2005 was an eventful year that left a significant mark on history, with groundbreaking developments across various fields.
This year saw the maiden flight of Boeing’s Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger plane, and the launch of YouTube, revolutionizing online video sharing.
In politics, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf made history as Liberia’s president, becoming the first female leader of an African country, while the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) ended its 30-year campaign in Northern Ireland.
In the entertainment world, Destiny’s Child disbanded, marking the end of an era in pop music, while teenagers were more focused on the release of Guitar Hero on the Xbox 360. Television saw the debut of the US version of The Office, which, despite a rocky start, would become a cultural phenomenon.
Meanwhile, in the tech world, Mark Zuckerberg almost changed the course of social media history by considering the sale of Facebook to Myspace.
Discover the highlights that made 2005 unforgettable.
Historical Events
Discover the remarkable milestones and game-changing moments that made 2005 a year to be remembered.
January 2005
Jan 12
NASA’s Deep Impact space probe launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The Deep Impact probe was designed to fly out to and study the Tempel 1 comet. Unlike all previous attempts at studying comets, this was not a fly-by mission. Instead, it released an impactor into the comet to analyze the composition of the dust and debris kicked up by the impactor. The results, which showed the comet to be composed mainly of dust-like particles, were surprising as scientists believed Tempel 1 to be made up of ice more than anything else.
Jan 18
France revealed the world’s largest commercial aircraft, nicknamed the superjumbo.
Officially called the Airbus A380, it's a double-decker 262 ft carrier and has a capacity of 555 passengers. Its first flight was on April 27, 2005.
Jan 25
Spilled coconut water caused a stampede that killed more than 258 people in India.
The event happened at the Mandher Devi temple in Maharashtra, India. Three hundred thousand people attended the temple as part of an annual pilgrimage where pilgrims slipped on coconut water underfoot, causing fire and panic.
February 2005
Feb 14
YouTube was founded & the domain name youtube.com was activated.
YouTube officially launched on December 15, 2005, by which time the site was receiving 8 million daily views.
Feb 16
Reality documentary The Apprentice (UK) premiered with businessman Lord Alan Sugar as the leading judge.
March 2005
Mar 22
The first God of War game was released for the PlayStation 2 to the North American market.
Mar 24
The Office, created by Ricky Gervais in the UK, aired its first US season on NBC.
Mar 27
ABC debuted the first season of “Gray’s Anatomy.”
The TV medical drama was created by Shonda Rhimes, and stars included Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh.
April 2005
Apr 15
NASA launched a spacecraft to rendezvous with a small communication satellite.
While there were no issues with the launch, the mission ended when the spacecraft collided with the satellite.
Apr 23
The first video was uploaded to YouTube.
The video was uploaded by co-founder Jawed Karim and was titled "Me at the zoo."
Apr 25
Romania and Bulgaria signed the European Union’s Treaty of Accession, the last step to joining the Union.
May 2005
May 10
An assassination attempt was made on President George W. Bush.
While giving a speech in Tbilisi, Georgia, a man threw a grenade that landed just 65 feet away from the President. It malfunctioned and did not explode, and the attacker was arrested.
June 2005
Jun 28
A brand new design for Freedom Tower in Manhattan, New York, was publicly revealed.
July 2005
Jul 27
NASA decided to suspend space shuttle flights after analyzing the launch of mission STS-114.
STS-114 was the first space shuttle mission since the destruction of the Columbia space shuttle in 2003. While the launch of STS-114 seemed to go smoothly at first, video records of the launch were analyzed, and pieces of debris were discovered falling off the shuttle. NASA decided to suspend all shuttle missions again, this time for a year until all kinks could be worked out.
Jul 28
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) called for an end to 36 years of bloody conflict with the UK.
August 2005
Aug 19
Russia and China began their first-ever joint military exercise.
Peace Mission 2005 consisted of land, sea, and air elements with 8,000 Chinese and 2,000 Russian troops. The exercise took place on the Shandong Peninsula in eastern China.
September 2005
Oct 25
Sid Meier’s Civilization IV was made available to PC players in North America.
Civ IV was a huge step up from the series' third installment, with critics particularly impressed that the multiplayer function was actually worth playing, unlike its predecessor. It won a wide range of Game of the Year awards in 2005.
Oct 27
Riots broke out in Paris, France, after two Muslim teenagers were electrocuted trying to evade police.
The riot resulted from longstanding tensions caused by unemployment, police harassment, and religious persecution.
