Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2005

2005 (MMV) was a common year that started on a Saturday (dominical letter B) in the Gregorian calendar. It was the 2005th year of Anno Domini or of the Common Era designation, the 5th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 6th of the 2000s decade.

2005 was designated:

• The Year of the Volunteer by the UK government.
• The World Year of Physics by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.^[1]
• The International Year of the Eucharist in Catholicism.
• The Year of Cork City, Ireland, as European Capital of Culture.
• The Year of the Veteran in Canada.
• The Year of Discovery.^{[citation needed]}

The year 2005 was the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995–2005).

Events[link]

January[link]

• January 4 – Gunmen assassinate the Governor of Baghdad, Ali Al-Haidri.^[2]
• January 5 – Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System, is identified by a team led by Michael E. Brown using images originally taken on October 21, 2003, at the Palomar Observatory.
• January 9:
  • The same storm which pounded the U.S. earlier in the month hits England, Scandinavia and the Baltic States, leaving 13 dead with widespread flooding and power cuts.^[3]
  • Mahmoud Abbas is elected to succeed Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority President.
• January 12 – Deep Impact is launched from Cape Canaveral by a Delta 2 rocket.^[4]
• January 14 – The Huygens probe lands on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn.^[5]
• January 20 – George W. Bush is inaugurated in Washington, D.C. for his second term as the 43rd President of the United States.^[6]
• January 25 – A stampede at the Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi during a religious pilgrimage in India kills at least 250.^[7]
• January 30 – The first free Parliamentary elections in Iraq since 1958 take place.^[8]

February[link]

• February 9 – An ETA car bomb injures at least 40 people at a conference centre in Madrid.^[9]
• February 10
  • North Korea announces that it possesses nuclear weapons as a protection against the hostility it feels from the United States.^[10]
  • Saudi Arabia holds its first ever municipal elections, in which only male citizens are allowed to vote.^[11]
• February 14
  • Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafik Hariri is killed in Beirut after an assassination attempt by suicide bombing; it also kills at least 16 other people and injures 120 others.^[12]
  • YouTube, the most popular video sharing website, is founded.
  • 59 people are killed and 200 injured after a fire breaks out in a mosque in Tehran, Iran.^[13]
• February 16 – The Kyoto Protocol goes into effect, without the support of the United States and Australia.^[14]
• February 19 – Suicide bombers kill more than 30 people in Iraq as Shia Muslims mark Ashura, their holiest day.^[15]
• February 22 – More than 500 people are killed and over 1,000 injured, after entire villages are flattened in an earthquake (6.4 on the Richter scale) in the Zarand region of Kerman province in southern Iran.^[16]
• February 26 – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak asks Parliament to amend the constitution to allow multi-candidate presidential elections before September 2005.^[17]

March[link]

• March 3
  • The freighter M/V Karen Danielsen crashes into the Great Belt Bridge of Denmark. All traffic across the bridge is closed, effectively separating Denmark in two.^[18]
  • Millionaire Steve Fossett breaks a world record by completing the fastest non-stop, non-refueled, solo flight around the world in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.^[19]
  • Four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers are gunned down in Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada. It is deadliest day in Canadian law enforcement in over 120 years.^[20]
• March 4 – The car of released Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena is fired on by U.S. soldiers in Iraq, causing the death of 1 passenger and injuring 2 more.^[21]
• March 8 – The Pakistan Army opens fire on insurgents in Baluchistan, in the first armed uprising since General Rahimuddin Khan's stabilization of the province in 1978.
• March 14
  • The People's Republic of China ratifies an anti-secession law, aimed at preventing Taiwan from declaring independence.^[22]
  • 800,000 people gather for an opposition rally in Beirut, a month after the death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. It is the largest rally in Lebanon's history.^[23]
• March 19 – A time bomb explodes in a Muslim shrine in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 29 people and wounding 40.^[24]
• March 23 – An explosion takes place at one of BP's largest oil refineries in Texas City, killing 15 and injuring more than 170.
• March 24 – The Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan reaches its climax with the overthrow of president Askar Akayev.^[25]
• March 26 – The Taiwanese government calls on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei, in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China. Between 200,000 and 300,000 attend the walk.^[26]

April[link]

• April 2 – Pope John Paul II dies; over 4 million people travel to the Vatican to mourn him.^[27][28][29]
• April 6 – The first 13th root calculation of a 200-digit number is computed by Frenchman Alexis Lemaire.^[30]
• April 8 – A referendum is held in Curaçao on independence vs. integration with the Netherlands.^[31]
• April 9
  • Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many of them supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr, march through Baghdad denouncing the U.S. occupation of Iraq, 2 years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and rally in the square where his statue was toppled in 2003.^[32]
  • Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles; Charles, Prince of Wales marries Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor's Guildhall.
• April 17 – Twelve holidaymakers are killed in southern Switzerland when a bus carrying 27 people plunges 656 feet (200 m) into a ravine.^[33]
• April 18 – Five people die in ethnic clashes in Iran's south-west Khuzestan province.^[34]
• April 19 – Pope Benedict XVI succeeds Pope John Paul II, becoming the 265th pope.^[35][36]
• April 20 – An earthquake (5.8 on the Richter scale) hits Fukuoka and Kasuga, Fukuoka, Prefecture, Japan, injuring 56.^[37]
• April 25 – Amagasaki rail crash: A passenger train derails in Amagasaki Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, killing 104 people and injuring at least another 450.^[38]
• April 26 – Facing international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of that country.^[39]
• April 27 – The Superjumbo jet aircraft Airbus A380 makes its first flight from Toulouse.^[40]

May[link]

