Born in 2004
Turns 22 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 2004
2004 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $30.00Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $30.00
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $30.00
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $30.00
Front Page: United States edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 2004 · United States
A little history to go with their gift.
Facebook began as a Harvard campus network, and NASA’s Spirit rover landed in Gusev Crater on Mars. Spirit studied Martian rocks and the planet’s history of water. British comedy Shaun of the Dead paired zombie horror with pub-life humour.
What happened in 2004?
Olympics return to Athens for the summer
Athens hosted the Summer Olympics from August 13 to 29 2004. More than ten thousand athletes competed there.
International Equestrian Federation · CBS News / Associated Press
Michael Phelps won eight medals in Athens
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Michael Phelps won six gold and two bronze medals, tying the single-Games record of eight.
Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), official results · NBC Olympics
Return of the King swept the Oscars
At the 76th Academy Awards on February 29, 2004, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated, including Best Picture.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences · The Washington Post, William Booth
MESSENGER sets out for Mercury
NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft began its journey to Mercury, the first mission sent to orbit the planet.
Firsts and new ideas
Spirit lands in Gusev Crater
NASA’s Spirit rover landed in Gusev Crater on 4 January 2004, beginning a highly productive mission to study rocks and the history of water on Mars.
Facebook begins in a Harvard dorm
Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students launched Facebook on 4 February 2004, beginning with a campus network that would expand beyond universities.
The Harvard Crimson, by Alan J. Tabak · TIME, by Harry McCracken
Number ones and music in 2004
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
“Yeah!” leads Billboard’s 2004 year-end Hot 100
Billboard ranked “Yeah!” by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris No. 1 on its 2004 year-end Hot 100 Singles & Tracks recap.
Usher turns Yeah! into the year’s command
Usher released Yeah! in 2004; it reached UK charts in March and topped Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40 in April.
Prices and everyday money in 2004
United States figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| White pan bread, U.S. city average | $0.97 | pound Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED; source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Stacker Stories (Ben Wittstein) |
| Fresh whole milk, fortified, U.S. city average | $3.16 | gallon Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED; source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Inflation Calculator |
| Domestic first-class letter rate, first ounce | 37¢ | first ounce United States Postal Service; InflationCalculator.com |
| Federal minimum wage for covered, nonexempt workers | $5.15 | hour U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; InflationCalculator.com |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 2004 turns 22 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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