2000 2001 200220032004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

2003

The year 2003 went down in history as the international year of fresh water as well as the European year of Disability.

The movie Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was the highest grossing film of the year starring Elijah Wood as Frodo and Sean Astin as Sam. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ by 50 Cent was the best selling album of 2001.

The World Health Organization declared SARS a threat to global health on March 12. In the eight months later, SARS had killed roughly 775 in 29 countries, putting a threat to globalization regarding public health. On July 5, WHO announced that, the transmission of SARS from person to person had ceased.

In the evening of August 14, 21 power plants shut down in three minutes affecting over fifty million people in New York, Detroit, and Cleveland in the USA and Toronto and Ottawa in Canada. The power plants were able to resume transmission after two hours, but certain parts of the Northeast were in the dark for more than a day. Businesses, hospitals, commuter trains, airports, cellar telephone services were some of the sectors affected by the outage. The problem was poor line maintenance by FirstEnergy, a power company in Ohio.

On October 7, 2003, movie star and former Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger became the governor of California. Schwarzenegger was part of the 135 people on the ballot, and after 11 weeks of campaigning, he replaced Gray Davis as the governor of the most populous state in the USA with the fifth largest economy in the world. Born in Thal in Austria on July 30, 1947, Schwarzenegger became a USA citizen in 1983. He beat his closest rival with over 1 million votes.

After the USA invaded Iraq in March 2003, the USA military captured Saddam Hussein 12 days before Christmas. Libya under the leadership of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi agreed to shut down its weapons of mass destruction programs.

Discover how the world looked like in 2003

Looking for 2003 Calendar ? Here it is: January 2003, February 2003, March 2003, April 2003, May 2003, June 2003, July 2003, August 2003, September 2003, October 2003, November 2003, December 2003

Oscar Winners

All Academy Awards Prize winners of the 76th edition of the Oscar ceremony

Best picture

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best director

Peter Jackson

Best actor

Sean Penn

Best actress

Charlize Theron

Best supporting actor

Tim Robbins

Best supporting actress

Renée Zellweger

Time Person of the Year

Who was the person of the year of 2003?

The American soldier

Representing U.S. forces around the world, especially in the Iraq War (2003–2011).

Books

Which were the most popular books released in 2003 ?
Unlimited books on any devices, try your first month free

Nobel Prizes

All Nobel Prize winners of 2003

Peace Prize

Shirin Ebadi

Literature

J. M. Coetzee

Physics

Alexei Alexeyevich Abrikosov
Vitaly Ginzburg
Anthony James Leggett

Economic Sciences

Robert F. Engle
Clive Granger

Chemistry

Peter Agre
Roderick MacKinnon

Physiology or Medicine

Paul Lauterbur
Peter Mansfield

Music charts

Which were the top hits of 2003?

Top #1 songs in the USA

Chingy - Right Thurr
Sean Paul - Get Busy
matchbox twenty - Unwell
50 Cent - In Da Club
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz - Get Low
Beyonce - Crazy In Love
R. Kelly - Ignition
Beyonce - Baby Boy
Aaliyah - Miss You
50 Cent - 21 Questions

Top #1 songs in the UK

R Kelly - Ignition Remix
The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River
Evanescence - Bring Me To Life
Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
Blu Cantrell featuring Sean Paul - Breathe
Tatu - All The Things She Said
Gareth Gates & The Kumars - Spirit In The Sky
Dido - White Flag
David Sneddon - Stop Living The Lie

Movies

Which were the most popular Movies released in those months?
Watch popular movies, TV series and live events, start your 30-day free trial

Popular names

Which were the top popular names given to babies born in 2003 in the USA ?

Top #10 male names

Top #10 female names

World Population

Demographic statistics of the year 2003

Population statistics

Total population: 6.4 billion (6,381,185,114 to be precise!)
Urban population: 3.1 billion, that is 48.0% of the total population of 2003 lives in cities
Yearly change: +79.4 million, corresponding to a percentage increase of +1.26%
Average density: 43.0 persons per km²

Historical Events

Which were the important events of 2003?

