2004


2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition.

Population

The world population on January 1, 2004, was estimated to be 6.462 billion people and increased to 6.545 billion people by January 1, 2005. An estimated 136.6 million births and 53.2 million deaths took place in 2004. The average global life expectancy was 67.7 years, an increase of 0.3 years from 2003. The estimated number of global refugees decreased from 9.59 million to 9.24 million by the end of the year. Afghanistan was the largest source of refugees, with approximately 2.1 million people.

Conflicts

There were 32 armed conflicts in 2004 that resulted in at least 25 fatalities, all of which involved violent non-state actors. Seven of these resulted in at least 1,000 fatalities: the Colombian conflict, the Iraqi insurgency, the Kashmir insurgency, the Nepalese Civil War, the Chechen War">Chechens">Chechen War in Russia, the Second Sudanese Civil War, the Sudanese War in Darfur, and the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in Uganda.
The Iraqi insurgency emerged in Iraq in 2004 and carried out attacks against the US-backed caretaker government. It was initially confined to the Sunni Triangle, but it expanded to other areas throughout the year with two suicide bombings in Iraqi Kurdistan on February 1 and a conflict with the Shia Mahdi Army in April. More intense fighting took place in the city of Fallujah toward the end of the year. Conflicts with al-Qaeda continued in 2004, primarily in Pakistan along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. A group affiliated with al-Qaeda carried out 2004 [Madrid train bombings|a series of train bombings] in Madrid, killing approximately 200 people in March. An Islamic militant uprising also took place in northern Nigeria.
Conflict between Israel and Palestine remained heightened in 2004, including the targeted killings of Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi by Israel and the bombing of Israeli tourists by Palestinian militants in October. Although the Second Congo War had ended, insurgencies continued within the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Ituri and in Kivu. Globally, two major rebel groups acted for the first time in 2004: the National Revolutionary Front for the Liberation and Reconstruction of Haiti successfully brought about the resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, while the Islamic Jihad Union was defeated in its attempt to overthrow the government of Uzbekistan.
The War in Darfur escalated significantly in Sudan with debate over whether Darfur [genocide |its mass killings] constituted a genocide. The Burundian Civil War was complicated as factionalism divided the CNDD-FDD and tentative peace agreements with the government were opposed by the National Forces of Liberation. The Nepalese Civil War escalated as the Communist Party of Nepal abducted over one thousand people to train as fighters and the Nepalese government established civilian militias. The frozen conflict between Georgia and the breakaway state of South Ossetia escalated in July and August until a ceasefire was signed on August 18. The Second Chechen War continued in 2004 with 2004 [Grozny stadium bombing|a bombing] that killed Russian-backed Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov, and the capture of a school in Beslan, Russia, by Chechen militants that resulted in over 300 fatalities in September.
Two major peace agreements were made in 2004: one between Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, and one between Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. A ceasefire was established in Uganda after the Ugandan military made significant gains over the Lord's Resistance Army. A 2003 ceasefire held in the Kashmir conflict, bringing about the conflict's first full year without military action in roughly a decade, although an insurgency continued in the region. Disarmament of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia began in November during the Colombian conflict, but fighting with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia continued and the Colombian government launched its Plan Patriota mobilization program.

