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A.T.& T.

A.T.& T.

AT&T Inc. , based in San Antonio, Texas, is the largest provider of both local long distance telephone services and wireless service (through its Cingular division) in the United States. The company was formed by SBC Communications' purchase of its former parent company, AT&T Corp., in 2005. As a part of the merger, SBC shed its name and took on the iconic AT&T moniker (originally American Telephone and Telegraph).

Overview

SBC Communications

2005 Southwestern Bell Corporation was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies, or "Baby Bells." The company — a holding company for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company — was a result of U.S. antitrust action against AT&T in 1983. AT&T had adopted the name Southwestern Bell for its local operations in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas in April 1920. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed Southwestern Bell to become a national telephone provider, and it subsequently bought fellow Baby Bells Pacific Telesis and Ameritech, as well as independent Bell System franchise SNET. SNET In 1995, Southwestern Bell changed its name to SBC Communications, Inc. The company stated that "SBC" no longer stood for anything. SBC told the FCC that it would allow competitors access to local markets where it had had a monopoly if the FCC would allow them to acquire Ameritech. The FCC later fined SBC Communications $6 million for failure to comply with agreements made in order to secure approval of the merger. In May 1998, SBC and Ameritech, the Regional Bell operating company serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, announced merger plans. After making several organizational changes (such as the sale of Ameritech Wireless to GTE) to satisfy state and Federal regulators, the two merged on October 8, 1999. SBC currently provides local telephone service in 13 states (Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin) and long distance service to 10 million customers, and owns 60% of mobile phone provider Cingular. Cingular acquired AT&T Wireless in 2004, making Cingular the largest mobile phone service in the United States, with over 50 million subscribers. (Fellow Baby Bell BellSouth owns the other 40% of Cingular.) SBC is also a large American Internet Service Provider, and is the largest DSL provider in the US, with more than 5.1 million DSL lines. The company formerly traded on the NYSE as "SBC".

Legacy AT&T

Legacy AT&T provided voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. During its long history, AT&T had at times been the world's largest telephone company, the world's largest cable television operator, and a regulated monopoly. At its peak, it employed one million people and its revenue was roughly $300 billion annually in today's dollars. At the time of the merger with SBC, AT&T was headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey.

History

Bedminster, New Jersey The formation of the Bell Telephone Company superseded an agreement between Alexander Graham Bell and his financiers, principal among them Gardiner G. Hubbard and Thomas Sanders. Renamed the National Bell Telephone Company in March 1877, it became the American Bell Telephone Company in March 1880. By 1881, it had bought a controlling interest in the Western Electric Company from Western Union. Only three years earlier, Western Union had turned down Gardiner Hubbard's offer to sell it all rights to the telephone for $100,000. In 1880, the management of American Bell, created what would become AT&T Long Lines. The project was the first of its kind to create nationwide long-distance network with a commercially viable cost-structure. This project was formally incorporated into a separate company christened American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation on March 3, 1885. Starting from New York the network reached Chicago, Illinois in 1892. Bell's patent on the telephone expired in 1894, but the company's much larger customer base made its service much more valuable than alternatives and substantial growth continued. On December 30, 1899, the American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation bought the assets of American Bell--this was because Massachusetts corporate laws were very restrictive and limited capitalization to ten million dollars, forestalling the growth of American Bell itself. National long distance service reached San Francisco in 1915. Transatlantic services started in 1927 using two-way radio, but the first transatlantic telephone cable did not arrive until 1956, with TAT-1.

National monopoly

In 1907, AT&T president Theodore Vail proposed that a formal monopoly would be more efficient. The federal government accepted this principle, initially in the Kingsbury Commitment of 1913. For most of the 20th century, AT&T subsidiary AT&T Long Lines thus enjoyed a near-total monopoly on long distance telephone service in the United States. AT&T also controlled 22 Bell Operating Companies which provided local telephone service to most of the United States. While there were many "independent telephone companies", General Telephone being the most significant, the Bell System was far larger than all the others, and widely considered a monopoly itself. During the early 1920s, AT&T bought Lee De Forest's patents on the "audion", the first triode vacuum tube, which let them enter the radio business. Thanks to the pressures of World War I, AT&T and RCA owned all useful patents on vacuum tubes. RCA staked a position in wireless communication; AT&T pursued the use of tubes in telephone amplifiers. Some patent allies and partners in RCA were angered when the two companies' research on tubes began to overlap; there were many patent disputes. AT&T, RCA, and their patent allies and partners finally settled their disputes in 1926 by compromise. AT&T decided to focus on the telephone business as a communications common carrier, and sold its broadcasting subsidiary Broadcasting Corporation of America to RCA. The assets included station WEAF, which for some time had broadcast from AT&T headquarters in New York City. In return, RCA signed a service agreement with AT&T, ensuring any radio network RCA started would have transmission connections provided by AT&T. Both companies agreed to cross-license patents, ending that aspect of the dispute. RCA, GE, and Westinghouse were now free to combine their assets to form the National Broadcasting Company, or NBC network. In 1925, AT&T created a new unit called Bell Telephone Laboratories, commonly known as Bell Labs. This research and development unit proved highly successful, pioneering, among other things, radio astronomy, the transistor, the photovoltaic cell, the Unix operating system, and the C programming language. However, its parent company did not always capitalize on these achievements. In 1949 the Justice Department filed an antitrust suit aimed at forcing the divestiture of Western Electric, which was settled seven years later by AT&T's agreement to confine its products and services to common carrier telecommunications and license its patents to "all interested parties". A key effect of this was to ban AT&T from selling computers despite its key role in electronics research and development. 1949 Public utility commissions in all state and local jurisdictions regulated the Bell System and all the other telephone companies. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulated all service across state lines. These commissions controlled the rates that companies could charge, and the specific services and equipment they could offer. Nonetheless, technological innovation continued. For example, AT&T commissioned the first experimental communications satellite, Telstar I in 1962.

Erosion of natural monopoly

For many years, AT&T had been permitted to retain its monopoly status under the assumption that it was a natural monopoly. The rise of cheap microwave communications equipment in the 1970s opened a window of opportunity for competitors--no longer was the acquisition of expensive rights-of-way necessary for the construction of a long-distance telephone network. In light of this, the FCC permitted MCI (Microwave Communications, Inc) to sell communication services to large-businesses. This technical-economic argument against the necessity of AT&T's monopoly position would hold for a mere fifteen years until the beginning of the fiber-optics revolution sounded the end of microwave-based long distance.

