On this day
Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
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Indonesia's economy slowed in second quarter, expanding 4.3 percent compared with period year ago after growing 5 percent in previous quarter; consumer spending slowed to 5.3 percent from 5.7 percent in first quarter; graph (S)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures show gap in safety between sport utility vehicles and passenger cars last year was widest yet recorded; find people driving or riding in sport utility vehicle in 2003 were nearly 11 percent more likely to die in accident the people in cars; says crash fatalities declined across board in 2003 to lowest levels in six years, with 42,643 people killed in traffic accidents in US; Ward's AutoInfoBank says SUV's accounted for 27.2 percent of all light-duty vehicles in first seven months of 2004, up from 26 percent in period year earlier; graph; photo (M)
Article on JVC Jazz Festival-Newport presented in Fort Adams State Park on Newport Harbor, RI; festival, founded in 1954, is shedding smooth jazz and pop and focusing on 'real jazz;' photos (M)
Oil prices retreat from record highs after Venezuela's Pres Hugo Chavez claims victory in referendum on his rule, easing concerns about possible disruptions in country's oil exports; crude oil for delivery in September settles at $46.05 per barrel, down 53 cents, in New York trading; Saudi's Crown Prince Abdullah says kingdom will pump as much oil as it can to meet demand; says he favors oil priced at $25 to $30 per barrel; most analysts say they expect to see $50-a-barrel oil before they see any return to $40 or less; Libya's national oil company announces it will offer licenses on 15 new exploration areas for bidding, first to be offered since US lifted economic sanctions against country in April and restored diplomatic relations in June; move opens way for possible return of American oil companies to Libya; photos (M)
US Airways to Request Extension on Payments US Airways, facing a cash squeeze as it tries to avoid another bankruptcy filing, said that it would seek government permission to stretch out $67.5 million in payments to the pension plans of its mechanics and flight attendants. The airline plans to ask the Internal Revenue Service for waivers that will allow it to spread those contributions, due for 2004, for up to five years. [Page C5.]
Music on My Birthday
The Top 50 albums for the chart week of August 11, 2004, covering August 17, 2004.
Various Artists
Ashlee Simpson
Taking Back Sunday
Jimmy Buffett
Usher
2004Thea Astley, Australian author and educator (born 1925)[†]
Thea Beatrice May Astley was an Australian novelist and short story writer. She was a prolific writer who was published for over 40 years from 1958. At the time of her death, she had won more Miles Franklin Awards, Australia's major literary award, than any other writer. As well as being a writer, she taught at all levels of education – primary, secondary and tertiary.
2004The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Bože pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.[†]
The National Assembly, fully the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, is the unicameral legislature of Serbia. The assembly is composed of 250 deputies who are proportionally elected to four-year terms by secret ballot. The assembly elects a president (speaker) who presides over the sessions.
In 2004, the world population was approximately 6,503,377,772 people[†]