Events from the year 2004 in the United States .
January 4 and January 24 : Spirit and Opportunity land on Mars
February 1 – The New England Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVIII . The halftime show becomes one of the most controversial events in television history, as Janet Jackson 's breast is exposed to an audience of 143.6 million viewers.
February 3 – The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq .
February 4 – Mark Zuckerberg launches “TheFacebook”, later renamed to Facebook , a social networking website for Harvard University students.[ 2]
February 9 – Disappearance of Maura Murray : A 21-year-old nursing student disappears this evening after a car crash on Route 112 near Woodsville, New Hampshire , in Haverhill . Her whereabouts remain unknown.[ 3]
February 12 – Same sex marriage in the United States : The City and County of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as an act of civil disobedience .
February 14 – Jetix is introduced on Toon Disney and ABC Family , making it the first trade-name to be introduced as an anime-based block.
February 26 – The United States lifts a ban on travel to Libya , ending travel restrictions to the nation that had lasted for 23 years.
February 29 – The 76th Academy Awards , hosted by Billy Crystal , are held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California , with Peter Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King winning a record-tying 11 Oscars (tied with 1959's Ben-Hur and 1997's Titanic ), including Best Picture and Best Director . The film also breaks the record tied by 1958's Gigi and 1987's The Last Emperor for the largest sweep for a single film in Oscar history. The telecast garners nearly 43.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched broadcast since 2000.
April 28 : Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse revealed
June 5 : Former president Ronald Reagan dies at 93. A six day state funeral follows.
June 3 – Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet tenders his resignation, citing "personal reasons". John E. McLaughlin , CIA Deputy Director , becomes the acting director until a permanent director is chosen and confirmed by Congress.
June 4 – Marvin Heemeyer destroys many local buildings with a home-made tank in Granby, Colorado .
June 5 – Ronald Reagan , the 40th president of the United States , dies at his home in Bel-Air , California , at the age of 93. A six-day state funeral follows after his death.
June 8 –9 – The G8 Summit takes place on Sea Island , in Georgia , United States.
June 11
June 16 – The 9/11 Commission issues an initial report of its findings.
June 21 – In Mojave, California , SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight .
June 28
June 30 – Spider-Man 2 is released in theaters.
July 29 : John Kerry , Democratic presidential nominee
August 3
August 12 – New Jersey Governor James McGreevey announces that he is "a gay American" and will resign effective November 15, 2004 .
August 13 – Hurricane Charley kills 27 people in Florida , after killing four in Cuba and one in Jamaica . Charley makes landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida as a Category 4 hurricane . Charley is the most intense hurricane to strike the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
August 13 –29 – The United States compete at the Summer Olympics in Athens , Greece , and win 36 gold, 39 silver, and 27 bronze medals.
August 19 – Google becomes a publicly traded company via initial public offering .
August 29 – Around 200,000 protesters demonstrate in New York City against President George W. Bush and his government, ahead of the Republican National Convention .
August 30 –September 2 – U.S. President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are re-nominated at the Republican National Convention in New York City .
August – Shadowville Productions business is founded in Brooklyn, New York.[ 8]
September 3 – Hurricane Frances makes landfall in Florida . After killing two people in the Bahamas , Hurricane Frances kills 10 people in Florida , two in Georgia and one in South Carolina .
September 4 – Thomas & Friends comes to PBS KIDS as a stand-alone program with Michael Brandon taking over as the narrator.
September 8 – In the "Rathergate" affair, the first Internet posts appear pointing out that documents claimed by CBS News to be typewritten memos from the early 1970s appear instead to have been produced using modern word processing systems.
September 13 – The U.S. Federal Assault Weapons Ban expires.
September 16 – Hurricane Ivan strikes Gulf Shores , Alabama , as a Category 3 storm, killing 25 in Alabama and Florida , becoming the third-costliest hurricane in American history at the time.
September 23
September 24 – Major League Baseball announces that the Montreal Expos will move to Washington, D.C., in 2005.