Break up, spinoffs and restructuring

MCI The rest of the telephone monopoly lasted until final settlement of a 1974 United States Department of Justice antitrust suit against AT&T on January 8, 1982, under which AT&T ("Ma Bell") agreed to divest its local exchange service operating companies, in return for a chance to go into the computer business (see AT&T Computer Systems). Although the Department of Defense did not want AT&T to be broken, effective January 1, 1984, AT&T's local operations were split into seven independent Regional Bell Operating Companies known as "Baby Bells". AT&T, reduced in value by about 70%, continued to run all its long distance services, although it lost some market share in the ensuing years to competitors MCI and Sprint Corporation. A sign that hung in many Bell facilities in 1983 read: "There are two giant entities at work in our country, and they both have an amazing influence on our daily lives . . . one has given us radar, sonar, stereo, teletype, the transistor, hearing aids, artificial larynxes, talking movies, and the telephone. The other has given us the Civil War, the Spanish American War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, double-digit inflation, double digit unemployment, the Great Depression, the gasoline crisis, and the Watergate fiasco. Guess which one is now trying to tell the other one how to run its business?" After its own attempt to penetrate the computer marketplace failed, in 1991, AT&T absorbed NCR Corporation (National Cash Register), hoping to capitalize on the burgeoning personal computer and UNIX networked server markets, but was unable to extract lasting financial or technological gains from the merger. After deregulation of the U.S. telecom industry via the Telecommunications Act of 1996, NCR was divested again. At the same time, AT&T's equipment manufacturing operations and the renowned Bell Laboratories were spun off into Lucent Technologies. The industry as a whole had many other reorganizations since the 1990s, both due to deregulation and because of technological advances reducing demand and pricing power in telecommunications. In 1997, AT&T hired former IBM executive Michael Armstrong as its chief executive officer. Armstrong's vision was to change AT&T from a long-distance carrier into a global "telecommunications supermarket", eyeing Internet services for the booming dot-com industry. Armstrong's most prominent strategy was buying significant cable television assets. After acquiring John Malone's TCI and Media One (gaining through the latter a 25% share of Time Warner Cable), AT&T was the largest provider of cable television in the United States. It intended to use these assets to bridge the so-called "last mile" and break the Regional Bell Companies' access-monopoly of the consumer household for data and telephony services, but the wager was costly, substantially increasing the company's debt. In 1998, AT&T announced a US$1 billion alliance with BT to offer global voice over IP (VoIP) services, sparking rumors of a potential merger [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9807/26/bt.att/]. But the parties fought for control of the project and could not even agree on the alliance's name. By mid-2001, customers were being directed to sign contracts with the parent companies, and Concert, as the venture was eventually known, was scrapped in October that year. October In 1999 AT&T acquired the Olivetti & Oracle Research Lab, from Olivetti and Oracle Corporation. In 2002 it closed down the research part of the lab. With long-distance rates falling and the market for telecommunications services overall weakening, AT&T could not sustain the debt it had incurred in these ventures. Moreover, the cost of upgrading TCI's equipment to handle two-way communications proved far higher than pre-merger estimates. AT&T undertook a major reorganization in October 2000, moving its mobile phone and broadband units into separate companies, to allow each unit to raise capital independently. On July 9, 2001 it spun off AT&T Wireless Corp. in what was then the world's largest initial public offering (IPO). Later that year it spun off AT&T Broadband and Liberty Media, which comprised its cable TV assets. AT&T Broadband was subsequently acquired by Comcast in 2002, and AT&T Wireless merged with Cingular Wireless in 2004. In 2004, the U.S. government eliminated equal access regulations that allowed long-distance phone companies to access the networks owned by the regional Bell carriers at fixed rates. This ultimately caused AT&T to move away from the residential telephone business--declaring in the process that it would no longer market residential telephone service. Instead, its residential focus shifted to offering a voice service over a broadband Internet connection called AT&T CallVantage.

Divisions

A division of AT&T, the Lucky Dog Phone Company provides a pay-as-you-go long distance phone service for in-state, state-to-state, and international calls with charges added to the caller's regular monthly phone bill. Under the name 10-10-345, Lucky Dog sponsored the #45 Winston Cup car driven by Rich Bickle in 1999.

Nicknames

AT&T was also known as "Ma Bell" and affectionately called "Mother" by phone phreaks. Spinoffs like the Regional Bell Operating Companies or RBOCs were often called "Baby Bells". The AT&T Globe Symbol, the corporate logo designed by Saul Bass in 1983, has been nicknamed the Death Star in reference to Star Wars. This name was also given to the titanic Bell Labs facility in Holmdel, New Jersey, now owned by Lucent.

Creation of the new AT&T

Image:newatt.gif On January 31, 2005, SBC announced that it would purchase AT&T for more than $16 billion. The announcement came almost 8 years after SBC and AT&T called off their first merger talks and nearly a year after merger talks between AT&T and BellSouth fell apart. AT&T stockholders, meeting in Denver, approved the merger on June 30, 2005. The U.S. Department of Justice cleared the merger on October 27, 2005, and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved it on October 31, 2005. The merger was finalized on November 18 2005. SBC announced that the name of the merged company will be AT&T, Inc., and it adopted an updated logo. The merger means that BellSouth is the last "baby bell" to retain it's original name (the other six "baby bells" have all merged with other companies and thus received new names). The merger is ironic in the fact that one of the "baby bells" grew to the strength to buy out "Ma Bell" AT&T. On December 1, 2005 the "T" stock ticker symbol was implemented on the NYSE.

Bell Operating Companies

Of the 22 Bell Operating Companies part of AT&T's Bell System prior to 1984, 9 are a part of the "new" AT&T:
- Illinois Bell
- Michigan Bell
- Ohio Bell
- Indiana Bell
- Wisconsin Telephone
- Southwestern Bell
- Pacific Bell
- Nevada Bell
- Southern New England Telephone - Now wholly owned, AT&T held only a minority interest before 1984.

Places named after SBC

- Jones SBC Stadium - Lubbock, Texas
- SBC Park - San Francisco, California (formerly Pacific Bell Park)
- SBC Center - San Antonio, Texas
- SBC Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City Note: These places are all subject to name changes now that SBC has changed its name to AT&T.

