Explore the major historical events, famous births, and notable deaths that occurred in the year 2005. This year saw 156 significant events. 2 notable figures were born. 9 notable figures passed away.
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
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.
Kyoto Protocol comes into force following its ratification by Russia, committing industrialized nations to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak orders the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections, asking the Egyptian parliament to amend Article 76
American actress Jennifer Aniston (36) files for divorce from actor and film producer Brad Pitt (41) due to irreconcilable differences after 4 and a half years of marriage
Prince Joachim of Denmark (35) divorces Countess of Frederiksborg Alexandra (40) after 9 years of marriage
Under international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troops from Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of the country
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and South Africa.
Coordinated terrorist bomb blasts strike London's public transport system during the morning rush hour, killing 52 and injuring 700
92nd Tour de France: no winner; Lance Armstrong retires after winning a record seventh consecutive victory but disqualified in 2012 for doping
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican...
Hurricane Katrina makes its second and third landfalls as a Category 3 hurricane, devastating much of the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, killing more than 1,836 people and causing over $115 billion in damage
"Be Without You" single is released by Mary J. Blige (Billboard Song of the Year 2006, Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance 2007)
Irish TV and radio presenter Sile Seoige (26) weds Glen Mulcahy at St. Brendan's Church in County Offaly
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast.
Emperor Akihito's only daughter Princess Sayako (36) gives up her imperial title to wed Yoshiki Kuroda (40) at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan
Angela Dorothea Merkel is a German retired politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She is the only woman to have held the office and the only from former East Germany.
American actress Renée Zellweger (36) annuls her marriage to American country-music singer Kenny Chesney (37) citing fraud, after 4 months of marriage
Adam Gilchrist of Australia becomes the most prolific century scoring wicket keeper in cricket history when he smashes 113 from just 120 balls in the 3rd Test against Pakistan in Sydney
Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system, is discovered by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz using images originally taken on October 21, 2003, at the Palomar Observatory
Mississippi Civil Rights Workers Murders: Edgar Ray Killen is arrested as a suspect in the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers
A mudslide occurs in La Conchita, California, killing 10 people, injuring many more, and closing Highway 101, the main coastal corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles, for 10 days
Deep Impact was a NASA space probe launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on January 12, 2005. It was designed to study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 (9P Hartley).
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the second-largest in the Solar System. It is the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere—denser than Earth's—and is the only known object in the Solar...
An intense solar flare blasts X-rays across the solar system
At 66 years old, Romanian university lecturer Adriana Illiescu becomes the oldest birth mother in the world
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
In Belmopan, Belize, the unrest over the government's new taxes erupts into riots
A stampede at the Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi in India kills at least 258
The first direct commercial flights from the mainland China (from Guangzhou) to Taiwan since 1949 arrives in Taipei. Shortly afterwards, a China Airlines carrier lands in Beijing.
MS Hans Hedtoft was a Danish cargo passenger liner that struck an iceberg and sank on 30 January 1959 on her maiden voyage off the coast of Western Greenland.
Arsenal’s English Premier League record 33-game unbeaten streak at home ends when the Gunners go down, 4-2 to Manchester United at Highbury
Super Bowl XXXIX, Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL: New England Patriots beat Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21; MVP: Deion Branch, New England, WR
Leaders of both Palestine and Israel declare a truce in what many hope will be a "new era of peace"
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair issues a formal apology to the Guildford Four for their wrongful imprisonment [1]
The 47th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2003, through...
Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia.
-05 NHL season is cancelled by Commissioner Gary Bettman; first time a North American professional sports league has called off a season due to labor dispute
The Al Hillah bombing killed 127 people, chiefly men lining up to join the Iraqi police forces, at the recruiting centre on February 28, 2005 in Al Hillah, Iraq. The bombing caused a worsening of...
Car carrying released Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena is fired upon by US soldiers in Iraq, killing an Italian Secret Service agent and injuring two passengers
Mass protest outside the National Assembly of Kuwait building for women's voting rights in Kuwait
The Cali Cartel (Spanish: Cartel de Cali) was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around Cali and the Valle del Cauca.
Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, steps down from his post after his resignation is approved by the Chinese central government.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian...
Magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Fukuoka, Japan, in its first major quake in over 100 years. One person is killed, and hundreds are injured and evacuated
Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a deepwater port on the Gulf Coast and is a petroleum refining and...
The 2005 Sumatran earthquake rocks Indonesia, and at magnitude 8.7 is the second strongest earthquake since 1960.
Bubba Stewart becomes first African-American to win a major motor sports event when he takes out the Monster Energy AMA Supercross C'ship event in Irving, Texas
The Washington Nationals lose their inaugural season opener, 8-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies; first team to represent the nation's capital since the Washington Senators left after the 1971 season
At 16 years, 271 days James Vaughan scores for Everton in a 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park; becomes youngest goalscorer in EPL history
The Oregon Supreme Court nullifies marriage licenses issued to gay couples a year earlier by Multnomah County
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
die in Amagasaki rail crash in Japan
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time, in exchange for publishing...
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 600 smaller...
The new Canadian War Museum opens, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-E Day
Andijan (-JAHN), also spelt Andijon and formerly romanized as Andizhan, is a city in Uzbekistan. It is the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Andijan Region.
Former USS America (CV-66), a decommissioned supercarrier of the US Navy, deliberately sunk in the Atlantic Ocean after four weeks of live-fire exercises. Largest ship ever to be disposed of as a target in a military exercise.
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Historically, women rarely had the right to vote, even in ostensibly democratic systems of government.
TV political comedy "The Thick of It" created by Armando Iannucci, starring Peter Capaldi and Chris Langham premieres on BBC 4
2005 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, notable deaths and film debuts.
France resoundingly rejects the European Constitution
Mark Felt, former FBI high ranking official revealed as "Deep Throat" source during Watergate investigations in "Vanity Fair" article
A consultative referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was held in the Netherlands on 1 June 2005 to decide whether the government should ratify the proposed Constitution of...
Panamanian jockey Eddie Castro sets a North American record with 9 wins on the 13-race card at Calder Race Course in Miami, Florida
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for outstanding lighting design of a play or musical. The award was first presented in 1970.
Gonzales v. Raich (previously Ashcroft v. Raich), 545 U.S. 1 (2005), was a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that, under the Commerce Clause of the U.S.
Asafa Powell of Jamaica sets a new Men's 100 meters world record of 9.77 at the Athens Olympic Stadium
"Bad Day" single is released by Daniel Powter, 1st song to sell 2 million digital copies in the US (Billboard Song of the Year 2006)
A final design for Manhattan's Freedom Tower is formally unveiled
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since July 3, 2005. In 2004, the nation's newly elected government, led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Socialist Workers' Party, began...
Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers is suspended for 20 games and fined $50k for shoving a cameraman - sentence later overturned
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since July 3, 2005. In 2004, the nation's newly elected government, led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Socialist Workers' Party, began...
Deep Impact was a NASA space probe launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on January 12, 2005. It was designed to study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 (9P Hartley).
IOC awards London the right to host the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 with a vote of 54 to 50 over Paris on the fourth and final ballot.
Hurricane Dennis slams into the Florida Panhandle causing billions of dollars in damage
The Closer is an American police procedural television series starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief.
Canada becomes the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, after the bill C-38 receives its Royal Assent
Four terrorist bombers target London's public transportation system, exactly two weeks after the July 7 bombings. All four bombs fail to detonate leading to the capture of all the bombers.
Jean Charles de Menezes is killed by police as the hunt begins for the London Bombers. See 7 July 2005 London bombings and 21 July 2005 London bombings
Three bombs explode in the Naama Bay area of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, killing 88 people
Mumbai, India receives 99.5 cm (39.17 inches) of rain within 24 hours, bringing the city to a halt for over 2 days
NASA postpones all Shuttle flights pending an investigation into the foam-shedding problem on Discovery's external tanks
A tornado touches down in a residential area in south Birmingham, England, causing £4,000,000 worth of damages and injuring 39 people
Eris (minor-planet designation: 136199 Eris) is the most massive and second-largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System.
MESSENGER was a NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015, studying Mercury's chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field.