• May 3 – At least 32 people are killed and 9 others injured when 3 two-story buildings in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore collapse after gas cylinders stored in one of them explode.^[41]
• May 4 – In one of the largest insurgent attacks in Iraq, at least 60 people are killed and dozens wounded in a suicide bombing at a Kurdish police recruitment center in Irbil, northern Iraq.^[42]
• May 5 – Labour government of Tony Blair in the United Kingdom wins a third successive general election.^[43]
• May 13 – Uzbek troops kill up to 700 during protests in eastern Uzbekistan over the trials of 23 accused Islamic extremists. President Islam Karimov defends the act.^[44]
• May 15 – A passenger ferry capsizes and sinks in strong winds in the Bura Gauranga River in Bangladesh, leaving 200 people missing.^[45]
• May 16 – George Galloway appears before a United States Senate committee, to answer allegations of making money from the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Programme.^[46]
• May 17 – Kuwaiti women are granted the right to vote.^[47]
• May 21 – Kingda Ka opens at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in Jackson, New Jersey as the world's tallest and (at the time) fastest roller coaster.

June[link]

• June 21 – A Volna booster rocket carrying the first light sail spacecraft (a joint Russian-United States project) fails 83 seconds after its launch, destroying the spacecraft.^[48]
• June 28
  • Queen Elizabeth II conducts the International Fleet Review of 167 international warships in the Solent, as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations.^[49]
  • Three U.S. Navy SEALs, 16 American Special Operations Forces soldiers, and an unknown number of Taliban insurgents are killed during Operation Red Wing, a failed counter-insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

July[link]

• July 2 – Live 8, a set of 10 simultaneous concerts, takes place throughout the world, raising interest in the Make Poverty History campaign.^[50]
• July 4
  • NASA's "Copper bullet" from the Deep Impact spacecraft hits Comet Tempel 1, creating a crater for scientific studies.^[51]
  • Violent anti-G8 demonstrations occur in Gleneagles, Scotland.
  • The Italy-USA Foundation is established in Rome, Italy.
• July 6
  • The European Parliament rejects the Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions in its second reading in the codecision procedure.^[52]
  • The International Olympic Committee awards the 2012 Summer Olympics to London.^[53]
• July 7 – Four terror attacks (3 on the London Underground and 1 on a bus) rock the transport network in London, killing 52 (not including the 4 bombers) and injuring over 700.^[54]
• July 12 – Terrorists kill 5 people and wound 90 in a crowded mall in Netanya, Israel. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for attack.^[55]
• July 23 – A series of blasts hits a resort town in Egypt.^[56]
• July 28 – The Provisional IRA issues a statement formally ordering an end to the armed campaign it has pursued since 1969, and ordering all its units to dump their arms.^[57]

August[link]

• August 1 –King Fahd of Saudi Arabia died at the hospital because of pneumonia and a high fever.
• August 2 – Air France Flight 358 overran Runway 24L at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
• August 13 – The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is launched.
• August 14 – Helios Airways Flight 522 crashes near the town of Grammatiko in Greece, killing 121 people. Observations from fighter jet aircraft indicate a decompression problem.
• August 16 – West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes into a mountain in Venezuela, killing 152 passengers.
• August 18 – Peace Mission 2005, the first joint China–Russia military exercise, begins its 8-day training on the Shandong peninsula.
• August 22 – A 4.1 kilograms (9.0 lb) meteorite crashes into the Dotito area of Zambezi Escarpment in Zimbabwe, leaving a 150 millimeters (5.9 in) crater.
• August 23 – Israel's unilateral disengagement from 25 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank ends.
• August 29 – Hurricane Katrina makes land fall along the U.S. Gulf Coast causing severe damage. At least 1,836 die in the aftermath.
• August 31 – A crowd crush on the Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad kills several hundred civilians (see Baghdad bridge stampede).

September[link]

• September 2 – Protesters and Israeli forces clash in Bil'in.
• September 11 – Japan general election, 2005: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the Liberal Democratic Party are returned to power.
• September 12 – Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong opens.
• September 14–September 16 – The largest UN World Summit in history is held in New York City.
• September 18 – Afghan parliamentary election: Former Northern Alliance warlords and their followers claim victory.
• September 19 – North Korea agrees to stop building nuclear weapons in exchange for aid and cooperation.
• September 23 – Convicted bank thief and Boricua Popular Army leader, Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, is killed in his home in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, when members of the FBI attempt to serve an arrest warrant.
• September 26 – U.S. Army Reservist Lynndie England is convicted by a military jury on 6 of 7 counts, in connection with the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.
• September 30 – Controversial drawings of Muhammad are printed in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

October[link]

• October 1
  • The 2005 Bali bombings kill 26 people and injure more than 100.
  • The world's largest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, is formed by the merger of 2 Japanese banking conglomerates.
  • An Australian photojournalist in Afghanistan, Stephen Dupont, films U.S. soldiers burning 2 dead Taliban militias' bodies.
• October 8 – The 2005 Kashmir earthquake kills about 80,000 people.
• October 12 – The second manned Chinese spacecraft, Shenzhou 6, is launched, carrying Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng for 5 days in orbit.
• October 15
  • The referendum on the new proposed Iraqi constitution is held.
  • The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is completed.
• October 19 – The Trials of Saddam Hussein begin.
• October 21 – The 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar is observed, with celebrations held around the United Kingdom.
• October 29 – At least 61 people are killed and many others wounded in 3 powerful blasts in the Indian capital, Delhi (see 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings).

November[link]

• November 2 – The Spanish Congress of Deputies approves the admission to formality of the new Catalan Statute of Autonomy with the support of all the groups except the People's Party (PP), which the same day files an objection of unconstitutionality.
• November 4 – The U.S. and Uruguay governments sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty.
• November 9 – At least 50 people are killed and more than 120 injured in a series of coordinated suicide bombings in Amman, Jordan (See 2005 Amman bombings).
• November 13 – Andrew Stimpson, a 25-year-old British man, is reported as the first person proven to have been 'cured' of HIV.
• November 25 – The 20th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting opens in Valletta, Malta.
• November 28 – December 9 – The United Nations Climate Change Conference is held in Montreal, Quebec.
• November 30 – Surgeons in France carry out the first human face transplant.