AT&T's competitors

- Sprint Nextel Corporation
- MCI
- BellSouth
- Qwest
- Verizon
- Equant (France Télécom)

External links

- [http://www.thenewatt.com/ Corporate web site]
- [http://www.att.com/ AT&T corporate website]
- [http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrc9077a.html Press Release announcing FCC Approval of SBC-Ameritech merger] (1999-10-06)
- [http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=sbc Stock Quote from Yahoo!]
- [http://www.swbfreedomphone.com/ Southwestern Bell Freedom Phone]
- [http://www.bellisback.com/ The Bell System is rumored to be back after the merger]
- [http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/ The Bell System Memorial] - comprehensive company and technical history website run by David Massey
- [http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/jul05/0705att.html July 2005 IEEE Article]
- [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/10/10103.html Yahoo! – AT&T Corp. Company Profile]
- [http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cjv14n2-6.html Unnatural Monopoly: Critical Moments in the Development of the Bell System Monopoly] by Adam D. Thierer
- [http://www.buyblue.org/node/1799/view/summary SBC's Corporate political contributions] Category:Bell System Category:AT&T Category:Communications companies of the United States Category:Internet service providers Category:Public utilities of the United States Category:Telecommunications companies Category:Fortune 500 companies Category:Companies based in Texas Category:San Antonio, Texas Category:Companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange ko:AT&T ja:AT&T

San Antonio, Texas

] San Antonio is the county seat of Bexar County, Texas. San Antonio was named for Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day it was when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691. San Antonio was the third-largest city within the state of Texas and ninth in the United States as of the 2000 U.S. Census, with a population of 1.1 million. The July 1, 2004 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, however, placed the city's population of 1,236,249 and is now the second-largest city in Texas (surpassing Dallas) and eighth in the United States. San Antonio is the county seat of Bexar County. The San Antonio metropolitan area (MSA) is the third largest within Texas with a population of about 1.8 million as of the 2003 U.S. Census estimates. Famous for its Riverwalk and the Alamo, its Tejano culture, the three-time NBA Champion Spurs basketball team, the Tower of the Americas, and being home to SeaWorld and Fiesta Texas theme parks, San Antonio is visited by 20 million tourists per year. The city has a strong military presence, it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base and Brooks City Base. San Antonio is home to the first museum of Modern Art in Texas, the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum^{[http://www.mcnayart.org/index2.html]}. San Antonio's corporate profile includes AT&T Inc. (formerly SBC Communications), Valero Energy Corp, USAA, Tesoro Petroleum Corp, Southwest Research Institute, H-E-B supermarkets and Clear Channel Communications, which are all headquartered in the city. San Antonio is also home to the South Texas Medical Center, the largest medical research and care provider in South Texas. The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move.

History

The place San Antonio and the San Antonio River were formally named under Spanish viceregal authority on June 13, 1691, by a Spanish expedition led by Domingo Teran de los Rios, the governor of the province of Texas of New Spain and Franciscan Father Damien Massanet who named the river and site in honor of Portuguese born Saint Anthony of Padua "because it was his day" on the official Catholic Church calendar; St. Anthony was born June 13, 1231, in Lisbon. From that point on, the location was known as San Antonio and it appeared that way on both official and unofficial maps. Some settlers had been left at the site, but they soon died from the elements or from hostile Indians. Various other expeditions came through the area but the one which established permanent occupancy by European settlers occurred May 1-5, 1718, when Gov. Don Martin Alarcon and Father Antonio Olivares founded Mission San Antonio de Valero and the Presidio of San Antonio de Bexar. In 1720, Mission San Jose was founded and then three missions were moved from East Texas to San Antonio in 1731 -- Mission Conception, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada. Lisbon Lisbon On March 9, 1731, a contingent of 55 settlers from Spain's Canary Islands arrived in San Antonio armed with a royal charter to establish the first civilian government in Texas, joining the religious and military establishments that were already in San Antonio. The islanders named their city, Villa de San Fernando, a name that never stuck because the place and river had already been known for 40 years as San Antonio. The missions closed in the late 1700s and the old Mission San Antonio was occupied in 1803 as headquarters for 100 members of the Second Flying Company (mounted lancer cavalry) of San Carlos de Parras (Alamo de Parras) sent to reinforce the Spanish garrison at the Presidio. They named the old mission compound El Alamo after their former home. The city's first hospital was opened there as well. In 1821 Spain granted Mexico its independence and American settlers were allowed into Texas under special conditions. In late 1835 San Antonians fought with the Mexican garrison, forcing its surrender and sending the troops to Mexico City. That enraged Mexico President Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who led his army to San Antonio to put down the local insurrection. He arrived Feb. 23 and a 13-day siege ensued with about 200 defenders inside the Alamo complex holding off several thousand Mexican troops until the final assault before dawn on March 6 in which all the defenders died in what became one of the most famous battles in history. Santa Anna was defeated April 21 at the Battle of San Jacinto near Houston in which he agreed to recognize Texas independence that had been declared on March 2 by Texas leaders. The independent Republic of Texas, however, was not recognized by the goverment in Mexico City, but was by the United States, France and England. Texas petitioned the United States for annexation as a state, which was granted in 1845. That touched off war with Mexico (1847-49)in which the U.S. Marines occupied Mexico City (from the Halls of Montezuma) and eventually saw Mexico surrender to the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in which the United States claimed Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and parts of Kansas, Wyoming and other states. Today, the Alamo is a historic shrine in downtown San Antonio surrounded by businesses, hotels and tourist attractions such as the River Walk or Paseo del Rio. The other four Spanish colonial Missions have been restored and are part of the Missions San Antonio National Historical Park and all operate as active missions or parishes of the Catholic archdiocese of San Antonio.

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,067.3 km² (412.07 mi²). 1,055.6 km² (407.56 mi²) of it is land and 11.7 km² (4.51 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.09% water. The city sits on the Balcones Escarpment.

Climate

San Antonio's weather is somewhat dry, turning hot in the summer, mild in the winter with cool nights, and comfortably warm in the spring and fall. Only a few freezes occur each year and snow is rare. In San Antonio, July is the average warmest month. The highest temperature ever to be recorded was 111°F/43.8ºC on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0°F/-17.7ºC on January 31, 1949. May, June and October have quite a bit of precipitation. Winter: Average daytime highs are in the low to mid 60's while being around 40 degrees overnight. Spring: Average daytime highs are in the upper 70's to low 80's while being in the upper 50's low 60's overnight. Summer: Average daytime highs are in the mid to upper 90's while being in the low to mid 70's overnight. Fall: Average daytime highs are in the low to mid 80's while dropping into the upper 50's and low 60's overnight.