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya of Mauritania is overthrown in a military coup while attending the funeral of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia
Discovery of Skull 5, the earliest complete Homo erectus skull aged 1.8 million years, at Dmanisi, Georgia, by archaeologist David Lordkipanidze, site of the first known hominins to leave Africa [1]
In one of cricket history's closest Tests, and despite a brave unbeaten 43 from Australian tail-ender Brett Lee, England sneaks a 2-run win in the series-turning 2nd Test at Edgbaston
An F1 tornado strikes Glen Cove, New York, a rare event on Long Island
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes near Machiques, Venezuela, killing all 160 aboard
In 2005, Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip by dismantling all 21 Israeli settlements there.
Dennis Rader is sentenced to 175 years in prison for the BTK (bind, torture, kill) serial killings in Sedgwick County, Kansas
A series of strong storms dubbed the "Toronto Supercell" lashes Southern Ontario, spawning several tornadoes and creating extreme flash flooding within the city of Toronto and its surrounding communities
The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, Reserve Vineyards & GC: Loren Roberts wins the first of four Champions Tour majors with a bogey on the second playoff hole against Dana Quigley
The Al-Aimmah Bridge disaster occurred on August 31, 2005 when 965 people died following a panic, and subsequent crowd crush, on the Al-Aaimmah Bridge, which crosses the Tigris river in the Iraqi...
Seven members and former members of the AFL-CIO form a new trade union organization, the Change to Win Federation
After beating South Africa the previous weekend, New Zealand clinches its 6th Tri Nations Rugby Series with a 34-24 win over Australia in Auckland; All Blacks winger Doug Howlett crosses for 3 tries
Mandala Airlines Flight 91 crashes into a heavily populated residential area seconds after taking off from Medan in Sumatra, Indonesia, killing 100 people on board and 49 people on the ground
Presidential elections were held in Egypt in 2012, with the first round on 23 and 24 May 2012 and the second on 16 and 17 June.
Two EMERCOM Il-76 aircraft land at a disaster aid staging area at Little Rock Air Force Base; it is the first time Russia has flown such a mission to North America
The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a resort built and owned by Hong Kong International Theme Parks Limited, a joint venture of the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong on...
The broadcasts of National Hockey League (NHL) games produced by ESPN have been shown on its various platforms in the United States, including ESPN itself, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Hulu,...
Paolo Di Lauro is an Italian crime boss, leader of the Di Lauro Clan, a Camorra crime organization.
Diana DeGarmo receives the Horizon Award at the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame Awards ceremony
Model Kate Moss is dropped by clothing chain H&M after allegations of drug taking
Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (April 26, 1933 – September 23, 2005) was a Puerto Rican independence activist who cofounded the Boricua Popular Army, also known as Los Macheteros, and its predecessor, the...
Hurricane Rita is the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, now tied with Hurricane Milton of 2024, as well as being one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record...
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Amnesty referendum in Algeria
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy (or Muhammad cartoons crisis, Danish: Muhammed-krisen) began after the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve editorial cartoons on 30...
Terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah explodes a series of bombs at Jimbaran Beach Resort and Kuta in Bali, Indonesia, killing 20 people and injuring over 100
NFL plays its first regular season game outside the United States when the Arizona Cardinals defeat the San Francisco 49ers 31-14 in Mexico City, Mexico
All the Right Reasons is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on October 4, 2005, on Roadrunner Records.
Magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, kills an estimated 86,000 people across Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan in the deadliest earthquake in South Asian history
NHL great Wayne Gretzky gets his first win as a coach as the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 at Jobing.com Arena, Phoenix
Shenzhou 6 was the second human spaceflight of the Chinese space program, launched on October 12, 2005, on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
The electorate of Iraq went to the polls on 15 October 2005 to vote in a referendum on whether or not to ratify the proposed constitution of Iraq.
Hurricane Rita is the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, now tied with Hurricane Milton of 2024, as well as being one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record...
Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin, making the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 22 named storms.
The following is a timeline of the 2005 French riots that began Thursday, 27 October 2005.
