What happened in 2005

232 entries recorded for 2005, listed by date. That was 21 years ago.

2005 at a glance

Years ago
21 (as of 2026)
Century
21st century
Decade
2000s
Generation born
Generation Z
Entries here
232
Breakdown
146 historical events · 58 births · 28 deaths

January

  • January 1

    Jeanna Giese

    Historical event

    Jeanna Giese, the first known rabies survivor who did not receive the vaccine, was discharged from Children's Wisconsin.

  • January 4

    Oscar Højlund

    Birth

    Oscar Højlund, Danish footballer

  • January 4

    Dafne Keen

    Birth

    Dafne Keen, British-Spanish actress

  • January 4

    Emil Højlund

    Birth

    Emil Højlund, Danish footballer

  • January 4

    Rob Dillingham

    Birth

    Rob Dillingham, American basketball player

  • January 5

    Eris (dwarf planet)

    Historical event

    The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, later motivating the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time.

  • January 5

    Dwarf planet

    Historical event

    The dwarf planet Eris was discovered by a team using images from the Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory.

  • January 6

    Edgar Ray Killen

    Historical event

    Edgar Ray Killen is indicted for the 1964 murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner during the American Civil Rights Movement.

  • January 6

    Graniteville train crash

    Historical event

    A train collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, United States, releases about 60 tons of chlorine gas.

  • January 8

    USS San Francisco (SSN-711)

    Historical event

    The nuclear sub USS San Francisco collides at full speed with an undersea mountain south of Guam. One man is killed, but the sub surfaces and is repaired.

  • January 9

    Mahmoud Abbas

    Historical event

    Mahmoud Abbas wins the election to succeed Yasser Arafat as President of the Palestinian National Authority, replacing interim president Rawhi Fattouh.

  • January 9

    Sudan People's Liberation Movement

    Historical event

    The Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Government of Sudan sign the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to end the Second Sudanese Civil War.

  • January 12

    Deep Impact (spacecraft)

    Historical event

    Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket.

  • January 12

    Yuika (singer)

    Birth

    Yuika, Japanese singer-songwriter

  • January 13

    Iker Bravo

    Birth

    Iker Bravo, Spanish footballer

  • January 15

    European Space Agency

    Historical event

    ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the Moon.

  • January 17

    Peio Canales

    Birth

    Peio Canales, Spanish footballer

  • January 18

    Airbus A380

    Historical event

    The Airbus A380, the world's largest commercial jet, is unveiled at a ceremony in Toulouse, France

  • January 21

    Belmopan

    Historical event

    In Belmopan, Belize, the unrest over the government's new taxes erupts into riots.

  • January 21

    IShowSpeed

    Birth

    IShowSpeed, American YouTuber and online streamer

  • January 23

    Johnny Carson

    Death

    Johnny Carson, American talk show host, television personality, and producer (born 1925)

  • January 25

    Mandher Devi temple stampede

    Historical event

    A stampede at the Mandhradevi temple in Maharashtra, India kills at least 258.

  • January 29

    Mainland China

    Historical event

    The first direct commercial flights from mainland China (from Guangzhou) to Taiwan since 1949 arrived in Taipei. Shortly afterwards, a China Airlines flight lands in Beijing.

  • January 30

    MS Hans Hedtoft

    Historical event

    Forty-six years to the day after the sinking of the Danish ocean liner MS Hans Hedtoft, Queen Margrethe II unveiled a memorial in Copenhagen to the 95 passengers and crew who perished.

  • January 30

    Prince Hashem bin Abdullah

    Birth

    Prince Hashem, second son of King Abdullah II of Jordan

February

  • February 1

    Gyanendra of Nepal

    Historical event

    King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d'état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.

  • February 2

    Government of Canada

    Historical event

    The Government of Canada introduces the Civil Marriage Act. This legislation would become law on July 20, 2005, legalizing same-sex marriage.

  • February 3

    Kam Air Flight 904

    Historical event

    One hundred five people are killed when Kam Air Flight 904 crashes in the Pamir Mountains in Afghanistan.

  • February 7

    Ilham Aliyev

    Historical event

    President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on the redenomination of Azerbaijan's currency, with 1 new manat equal to 5000 old manats.