Demographics

1949 According to the 2000 census, San Antonio is the 9th largest city in the United States and the 3rd largest in Texas (8th and 2nd according to the July 1, 2004 U.S. Census Bureau estimates). There are 1,144,646 people, 405,474 households, and 280,993 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,084.4/km² (2,808.5/mi²). There are 433,122 housing units at an average density of 410.3/km² (1,062.7/mi²). According to Texas.com, the current racial make up of San Antonio is: 32% non-Hispanic White, 7% African-American, 2% Asian, 1% Native American; 58% of the population is Hispanic. Hispanics blanket the city, and can be found anywhere in the city. San Antonio's relatively small African-American community resides in the city's eastern neighborhoods, while Anglo/Whites reside in the northern neighborhoods. In the city the population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population are Males, and 52% of the population are Females. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city is $36,214, and the median income for a family is $41,331. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Tourism

poverty line] San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the Paseo del Rio, or River Walk, which meanders through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. The downtown area also features HemisFair Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, the city's most widely recognized landmark, the Alamo, and the historic Menger Hotel. Other places of interest include Brackenridge Park (home of the San Antonio Zoo), the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the Witte Museum, the McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld of Texas, and the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park. Six Flags Fiesta Texas Every April, San Antonio hosts Fiesta San Antonio, a 10-day celebration of the city's diverse cultures and of the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, featuring over one hundred events held throughout the city. Visitors can also experience something of the cowboy culture every February at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo; year round, they can also see the 40 ft./12 m. tall cowboy boots at North Star Mall. Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. San Antonio also has no shortage of establishments offering Texas style barbecue, and for the truly intrepid barbecue aficionado, a day trip to some of the more renowned barbecue pits and smokehouses of Central Texas is both necessary and easily manageable.

Districts and Neighborhoods

See main article: Districts and Neighborhoods of San Antonio, Texas

Government

San Antonio operates on the council-manager form of government. Voters elect 11 representatives. This includes 10 district representatives and 1 mayor to pass laws and establish policies for the city. San Antonio politics is non-partisan. Representatives are paid $20 a meeting, while the Mayor earns $4040 a year. The council hires a City Manager to serve as the City's chief administrator. The current mayor is Phil Hardburger.

Transportation

Districts and Neighborhoods of San Antonio, TexasThe San Antonio International Airport is located in north central San Antonio, approximately eight miles from downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 12 airlines serving 28 destinations including 3 in Mexico. An extensive bus and trolley system is provided by the city's metropolitan transit system, [http://www.viainfo.net VIA.] VIA offers 78 regular bus routes and four trolley routes, including express routes from downtown to the theme parks. VIA also offers a special service to city events, including Spurs games and city parades, from its Park and Ride locations. San Antonio serves as the southern terminus for Amtrak's Texas Eagle train service, originating in Chicago. From there, the Sunset Limited travels west to Los Angeles and east to Orlando three times per week. The old [http://www.sunset-station.com Sunset Station] is now an entertainment venue owned by VIA and neighbored by the current station and the Alamodome.

Notable San Antonians

See main article and list of Notables of San Antonio, Texas.

Sister cities

- Notables of San Antonio, Texas Guadalajara, Mexico
- Mexico Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Taiwan Kumamoto, Japan
- Japan Kwangju, South Korea
- South Korea Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
- Spain Monterrey, Mexico
- Mexico Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Education and scientific research

Colleges and Universities

Spain San Antonio hosts several institutions of higher education offering associate's degrees or higher, including:
- Our Lady of the Lake University [http://www.ollusa.edu]
- St. Mary's University School of Law [http://www.stmarytx.edu/law]
- St. Mary's University [http://www.stmarytx.edu]
- Trinity University [http://www.trinity.edu]
- University of the Incarnate Word [http://www.uiw.edu]
- The University of Texas at San Antonio [http://www.utsa.edu]
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Alamo Community College District. [http://www.accd.edu]
- Palo Alto College [http://www.accd.edu/pac/htm/]
- San Antonio College [http://www.accd.edu/sac]
- Northwest Vista College [http://www.accd.edu/nvc/]
- St. Philip's College [http://www.accd.edu/spc]
- ITT Technical Institute. [http://www.itt-tech.edu]
- Hallmark Institute Of Technology [http://www.hallmarkinstitute.com]
- Southwest Research Institute [http://www.swri.org/]
- Baptist University of the Americas [http://www.bua.edu]

Schools

San Antonio and Bexar County are served by 15 separate independent school districts, largest among these are Northside Independent School District with an estimated total enrollment of 78,104 (6th largest in Texas), San Antonio Independent School District with an estimated enrollment of 57,500 and North East Independent School District with an enrollment of 59,101. Other districts that serve portions of the city of San Antonio include Alamo Heights, East Central, Edgewood, Fort Sam Houston, Harlandale, Judson, Lackland, Randolph Field Independent School District--Randolph, known as the Ro-Hawks (short for Rocket Hawks), South San Antonio, and Southwest.

Private Schools

San Antonio has many private schools, notably Central Catholic Marianist High School, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio Christian Schools, Keystone and T.M.I.: The Episcopal School of Texas

Other educational facilities

- San Antonio Public Library [http://www.sanantonio.gov/library/?res=1024&ver=true]

Media and entertainment

Newspaper

San Antonio has one major newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News [http://www.mysanantonio.com/], which has been in service since 1865. The Express-News currently circulates as the largest newspaper service in South Texas. A second newspaper, the San Antonio Light, purchased the original Express-News, abandoned the Light name, and became the "new" Express-News. The San Antonio Current is the "alternative" paper with weekly listings of events and nightlife around town.

Television

While the city may be one of the largest in the country, San Antonio is only the 37th largest television market in the United States, according to Nielsen. The following list are the major affiliate television stations in the city.

Radio

About 40 radio stations can be heard in the San Antonio area; 30 of them are actually located in San Antonio. The first radio station to broadcast in South Texas was KTSA AM-550 in 1922; that station continues today as the San Antonio's only all-local 24-hour news-talk station. Another significant station is WOAI AM-1200 (affiliated with the WOAI TV station and the flagship of Clear Channel Worldwide), which is the radio home of the San Antonio Spurs. Two significant changes in the Latin radio market (as of June 27, 2005): Univision Radio's Amor 95.1 (KCOR) FM flipped formats from Spanish Contemporary to Reggaeton, now named "La Kalle 95.1". (http://www.univision.com) "La Kalle 95.1 FM," is a new youth-targeted Spanish-language radio station that will cater to San Antonio Hispanics in the highly sought-after 18-34 demographic, reflecting changes also seen in similar stations in New York and San Francisco. La Kalle’s high-energy format will primarily feature Reggaeton and Latin Hip-Hop music. Reggaeton, a relatively new genre of dance music that originated in Puerto Rico and derives from a blend of Latin tropical sounds, Jamaican reggae music and urban hip-hop, has taken the US Hispanic market by storm. This format change adds some needed diversity to the radio landscape, with a playlist that is more inclusive of the tastes of all Latinos in the San Antonio area, including those of non-Tejano descent. Most Latin stations in the area play Regional Mexican, Tejano or Contemporary Pop. Another station, which just started broadcasting in 2004 is Digital 104.1 (SKRIO) FM, which bills itself as Pop en Español, but mostly mimics the format of the former Amor.