Events

01 Jan 2003 The first day in the Gregorian Calendar is the beginning of the year
02 Jan 2003 To oversee the cease-fire between President Laurent Gbagbo's government and the main rebel group, the Patriotic Movement of the Ivory Coast, the first 49 of the 1,264 West African peacekeepers arrived in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire. September 19th 2002 saw the start of rebellion against Gbagbo's government. The Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), agreed to send peacekeepers September 29. The EECOWAS peacekeepers join 2,500 French troops. Rebel groups occupy the
03 Jan 2003 The 108th United States Congress is sworn in, including incoming freshmen Senators Saxby Chambliss (Republican-Georgia), Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina), John Sununu (Republican-New Hampshire), Lamar Alexander (Republican-Tennessee), Elizabeth Dole (Republican-North Carolina), Norm Coleman (Republican-Minnesota), and Mark Pryor (Democrat-Arkansas).
04 Jan 2003 U.S. plans to invade Iraq: Turkey’s Milliyet newspaper published an image showing tanks at an airport that it claimed was the former Bamerni airbase in Kurdish-controlled north Iraq. This report may be the first proof of a NATO military presence inside Iraq, if true.
05 Jan 2003 Seven suspects were arrested by police in connection to the Wood Green ricin plot.
07 Jan 2003 With a Republican Senate majority, the US Congress meets
08 Jan 2003 All 21 passengers on board US Airways Express Flight 5481 are killed when it crashes at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina.
09 Jan 2003 UN Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix, and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammed El Baradei present a report to UN Security Council. They say that progress on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is ampquotinching forwardampquot but that a more ampquotpro-activeampquot stance is required from the Iraqi government.
10 Jan 2003 Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes death sentences for 167 Illinois death row inmates based on the Jon Burge scandal.
11 Jan 2003 Clonaid, a controversial organization that claims it created a human-clone, was ordered by a U.S. court to disclose the identity and location of the alleged cloned child.
12 Jan 2003 If the US continues to challenge North Korea, it is threatened that the US will disappear in an ampquotsea full of fireampquot.
13 Jan 2003 War on Terrorism - Six more suspects were taken into custody in Bournemouth, England as part of an investigation into the London discovery of ricin. The total number of people arrested now stands at eleven.
14 Jan 2003 War on Terrorism. Three more suspects were arrested in Manchester, England in connection to the investigation into the London-based ricin. However, it appears that the raid was originally carried out in pursuit of an investigation into immigration. Stephen Oake, a Special Branch officer of police, was fatally wounded in the stabbing incident. Three other officers sustained injuries, one serious. The total number of people arrested now stands at fourteen.
15 Jan 2003 The United States Supreme Court allows the extension of copyright terms in the U.S.
16 Jan 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia launches for its last mission, STS-107. Columbia was destroyed 16 days later upon re-entry.
17 Jan 2003 A United States Senate subcommittee unanimously recommends Tom Ridge to be confirmed by full Senate as the head of the new United States Department of Homeland Security, which is due to start operations on January 24.
18 Jan 2003 A bushfire in Canberra kills four people and damages more than 500 homes.
19 Jan 2003 Beverley Hills hosts the Golden Globe Awards. Martin Scorsese is named Best Director of ''Gangs of New York.' Three awards are given to ''Chicago.
20 Jan 2003 British police raided the Finsbury Park mosque, Finsbury Park in London, England as part of an investigation into the hunt for poison ricin. Seven men were arrested for living in the mosque. A replica firearm, tear gas, and stun gun were also reported to have been found on the premises.
21 Jan 2003 Colima in Mexico is struck by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, which kills 29 people and leaves approximately 10,000 homeless.
22 Jan 2003 The RIAA is a lobbying organization for the music industry. Hilary Rosen will be leaving the position of head at the end 2003. Rosen gained notoriety online for her tireless efforts to stop the proliferation of copyrighted MP3 files on peer-to–peer file-sharing networks like Kazaa and Napster. According to reports, the RIAA members are dissatisfied with Rosen's near complete failure to accomplish this goal.
