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  • U.S.
    2004
    Christine Lagarde

    A President of the Global Strategic Committee

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Lagarde became President of the Global Strategic Committee.




  • U.S.
    2004
    Financial crisis of 2007–2008

    US Securities and Exchange Commission relaxed the net capital rule

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, the US Securities and Exchange Commission relaxed the net capital rule, which enabled investment banks to substantially increase the level of debt they were taking on, fueling the growth in mortgage-backed securities supporting subprime mortgages. The SEC has conceded that self-regulation of investment banks contributed to the crisis.




  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004
    Tony Hawk

    Playing Himself

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, he played himself in the Australian skateboarding movie Deck Dogz.




  • New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
    2004
    Nike, Inc.

    Nike acquired Starter

    New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
    2004

    The company acquired Starter in 2004.




  • U.S.
    2004
    Nike, Inc.

    Nike Launched The SPARQ Training Program/Division

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Nike launched the SPARQ Training Program/Division.




  • U.S.
    2004
    Howard Hughes: The Aviator

    The Aviator

    U.S.
    2004

    The Aviator is a 2004 American epic biographical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by John Logan. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner. The supporting cast features Ian Holm, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law as Errol Flynn, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Kelli Garner as Faith Domergue, Matt Ross, Willem Dafoe, Alan Alda, and Edward Herrmann.




  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    2004
    World Bank

    Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    2004

    Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger: From 1990 through 2004 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty fell from almost a third to less than a fifth. Although results vary widely within regions and countries, the trend indicates that the world as a whole can meet the goal of halving the percentage of people living in poverty. Africa's poverty, however, is expected to rise, and most of the 36 countries where 90% of the world's undernourished children live are in Africa. Less than a quarter of countries are on track for achieving the goal of halving under-nutrition.


  • U.S.
    2004
    DC Comics

    DC temporarily acquired the North American publishing rights to graphic novels from European publishers 2000 AD and Humanoids

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004 DC temporarily acquired the North American publishing rights to graphic novels from European publishers 2000 AD and Humanoids. It also rebranded its younger-audience titles with the mascot Johnny DC and established the CMX imprint to reprint translated manga.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Marvel Studios

    Eight animated films

    U.S.
    2004

    Partnering with Lionsgate in 2004, Marvel Studios planned to enter the direct-to-DVD market with eight animated films with Lionsgate Home Entertainment handling distribution.


  • Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S.
    2004
    Cinnabon

    FOCUS Brands, Inc. bought Cinnabon

    Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, AFC Enterprises, Inc., sold Cinnabon for $30.3 million to FOCUS Brands, Inc., which is owned by the Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Jan, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Zuckerberg Coded "TheFacebook"

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Jan, 2004

    In January 2004, Zuckerberg coded a new website, known as "TheFacebook", inspired by a Crimson editorial about Facemash, stating "It is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized Website is readily available ... the benefits are many." Zuckerberg met with Harvard student Eduardo Saverin, and each of them agreed to invest $1,000 in the site.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Sean Parker Became Company President

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    2004

    In mid-2004, Napster co-founder and entrepreneur Sean Parker—an informal advisor to Zuckerberg became company president.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Marvel Studios

    Chief operating officer of Marvel Studios

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, David Maisel was hired as chief operating officer of Marvel Studios as he had a plan for the studio to self-finance movies.


  • Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    2004
    Android

    Steve Perlman's Investment

    Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    2004

    Rubin had difficulty attracting investors early on, and Android was facing eviction from its office space. Steve Perlman, a close friend of Rubin, brought him $10,000 in cash in an envelope and shortly thereafter wired an undisclosed amount as seed funding. Perlman refused a stake in the company, and has stated: "I did it because I believed in the thing, and I wanted to help Andy."


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004
    Kobe Bryant

    A seven-year contract

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004

    Jackson's contract as coach was not renewed, and Rudy Tomjanovich took over. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant.The following day, Bryant declined an offer to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers, on a seven-year contract.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004
    Kobe Bryant

    Un-coachable

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004

    Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized during the 2004–05 season with his reputation badly damaged from all that had happened over the previous year. A particularly damaging salvo came when Jackson wrote The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. The book detailed the events of the Lakers' tumultuous 2003–04 season and has several criticisms of Bryant. In the book, Jackson called Bryant "un-coachable".


  • Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004
    Google LLC

    Google Formed The Not-For-Profit Philanthropic Google.org

    Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Google formed the not-for-profit philanthropic Google.org, with a start-up fund of $1 billion. The mission of the organization is to create awareness about climate change, global public health, and global poverty.


  • U.S.
    Jan, 2004
    Cameras

    Kodak Crisis

    U.S.
    Jan, 2004

    Since 2003, digital cameras have outsold film cameras and Kodak announced in January 2004 that they would no longer sell Kodak-branded film cameras in the developed world – and 2012 filed for bankruptcy after struggling to adapt to the changing industry.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Monday Jan 5, 2004
    Jackie Chan

    Hollywood star

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Monday Jan 5, 2004

    He has got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Donald Trump

    Trumped!

    U.S.
    2004

    He also had his own short-form talk radio program called Trumped! (one to two minutes on weekdays) from 2004 to 2008.


  • Richfield, Minnesota, U.S.
    Jan, 2004
    Best Buy

    Best Buy hired Virtucom Group to revamp Best Buy's website and handle all of the company's online content

    Richfield, Minnesota, U.S.
    Jan, 2004

    In January 2004, Best Buy hired Virtucom Group to revamp Best Buy's website and handle all of the company's online content.


