On This Day

Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO as full members

NATO is a military alliance of thirty-two European and North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense.

NATO is a military alliance of thirty-two European and North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense. The process of joining the alliance is governed by Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which allows for the invitation of "other European States" only and by subsequent agreements. Countries wishing to join must meet certain requirements and complete a multi-step process involving political dialogue and military integration. The accession process is overseen by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's governing body. NATO was formed in 1949 with twelve founding members and has added new members ten times. The first additions were Greece and Turkey in 1952.

Historical Significance

NATO is a military alliance of thirty-two European and North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense.

Events Before

  1. Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

    On Saturday, February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board.

  2. An estimated 6-11 million people around the world take to the streets to protest against war with Iraq

    Beginning in late 2002 and continuing after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, large-scale protests against the Iraq War were held in many cities worldwide, often coordinated to occur simultaneously around…

  3. Bill Maher's political talk show "Real Time with Bill Maher" debuts on HBO

    Real Time with Bill Maher is an American television talk show created, written and presented by Bill Maher, and has been airing on HBO since 2003, with an audio-only podcast, with episodes at least…

  4. Actor Paul Rudd (33) weds publicist Julie Yaeger

    Actor Paul Rudd (33) weds publicist Julie Yaeger

  5. The journal Nature reports that 350,000-year-old footprints of an upright-walking human have been found in Italy

    The journal Nature reports that 350,000-year-old footprints of an upright-walking human have been found in Italy

Events After

  1. Shirley Chisholm dies

    Shirley Chisholm politician, known for american politician, died on 2005-01-01. Shirley Anita Chisholm ( CHIZ-əm; née St.

  2. Britain's Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes

    Britain's Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, and 33 seconds; surpassed in 2017

  3. Online video-sharing site YouTube is founded in San Mateo, California, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim

    YouTube is an American online video-sharing platform headquartered in San Bruno, California, founded by three former PayPal employees—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim—in February 2005.

  4. Kyoto Protocol comes into force following its ratification by Russia, committing industrialized nations to limit and red

    Kyoto Protocol comes into force following its ratification by Russia, committing industrialized nations to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

  5. President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak orders the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections, asking

    President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak orders the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections, asking the Egyptian parliament to amend Article 76

More from the 2000s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 29, 2004?
NATO is a military alliance of thirty-two European and North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense. The process of joining the alliance is governed by Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which allows for the invitation of "other European States" only and by subsequent agreements. Countries wishing to join must meet certain requirements and complete a multi-step process involving political dialogue and military integration.
Why is Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NAT... significant?
NATO is a military alliance of thirty-two European and North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense.

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