  • February 13

    Sergio Mestre (footballer)

    Birth

    Sergio Mestre, Spanish footballer

  • February 14

    YouTube

    Historical event

    The online video platform YouTube was founded by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim.

  • February 14

    Al-Qaeda

    Historical event

    Seven people are killed and 151 wounded in a series of bombings by suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants that hit Makati, Davao City, and General Santos, all in the Philippines.

  • February 14

    Beirut

    Historical event

    In Beirut, 23 people, including former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, are killed when the equivalent of around 1,000 kg of TNT is detonated while Hariri's motorcade drives through the city.

  • February 16

    Kyoto Protocol

    Historical event

    The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.

  • February 16

    National Hockey League

    Historical event

    The National Hockey League cancels the entire 2004–05 regular season and playoffs.

  • February 20

    2005 Spanish European Constitution referendum

    Historical event

    Spain becomes the first country to vote in a referendum on ratification of the proposed Constitution of the European Union, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.

  • February 22

    2005 Zarand earthquake

    Historical event

    The 6.4 Mw Zarand earthquake shakes the Kerman province of Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 612 people dead and 1,411 injured.

  • February 22

    Lee Eun-ju

    Death

    Lee Eun-ju, South Korean actress and singer (born 1980)

  • February 25

    Peter Benenson

    Death

    Peter Benenson, English lawyer, founded Amnesty International (born 1921)

  • February 25

    Noah Jupe

    Birth

    Noah Jupe, English actor

  • February 28

    Vitor Roque

    Birth

    Vitor Roque, Brazilian footballer

March

  • March 1

    Roper v. Simmons

    Historical event

    In Roper v. Simmons, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the execution of juveniles found guilty of any crime is unconstitutional.

  • March 3

    Mayerthorpe tragedy

    Historical event

    James Roszko murders four Royal Canadian Mounted Police constables during a drug bust at his property in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, then commits suicide. This is the deadliest peace-time incident for the RCMP since 1885 and the North-West Rebellion.

  • March 3

    Margaret Wilson

    Historical event

    Margaret Wilson is elected as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, beginning a period lasting until August 23, 2006, where all the highest political offices (including Elizabeth II as Head of State), were occupied by women, making New Zealand the first country for

  • March 3

    Steve Fossett

    Historical event

    Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly an airplane non-stop around the world solo without refueling.

  • March 7

    John Box

    Death

    John Box, English production designer and art director (born 1920)

  • March 7

    Debra Hill

    Death

    Debra Hill, American screenwriter and producer (born 1950)

  • March 8

    César Lattes

    Death

    César Lattes, Brazilian physicist and academic (born 1924)

  • March 8

    Aslan Maskhadov

    Death

    Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen commander and politician, President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (born 1951)

  • March 10

    Dave Allen (comedian)

    Death

    Dave Allen, Irish-English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (born 1936)

  • March 15

    Rodri Mendoza

    Birth

    Rodri Mendoza, Spanish footballer

  • March 16

    Israel

    Historical event

    Israel officially hands over Jericho to Palestinian control.

  • March 18

    Court order

    Historical event

    As per a court order, the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo, an American woman who suffered brain damage, was removed at the request of her husband, fueling a worldwide debate on euthanasia.

  • March 23

    Texas City refinery explosion

    Historical event

    A fire and explosion at an oil refinery in Texas City, the third-largest in the United States, killed 15 workers.

  • March 26

    Taiwan

    Historical event

    Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China.

  • March 26

    Ella Anderson

    Birth

    Ella Anderson, American actress

  • March 28

    2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake

    Historical event

    An earthquake shakes northern Sumatra with a magnitude of 8.6 and killing over 1000 people.

  • March 31

    Dwarf planet

    Historical event

    The dwarf planet Makemake is discovered by a team led by astronomer Michael E. Brown at the Palomar Observatory.

  • March 31

    Reed Baker-Whiting

    Birth

    Reed Baker-Whiting, American professional footballer

April

  • April 2

    Adrián Liso

    Birth

    Adrián Liso, Spanish footballer

  • April 4

    Lil Mabu

    Birth

    Lil Mabu, American rapper

  • April 6

    Kurds

    Historical event

    Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani was elected by the National Assembly as the first non-Arab president of Iraq.