  • Houston, Texas, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 1, 2004
    YouTube

    2004 Super Bowl incident

    Houston, Texas, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 1, 2004

    Karim said the inspiration for YouTube first came from Janet Jackson's role in 2004 Super Bowl incident when her breast was exposed during her performance, and later from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Karim could not easily find video clips of either event online, which led to the idea of a video sharing site.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004
    Mark Zuckerberg

    "The facebook" launched

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004

    On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "The Facebook", originally located at thefacebook.com.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Zuckerberg Launched "TheFacebook"

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004

    On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook", originally located at thefacebook.com.


  • Palo Alto, California, United States
    Feb, 2004
    Elon Musk

    Tesla Motors

    Palo Alto, California, United States
    Feb, 2004

    Elon Musk was always keen on the possibilities of electric cars. So, in February 2004, he became one of the major funders of Tesla Motors, later renamed Tesla, Musk led the Series A round of investment, joining Tesla's board of directors as its chairman.


  • U.S.
    Mar, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Facebook expanded to Columbia, Stanford and Yale

    U.S.
    Mar, 2004

    Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College. Within a month, more than half the undergraduates had registered. Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes joined Zuckerberg to help manage the growth of the website. In March 2004, Facebook expanded to Columbia, Stanford and Yale. and then to all Ivy League colleges, Boston University, New York University, MIT, and successively most universities in the United States and Canada.


  • New York City, New York, U.S.
    Sunday Mar 14, 2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    WrestleMania XX

    New York City, New York, U.S.
    Sunday Mar 14, 2004

    They lost against Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista in a handicap match at WrestleMania XX, when Orton pinned Foley after an RKO. This would be Johnson's final wrestling match until November 2011.


  • United States
    Friday Mar 19, 2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Taking Lives

    United States
    Friday Mar 19, 2004

    The year 2004 saw the release of four films featuring Jolie. She first starred in the thriller Taking Lives, released on 19 March 2004, as an FBI profiler summoned to help Montreal law enforcement hunt down a serial killer.


  • Delaware, U.S.
    2004
    Joe Biden

    Biden has received his alma mater the University of Delaware

    Delaware, U.S.
    2004

    Biden has received his alma mater the University of Delaware (LL.D 2004).


  • U.S.
    2004
    Bart Millard

    I See Love

    U.S.
    2004

    Millard is featured as a vocalist on "I See Love," a 2004 single by Third Day and Steven Curtis Chapman. He is also featured as a backing vocalist on Phil Wickham's 2009 single "Safe."


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Apr, 2004
    September 11 (9/11) Attacks

    9/11 Commission

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Apr, 2004

    The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 Justice Department policies limiting intelligence sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance to reveal "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones. Testifying before the 9/11 Commission in April 2004, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents."


  • California, U.S.
    Friday May 28, 2004
    Kevin Hart

    Soul Plane

    California, U.S.
    Friday May 28, 2004

    Soul Plane is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Jessy Terrero. The film stars Tom Arnold, Kevin Hart, Method Man, and Snoop Dogg.


  • U.S.
    May, 2004
    Best Buy

    Company launched its "customer-centricity" program

    U.S.
    May, 2004

    In May, the company launched its "customer-centricity" program, which segmented its stores according to customer profiles. The program also called for employees to focus on specific customer groups rather than product categories.


  • Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    The Company moved to Palo Alto

    Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004

    In June 2004, the company moved to Palo Alto, California.


  • Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    The Company Received Its First Investment

    Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004

    The company received its first investment In June 2004, from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.


  • U.S.
    Jun, 2004
    Shaquille O'Neal

    Lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals

    U.S.
    Jun, 2004

    The Lakers made the playoffs in 2004 and lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter said, "Shaq defeated himself against Detroit. He played way too passively. He had one big game ... He's always interested in being a scorer, but he hasn't had nearly enough concentration on defense and rebounding."


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Saturday Jun 5, 2004
    Ronald Reagan

    Death

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Saturday Jun 5, 2004

    Reagan died of pneumonia, complicated by Alzheimer's disease, at his home in the Bel Air district of Los Angeles, California, on the afternoon of June 5, 2004.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Monday Jun 7, 2004
    International Monetary Fund

    Rodrigo Rato

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Monday Jun 7, 2004

    Rodrigo Rato was managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2004 to 2007.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 1, 2004
    Marlon Brando

    Death

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 1, 2004

    On July 1, 2004, Brando died of respiratory failure from pulmonary fibrosis with congestive heart failure at the UCLA Medical Center.


  • Jeffersontown, Kentucky, U.S.
    Saturday Jul 10, 2004
    Papa John's Pizza

    Papa John's State in The market

    Jeffersontown, Kentucky, U.S.
    Saturday Jul 10, 2004

    On July 10, 2004, Papa John's controlled an estimated 6.6% of the market, according to Technomic.


  • Miami, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Jul 14, 2004
    Shaquille O'Neal

    O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat

    Miami, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Jul 14, 2004

    On July 14, 2004, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and a future first-round draft choice (who would turn into Jordan Farmar in the 2006 draft).


  • U.S.
    Jul, 2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    Noble Title of Seiuli

    U.S.
    Jul, 2004

    In recognition of his service to the Samoan people, and because he is a descendant of Samoan chiefs, Johnson had the noble title of Seiuli bestowed upon him by Malietoa Tanumafili II during his visit there in July 2004.