December[link]

• December 6 – An Iranian C-130 Hercules airplane crashes into a ten-story building in a civilian area of Tehran, the capital of Iran, killing all 94 people aboard and 34 residents of the building (128 total).
• December 7 – The European Union TLD .eu is launched, and replaces .eu.int. Initially this will be only for business purposes. From 7 April 2006 onwards, EU citizens can also register .eu domains.
• December 11 – The 2005 Cronulla riots occur in Sydney, Australia, involving up to 5,000 youths.
• December 12 – Scientists announce that they have created mice with small amounts of human brain cells in an effort to make realistic models of neurological disorders.
• December 14 – Shakidor Dam fails in Pakistan due to heavy rain.
• December 16 – The 43rd Mersenne prime is found.
• December 20 – Aleksandër Moisiu University was founded in Durrës, Albania.
• December 23 – Chad declares a state of war with Sudan, following a December 18 attack on Adre, which left about 100 people dead.
• December 31 – Another second is added, 23:59:60, called a leap second, to end the year 2005. The last time this occurred was on June 30, 1998.

World population[link]

World population
	2005	2000		2010
World	6,453,628,000	6,070,581,000	383,047,000
Africa	887,964,000	795,671,000	92,293,000
Asia	3,917,508,000	3,679,737,000	237,771,000
Europe	724,722,000	727,986,000	3,264,000
Latin America	558,281,000	520,229,000	38,052,000
Northern America	332,156,000	315,915,000	16,241,000
Oceania	32,998,000	31,043,000	1,955,000

Births[link]

• June 26 – Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, daughter of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
• October 15 – Prince Christian of Denmark, son of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark and his wife Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
• October 31 – Infanta Leonor of Spain, daughter of Felipe, Prince of Asturias and his wife Letizia
• December 3 – Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway, grandson of King Harald V of Norway

Deaths[link]

January[link]

Johnny Carson

• January 1
  • Shirley Chisholm, African-American politician (b. 1924)
  • Eugene J. Martin, American artist (b. 1938)
• January 2 – John Ziman, English-New Zealand physicist (b. 1925)
• January 4
  • Guy Davenport, American author, artist, and scholar (b. 1927)
  • Robert Heilbroner, American writer (b. 1919)
• January 7 – Pierre Daninos, French writer and humorist (b. 1913)
• January 10 – Joséphine-Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b. 1927)
• January 12 – Amrish Puri, Indian actor (b. 1932)
• January 15 – Victoria de los Ángeles, Spanish Catalan soprano (b. 1923)
• January 17
  • Virginia Mayo, American actress (b. 1920)
  • Zhao Ziyang, Chinese premier (b. 1919)
• January 19
  • Bill Andersen, New Zealand trade union leader (b. 1924)
  • Anita Kulcsár, Hungarian handball player (b. 1976)
• January 20 – Per Borten, Prime Minister of Norway (b. 1913)
• January 21
  • Theun de Vries, Dutch writer (b. 1907)
  • Adrianne Leigh Reynolds, American murder victim (b. 1988)
• January 23 – Johnny Carson, American television host (b. 1925)
• January 25 – Philip Johnson, American architect (b. 1906)

February[link]

Max Schmeling

• February 1 – John Vernon, Canadian Actor (b.1932)
• February 2 – Max Schmeling, German boxer (b.1905)
• February 3 – Zurab Zhvania, Prime Minister of Georgia (b. 1963)
• February 5 – Gnassingbé Eyadéma, President of Togo (b. 1935)
• February 6 – Merle Kilgore, American singer and songwriter (b. 1934)
• February 10 – Arthur Miller, American playwright (b. 1915)
• February 13 – Lucia dos Santos, Visionary to the Marian apparitions at Fátima (b. 1907) a Discalced Carmelite nun
• February 14 – Rafik Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1944)
• February 17
  • Nariman Sadeq, Queen of Egypt (b. 1934)
  • Omar Sívori, Argentian Footballer (b. 1935)
• February 20
  • Sandra Dee, American actress (b. 1944)
  • Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist (b. 1937)
• February 22 – Simone Simon, French actress (b. 1910)
• February 25 – Peter Benenson, lawyer and founder of Amnesty International (b. 1921)

March[link]

James Callaghan

Johnnie Cochran

• March 3 – Rinus Michels, Dutch soccer player and coach (b. 1928)
• March 6
  • Teresa Wright, American actress (b. 1918)
  • Tommy Vance, British radio disc jockey (b. 1941)
• March 9
  • Jeanette Schmid, German-born professional whistler (b. 1924)
  • Chris LeDoux, American rodeo performer and singer (b. 1949)
• March 10 – Dave Allen, Irish comedian (b. 1936)
• March 13 – Lyn Collins, American soul singer (b. 1948)
• March 19 – John Z. DeLorean, American car maker (b.1925)
• March 21 – Bobby Short, American entertainer (b. 1924)
• March 22 – Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, Spanish spiritual leader (b. 1946)
• March 25 – George F. Kennan, American diplomat and political advisor (b. 1904)
• March 26 – James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1912)
• March 28 – Pal Losonczi, former Hungarian leader (b. 1919)
• March 29 – Johnnie Cochran, American lawyer (b. 1937)
• March 30 – Fred Korematsu, American civil rights activist (b. 1919)
• March 31
  • Terri Schiavo, American right-to-die cause célèbre (b. 1963)
  • Justiniano Montano, Filipino politician (b. 1905)

April[link]

Pope John Paul II

• April 1 – Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and ambassador (b. 1925)
• April 2 – Pope John Paul II, Polish Roman Catholic Pope (b. 1920)
• April 5
  • John Sichel, British film and television director (b. 1937)
  • Saul Bellow, American writer (b. 1915)
• April 6 – Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (b. 1923)
• April 19 – Ruth Hussey, American actress (b. 1911)
• April 20 – Zygfryd Blaut, Polish footballer (b. 1943)
• April 22 – Norman Bird, British actor (b. 1920)
• April 23 – John Mills, English actor (b. 1908)
• April 24 – Ezer Weizman, former President of Israel (b. 1924)
• April 26
  • Mason Adams, American actor (b. 1919)
  • Maria Schell, Austrian actress (b. 1926)

May[link]

Eddie Albert

• May 2 – Wee Kim Wee, President of Singapore (b. 1915)
• May 7 – Peter Wallace Rodino, American politician (b. 1909)
• May 8 – Lloyd Cutler, American attorney and Presidential advisor (b. 1917)
• May 13 – George Dantzig, American mathematician (b. 1914)
• May 14 – Jimmy Martin, American musician (b. 1927)
• May 21 – Howard Morris, American actor (b. 1919)
• May 22 – Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor (b. 1914)
• May 25
  • Robert Jankel, British coachbuilder (b. 1938)
  • Ismail Merchant, Indian film producer (b. 1936)
• May 26 – Eddie Albert, American actor (b. 1906)

June[link]

Anne Bancroft

Cardinal Jaime Sin

• June 4 – Ronald F. Marryott, American admiral (b. 1934)
• June 6
  • Maurice Rabb, Jr., American ophthalmologist (b. 1932)
  • Anne Bancroft, American actress (b. 1931)
• June 13
  • Jonathan Adams, British actor (b. 1931)
  • Álvaro Cunhal, Portuguese politician (b. 1913)
• June 21 – Jaime Sin, Archbishop of Manila (b. 1928)
• June 25 – Domino Harvey, British born bounty hunter who moved to Los Angeles (b. 1969)
• June 28
  • Michael P. Murphy, Navy SEAL, first Medal of Honor recipient of the War in Afghanistan
  • Danny Dietz, Navy SEAL, Navy Cross recipient
  • Matthew Axelson, Navy SEAL, Navy Cross recipient

July[link]

Edward Heath

• July 1 – Luther Vandross, American R&B singer (b. 1951)
• July 5 – James Stockdale, American admiral and vice presidential candidate (b. 1923)
• July 6 – Evan Hunter A.K.A. Ed McBain, American crime writer (b. 1926)
• July 17 – Edward Heath, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1916)
• July 18 – William Westmoreland, U.S. general (b. 1914)
• July 19 – John Tyndall, British activist (b. 1934)
• July 20 – James Doohan, Canadian actor (b. 1920)
• July 21
  • Long John Baldry, British musician (b. 1941)
  • Alfred Hayes, English wrestling announcer (b. 1928)
• July 23 – Myron Floren, American accordionist & musician (b. 1919)
• July 26
  • Jack Hirshleifer, American economist (b. 1925)
  • Robert C. Turner, American potter (b. 1913)
• July 31 – Wim Duisenberg, Dutch president of the European Central Bank (b. 1935)

August[link]

Peter Jennings

• August 1 – King Fahd of Saudi Arabia (b. 1923)
• August 6 – Robin Cook, British politician (b. 1946)
• August 7 – Peter Jennings, Canadian-American news anchor (b. 1938)
• August 8
  • Ahmed Deedat, South African preacher (b. 1918)
  • John H. Johnson, American businessman and publisher. (b. 1918)
• August 12 – Lakshman Kadirgamar, foreign minister of Sri Lanka (assassinated) (b. 1932)
• August 13 – David Lange, former Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1942)
• August 16 – Frère Roger, Swiss founder of the Taizé Community (b. 1915), Joe Ranft, a director of Disney/Pixar
• August 19 – Mo Mowlam, British politician (b. 1949)
• August 21 – Dahlia Ravikovitch, Israeli poet (b. 1936)
• August 22 – Luc Ferrari, French composer (b. 1929)

September[link]

William Rehnquist

• September 3 – William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1924)
• September 10 – Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, American musician (b. 1924)
• September 14 – Robert Wise, American film director (b. 1914)
• September 17 – Alfred Reed, American Composer and Conductor (b. 1921)
• September 18 – Michael Park, English Rally driver (b. 1966)
• September 20 – Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter (b. 1908)
• September 23 – Roger Brierley, English actor (b. 1935)
• September 25 – Don Adams, American actor (b. 1923)
• September 26 – Jerry Juhl, American writer (b. 1938)
• September 27 – Ronald Golias, Brazilian actor and comedian (b. 1929)

October[link]

Rosa Parks

• October 2 – Nipsey Russell, American actor and game show personality (b. 1918)
• October 3 – Ronnie Barker, British comic actor (b. 1929)
• October 10 – Milton Obote, President of Uganda (b. 1925)
• October 17 – Ba Jin, Chinese writer (b. 1904)
• October 22 – Arman, French-American artist (b. 1928)
• October 24
  • Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist (b. 1913)
  • José Azcona del Hoyo, President of Honduras (b. 1926)
  • Robert Sloman, English writer (b. 1926)
• October 28 – Richard Smalley, American chemist and physicist (b. 1943)

November[link]