Culture

Art and architecture

Art speculation resurged in 2004 as the economy recovered from a recession, with major sales including Garçon à la pipe by Pablo Picasso for approximately $100 million and La Nona Ora by Maurizio Cattelan for approximately $3 million. The Scream and Madonna were stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo in 2004, while efforts continued throughout the year to recover and preserve works from the Iraq Museum in response to the looting that took place amid the invasion of Iraq.
The biggest art exhibitions of 2004 were Treasures of a Sacred Mountain at the National Museum">National Party of Australia">National Museum and El Greco at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The world's largest architectural design competition was held to design the National [September 11 Memorial & Museum]; there were over 5,000 entries, from which the design "Reflecting Absence" by Michael Arad was selected. The Pritzker Architecture Prize was won by a woman, Zaha Hadid, for the first time.
Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein opened a museum in Vienna to display the royal family's art collection, the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection was put on display in Berlin, and the Smithsonian Institution opened its National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The German Duchess Anna Amalia Library was destroyed in a fire that consumed approximately 30,000 books. Reconstruction finished on the exterior of the Frauenkirche church in Dresden, which had been destroyed in World War II.
Buildings that finished construction or opened in 2004 included the Gherkin and the Scottish Parliament Building in the United Kingdom, the Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina in Italy, the in Canada, and the Forum Building in Spain. The Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport opened in China along with terminals in the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada and Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. The Rio–Antirrio Bridge was completed in Greece, as was the Millau Viaduct in France. Among new rail stations were the Blue Line in Thailand, the Hiawatha Light Rail and the Las Vegas Monorail in the United States, the Yellow Line in India, and the Shenzhen Metro in China. The Södra länken motorway in Sweden and the final stage of the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia were also completed.

Media

The highest-grossing film globally in 2004 was Shrek 2, followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Spider-Man 2. The highest-grossing non-English film was The Passion of the Christ, the fifth highest-grossing film of the year. Critically acclaimed films from 2004 include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kill Bill: Volume 2, and Million Dollar Baby Documentaries had a successful year in 2004 with the release of Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore and Super Size Me by Morgan Spurlock.
Music sales in 2004 amounted to about 2.75 billion physical units, stalling the decline of units in previous years. CD albums made up 86% of sales, but DVD and digital music continued an upward trajectory. The best-selling album globally in 2004 was Confessions by Usher, followed by Feels like Home by Norah Jones and Encore by Eminem. The best-selling non-English album was the Japanese album Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1 by Hikaru Utada, the 19th best-selling of the year. Courts in Canada and the United States issued rulings that affirmed the legality of peer-to-peer file sharing despite its frequent use for copyright infringement. Apple Inc. with its iPod and iTunes service was the predominant source of legally downloaded music.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was the best selling fiction book of 2004. Plays that premiered in 2004 included Stuff Happens by David Hare and The History Boys by Alan Bennett.
Critically acclaimed video games from 2004 include Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, and Halo 2.

Sports

The 2004 Summer Olympics were held in their birthplace of Athens. The United States had the most gold medals with 35, followed by China's 32 and Russia's 27. Irina Korzhanenko of Russia had her gold medal revoked after failing a drug test.
The BALCO scandal occurred in the United States after an investigation determined that the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative was distributing performance-enhancing substances to athletes.
In association football, Greece won an upset victory over Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2004, while FC Porto defeated AS Monaco FC in the 2004 UEFA Champions League final.
In Major League Baseball, the Boston Red Sox ended its 86-year losing streak by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners broke the 84-year record of 257 hits in one season set by George Sisler.
Fijian golfer Vijay Singh unseated Tiger Woods as the top PGA Tour player in September, winning nine tournaments in 2004.
The Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2004 Stanley Cup Final in the National Hockey League, and the 2004–05 NHL season was canceled following an industry lockout.
Maria Sharapova defeated champion player Serena Williams in the Women's Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first Russian to win a Wimbledon tournament. Roger Federer won three of the four major tennis tournaments in men's tennis.
Steve Fossett and his crew beat the record for fastest circumnavigation by sailing, making the trip in 58 days, while Francis Joyon broke the solo record with 73 days. Pete Cabrinha surfed on a wave in January, breaking the record for the tallest wave ever surfed.
Vitali Klitschko became the world heavyweight champion in boxing following the retirement of Lennox Lewis.
Vijay Singh became the world's highest-earning golfer, winning $10 million in 2004.
Michael Schumacher won the 2004 Formula One World Championship, marking his seventh win.
Ronnie O'Sullivan won the 2004 World Snooker Championship in what was his second victory.
Best Mate became the fourth horse to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups.

