On This Day

Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia

Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili is a Georgian-Ukrainian politician. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from January 2004 to November 2013, with a break from November 2007 to...

Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili is a Georgian-Ukrainian politician. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from January 2004 to November 2013, with a break from November 2007 to January 2008 after he stepped down following anti-government demonstrations and ahead of an early presidential election. He is the founder and former chairman of Georgia's United National Movement party. From May 2015 until November 2016, Saakashvili was the governor of Ukraine's Odesa Oblast.

A jurist by occupation, Saakashvili entered Georgian politics in 1995 as a member of Parliament and Minister of Justice under President Eduard Shevardnadze. He then founded the opposition United National Movement party.

Historical Significance

Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili is a Georgian-Ukrainian politician.

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 January 4, 2004?
Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili is a Georgian-Ukrainian politician. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from January 2004 to November 2013, with a break from November 2007 to January 2008 after he stepped down following anti-government demonstrations and ahead of an early presidential election. He is the founder and former chairman of Georgia's United National Movement party.
Why is Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia significant?
Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili is a Georgian-Ukrainian politician.

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