23 Jan 2003 Last communication between Pioneer 10 and Earth.
24 Jan 2003 Officially, the new United States Department of Homeland Security goes into operation.
25 Jan 2003 2003 Invasion in Iraq: A group left London, England to travel to Baghdad, Iraq to act as human shields and prevent the U.S.-led coalition troops bombing certain areas.
27 Jan 2003 The Library of Congress announces the first selections for National Recording Registry.
28 Jan 2003 A temporary, three-year income tax was passed in Oregon by 54% of voters. 44% voted for it. This resulted in the first state police layoffs since 1931. Other actions included cuts in many local school districts.
29 Jan 2003 The Space Shuttle Columbia 'Columbia' crashes during reentry over Texas at the end of the STS-107 mission. All 7 astronauts aboard were killed.
30 Jan 2003 The Letter of the Eight is a statement by the leaders of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Romania, which shows support for the United States' plan to invade Iraq.
31 Jan 2003 Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia: The Waterfall rail accident occurred near Waterfall.
01 Feb 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia explodes during reentry into Earth's atmosphere. All seven astronauts aboard are killed.
02 Feb 2003 Without an elected successor, President Vaclav Havel's term in Czech Republic ends.
03 Feb 2003 Phil Spector, a record producer, was arrested as part of an investigation into the shooting death of a woman aged 40 in Los Angeles. According to press reports, the woman is identified as Lana Clarkson.
04 Feb 2003 Officially, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia becomes Serbia and Montenegro.
05 Feb 2003 The U.S. Secretaryof State Colin Powell addresses United Nations Security Council about Iraq. He gives evidence that Iraq tried to hide weapons of mass destruction from inspectors.
06 Feb 2003 Seven more arrests were made in the United Kingdom under the Terrorism Act 2000 during raids in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester.
07 Feb 2003 The Center for Public Interest is a United States nonprofit watchdog organization. It obtained a draft of John Ashcroft's Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003. Also known as ampquotthe Patriot Act, it was leaked to the Center for Public Interest. The legislation, if passed, would give the United States unprecedented secret surveillance powers, and severely limit judicial review.
08 Feb 2003 The UK government issued sections of a "dodgy dossier" that purported to contain the most recent British intelligence on Iraq. These were cited by Tony Blair, Colin Powell, and others as proof for the necessity for war. They were copied without permission from several sources, including Jane's Intelligence Review and a 12-year old doctoral thesis of an American student. These had been published in the US journal Middle East Review of International.
09 Feb 2003 India's largest ever vaccination program is launched by the Government. It will inoculate children against Polio within six days.
10 Feb 2003 France and Belgium have broken the NATO procedure for silent approval regarding the timing of protection measures for Turkey in the event of war with Iraq.
11 Feb 2003 The public was notified of the 2002 Academy Award nominees (''Oscar")
12 Feb 2003 After reports that al-Qaeda agents might have smuggled in surface-to-air weapons into Britain, the British government deployed troops to Heathrow Airport.
13 Feb 2003 A small plane crashes in southern Colombia. FARC guerillas take three Americans hostage after killing one American and a Colombian soldier. FARC claims that they are CIA agents, while the US claims that they are defense contractors.
14 Feb 2003 Four former members of the Symbionese Liberation army were sentenced for the 1975 murder by Myrna Opsahl in a Carmichael bank robbery.
15 Feb 2003 Protests against the Iraq War are held in more than 600 cities around the world. This is the largest ever peace demonstration, with an estimated 8 million to 30,000,000 people participating.
16 Feb 2003 Iraq has found a missile that is larger than the UN sanctioned limit.
17 Feb 2003 The London Congestion Charge Scheme is now in effect.
18 Feb 2003 Nearly 200 people were killed in the Daegu subway explosion in South Korea.
19 Feb 2003 2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 Crash: 302 members from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards were onboard a military plane that crashed in the mountains of southeastern Iran, killing all. The cause of the crash was not investigated by the government. The plane was traveling from Zahedan (on the Pakistani border) to Kerman, approximately 500 miles southeast Tehran.