Eddie Guerrero

• November 2 – Ferruccio Valcareggi, Italian football player and manager (b. 1919)
• November 5 – John Fowles, English novelist (b. 1926)
• November 9 – K. R. Narayanan, former President of India (b. 1921)
• November 11
  • Moustapha Akkad, Syrian-American film producer (b. 1930)
  • Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield, British photographer (b. 1939)
• November 12 – Arthur K. Cebrowski, American admiral (b. 1942)
• November 13 – Eddie Guerrero, Mexican-American professional wrestler (b. 1967)
• November 19 – Erik Balling, Danish television and film director (b. 1924)
• November 20 – Chris Whitley, American musician (b. 1945)
• November 24 – Pat Morita, American actor (b. 1932)
• November 25
  • George Best, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1946)
  • Richard Burns, English rally driver (b. 1971)
• November 26 – Takanori Arisawa, Japanese Composer (b. 1951)
• November 28 – Tony Meehan, English drummer (The Shadows) (b. 1943)

December[link]

Richard Pryor

• December 1 – Mary Hayley Bell (Lady Mary Mills), Actress & Writer (b. 1911)
• December 2
  • Mohammed Amza Zubeidi, former prime minister of Iraq (b. 1938)
  • Nguyen Tuong Van, Vietnamese-Australian drug trafficker and capital punishment cause célèbre (b. 1980)
  • Christine Pullein-Thompson, British author (b. 1925)
• December 6 – Devan Nair, President of Singapore (b. 1923)
• December 10 – Richard Pryor, American comedian (b. 1940)
• December 12 – Ramanand Sagar, Indian film director (b. 1917)
• December 13 – Stanley Williams, American gang founder (b. 1953)
• December 16 – John Spencer, American actor (b. 1946)
• December 18 – Alan Voorhees, American engineer and urban planner (b. 1922)
• December 19 – Vincent Gigante, New York City mafia boss (b. 1928)
• December 21 – William C. Rodgers, American arsonist (b. unknown)
• December 23 – Yao Wenyuan, Chinese politician (b. 1931)
• December 25
  • Birgit Nilsson, Swedish soprano (b. 1918)
  • Charles Socarides, American psychiatrist (b. 1922)
• December 26
  • Kerry Packer, Australian media tycoon (b. 1937)
  • Vincent Schiavelli, American actor (b. 1948)
• December 28 – Patrick Cranshaw, American actor (b.1919)
• December 29 – Gerda Boyesen, Norwegian-born body psychotherapist (b. 1922)

Nobel Prizes[link]

• Physics – Roy J. Glauber, John L. Hall, and Theodor W. Hänsch
• Chemistry – Robert Grubbs, Richard Schrock, and Yves Chauvin
• Physiology or Medicine – Robin Warren, and Barry Marshall
• Literature – Harold Pinter
• Peace – Mohamed ElBaradei
• Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel – Robert J. Aumann, and Thomas Schelling

In fiction[link]

• The Transformers: The Movie (1986): The story takes place in 2005, 20 years after the events of the TV series.
• Bicentennial Man (1999): This movie is set in April, 2005.
• Metal Gear Solid (1998): The story is set in 2005, when the game itself was released in 1998.
• Twisted Metal (1995): The tenth "Twisted Metal" competition takes place on Christmas Eve in the streets of Los Angeles.

References[link]

2000s portal

Wikinews has news related to: 2005

1. REDIRECTMatt Harding

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2008)

Elena Paparizou Έλενα Παπαρίζου
Elena Paparizou at the launch of Ivi Fruitea on 29 April 2010 at the Hard Rock Café in Athens.
Background information
Birth name	Eleni Paparizou (baptized name)
Also known as	Helena Paparizou, Eleni Georgiou Paparizou (Greek legal name)
Born	(1982-01-31) 31 January 1982 (age 30) Borås, Västergötland, Sweden
Origin	Stockholm, Sweden
Genres	Laïko, pop-folk, pop, dance
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, model, television personality
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Sony Music Greece, Bonnier Amigo,
Associated acts	Antique
Website	www.helenapaparizou.com

Eleni "Elena" Paparizou^[1] (Greek: Έλενα Παπαρίζου, pronounced [ˈelena papaˈrizu]; born 31 January 1982), usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek–Swedish singer and occasional songwriter and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greek immigrant parents, she enrolled in various arts schools before launching a career there in 1999 as a member of the laïko and Eurodance duo Antique, whose rise to fame in Greece was preceded by its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001.

Antique disbanded in 2003 and Paparizou signed a solo recording contract with Sony Music, releasing the chart-topping debut single "Anapandites Kliseis" and album Protereotita (2004), with emphasis on laïko, pop, and dance sounds, but had modest sales, initially. She then represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, giving the country its only win in contest history with the song "My Number One", an achievement which significantly transformed her career. Her album was subsequently certified double platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Greece, while she also briefly attempted a career beyond Greece with English-language material, charting in a few countries abroad. Her three subsequent albums Iparhi Logos (2006), The Game of Love (2006) and Vrisko To Logo Na Zo (2008) all peaked at number one in Greece and reached platinum sales. Her fifth studio album, Giro Apo T' Oneiro (2010), was also certified platinum. Greatest Hits & More was released in 2011 and spawned her biggest hit "Baby It's Over".

Paparizou established herself as a teen idol, particularly among young girls. Apart from music, she has also endorsed brands such as Nokia and Ivi. In the 2010s she made attempts to crossover into television as a judge on Dancing on Ice (2011) and a contestant on Let's Dance (2012) but witnessed little success. Paparizou lived with her fiancé and manager Tony Mavridis from 1999 until their separation in 2011.