  • U.S.
    Thursday Jul 22, 2004
    September 11 (9/11) Attacks

    The Report Detailed the Events of 9/11

    U.S.
    Thursday Jul 22, 2004

    On July 22, 2004, the Commission issued the 9/11 Commission Report. The report detailed the events of 9/11, found the attacks were carried out by members of al-Qaeda, and examined how security and intelligence agencies were inadequately coordinated to prevent the attacks. Formed from an independent bipartisan group of mostly former Senators, Representatives, and Governors, the commissioners explained, "We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management".


  • Cody, Wyoming, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 29, 2004
    Warren Buffett

    His wife died

    Cody, Wyoming, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 29, 2004

    Buffett's wife (Susan Buffett) died on July 29, 2004.


  • Scotts Valley, California, U.S.
    2004
    Netflix

    Randolph retirement

    Scotts Valley, California, U.S.
    2004

    Randolph, a dominant producer and board member for Netflix, retired from the company in 2004.


  • Mountain View, California, U.S.
    Thursday Aug 19, 2004
    Google LLC

    Google's Initial Public Offering (IPO)

    Mountain View, California, U.S.
    Thursday Aug 19, 2004

    Google's initial public offering (IPO) took place five years later, on August 19, 2004. At that time Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt agreed to work together at Google for 20 years, until the year 2024. At IPO, the company offered 19,605,052 shares at a price of $85 per share. Shares were sold in an online auction format using a system built by Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, underwriters for the deal. The sale of $1.67 billion gave Google a market capitalization of more than $23 billion.


  • Colorado, U.S.
    Sep, 2004
    Kobe Bryant

    The assault case was dropped

    Colorado, U.S.
    Sep, 2004

    The accusation tarnished Bryant's reputation, and the public's perception of him plummeted; his endorsement contracts with McDonald's and Nutella were terminated. Sales for Bryant's replica jersey fell significantly. However, in September 2004, the assault case was dropped by prosecutors after the accuser decided not to testify at the trial. Afterward, Bryant agreed to apologize to her for the incident, including his public mea culpa: Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter. The accuser filed a separate civil lawsuit against Bryant, which the two sides settled privately.


  • U.S.
    Sep, 2004
    Xerox

    Xerox celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Xerox 914

    U.S.
    Sep, 2004

    In September 2004, Xerox celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Xerox 914. More than 200,000 units were made around the world between 1959 and 1976, the year production of the 914 was stopped. Today, the 914 is part of American history as an artifact in the Smithsonian Institution.


  • United States
    2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Flying Lessons

    United States
    2004

    To aid her travels, Jolie began taking flying lessons in 2004 with the aim of ferrying aid workers and food supplies around the world; she now holds a private pilot license with instrument rating and owns a Cirrus SR22 and Cessna 208 Caravan single-engine aircraft.


  • Los Angeles, California, United states
    Friday Sep 17, 2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

    Los Angeles, California, United states
    Friday Sep 17, 2004

    Jolie made a brief appearance as a fighter pilot in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, released on 17 September 2004, a science fiction adventure shot entirely with actors in front of a bluescreen.


  • Mojave, California, U.S
    Saturday Sep 25, 2004
    Richard Branson

    Virgin Galactic

    Mojave, California, U.S
    Saturday Sep 25, 2004

    On 25 September 2004, Branson announced the signing of a deal under which a new space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, will license the technology behind SpaceShipOne—funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and designed by aeronautical engineer Burt Rutan—to take paying passengers into suborbital outer space. Virgin Galactic plans to make flights available to the public with tickets priced at US$200,000 using the Scaled Composites White Knight Two.


  • U.S.
    Sep, 2004
    Trivial Pursuit

    ESPN Trivial Pursuit

    U.S.
    Sep, 2004

    In September 2004, Roger Lodge hosted a sports trivia game show on ESPN entitled ESPN Trivial Pursuit, which aired five episodes.


  • California, U.S.
    2004
    Java (programming language)

    Generics

    California, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, generics were added to the Java language as part of J2SE 5.0.


  • California, U.S.
    Thursday Sep 30, 2004
    Java (programming language)

    J2SE 5.0

    California, U.S.
    Thursday Sep 30, 2004

    On September 30, 2004, Sun Microsystems released J2SE 5.0.


  • U.S.
    Oct, 2004
    Jim Carrey

    U.S. Citizenship

    U.S.
    Oct, 2004

    Carrey received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizenship of the United States and his native Canada.


  • United States
    Friday Oct 1, 2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Shark Tale

    United States
    Friday Oct 1, 2004

    Jolie voiced her first family film, the DreamWorks animation Shark Tale, released on 1 October 2004 in the United States.


  • U.S.
    Oct, 2004
    Best Buy

    Best Buy completed rolling out Geek Squad "precincts" in every American Best Buy store

    U.S.
    Oct, 2004

    In October, Best Buy completed rolling out Geek Squad "precincts" in every American Best Buy store.


  • North Dakota, U.S.
    2004
    Dollar Tree

    Dollar Tree opened its first store in North Dakota

    North Dakota, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Dollar Tree opened its first store in North Dakota which marked its operation of stores in all 48 contiguous states. The company also opened new distribution centers in Joliet, Illinois, and Ridgefield, Washington.