Nightlife

San Antonio has a robust nightlife that centers on several key areas:
- The Riverwalk is home to several night clubs, all with a 2am or later closing time, depending on what night it is. Notable clubs in this area include the Hard Rock Cafe, the DANCEPLEX (formerly Polly Esther's), Club RIVE/TABU and Dick's Last Resort.
- Downtown San Antonio, away from the river, has several clubs, including the popular Coyote Ugly franchise bar, gay nightspot The Bonham Exchange ("the" place on Fridays), and the Rivercenter Comedy Club. Other popular bars include the upscale Zinc Wine and Champagne Bar, Swig Martini Bar, Zen Ultralounge, Suede Lounge, and Davenport.
- Away from downtown, a strip of Main Street near San Antonio College includes gay-oriented clubs such as The Electric Company (younger crowds), The Saint (disco, drag shows, strippers), The Silver Dollar Saloon (country-western), and the Heat.
- Also in the area is the North Saint Mary's Strip, located to the east of main street. On this strip, several bars can be found, such as Paparay's, Joey's, the Mix, Tycoon Flats, small coffee shops such as The Candlelight Cafe (mixed gay-straight crowd), and the latino-themed video bar, Arriba.

Professional sports teams

San Antonio College.]]The city's only top-level professional sports team, and consequently the team most San Antonians follow, is the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973 and have won three NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005). Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, which was built for football, but the Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002. One of the immediate consequences for the SBC Center is the creation of two new teams, The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. San Antonio is also home to the Double-A Minor League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, the San Antonio Missions who play at Nelson Wolff Stadium on the west side of the city. The city is also a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints for the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints have set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the season, and will play a split home schedule in the Alamodome and Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Tiger Stadium. City officials are said to be attempting to lure the NFL permanently to San Antonio, and have said that a strong showing at the Alamodome for the three local Saints games is vital to showing that San Antonio can support an NFL franchise. San Antonio hosts the NCAA football Alamo Bowl each December.
- Alamo Bowl San Antonio Missions, Texas League Minor league baseball
- Minor league baseball San Antonio Rampage, American Hockey League
- American Hockey League San Antonio Silver Stars, Women's National Basketball Association
- Women's National Basketball Association San Antonio Spurs, National Basketball Association

Sources

- [http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-01.xls http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-01.xls]

External links

- [http://www.ci.sat.tx.us/ San Antonio official website]
- [http://www.sanantoniocvb.com/ San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau]
- [http://www.wildtexas.com/parks/results.php?nearby_cities=San+Antonio San Antonio Area Parks]
- [http://www.bunkershot.com/sanantonio/ San Antonio Golf by Bunkershot.com Golf Magazine]
- [http://www.sanantonio.gov/airport/ San Antonio International Airport]
- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/SS/hds2.html The Handbook of Texas Online: San Antonio, Texas]
- [http://www.thealamofilm.com/alamo-visitors-guide.shtml The Alamo at San Antonio] - Information on visiting the historic Alamo
- [http://www.fiesta-sa.org/ Fiesta, San Antonio]
- [http://www.bradmesser.com Brad Messer's site] - San Antonio talk radio host
- [http://www.sanantoniolightning.com San Antonio Lightning] - San Antonio muckraking website
- [http://www.woai.com WOAI web site] - TV and radio local San Antonio news site
- [http://www.mysa.com San Antonio Express News wesite] - local San Antonio newspaper's site Category:All-America City Category:Bexar County, Texas Category:Cities in Texas Category:San Antonio, Texas ja:サンアントニオ

Cingular

Cingular Wireless LLC is the largest United States mobile phone company, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Cingular, formed in 2001, is a joint venture of the American landline telephone companies AT&T (formerly known as SBC Communications) and BellSouth. The two companies hold 60% and 40% stakes in Cingular, respectively, based on the value of the assets each company contributed to the venture. Cingular was the second largest mobile phone carrier in the United States. On October 26, 2004, Cingular won regulatory approval from the FCC to acquire AT&T Wireless, and completed the acquisition of 24 million customers giving them 48 million customers, which surpasses Verizon Wireless, and is now the largest mobile phone carrier in the United States. Q3 2005 numbers, released on October 20, 2005, showed 52.3 million Cingular subscribers. Cingular operates two separate pay-as-you-go mobile phone services, including its own GoPhone; Tracfone's GSM customers also use the Cingular Allover^SM network (their CDMA customers use the network of Cingular's biggest rival, Verizon Wireless). Verizon Wireless Cingular operates a mixed network consisting of GSM (from the former Pacific Bell Wireless and BellSouth Mobility DCS networks), and TDMA and AMPS (from SBC's Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems network, BellSouth's BellSouth Mobility network, a Mobitex-based network used for paging and remote telemetry, and various acquisitions, including some SBC-owned systems operating under the Cellular One name), which they are working to convert to pure GSM/GPRS. Cingular also supports EDGE data services nationwide. Cingular will be rolling out UMTS or W-CDMA High-Speed network, to counter Verizon's EV-DO network. UTMS is avaliable now in selected cities - Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area, adding 15 major markets before year-end 2005, with the rest of the United States to follow in 2006. The network runs GSM-1900 in the former Pacific Bell Wireless and BellSouth Mobility DCS areas. The areas that have been converted to GSM from TDMA are mostly GSM-850, but there are some exceptions where the pre-Cingular companies had only licenses in the 1900MHz PCS band. In California, Nevada, northern New Jersey and New York City, Cingular and T-Mobile USA maintained and shared a GSM-1900 network prior to the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, through a joint venture known as GSM Facilities. The network sharing agreement allowed Cingular to offer local service in northern New Jersey and New York City and T-Mobile to offer service in California and Nevada. On May 25, 2004, Cingular and T-Mobile USA announced their intention to dissolve the agreement contingent on Cingular's successful acquisition of AT&T Wireless. First announced on June 23, 2005 Cingular Wireless announced the intention to divest its Caribbean and Bermuda operations and licenses which it acquired from the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, to Bermuda-based Digcel Group under undisclosed financial terms. Cingular outsources some of their Customer Care to companies in Canada and overseas. On August 25, Cingular was removed from the New York Better Business Bureau because of a large number of complaints that were not handled in a timely manner. The company is in the process of restructuring its customer care procedures and has appealed the decision.[http://search.buffalo.bbb.org/nis/newsearch2.asp?ID=1&strBCode=00410000&ComID=0041000000008299&ComName=Cingular+Wireless] It remains a member of the BBB in other states in which it operates. In 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported logging more than 14,000 complaints (or 289 per million subscribers) against Cingular Wireless. The most common of which included number portability issues, over billing, poor customer support and network reliability.

