2004 Computing & Technology Events — Verified Historical Highlights
2004 Computing & Technology Events — Verified Historical Highlights | TakeMeBack.to
- 09 Jan US-Japan Fuel Cell Technology Collaboration: Secretary Abraham and Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Goji Sakamoto signed a joint statement of intent to collaborate on pre-competitive research and development in fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in Tokyo.
- 15 Jan DOD Grants Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Funding: The U.S. Department of Defense awards a three-year, $4.2 million grant to Los Alamos National Laboratory to research and predict future supercomputer performance. The research will be conducted in partnership with IBM Corporation.
- 27 Jan Mydoom: Fastest Spreading Email Virus: The Novarg/Mydoom email virus rapidly spreads across thousands of Microsoft Windows computers, becoming the fastest-spreading email worm at the time. This event highlights growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the early 2000s.
- 30 Jan IBM Retires Creator of Ctrl-Alt-Del Keystroke: IBM retires David Bradley, the computer engineer who created the iconic 'Ctrl-Alt-Del' keyboard combination, a fundamental troubleshooting method in computer history.
- 03 Feb Mydoom.B Virus Attacks Microsoft: The computer virus W32/Mydoom.B launched a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack against Microsoft's website at 13:09:18 UTC, highlighting growing cybersecurity challenges.
- 05 Feb SCO Expands Lawsuit Against IBM: The SCO Group escalates its Unix and Linux-related legal battle with IBM, adding a copyright violation claim to their existing lawsuit, which could have significant implications for the technology industry.
- 17 Feb FAA Mandates Fuel Tank Safety Measures: The US Federal Aviation Administration announced requirements for large aircraft to install fuel tank inerting devices to prevent explosions, following the TWA Flight 800 disaster in 1996. The retrofit would affect approximately 3,800 Boeing and Airbus aircraft over seven years.
- 23 Feb US Army cancels Comanche helicopter program: On February 23, 2004, the U.S. Army announced the cancellation of the Comanche helicopter program, citing budget constraints and changing military needs. This decision marked a significant shift in military procurement strategy. source: defense.gov
- 01 Mar Punycode Adoption in Central European Domain Registries: Punycode, an encoding method for internationalized domain names, was officially adopted by the national domain registrars of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, facilitating better representation of non-Latin characters in internet addresses.
- 09 Mar Genetically Modified Crop Approval in UK: Bayer's Chardon LL maize, a genetically modified crop, received approval for cultivation in England from 2005 to October 2006. The decision sparked controversy, with farmers, MPs, and environmental ministers expressing mixed reactions and challenging the scientific basis of the approval.
- 10 Mar DOE Hydrogen Technology Plan: The U.S. Department of Energy released its Hydrogen Posture Plan, outlining strategic activities and milestones for developing hydrogen technologies.
- 21 Mar Alarming carbon dioxide level increase: On March 21, 2004, scientists reported a significant increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, reaching concentrations not seen in at least 650,000 years. The rise was attributed to human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion, raising concerns about global climate change and its potential impacts. source: nytimes.com
- 29 Mar Buckyballs Research on Nanoparticle Toxicity: Scientific research suggests that synthetic carbon molecules called 'buckyballs' might cause brain damage in fish, raising important questions about the potential environmental and health impacts of nanoparticles.
- 31 Mar Google launches Gmail, offering 1 GB of free email storage: On March 31, 2004, Google introduced Gmail, a free email service offering 1 GB of storage, revolutionizing the email industry with its innovative features. source: theverge.com
- 01 Apr Gmail launch: On April 1, 2004, Google announced the launch of Gmail, a free web-based email service offering 1GB of storage per user. Due to the April Fools' Day release, many initially thought it was a prank. Gmail introduced features like threaded conversations and robust search capabilities, revolutionizing email services. source: wired.com
- 10 Apr CPOD: Personal Black Box Technology: Researchers developed a miniature device called the CPOD, designed to perform for individuals a function similar to airplane black boxes, potentially revolutionizing personal data and safety recording technology.
- 11 Apr Apple Investigates Mac OS X Security Vulnerability: Apple Computer was investigating a significant security flaw in Mac OS X that could potentially allow hackers to trick Mac computers into opening dangerous files like Trojan horses or viruses.
- 25 Apr Alan Kay receives ACM Turing Award: On April 25, 2004, Alan Kay was awarded the ACM Turing Award for his pioneering work in computer science, particularly in object-oriented programming and graphical user interfaces. This award is one of the highest honors in the field of computing. source: nytimes.com
- 01 May Sasser computer worm outbreak: The Sasser worm, a computer virus exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, emerged on May 1, 2004. It spread rapidly, causing computers to crash and reboot. Microsoft worked with law enforcement to track the perpetrators, leading to the arrest of an 18-year-old German student. source: washingtonpost.com
- 02 May Sasserworm Threatens Computer Systems: The Sasserworm, a computer virus capable of infecting Microsoft Windows systems without user interaction, posed a significant cybersecurity threat. Experts warned it could potentially spread as widely as the previous Blaster-worm epidemic.