20 Feb 2003 A pyrotechnics show set the club ablaze during a Great White concert at West Warwick, Rhode Island. It killed 100 people and injured over 200 more.
21 Feb 2003 Michael Jordan scores 43 points for Washington Wizards against the New Jersey Nets. He is the first player older than 40 to score more than 40 points in a single game and leads the Wizards to an 89 to 86 victory.
22 Feb 2003 Jesica Santillan was critically ill after she received donor organs from the wrong blood type during a heart transplant. She is now off life support and declared brain dead following a second heart transplant.
23 Feb 2003 The 45th Grammy Awards ceremony takes place in New York City. Norah Jones, a newcomer, wins eight Grammy Awards including Record of the year, Album of the year, Song of the year, and Best New Artist.
24 Feb 2003 Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles sold a 1943 D copper Lincoln cent graded MS64 by PCGS for US$212,000. This is a record-setting sale for any small cent.
25 Feb 2003 US plans to invade Iraq. The United States, Britain, and Spain present to UN Security Council a highly anticipated second resolution that states that Iraq has failed to seize the last opportunityampquot to disarm. However, it does not contain deadlines or a threat of military force. France, Germany and Russia counter-propose a proposal calling for peaceful disarmament via further inspections. James Guckert (actually Jeff Gannon), is a time reporter who signs in at White
26 Feb 2003 American businessman, Carlo Urbani, is admitted to Vietnam France Hospital in Hanoi with the first case of SARS. Carlo Urbani, a WHO doctor, reports this unusually contagious disease.
27 Feb 2003 Former leader of Bosnian Serbs, Biljana Plavsic, is sentenced by The Hague, Netherlands U.N. Tribunal to 11 years imprisonment
28 Feb 2003 Jean Chretien, Canada's prime Minister, stated that he believes regime change is dangerous and should not be allowed to lead to an invasion of Iraq. He also indicated that international pressure should only focus on disarmament.
01 Mar 2003 The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the United States Customs Service are now part of the United States Department of Homeland Security.
02 Mar 2003 Over international waters in the Sea of Japan, four North Korean fighter jets intercepted a United States reconnaissance aircraft.
03 Mar 2003 Turkey has indicated that it will vote again on whether the United States can use Turkish bases to launch a military attack against Iraq under intense American pressure.
04 Mar 2003 There have been reports of a new security flaw in sendmail. If existing vulnerable implementations of the Internet worm are not patched, this raises concerns about an imminent new problem.
05 Mar 2003 The United States Supreme Court affirmed California's "three strikes or you're out” law by a 5-4 margin.
06 Mar 2003 Britain: Abdullah el-Faisal was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for urging Islamists not to kill Americans, Hindus, or Jews.
07 Mar 2003 "Pravda" reports that Georgia plans to apply for UN Security Council approval in order to use military force to combat Abkhazia.
08 Mar 2003 In northeastern India, Assam, an oil refinery was attacked and an oil pipeline was destroyed. According to local newspapers, the United Liberation Front of Asom separatist group claimed responsibility and threatens with more attacks.
09 Mar 2003 "ArabNews" reports that Saddam Hussein requested that the UN Security Council lift its ampquotembargo on Iraqampquot. He also denounced the United States of America and the United Kingdom as "liarsampquot. He demanded that Israel be forced to withdraw from Palestine and the occupied Arab Landampquot.
10 Mar 2003 Saddam Hussein will be disarmed by another international body. Saddam Hussein will be disarmed by another international body.
11 Mar 2003 After twenty years of delays, the Brazilian government finally fulfilled its legal obligation to demarcate the lands belonging to the Awa tribe.
12 Mar 2003 In Belgrade, Zoran?inic, the Prime Minister of Serbia is assassinated.
13 Mar 2003 Evolution of human beings: A journal Nature reports that 350,000 year-old footprints belonging to an upright-walking person were found in Italy.
14 Mar 2003 Osiel Cardenas is a suspected leader of a Mexican drug cartel and was arrested in Matamoros (Tamaulipas).
