The Highlights of 2004: A Year That Shaped the Future

2004

2004 (MMIV in Roman Numerals) was the year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2004th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations.

Is 2004 a year special to you? Discover what 2004 was famous for, Key World Leaders of 2004, 2004 Time’s Person of the Year, the #1 song, movie and book in 2004, how old is someone born in 2004 and what Chinese zodiac sign is associated to 2004.

On this page we will address all your questions and curiosities about 2004 to help you enjoy your trip down memory lane.

history

What was 2004 known for ?

  • A leap year, 2004 was the international year of rice, international year to commemorate the struggle against slavery and its abolition. The World Health Day topic was road safety.
  • This year saw the release of sequels to popular blockbuster films with Shrek 2 being the highest grossing film of the year. Usher’s Confessions was the highest selling album of the year.
  • On May 17, Marcia Kadish 56 married Tanya McCloskey 52, in the first ever and legal same-sex marriage in Cambridge Hall Massachusetts. On that day, over 77 same-sex couples got married while hundreds of other same-sex couples requested for marriage certificates. Many of the protests planned for May 17 did not happen, as it was a day of celebration. On November 18, 2003, the Supreme Court in Massachusetts ruled that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
  • The famous American TV personality Oprah Winfrey, on September 13, awarded each member of her audience a brand-new Pontiac G-6 sedan worth $28,500. In total, she gave away 276 cars. It was one of the greatest and biggest promotional stunts in the history of television as her audience cried, screamed, fainted, and were in delirium as Oprah jumped up and down saying, “Everybody gets a car!” Pontiac had donated the cars to Oprah and paid for each car plus the state’s sales tax for each car out of their advertising budget.
  • On Boxing Day of 2004, a tsunami in the Indian Ocean crashed into the East African Coast and South East Asia. A 9.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia caused the tsunami that wrecked havoc on the entire coastline of the Indian Ocean and a record 230,000 died. Estimates suggest that the tsunami had twice the energy of all the bombs used in WWII.
  • The Nobel Peace Prize went to Wangari Maathai from Kenya for her contributions to sustainable development, peace, and democracy. The revolutionary Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat passed away on November 11. He was also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1994 along with Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.
  • The world population in 2004 was 6,461,159,389 people according to data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. This figure includes both urban and rural populations. The urban population at that time accounted for 49.0% of the total population, which is roughly 3.2 billion individuals.The annual population change in 2004 was an increase of +79.8 million people, representing a percentage increase of +1.25% over the previous year.The average population density in 2004 was 27 persons per square mile (or 43 persons per square kilometer).

2004 historical events  Famous people born in 2004  Famous deaths in 2004Popular Baby Names in 2004

Your place in the Universe on 2004

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history

Key World Leaders of 2004

Who was the U.S. President in 2004?

In 2004, George W. Bush (Republican) was the President of the United States. His term spanned from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009. His administration led the U.S. response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and initiated wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2004?

In 2004 the UK Prime Minister was Tony Blair (Labour). His premiership saw the introduction of New Labour policies, major public service reforms, and military intervention in Iraq and Kosovo.

Who was the Pope in 2004?

The leader of the Catholic Church in 2004 was Pope St John Paul II who had held the papacy since 1978. During his long pontificate, he played a key role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, expanded interfaith dialogue, and was a strong advocate for human rights.

world population

2004: Who was Time's Person of the Year?


George W. Bush (2)
In 2004, George W. Bush (2) was named by TIME magazine as Person of the Year. In 2004, Bush was re-elected President of the United States, overseeing U.S. involvement in the Iraq War.
vinyl songs

What was the number 1 song in the USA in 2004?

The number 1 song in the USA in 2004, i.e. the best selling and most popular song of tha year, was Yeah! by Usher

What was the number 1 song in the UK in 2004?

The number 1 song in the UK in 2004, i.e. the best selling and most popular song of tha year, was F**k It (I Don't Want You Back) by Eamon

cinema movies

What was the most popular movie in 2004?

The most popular movie and box office hit was Spider-Man 2 by Sam Raimi

Spider-Man 2
cinema movies

What was the best selling book in 2004?

Tuesdays With Morrie
cinema movies

How old is someone born in 2004?

Someone born in 2004 is 21 years old this year.

Discover 2004 calendar

Try out our age, time and generation calculators:

Monkey chinese zodiac sign

What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 2004?


According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 2004 was the Year of the Monkey.

Discover Zodiac Sign Characteristics and Personality Traits of people born under the Monkey sign.