September 25 – Hurricane Jeanne makes landfall near Port Saint Lucie, Florida , near the location Hurricane Frances hit two weeks earlier. Jeanne kills over 3,030, mostly in Haiti .
September 28 – A redesigned $50 bill is released, containing many of the same security features as its recently released $20 counterpart.
September 29 – In Mojave, California , the first Ansari X-Prize flight takes place of SpaceShipOne , which is competing with a number of spacecraft (including Canada's Da Vinci Project , claimed to be its closest rival) and goes on to win the prize on October 4.
September 30 – First debate of the 2004 United States presidential election .
October 5 – Vice presidential debate between candidates Dick Cheney and John Edwards .
October 8 – Second presidential debate .
October 11 – PBS Kids debuts a programming block targeted at children aged 6–10 entitled PBS Kids Go! , with new shows Maya & Miguel and an Arthur spinoff, Postcards from Buster , debuting on this day with Cyberchase and Arthur moving to PBS Kids Go! from PBS Kids.
October 13 – Third presidential debate .
October 16 – The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox by a score of 19–8 in Game 3 of Major League Baseball 's American League Championship Series . The game, which pushes the Yankees to a 3–0 series lead, sets a record for longest nine-inning major league game. The Red Sox, however, rally to win the series in seven games.
October 18 – Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley Starling founds Fandom, Inc .
October 20
October 25 – Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King receive the Congressional Gold Medal .
October 27 – The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918 , breaking the Curse of the Bambino .
October 29 – A videotape of Osama bin Laden speaking airs on Arabic TV, in which he threatens terrorist attacks on the United States and taunts President George W. Bush over the September 11 terrorist attacks .
November 2 : George W. Bush re-elected president
November 21 : The release of the Nintendo DS in the US
"55% of adult internet users have broadband at home or work."[ 13]
Sofia Wylie
February 1 – Ashley Gerasimovich , actress
February 3 – Gia Pergolini , Paralympic swimmer
February 8 – Max Andrews , soccer player
February 10 – CJ Fodrey , soccer player
February 12 – Lauren Lee , taekwondo practitioner
February 13 – Yekeson Subah , soccer player
February 14 – Austin Brummett , soccer player
February 17 – Amari Bailey , basketball player
February 18 – Kylie Rogers , actress
February 25 – Britton Fischer , soccer player
February 26 – The Hanselman sextuplets , notable multiple birth
February 27 – Owen Walz , soccer player
February 29 – Lydia Jacoby , swimmer
Forrest Wheeler
March 1 – Izabella Alvarez , actress
March 3 – Chris Brady , soccer player
March 4 – Efrain Morales , soccer player
March 7 – Ciena Alipio , gymnast
March 8 – Wyatt Borso , soccer player
March 9
March 12 – Audrey Shin , figure skater
March 13
March 16 – Kenan Hot , soccer player
March 20 – Christopher Jaime , soccer player
March 21 – Forrest Wheeler , actor
March 23 – Asher Hong , artistic gymnast
March 25 – Jenna Hutchins , long-distance runner
March 27 – Quinn Sullivan , soccer player
Charli D'Amelio
May 1 – Charli D'Amelio , social media personality
May 2 – Anastasia Pagonis , Paralympic swimmer
May 3 – Nare Avetian , soccer player
May 5 – Olivia Greaves , gymnast
May 13 – Oliver Bell , actor
May 15 – Gabriel Slonina , soccer player
May 16 – Salvador Ramos , mass murderer (d. 2022 )
May 17 – Victoria Lee , mixed martial artist (d. 2023 )
May 21 – Jeff Dewsnup , soccer player
May 22 – Peyton Elizabeth Lee , actress[ 15]