  • U.S.
    Sunday Oct 10, 2004
    Robin Williams

    Reev's Death

    U.S.
    Sunday Oct 10, 2004

    Williams and Reeve remained close friends until Reeve's death in 2004. Reeve had struggled for years with being quadriplegic after a horse-riding accident. Their friendship was like "brothers from another mother", according to Robin's son Zak Williams. Williams paid many of Reeve's medical bills and gave financial support to his family.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 12, 2004
    Eminem

    Jackson-Steve Harvey call

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 12, 2004

    Encore, released in 2004, was another success. Its sales were partially driven by the first single, "Just Lose It", which contained slurs about Michael Jackson. On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Jackson phoned the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with its video (which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery and the 1984 incident when Jackson's hair caught fire during the filming of a commercial).


  • U.S.
    2004
    Bank of America

    Bank of America announced it would purchase Boston-based bank FleetBoston Financial

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Bank of America announced it would purchase Boston-based bank FleetBoston Financial for $47 billion in cash and stock. By merging with Bank of America, all of its banks and branches were given the Bank of America logo. At the time of the merger, FleetBoston was the seventh-largest bank in the United States with $197 billion in assets, over 20 million customers, and revenue of $12 billion. Hundreds of FleetBoston workers lost their jobs or were demoted, according to The Boston Globe.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Bank of America

    Bank of America pledged $750 million over a ten-year period for community development lending and affordable housing programs

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, the bank pledged $750 million over a ten-year period for community development lending and affordable housing programs.


  • U.S.
    Monday Oct 25, 2004
    Eminem

    Mosh

    U.S.
    Monday Oct 25, 2004

    On October 25, 2004, a week before the 2004 US Presidential election, Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet. In it, Eminem gathers an army (including rapper Lloyd Banks) of Bush-administration victims and leads them to the White House. When they break in, it is learned that they are there to register to vote; the video ends with "VOTE Tuesday November 2". After Bush's reelection, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading the White House during a speech by the president.


  • Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
    2004
    Kroger

    Kroger bought most of the old Thriftway stores

    Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
    2004

    In 2004, Kroger bought most of the old Thriftway stores in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Winn-Dixie left the area. These stores were reopened as Kroger stores.


  • Columbus, Ohio, United States
    2004
    Kroger

    Kroger Marketplace is a chain of big-box stores

    Columbus, Ohio, United States
    2004

    Kroger Marketplace is a chain of big-box stores. The brand was introduced in 2004 in the Columbus, Ohio, area, which lost the Big Bear and Big Bear Plus chains in Penn Traffic's Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


  • Redmond, Washington, U.S.
    Wednesday Nov 10, 2004
    X-box

    Halo 2

    Redmond, Washington, U.S.
    Wednesday Nov 10, 2004

    Xbox Live required a subscription, as well as broadband-only connection which was not completely adopted yet, Xbox Live was a success due to better servers, features such as a buddy list, and milestone titles like Halo 2 released in November 2004, which is the best-selling Xbox video game and was by far the most popular online game for the system.


  • U.S.
    Friday Nov 12, 2004
    Eminem

    Encore

    U.S.
    Friday Nov 12, 2004

    Encore is the fifth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 12, 2004 by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. Its release date was originally set for November 16, 2004, but Eminem moved the release date to four days earlier after the album was leaked to the internet. The album contains several lyrical themes, most notably Eminem's opposition to then-President of the United States George W. Bush and a parody towards Michael Jackson.


  • 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004
    April Fools' Day

    Reception

    1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004

    The negative view describes April Fools' hoaxes as "creepy and manipulative", "rude" and "a little bit nasty", as well as based on schadenfreude and deceit. When genuine news or a genuine important order or warning is issued on April Fools' Day, there is risk that it will be misinterpreted as a joke and ignored. For example, when Google, known to play elaborate April Fools' Day hoaxes, announced the launch of Gmail with 1-gigabyte inboxes in 2004, an era when competing webmail services offered 4-megabytes or less, many dismissed it as a joke outright. On the other hand, sometimes stories intended as jokes are taken seriously. Either way, there can be adverse effects, such as confusion, misinformation, waste of resources (especially when the hoax concerns people in danger) and even legal or commercial consequences.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Jimmy Hoffa

    I Heard You Paint Houses

    U.S.
    2004

    In his book, I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and the Closing of the Case on Jimmy Hoffa (2004), author Charles Brandt claims that Frank Sheeran, an alleged professional killer for the mob and longtime friend of Hoffa's, confessed to assassinating him. According to Brandt, O'Brien drove Sheeran, Hoffa, and fellow mobster Sal Briguglio to a house in Detroit. He claimed that while O'Brien and Briguglio drove off, Sheeran and Hoffa went into the house, where Sheeran claims that he shot Hoffa twice behind the right ear, and that he was told Hoffa was cremated after the murder. Further, Sheeran also admitted later to reporters that he murdered Hoffa, yet, blood stains found in the Detroit house where Sheeran claimed the murder happened were determined not to match Hoffa's DNA.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    The Rock's Contract Ended

    U.S.
    2004

    Later in 2004, The Rock hosted a pie-eating contest, as part of the WWE Diva Search, and ended the segment by giving Coachman a People's Elbow. The Rock's contract with WWE then ended and he started his full-time acting career.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    Reunion of the Rock 'n' Sock Connection

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, The Rock aided Mick Foley in his feud against Evolution, leading to a reunion of The Rock 'n' Sock Connection.


  • U.S.
    2004
    September 11 (9/11) Attacks

    9/11 Commission Report

    U.S.
    2004

    The 2004 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel".


