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…
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…
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 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 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,…
May 20
May 20
Convicted sex offender Mary Kay Letourneau marries former victim
On May 20, 2005, ex‑teacher and convicted sex offender Mary Kay Letourneau, 43, marries her former student and the father of two of her children, Vili Fualaau, 22. Just nine…
May 28
May 28
Murder suspect removed after three days perched on crane
Shortly after midnight on May 28, 2005, Carl Edward Roland, 41, is removed from a crane perched 18 stories above Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood. Roland was wanted by police in connection…
May 29
May 29
Danica Patrick becomes first woman to lead Indy 500
On May 29, 2005, 23‑year‑old Danica Patrick becomes the first female driver to take the lead in the storied Indianapolis 500. Having previously distinguished herself in the Toyota Atlantic series,…
May 31
May 31
Identity of “Deep Throat,” source who helped unravel the Watergate scandal, is revealed
On May 31, 2005, W. Mark Felt’s family ends 30 years of speculation, identifying Felt, the former FBI assistant director, as “Deep Throat,” the secret source who helped unravel the…
June 15
June 15
Police search Van der Sloot home in Holloway disappearance
On June 15, 2005, more than two weeks after American teen Natalee Holloway vanished while on a high school graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba, police there search…
June 19
June 19
Controversy at U.S. Grand Prix
After 14 Formula One race car drivers withdraw due to safety concerns over the Michelin‑made tires on their vehicles, German driver Michael Schumacher wins a less‑than‑satisfying victory at the United…
June 24
June 24
Tom Cruise raises eyebrows in “Today” show interview
The actor Tom Cruise has an infamous interview with Matt Lauer, host of NBC’s morning talk show “Today,” on June 24, 2005. During the interview, Lauer challenged Cruise about critical…
July 1
July 1
Last Ford Thunderbird produced
The last Thunderbird, Ford Motor Company’s iconic sports car, emerges from a Ford factory in Wixom, Michigan on July 1, 2005. Ford began its development of the Thunderbird in the…