Plame affair: Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, is indicted in the Valerie Plame case and resigns later that day
Islamic terrorists set off three bombs in Delhi, killing 62 people and injuring hundreds
The rebuilt Dresden Frauenkirche, destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II, is reconsecrated after a 13-year rebuilding project
First part of the Gomery Report, which discusses allegations of political money manipulation, is released in Canada.
The 2005 Amman bombings were a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks on three hotel lobbies in Amman, Jordan, on 9 November 2005.
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the 707 in October...
CBS television broadcasts ”I Walk the Line: A Night For Johnny Cash” featuring concert performances by Dwight Yoakam, Martina McBride, Alison Krauss, U2, Norah Jones, Foo Fighters, Sheryl Crow, and others
Film adaptation of Joanthan Larson's musical "Rent", starring Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, premieres at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC
Polish Minister of National Defence Radek Sikorski opens Warsaw Pact archives to historians, revealing maps of potential nuclear strikes against Western Europe, including the planned nuclear annihilation of 43 Polish cities by Soviet-controlled forces
President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, in power since 1967 and the longest-serving head of state in the world, is re-elected to his third consecutive seven-year term
American Congressman Duke Cunningham admits to accepting $2.4 million in bribes and pleads guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy to commit bribery [1]
The new Croatian Communist Party (KPH) is founded in Vukovar
John Sentamu becomes the first black archbishop in the Church of England with his enthronement as the 97th Archbishop of York
Joseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
Van Tuong Nguyen (Vietnamese: Nguyễn Tường Vân, ; 17 August 1980 – 2 December 2005), baptised Caleb, was an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria, convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore.
XCOR Aerospace makes first manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail in Mojave, California.
Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the Government to allow universal and equal suffrage
U.S. debut of the first part of two-part TV biopic miniseries "Pope John Paul II" on CBS
Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, allowing the country's first civil partnerships to be registered
Several villagers are shot dead during protests in Dongzhou, China
Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924 who allegedly claimed to have a bomb, is shot and killed by a team of US federal air marshals at Miami International Airport.
U.S. debut of the second part of two-part TV biopic miniseries "Pope John Paul II" on CBS
Ante Gotovina, a Croatian Army general accused of war crimes, is captured in Playa de las Américas, Tenerife, by Spanish police
Reginald Alfred Bush II is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL).
Cronulla riots: thousands of white Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence, resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese (and many who were not) in Cronulla Sydney. These are followed by ethnic attacks on Cronulla.
Australian mechanic Bradley John Murdoch is found guilty of the murder of Peter Falconio and sentenced to life in prison [1]
The Argentine debt restructuring is a process of debt restructuring by Argentina that began on January 14, 2005, and allowed it to resume payment on 76% of the US$82 billion in sovereign bonds that...
Anti-WTO protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Civil Partnership Act comes into force in the UK, with singer Elton John and David Furnish one of the first couples to form a same-sex civil union
Joseph Steven Sakic born July 7, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan, crashes shortly after takeoff, killing 23 people
The Boxing Day shooting was a Canadian gang-related shooting which occurred on December 26, 2005, on Toronto's Yonge Street, resulting in the death of 15-year-old student Jane Creba.
John Demjanjuk, was a Trawniki and Nazi camp guard at Sobibor extermination camp, Majdanek, and Flossenbürg.
Tropical Storm Zeta forms in the open Atlantic Ocean, tying the record for the latest tropical cyclone ever to form in the North Atlantic basin
Charli D'Amelio, American musician, known for american social media personality, was born on 2005-05-01.
Peyton Elizabeth Lee, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 2005-05-22. Peyton Elizabeth Lee is an American actress.
Shirley Chisholm politician, known for american politician, died on 2005-01-01. Shirley Anita Chisholm ( CHIZ-əm; née St.
Johnny Carson, American comedian and television host, known for american comedian and television host, died on 2005-01-23.
Gnassingbé Eyadéma dies
Arthur Miller, American playwright and essayist, known for american playwright and essayist, died on 2005-02-10.
Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author, known for american journalist and author, died on 2005-02-20.
John Paul II dies
George Mikan basketball player, known for american basketball player, died on 2005-06-01. George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed "Mr.
Jack Kilby electronics engineer, known for american electronics engineer, died on 2005-06-20. Jack St.