  • April 6

    Jalal Talabani

    Historical event

    Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day.

  • April 7

    Git

    Historical event

    First release of Git distributed version control system.

  • April 8

    Solar eclipse of April 8, 2005

    Historical event

    A solar eclipse occurs, visible over areas of the Pacific Ocean and Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.

  • April 8

    Zaccharie Risacher

    Birth

    Zaccharie Risacher, French basketball player

  • April 9

    Charles III

    Historical event

    Charles, Prince of Wales, married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall.

  • April 11

    Jack Hinshelwood

    Birth

    Jack Hinshelwood, English footballer

  • April 11

    Danielle (singer)

    Birth

    Danielle Marsh, South Korean-Australian singer

  • April 14

    Oregon Supreme Court

    Historical event

    The Oregon Supreme Court nullified marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples a year earlier by Multnomah County.

  • April 17

    Antonio Nusa

    Birth

    Antonio Nusa, Norwegian footballer

  • April 19

    2005 conclave

    Historical event

    Joseph Alois Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of the papal conclave.

  • April 20

    Tallyn Da Silva

    Birth

    Tallyn Da Silva, Australian rugby league player

  • April 21

    Zhang Chunqiao

    Death

    Zhang Chunqiao, Chinese writer and politician, member of the Gang of Four (born 1917)

  • April 22

    Junichiro Koizumi

    Historical event

    Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologizes for Japan's war record.

  • April 22

    Erika Fuchs

    Death

    Erika Fuchs, German translator (born 1906)

  • April 22

    Philip Morrison

    Death

    Philip Morrison, American physicist and academic (born 1915)

  • April 22

    Eduardo Paolozzi

    Death

    Eduardo Paolozzi, Scottish sculptor and artist (born 1924)

  • April 23

    YouTube

    Historical event

    The first YouTube video, titled "Me at the zoo", is published by co-founder Jawed Karim.

  • April 24

    Cardinal (Catholic Church)

    Historical event

    Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church taking the name Pope Benedict XVI.

  • April 24

    Ezer Weizman

    Death

    Ezer Weizman, Israeli general and politician, 7th President of Israel (born 1924)

  • April 25

    Amagasaki derailment

    Historical event

    A seven-car commuter train derails and crashes into an apartment building near Amagasaki Station in Japan, killing 107, including the driver.

  • April 25

    Obelisk of Axum

    Historical event

    The final piece of the Obelisk of Axum is returned to Ethiopia after being stolen by the invading Italian army in 1937.

  • April 25

    Bulgaria

    Historical event

    Bulgaria and Romania sign the Treaty of Accession 2005 to join the European Union.

  • April 26

    Cedar Revolution

    Historical event

    Cedar Revolution: Under international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of that country (Syrian occupation of Lebanon).

  • April 26

    Mason Adams

    Death

    Mason Adams, American actor (born 1919)

  • April 26

    Alex Sarr

    Birth

    Alex Sarr, French basketball player

  • April 27

    Airbus A380

    Historical event

    The Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger airliner, made its maiden flight from Toulouse, France.

  • April 27

    Mathys Tel

    Birth

    Mathys Tel, French footballer

May

  • May 1

    Kenneth and Mamie Clark

    Death

    Kenneth Clark, American psychologist and academic (born 1914)

  • May 1

    Linda Fruhvirtová

    Birth

    Linda Fruhvirtová, Czech tennis player

  • May 8

    Oliver Bearman

    Birth

    Oliver Bearman, English racing driver

  • May 9

    Pope Benedict XVI

    Historical event

    Pope Benedict XVI began the beatification process for his predecessor Pope John Paul II, waiving the standard five years required after the nominee's death.

  • May 10

    Vladimir Arutyunian

    Historical event

    Vladimir Arutyunian attempted to assassinate U.S. president George W. Bush and Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi using a hand grenade, which failed to detonate.

  • May 10

    Grenade

    Historical event

    A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 20 m from U.S. President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctions and does not detonate.