  • New York, U.S.
    2004
    Samsung

    Fortune Global 500 List of 2004

    New York, U.S.
    2004

    Samsung was ranked 55 on the 2004 Fortune Global 500 list.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Christine Lagarde

    A President of the Global Strategic Committee

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Lagarde became President of the Global Strategic Committee.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Financial crisis of 2007–2008

    US Securities and Exchange Commission relaxed the net capital rule

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, the US Securities and Exchange Commission relaxed the net capital rule, which enabled investment banks to substantially increase the level of debt they were taking on, fueling the growth in mortgage-backed securities supporting subprime mortgages. The SEC has conceded that self-regulation of investment banks contributed to the crisis.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004
    Tony Hawk

    Playing Himself

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, he played himself in the Australian skateboarding movie Deck Dogz.


  • New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
    2004
    Nike, Inc.

    Nike acquired Starter

    New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
    2004

    The company acquired Starter in 2004.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Nike, Inc.

    Nike Launched The SPARQ Training Program/Division

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Nike launched the SPARQ Training Program/Division.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Howard Hughes: The Aviator

    The Aviator

    U.S.
    2004

    The Aviator is a 2004 American epic biographical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by John Logan. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner. The supporting cast features Ian Holm, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law as Errol Flynn, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Kelli Garner as Faith Domergue, Matt Ross, Willem Dafoe, Alan Alda, and Edward Herrmann.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    2004
    World Bank

    Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    2004

    Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger: From 1990 through 2004 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty fell from almost a third to less than a fifth. Although results vary widely within regions and countries, the trend indicates that the world as a whole can meet the goal of halving the percentage of people living in poverty. Africa's poverty, however, is expected to rise, and most of the 36 countries where 90% of the world's undernourished children live are in Africa. Less than a quarter of countries are on track for achieving the goal of halving under-nutrition.


  • U.S.
    2004
    DC Comics

    DC temporarily acquired the North American publishing rights to graphic novels from European publishers 2000 AD and Humanoids

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004 DC temporarily acquired the North American publishing rights to graphic novels from European publishers 2000 AD and Humanoids. It also rebranded its younger-audience titles with the mascot Johnny DC and established the CMX imprint to reprint translated manga.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Marvel Studios

    Eight animated films

    U.S.
    2004

    Partnering with Lionsgate in 2004, Marvel Studios planned to enter the direct-to-DVD market with eight animated films with Lionsgate Home Entertainment handling distribution.


  • Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S.
    2004
    Cinnabon

    FOCUS Brands, Inc. bought Cinnabon

    Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, AFC Enterprises, Inc., sold Cinnabon for $30.3 million to FOCUS Brands, Inc., which is owned by the Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Jan, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Zuckerberg Coded "TheFacebook"

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Jan, 2004

    In January 2004, Zuckerberg coded a new website, known as "TheFacebook", inspired by a Crimson editorial about Facemash, stating "It is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized Website is readily available ... the benefits are many." Zuckerberg met with Harvard student Eduardo Saverin, and each of them agreed to invest $1,000 in the site.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Sean Parker Became Company President

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    2004

    In mid-2004, Napster co-founder and entrepreneur Sean Parker—an informal advisor to Zuckerberg became company president.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Marvel Studios

    Chief operating officer of Marvel Studios

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, David Maisel was hired as chief operating officer of Marvel Studios as he had a plan for the studio to self-finance movies.


  • Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    2004
    Android

    Steve Perlman's Investment

    Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    2004

    Rubin had difficulty attracting investors early on, and Android was facing eviction from its office space. Steve Perlman, a close friend of Rubin, brought him $10,000 in cash in an envelope and shortly thereafter wired an undisclosed amount as seed funding. Perlman refused a stake in the company, and has stated: "I did it because I believed in the thing, and I wanted to help Andy."


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004
    Kobe Bryant

    A seven-year contract

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004

    Jackson's contract as coach was not renewed, and Rudy Tomjanovich took over. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant.The following day, Bryant declined an offer to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers, on a seven-year contract.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004
    Kobe Bryant

    Un-coachable

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    2004

    Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized during the 2004–05 season with his reputation badly damaged from all that had happened over the previous year. A particularly damaging salvo came when Jackson wrote The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. The book detailed the events of the Lakers' tumultuous 2003–04 season and has several criticisms of Bryant. In the book, Jackson called Bryant "un-coachable".


  • Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004
    Google LLC

    Google Formed The Not-For-Profit Philanthropic Google.org

    Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Google formed the not-for-profit philanthropic Google.org, with a start-up fund of $1 billion. The mission of the organization is to create awareness about climate change, global public health, and global poverty.


  • U.S.
    Jan, 2004
    Cameras

    Kodak Crisis

    U.S.
    Jan, 2004

    Since 2003, digital cameras have outsold film cameras and Kodak announced in January 2004 that they would no longer sell Kodak-branded film cameras in the developed world – and 2012 filed for bankruptcy after struggling to adapt to the changing industry.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Monday Jan 5, 2004
    Jackie Chan

    Hollywood star

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Monday Jan 5, 2004

    He has got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Donald Trump

    Trumped!

    U.S.
    2004

    He also had his own short-form talk radio program called Trumped! (one to two minutes on weekdays) from 2004 to 2008.


  • Richfield, Minnesota, U.S.
    Jan, 2004
    Best Buy

    Best Buy hired Virtucom Group to revamp Best Buy's website and handle all of the company's online content

    Richfield, Minnesota, U.S.
    Jan, 2004

    In January 2004, Best Buy hired Virtucom Group to revamp Best Buy's website and handle all of the company's online content.


