Here's one approach:

Determine the amount of time that you want the transition to occur. Let's say 10 seconds. Create a single copy of text with 2004. Rt. click and select properties. Go to media and select length 10 seconds (default is 5). Now pull your text box to 10 seconds in length (so it doesn't duplicate).

Now, determine how many increments you want (reduce by 1, by 2, 5, 10, etc.). If you decided to change years in increments of 5 you would have 14 changes (looks slow for 10 seconds, but you get the idea).

Enter the text edit box and use the timeline below. Make 14 equal keyframe marks. Click on each mark and change each date by 5 years.

It will now scroll back through the dates in 5 year increments when played. You can also stretch or shrink the text box to fit a different time.

You can also create a single text file with all the dates on it below each other and then use "Placement" to pull the first date the to bottom of the screen. Then go to the end of the text timeline, put a keyframe and then move the text to the top. This approach will scroll the dates as desired when played. I used this effect, along with the sound of a tape re-winding the roll back the years for a 40th birthday video.

I'm sure there are other ways, but this may help.

Ted