Paparizou has been awarded with three Arion Music Awards, a European Border Breakers Award, two 17 MAD Video Music Awards—more than any other artist— and an MTV Europe Music Award. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked her as the 14th top-certified domestic female artist in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960), totaling seven platinum and four gold records. Paparizou was the most successful debuting female artist of the 2000s and established herself as one of the top acts of the latter half of the decade. As of 2010, she has been certified for the sales of 167 thousand albums, 47.5 thousand singles, and 30 thousand digital downloads by IFPI Greece, in addition to 100 thousand total record sales in Greece as part of Antique,^[2] as well as 24 thousand certified albums in Cyprus, and 20 thousand singles in Sweden during her solo career. In 2010, Forbes listed Paparizou as the 21st most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece. Additionally, Paparizou has more than 144 million views on Youtube, more than any other artist in the Greek music industry.^[3]

Early life[link]

Elena Paparizou was born on 31 January 1982 in Borås, Västergötland, Sweden, the youngest child of Greek immigrant parents Georgios Paparizos and Efrosini "Froso" Paparizou.^[4] Her parents both originate from the Karditsa region, with her father being from a nearby village, Oxya.^[5] She has a sister named Areti, known as "Rita" and a brother Konstantinos, known as "Dinos".^[6] Paparizou's mother had moved to Borås in 1960 and worked in factories, while during a trip back to her hometown she met Paparizou's father and they got married. The two moved to Borås in 1970.^[5] In 1985, the family moved to Greece to live in Volos with relatives because Paparizou suffered from asthma and her lungs could not endure the cold Scandinavian climate.^[6] They returned after two years when the problem was resolved, thereon living in the town of Örgryte, Gothenburg.^[6] Because of this early move, Paparizou spoke Greek as a first language. As a child, she did not hang out with many Swedish children,^[7] and attended a Greek-language school.^[6] Throughout her childhood, she continued suffering from breathing problems, was once rushed to the hospital because of them, and recalls feeling like she had left her body at least twice.^[7] She continues to suffer from the issue and often carries an inhaler onstage for when she loses her breath.^[7]

Paparizou became interested in the arts at a young age and her parents soon involved her in singing, dancing and acting training in combination with her academic studies at school. At age seven she began lessons in piano, ballet and traditional dances.^{[citation needed]} She performed for the first time in front of a Greek audience at age 11 singing Christos Dantis' "Moro Mou".^[8] By age 13, Paparizou had realized she wanted to become a singer and decided to take a serious approach in preparation for it, her first experiences being with Greek music.^[7] At the age of 14, Paparizou formed her first group Soul Funkomatic with three Hispanic teenagers and only played hip hop music, while saving money to record songs; two years later the group disbanded.^[7] On 29 October 1998, 13 of Paparizou's close friends died in the Gothenburg nightclub fire during a hip hop party that left 63 people dead and more than 200 injured. Paparizou had begged her mother to let her go to the party, but was not allowed to attend.^[9] After losing her friends, Paparizou decided to abandon singing, and she started classes at the Art Performing School where she studied theater, acting, television and directing.^[9]

Career[link]

1999–2003: Antique era[link]

Paparizou with Nikos Panagiotidis as Antique.

In 1999, some DJ friends of her brother's asked her to make a demo of the Notis Sfakianakis hit "Opa Opa".^[9] Paparizou told them that the lyrics are for a man, so she asked to sing it with childhood friend Nikos Panagiotidis,^[9][10] whom she had met through her siblings at a Greek diaspora celebration in Stockholm.^[6] At that time, some record producers were undergoing a project to sign a duo consisting of a male and a female that would sing covers of traditional Greek hits.^[6] They came into contact with Paparizou who recommended Panagiotidis,^[6] and together they formed Antique, signing to the newly-formed independent label Bonnier Music.^[11] They settled on the name "Antique" because it left an impression of being "classic" and "timeless".^[6] Paparizou admitted that Greek music had been something of an acquired taste for her, and that the name was probably a reflection of her childhood impression of it being something rather distant and old-fashioned; something that she only really associated with her summer vacations in Greece.^[7] Their debut single "Opa Opa" became a hit in Sweden and eventually entered the top ten in Sweden and Norway,^[12] making them the first act to enter into the Swedish top five with a song sung in Greek.^[11] Their later singles "Dinata Dinata", "Follow Me" and "Moro Mou" also charted well.^[11]

Although relatively unknown in Greece,^[7][13] the duo entered the national final to be Greece's representatives in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 in Copenhagen, Denmark with the song "(I Would) Die for You", written by Nikos Terzis with lyrics by Antonis Pappas. Placing joint first in the national final, they were declared winners by default as they had won the public vote.^[6] The song placed third in the actual contest with 147 points; although equaled by later entries, it was the best placing Greece had ever received until Paparizou won the contest as a solo artist in 2005.^[14] The song went on to become their biggest hit in Greece, reaching Platinum status, while it peaked at number three in Sweden, and charted elsewhere.^[15] Antique's success in the contest led to them earning recognition in Greece and working there for the remainder of their career. In continuation, they recorded four studio albums that achieved mild success, performed a small European and North American tour, and collaborated with artists such as Katy Garbi and Slavi Trifonov.^{[citation needed]} Following their course as Antique, Paparizou and Panagiotidis decided to pursue solo careers, however Panagiotidis would not manage to establish himself as a solo act.^[6] Initially, negative criticism relating to the disbandment centered around Paparizou, who was accused of abandoning her friend for her own career interests; however, Paparizou responded by saying that the split was not permanent, but rather a mutual decision to try other things, with plans of a reunion in mind.^[7]

[edit] 2003–05: Solo development, Protereotita, and Eurovision

Paparizou performing "My Number One" for Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005.

