History & Politics — 2005
Elections, conflicts, diplomacy, and the political turning points of 2005.
Table of Contents
History & Politics — 2005
Elections, conflicts, diplomacy, and the political turning points of 2005.
| File | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| George W. Bush's 2005 Second-Term Agenda | 2005-01-20 | Bush began 2005 with ambitions for Social Security privatization and judicial reform; the year ended with his domestic agenda collapsed but the Supreme Court remade via Roberts and Alito nominations. |
| January 2005 Iraqi Parliamentary Election | 2005-01-30 | Iraq held its first multi-party legislative elections since 1953 on January 30, with ~60% turnout despite insurgent threats, forming a Shia-dominated transitional assembly. |
| Assassination of Rafik Hariri and the Cedar Revolution | 2005-02-14 | A truck bomb killed former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri on February 14, sparking mass protests that ended Syria's 29-year military presence in Lebanon. |
| Darfur Genocide Escalation | 2005-02-25 | The armed conflict in Sudan's Darfur region escalated dramatically in 2005, with systematic attacks by Arab militias displacing hundreds of thousands and killing tens of thousands in what the international community recognized as genocide. |
| Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan | 2005-03-24 | Protests over fraudulent parliamentary elections stormed government headquarters in Bishkek on March 24, ousting President Askar Akayev in Central Asia's first colour revolution. |
| Death of Pope John Paul II | 2005-04-02 | Karol Wojtyła, pope since 1978 and the most-traveled pontiff in history, died on April 2 after a 26-year papacy; Cardinal Ratzinger succeeded him as Benedict XVI. |
| Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wedding | 2005-04-09 | Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles on April 9 in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall followed by a blessing at St George's Chapel, witnessed by 800 guests including the Queen. |
| Pope Benedict XVI's 2005 Election and Early Papacy | 2005-04-19 | Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, becoming the first German pope in over 1,000 years; his inaugural Mass on April 24 emphasized love and unity. |
| Tony Blair wins a third term in the 2005 UK general election | 2005-05-05 | Labour won the May 5 UK general election on 35.2% of the vote—the lowest share for any majority government—cutting its Commons majority from 167 to 66. |
| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad elected President of Iran | 2005-06-24 | Tehran's hardline mayor won the June 24 runoff with 63.24% against Rafsanjani, ending the reform era and taking office August 2. |
| 31st G8 Summit at Gleneagles | 2005-07-06 | At Gleneagles on July 6–8, G8 leaders pledged $50 billion in new annual aid and cancelled $40 billion in debt for 18 of the poorest nations. |
| 7/7 London Bombings | 2005-07-07 | Four coordinated suicide bomb attacks struck London's transit network on July 7, killing 52 commuters and injuring over 700 — Britain's deadliest terrorist attack since Lockerbie. |
| Provisional IRA Ends Its Armed Campaign | 2005-07-28 | The IRA ordered an end to its armed campaign on July 28 and disarmed by September, a landmark in the Northern Ireland peace process. |
| Camp Casey anti-war protest | 2005-08-06 | Cindy Sheehan camped near President Bush's Crawford ranch on August 6, demanding a meeting to question her son's death in Iraq, catalyzing nationwide anti-war activism. |
| Israeli Disengagement from the Gaza Strip | 2005-08-15 | Israel evacuated all 21 Gaza settlements and 4 in the northern West Bank starting August 15, removing ~8,000 settlers and reshaping Israeli politics. |
| Angela Merkel Elected Chancellor of Germany | 2005-09-18 | Germany elected Angela Merkel on September 18 in a closely fought contest, making her the country's first female Chancellor and leader of a grand coalition. |
| John Roberts Confirmed as Chief Justice of the United States | 2005-09-29 | The Senate confirmed John Roberts as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States on September 29 by a 78–22 vote, beginning the Roberts Court after Rehnquist's death reshaped the nomination. |
| Saddam Hussein's Trial Begins | 2005-10-19 | Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants went on trial before the Iraqi Special Tribunal on October 19 over the 1982 al-Dujail killings, in one of the decade's most closely watched cases. |
| Samuel Alito nominated to Supreme Court | 2005-10-31 | Bush nominated Samuel Alito on October 31 to replace Sandra Day O'Connor after Harriet Miers withdrew, cementing a conservative Supreme Court majority. |
| Lech Kaczyński elected President of Poland | 2005-12-23 | Lech Kaczyński, leader of the conservative Law and Justice party, won Poland's presidential runoff on November 27 with 54% and was inaugurated on December 23, marking a rightward turn in Polish politics. |
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