William Westmoreland united states army general, known for united states army general, died on 2005-07-18.
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
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.
Kyoto Protocol comes into force following its ratification by Russia, committing industrialized nations to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak orders the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections, asking the Egyptian parliament to amend Article 76
American actress Jennifer Aniston (36) files for divorce from actor and film producer Brad Pitt (41) due to irreconcilable differences after 4 and a half years of marriage
Prince Joachim of Denmark (35) divorces Countess of Frederiksborg Alexandra (40) after 9 years of marriage
Under international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troops from Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of the country
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and South Africa.
Coordinated terrorist bomb blasts strike London's public transport system during the morning rush hour, killing 52 and injuring 700
92nd Tour de France: no winner; Lance Armstrong retires after winning a record seventh consecutive victory but disqualified in 2012 for doping
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican...
Hurricane Katrina makes its second and third landfalls as a Category 3 hurricane, devastating much of the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, killing more than 1,836 people and causing over $115 billion in damage
"Be Without You" single is released by Mary J. Blige (Billboard Song of the Year 2006, Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance 2007)
Irish TV and radio presenter Sile Seoige (26) weds Glen Mulcahy at St. Brendan's Church in County Offaly
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast.
Emperor Akihito's only daughter Princess Sayako (36) gives up her imperial title to wed Yoshiki Kuroda (40) at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan
Angela Dorothea Merkel is a German retired politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She is the only woman to have held the office and the only from former East Germany.
American actress Renée Zellweger (36) annuls her marriage to American country-music singer Kenny Chesney (37) citing fraud, after 4 months of marriage
Adam Gilchrist of Australia becomes the most prolific century scoring wicket keeper in cricket history when he smashes 113 from just 120 balls in the 3rd Test against Pakistan in Sydney
Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system, is discovered by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz using images originally taken on October 21, 2003, at the Palomar Observatory
Mississippi Civil Rights Workers Murders: Edgar Ray Killen is arrested as a suspect in the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers
A mudslide occurs in La Conchita, California, killing 10 people, injuring many more, and closing Highway 101, the main coastal corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles, for 10 days
Deep Impact was a NASA space probe launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on January 12, 2005. It was designed to study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 (9P Hartley).
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the second-largest in the Solar System. It is the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere—denser than Earth's—and is the only known object in the Solar...
An intense solar flare blasts X-rays across the solar system
At 66 years old, Romanian university lecturer Adriana Illiescu becomes the oldest birth mother in the world
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
In Belmopan, Belize, the unrest over the government's new taxes erupts into riots
A stampede at the Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi in India kills at least 258
The first direct commercial flights from the mainland China (from Guangzhou) to Taiwan since 1949 arrives in Taipei. Shortly afterwards, a China Airlines carrier lands in Beijing.
MS Hans Hedtoft was a Danish cargo passenger liner that struck an iceberg and sank on 30 January 1959 on her maiden voyage off the coast of Western Greenland.
Arsenal’s English Premier League record 33-game unbeaten streak at home ends when the Gunners go down, 4-2 to Manchester United at Highbury
Super Bowl XXXIX, Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL: New England Patriots beat Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21; MVP: Deion Branch, New England, WR
Leaders of both Palestine and Israel declare a truce in what many hope will be a "new era of peace"
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair issues a formal apology to the Guildford Four for their wrongful imprisonment [1]
The 47th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2003, through...
Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia.
-05 NHL season is cancelled by Commissioner Gary Bettman; first time a North American professional sports league has called off a season due to labor dispute
The Al Hillah bombing killed 127 people, chiefly men lining up to join the Iraqi police forces, at the recruiting centre on February 28, 2005 in Al Hillah, Iraq. The bombing caused a worsening of...
Car carrying released Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena is fired upon by US soldiers in Iraq, killing an Italian Secret Service agent and injuring two passengers
Mass protest outside the National Assembly of Kuwait building for women's voting rights in Kuwait
The Cali Cartel (Spanish: Cartel de Cali) was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around Cali and the Valle del Cauca.
Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, steps down from his post after his resignation is approved by the Chinese central government.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian...
Magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Fukuoka, Japan, in its first major quake in over 100 years. One person is killed, and hundreds are injured and evacuated
Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a deepwater port on the Gulf Coast and is a petroleum refining and...
The 2005 Sumatran earthquake rocks Indonesia, and at magnitude 8.7 is the second strongest earthquake since 1960.
Bubba Stewart becomes first African-American to win a major motor sports event when he takes out the Monster Energy AMA Supercross C'ship event in Irving, Texas
The Washington Nationals lose their inaugural season opener, 8-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies; first team to represent the nation's capital since the Washington Senators left after the 1971 season
At 16 years, 271 days James Vaughan scores for Everton in a 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park; becomes youngest goalscorer in EPL history
The Oregon Supreme Court nullifies marriage licenses issued to gay couples a year earlier by Multnomah County
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
die in Amagasaki rail crash in Japan
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time, in exchange for publishing...
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 600 smaller...
The new Canadian War Museum opens, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-E Day
Andijan (-JAHN), also spelt Andijon and formerly romanized as Andizhan, is a city in Uzbekistan. It is the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Andijan Region.
Former USS America (CV-66), a decommissioned supercarrier of the US Navy, deliberately sunk in the Atlantic Ocean after four weeks of live-fire exercises. Largest ship ever to be disposed of as a target in a military exercise.
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Historically, women rarely had the right to vote, even in ostensibly democratic systems of government.
TV political comedy "The Thick of It" created by Armando Iannucci, starring Peter Capaldi and Chris Langham premieres on BBC 4
2005 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, notable deaths and film debuts.
France resoundingly rejects the European Constitution
Mark Felt, former FBI high ranking official revealed as "Deep Throat" source during Watergate investigations in "Vanity Fair" article
A consultative referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was held in the Netherlands on 1 June 2005 to decide whether the government should ratify the proposed Constitution of...
Panamanian jockey Eddie Castro sets a North American record with 9 wins on the 13-race card at Calder Race Course in Miami, Florida
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for outstanding lighting design of a play or musical. The award was first presented in 1970.
Gonzales v. Raich (previously Ashcroft v. Raich), 545 U.S. 1 (2005), was a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that, under the Commerce Clause of the U.S.
Asafa Powell of Jamaica sets a new Men's 100 meters world record of 9.77 at the Athens Olympic Stadium
"Bad Day" single is released by Daniel Powter, 1st song to sell 2 million digital copies in the US (Billboard Song of the Year 2006)
A final design for Manhattan's Freedom Tower is formally unveiled
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since July 3, 2005. In 2004, the nation's newly elected government, led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Socialist Workers' Party, began...
Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers is suspended for 20 games and fined $50k for shoving a cameraman - sentence later overturned
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since July 3, 2005. In 2004, the nation's newly elected government, led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Socialist Workers' Party, began...
Deep Impact was a NASA space probe launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on January 12, 2005. It was designed to study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 (9P Hartley).
IOC awards London the right to host the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 with a vote of 54 to 50 over Paris on the fourth and final ballot.
Hurricane Dennis slams into the Florida Panhandle causing billions of dollars in damage
The Closer is an American police procedural television series starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief.
Canada becomes the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, after the bill C-38 receives its Royal Assent
Four terrorist bombers target London's public transportation system, exactly two weeks after the July 7 bombings. All four bombs fail to detonate leading to the capture of all the bombers.
Jean Charles de Menezes is killed by police as the hunt begins for the London Bombers. See 7 July 2005 London bombings and 21 July 2005 London bombings
Three bombs explode in the Naama Bay area of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, killing 88 people
Mumbai, India receives 99.5 cm (39.17 inches) of rain within 24 hours, bringing the city to a halt for over 2 days
NASA postpones all Shuttle flights pending an investigation into the foam-shedding problem on Discovery's external tanks
A tornado touches down in a residential area in south Birmingham, England, causing £4,000,000 worth of damages and injuring 39 people
Eris (minor-planet designation: 136199 Eris) is the most massive and second-largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System.
MESSENGER was a NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015, studying Mercury's chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field.