Economy

The economy in 2004 grew steadily without significant interruptions. The gross world product increased by 4% in 2004, an increase from the 2.8% growth in 2003, with the highest growth taking place in the developing world. International trade increased by over 10%. The global economy had recovered from the early 2000s recession by 2004, so governments in the developed world tightened monetary policy and central banks raised their interest rates. The United States dollar depreciated as the American trade deficit increased, while surpluses in Japan and the European Union led to appreciation for the Japanese yen and the euro. Growing demand for oil led oil prices to increase by over 50%, which was followed by a smaller decrease in price; the global economy accommodated the price increase without significant inflation or price shock. The retail company Kmart announced its intention in November to acquire its competitor Sears and create Sears Holdings.
The United States and several Central American countries signed a free trade agreement. The United States also signed a free trade agreement with Australia.
The World Trade Organization objected to agricultural subsidies for sugar in the European Union and cotton in the United States due to fears that they would negatively affect global prices. Doha Development Round negotiations resumed in August after their failure in 2003, and a framework was agreed upon for developed countries to limit agricultural subsidies and reduce tariffs.
Initial public offerings from technology companies amounted to $10.7 billion in 2004, including the $1.7 billion IPO of Google, significantly exceeding the $3.3 billion of technology company IPOs in 2003.
SCO Group was unable to advance its dispute against IBM regarding ownership of Unix and Linux.

Environment and weather

The year 2004 was the fourth hottest year on record, and it was the first in four years to have above-average precipitation. Major heat waves occurred in Australia, Japan, and Spain, while deadly cold waves occurred in Peru and southern Asia. Heavy winter storms occurred in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean. Ongoing droughts continued in the Horn of Africa and the western United States, while deadly floods occurred in Brazil and on the Mexico–United States border.
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|A magnitude 9.1 earthquake] struck Indonesia on December 26; the earthquake and the resulting tsunami killed approximately 230,000 people across the region. The Indonesian city of Banda Aceh was destroyed by the tsunami. One of the most destructive natural disasters in a century, it affected countries across the Indian Ocean and became a defining event of the year.
There were 15 named storms in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season 2004, nine of which were hurricanes. The most intense storms were Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, and Hurricane Karl. It was the second deadliest hurricane season of the previous 30 years, as Hurricane Jeanne killed over 3,000 people in Haiti as well as leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless. There were 31 tropical storms in the 2004 Pacific typhoon season, 21 of which were typhoons. The most intense typhoons were Typhoon Dianmu, Typhoon Chaba, and Typhoon Nida, and Typhoon Ma-on. Seven tropical storms made landfall in Japan, and it suffered the most typhoon strikes since 1982 with four typhoons. Typhoon Rananim, the strongest typhoon to strike eastern China in five decades, destroyed 42,400 homes. Typhoon Muifa and Typhoon Nanmadol killed a combined total of 1,375 people in Philippines.
While the existence of man-made climate change had been confirmed by 2004, efforts continued to produce models that could accurately measure and predict its severity as greenhouse gas emissions increased globally. Special attention was paid to the relationship between climate change and air pollution, as well as potential effects of abrupt climate change like the shut down of thermohaline circulation and the destruction of the Greenland ice sheet. A four-year study of Arctic conditions resulted in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Several studies throughout the year demonstrated significant potential for human-caused extinction of biodiversity from climate change, deforestation, and other causes.
Russia agreed to sign the Kyoto Protocol in September, allowing it to take effect in 2005 without the involvement of the United States. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, an international treaty regulating persistent organic pollutants, came into force on May 17. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture came into effect on June 29. The 2004 United Nations Climate Change Conference took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December.

Health

There were concerns of an avian influenza pandemic after H5N1 in 2004|the spread] of H5N1 that was first detected in January. An outbreak occurred in eastern and southeastern Asia, causing an estimated 30 deaths. This was accompanied by research into the Spanish flu that involved reconstructions of the virus's genes and infected tissue. American exportation of beef was halted throughout 2004 following the detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. A locust outbreak spread across western Africa in July and August, causing food shortages throughout the region, while the War in Darfur led to a severe food crisis in Sudan.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic remained a predominant public health concern, and cotrimoxazole was trialed in Zambia as a treatment for HIV/AIDS.
Trials for the Mosquirix vaccine and OZ 277 treatment took place in an effort to combat malaria. Pharmaceutical companies also continued research for tuberculosis prevention and treatment.

