists).
- September 3
Beslan school siege
Beslan school siege ends, resulting in over 330 fatalities, including 186 children.
- September 7
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan made landfall on Grenada, devastating at least 85 per cent of buildings on the island.
- September 7
Tsugumi Aritomo
Tsugumi Aritomo, Japanese entertainer
- September 8
Genesis (spacecraft)
NASA's uncrewed spacecraft Genesis crash-lands when its parachute fails to open.
- September 8
Lewis Hall (footballer)
Lewis Hall, English footballer
- September 10
Gabriel Bateman
Gabriel Bateman, American actor
- September 15
National Hockey League
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announces lockout of the players' union and cessation of operations by the NHL head office.
- September 16
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan makes landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama as a Category 3 hurricane.
- September 18
Santiago Castro (footballer, born 2004)
Santiago Castro, Argentine footballer
- September 21
Green Day
American rock band Green Day released their seventh studio album, American Idiot.
- September 22
Jessie Murph
Jessie Murph, American singer and songwriter
- September 23
Haiti
Over 3,000 people die in Haiti after Hurricane Jeanne produces massive flooding and mudslides.
- September 28
Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar, French-Algerian racing driver
- September 29
Burt Rutan
Burt Rutan's Ansari SpaceShipOne performs a successful spaceflight, the first of two required to win the Ansari X Prize.
- September 29
4179 Toutatis
The asteroid 4179 Toutatis passes within four lunar distances of Earth.
- September 29
Fort Tanjong Katong
Archaeologists and volunteers began excavation of the remains of Fort Tanjong Katong in Singapore.
October
- October 2
Parkrun
The first parkrun, then known as the Bushy Park Time Trial, takes place in Bushy Park, London, UK.
- October 3
Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp, American actor
- October 4
SpaceShipOne
SpaceShipOne wins the Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight.
- October 6
Hanni (singer)
Hanni, Australian singer
- October 6
Bronny James
Bronny James, American basketball player
- October 7
2004 Sinai bombings
Three bombs explode at Taba and Nuweiba in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, killing 34.
- October 10
Murder of Huang Na
Eight-year-old Huang Na was abducted and murdered; her body was found three weeks later after a search across Singapore and Malaysia.
- October 12
Darci Lynne
Darci Lynne, American ventriloquist
- October 14
MK Airlines Flight 1602
MK Airlines Flight 1602 crashes during takeoff from Halifax Stanfield International Airport, killing all seven people on board.
- October 14
Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701
Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 crashes in Jefferson City, Missouri. The two pilots (the aircraft's only occupants) are killed.
- October 17
Parque Central Complex fire
A fire that lasted over 15 hours destroyed almost one third of the East Tower of the Parque Central Urban Complex in Caracas, Venezuela.
- October 19
Corporate Airlines Flight 5966
Thirteen people are killed when Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 crashes in Adair County, Missouri, while on approach to Kirksville Regional Airport.
- October 23
2004 Chūetsu earthquake
A powerful earthquake and its aftershocks hit Niigata Prefecture in northern Japan, killing 35 people, injuring 2,200, and leaving 85,000 homeless or evacuated.
- October 23
Niccolò Pisilli
Niccolò Pisilli, Italian footballer
- October 24
Manchester United F.C.
English football club Manchester United defeated rivals Arsenal 2–0 in the Battle of the Buffet, ending the latter's record-breaking unbeaten run.
- October 24
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club loses to Manchester United, ending a row of unbeaten matches at 49 matches, which is the record in the Premier League.
- October 26
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, considered one of the best video games ever made, in North America.
- October 27
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox completed a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series, breaking the so-called "Curse of the Bambino".
- October 29
Al Jazeera Media Network
The Arabic-language news network Al Jazeera broadcasts an excerpt from a 2004 Osama bin Laden video in which the terrorist leader first admits direct responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks and references the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
November
- November 3
Sergei Zholtok
Sergejs Žoltoks, Latvian ice hockey player (born 1972)
- November 6
Ufton Nervet rail crash
An express train collides with a stationary car near the village of Ufton Nervet, England, killing seven and injuring 120.
- November 6
Ufton Nervet
A man committing suicide parked his car on the railway tracks in Ufton Nervet, Berkshire, England, causing a derailment that also killed six people on the train.
- November 7
Iraq War
Iraq War: The interim government of Iraq calls for a 60-day state of emergency as U.S. forces storm the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.
- November 8
Iraq War
Iraq War: More than 10,000 U.S. troops and a small number of Iraqi army units participate in a siege on the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.
