April 2003 calendar

Events

• 01 Apr 2003 Japan Post is now a public corporation called The Postal Services Agency.
• 02 Apr 2003 The Iraqi military set their oil wells ablaze and then fled in fear of the overwhelming US military might. This was considered to be an act of environmental terror.
• 03 Apr 2003 Dr. Julie Gerberding is a Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and she expressed concern that SARS could become a global pandemic.
• 04 Apr 2003 Iraqi television shows footage of Saddam Hussein and mentions the downing of an Apache helicopter. This reduces speculation about Saddam Hussein's possible death.
• 05 Apr 2003 The Senate of Belgium approves the amendment to the nation's war crime law. It will now not apply to citizens of countries with adequate human rights laws. The House of Representatives already approved the amendment. This law was used to indict people such as Colin Powell, George H. W. Bush and Ariel Sharon for war crimes and interfered with Belgium’s international relations.
• 06 Apr 2003 British forces increase their presence in Basra, a southern Iraqi city. According to embedded journalists the Basra citizens braved gunfire to cheer on the British troops and dance in the streets. Martin Walker, UPI's Chief International Correspondent, claimed that at least one Basra citizen had gotten to kiss a British tank.
• 07 Apr 2003 U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein's regime falls two days later.
• 08 Apr 2003 Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, reiterates his March 31 statement to which the United States has not responded. He stated that only the UN IAEA is authorized to search for and destroy any part or nuclear weapon program found in Iraq.
• 09 Apr 2003 2003 invasion of Iraq; Baghdad falls under American forces. The Saddam Hussein statue is toppled by Iraqis who turn against the symbols of their former leader and tear it down.
• 10 Apr 2003 The city of Kirkuk, Iraq is occupied by the United States Green Berets as well as Kurdish fighters. There was little resistance. Separate statements from Turkey and the U.S. state that they won't allow the Kurds occupy the city.
• 11 Apr 2003 As the fifth Corps of the Iraqi Army offers a letter to surrender, Mosul, a northern Iraqi city, falls to coalition forces. Saddam Hussein's Tikrit hometown is the last major city to fall. Some expect that remaining loyalists will make their final stand.
• 12 Apr 2003 Baghdad is plagued by looting and lawlessness. Looting of hospitals and the impedement of humanitarian aid due to unsafe conditions make Baghdad a dangerous place.
• 13 Apr 2003 Ari Fleischer, the press secretary of President George W. Bush, credits The Pentagon with the victory in 2003 Iraq war.
• 14 Apr 2003 U.S. troops capture Abu Abbas in Baghdad, leader of the Palestinian group responsible for the 1985 hijacking of the MS Achille Lauro.
• 15 Apr 2003 United States forces capture Abu Abbas in Iraq
• 16 Apr 2003 An official from the Bush administration announces that North Korea, People's Republic of China and the United States will meet in Beijing between April 23 and 24, to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Since October 2002, the United States has refused to hold bilateral talks with North Korea and instead insists on multilateral negotiations. James Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State will represent the United States.
• 17 Apr 2003 2003 invasion of Iraq
• 18 Apr 2003 Iraqi Police arrested Saddam Hussein’s former finance minister Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim Al-Azzawi in Baghdad and turned him over to the U.S Marines.
• 19 Apr 2003 Nigeria holds a presidential elections.
• 20 Apr 2003 In a baseball game between St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks, there is a bench clearing brawl. Tino Martinez was struck by Miguel Batista's 1-0 pitch and took first base. During the next batter's at bat, he was forced to leave at second base. Martinez attacked Batista as he was returning to the dugout. Batista turned to throw the ball at him and both players joined the fight. The game was won by the Diamondbacks, 1-0.
• 21 Apr 2003 Boston Marathon: Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot wins the race in 2:10:11; Svetlana Zakhrova finishes fifth in 2:25:20. Legally blind American Marla Ranyan finishes fifth. Ernst Van Dyk, Christina Ripp and Christina Ripp win their wheelchair races in 1:28.32 and 1:54.57 respectively.
• 22 Apr 2003 Luis Moreno Ocampo is elected as the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
• 23 Apr 2003 US President George W. Bush signs legislation to amend the design of the 5-cent coins through 2005 to commemorate the bicentennial celebrations of the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark expedition.
• 24 Apr 2003 2003 Iraq war: Former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz gives himself over to the U.S. forces
• 25 Apr 2003 The resignation of Thomas E. White, Secretary of the United States Army, comes amid tensions between Rumsfeld and White over future Army weapon development programs. There is also controversy around White's former employer, Enron. The Pentagon declined to give details about White's resignation.
• 26 Apr 2003 Incendiary bombs were set off by unknown assailants on a suburban Baghdad ammunition dump, setting off hours of chaos. American sources report that six people were killed and four others were injured. Iraqi sources claim that there were 25 casualties. U.S Army 3rd Infantry Division, 11th Engineer Battalion Charlie Co. ASP (Ammo Security Point). 89 tons of confiscated munitions were exploded following an enemy attack.
• 27 Apr 2003 Argentinians vote for a president for first time since December 2001's economic collapse that sparked street riots that saw four presidents be ousted in two weeks. In the first round, Carlos Menem defeated Nestor Kirchner, a fellow Peronist. However, the result was so close that a second round is required. The runoff vote will be held on May 18. Ricardo Lopez Murphy (ex-economy minister), Adolfo Rodriguez Saa (ex-caretaker president) and Elisa Carrio (lawmaker) were also among the other candidat
• 28 Apr 2003 American soldiers of the 82nd Airborne opened fired on a group protestors at Falluja, 50 km from Baghdad. They killed six to 17 people and left others with injuries. The incident took place at a protest outside of a school where American forces were stationed. Two soldiers had been wounded in Ramadi the day before when a handgrenade was thrown by a crowd. There are many versions of this incident. Two days later, on April 30, 2003, a third shooting incident took place.
• 29 Apr 2003 The United States has announced the withdrawal of American troops stationed at Saudi Arabia and the redeployment some at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
• 30 Apr 2003 A meeting is held in Toronto by the World Health Organization to discuss SARS.

Famous Birthday

• Carys Douglas

  American noted family, the second child and daughter of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

• Aidan Fiske
• Logan Williams

  TV Actor.

• Lilia Buckingham

  Dancer.

• Mariangeli Collado

  YouTube Star.

• Julia Antonelli

  TV Actress.

• Alina Foley

  American actress.

• Blake Deming

  Family Member.

• Sophia Brownlee

  Pop Singer.

• Matthew Royer

  TV Actor.

• Benjamin Royer

  TV Actor.

• Carissa Adee

  YouTube Star.

• Mini Barbie

  YouTube Star.

• Sofia Valastro

  Family Member.

• Matt Martinez

  Pop Singer.

• Brianna Leah

  YouTube Star.

• Brynn Cartelli

  Musician.

• Elsie Fisher

  Voice Actor.

• Maud Behn

  Norwegian royalty, the eldest of the three daughters of Princess Märtha Louise and her husband, author Ari Behn.

• Emily Carey

  TV Actress.

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Famous Deaths

• Nina Simone

  American jazz singer, although may be more accurate to classify her as a "soul" singer because of the emotion that permeates her material,...

• Yiannis Latsis

  Greek shipping tycoon (Born 1910).

• Edwin Starr

  American singer-songwriter (d. 2003).

• Edwin Starr

  American singer-songwriter (d. 2003).

• Earl King

  American musician and songwriter (Born 1934).

• Little Eva

  American singer (Born 1943).

• David Greene

  British television director (Born 1921).

• Peter 'Possum' Bourne

  New Zealand race car driver (Born 1956).

• Mark Berger

  University of Kentucky professor (Born 1955).

• Martha Griffiths

  U.

• Gerald Emmett Carter

  Canadian cardinal (Born 1912).

• Earl Bramblett

  American murderer (Born 1942).

• H B Bailey

  American racing driver (Born 1936).

• Kelly Michael

  American singer, appearing as a duo with Amy Rodden under the name of Thelma and Louise.

• Babatunde Olatunji

  Nigerian-American drummer educator and activist (d. 2003).

• Anthony Caruso

  American actor (Born 1916).

• Reg Bundy

  English drag queen performer dancer and actor (d. 2003).

• Felice Bryant

  Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- Rock writer (Bye Bye Love).

• Mike Larrabee

  American sprinter and educator (d. 2003).

• Sydney Lassick

  American actor (Born 1922).

• See more

Top #5 songs in the USA

1. 50 Cent - In Da Club
2. R. Kelly - Ignition
3. Sean Paul - Get Busy
4. Aaliyah - Miss You
5. 3 Doors Down - When I'm Gone

Top #5 songs in the UK

1. Christina Aguilera - Beautiful
2. Room 5 featuring Oliver Cheatham - Make Luv
3. Gareth Gates & The Kumars - Spirit In The Sky
4. Tatu - All The Things She Said
5. 50 Cent - In Da Club