What Happened in 2005?

2005 was the year of cargo pants, trucker hats, and Uggs galore! Mariah Carey and Destiny’s Child were everywhere on the radio, and of course, Grey’s Anatomy had just hit our TV screens for the first time. That, however, was just in the US – as this proved to be a highly dramatic year all over the world.

But, 2005 was also a time of political changes, crimes, natural disasters, and major technological advances. Here are some of the biggest things that took place in 2005.

In this year

1January

Finland, the Republic of Austria, and Sweden officially adopted the Euro currency. They did so as they became members of the EU (European Union), and have retained that currency, and their memberships to this day. Considering the Euro was only a few years old by this point, it’s impressive that so many countries wanted to take part.

2February

North Korea openly and publicly declared that it had nuclear weapons. In the years to come, the possession and testing of these nuclear weapons became a great international issue, and even involved sanctioning the country. The secretive state remains wary of the world – as the world remains wary of it!

3March

A school shooting took place at Red Lake High School, in Minnesota. The act caused the death of multiple people in the building – and regrettably, it wouldn’t be the last shooting of its kind on US soil this decade. In fact, to this day, school shootings remain a burning concern.

4April

Charles, then Prince of Wales, married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony. As his second marriage, this wedding was somewhat controversial for the public. However, today, Charles reigns over the United Kingdom and its territories as King, with Camilla as his Queen Consort.

5May

The May 1st Directive passed. The directive allowed citizens of the European Union to work in any other country within the EU without needing a work permit. To this day, the directive has remained in place – and, as you’d expect, it caused some consternation for people in the UK who voted against Brexit.

6June

Spain became only the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Sadly, to this day not all countries have accepted homosexuality, and in many, it remains a punishable crime. Thankfully, the Netherlands paved the way a few years before, and attitudes are still changing.

7July

There was a series of coordinated bombings on public transport in London, England, on July 7th. The bombings were carried out by Islamist terrorists. Aside from the bombers themselves, 52 UK residents were killed as well as 18 others from other countries, and over 700 more people were injured. It was a wake-up call for many people in the UK to the true threat of terrorism.

8August

In Canada, Air France Flight 358 skidded off the runway and caught fire at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Thankfully, all 309 passengers and crew members onboard survived. However, around 12 people had serious injuries.

9September

Egypt held its first-ever multi-candidate presidential election. That being said, it was still President Hosni Mubarak who was re-elected for his fifth consecutive term in office. Mubarak would continue to be a controversial figure for several more years to come.

10October

Saddam Hussein went on trial in Iraq for crimes against humanity. He would eventually be found guilty of these crimes and hanged as punishment – the only positive consequence, some say, of the Iraq War.

11November

November 2003 was a huge month for women in politics! In Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the country’s first-ever female president. And, in Germany, Angela Merkel became the nation’s first-ever female Chancellor of Germany.

12December

The Civil Partnership Act finally came into effect in the United Kingdom. The act allowed same-sex couples to form civil partnerships. This wasn’t officially gay marriage – but it was a stepping stone toward a more inclusive system.

2005 was the year of the…rooster!

If you were born in the years 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, or 2017, the Chinese Zodiac states you’re cock of the walk – as a rooster, you’re said to be quite conscious of your actions and appearance, but you’re a hard worker that people love to get behind. You’re a born performer, too! There won’t be another rooster year until 2029.

Celebrity Births in 2005

• Ella Anderson, American actor, born March 26th
• Dafne Keen, British-Spanish actor, born January 4th
• Prince Hashem bin Abdullah II, Jordanian royal, born January 30th
• Linda Caicedo, Colombian footballer, born February 25th
• David Burke, American singer, born March 28th

Famous People We Lost in 2005

• Johnny Carson, American television host, died aged 79
• Sandra Dee, American actor, died aged 62
• John Fielder, American actor, died aged 80
• Eugene Kleiner, American entrepreneur, died aged 80
• Richard Pryor, American comedian, died aged 65