  • May 11

    Horton Davies

    Death

    Horton Davies, Welsh minister and historian (born 1916)

  • May 11

    Léo Cadieux

    Death

    Léo Cadieux, Canadian politician, 17th Canadian Minister of National Defence (born 1908)

  • May 12

    Zach Benson

    Birth

    Zach Benson, Canadian ice hockey player

  • May 13

    Andijan massacre

    Historical event

    Andijan uprising, Uzbekistan: Troops open fire on crowds of protestors after a prison break; at least 187 people were killed according to official estimates.

  • May 13

    Ministry of Internal Affairs (Uzbekistan)

    Historical event

    Uzbek Interior Ministry and State Security Service troops fired at protesters in Andijan, killing between 187 and 1,500 people.

  • May 13

    Romain Esse

    Birth

    Romain Esse, English footballer

  • May 16

    Kuwait

    Historical event

    Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35–23 National Assembly vote.

  • May 18

    Hubble Space Telescope

    Historical event

    A second photo from the Hubble Space Telescope confirms that Pluto has two additional moons, Nix and Hydra.

  • May 18

    The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

    Historical event

    The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion publicly debuted at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

  • May 21

    Roller coaster

    Historical event

    The world's tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, U.S.

  • May 22

    Thurl Ravenscroft

    Death

    Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (born 1914)

  • May 22

    Charilaos Florakis

    Death

    Charilaos Florakis, Greek politician (born 1914)

  • May 23

    Alexandra Eala

    Birth

    Alexandra Eala, Filipino tennis player

  • May 29

    France

    Historical event

    France rejects the Constitution of the European Union in a national referendum.

  • May 30

    Disappearance of Natalee Holloway

    Historical event

    American student Natalee Holloway disappeared on a high-school graduation trip to Aruba.

  • May 31

    Vanity Fair (magazine)

    Historical event

    Vanity Fair reveals that Mark Felt was "Deep Throat".

June

  • June 3

    Désiré Doué

    Birth

    Désiré Doué, French footballer

  • June 4

    Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș

    Historical event

    The Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș was founded to represent and promote the interests of ethnic Romanians in areas with large Hungarian populations.

  • June 6

    Anne Bancroft

    Death

    Anne Bancroft, American film actress; winner of the 1963 Academy Award for Best Actress for The Miracle Worker (born 1931)

  • June 13

    Trial of Michael Jackson

    Historical event

    The jury acquits pop singer Michael Jackson of all charges for allegedly sexually abusing a child in 2003.

  • June 15

    Suzanne Flon

    Death

    Suzanne Flon, French actress (born 1918)

  • June 18

    Kane Parsons

    Birth

    Kane Parsons, American YouTuber and filmmaker

  • June 19

    Michelin

    Historical event

    Following a series of Michelin tire failures during the United States Grand Prix weekend at Indianapolis, and without an agreement being reached, 14 cars from seven teams in Michelin tires withdraw after completing the formation lap, leaving only six cars from three teams on Brid

  • June 19

    Auto racing

    Historical event

    Only six race cars competed in the United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, after all the Michelin-shod entrants were withdrawn due to safety concerns.

  • June 20

    Jack Kilby

    Death

    Jack Kilby, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1923)

  • June 20

    Larry Collins (writer)

    Death

    Larry Collins, American journalist, historian, and author (born 1929)

  • June 21

    Edgar Ray Killen

    Historical event

    Edgar Ray Killen, who had previously been unsuccessfully tried for the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner, is convicted of manslaughter 41 years afterwards (the case had been reopened in 2004).

  • June 23

    Reddit

    Historical event

    American social news and discussion site Reddit is founded in Medford, Massachusetts by Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian.

  • June 25

    Kylie Cantrall

    Birth

    Kylie Cantrall, American actress, singer, songwriter, dancer, and social media personality

  • June 26

    Princess Alexia of the Netherlands

    Birth

    Princess Alexia of the Netherlands

  • June 28

    Pio Esposito

    Birth

    Pio Esposito, Italian footballer

  • June 28

    Tom Bischof

    Birth

    Tom Bischof, German footballer

July

August

September

  • September 5

    Mandala Airlines Flight 091

    Historical event

    Mandala Airlines Flight 091 crashed shortly after take-off in Indonesia due to pilot error, killing 100 out of the 117 people on board along with 49 more on the ground.