Possible Name Change

On 20 November 2005, Ed Whitacre, CEO of the newly-merged SBC/AT&T, announced plans to market the service under the AT&T banner. [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/business/2005-11-20-cingular-att_x.htm] Bellsouth spokesman Jeff Battcher countered that the terms of the joint venture allow either party to sell the service under another name, and that he believes they will be using the brand to market to business customers. [http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14568&hed=Cingular+to+Become+AT%26amp%3BT] Cingular president Stan Sigman concurred with BellSouth's position, indicating that the Cingular brand would continue but be sold under the AT&T brand where offered in packages with other AT&T services, such as data and wireline telephony.

Adelante

Recently, Cingular has launched a new ad campaign "Adelante". In Spanish it means literally "advancement, to advance". It is aimed at the Hispanic and Spanish speaking communities in the US to boost sales and consists of newspaper ads, commercials, and magazine ads. Also, part of "Adelante" is to now start offering bilingual support at its stores for English and Spanish.

Trivia

- In 2005, Communication Workers of America, the union which represents over half of Cingular's employees, specifically recognized Cingular for excellence as a union employer, in direct contrast to competitor Verizon, which CWA singled out as an aggressive union-buster.

External links

- [http://www.cingular.com/ Cingular Wireless]
- Wikibooks:Cingular Wireless FAQ
- [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/102/102492.html Yahoo! - Cingular Wireless LLC Company Profile]
- [http://www.the-cell-phone-advisor.com/Cingular.html Pros and Cons of Cingular's Wireless Service]
- [http://www.hearusnow.org/other/aboutthisproject/ Consumers Union on Cingular] (Independent, nonprofit testing and information organization serving only consumers) Category:Cellular telephone companies of the United States Category:AT&T

2005

2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. 2005 is the World Year of Physics, the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese calendar, and the International Year of the Eucharist in Catholicism. See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Events

January

- January 4 - Death of the Governor of Baghdad, Ali Al-Haidri, assassinated by gunmen.
- January 9 - The same storm which pounded the US earlier in the month hits England and Scandinavia, leaving 13 dead with widespread flooding and power cuts.
- January 9 - Mahmoud Abbas is elected to succeed Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority president in the Palestinian election.
- January 12 - Deep Impact is launched from Kennedy Space Center by a Delta 2 rocket.
- January 13 - Terrorists enter into Israel from Gaza and open fire on civilians near border, killing 6 and wounding 5 others. Hamas and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claim joint responsibility for attack.
- January 14 - The Huygens probe lands on Titan, largest moon of Saturn.
- January 16 - Adriana Iliescu gives birth at 66, the oldest woman in the world to do so. Adriana Iliescu.]]
- January 18 - Terrorists murder 1 person and wound 8 people in Gush Katif, Israel. Hamas claims responsibility.
- January 20 - George W. Bush is inaugurated in Washington, D.C. for his second term as 43rd President of the United States.
- January 20 - Ireland completes metrication.
- January 21 - In Belize's capital city Belmopan, the unrest over the government's new taxes erupts into riots.
- January 23 - Viktor Yushchenko is sworn in as the third President of Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine.
- January 25 - A stampede at Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi during a religious pilgrimage in India kills at least 215, mostly women and small children.
- January 30 - The first free Parliamentary elections in Iraq since 1958 take place.
- January 30 - A Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane crashes in Iraq, killing 10 British servicemen. Iraqi insurgents release a video claiming to have shot the aircraft down using a missile.

February

- February 6 - The New England Patriots defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 to win their third Super Bowl in four years.
- February 8 - Danish parliamentary elections continue the center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and his Liberal Party.
- February 9 - An ETA car bomb injures 31 people at a conference centre in Madrid.
- February 10 - North Korea announces that it possesses nuclear weapons as a protection against the hostility it feels from the United States.
- February 10 - Saudi Arabia holds its first ever elections for municipal authorities, in which only men are allowed to vote.
- February 12 - Fire devastates the Windsor Building, a 32 story office block, in Madrid.
- February 14 - A massive suicide bomb blast in central Beirut kills Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri and at least 15 other people. At least 135 other people were also hurt.
- February 14 - Around 59 people are killed and 200 injured in a fire at a mosque in Tehran, Iran. Iran emissions of greenhouse gases.]]
- February 16 - The Kyoto Protocol comes into effect, without the support of the United States and Australia.
- February 16 - The National Hockey League cancels its 2004-2005 season becoming the first North American professional league to cancel a season due to a labour dispute.
- February 19 - Suicide bombers kill more than 30 people in Iraq as Shia Muslims mark Ashura, their holiest day.
- February 20 - Spanish referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
- February 20 - Early Legislative elections in Portugal result in a landslide victory for José Sócrates and the Socialist Party.
- February 22 - More than 500 people are killed and over 1,000 injured after entire villages are flattened in an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale in Zarand region of Kerman province in southern Iran.
- February 25 - The Serial Killer Dennis Rader is apprehended by Wichita Police and the FBI.
- February 25 - Terrorists murder 5 people and wound 50 people in Tel Aviv, Israel. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for attack.
- February 26 - Hosni Mubarak the president of Egypt asks parliament to amend the constitution to allow multi-candidate presidential elections before September 2005.