Politics and law

was created in Iraq under Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in June, succeeding the American-run Coalition Provisional Authority. It remained legally ambiguous whether the nation should still be considered under occupation. The Western occupation of Iraq became increasingly unpopular as violence continued with significant civilian casualties, human rights abuses were uncovered, and the rationale for the Iraq War was scrutinized as misleading. The Iraq Survey Group was unable to find evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that had been used to justify the invasion. It was revealed in May that American soldiers were committing acts of torture against people held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. This accompanied the controversial use of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to hold suspected terrorists without due process. The United States worked to rebuild relations with its allies that had opposed the invasion toward a mutual goal of Iraqi reconstruction. Deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein appeared in court in July on charges of committing genocide during his rule. The United Kingdom and the United States passed anti-terrorism legislation and initiated surveillance programs as part of the war on terror, prompting concerns about infringement of civil rights.
Hamid Karzai won Afghanistan's first presidential election, but his government did not control significant territory outside of the capital, Kabul, as the rest of the country was occupied by warlords. Osama bin Laden released 2004 [Osama bin Laden video|a video] on October 29 where he claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks.
George W. Bush was reelected to a second term as president of the United States. Vladimir Putin was re-elected as president of Russia. Manmohan Singh became the first Sikh prime minister of India following the victory of his Indian National Congress party in May; he was selected after Sonia Gandhi was met with opposition from Hindu nationalists.
The Ukrainian presidential election|Ukrainian presidential election] was disputed due to election fraud, voiding the victory of Viktor Yanukovych; Viktor Yushchenko won in the re-run election, and the Constitution of Ukraine was amended in response to the affair. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti fled the country after a coup on February 29 under pressure from the United States.
Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs were brought under scrutiny in 2004, and an explosion in North Korea on September 9 raised fears of possible nuclear weapons testing. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a leading figure in the development of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, was discovered to have been trading nuclear secrets to Iran, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea. South Korea was also found to be developing a nuclear weapons program despite being involved in anti-proliferation efforts.
In February, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proposed removing all Israeli settlements from Palestine. Yasser Arafat, the leader of Palestine and main figure in the Palestinian nationalism movement, died in November and was succeeded by Mahmoud Abbas until an election could take place the following year.. Arafat's death prompted questions about the movement's direction.
Ten countries joined the European Union in May, and the organization signed an agreement toward the creation of a constitution. Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey were refused entry. Disagreements remained over whether the European Union should be officially Christian.
For her work in environmentalism, Wangarĩ Maathai from Kenya became the first African woman to win the Peace Prize">Nobel Peace Prize">Peace Prize.

International law

The International Court of Justice made two rulings in 2004: it ruled in the Avena case that the United States had violated its obligations to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations when prosecuting Mexican nationals, and it ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the Legality of Use of Force case brought by Serbia and Montenegro against NATO nations. It also issued an advisory opinion arguing that the construction of the West Bank barrier violated the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. Romania initiated a case against Ukraine regarding maritime boundaries.
The International Criminal Court opened its first two investigations: one in Uganda and one in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda convicted Emmanuel Ndindabahizi, Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda, and Samuel Imanishimwe of genocide. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Radislav Krstić of complicity in genocide and began the trial of Slobodan Milošević.

