Timeline December 2004

Events in December 2004 13

• 1933 – 2004 Susan Sontag (1933-2004) Died 28 December 2004, aged 71 Sontag was an American writer and public intellectual known for essays such as "Notes on Camp" and "Regarding the Pain of Others." She was also a prominent political activist and novelist.
• 1998 – 2004 The Wild Thornberrys Voiced Nigel Thornberry in the Nickelodeon animated series The Wild Thornberrys, bringing the eccentric British wildlife documentarian to life with his distinctive voice. The role introduced him to a new generation of young fans and became one of the internet's earliest meme sensations.
• 2001 – 2004 Veganism and Animal Rights Became a prominent campaigner for veganism and animal rights, linking these causes to his broader philosophy of non-violence and social justice.
• 2004 2004: Michael Schumacher Ferrari Schumacher won his seventh and final title with 13 victories from 18 races, setting records that many believed would never be broken.
• 2004 Library of Congress Living Legend Awarded the Library of Congress Living Legend Medal for her contributions to the cultural heritage of the United States.
• 2004 My Life as Me Published his autobiography My Life as Me, offering a candid account of his early life, his battle with alcoholism, and the creation of his famous characters.
• 2004 National Medal of Science Received the National Medal of Science from President George W. Bush, the highest honour bestowed by the United States government on scientists.
• 2004 Second Battle of Fallujah US-led offensive to retake the insurgent stronghold US and Iraqi government forces launched a major assault to clear insurgents from Fallujah, one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq War. The fighting devastated much of the city and displaced most of its population.
• 2004 Orange Revolution begins in Ukraine Mass protests over a disputed presidential election Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets in Kyiv to protest a fraudulent runoff election won by Viktor Yanukovych. The Supreme Court ordered a rerun, which reformist candidate Viktor Yushchenko won on December 26.
• 2004 IBM sells ThinkPad to Lenovo IBM sells its Personal Computing Division — including the iconic ThinkPad laptop brand — to Lenovo for $1.75 billion in December 2004, completed in May 2005. The ThinkPad, introduced in 1992 with its distinctive black case and red TrackPoint, is the finest business laptop ever made. Its sale symbolises IBM's transformation from a hardware company to a services and software company. IBM retains an 18.9% stake in Lenovo as part of the deal. The ThinkPad name and design language continue under Lenovo.
• 2004 PSP — PlayStation goes portable Sony launches the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in December 2004 in Japan, March 2005 in North America — the most powerful handheld gaming device ever made at the time. The PSP features a stunning 4.3-inch widescreen display, UMD disc format and Wi-Fi connectivity. It sells 80 million units lifetime but ultimately fails to displace Nintendo DS in the handheld market. The PSP's successor, the PS Vita, is a commercial failure — ending Sony's handheld gaming ambitions.
• 2004 The Incredibles #5 film of 2004 — $631m worldwide Directed by Brad Bird at Pixar. A family of superheroes lives in hiding until they are called back into action.
• 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami 230,000 killed — deadliest natural disaster of 21st century A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra generated a massive tsunami on December 26, 2004. Waves up to 30 metres high killed approximately 230,000 people across 14 countries.