March

- March 1 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules the death penalty unconstitutional for juveniles who committed their crimes under age 18.
- March 3 - At 19:17 the 3500-ton freighter, M/V Karen Danielsen, crashes into the Western bridge of the Great Belt Bridge of Denmark, 800m from Funen. All traffic across the bridge is closed, effectively separating Denmark in two.
- March 3 - Millionaire Steve Fossett breaks a world record by completing the first non-stop, non-refueled, solo flight around the world in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.
- March 10 - Tung Chee Hwa's resignation: Tung Chee Hwa, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, resigns.
- March 11 - In the UK, the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 was finally given Royal Assent after one of the longest ever sittings by the House of Lords.
- March 13 - First round of Central African Republic elections.
- March 14 - The People's Republic of China ratifies an anti-secession law aimed at preventing Taiwan from declaring independence.
- March 14 - Nearly one million people gathered for an opposition rally in Beirut, a month after the death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri — the largest rally in Lebanon history. Lebanon, 2005.]]
- March 16 - Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, accused of the bombing of the Air India Flight 182 in 1985, are found not guilty on all counts.
- March 19 - A suspected suicide bomber in Doha, Qatar, kills one person and injures about 12 others.
- March 19 - A time bomb explodes in a Muslim shrine in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 29 people and wounding 40.
- March 19 - A mine blast occurs at the Xishui coal mine in Shuozhou and rocks nearby Kangjiayao coal mine, killing up to 59.
- March 20 - At least 250 people in Japan are injured and at least one killed by when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck west of Kyushu Island, just 9km (5.5 miles) below the ocean floor.
- March 21 - 10 killed in the Red Lake High School massacre in Minnesota, the worst school shooting since the Columbine High School massacre.
- March 23 - The United States' 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' 2-1 decision refuses to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.
- March 24 - The Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan reaches its climax with the overthrow of president Askar Akayev.
- March 26 - The Taiwanese government called on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of Mainland China. Around 200 000 to 300 000 attended the walk.
- March 28 - The 2005 Sumatran earthquake struck off Sumatra, 3 months after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. At a magnitude of 8.7 it is the second largest earthquake since 1965.

April

- Anti-Japanese demonstrations in China
- April 1 - Newsanchor Peter Jennings hosts what will turn out to be his final World News Tonight telecast.
- April 2 - Pope John Paul II dies, causing widespread grief in the world.
- April 7 - MG Rover, the UK's sole remaining volume producer goes into receivership after a planned alliance with Chinese manufacturer, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation collapses.
- April 7 - A suicide bomber blows himself up in Cairo's Khan al Khalili market, killing two foreign tourists and wounding seventeen others. A group called "Islamic Pride Brigades" claims responsibility.
- April 8 - Referendum in Curaçao on independence vs. integration with the Netherlands.
- April 9 - Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many of them supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr, marched through Baghdad denouncing the U.S. occupation of Iraq, two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and rallied in the square where his statue was toppled in 2003.
- April 9 - The marriage of The Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles takes place. Camilla assumes the titles Her Royal Highness and The Duchess of Cornwall.
- April 12 - Fans hurl lit flares onto the field at San Siro Stadium in Milan during a Champions League quarter-final soccer match.
- April 15 - At least twenty one people died and around fifty people were injured in a devastating fire at a hotel in central Paris.
- April 16 - President Lucio Gutierrez of Ecuador declared a state of emergency in the capital city and dissolved the Supreme Court.
- April 17 - Twelve holidaymakers were killed in southern Switzerland when a bus carrying twenty seven people plunged 200 metres into a ravine.
- April 18 - Five people died in ethnic clashes in Iran's south-west Khuzestan province.
- April 19 - Joseph Ratzinger elected Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of the Papal conclave.
- April 20 - fifty six hurt as earthquake hits Fukuoka and Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake measured a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale.
- April 20 - President Lucio Gutiérrez of Ecuador is said to have fled after Congress voted to sack him amid growing protests.
- April 21 - A bus crash in Vietnam's Central Highlands has left thirty Vietnamese war veterans dead and four other people hurt.
- April 21 - A gunfight on the edge of the Saudi city of Mecca has left two militants and two members of the security forces dead.
- April 23 - Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister of Italy, re-forms government after its dissolution three days earlier.
- April 25 - A passenger train derails in Amagasaki Hyogo Prefecture Japan killing 107 people and injuring another 456. (see Amagasaki rail crash)
- April 26 - Facing international pressure, Syria withdrew the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon ending its twenty nine year military domination of that country.
- April 27 - The Superjumbo jet aircraft Airbus A380 made its first flight from Toulouse.
- April 30 - Attacks on tourists in the Egyptian capital Cairo leave three militants dead and at least ten people injured.

May

- May 1 - A suicide attack targets a Kurdish funeral in the northern Iraqi town of Talafar, near Mosul, and leaves at least 25 people dead and more than 30 others injured. Earlier, at least five policemen and four civilians were killed in two separate attacks in Baghdad.
- May 2 - 4th president of Singapore, Wee Kim Wee dies from prostate cancer.
- May 2 - A blast at an illegal munitions store in northern Afghanistan kills 28 people and injures at least 13 others.
- May 3 - At least 32 people are killed and nine others injured when three two-storey buildings in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore collapsed after gas cylinders stored in one of them exploded.
- May 4 - In one of the largest insurgent attacks in Iraq to date, at least 60 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a suicide bombing at a Kurdish police recruitment center in Irbil, northern Iraq.
- May 5 - The United Kingdom votes in the 2005 general election. The Labour Party is re-elected with a substantially reduced majority.
- May 5 - Two homemade bombs explode outside the British consulate in New York, USA.
- May 10 - A live hand grenade lands about 100 feet (30 m) from United States President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but malfunctions and does not detonate.
- May 11 - Serial killer Michael Ross became first person executed in New England in 45 years.
- May 12 - An election was held in the Cayman Islands 7 months later than originally scheduled due to Hurricane Ivan. It resulted in a change of government, with the United Democratic Party giving four seats to the then-opposition People's Progressive Movement in the 15 member Legislative Assembly.
- May 13 - Uzbek troops kill up to 700 during protests in eastern Uzbekistan over the trials of 23 accused Islamic extremists. President Islam Karimov defends the act.
- May 13 - The United States Department of Defense issues a list of bases to be closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process (BRAC 2005).
- May 13 - The final episode of the TV series Star Trek: Enterprise is broadcast in the United States. This episode may mark the end of the Star Trek franchise itself, which dates back to 1966.
- May 15 - A passenger ferry capsizes and sinks in strong winds in the Bura Gauranga River in Bangladesh, leaving over 100 people missing.
- May 16 - George Galloway appears before a U.S. Senate committee, to answer allegations of making money from the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Programme.
- May 17 - Kuwaiti women granted right to vote.
- May 19 - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith released, effectively completing the Star Wars movie saga begun by George Lucas in 1977 and shattering the opening day box-office record with $50,013,859.
- May 19 - The Canadian House of Commons members narrowly pass two budget bills at second reading allowing the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin to stay in power.
- May 21 - Greece wins the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev.
- May 25 - Liverpool F.C. win the UEFA Champions League by defeating AC Milan 3-2 in a penalty shootout in Istanbul.
- May 25 - The Acting Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Donald Tsang, resigned for participating in the Chief Executive Election in July. As a result, Henry Tang and Michael Suen had become the Acting Chief Executive and Acting Chief Secretary for Administration respectively.
- May 29 - French referendum on the European Constitution votes resoundingly to reject.
- May 31 - W. Mark Felt is confirmed to be Deep Throat.

