What Happened in 2004

Significant Events

  • Feb 4 Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook from his Harvard dormitory room
  • Apr 8 Darfur conflict: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups
  • May 17 Massachusetts becomes the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage
  • May 26 The United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.
  • Jul 5 First Indonesian presidential election by the people - first round (eventually won by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono)
  • Nov 11 Yasser Arafat's death through unidentified causes confirmed by Palestine Liberation Organization, Mahmoud Abbas elected PLO chairman minutes later.
  • Dec 8 The Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations.
  • Dec 26 9.3 magnitude earthquake creates a tsunami causing devastation in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and edges of the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people
More Historical Events

2004 in Film & TV

  • Jan 3 After hosting the show for over 30 years, Casey Kasem gives up the hosting duties of "American Top 40" to Ryan Seacrest
  • May 6 TV sitcom "Friends" airs season finale in 10th and final season in US (52.5 million viewers)
  • May 13 The final episode of "Frasier" on NBC is watched by 33 million people

2004 in Music

2004 in Sport

  • Mar 13 Luciano Pavarotti performs in his last opera at New York Metropolitan Opera's "Tosca"
  • Aug 27 German kayaker Birgit Fischer wins gold in K-4 500m & silver in K-2 500m in Athens; first woman in any sport to win gold medals at 6 different Olympics, gold 24 years apart, and 1st person to win 2 or more medals in 5 different Games
  • Oct 27 The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in 86 years

Did You Know?

Kenyan Wangari Maathai is the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace"

On October 8, 2004


World Leaders in 2004

Famous People in 2004

Famous People Born in 2004

  • Jan 21 Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
  • Feb 6 Princess Louise of Belgium
  • Feb 19 Millie Bobby Brown, English American actress (Stranger Things), born in Marbella, Spain
  • Mar 21 Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg
  • May 10 The Gosselin Sextuplets

Would You Believe?

Shrek the sheep from Tarras, Central Otago, New Zealand, is finally shorn live on TV after 6 years avoidance; the fleece weighed 27 kg (60 lb)

On April 28, 2004

Famous Weddings

  • Jan 1 Singer Lou Rawls (71) weds Nina Malek Inman at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee
  • Jan 3 Singer Britney Spears (22) weds childhood pal Jason Allen Alexander in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Jan 12 Two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (44) weds ABC-TV correspondent Rebecca Rankin in Los Angeles
  • Jan 24 "Married ... With Children" actor David Faustino (33) weds actress Andrea Elmer (31) at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Jan 24 Actress Selma Blair (31) weds producer Ahmet Zappa (29) at Carrie Fisher's mansion in Beverly Hills, California

Famous Divorces

  • Jan 4 Britney Spears has her surprise marriage annulled less than 55 hours after tying the knot with childhood friend Jason Alexander at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas
  • Mar 30 "Alias" actress Jennifer Garner (30) divorces actor Scott Foley (30) due to irreconcilable differences after nearly 4 years of marriage
  • Apr 26 Model-actress Deborah Falconer (38) divorces actor Robert Downey Jr (39) due to irreconcilable differences after 12 years of marriage
  • Apr 27 Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry files for divorce from her second husband, R&B singer Eric Benet, six months after the couple separated
  • May 12 Model and actress Ali Landry divorces (30) "Saved by the Bell" actor Mario Lopez (30) due to infidelity only less than 2 weeks after getting married
More Weddings & Divorces

Famous Deaths

More Famous Deaths