15 Mar 2003 The World Health Organization has issued warnings about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), an atypical form of pneumonia. This virus was first discovered in Asia, and it appears to have originated from Hong Kong. It is possible that it could become an epidemic if SARS cannot be controlled.
16 Mar 2003 At a summit held in the Azores Islands, the leaders of Spain, Britain, Portugal and the United States meet. The U.S. President Bush calls March 17 "the moment of truth" meaning that the "coalition for the willing" will attempt to get a resolution from U.N. Security Council. This would give Iraq the ultimatum to either disarm immediately or to be disarmed by force.
17 Mar 2003 U.S. President George W. Bush has given an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein's sons: Either leave Iraq or take military action at the time of their choosing.
18 Mar 2003 FBI agents raided the Birmingham headquarters of HealthSouth Corporation, Alabama to investigate allegations of corporate fraud by top executives.
19 Mar 2003 The 48-hour mandate by President George Bush to President Saddam Hussein's sons for their exit from Iraq has expired. Baghdad is the first target of American stealth bombers and cruise missiles.
20 Mar 2003 2003 invasion of Iraq: The United States and three other nations begin military operations in Iraq at dawn.
21 Mar 2003 A court in Illinois ordered Philip Morris to pay damages for misleading consumers by using the word "light". The company appealed.
22 Mar 2003 The United States and Britain begin "shock-and-awe" campaigns with an air strike that targets military targets in Baghdad.
23 Mar 2003 11 soldiers from the 507th Maintenance Company and 18 U.S Marines die in Nasiriyah, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom's first major conflict. 654 Iraqi soldiers are also killed.
24 Mar 2003 The Arab League votes 21-1 for a resolution calling for the unconditional and immediate withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from Iraq.
25 Mar 2003 SARS: Ontario declares a public health emergency. Anybody who has been at Scarborough Grace Hospital within the last 10 days will be taken home.
26 Mar 2003 UN Secretary General Kofi Ann says that the United States and its allies must remain in Iraq to provide humanitarian assistance to Iraqis, even though security is extremely unstable.
27 Mar 2003 Richard Perle, the chairman of U.S. Defense Policy Board resigned but agreed to continue as a member of the board.
28 Mar 2003 Two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes from the United States Idaho Air National Guard's 190th Fighter Squadron attacked British tanks as part of the 2003 invasion in Iraq. This incident resulted in the death of Matty Hull, a British soldier.
29 Mar 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: Dr. Carlo Urbani (a WHO expert on communicable disease and the doctor who first recognized the outbreak in Thailand), dies from the disease. He was infected in Vietnam.
30 Mar 2003 Overnight, Meigs Field Airport is in Chicago, Illinois was demolished.
31 Mar 2003 In Japan, farm minister Tadamori Oshima resigns.
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.
01 May 2003 2003 invasion of Iraq. In what is now known as the "Mission Accomplished" speech, U.S. President George W. Bush announces that all major combat operations in Iraq are over.
02 May 2003 The Monkeyman supervillain hoax starts in Tunbridge Wells (Kent, UK).
03 May 2003 After heavy rain, the Old Man of the Mountain is a rock formation in New Hampshire.
04 May 2003 Top Thrill Dragster, the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, opens in Cedar Point, Ohio.
05 May 2003 Boeing releases a drawing of its ''airplanes of the future'', and invites the public to participate in a contest to name it.
06 May 2003 Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Edward, Earl and Sophie, Countess, of Wessex, are expecting their first child. The child is due to be born May 6, 2003. He or she will be Queen ElizabethnbspII's seventh grandchild and Prince Philip, Duke d'Edinburgh's seventh.
07 May 2003 U.S. Customs agents in Iraq have recovered nearly 40,000 manuscripts as well 700 artifacts from the National Museum of Iraq. Some looters returned items with promises of reward and amnesty. Many items reported as missing were actually hidden in secret storage vaults at this museum before the war broke out.
08 May 2003 A train collision near Siofok in Hungary kills 30 German tourists and the driver of a tourist coach. Twelve people are hurt. The majority of the victims were from Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.