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya of Mauritania is overthrown in a military coup while attending the funeral of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia
Discovery of Skull 5, the earliest complete Homo erectus skull aged 1.8 million years, at Dmanisi, Georgia, by archaeologist David Lordkipanidze, site of the first known hominins to leave Africa [1]
In one of cricket history's closest Tests, and despite a brave unbeaten 43 from Australian tail-ender Brett Lee, England sneaks a 2-run win in the series-turning 2nd Test at Edgbaston
An F1 tornado strikes Glen Cove, New York, a rare event on Long Island
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes near Machiques, Venezuela, killing all 160 aboard
In 2005, Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip by dismantling all 21 Israeli settlements there.
Dennis Rader is sentenced to 175 years in prison for the BTK (bind, torture, kill) serial killings in Sedgwick County, Kansas
A series of strong storms dubbed the "Toronto Supercell" lashes Southern Ontario, spawning several tornadoes and creating extreme flash flooding within the city of Toronto and its surrounding communities
The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, Reserve Vineyards & GC: Loren Roberts wins the first of four Champions Tour majors with a bogey on the second playoff hole against Dana Quigley
The Al-Aimmah Bridge disaster occurred on August 31, 2005 when 965 people died following a panic, and subsequent crowd crush, on the Al-Aaimmah Bridge, which crosses the Tigris river in the Iraqi...
Seven members and former members of the AFL-CIO form a new trade union organization, the Change to Win Federation
After beating South Africa the previous weekend, New Zealand clinches its 6th Tri Nations Rugby Series with a 34-24 win over Australia in Auckland; All Blacks winger Doug Howlett crosses for 3 tries
Mandala Airlines Flight 91 crashes into a heavily populated residential area seconds after taking off from Medan in Sumatra, Indonesia, killing 100 people on board and 49 people on the ground
Presidential elections were held in Egypt in 2012, with the first round on 23 and 24 May 2012 and the second on 16 and 17 June.
Two EMERCOM Il-76 aircraft land at a disaster aid staging area at Little Rock Air Force Base; it is the first time Russia has flown such a mission to North America
The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a resort built and owned by Hong Kong International Theme Parks Limited, a joint venture of the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong on...
The broadcasts of National Hockey League (NHL) games produced by ESPN have been shown on its various platforms in the United States, including ESPN itself, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Hulu,...
Paolo Di Lauro is an Italian crime boss, leader of the Di Lauro Clan, a Camorra crime organization.
Diana DeGarmo receives the Horizon Award at the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame Awards ceremony
Model Kate Moss is dropped by clothing chain H&M after allegations of drug taking
Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (April 26, 1933 – September 23, 2005) was a Puerto Rican independence activist who cofounded the Boricua Popular Army, also known as Los Macheteros, and its predecessor, the...
Hurricane Rita is the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, now tied with Hurricane Milton of 2024, as well as being one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record...
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Amnesty referendum in Algeria
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy (or Muhammad cartoons crisis, Danish: Muhammed-krisen) began after the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve editorial cartoons on 30...
Terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah explodes a series of bombs at Jimbaran Beach Resort and Kuta in Bali, Indonesia, killing 20 people and injuring over 100
NFL plays its first regular season game outside the United States when the Arizona Cardinals defeat the San Francisco 49ers 31-14 in Mexico City, Mexico
All the Right Reasons is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on October 4, 2005, on Roadrunner Records.
Magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, kills an estimated 86,000 people across Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan in the deadliest earthquake in South Asian history
NHL great Wayne Gretzky gets his first win as a coach as the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 at Jobing.com Arena, Phoenix
Shenzhou 6 was the second human spaceflight of the Chinese space program, launched on October 12, 2005, on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
The electorate of Iraq went to the polls on 15 October 2005 to vote in a referendum on whether or not to ratify the proposed constitution of Iraq.
Hurricane Rita is the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, now tied with Hurricane Milton of 2024, as well as being one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record...
Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin, making the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 22 named storms.
The following is a timeline of the 2005 French riots that began Thursday, 27 October 2005.
Plame affair: Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, is indicted in the Valerie Plame case and resigns later that day
Islamic terrorists set off three bombs in Delhi, killing 62 people and injuring hundreds
The rebuilt Dresden Frauenkirche, destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II, is reconsecrated after a 13-year rebuilding project
First part of the Gomery Report, which discusses allegations of political money manipulation, is released in Canada.
