When This Dropped

February 24, 2004

President
G. Bush
Dow Jones
10,566
Gas/gal
$1.88
Big Mac
$2.90
Min Wage
$5.15

By the winter of 2004, Bush was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $5.15/hr — the U.S. military was entering its second year of operations in Iraq, with troop deployments stretching across the Middle East and debate at home remaining steady but largely measured. On the cultural front, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was dominating box offices and awards season on its way to Best Picture, while Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" had settled in as the must-read novel in American households. The Boston Red Sox had just broken their 86-year World Series drought by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, and on January 25, NASA's Opportunity rover successfully landed on the surface of Mars, marking another milestone in robotic planetary exploration.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — February 24, 2004

New York Times
Time
Rolling Stone
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of February 24, 2004

In '71 Antiwar Words, A Complex View Of Kerry

Getting Out The Muslim Vote; Advocates Battle Cynicism In Community

World Events — February 2004

Time Person of the Year — 2004

The American Soldier
Person of the Year
The American Soldier

On the radio

Billboard Charts — February 24, 2004

Yeah!
Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
Hot 100 #1
"Yeah!"
Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
Miami Vice
Soundtrack
Billboard 200 #1
"Miami Vice"
Soundtrack

Grammy Awards

Genius Loves Company
Ray Charles
Grammy Album of the Year
"Genius Loves Company"
Ray Charles
Daughters
John Mayer
Grammy Song of the Year
"Daughters"
John Mayer
Here We Go Again
Ray Charles & Norah Jones
Grammy Record of the Year
"Here We Go Again"
Ray Charles & Norah Jones
Maroon 5
Grammy Best New Artist
Maroon 5

On the bookshelf

The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown
NYT Fiction #1
"The Da Vinci Code"
Dan Brown
The South Beach Diet
Arthur Agatston
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"The South Beach Diet"
Arthur Agatston
The Known World
Edward P. Jones
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"The Known World"
Edward P. Jones
The News from Paraguay
Lily Tuck
National Book Award Fiction
"The News from Paraguay"
Lily Tuck
Arc of Justice
Kevin Boyle
National Book Award Nonfiction
"Arc of Justice"
Kevin Boyle

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 2003–04 Season

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Nielsen #1 TV Show
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
2003–04 Season

Emmy Winners — 2004

Lost
Emmy Drama Series
Lost
Everybody Loves Raymond
Emmy Comedy Series
Everybody Loves Raymond
James Spader
Boston Legal
Emmy Lead Actor
James Spader
Boston Legal
Mariska Hargitay
Law & Order: SVU
Emmy Lead Actress
Mariska Hargitay
Law & Order: SVU

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — February 24, 2004

50 First Dates
Box Office #1
50 First Dates
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Oscar Best Picture
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby
Oscar Best Director
Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx
Ray
Oscar Best Actor
Jamie Foxx
Ray
Hilary Swank
Million Dollar Baby
Oscar Best Actress
Hilary Swank
Million Dollar Baby

Ebert 4-Star Films — February 24, 2004

Baadasssss!
4-Star Review
Baadasssss!
Closer
4-Star Review
Closer
Dr. Strangelove (Restored Version)
4-Star Review
Dr. Strangelove (Restored Version)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
4-Star Review
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Hotel Rwanda
4-Star Review
Hotel Rwanda

On the field

Sports Champions — February 24, 2004

Super Bowl
New England Patriots
def. Carolina Panthers
World Series
Boston Red Sox
def. St. Louis Cardinals
NBA Champion
Detroit Pistons
def. Los Angeles Lakers
Stanley Cup
Tampa Bay Lightning
def. Calgary Flames
Summer Olympics
Athens, Greece
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