  • September 6

    Elzhana Taniyeva

    Birth

    Elzhana Taniyeva, Kazakh rhythmic gymnast

  • September 7

    2005 Egyptian presidential election

    Historical event

    Egypt holds its first-ever multi-party presidential election.

  • September 8

    Ilyushin Il-76

    Historical event

    Two Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft from EMERCOM land at a disaster aid staging area at Little Rock Air Force Base; the first time Russia has flown such a mission to North America.

  • September 12

    Israeli–Palestinian conflict

    Historical event

    Israeli–Palestinian conflict: the Israeli disengagement from Gaza is completed, leaving some 2,530 homes demolished.

  • September 13

    Corrupted Blood incident

    Historical event

    A software bug caused a simulated pandemic in the online video game World of Warcraft, serving as a model for epidemiologists to understand how human interaction influences disease outbreaks.

  • September 16

    Camorra

    Historical event

    The Camorra organized crime boss Paolo Di Lauro is arrested in Naples, Italy.

  • September 24

    Hurricane Rita

    Historical event

    Hurricane Rita makes landfall in the United States, devastating portions of southwestern Louisiana and extreme southeastern Texas.

  • September 29

    John Roberts

    Historical event

    John Roberts became the 17th Chief Justice of the United States; he would be the first Chief Justice to serve for twenty years since Melville Fuller in 1908.

  • September 30

    Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy

    Historical event

    Controversial drawings of Muhammad are printed in a Danish newspaper.

  • September 30

    Jyllands-Posten

    Historical event

    The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published controversial editorial cartoons depicting Muhammad, sparking protests across the Islamic world by many who viewed them as Islamophobic and blasphemous.

October

  • October 2

    Typhoon Longwang

    Historical event

    Typhoon Longwang made landfall in China as the deadliest tropical cyclone in that year to impact the country.

  • October 2

    Sam Konstas

    Birth

    Sam Konstas, Australian cricketer

  • October 8

    2005 Kashmir earthquake

    Historical event

    The 7.6 Mw Kashmir earthquake leaves 86,000–87,351 people dead, 69,000–75,266 injured, and 2.8 million homeless.

  • October 12

    Shenzhou 6

    Historical event

    The second Chinese human spaceflight, Shenzhou 6, is launched, carrying two cosmonauts in orbit for five days.

  • October 15

    Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark

    Birth

    Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark

  • October 16

    Ruby Rose Turner

    Birth

    Ruby Rose Turner, American actress

  • October 19

    Saddam Hussein

    Historical event

    Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.

  • October 19

    Hurricane Wilma

    Historical event

    Hurricane Wilma (pictured) became the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record with a minimum atmospheric pressure of 882 mbar (26.05 inHg).

  • October 20

    UNESCO

    Historical event

    The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

  • October 22

    Tropical Storm Alpha

    Historical event

    Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin, making the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season the most active Atlantic hurricane season until surpassed by the 2020 season.

  • October 22

    Bellview Airlines Flight 210

    Historical event

    Bellview Airlines Flight 210 crashed in Ogun State, Nigeria, killing all 117 people on board.

  • October 24

    Hurricane Wilma

    Historical event

    Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in Florida, resulting in 35 direct and 26 indirect fatalities and causing $20.6B USD in damage.

  • October 29

    2005 Delhi bombings

    Historical event

    Bombings in Delhi, India kill 67 and injure over 200 people.

  • October 30

    Frauenkirche, Dresden

    Historical event

    The rebuilt Dresden Frauenkirche (destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II) is reconsecrated after a thirteen-year rebuilding project.

  • October 31

    Moons of Pluto

    Historical event

    The discovery of the Plutonian moons Nix and Hydra, based on photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope nearly five months prior, was announced.

  • October 31

    Leonor, Princess of Asturias

    Birth

    Leonor, Princess of Asturias

November

December

  • December 1

    Perm Oblast

    Historical event

    As a result of the merger of the Perm Oblast and the Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug, a new subject of the Russian Federation, the Perm Krai, was created.