  • Houston, Texas, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 1, 2004
    YouTube

    2004 Super Bowl incident

    Houston, Texas, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 1, 2004

    Karim said the inspiration for YouTube first came from Janet Jackson's role in 2004 Super Bowl incident when her breast was exposed during her performance, and later from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Karim could not easily find video clips of either event online, which led to the idea of a video sharing site.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004
    Mark Zuckerberg

    "The facebook" launched

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004

    On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "The Facebook", originally located at thefacebook.com.


  • Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Zuckerberg Launched "TheFacebook"

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 4, 2004

    On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook", originally located at thefacebook.com.


  • Palo Alto, California, United States
    Feb, 2004
    Elon Musk

    Tesla Motors

    Palo Alto, California, United States
    Feb, 2004

    Elon Musk was always keen on the possibilities of electric cars. So, in February 2004, he became one of the major funders of Tesla Motors, later renamed Tesla, Musk led the Series A round of investment, joining Tesla's board of directors as its chairman.


  • U.S.
    Mar, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    Facebook expanded to Columbia, Stanford and Yale

    U.S.
    Mar, 2004

    Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College. Within a month, more than half the undergraduates had registered. Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes joined Zuckerberg to help manage the growth of the website. In March 2004, Facebook expanded to Columbia, Stanford and Yale. and then to all Ivy League colleges, Boston University, New York University, MIT, and successively most universities in the United States and Canada.


  • New York City, New York, U.S.
    Sunday Mar 14, 2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    WrestleMania XX

    New York City, New York, U.S.
    Sunday Mar 14, 2004

    They lost against Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista in a handicap match at WrestleMania XX, when Orton pinned Foley after an RKO. This would be Johnson's final wrestling match until November 2011.


  • United States
    Friday Mar 19, 2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Taking Lives

    United States
    Friday Mar 19, 2004

    The year 2004 saw the release of four films featuring Jolie. She first starred in the thriller Taking Lives, released on 19 March 2004, as an FBI profiler summoned to help Montreal law enforcement hunt down a serial killer.


  • Delaware, U.S.
    2004
    Joe Biden

    Biden has received his alma mater the University of Delaware

    Delaware, U.S.
    2004

    Biden has received his alma mater the University of Delaware (LL.D 2004).


  • U.S.
    2004
    Bart Millard

    I See Love

    U.S.
    2004

    Millard is featured as a vocalist on "I See Love," a 2004 single by Third Day and Steven Curtis Chapman. He is also featured as a backing vocalist on Phil Wickham's 2009 single "Safe."


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Apr, 2004
    September 11 (9/11) Attacks

    9/11 Commission

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Apr, 2004

    The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 Justice Department policies limiting intelligence sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance to reveal "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones. Testifying before the 9/11 Commission in April 2004, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents."


  • California, U.S.
    Friday May 28, 2004
    Kevin Hart

    Soul Plane

    California, U.S.
    Friday May 28, 2004

    Soul Plane is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Jessy Terrero. The film stars Tom Arnold, Kevin Hart, Method Man, and Snoop Dogg.


  • U.S.
    May, 2004
    Best Buy

    Company launched its "customer-centricity" program

    U.S.
    May, 2004

    In May, the company launched its "customer-centricity" program, which segmented its stores according to customer profiles. The program also called for employees to focus on specific customer groups rather than product categories.


  • Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    The Company moved to Palo Alto

    Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004

    In June 2004, the company moved to Palo Alto, California.


  • Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004
    Facebook, Inc.

    The Company Received Its First Investment

    Palo Alto, California, U.S.
    Jun, 2004

    The company received its first investment In June 2004, from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.


  • U.S.
    Jun, 2004
    Shaquille O'Neal

    Lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals

    U.S.
    Jun, 2004

    The Lakers made the playoffs in 2004 and lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter said, "Shaq defeated himself against Detroit. He played way too passively. He had one big game ... He's always interested in being a scorer, but he hasn't had nearly enough concentration on defense and rebounding."


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Saturday Jun 5, 2004
    Ronald Reagan

    Death

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Saturday Jun 5, 2004

    Reagan died of pneumonia, complicated by Alzheimer's disease, at his home in the Bel Air district of Los Angeles, California, on the afternoon of June 5, 2004.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Monday Jun 7, 2004
    International Monetary Fund

    Rodrigo Rato

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Monday Jun 7, 2004

    Rodrigo Rato was managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2004 to 2007.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 1, 2004
    Marlon Brando

    Death

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 1, 2004

    On July 1, 2004, Brando died of respiratory failure from pulmonary fibrosis with congestive heart failure at the UCLA Medical Center.


  • Jeffersontown, Kentucky, U.S.
    Saturday Jul 10, 2004
    Papa John's Pizza

    Papa John's State in The market

    Jeffersontown, Kentucky, U.S.
    Saturday Jul 10, 2004

    On July 10, 2004, Papa John's controlled an estimated 6.6% of the market, according to Technomic.


  • Miami, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Jul 14, 2004
    Shaquille O'Neal

    O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat

    Miami, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Jul 14, 2004

    On July 14, 2004, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and a future first-round draft choice (who would turn into Jordan Farmar in the 2006 draft).


  • U.S.
    Jul, 2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    Noble Title of Seiuli

    U.S.
    Jul, 2004

    In recognition of his service to the Samoan people, and because he is a descendant of Samoan chiefs, Johnson had the noble title of Seiuli bestowed upon him by Malietoa Tanumafili II during his visit there in July 2004.