June

- June 1 - Dutch referendum on the European Constitution votes to reject, the second country to do so.
- June 5 - Switzerland votes to join the Schengen area and to allow same-sex partnerships.
- June 6 - Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam resigns.
- June 9 - Glynn Birch announced as new president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
- June 13 - Singer Michael Jackson acquitted of all charges of harming children (see 2005 trial of Michael Jackson).
- June 17 - A 6.7 aftershock,which followed a 5.3 earthquake the previous day, hits California making it the fourth earthquake since June 12 in California. (California earthquakes of June 2005)
- June 17 - Because of "quadruple-witching" options and futures expiration, the New York Stock Exchange sees the heaviest first-hour trading on record. 704 million shares were traded between 9:30-10:30 A.M. 1.92 billion shares were traded for the day.
- June 19 - Election in the Autonomous Community of Galicia, Spain — preliminary results show that Manuel Fraga and the Partido Popular lose control of the autonomous parliament.
- June 21 - Volna booster rocket carrying the first light sail spacecraft (a joint Russian-United States project) failed 83 seconds after its launch, destroying the spacecraft.
- June 23 - The San Antonio Spurs win the NBA World Championship title.
- June 28 - Queen Elizabeth II conducts the International Fleet Review of 167 international warships in the Solent, as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations.
- June 30 - Spain joins Belgium and the Netherlands in permitting same-sex marriage.

July

- July 2 - Live 8, a series of 10 simultaneous concerts take place throughout the world, raising interest in the Make Poverty History campaign.
- July 4 - NASA's "Copper bullet" from Deep Impact spacecraft hits Comet Tempel 1, creating a crater for scientific studies.
- July 4 - Violent G8 demonstrations in Gleneagles
- July 6 - The European Parliament rejects the Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions in its second reading in the codecision procedure.
- July 6 - The International Olympic Committee awards the 2012 Summer Olympics to London. London.]]
- July 7 - Four explosions rock the transport network in London, three on the London Underground and one on a bus. Over 50 deaths were reported, and over 200 injured. See 7 July 2005 London bombings.
- July 7 - Al-Qaeda admits to the killing of Egypt's Ambassador, Ihab al-Sherif.
- July 10 - Luxembourgish referendum on the European Constitution votes to accept.
- July 10 - Hurricane Dennis strikes near Navarre Beach, Florida as a Category 3 storm killing 10 people, after killing over 50 people in the Caribbean.
- July 12 - Terrorists kill 5 people and wound 90 people in a crowded mall in Netanya, Israel. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for attack.
- July 13 - Three trains collide in the Ghotki rail crash in Ghotki, Pakistan, killing over 150 people.
- July 14 - A compromise budget is reached in Minnesota, ending the fourteen-day government shutdown.
- July 16 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book of the Harry Potter saga by the British writer J. K. Rowling, is released.
- July 19 - President Bush nominates Appeals Court Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. to the United States Supreme Court, following the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor.
- July 20 - Canada's Civil Marriage Act, legalizing same-sex marriage, receives Royal Assent.
- July 21 - A terrorist attack on London, similar to the July 7 attacks, includes 4 attempted bomb attacks on 3 Underground trains and a London bus. The bombs failed to explode properly, and only one injury was reported.
- July 22 - A Brazilian electrician, Jean Charles de Menezes, is shot dead at a London underground station by police who mistake him for a suicide bomber.
- July 23 - A series of blasts in a resort town in Egypt. See July 23, 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh attacks.
- July 24 - Lance Armstrong wins a record seventh straight Tours de France before his scheduled retirement.
- July 26 - Launch for Space Shuttle Discovery return to flight mission STS-114. This is the first Space Shuttle flight in nearly two and a half years since the breakup of Columbia on its return from mission STS-107.
- July 28 - The Provisional IRA issues a statement formally ordering an end to the armed campaign it has pursued since 1969 and ordering all its units to dump their arms.

August

August
- August 2 - Air France Flight 358 bursts into flames after overshooting the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport; all aboard survive.
- August 6 - An ATR-72 heading from Italy to Tunisia crashes into the Mediterranean Sea, killing 16 of 39 on board.
- August 9 - Space Shuttle Discovery returns to Edwards Air Force Base at 0814 EDT, completing STS-114, "Return to Flight."
- August 12 - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launched.
- August 14 - Helios Airways Flight 552 crashes into a mountain in Greece, killing 121.
- August 16 - West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes into a mountain in Venezuela, killing 152 passengers.
- August 17 - The first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of the Israel unilateral disengagement plan, starts.
- August 17 - Bangladesh is hit by bomb explosions. [http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Bangladesh_hit_by_several_bomb_explosions]
- August 18 - BTK killer Dennis Rader is sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences.
- August 18 - Peace Mission 2005, the first joint China-Russia military exercise, begins its 8-day training on the Shandong peninsula.
- August 22 - A 4.1 kg meteorite crashes into the Dotito area of Zambezi Escarpment in Zimbabwe, leaving a 15 cm crater.
- August 23 - Israel's unilateral disengagement from 25 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank ends.
- August 24 - Hong Kong High Court Judge Michael Hartmann rules that sodomy laws were unconstitutional. Michael Hartmann.]]
- August 28 - Terrorist wounds 52 at bus station in Beersheba, Israel. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for attack.
- August 29 - At least 1,300 are killed, and severe damage is caused along the U.S. Gulf Coast, as Hurricane Katrina strikes the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastal areas. Within hours, levees give way and New Orleans is flooded.
- August 31 - A crowd crush on the Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad kills several hundred civilians (see Baghdad bridge stampede).

September

- September 1 - Oil prices rise sharply following economic effects of Hurricane Katrina.
- September 5 - Mandala Airlines Flight 091 737 crashes in Indonesia killing at least 117. (See airplane accidents in 2005).
- September 7 - Incumbent Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak wins its first multi-party presidential election.
- September 11 - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the LDP are returned to power following the Japanese general elections.
- September 12 - Norwegian parliamentary election
- September 12 - English cricket team draw the final match to win The 2005 Ashes.
- September 14 - September 16 - Largest UN World Summit in history, held in New York City.
-