WHAT ALL HAPPENED FEBRUARY TO DECEMBER 2005
Find out what all happened February to December 2005

STS-114: NASA grounds the Space Shuttle, pending an investigation of the continuing problem with the shedding of foam insulation from the external fuel tank. During ascent, the external tank of the Space Shuttle Discovery sheds a piece of foam slightly smaller than the piece that caused the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster; this foam does not strike the spacecraft. (27. July 2005)

Under international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of that country (Syrian occupation of Lebanon). (26. April 2005)

The Provisional Irish Republican Army calls an end to its thirty year long armed campaign in Northern Ireland. (28. July 2005)

A jury in Santa Maria, California acquits pop singer Michael Jackson of molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo at his Neverland Ranch. (13. June 2005)

King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d'état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers. (1. February 2005)

Cronulla riots: Thousands of White Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese (and many who are not) in Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. These are followed up by retaliatory ethnic attacks on Cronulla. (11. December 2005)

A suicide bombing at a police recruiting centre in Al Hillah, Iraq kills 127. (28. February 2005)

Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924 who allegedly claimed to have a bomb, is shot and killed by a team of U.S. federal air marshals at Miami International Airport. (7. December 2005)

Ante Gotovina, a Croatian army general accused of war crimes, is captured in the Playa de las Américas, Tenerife, by Spanish police. (7. December 2005)

The first partial human face transplant is completed in Amiens, France. (27. November 2005)

Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in Florida resulting in 35 direct 26 indirect fatalities and causing $20.6B USD in damage. (24. October 2005)

Karolos Papoulias becomes President of Greece. (12. March 2005)

Astronomers announce their discovery of the dwarf planet Eris. (29. July 2005)

Riots begin in Paris after the deaths of two Muslim teenagers. (27. October 2005)

Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, is fatally shot by an LTTE sniper at his home. (12. August 2005)

Same-sex marriage in Spain becomes legal. (3. July 2005)

Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin, making the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 22 named storms. (22. October 2005)

107 die in Amagasaki rail crash in Japan. (25. April 2005)

A massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java, affecting almost 100 million people, the one of the largest and most widespread power outages in history. (18. August 2005)

Texas City Refinery explosion: During a test on a distillation tower liquid waste builds up and flows out of a blowout tower. Waste fumes ignite and explode killing 15 workers. (23. March 2005)