  • U.S.
    Thursday Jul 22, 2004
    September 11 (9/11) Attacks

    The Report Detailed the Events of 9/11

    U.S.
    Thursday Jul 22, 2004

    On July 22, 2004, the Commission issued the 9/11 Commission Report. The report detailed the events of 9/11, found the attacks were carried out by members of al-Qaeda, and examined how security and intelligence agencies were inadequately coordinated to prevent the attacks. Formed from an independent bipartisan group of mostly former Senators, Representatives, and Governors, the commissioners explained, "We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management".


  • Cody, Wyoming, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 29, 2004
    Warren Buffett

    His wife died

    Cody, Wyoming, U.S.
    Thursday Jul 29, 2004

    Buffett's wife (Susan Buffett) died on July 29, 2004.


  • Scotts Valley, California, U.S.
    2004
    Netflix

    Randolph retirement

    Scotts Valley, California, U.S.
    2004

    Randolph, a dominant producer and board member for Netflix, retired from the company in 2004.


  • Mountain View, California, U.S.
    Thursday Aug 19, 2004
    Google LLC

    Google's Initial Public Offering (IPO)

    Mountain View, California, U.S.
    Thursday Aug 19, 2004

    Google's initial public offering (IPO) took place five years later, on August 19, 2004. At that time Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt agreed to work together at Google for 20 years, until the year 2024. At IPO, the company offered 19,605,052 shares at a price of $85 per share. Shares were sold in an online auction format using a system built by Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, underwriters for the deal. The sale of $1.67 billion gave Google a market capitalization of more than $23 billion.


  • Colorado, U.S.
    Sep, 2004
    Kobe Bryant

    The assault case was dropped

    Colorado, U.S.
    Sep, 2004

    The accusation tarnished Bryant's reputation, and the public's perception of him plummeted; his endorsement contracts with McDonald's and Nutella were terminated. Sales for Bryant's replica jersey fell significantly. However, in September 2004, the assault case was dropped by prosecutors after the accuser decided not to testify at the trial. Afterward, Bryant agreed to apologize to her for the incident, including his public mea culpa: Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter. The accuser filed a separate civil lawsuit against Bryant, which the two sides settled privately.


  • U.S.
    Sep, 2004
    Xerox

    Xerox celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Xerox 914

    U.S.
    Sep, 2004

    In September 2004, Xerox celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Xerox 914. More than 200,000 units were made around the world between 1959 and 1976, the year production of the 914 was stopped. Today, the 914 is part of American history as an artifact in the Smithsonian Institution.


  • United States
    2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Flying Lessons

    United States
    2004

    To aid her travels, Jolie began taking flying lessons in 2004 with the aim of ferrying aid workers and food supplies around the world; she now holds a private pilot license with instrument rating and owns a Cirrus SR22 and Cessna 208 Caravan single-engine aircraft.


  • Los Angeles, California, United states
    Friday Sep 17, 2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

    Los Angeles, California, United states
    Friday Sep 17, 2004

    Jolie made a brief appearance as a fighter pilot in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, released on 17 September 2004, a science fiction adventure shot entirely with actors in front of a bluescreen.


  • Mojave, California, U.S
    Saturday Sep 25, 2004
    Richard Branson

    Virgin Galactic

    Mojave, California, U.S
    Saturday Sep 25, 2004

    On 25 September 2004, Branson announced the signing of a deal under which a new space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, will license the technology behind SpaceShipOne—funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and designed by aeronautical engineer Burt Rutan—to take paying passengers into suborbital outer space. Virgin Galactic plans to make flights available to the public with tickets priced at US$200,000 using the Scaled Composites White Knight Two.


  • U.S.
    Sep, 2004
    Trivial Pursuit

    ESPN Trivial Pursuit

    U.S.
    Sep, 2004

    In September 2004, Roger Lodge hosted a sports trivia game show on ESPN entitled ESPN Trivial Pursuit, which aired five episodes.


  • California, U.S.
    2004
    Java (programming language)

    Generics

    California, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, generics were added to the Java language as part of J2SE 5.0.


  • California, U.S.
    Thursday Sep 30, 2004
    Java (programming language)

    J2SE 5.0

    California, U.S.
    Thursday Sep 30, 2004

    On September 30, 2004, Sun Microsystems released J2SE 5.0.


  • U.S.
    Oct, 2004
    Jim Carrey

    U.S. Citizenship

    U.S.
    Oct, 2004

    Carrey received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizenship of the United States and his native Canada.


  • United States
    Friday Oct 1, 2004
    Angelina Jolie

    Shark Tale

    United States
    Friday Oct 1, 2004

    Jolie voiced her first family film, the DreamWorks animation Shark Tale, released on 1 October 2004 in the United States.


  • U.S.
    Oct, 2004
    Best Buy

    Best Buy completed rolling out Geek Squad "precincts" in every American Best Buy store

    U.S.
    Oct, 2004

    In October, Best Buy completed rolling out Geek Squad "precincts" in every American Best Buy store.


  • North Dakota, U.S.
    2004
    Dollar Tree

    Dollar Tree opened its first store in North Dakota

    North Dakota, U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Dollar Tree opened its first store in North Dakota which marked its operation of stores in all 48 contiguous states. The company also opened new distribution centers in Joliet, Illinois, and Ridgefield, Washington.


  • U.S.
    Sunday Oct 10, 2004
    Robin Williams

    Reev's Death

    U.S.
    Sunday Oct 10, 2004

    Williams and Reeve remained close friends until Reeve's death in 2004. Reeve had struggled for years with being quadriplegic after a horse-riding accident. Their friendship was like "brothers from another mother", according to Robin's son Zak Williams. Williams paid many of Reeve's medical bills and gave financial support to his family.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 12, 2004
    Eminem

    Jackson-Steve Harvey call

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 12, 2004

    Encore, released in 2004, was another success. Its sales were partially driven by the first single, "Just Lose It", which contained slurs about Michael Jackson. On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Jackson phoned the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with its video (which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery and the 1984 incident when Jackson's hair caught fire during the filming of a commercial).