- 03 May US science and technology leadership decline: In May 2004, reports indicated a decline in the United States' leadership in science and technology fields. Factors contributing to this trend included increased competition from other nations and challenges in maintaining a skilled workforce. source: nytimes.com
- 10 May Bosporus Tunnel Construction Begins: Turkey commenced construction of a strategic tunnel beneath the Bosporus Strait, a significant infrastructure project connecting Europe and Asia.
- 01 Jun IAEA reveals Iran's nuclear inconsistencies: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on June 1, 2004, that Iran had failed to disclose certain nuclear activities, raising concerns about the country's nuclear program. source: bbc.com
- 10 Jun Apple's Innovative Mac G5: Apple Computer announced its new top-of-the-line Mac G5 model featuring innovative water-cooling technology, signaling continued technological advancement in personal computing.
- 16 Jun First Symbian OS Bluetooth Cellphone Virus: Software experts develop a groundbreaking computer virus capable of infecting cellphones using Symbian OS with Bluetooth capabilities, signaling emerging cybersecurity threats.
- 19 Jun OpenBeOS Rebrands as Haiku Operating System: At the WalterCon in Columbus, Ohio, the open-source operating system project OpenBeOS officially announced its new name: Haiku. This marked a significant milestone for the community-driven operating system inspired by BeOS, aiming to create a modern, efficient alternative to mainstream operating systems.
- 27 Jul Iran resumes uranium centrifuge construction: On July 27, 2004, Iran announced the resumption of construction on its uranium centrifuges, a move that raised international concerns regarding its nuclear ambitions. This development was part of Iran's broader nuclear program, which has been a point of contention with Western nations. source: reuters.com
- 31 Jul Iran resumes nuclear centrifuge construction: On July 31, 2004, reports indicated that Iran had resumed construction of nuclear centrifuges, raising concerns about its nuclear program. This development was part of a series of actions that led to increased international scrutiny and diplomatic efforts to address Iran's nuclear activities. source: aljazeera.com
- 09 Aug Windows XP Service Pack 2 release: On August 9, 2004, Microsoft released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP. The update introduced significant security enhancements, including a built-in firewall and improved protection against spyware, addressing vulnerabilities that had been exploited by malware. source: microsoft.com
- 28 Aug First Software Freedom Day celebrated: The first Software Freedom Day was celebrated worldwide, promoting the use and development of free and open-source software. source: en.wikipedia.org
- 29 Aug Scientific Organizations Urge UN on Cloning Technology: The British Royal Society, along with 68 other organizations, urged the UN to ban reproductive cloning technology while supporting therapeutic applications, in response to the United States' attempt to ban human cloning.
- 01 Sep Iran's nuclear uranium conversion: On September 1, 2004, Iran announced the conversion of uranium, a significant step in its nuclear program. This development raised international concerns regarding Iran's intentions and compliance with nuclear agreements. source: reuters.com
- 18 Oct Iran's Nuclear Negotiations: On October 18, 2004, Iran engaged in nuclear negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), aiming to address international concerns over its nuclear program. source: en.wikipedia.org
- 01 Nov Grímsvötn volcano erupts in Iceland: On November 1, 2004, the Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland erupted, leading to ash clouds and disruptions in air travel across Europe. source: volcanodiscovery.com
- 07 Nov IBM Blue Gene/L becomes world's fastest supercomputer: IBM's Blue Gene/L was recognized as the world's fastest supercomputer, achieving unprecedented performance levels. This advancement marked a significant achievement in computational science and technology. source: ibm.com
- 09 Nov Mozilla Firefox 1.0 Release: Mozilla Firefox 1.0 was officially released on November 9, 2004, marking a significant milestone in web browsing. This version aimed to provide a faster, safer, and more user-friendly alternative to Internet Explorer. source: mozilla.org
- 10 Nov Spain's Solar Energy Mandate: Spain announced a groundbreaking policy requiring solar panels on all new and renovated buildings, signaling a significant step towards renewable energy adoption and sustainable urban development.
- 05 Dec Death of Seymour Ginsburg, Computer Scientist: Seymour Ginsburg, a prominent American computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field, passed away. Born in 1928, Ginsburg was known for his pioneering work in computer science and theoretical computing.
- 16 Dec Korea Train Express Launches: South Korea inaugurated its high-speed rail system, the Korea Train Express, connecting Seoul and Busan, marking a significant advancement in national transportation infrastructure.
- 30 Dec Taipei 101 Official Opening: On December 30, 2004, Taipei 101, then the world's tallest building, was officially opened in Taipei, Taiwan, marking a significant achievement in architectural engineering. source: en.wikipedia.org
What happened in 2004?
Discover what the world looked like in 2004: