in?= |
cp=20th century|
c=21st century |
cf=22nd century |
yp1=2000 |
yp2=2001 |
yp3=2002 |
year=2003 |
ya1=2004 |
ya2=2005 |
ya3=2006 |
dp3=1970s |
dp2=1980s |
dp1=1990s |
d=2000s |
dn1=2010s |
dn2=2020s |
dn3=2030s |
}}
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Gregorian |
2003
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Auc |
2756
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Chinese |
乙酉-丙戌 <br>(4699&ndash4700)
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Japanese |
Heisei 15
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Hebrew |
5763&ndash5764
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Shaka |
1925&ndash1926
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Vikram |
2058&ndash2059
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Hindu |
5104&ndash5105
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Iranian |
1381&ndash1382
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Islamic |
1423&ndash1424
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Runic |
2253
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2003 (''' MMIII ''') was a Common Year Starting On Wednesday of the Gregorian Calendar .
It has been designated the:
See also Wikipedia's Almanac of events for this year.
2003 is prime. The next prime year is 2011.
Events
January
- January 1 - Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil .
- January 1 - Pascal Couchepin becomes President Of The Confederation in Switzerland .
- January 3 - The Ohio State University defeats the University Of Miami in double-overtime in the Fiesta Bowl , 31-24, for the national Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title. The game is considered to be among the best in recent years.
- January 7 - Oolong (rabbit) , famous for balancing various objects on his head, dies.
- January 8 - US Airways flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina killing all 21 people aboard.
- January 15 - The United States Supreme Court hands down its decision in Eldred V. Ashcroft allowing the extension of copyright terms in the U.S.
- January 24 - The new United States Department Of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
- January 25 - Central Line train crashes into the tunnel wall at Chancery Lane station in London, injuring 34 people.
- January 25 - An International Group Of Volunteers left London and headed for Baghdad to act as voluntary Human Shields , hoping to avert a U.S. invasion.
- , Spain , Italy , Portugal , Hungary , Poland , Romania , Denmark , and the Czech Republic release a statement, The Letter Of The Eight , demonstrating support for the United States ' plans for an Invasion Of Iraq .
February
, during world-wide protests against war in Iraq.]]
March
- March 12 - WHO issues a global alert on SARS .
- March 12 - Elizabeth Smart was rescued in Sandy, Utah 9 months after she was abducted from her bedroom by knifepoint.
- proposes an amendment to the possible 18th U.N. resolution, which would call for Iraq to meet certain benchmarks to prove that it was disarming. The amendment is immediately rejected by France, who promises to Veto any new resolution.
- '' reports that 350,000-year-old upright-walking Human footprints had been found in Italy
- March 15 - Hu Jintao becomes President Of The People's Republic Of China , replacing Jiang Zemin .
- , Britain , Portugal , and Spain meet at a summit in the Azores Islands . U.S. President Bush calls Monday, March 17th, the "moment of Truth", meaning that the " Coalition Of The Willing " would make its final effort to extract a resolution from the U.N. Security Council that would give Iraq an ultimatum to disarm immediately or to be disarmed by force.
- March 17 - Iraq Disarmament Crisis : U.S. President George W. Bush gives an ultimatum: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons must either leave Iraq, or face military action at a time of the U.S.'s choosing
- March 19 - First American bombs dropped on Baghdad, Iraq . President Saddam Hussein and his sons do not comply with President Bush's 48 hour mandate demanding their exit from Iraq .
- , Australia and Poland invade Iraq.
- March 22 - The United States and the United Kingdom begin their Shock And Awe campaign with a massive air strike on military targets in Baghdad.
- March 23 - Cricket World Cup ends as Australia wins over India in Centurion, South Africa .
- March 29 - WHO doctor Carlo Urbani , who first identified SARS, dies of the disease.
- March 30 - Meigs Field Airport in Chicago , Illinois is demolished overnight.
April
is toppled by Iraqis as the American forces capture Baghdad .]]
May
- May 1 - George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS ''Abraham Lincoln'' , in a Lockheed S-3 Viking , where he gave a speech announcing end of major combat in the Iraq War . During his speech, a prominent banner declared " Mission Accomplished ."
- May 2 - Monkeyman Superhero Hoax begins in Tunbridge Wells , Kent , UK
- May 3 - Old Man Of The Mountain , rock formation in New Hampshire , crumbles after heavy rain
- May 4 - 10 - A major severe weather outbreak spawned more tornadoes than any week in U.S. history. 393 tornadoes were reported in 19 states.
- May 11 - Benvenuto Cellini 's Saliera is stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna .
- May 12 - Suicide Truck-bomb attack kills at least 60 at a government compound in northern Chechnya .
- May 12 - In Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , 26 people are killed in the Riyadh Compound Bombings .
- May 14 - Female Suicide Bomber blows up Explosives strapped to her waist in crowd of thousands of Muslim Pilgrims , killing at least 18 people in Chechnya .
- May 16 - In Casablanca , Morocco , 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca Terrorist Attacks .
- May 19 - Pen Hadow becomes the first man to walk alone, without any outside help, from Canada to the North Pole
- May 20 - Buffy The Vampire Slayer airs its final show ending a 7 year run on both The WB Network and UPN
- May 21 - Earthquake in Boumerdès region of northern Algeria - 2,200 killed
- May 22 - The Sheffield Winter Gardens was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Of The United Kingdom
- May 23 - The birth of Dewey , the first Cloned Deer by scientists at Texas A&M University
- May 26 - A draft of the proposed European Constitution is unveiled.
- May 28 - The birth of Prometea , the first Cloned Horse by Italian Scientists .
- May 31 - Eric Rudolph , the suspected person to have carried out the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing is captured in North Carolina behind a ''Save-A-Lot'' store.
June
July
- July 1 - 500,000 Hong Kong people march to protest Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 , which redefined Treason controversially.
- July 2 - International Olympic Committee session in Prague . Vancouver , Canada is declared the Host City for the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 .
- July 5 - SARS is declared to be contained by WHO.
- July 5 - Double Suicide Bombing at a Moscow Rock Concert kills the female attackers and 15 other people.
- July 6 - Residents of Corsica reject a referendum for increased autonomy for the region from France by a very narrow margin.
- July 7 - Canon Jeffrey John , first would-be gay bishop in the Church of England, withdraws his acceptance of the post of The Bishop of Reading after discussions with the church leaders
- July 10 - Russian security agent dies in Moscow while trying to defuse a bomb a woman had tried to carry into a cafe on central Moscow's Main Street .
- July 14 - U.S. columnist Robert Novak publishes the name of Valerie Plame , blowing her cover as a CIA operative. CIA Leak Scandal begins.
- July 18 - Convention On The Future Of Europe finishes its work and proposes the first European constitution
- July 18 - The body of Dr. David Kelly , a scientist at the Ministry Of Defence , is found a few miles from his home, leading to the Hutton Inquiry
- July 23 - Operation Warrior Sweep is the first major military deployment of the Afghan National Army
- July 24 - The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, Operation Helpem Fren , led by Australia , begins in the Solomon Islands
- July 30 - The last old-style Volkswagen Beetle rolls off its production line in Puebla, Puebla , Mexico .
August
September
October
, the first Chinese manned space mission.]]
- from office and elect Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed him.
- October 10 - Facing an investigation surrounding allegations of illegal drug use, American Right Wing radio host Rush Limbaugh publically admits that he is Addicted to prescription Pain Killers and will seek treatment.
- October 14 - The Florida Marlins defeat the Chicago Cubs in Game 6 of Major League Baseball 's National League Championship Series ; the game is remembered for Cubs fan Steve Bartman interfering with a foul ball which could have helped Chicago win the game and the series. The Marlins go on to win the World Series.
- October 15 - China launches Shenzhou 5 , their first Manned Space Mission ; the 2003 Staten Island Ferry Crash kills 11 after one of its ferries slammed into a pier
- October 23 - Luis A. Ferre , the third Democratically Elected Governor Of Puerto Rico , dies at age 99.
- October 24 - Concorde makes its last commercial flight, bringing the era of airliner Supersonic Travel to a close, at least for the time being.
- October 25 - Cedar Fire begins in San Diego County burning 280,000 acres (1,100 km²), 2,232 homes and killing 14
- October 31 - Mahathir Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia after 22 years in power.
November
- November 5 - Gary Ridgway , The "Green River Killer", confesses murders of 48 women
- November 9 - Lunar Eclipse ( The Americas , Europe, Africa , Central Asia )
- , Iraq, at least 23 people, among them the first Italian casualties of the 2003 Iraq war are killed in a suicide bomb attack on an Italian police base.
- November 15 - Two Car Bomb s explode simultaneously in Istanbul , Turkey targeting two synagogues, killing at least 25 people and wounding more than 300; Al-Qaida claims responsibility.
- November 18 - U.S. President George W. Bush makes a state visit to London in the midst of massive protests.
- November 18 - Goodridge V. Department Of Public Health rules anti- Same-sex Marriage laws unconstitutional in Massachusetts
- November 18 - Britney Spears breaks her own record with her 4th album "In The Zone" going to #1 on the Billboard 200, making her the only artist in music history to have her first 4 albums go to #1 on the Billboard 200.
- November 20 - Several bombs explode in Istanbul , Turkey destroying the Turkish head office of HSBC and the British consulate.
December
is investigated by US military doctors.]]
- December 1 - The use of hand-held Mobile Phone s while driving is made illegal in the United Kingdom .
- December 1 - Boeing Chairman and CEO Phil Condit resigns unexpectedly. He is replaced by Lewis Platt as non-executive chairman and Harry Stonecipher as president and CEO.
