2004

Events

March 7: Costas Karamanlis is elected Greek Prime Minister over Giorgos Papandreou. Karamanlis' New Democracy Party receives 45.36% of the vote whereas Papandreou's PASOK receives 40.55%. The Communist Party KKE is third with a 5.90% share of the vote.

April 24: Greek Cypriots reject by 75.83% the Annan Plan for Cyprus reunification.

May 3: Nikos Magitsis becomes the first Greek to climb Mt. Everest.
May 23: Panathinaikos put an end to Olympiakos 7-year reign in the Greek league after their 1-0 win over Paniliakos. The green team, which had already conquered the Greek Cup with a 3-1 win over Olympiakos, completed a memorable domestic double.

June 4: The Athens 2004 Olympic Flame started a journey from Ancient Olympia to Athens, during which it visited 26 states and 34 towns on all 5 continents.
June 12: The Greek National Football Team spoil hosts' (Portugal) party at Euro 2004 by beating the host team 2-1.
June 16: Greece draws with Spain 1-1 (Angelos Charisteas) in their second game for Euro 2004.
June 20: Greece qualify for the knockout stages of Euro 2004 despite losing 2-1 to Russia.
June 25: The Greek National Football Team advances to the Euro 2004 semi final game after beating France 1-0.

July 1 - The Greek National Football Team advances to the Euro 2004 final game after beating the Czech Republic 1-0 (silver goal, overtime).
July 4 - The Greek National Football Team beats Portugal at the final game of Euro 2004 and is crowned European Champions.

August 13: The opening Ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games takes place. Weightlifter Pyrros Dimas is the flag bearer for Greece.
August 16: Nikos Siranidis and Thomas Bimis win the gold medal, the first for Greece in the Athens Olympic Games, in the 3m platform synchronized diving
August 21: Sophia Bekatorou and Emilia Tsoulfa win the gold medal in the double handed dinghy (470) race at the Athens Olympic Games. Tasoula Kelesidou wins the silver medal (66.68) in discus throw, and 33-year-old Pyrros Dimas, the best ever Greek weightlifter, wins the bronze medal in the 85kgs category with 175+202.5 kgrs saying goodbye to competitions leaving his shoes in front of the barbell. In Nikea, 6.000 fans delaud him interrupting the medal ceremony for 10 minutes.
August 22: Fani Halkia sets a new Olympic record in the 400m hurdles semi-finals with 52.77.
August 26: Fani Halkia wins gold in the 400m hurdles at the Athens Olympic Games.
August 29: The closing ceremonies are held for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. Anna Vissi, Dionisis Savvopoulos, Marinella and other top Greek singers give memorable performances.

November 27: The relics of Saint Gregory Nazianzenus are returned to Constantinople by the Roman Catholic Church.