09 May 2003 After a door opened on a plane travelling from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo to Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 129 people are believed to have been killed. After the incident, the victims were taken from the plane and returned to Kinshasa. The identity of the airline that the plane belonged to is not known, but the logo of Ukrainian Cargo Airlines appears on the plane.
10 May 2003 Finland reports the first confirmed case of SARS. Turku University Hospital is treating a man who visited Toronto.
11 May 2003 Benvenuto Cellini's "Saliera" is taken from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
12 May 2003 Al Qaeda carried out the Riyadh bombings that killed 26 people.
13 May 2003 A new 20-dollar note has been released by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Treasury Department of the United States. It is intended to counter the technological advancements of counterfeiters. It is anticipated that the note will begin circulation in fall 2003, five years after the last $20 note was issued in 1998. In 2004 and 2005, new designs will be released for the $50 and $100 bills. The main change in the new currency design comes in the color. It is the first U.S. coin since 19
14 May 2003 DARPA's Information Processing Technology Office invites bids to the LifeLog project. This is an ambitious effort to create a huge searchable computer database. It ampquotan ontology-based subsystem that captures, stores and makes available the flow of one individual's experiences in and interactions with other people. The objectivenbsp... is to be able to trace the 'threads' of an individual's life in terms of events, states, and relationshipsampquot.,
15 May 2003 Pana-Wave Laboratory is a Japanese cult that predicts the date at which an encounter with an unknown planet will result in the death of most humankind.
16 May 2003 Terrorist attacks in Casablanca, Morocco result in 33 civilian deaths and over 100 injuries.
17 May 2003 Pen Hadow is the first person to solo walk from Canada to North Pole without any help.
18 May 2003 Andrew Meldrum, a reporter for 'The Guardian', is being deported. He has been covering Zimbabwe for 23 years.
19 May 2003 Ari Fleischer, White House spokesperson, announces that he will be stepping down in the summer. He cited his desire to spend more time with his wife and to work in private industry as reasons.
20 May 2003 {Christine Todd-Whitman announces that on June 27 she will resign her position as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency{Christine Todd-Whitman announced that she will be resigning her position as Administrator at the United States Environmental Protection AgencyCite document
21 May 2003 Two rooms are damaged when an explosion takes place at Yale University's Sterling Law School Building, New Haven, Connecticut. Joint Terrorism Task Force investigators respond. No injuries reported. Officials believe that the explosion was caused a pipe bomb.
22 May 2003 2003 occupation of Iraq: Senators question Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz about the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq.
23 May 2003 Dewey is the first deer to be cloned at Texas A&M University.
24 May 2003 Lafayette Parish police release details about a suspect in the Baton Rouge Serial Killer investigation.
25 May 2003 After arriving in Miami at 05:00, the SS Norway (or old SS France) is badly damaged in a boiler explosion that killed 7 and injures 17. NCL announces that she will not sail again as a commercial ocean-liner a few weeks later.
26 May 2003 The plane carrying the Ukrainian YAk-42 crew crashed in northeast Turkey near Trabzon killing all on board. It was carrying 12 crew members and 62 Spanish soldiers who were returning from six months of peacekeeping in Afghanistan.
27 May 2003 Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon states that the ampquotoccupationampquot of Palestinian territories is ampquota terrible thing for Israel and for the Palestiniansampquot and ampquotcan't continue endlessly.ampquot Sharon's phraseology prompts shock from many in Israel, leading to a clarification that by ampquotoccupation,ampquot Sharon meant control of millions of Palestinian lives rather than actual physical occupation of land.
28 May 2003 Peter Hollingworth is the first Governor General of Australia to resign after being criticised for his conduct.
29 May 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster: NASA officials release experimental findings proving that the insulation known to have hit the leading edge of ''Columbia''ampnowikiamp'amp/nowikiamps left wing could have created a gap in between protective heat panels.