The 2005 Amman bombings were a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks on three hotel lobbies in Amman, Jordan, on 9 November 2005.
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the 707 in October...
CBS television broadcasts ”I Walk the Line: A Night For Johnny Cash” featuring concert performances by Dwight Yoakam, Martina McBride, Alison Krauss, U2, Norah Jones, Foo Fighters, Sheryl Crow, and others
Film adaptation of Joanthan Larson's musical "Rent", starring Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, premieres at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC
Polish Minister of National Defence Radek Sikorski opens Warsaw Pact archives to historians, revealing maps of potential nuclear strikes against Western Europe, including the planned nuclear annihilation of 43 Polish cities by Soviet-controlled forces
President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, in power since 1967 and the longest-serving head of state in the world, is re-elected to his third consecutive seven-year term
American Congressman Duke Cunningham admits to accepting $2.4 million in bribes and pleads guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy to commit bribery [1]
The new Croatian Communist Party (KPH) is founded in Vukovar
John Sentamu becomes the first black archbishop in the Church of England with his enthronement as the 97th Archbishop of York
Joseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
Van Tuong Nguyen (Vietnamese: Nguyễn Tường Vân, ; 17 August 1980 – 2 December 2005), baptised Caleb, was an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria, convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore.
XCOR Aerospace makes first manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail in Mojave, California.
Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the Government to allow universal and equal suffrage
U.S. debut of the first part of two-part TV biopic miniseries "Pope John Paul II" on CBS
Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, allowing the country's first civil partnerships to be registered
Several villagers are shot dead during protests in Dongzhou, China
Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924 who allegedly claimed to have a bomb, is shot and killed by a team of US federal air marshals at Miami International Airport.
U.S. debut of the second part of two-part TV biopic miniseries "Pope John Paul II" on CBS
Ante Gotovina, a Croatian Army general accused of war crimes, is captured in Playa de las Américas, Tenerife, by Spanish police
Reginald Alfred Bush II is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL).
Cronulla riots: thousands of white Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence, resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese (and many who were not) in Cronulla Sydney. These are followed by ethnic attacks on Cronulla.
Australian mechanic Bradley John Murdoch is found guilty of the murder of Peter Falconio and sentenced to life in prison [1]
The Argentine debt restructuring is a process of debt restructuring by Argentina that began on January 14, 2005, and allowed it to resume payment on 76% of the US$82 billion in sovereign bonds that...
Anti-WTO protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Civil Partnership Act comes into force in the UK, with singer Elton John and David Furnish one of the first couples to form a same-sex civil union
Joseph Steven Sakic born July 7, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan, crashes shortly after takeoff, killing 23 people
The Boxing Day shooting was a Canadian gang-related shooting which occurred on December 26, 2005, on Toronto's Yonge Street, resulting in the death of 15-year-old student Jane Creba.
John Demjanjuk, was a Trawniki and Nazi camp guard at Sobibor extermination camp, Majdanek, and Flossenbürg.
Tropical Storm Zeta forms in the open Atlantic Ocean, tying the record for the latest tropical cyclone ever to form in the North Atlantic basin
Charli D'Amelio, American musician, known for american social media personality, was born on 2005-05-01.
Peyton Elizabeth Lee, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 2005-05-22. Peyton Elizabeth Lee is an American actress.
Shirley Chisholm politician, known for american politician, died on 2005-01-01. Shirley Anita Chisholm ( CHIZ-əm; née St.
Johnny Carson, American comedian and television host, known for american comedian and television host, died on 2005-01-23.
Gnassingbé Eyadéma dies
Arthur Miller, American playwright and essayist, known for american playwright and essayist, died on 2005-02-10.
Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author, known for american journalist and author, died on 2005-02-20.
John Paul II dies
George Mikan basketball player, known for american basketball player, died on 2005-06-01. George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed "Mr.
Jack Kilby electronics engineer, known for american electronics engineer, died on 2005-06-20. Jack St.
William Westmoreland united states army general, known for united states army general, died on 2005-07-18.