On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 2004, the world population was approximately 6,503,377,772 people[†]
2004Erika Andreeva, Russian tennis player[†]
Erika Aleksandrovna Andreeva is a Russian tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 65, reached on 21 October 2024. She also has a best doubles ranking of No. 274, achieved on 11 December 2023. Andreeva has won one doubles title on the WTA Challenger Tour, as well as three singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF Circuit.
2004Luke Chambers, English footballer[†]
Luke Chambers is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Liverpool. He was part of the England national under-19 football team that won the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
2004Ifigeneia Giannopoulou, Greek songwriter and author (born 1957)[†]
Ifigeneia Giannopoulou was a Greek songwriter. She also wrote books for children. Giannopoulou worked with great names of Greek music. She died suddenly as a result of suspected allergic reaction.
2004In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional.[†]
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in such a manner is called a death sentence, and the act of carrying out the sentence is an execution. A prisoner who has been sentenced to death and awaits execution is condemned and is commonly referred to as being "on death row". Etymologically, the term capital refers to execution by beheading, but executions are carried out by many methods, including hanging, shooting, lethal injection, stoning, electrocution, and gassing.
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United States, bowing to broad opposition on United Nations Security Council, drops its effort to gain immunity for its troops from prosecution by International Criminal Court; outcome is political defeat for Washington; American diplomats, confident of obtaining routine 'technical rollover' of measure as they have in last two years, appear to have miscalculated impact of publicity given American mistreatment of Iraqi detainees; they were also caught off guard by Secretary Gen Kofi Annan's strong opposition; it will have no effect on vulnerability to prosecution of American soldiers in Iraq because neither US nor Iraq is member of tribunal, and its jurisdiction is limited to countries that do not themselves prosecute crimes by their military; Annan says decision by US not to pursue immunity resolution will help maintain unity of Security Council (M)
Japan's merchandise trade surplus grew 35.5 percent in May, to 934.2 billion yen ($8.6 billion) (S)
Article on Broklyn Noir, collection of crime stories set in different Brooklyn neighborhoods that will be published in July by Akashic Books; book is brainchild of Tim McLoughlin, writer, editor and court clerk in Kings County Supreme Court, and Akashic publisher Johnny Temple; series of readings and events, beginning at office of Brooklyn Boro Pres Marty Markowitz, will extend into fall; some of stories, all set in Brooklyn, are by well-known writers, including Pete Hamill; photos (M)
Digital broadcasts are wave of future, but getting array of antennas and decoder boxes often proves frustrating; technical advances over next few years will improve reception; photo (M)
Ken Druse Garden Notebook on Meadowburn in Vernon, New Jersey, designed in early 1900's by Helena Rutherfurd Ely, whose books encouraged Americans to abandon Victorian beds for informal, sensual style inspired by relaxed plantings and hardy perennials; photos; five-acre garden, mecca for disciples, is owned by C H Coster Gerard and wife and maintained by Walt DeVries, grand-nephew of original gardener Alfred Furman (M)
Brazilian makers of bulletproof cars, facing slump in domestic sales, are turning to export market for growth; became big force in armored car business in late 1990's as nation's elite scrambled to shield selves from surging crime; see Mideast, particularly Iraq, as promising new market; most manufacturers armor cars to protect motorists from random street violence and stray bullets from handguns; cars for Iraq must withstand high-caliber automatic weapons and explosive devices, requiring technology that only biggest of Brazilian armoring companies have; photos (M)
Mayor Michael R Bloomberg unveils ambitious plan to reduce number of homeless people in New York City by over two-thirds over next five years, proposing to build thousands of units of new housing and put new restrictions on city shelters; commits city to creating 12,000 new units of housing over next decade, as well as supporting units with social services for homeless; city will try to make shelter system less inviting by asking single men to consider other options and eliminating higher priority given to homeless families over other poor families in applying for federal housing subsidies; photo (M)
Standard & Poor's raises its ratings on many of Japan's top banks, citing better business climate and progress in reducing bad loans; raises ratings on debt of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Mizuho Bank and six others (S)
Rush Creek Village in Worthington, Ohio, is hilly wooded setting for 49 homes inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright; little-known subdivision was founded in 1946 by Martha Wakefield, who still lives there, her late husband and Theodore Van Fossen, designer who had worked on Wright projects; Rush Creek is carefully preserved under strong design covenants and is listed on National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places; houses have Wright's flat roofs with wide eaves, horizontal terraces and built-in furniture; photos; current residents, mix of generations, forgo garages, large additions and boundary plantings (M)
Toxic impatience with democratic process across Latin America has resulted in lynching of one mayor, ousting of six elected heads of state in face of violent unrest and polls showing majority of Latin Americans would choose dictator over elected leader if provided economic benefits; analysts trace discontent to corruption and widespread feeling that elected governments have done little or nothing to help 220 million people in region, 43 percent of population, who still live in poverty; at-risk governments stretch thousands of miles from Caribbean and Central America through spine of Andes to continent's southern zone; increasingly, problems associated with weak governments are spilling beyond Latin America and affecting United States interests in region; among weakest states is Guatemala, followed by Haiti and Bolivia; Venezuela remains deeply polarized; even in Argentina, once Latin America's most developed country, Pres Nestor Kirchner has warned of threats against his government and his life as he struggles to root out corruption, repair democratic instititutions and improve economy; photos; map (L)
Dallas Mavericks trade Antawn Jamison to Washington Wizards for fifth pick in NBA draft and Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner; will reportedly trade pick to Los Angeles Lakers for center Shaquille O'Neal (M)
Baltimore Orioles defeat New York Yankees, 13-2; photos (M)