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.