30 May 2003 Disney's animated Disney-Pixar feature movie Finding Nemo is released to American theaters. American theater ticket sales total US$340 millions. Theater ticket sales worldwide: US$850 millions
31 May 2003 Eric Rudolph is being held in Murphy, North Carolina.
01 Jun 2003 The Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier is now open.
02 Jun 2003 The European Space Agency launches its first mission to Mars. The European Space Agency's Mars Express probe launches in Kazakhstan from the Baikonur Space Centre.
03 Jun 2003 A British Parliamentary Committee announces that it will investigate the government's decision not to go to war against Iraq.
04 Jun 2003 Martha Stewart and her broker were indicted for using confidential investment information and then obstruction of a federal investigation. Stewart also resigns from her position as chief executive officer and chairperson of Martha Stewart Living.
05 Jun 2003 As temperatures rise to 50°C (122?F) in the region, a severe heat wave sweeps Pakistan and India.
06 Jun 2003 NASA investigators broke a reinforced carbon fiber-fiber wing by shooting it with insulation. This further evidence suggests that falling insulation could have contributed to the Columbia disaster.
07 Jun 2003 Erkki Tuomioja (Finnish foreign affairs minister) says NATO could be a good option. Finland is known for being neutral and conservative in its approach to military alliances. (In Finnish) An interview in Helsingin Sanomat English edition, June 10, offers a more balanced view.
08 Jun 2003 After days of violence and confusion in Mauritania Pro-Israeli President Maaouiya Ould Taya seems to have overcome the uprising against his government.
09 Jun 2003 Silvio Berlusconi's centre right coalition is defeated in the Italian local elections.
10 Jun 2003 NASA launches the Spirit Rover, launching NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission.
11 Jun 2003 Three human skulls from Ethiopia, aged 160,000 years, were discovered. They bridge an important gap in human fossil records and support the ampquotoutofAfricaampquot single origin theory for human evolution.
12 Jun 2003 Thomas Reilly, Attorney General of Massachusetts, has officially accused Luke Thompson, a college student, of creating Mainline Airways and selling bogus flights.
13 Jun 2003 After two explosions, the Iraqi oil pipeline near Baiji caught fire.
14 Jun 2003 Czech citizens voted "yes" to join the European Union at 77% of the vote, with 55% turnout.
15 Jun 2003 The German Green Party supports Chancellor Gerhard Schroder’s Agenda 2010 with more than 90% of votes at an extraordinary party convention.
16 Jun 2003 To commemorate the site where the Ipatiev House once stood, the Church of All Saints in Yekaterinburg has been consecrated.
17 Jun 2003 Two ex-Iraqi soldiers were killed by US troops after protesting about not being paid since the country was occupied.
18 Jun 2003 Anneli Jaatteenmaki, Finland's first woman prime minister, resigns two months after she was elected. She is accused of lying about the release of sensitive information regarding the discussions between George W. Bush and her about Iraq.
19 Jun 2003 Garfield, the syndicated comic strip, celebrates its 25th year.
20 Jun 2003 In St. Petersburg, Florida, the WikiMedia Foundation was founded.
22 Jun 2003 Aurora, Nebraska is home to the largest hailstone ever recorded.
23 Jun 2003 The affirmative action principle in university admissions is upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States.
24 Jun 2003 Six British Royal Military Police members are killed in an attack on Majar al-Kabir in Iraq. This village is near Amarah, Iraq. In two separate ambushes, eight others are also wounded.
26 Jun 2003 In Lawrence v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gender-based sodomy laws were unconstitutional.
27 Jun 2003 The United States National "Do Not Call Registry" was established to stop unwanted telemarketing calls. It is administered by Federal Trade Commission. In its first day, almost three quarters of a billion phone numbers were enrolled in the Registry.
28 Jun 2003 The Bloomington Gold Corvettes USA Show is held in St. Charles, Illinois. It lasts for four days. The auction features over 300 Corvettes. Roger Judski paid US$640,000 to purchase a 1967 L88 red coupe that had only 12 miles. This is the world's most expensive production Corvette.
29 Jun 2003 In a Chicago porch collapse, thirteen people are killed.
30 Jun 2003 Rosario Marin's term ends as Treasurer of America.
01 Jul 2003 More than 500,000 protested efforts to pass antisedition legislation for Hong Kong.