In late 2003, Paparizou signed a solo recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment Greece and released her debut single "Anapandites Kliseis",^[16] a double A-side with "Treli Kardia", which peaked at number one on the Greek Top 50 Singles Chart and was certified Gold by IFPI Greece.^[17] The video of "Anapandites Kliseis" won her a MAD Video Music Award in 2004 for Best Dance Video and was nominated for Best Video by a New Artist, while a duet of the song with its writer Christos Dantis was performed at the ceremony.^[18] During the winter season of 2003–04, Paparizou was the opening act for Antonis Remos and Giannis Spanos at the Stadio Piraios nightclub.^[19] On 25 August 2004, she released her debut solo album, Protereotita from which "Anditheseis", "Katse Kala" and "Stin Kardia Mou Mono Thlipsi" were released as singles.^[20] It received mixed reviews from critics. Giorgos Mastorakis of Music Corner who commented that the album "gives us both good and mediocre, but not bad songs" and characterized it as competent summer entertainment, ultimately felt "that surely it won't disappoint you if you purchase it, but I don't think you will like it in its total either."^[21] Nevertheless, the album earned Paparizou her first Arion Award for Best Female Pop Singer, while the videos of "Katse Kala" and "Treli Kardia" won her MAD Awards for Best Female Video and Best Direction, respectively.^[22] Originally, the album had moderate success, but after Paparizou's Eurovision win the following year and subsequent reissues it was certified double Platinum by IFPI Greece.^{[citation needed]} To capitalize on the success, it was reissued as Protereotita: Euro Edition in single and double disc format, while it was released as a compilation in some European countries as My Number One, peaking at number 13 in Sweden.^[23] It spun off three singles: ("My Number One", "The Light in Our Soul and "A Brighter Day"), peaking at number one, three and 24, respectively, in the aforementioned country, while charting to a lesser extent elsewhere.^[24] "My Number One" charted in a number of countries and was released in the United States by Moda Records with remixes in August 2006, peaking at number eight on the Bilboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.^[25] The Euro Edition became Paparizou's first album to reach number one and earned her another Arion for Best Female Pop Singer, with "My Number One" peaking at number one on the Singles Chart, being certified Platinum, and becoming her first number-one airplay hit, while "The Light in Our Soul"/"To Fos Sti Psyhi" peaked at two. Paparizou released a new CD single "Mambo!", peaking at number one on both the Singles Chart for 10 weeks and gaining Platinum status, as well as the airplay charts, remaining her most successful single to date. The CD single itself was the second highest-selling single of the year, surpassing her Eurovision-winner "My Number One". She performed "My Number One" at the MAD VMAs in 2005 and in 2006 was awarded three honors for Best Pop Video ("The Light in Our Soul"), Best Video by a Female Artist ("My Number One"), and Artist of the Year ("Mambo!").^{[citation needed]} The album was reissued for a third time as Protereotita: Euro Edition + Mambo! in November.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, Paparizou was awarded with a European Border Breakers Award at the Midem Festival in Cannes, France for the international editions of her debut album, recognized by the European Union as one of the year's ten new artists to have success with their debut albums abroad.^[26] In promotion of the album, Paparizou was the opening act to the spring 2004 season show at Thalassa, sharing the stage with three other young artists, Apostolia Zoi, Nino and Thanos Petrelis,^[27] followed by performing as the opening act at Fever for Sakis Rouvas and Giorgos Mazonakis for the winter season.^[28][29] Georgia Laimou of E-go, an affiliate of the newspaper Eleftheros Typos, commented that Paparizou had the audience "half-asleep" by the time she left, but added "even though the audience did not clap for her or even throw flowers at her, she insisted in her choruses until the end."^[30]

Paparizou performing in Chicago, Illinois, in September 2005.

Wikinews has related news: Greece wins 2005 Eurovision song contest

Paparizou began residing in Greece permanently in 2004^[31] and after a long selection process led by national broadcaster Hellenic Radio and Television (ERT), she was internally selected as Greece's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kiev, Ukraine.^[32] Paparizou had not been an original choice of the broadcaster, who had been trying to secure a high profile artist and thus she was viewed as a possible back-up when the other deals failed to materialize.^[33] At the time, she expressed that no-one had wanted her to participate in Eurovision.^[34] The song "My Number One", composed by Dantis with lyrics by him and Natalia Germanou, was chosen by both the jury vote and televote in the Greek national final as the entry, defeating "Let's Get Wild" and "OK";^[35] the fourth song, "The Light in Our Soul", was disqualified due to being released prior to the deadline.^[36] Although her first name had previously always been spelled "Elena", Paparizou chose to promote herself as "Helena" as her Eurovision appearance approached, citing for it to stand out from other names that are popular in other countries; thus the spelling with the H has since been used on all non-Greek promotions and releases,^[37] although she has since stated that she prefers to be known as "Elena".^[38] Paparizou went on tour across Europe to promote the song.^[39] During this time, she was appointed an ambassador of the Greek Ministry of Tourism by its Μinister, Dimitris Avramopoulos, who invested 500 thousand euros into her campaign to promote Greece during her time abroad through merchandise and advertisements that aired throughout Europe.^[39][40][41] His decision, deemed a publicity stunt, was reviewed tepidly by colleagues; however, impressed with the result, he issued Paparizou to fulfill the role for the following year.^[40] On 21 May she won the contest for Greece for the first time in history, earning 230 points and the maximum 12 points from ten nations—tied for the most in one night up until that point. The moment of the victory garnered the highest television viewing ratings in Greek history^[42] and provoked mass celebrations on the streets of Athens,^[43] while she was also greeted by various government officials, including then Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos and then Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis at a reception at the Maximos Mansion, upon return.^[44][45][46]

Paparizou's Eurovision victory catapulted her from a relatively minor celebrity to a notable music act, cementing her solo career and giving her some international exposure.^[7][13][47] On 14 July she performed at the birthday gala of Princess Victoria of Sweden where while ascending the stage to greet the royal family, King Carl XVI Gustaf stood to embrace Paparizou instead of offering a handshake, causing controversy for putting his hand on her back, lower than what is socially acceptable. The Royal Court later issued a statement that his hand slipped.^[48] She subsequently toured Europe, performing in all countries that gave her 12 points, while a tour of North America and Australia for the Greek diaspora with Nikos Kourkoulis followed.^[49] Paparizou stated that should she ever consider doing anything Eurovision oriented again it would have to be for her birth country of Sweden,^[50] since she already had her turn with Greece. After serving as an opening act on numerous occasions, Paparizou performed as a main act at Fever for the 2005–06 season.^[51] Laimou gave the show a poor review, citing unprofessional aspects; weak vocal performances; and the performers' inability to enthuse the audience, while noting the lack of attendance, particularly the elite groups who reserve the front row tables.^[52]

[edit] 2006–07: Iparhi Logos, The Game of Love, and soundtracks

Paparizou performing with Paschalis Terzis at Iera Odos in 2006.