  • U.S.
    2004
    Bank of America

    Bank of America announced it would purchase Boston-based bank FleetBoston Financial

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, Bank of America announced it would purchase Boston-based bank FleetBoston Financial for $47 billion in cash and stock. By merging with Bank of America, all of its banks and branches were given the Bank of America logo. At the time of the merger, FleetBoston was the seventh-largest bank in the United States with $197 billion in assets, over 20 million customers, and revenue of $12 billion. Hundreds of FleetBoston workers lost their jobs or were demoted, according to The Boston Globe.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Bank of America

    Bank of America pledged $750 million over a ten-year period for community development lending and affordable housing programs

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, the bank pledged $750 million over a ten-year period for community development lending and affordable housing programs.


  • U.S.
    Monday Oct 25, 2004
    Eminem

    Mosh

    U.S.
    Monday Oct 25, 2004

    On October 25, 2004, a week before the 2004 US Presidential election, Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet. In it, Eminem gathers an army (including rapper Lloyd Banks) of Bush-administration victims and leads them to the White House. When they break in, it is learned that they are there to register to vote; the video ends with "VOTE Tuesday November 2". After Bush's reelection, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading the White House during a speech by the president.


  • Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
    2004
    Kroger

    Kroger bought most of the old Thriftway stores

    Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
    2004

    In 2004, Kroger bought most of the old Thriftway stores in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Winn-Dixie left the area. These stores were reopened as Kroger stores.


  • Columbus, Ohio, United States
    2004
    Kroger

    Kroger Marketplace is a chain of big-box stores

    Columbus, Ohio, United States
    2004

    Kroger Marketplace is a chain of big-box stores. The brand was introduced in 2004 in the Columbus, Ohio, area, which lost the Big Bear and Big Bear Plus chains in Penn Traffic's Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


  • Redmond, Washington, U.S.
    Wednesday Nov 10, 2004
    X-box

    Halo 2

    Redmond, Washington, U.S.
    Wednesday Nov 10, 2004

    Xbox Live required a subscription, as well as broadband-only connection which was not completely adopted yet, Xbox Live was a success due to better servers, features such as a buddy list, and milestone titles like Halo 2 released in November 2004, which is the best-selling Xbox video game and was by far the most popular online game for the system.


  • U.S.
    Friday Nov 12, 2004
    Eminem

    Encore

    U.S.
    Friday Nov 12, 2004

    Encore is the fifth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 12, 2004 by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. Its release date was originally set for November 16, 2004, but Eminem moved the release date to four days earlier after the album was leaked to the internet. The album contains several lyrical themes, most notably Eminem's opposition to then-President of the United States George W. Bush and a parody towards Michael Jackson.


  • 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004
    April Fools' Day

    Reception

    1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California, U.S.
    2004

    The negative view describes April Fools' hoaxes as "creepy and manipulative", "rude" and "a little bit nasty", as well as based on schadenfreude and deceit. When genuine news or a genuine important order or warning is issued on April Fools' Day, there is risk that it will be misinterpreted as a joke and ignored. For example, when Google, known to play elaborate April Fools' Day hoaxes, announced the launch of Gmail with 1-gigabyte inboxes in 2004, an era when competing webmail services offered 4-megabytes or less, many dismissed it as a joke outright. On the other hand, sometimes stories intended as jokes are taken seriously. Either way, there can be adverse effects, such as confusion, misinformation, waste of resources (especially when the hoax concerns people in danger) and even legal or commercial consequences.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Jimmy Hoffa

    I Heard You Paint Houses

    U.S.
    2004

    In his book, I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and the Closing of the Case on Jimmy Hoffa (2004), author Charles Brandt claims that Frank Sheeran, an alleged professional killer for the mob and longtime friend of Hoffa's, confessed to assassinating him. According to Brandt, O'Brien drove Sheeran, Hoffa, and fellow mobster Sal Briguglio to a house in Detroit. He claimed that while O'Brien and Briguglio drove off, Sheeran and Hoffa went into the house, where Sheeran claims that he shot Hoffa twice behind the right ear, and that he was told Hoffa was cremated after the murder. Further, Sheeran also admitted later to reporters that he murdered Hoffa, yet, blood stains found in the Detroit house where Sheeran claimed the murder happened were determined not to match Hoffa's DNA.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    The Rock's Contract Ended

    U.S.
    2004

    Later in 2004, The Rock hosted a pie-eating contest, as part of the WWE Diva Search, and ended the segment by giving Coachman a People's Elbow. The Rock's contract with WWE then ended and he started his full-time acting career.


  • U.S.
    2004
    Dwayne Johnson

    Reunion of the Rock 'n' Sock Connection

    U.S.
    2004

    In 2004, The Rock aided Mick Foley in his feud against Evolution, leading to a reunion of The Rock 'n' Sock Connection.


  • U.S.
    2004
    September 11 (9/11) Attacks

    9/11 Commission Report

    U.S.
    2004

    The 2004 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel".


  • New York, U.S.
    2004
    Samsung

    Fortune Global 500 List of 2004

    New York, U.S.
    2004

    Samsung was ranked 55 on the 2004 Fortune Global 500 list.


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