May 27 – Allan Rodriguez , soccer player
Mackenzie Ziegler
Albert Tsai
Noah Schnapp
Bronny James
October 3 – Noah Schnapp , actor[ 19]
October 5 – Reese Brantmeier , tennis player
October 6 – Bronny James , basketball player and son of LeBron James
October 9 – Katarina Wolfkostin , ice dancer
October 12 – Darci Lynne , ventriloquist, singer, and actress
October 15 – Marilena Kitromilis , figure skater
October 17 – Javier Mariona , soccer player
October 18 – Erik Dueñas , soccer player
October 26 – Pearse O'Brien , soccer player
October 30 – Elisha Henig , actor
Alyssa Thompson
December 2 – Ilia Malinin , figure skater
December 5 – Jules LeBlanc , internet personality and actress
December 13
December 18 – Isabella Crovetti , child actress (Shimmer and Shine , Vampirina )
December 19 – Brendan Lambe , soccer player
December 20 – Rafael Jauregui , soccer player
December 22
December 24 – Cherish Perrywinkle , murder victim (d. 2013 )
December 28 – Miles Brown , actor, dancer and rapper
December 30 – Owen Wolff , Filipino footballer
Ann Miller
January 1 – Elma Lewis , arts educator (b. 1921 )
January 2 – Lynn Cartwright , actress (b. 1927 )
January 3 – David Lipschultz , journalist (b. 1970 )
January 5 – Tug McGraw , baseball player (b. 1944 )
January 6 – Francesco Scavullo , photographer (b. 1921 )
January 8 – John A. Gambling , radio host (b. 1930 )
January 9 – Yinka Dare , basketball player (b. 1972 )[ 22]
c. January 11 – Spalding Gray , actor and screenwriter (b. 1941 )[ 23]
January 12 – Randy VanWarmer , singer-songwriter (b. 1955 )
January 13
January 14
January 17
January 19 – Harry E. Claiborne , lawyer and judge (b. 1917 )
January 22 – Ann Miller , American dancer and actress (b. 1923 )
January 23 – Bob Keeshan , actor, clown and television producer (b. 1927 )
January 27 – Jack Paar , comedian and television host (b. 1918 )
January 28
January 29 – Ed Sciaky , Philadelphia broadcaster and disk jockey. (b. 1948 )
January 30 – Scott Walker , professional boxer (b. 1969 )
February 3
February 4 – Johnny Leartice Robinson , murderer (b. 1952 )
February 5 – Thomas Hinman Moorer , navy admiral (b. 1912 )
February 10 – Paul Ilyinsky , politician (b. 1928 )
February 11 – Tony Pope , voice actor (b. 1947 )
February 13 – Ted Tappe , baseball player (b. 1931 )
February 15 – Jan Miner , actress (b. 1917 )
February 16 – Doris Troy , singer (b. 1937 )
February 23 – Carl Anderson , singer and actor (b. 1945 )
February 22 – Andy Seminick , baseball player, coach and manager (b. 1920 )
February 24
February 27 – Paul Sweezy , American economist and editor (b. 1910 )
February 28 – Daniel J. Boorstin , historian and Librarian of Congress (b. 1914 )
Mercedes McCambridge
March 2
March 3 – Cecily Adams , American actress (b. 1958 )
March 6
March 7 – Paul Winfield , American actor (b. 1939 )
March 8
March 11 – Philip Arthur Fisher , American stock investor (b. 1907 )
March 16 – Brian Bianchini , American model (b. 1978 )
March 17 – J. J. Jackson , radio and television personality (b. 1941 )
March 18 – Gene Bearden , American baseball player (b. 1920 )
March 21 – Robert Snyder , American documentary filmmaker (b. 1916 )
March 25 – Jan Berry , American musician (b. 1941 )
March 26
March 27 – Adán Sánchez , American singer (b. 1984 )
March 28 – Art James , American game-show host (b. 1929 )
March 30 - Alistair Cooke , British-born American journalist (b. 1908 )
Pat Tillman
April 1
April 2 – Harold A. Fidler , American Associate Director of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (b. 1910 )
April 4 – George Bamberger , American baseball player and manager (b. 1923 )
April 9 – Harry Babbitt , American singer (b. 1913 )
