January 25
January 25
BTK killer sends message
On January 25, 2005, a Wichita, Kansas, television station receives a postcard from the BTK killer that leads police to discover a Post Toasties cereal box that had been altered…
A Year In History: 2005
This Year in History:
2005
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 26
January 26
Condoleezza Rice sworn in as first Black female secretary of state
On January 26, 2005, Condoleezza Rice is sworn in as secretary of state, making her the highest ranking African American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet. A native…
February 3
February 3
This Day in History Video: What Happened on February 3
Alberto Gonzales became the first Hispanic U.S. Attorney General, the 15th Amendment giving black men the right to vote, and Yasser Arafat founds the PLO in This Day in History…
February 3
February 3
Alberto Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general
On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales wins Senate confirmation as the nation’s first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on torture. The Senate approved his nomination on a…
February 12
February 12
Christo and Jeanne‑Claude’s “The Gates” opens in New York’s Central Park
On February 12, 2005, 7,503 orange curtains unfurl across New York City’s Central Park from thousands of gates. The art installation, Christo and Jeanne‑Claude’s “The Gates,” will be gone by…
February 26
February 26
Oscar winner Halle Berry accepts Razzie for Catwoman
If the Academy Awards celebrate the best of what Hollywood has to offer each year, the Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Awards take a distinct pleasure in celebrating the worst. On February…
March 1
March 1
Honda unveils new Civic
On this day in 2005, at an auto expo in Geneva, Switzerland, Honda debuts the Civic Concept, a five‑door hatchback. The Japan‑based automaker launched the first Civic in the early…
March 2
March 2
George W. Bush honors the Boston Red Sox for breaking ‘The Curse’
On this day in 2005, at a White House ceremony, President George W. Bush congratulates the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox baseball team for winning their first World Series…
March 4
March 4
Martha Stewart is released from prison
On March 4, 2005, billionaire mogul Martha Stewart is released from a federal prison near Alderson, West Virginia, after serving five months for lying about her sale of ImClone stock…
March 13
March 13
Disney names Robert Iger as new chief executive
On March 13, 2005, the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company officially announces that Robert Iger, Disney’s president and chief operating officer, will succeed Michael Eisner as the…
March 16
March 16
Actor Robert Blake acquitted of wife’s murder
On March 16, 2005, after a three‑month‑long criminal trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, a jury acquits Robert Blake, star of the 1970s television detective show “Baretta,” of the murder…
March 19
March 19
Maverick auto exec John DeLorean dies
On this day in 2005, John DeLorean, an innovative auto industry executive and founder of the DeLorean Motor Company, dies at the age of 80 in New Jersey. In the…
March 29
March 29
Miramax chiefs part ways with Disney
On this day in 2005, after a yearlong negotiation process, the Walt Disney Company ends its productive but sometimes contentious relationship with Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the founders of Miramax…
April 2
April 2
This Day in History Video: What Happened on April 2
On this day in 2005, John Paul II, history’s most well‑traveled pope and the first non‑Italian to hold the position since the 16th century, dies at his home in the…
April 2
April 2
Pope John Paul II dies
On April 2, 2005, John Paul II, history’s most well‑traveled pope and the first non‑Italian to hold the position since the 16th century, dies at his home in the Vatican.…
April 8
April 8
Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph agrees to plead guilty
Eric Rudolph agrees to plead guilty to a series of bombings, including the fatal bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, in order to avoid the death penalty. He later…
April 9
April 9
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed
Nearly eight years after Princess Diana’s death in a car crash was mourned the world over, Prince Charles, her widower and heir to the British throne, weds his longtime mistress,…
April 10
April 10
Tiger Woods wins fourth Masters
Tiger Woods wins his fourth Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club after a 15‑foot birdie on the first hole of the sudden‑death playoff against Chris DiMarco on April…
April 14
April 14
Pontiac Solstice stars on “The Apprentice”
On this day in 2005, the Pontiac Solstice Roadster, a new two‑door sports car from General Motors retailing for approximately $20,000, is featured on the reality TV game show “The…
May 17
May 17
Toyota announces plans for hybrid Camry
On this day in 2005, Toyota Motor Company announces its plans to produce a gasoline‑electric hybrid version of its bestselling Camry sedan. Built at the company’s Georgetown, Kentucky, plant, the…
