Events of the year 2004
Posted in History
- About one third of Iran's Parliament steps down to protest
hard-line Guardian Council?s banning of more than 2,000 reformists from
running in parliamentary elections (Feb. 1).
- A. Q. Khan, founder of Pakistan's nuclear program, admits he sold
nuclear-weapons designs to other countries, including North Korea,
Iran, and Libya (Feb. 4).
- Armed rebels in Haiti force President Aristide to resign and flee the country (Feb. 29).
- Spain is rocked by terrorist attacks, killing more than 200. Al Qaeda takes responsibility (March 11).
- Spain's governing Popular Party loses election to opposition
Socialists. Outcome seen as a reaction to terrorist attacks days before
and Popular Party's support of the U.S.-led war in Iraq (March 14).
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formally admits 7 new
countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and
Slovenia (March 29).
- Israeli prime minister Sharon announces plan to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza Strip (April 12).
- Greek Cypriots reject UN reunification plan with Turkish Cypriots (April 24).
- Sudan rebels (SPLA) and government reach accord to end 21-year
civil war. However, separate war in western Darfur region between Arab
militias and black Africans continues unabated (May 26).
- U.S. troops launch offensive in Falluja in response to killing and
mutilation on March 31 of four U.S. civilian contractors. (April 5 - May
1).
- U.S. hands over power to Iraqi interim government; Iyad Allawi becomes prime minister (June 28).
- Security Council demands Sudanese government disarm militias in Darfur that are massacring civilians (July 30).
- Summer Olympics take place in Athens, Greece (Aug. 13 - 29).
- Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez survives recall referendum (Aug. 16).
- Chechen terrorists take about 1,200 schoolchildren and others
hostage in Beslan, Russia; 340 people die when militant detonate
explosives (Sept. 1 - 3).
- UN Atomic Energy Agency tells Iran to stop enriching uranium; a nascent nuclear weapons program suspected (Sept. 18).
- About 380 tons of explosives reported missing in Iraq (Oct. 25).
- Yasir Arafat dies in Paris (Nov. 11).
- U.S. troops launch attack on Falluja, stronghold of the Iraqi insurgency (Nov. 8).
- Ukraine presidential election declared fraudulent (Nov. 21).
- Hamid Karzai inaugurated as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president (Dec. 7).
- Massive protests by supporters of opposition candidate Viktor
Yushchenko's lead to a new Ukrainian election; Yushchenko eventually
declared prime minister (Dec. 26).
- Enormous tsunami devastates Asia; 200,000 killed (Dec. 26).