Religion

The Catholic Church returned the relics of John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nazianzus to Istanbul. The issue of gay rights remained incredibly divisive among different Anglican groups and caused schisms, especially in the United States where the Episcopal Church was more accepting of same-sex partnerships. Eastern Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Peter VII of Alexandria died in a helicopter crash.
Islamic fundamentalism surged in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Islamic organizations held several summits in favor of religious tolerance and opposition to Islamism. The overthrow of Ba'athist Iraq in 2003 meant increased religious tension within the country as Sunni and Shia sects of Islam.
The Sankararaman murder case caused controversy following the death of temple manager Sankara Raman in the Hindu monastery Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
Disagreement emerged among Jews in Israel when Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira declared that Orthodox Jews should disregard orders to dismantle Israeli settlements in Gaza.

Science

Independent experiments in 2004 successfully produced quantum teleportation in particles and ions. Research continued on the development and application of carbon nanotubes in the United Kingdom, prompting the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to propose their classification as a new chemical.
Several studies of the relationship between humans and other hominids were completed in 2004, including a preliminary genome sequence for chimpanzees. Study continued in the use of embryos to create stem cells for research purposes. Debate around stem cell usage occurred worldwide, and the United Nations was unable to agree on international law related to human cloning for the creation of stem cells.
Wireless technology grew in popularity with the proliferation of devices like Pocket PCs and portable media players. 3G technology was more widely adopted in Europe, while NTT DoCoMo began early trials for 4G technology in Japan. Microsoft entered 2004 with a monopoly over web browsers through Internet Explorer, but its share of the market was reduced to about 90 percent following the introduction of Firefox. Open-source software was incentivized and in some cases legally mandated by South American countries throughout the year.
New automobiles entering production in 2004 included the Chrysler 300 and Ford Five Hundred.

Archaeology

An early human species with small body proportions, homo floresiensis, was announced with the discovery of the Flores man fossil. The fossil was discovered in the Liang Bua archaeological site on the Indonesian island of Flores. Announced on October 28, there had previously been no expectation of another human species in the area.
The oldest known examples of shell beads in the South African site Blombos Cave were discovered, as were the oldest known clay fireplaces in the Greek site Klissoura Cave 1, the oldest known Native American stone spear points near Lake Mégantic in Canada, and a gourd fragment in the Peruvian Norte Chico region that indicated Andean religion was older than previously thought. Several discoveries in China were announced related to metalworking and the production of jade rings that indicated related technologies were older than previously thought, as well as numerous ancient and prehistoric examples of pottery, tools, ceramics, and jewelry. Over 70 archaeological sites were established in the Petén Basin in Guatemala, and a carved stone panel depicting Tajal Chan Ahk was found in the country's Maya site of Cancuén. The Pool of Siloam, a major reservoir from ancient Jerusalem, was discovered in the process of building a sewer pipe. Other archaeological discoveries announced in 2004 include ancient burial urns in the Indian Tirunelveli district, 5th century lecture halls in Egypt, a Minoan settlement in Miletus, an Etruscan road in the Italian city of Capannori, and a 10th century viking burial ground in the English village of Cumwhitton.
Analysis of corn in Chaco Canyon provided evidence that ancient Pueblo peoples engaged in trade with other groups.

Astronomy and spaceflight

paused its Space Shuttle program following the previous year's explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia, meaning the only crewed flights in 2004 were part of Russia's Soyuz program. The Mars Exploration Rover program continued with the landing of the Spirit rover on January 4 and the Opportunity rover on January 25. They provided evidence that Mars once had seas, prompting NASA to extend the rovers' mission to the end of the year.
Spacecraft launches in 2004 included the European Space Agency 's Rosetta probe on March 2 to study the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, NASA's MESSENGER probe toward Mercury in August, a private spaceflight of the SpaceShipOne by Burt Rutan in October, and NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory launch into orbit in November to study gamma-ray bursts.
NASA's Cassini–Huygens achieved orbit around Saturn in July. It took images of Saturn's features, including infrared imaging of its rings, and released the ESA's Huygens lander in December to study the moon Titan. The ESA's SMART-1 satellite achieved orbit around the Moon in November, and NASA's Genesis probe returned to Earth in September but was damaged in a failed landing.
Venus's path led it between the Earth and the Sun for the first time since 1882.

Events

January

Nobel Prizes