- November 8
Ilyas Ansah
Ilyas Ansah, German footballer
- November 9
Firefox
Firefox 1.0 is released.
- November 11
Tomb of the Unknown Warrior (New Zealand)
New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is dedicated at the National War Memorial, Wellington.
- November 11
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization confirms the death of Yasser Arafat from unidentified causes. Mahmoud Abbas is elected chairman of the PLO minutes later.
- November 11
Oakes Fegley
Oakes Fegley, American actor
- November 16
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 is released, a game winning 39 Game of the Year awards and being cited as one of the best games ever made.
- November 17
Linda Nosková
Linda Nosková, Czech tennis player
- November 18
Luka Romero
Luka Romero, Mexican-Argentine footballer
- November 19
Malice at the Palace
The worst brawl in NBA history results in several players being suspended. Several players and fans are charged with assault and battery.
- November 21
Paris Club
The Paris Club agrees to write off 80% (up to $100 billion) of Iraq's external debt.
- November 21
China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210
China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210 crashes after takeoff from Baotou Donghe Airport, killing 55.
- November 21
Dominica
Dominica is hit by the most destructive earthquake in its history. The northern half of the island sustains the most damage, especially the town of Portsmouth. In neighboring Guadeloupe, one person is killed.
- November 21
2004 Ukrainian presidential election
The second round of the Ukrainian presidential election is held, giving rise to massive protests and controversy over the election's integrity.
- November 21
Liz (South Korean singer)
Liz, South Korean singer
- November 21
Rico Lewis
Rico Lewis, English footballer
- November 22
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution begins in Ukraine, resulting from the presidential elections.
- November 23
Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi
The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, the largest religious building in Georgia, is consecrated.
- November 26
List of mass stabbing incidents (before 2010)
Ruzhou School massacre: A man stabs and kills eight people and seriously wounds another four in a school dormitory in Ruzhou, China.
- November 26
Poʻouli
The last Poʻouli (Black-faced honeycreeper) dies of avian malaria in the Maui Bird Conservation Center in Olinda, Hawaii, before it could breed, making the species in all probability extinct.
- November 27
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II returns the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
- November 27
Blackwater 61 crash
Blackwater 61 crash: A CASA C-212 Aviocar crashes into the Koh-i-Baba mountain range in Afghanistan, killing six.
- November 30
McDonnell Douglas MD-80
A McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Lion Air Flight 538, overran the runway at Adisoemarmo Airport and crashed, killing 25 people.
December
- December 2
Ilia Malinin
Ilia Malinin, American competitive figure skater
- December 3
Shiing-Shen Chern
Shiing-Shen Chern, Chinese-American mathematician and academic (born 1911)
- December 8
Cusco Declaration
The Cusco Declaration is signed in Cusco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations.
- December 8
Columbus nightclub shooting
Columbus nightclub shooting: Nathan Gale opens fire at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, killing former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and three others before being shot dead by a police officer.
- December 8
Momoe Mori
Momoe Mori, Japanese entertainer
- December 8
Billie Starkz
Billie Starkz, American professional wrestler
- December 13
David Wheeler (computer scientist)
David Wheeler, English computer scientist and academic (born 1927)
- December 14
Millau Viaduct
The Millau Viaduct, the tallest bridge in the world, is formally inaugurated near Millau, France.
- December 20
Northern Bank robbery
A gang of thieves steal £26.5 million worth of currency from the Donegall Square West headquarters of Northern Bank in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, one of the largest bank robberies in British history.
- December 21
Iraq War
Iraq War: A suicide bomber kills 22 at the forward operating base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, the single deadliest suicide attack on American soldiers in Iraq.
- December 21
Autar Singh Paintal
Autar Singh Paintal, Indian physiologist and neurologist (born 1925)
- December 25
Cassini–Huygens
The Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.
- December 26
Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution: The final run-off election in Ukraine is held under heavy international scrutiny.
- December 26
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
A major earthquake and tsunami devastated communities around the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries.
- December 26
Leo Carlsson
Leo Carlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- December 27
Radiation
Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.
- December 30
Cromañón nightclub fire
A fire in the República Cromagnon nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, kills 194.
- December 31
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 (pictured) in Taipei, Taiwan, opened to the public as the world's tallest building.
Questions about 2004
What happened in 2004?
This site records 264 entries for 2004, including Motion of no confidence on January 1. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 2004?
22 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 2004 turns 22 this year.
Which century is 2004 in?
2004 falls in the 21st century, in the 2000s.
Which generation was born in 2004?
Generation Z (1997–2012). First generation raised with smartphones and social media.
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