In January 2006, Paparizou was one of 25 artists who participated in the group Simmeteho Energa in the recording of the charity single "Eho Ti Dinami", which was released as a CD Single in support of the Greek Cancer Society. Paparizou was one of eight main vocalists. Paparizou's second album, Iparhi Logos, was released in Greece on 12 April 2006 to good critical reception.^{[citation needed]} In promotion, Paparizou performed the title track at the Arion Music Awards.^[53] The album, a two disc set, contained both previously released material and live recordings from her MAD Secret Concert held in December 2005, being the first edition of the series.^[54] The album peaked at number one in both Greece and Cyprus and generated three hit singles ("Iparhi Logos", "Gigolo" and "An Ihes Erthi Pio Noris"). It topped the Greek Albums Chart for multiple weeks and was certified platinum by IFPI Greece after seven months for shipments of 30 thousand copies^[55] and also reaching Platinum in Cyprus for shipments of six thousand copies.^[20] A cover of Celine Dion's "Just Walk Away" was released as a promo single, while the Greek version of "Mambo!" was also included. Paparizou won MAD VMAs for Best Video by a Female Artist ("Gigolo") and Best-Dressed Artist in a Video ("An Ihes Erthi Pio Noris") out of five nominations and also opened the show singing "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" and "Min Fevgeis";^[56][57] the album was also nominated for two Cyprus Music Awards in 2007, where she also performed.^[58] The album was reissued in February 2007 as Iparhi Logos: Platinum Edition to include Paparizou's number one hit "Mazi Sou", one of two songs she contributed for the soundtrack of the television series of the same name, "Fos" from the Barbie kai I Dodeka Vasilopoules soundtrack released in 2006, and her newest hit single, a cover of Voula Georgouti's rebetiko "Min Fevgeis", which reached number two.^[59] Prior to the reissue, the singles were also released on the EP single Fos, which reached number 1 on the Greek Top 50 Singles Chart and was certified Gold, making it her fourth consecutive number-one hit on that chart.^[60] On May 20, 2006, Paparizou opened the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens with "My Number One" and later performed "Mambo!" to promote her song internationally, however, ERT ran commercials during the performance and thus it was not broadcast in many nations. Paparizou's song "Heroes" was the official song of the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, where it was performed at the event. The single was released in Sweden and Finland, becoming her second number-one hit in the former.^[61]

Following Eurovision, Paparizou expressed interest in beginning an international career and her debut English-language album The Game of Love was released on 25 October 2006 and was followed by releases in 14 countries covering Europe and South Africa by April 2007, although this was much less than had been expected in hopes of kicking off an international career.^[62][63] In Greece and Cyprus, the album went to number one and received Platinum certifications.^{[citation needed]} Considered a "foreign" release, the album was only eligible to chart on the Greek Foreign Albums Chart, which it topped.^[64] It also topped the mixed Greek Albums Chart^[65] and was certified platinum by IFPI Greece after 11 weeks on the chart in January 2007, denoting shipments of 15 thousand copies.^[66] "Teardrops", a number-one hit, was released as the first Greek single from the album,^{[citation needed]} as "Mambo!" and "Gigolo" were previously released on Iparhi Logos, as was much of the album's material. The album failed to chart in many countries, peaking at 18 in Sweden and becoming her least successful album there since Antique's debut Mera Me Ti Mera.^{[citation needed]} Thus her label cancelled many of the foreign releases. "Mambo!" charted in Sweden at number 5 and became Gold. A new video was filmed for the song that was targeted towards a broader audience.^[67] Although Paparizou was expected to promote the album abroad over the winter, she ultimately opted to perform alongside Paschalis Terzis at Iera Odos from 27 October.^[68] Laimou felt that the production relied on bouzoukia conventions and lacked substance.^[69]

In early 2007, Paparizou became the spokesperson of Nokia Greece, her previous sponsor, and released the song "Ola Ine Mousiki" in October 2007 for promotion.^{[citation needed]} She also collaborated with retailer Plaisio and released a limited edition MP4 player called "MP4 Total Helena" (2GB) by Turbo-X, containing a special compilation and music videos,^[70] being additionally released as "TH4" MP4 in 2008 to include her new album material and exclusive content.^[71] She released a cover of Blind Melon's "3 Is a Magic Number" in Sweden as part of a television advertisement for a mobile phone company; it peaked at number 18,^[72] while she also was featured on TV presenter Nikos Aliagas' song "I Zilia Monaksia", a cover of the Pascal Obispo hit "L'envie d'Aimer", for his album project Rendez-Vous.^{[citation needed]} She also released the song "To Fili Tis Zois" for the soundtrack of the film of the same name, reaching number one for five weeks and becoming her most successful airplay single, as well as one of the most successful songs of the late 2000s.^[73] It was nominated for four MAD VMAs, winning Best Pop Video, while she won Artist of the Year for "Mazi Sou", while "I Zilia Monaxia" also picked up a nomination, totaling six nominations in 2008.^[74][75] The single was the first digital single to be certified Gold in Greece since the marketing trend became popular in 2006.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2008–2010: Vrisko To Logo Na Zo, Giro Apo T' Oneiro, and tours