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Cover Story - Spanish Version

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Big Events of 2004

Spanish Translation

The year 2004 brought both cheers and tears. This year we honored war veterans with a new memorial and bid farewell to a former President. We gazed at new views of distant stars and at new stars of the big screen. Nature shook up April with terrible tornadoes and September with wild hurricanes. And between the storms, a spectacular summer of Olympic achievements kept the public on the edge of its seat. At summer's end, Boston baseball fans rejoiced when the Red Sox finally became October's victors. In November, President George W. Bush was reelected. For all of us at TFK, 2004 was full of exciting news and images. Here are some of the highlights to help remember the year that was.

JANUARY

Historic Moment for Afghanistan
Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, signed his country's new constitution on January 26. The document gives the president new powers and emphasizes equal rights for men and women. The country's former king, Zaher Shah, sat to Karzai's right.

Rovers Explore the Red Planet
Two spacecraft, Opportunity and Spirit, touched down on Mars. The rovers used eight special cameras to take the clearest pictures ever of the Martian landscape. The missions were a big success for NASA.

FEBRUARY

Haiti's Leader Leaves His Country
Haiti's President Jean-Bertrand Aristide gave up power and left the country on February 29. Rebels, led by Guy Philippe, had pressured Aristide into stepping down. They said he was a weak leader who hadn't helped the country's poor. Aristide supporters angrily disagreed. Before he left, street protests created chaos in Port-au-Prince, the capital. The U.S. government flew Aristide to the Central African Republic, where he would be safer.

Young Star Gets a Whale of an Honor
Keisha Castle-Hughes, 13, became the youngest girl ever chosen as a finalist for an Academy Award for best actress. She starred in Whale Rider. Keisha attended the awards in Hollywood, California, on February 29. Congratulations, Keisha!

MARCH

Jury Finds Stewart Guilty
On March 5, Martha Stewart was found guilty of lying about a stock-market deal. Stewart, 63, is the founder of a popular home and lifestyle business. She began serving a five-month prison sentence in October. On December 8, NBC said Stewart would host a lifestyle show next year.

9/11 Hearings Begin
A panel formed to investigate the September 11 terrorist attacks began hearings in Washington, D.C. The 9/11 commission was made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and 80 full-time staff members. Their goal: to learn whether the attacks could have been avoided.

APRIL

New Crew Heads to Space Station
The International Space Station got a new crew on April 21. Mike Fincke from the United States and Russia's Gennady Padalka lived and worked on board for about six months. Andre Kuipers from the Netherlands stayed only 11 days.

MAY

World War II Memorial Opens in Washington, D.C.
Almost 60 years after the end of World War II, the 16 million U.S. men and women who served during the conflict finally received a national monument.

On May 29, a ceremony was held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to mark the opening of the National World War II Memorial. The 712-acre memorial features fountains, waterfalls and a wall covered with thousands of gold stars representing the 400,000 troops who died in the war. World War II took place from 1939 to 1945.

JUNE

U.S. Hands Power Back to Iraqis
On June 28 at 10:26 a.m., the conflict in Iraq entered a new phase. L. Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. official in Iraq, handed over power to the country's temporary president, Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer, and prime minister, Ayad Allawi. The historic handover gave Iraqis the authority to begin building a democracy. Before the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq.

JULY

Close-ups of Saturn's Rings
Hours after it entered Saturn's orbit on July 1, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft sent back its first stunning pictures of the planet's seven rings. The rings, which are made of particles of ice, dust and rock, are perhaps a half mile thick and made of hundreds of individual strands. The photos showed that some rings had rippled surfaces, while others were smooth.

Cassini settled into Saturn's orbit on June 30 after traveling 2.2 billion miles over seven years. The craft will orbit the solar system's second-largest planet for the next four years. Next, Cassini will send a probe to Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Scientists hope that the probe will land safely in January.

Dems Nominate Kerry
From July 26 to 29, about 35,000 people gathered in Boston, Massachusetts, for the Democratic National Convention. On the last day, Senator John Kerry formally accepted his party's nomination.

AUGUST

U.S. Strikes Olympic Gold
The United States took home more medals than any other country at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. The U.S. racked up 103 medals, 35 of them gold. A total of 10,500 athletes from 202 nations competed in the Games from August 13 to 29. American Carly Patterson, 16, won the all-around gold medal in gymnastics.

Republicans Throw Party in New York City
It was the Republicans' turn to party from August 30 to September 2, when the Republican National Convention took place in New York City. About 50,000 visitors, including more than 2,500 delegates, listened to speeches by top Republicans. President George W. Bush and Laura Bush greeted the delegates on the last day.

SEPTEMBER

Hurricanes Hit Southern U.S.
Hurricanes Frances, Ivan and Jeanne slammed into the United States. The storms destroyed homes, flooded neighborhoods and tore down trees. Hurricane season in the U.S. lasts from June through November. This year's season was the third most active since 1944.

The state of Florida was hit the hardest by the storms and suffered billions of dollars in damage. About one in every five homes in the state was affected by a hurricane this year.

Bonds Hits 700th Homer
San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds made the record books on September 17 by hitting his 700th home run as a Major League Baseball player. Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron are the only players to have hit more homers.

OCTOBER

Mount Saint Helens Threatens to Erupt
Scientists kept a close eye on Mount Saint Helens. The volcano in Washington State spewed steam and ash throughout the month, leading experts to believe that it could erupt at any time.

The volcano's last big eruption was on May 18, 1980. Tens of thousands of acres of forests were destroyed, and 57 people were killed.

Red Sox Win Series
On October 27, the Boston Red Sox won baseball's World Series, beating the Saint Louis Cardinals in four straight games. Boston fans and players celebrated the team's first world championship in 86 years. Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez was named the Series' most valuable player.

NOVEMBER

Four More Years for Bush
Nearly 120 million Americans voted on November 2. George W. Bush won 51% of the popular vote and the opportunity to lead the country for another four years. In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., Bush declared victory. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts got 48.5% of the vote.

Thousands Flee Violence in Sudan
Since February 2003, violence has rocked the African country of Sudan. In November, the crisis deepened as Sudanese security forces attacked El Geer refugee camp.

DECEMBER

Iraq Troop Buildup
In Vermont, Army National Guard troops prepared to leave for Mississippi and Texas, where they will be trained. Then they will head to the Middle East. On December 1, the U.S. announced that in January it would increase by 12,000 the number of its troops stationed in Iraq. The aim is to have 150,000 troops on the ground for Iraq's national election, scheduled for January 30. This will be the largest force since the war began.

Next: Congress Passes a Plan for Security