November 2005
Nov 7
RedOctane released Guitar Hero for PlayStation 2 in North America.
While this was the first rhythm-based guitar game to hit US shelves, it wasn't the first to use a guitar-shaped controller. It was modeled off a game called Guitar Freaks, which was only released in Japan. Guitar Hero's developers were surprised by how wildly popular the game ended up being, as they merely thought it would be a fun game to create.
Nov 9
The European Space Agency launched the Venus Express, the first European spacecraft to reach Venus.
Venus Express Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Its 5-year mission to study Venus' atmosphere and surface was extended five times, with the mission ultimately ending after nine years on December 16, 2014.
Nov 22
Angela Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany.
Officially called the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, this position is the head of the German government. The German chancellor is also the commander in chief of the German military.
Nov 27
The first partial facial transplant was given to Isabelle Dinoire in France after a dog attacked her.
December 2005
Dec 21
Elton John and his partner David Furnish registered their civil partnership at Windsor Town Hall on the first day civil partnerships could legally be performed in England.
Dec 30
Tropical Storm Zeta formed in the open Atlantic Ocean.
It tied the record for the latest tropical cyclone ever to form in the North Atlantic basin.
Famous Births
See who shares 2005 as their birth year.
Famous Deaths
Some truly influential figures said goodbye in 2005.
1913 — 2005
Rosa Parks
American Activist Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913. She died on October 24, 2005, at age 92 in Michigan, USA.
Quotes
Take a moment to look back at quotes that marked 2005.
Jun 1
“Our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
Steve Jobs
(American Inventor)
Jun 13
“I always was a rich person because money’s not related to happiness.”
Paulo Coelho
(Brazilian Lyricist)
Sep 8
“When people ask me why I started a rocket company, I say, ‘I was trying to learn how to turn a large fortune into a small one.’”
Elon Musk
(South African-American Entrepreneur)
Oct 23
“I mean we all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.”
Michael Jordan
(American Basketball Player)
2005 in Music
In 2005, the music scene was ablaze with unforgettable hits that had us grooving to the rhythm!
From the mesmerizing vocals of “Beautiful Soul” by Jesse McCartney to the catchy pop sound of “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, these songs became instant favorites and had us bopping along with their irresistible beats.
Here are a few music highlights from 2005 that deserve your attention.
Album of the Year
Ray Charles’ soulful collaboration album “Genius Loves Company” stole the show in 2005, winning him the Grammy for Album of the Year and showcasing his timeless talent.
Song of the Year
John Mayer’s heartfelt and soulful “Daughters” struck a chord with listeners in 2005, earning him the Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
Best New Artist
Maroon 5’s infectious pop-rock sound and Adam Levine’s smooth vocals won them the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2005, solidifying their status as hitmakers.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
In 2005, the 50th Eurovision Song Contest celebrated its golden anniversary in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Helena Paparizou, a talented artist representing Greece, delivered a captivating performance of “My Number One,” claiming Greece’s first Eurovision victory.
2005 In Numbers
Let’s dive into some interesting number facts! The Roman numeral representation of 2005 is MMV, while its binary equivalent is 11111010101.
Deficient Number
2005 is recognized as a deficient number, which means that if you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into it, the sum will be less than the number itself.
So, when you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into 2005 (1, 5, 401), they add up to 407, which is less than 2005.
Chinese Zodiac 2005
According to the Chinese calendar, 2005 was the Year of the Rooster, which occurs every twelve years.
However, the Chinese zodiac also includes five elements, which are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. So 2005 was actually the Year of the Wood Rooster, which only occurs every sixty years!
The fascinating thing about the Chinese calendar is that it operates on a lunar cycle, which means that the Year of the Wood Rooster officially kicked off on February 9th, and lasted until January 28, 2006.
People born in the Year of the Rooster are known for their confidence, ambition, and strong sense of responsibility. They are often punctual, organized, and have a keen eye for detail.
Notable names like Chris Evans and Beyoncé are associated with the Year of the Rooster, reflecting the remarkable accomplishments of individuals born under this sign!
2004 Trivia
Did you know that in 2005, the video game "Nintendogs" was released for the Nintendo DS?
This adorable pet simulation game allowed players to raise, train, and care for their virtual puppies using the DS’s touch screen and microphone. “Nintendogs” became an instant hit, selling millions of copies worldwide.
Its success helped boost the popularity of the Nintendo DS and paved the way for other interactive pet games.