April 11 – Hy Gotkin , American basketball player (b. 1922 )
April 16 – Wilmot N. Hess , American physicist (b. 1926 )
April 19 – Jim Cantalupo , American businessman (b. 1943 )
April 20 – Al Stiller , American cyclist (b. 1923 )
April 22
April 24 – Estée Lauder , businesswoman (b. 1906 )
April 26 – Hubert Selby, Jr. , American writer (b. 1928 )
Tony Randall
May 1 – Nelson Gidding , American screenwriter (b. 1919 )
May 2 – Moe Burtschy , American baseball player (b. 1922 )
May 6
May 7 – Nicholas Berg , American businessman (b. 1978 )[ 26]
May 9 – Alan King , American comedian and actor (b. 1927 )
May 12 – Alexander Skutch , American naturalist and writer (b. 1904 )
May 14
May 15 – William H. Hinton , American farmer and writer (b. 1919 )
May 16
May 17 – Tony Randall , American actor, comedian, producer, and director (b. 1920 )
May 18 – Elvin Jones , American jazz drummer (b. 1927 )
May 19 – Jack Eckerd , American businessman (b. 1913 )
May 21 – Gene Wood , American television personality (b. 1925 )
May 22 – Richard Biggs , American actor (b. 1960 )
May 23 – Trudy Marshall , American actress (b. 1920 )
May 28 – Irene Manning , American actress and singer (b. 1912 )
May 29 – Archibald Cox , 31st United States Solicitor General from 1961 till 1965. (b. 1912 )
Ronald Reagan
Ray Charles
June 1 – William Manchester , American historian (b. 1922 )[ 27]
June 3 – Morris Schappes , American educator, writer, political activist, historian, and magazine editor (b. 1907 )
June 4 – Steve Lacy , American jazz soprano saxophonist (b. 1934 )
June 5 – Ronald Reagan , American politician and actor, 40th president of the United States (b. 1911 )[ 28]
June 6 – Riley Fox , murder victim (b. 2001 )
June 7 – Joseph L. Doob , American mathematician (b. 1910 )
June 9 – Rosey Brown , American football player (b. 1932 )
June 10 – Ray Charles , American singer and musician (b. 1930 )[ 29]
June 13
June 16 – Herman Goldstine , American mathematician and computer scientist (b. 1913 )
June 22
June 27 – George Patton IV , U.S. Army General (b. 1923 )
June 30 – Chris Alcaide , American actor (b. 1922 )
Fay Wray
Johnny Ramone
Janet Leigh
October 1 – Richard Avedon , American photographer (b. 1923 )
October 3 – Janet Leigh , American actress (b. 1927 )
October 4 – Gordon Cooper , aeronautical engineer, test pilot and astronaut (b. 1927 )
October 5 – Rodney Dangerfield , American comedian and actor (b. 1921 )
October 10 – Christopher Reeve , American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, writer and activist (b. 1952 )
October 16 – Pierre Salinger , American politician, and television journalist, died in Cavaillon , France (b. 1925 )
October 17 – Julius Harris , American actor (b. 1923 )
October 23 – Robert Merrill , American opera singer and actor (b. 1917 )
October 26 – Helen Elsie Austin , American attorney (b. 1908 )
October 29 – Vaughn Meader , American comedian, musician, and impressionist (b. 1936 )
Jerry Orbach
December 4 – Ron Williamson , American baseball player wrongly convicted of rape and murder (b. 1953 )[ 30]
December 8 – Darrell Lance Abbott , American musician, songwriter and murder victim (b. 1966 )
December 18 – Srully Blotnick , American author and journalist (b. 1941 )
December 19 – Herbert C. Brown , English-born Nobel chemist (b. 1912 )
December 24 – Johnny Oates , American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1946 )
December 26 – Reggie White , American football player (b. 1961 )
December 28
December 29 – Julius Axelrod , American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912 )
December 30 – Artie Shaw , American musician (b. 1910 )
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