  • December 2

    Learner Tien

    Birth

    Learner Tien, American tennis player

  • December 3

    XCOR Aerospace

    Historical event

    XCOR Aerospace makes the first crewed rocket aircraft delivery of U.S. Mail in Kern County, California.

  • December 3

    Kikka (singer)

    Death

    Kikka Sirén, Finnish pop/schlager singer (born 1964)

  • December 3

    Frederick Ashworth

    Death

    Frederick Ashworth, American admiral (born 1912)

  • December 3

    Herb Moford

    Death

    Herb Moford, American baseball player (born 1928)

  • December 4

    December 2005 protest for democracy in Hong Kong

    Historical event

    Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the government to allow universal and equal suffrage.

  • December 5

    Civil Partnership Act 2004

    Historical event

    The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there.

  • December 5

    2005 Lake Tanganyika earthquake

    Historical event

    The 6.8 Mw Lake Tanganyika earthquake shakes the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing six people.

  • December 6

    Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

    Historical event

    An Iranian Air Force C-130 military transport aircraft crashes into a ten-floor apartment building in a residential area of Tehran, killing all 94 on board and 12 more on the ground.

  • December 7

    Killing of Rigoberto Alpizar

    Historical event

    Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924 who allegedly claimed to have a bomb, is shot and killed by a team of U.S. federal air marshals at Miami International Airport.

  • December 9

    Ni-Ki

    Birth

    Ni-Ki, Japanese singer

  • December 10

    Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145

    Historical event

    Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crashes at Port Harcourt International Airport in Nigeria, killing 108 people.

  • December 10

    Ivan Demidov

    Birth

    Ivan Demidov, Russian ice hockey player

  • December 11

    Cronulla

    Historical event

    Demonstrations in Cronulla, a suburb of Sydney, against recent violence towards locals turned into a series of race riots.

  • December 11

    Buncefield fire

    Historical event

    The Buncefield Oil Depot catches fire in Hemel Hempstead, England.

  • December 11

    2005 Cronulla riots

    Historical event

    Cronulla riots: Thousands of White Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese in Cronulla, New South Wales; these are followed up by retaliatory ethnic attacks on Cronulla.

  • December 13

    Alan Shields

    Death

    Alan Shields, American painter and ferryboat captain (born 1944)

  • December 15

    Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

    Historical event

    Introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.

  • December 17

    Jigme Singye Wangchuck

    Historical event

    Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicates the throne as King of Bhutan.

  • December 17

    World Trade Organization

    Historical event

    Anti-World Trade Organization protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

  • December 18

    Chadian Civil War (2005–2010)

    Historical event

    The Chadian Civil War begins when rebel groups, allegedly backed by neighbouring Sudan, launch an attack in Adré.

  • December 19

    Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101

    Historical event

    Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 crashes into the Government Cut channel immediately after takeoff from Miami Seaplane Base, killing 20.

  • December 19

    Sucha Beskidzka

    Historical event

    A passenger train from Sucha Beskidzka to Żywiec in Poland loses its brakes while on a steep downhill part of the route. It is stopped in a controlled collision in Świnna by a train travelling in opposite direction. 2 drivers and 6 passengers are injured.

  • December 23

    Antonov An-140

    Historical event

    An Antonov An-140, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan, heading across the Caspian Sea, crashes, killing 23 people.

  • December 24

    Chad–Sudan relations

    Historical event

    Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of belligerence against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.

  • December 29

    Davide Bartesaghi

    Birth

    Davide Bartesaghi, Italian footballer

  • December 30

    Tropical Storm Zeta

    Historical event

    Tropical Storm Zeta (pictured) became a tropical depression, making it the record-breaking 28th tropical cyclone of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, the most active in recorded history until 2020.

Questions about 2005

What happened in 2005?

This site records 232 entries for 2005, including Jeanna Giese on January 1. They are listed below by date.

How long ago was 2005?

21 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 2005 turns 21 this year.

Which century is 2005 in?

2005 falls in the 21st century, in the 2000s.

Which generation was born in 2005?

Generation Z (1997–2012). First generation raised with smartphones and social media.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.