- December 5 - Suicide Bombing on commuter train in southern Russia kills 44 people. President Vladimir Putin condemns attack as bid to destabilize the country two days before parliamentary elections.
- December 7 - Parliamentary Election in Russia .
- December 9 - Female suicide bomber blows herself up outside Moscow's National Hotel, across from The Kremlin and Red Square , killing five bystanders.
- December 12 - Paul Martin becomes the 21st Prime Minister Of Canada
- December 12 - Olympic Airlines , Greece 's new flag carrier is launched.
- December 13 - Saddam Hussein , former President Of Iraq , is captured in Tikrit by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division .
- December 16 - The United Kingdom announces plans to build a new runway at Stansted Airport in Essex and a short-haul runway at Heathrow Airport sparking anger from environmental groups.
- '' released, effectively completing the Lord of the Rings Trilogy directed by Peter Jackson .
- December 18 - The Soham Murder Trial ends at the Old Bailey in London with Ian Huntley found guilty of two counts of murder. His girlfriend, Maxine Carr is found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
- December 20 - Libya admits that it was building a Nuclear Bomb .
- December 22 - An Earthquake shakes up California , killing two people.
- December 22 - Parmalat is first accused of falsifying accounts to the tune of USD $5 billion, later admitted by founder Calisto Tanzi; observers call it "Europe's Enron ".
- December 24 - A BSE outbreak in Washington State is announced. Several countries including Brazil , Australia and Taiwan place a ban on the import of beef from the United States Of America .
Births
Deaths
For more deaths, see: Deaths In 2003
January
- January 3 - Sid Gillman , American football coach (b. 1911 )
- January 4 - Conrad Hall , Tahitian-born cinematographer (b. 1926 )
- January 4 - Yfrah Neaman , Lebanese-born violinist (b. 1923 )
- January 8 - Ron Goodwin , English composer and conductor (b. 1925 )
- January 11 - Maurice Pialat , French actor and director (b. 1925 )
- January 11 - Richard Simmons , American actor (b. 1913 )
- January 12 - Leopoldo Galtieri , Argentine dictator (b. 1926 )
- January 12 - Maurice Gibb , Australian musician ( Bee Gees ) (b. 1949 )
- January 15 - Doris Fisher , American singer and songwriter (b. 1915 )
- January 17 - Richard Crenna , American actor (b. 1926 )
- January 20 - Al Hirschfeld , American cartoonist (b. 1903 )
- January 23 - Nell Carter , American singer and actress (b. 1948 )
- January 24 - Gianni Agnelli , Italian auto executive (b. 1921 )
- January 26 - Valeriy Brumel , Russian athlete (b. 1942 )
- January 26 - Hugh Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre Of Glanton , English historian (b. 1917 )
- January 29 - Frank Moss , U.S. Senator from Utah (b. 1911 )
February
- February 1 - Crew of the Space Shuttle ''Columbia''
- --- Michael P. Anderson (b. 1959 )
- --- David M. Brown (b. 1956 )
- --- Kalpana Chawla (b. 1961 )
- --- Laurel Clark (b. 1961 )
- --- Rick Husband (b. 1957 )
- --- William McCool (b. 1961 )
- --- Ilan Ramon (b. 1954 )
- February 2 - Lou Harrison , American composer (b. 1917 )
- February 10 - Edgar De Evia , American photographer (b. 1910 )
- February 10 - Ron Ziegler , Richard Nixon 's White House Press Secretary (b. 1939 )
- February 10 - Curt Hennig , "Mr. Perfect", professional wrestler (b. 1958 )
- February 16 - Eleanor "Sis" Daley , wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907 )
- February 19 - Johnny PayCheck , American singer (b. 1938 )
- February 20 - Maurice Blanchot , French philosopher and writer (b. 1907 )
- February 20 - Orville Freeman , American politician (b. 1918 )
- February 27 - Fred Rogers , American television host (stomach cancer) (b. 1928 )
- February 28 - Fidel Sánchez Hernández , President Of El Salvador (heart attack) (b. 1917 )
March
April
- April 1 - Leslie Cheung , Hong Kong singer and actor (b. 1956 )
- April 7 - Cecile De Brunhoff , French storyteller (b. 1903 )
- April 11 - Cecil Howard Green , British-born geophysicist and businessman (b. 1900 )
- April 17 - Robert Atkins , American nutritionist (b. 1930 )
- April 17 - Paul Getty , American-born philanthropist (b. 1932 )
- April 17 - Earl King , American musician (b. 1934 )
- April 20 - Ruth Hale , American playwright and actress (b. 1908 )
- April 20 - Bernard Katz , German-born biophysicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine (b. 1911 )
- April 21 - Nina Simone , American singer (b. 1933 )
- April 23 - Fernand Fonssagrives , French photographer (b. 1910 )
- April 26 - Peter Stone , American writer (b. 1930 )
- April 30 - Wim Van Est , Dutch cyclist (b. 1923 )
May
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