Angelika In January, the doctor's visit copayment is introduced in Germany. Patients must now pay 10 Euros per quarter when visiting a doctor. An American probe lands on Mars and sends the first images back to Earth. In the spring, photos circulate worldwide showing American soldiers torturing prisoners in the Iraqi prison Abu Ghraib. In May, Germany elects a new Bundespräsident. His name is Horst Köhler. In California, former US President Ronald Reagan succumbs to severe Alzheimer's disease. In October, Opel's parent company General Motors announces plans to cut 12,000 jobs, most of them in Germany. In November, Democrat John Kerry loses the presidential election, and George W. Bush remains in office for another four years. In the summer, we move one street corner away to a two bedroom apartment. Michael resigns from AOL on September 1, 2004, and starts at Yahoo! on September 27.