02 Jul 2003 Silvio Berlusconi is the Prime Minister of Italy and insulted Martin Schulz, a German MP, during a session at the European Parliament.
03 Jul 2003 The World Meteorological Organisation has published a report that states that extreme weather conditions in recent years may indicate changes in the global climate.
04 Jul 2003 Armed attackers storm a Shia Muslim mosque at Quetta, Pakistan. At least 32 worshippers are killed and 52 are injured.
05 Jul 2003 Second Chechen War: A pair of female suicide bombers attack Krylya, an event that celebrates popular music, at the Tushino airport near Moscow. At least 16 people were killed and 40 others were injured in the attack. Russian authorities accuse Chechen rebels of a continuing terrorism campaign; the Chechen government denied any connection.
06 Jul 2003 The Eupatoria Planetary Radar 70 meters tall sends a METI (Cosmic Call 2) message to 5 stars: Hip 4872 (HD 245409), 55 Cancri (HD 757732), HD 10303, HD 10307, HD 10307, and 47 Ursae Minoris (HD 95128). These messages will reach these stars in 2036 to 2040, 2044, 2044, and 2049, respectively.
07 Jul 2003 MSNBC fired conservative talk show host Michael Savage after he made several anti-gay comments towards a prankcaller who claimed to be a homosexual. Savage was upset by the prank calling by ampquotEast Coast Bobampquot and stated that the caller "should only get AIDS or dieampquot. GLAAD, a gay rights group, applauds Savage's firing.
08 Jul 2003 One Lockheed Martin worker in Meridian, Mississippi shoots his coworkers and kills five before taking his own life. Investigators are not sure what the motive was.
09 Jul 2003 Near Chandpore, Bangladesh, the ferry MV Nasrin-1 capssizes and sinks. It is not known where most of the 700 passengers are.
10 Jul 2003 Kowloon Motor Bus' Neoplan bus collides with a truck and falls off a bridge in Hong Kong. It plunges into the valley below, killing 21 people. This is the worst traffic accident in Hong Kong.
11 Jul 2003 Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi, Iranian-born, has died from injuries sustained during a beating in Iranian custody. On June 23, she was taking photos outside an Iranian prison. Her death sparked a row between Canada and Iran over her body's disposition and the punishment of her murderers. It also sparked outrage among international free speech groups concerned about freedom of expression in Iran.
12 Jul 2003 According to the intelligence service of the United States, George Tenet, the head of the CIA, has accepted George W. Bush’s January speech, which contained incorrect information about Iraq's plans for buying uranium from Africa.
13 Jul 2003 As the US military launches a new offensive against anti-coalition elements, a national governing council meets in Baghdad for the first time.
14 Jul 2003 Robert Novak, a Washington Post columnist, publishes Valerie Plame's name. He claims she is an operative of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Leakage scandal at the Central Intelligence Agency begins.
15 Jul 2003 AOL Time Warner dissolves Netscape Communications Corporation. On the same day, Mozilla Foundation is founded.
16 Jul 2003 Sean O Muireagain is a journalist from Northern Ireland. He was detained by Israel for five days and then released after being represented in a case involving mistaken identity. This scandal causes great embarrassment for the British and Israeli secret services. O Mureagain was arrested by Israel on the advice of British Secret Service, who incorrectly claimed that he was a Real IRA member with the same name. The confused aftermath led to the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman suggesting that O
17 Jul 2003 Canada's same-sex marriage: The federal government has released its draft bill for extending marriage rights to gay couples. It also protects the rights of clergy to not perform marriages that are against their religious beliefs. To ensure that the bill is legal, the government will request a reference from Canada's Supreme Court.
18 Jul 2003 U.S. Basketball: Eagle County. Colorado District Attorney Mark Hurlbert announced that Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers' star, has been charged with one count felony sexual assault in relation to an incident that occurred at a gated resort on June 30, involving a 19 year-old girl.
19 Jul 2003 The US Iraqi Governing Council announced that it failed to choose a new Iraqi president.
20 Jul 2003 France: Two bombs explode in front of a Nice tax office, injuring sixteen people.
21 Jul 2003 After being struck by an F-1 tornado, eleven support towers at Kinzua Bridge were destroyed.
22 Jul 2003 Special Forces assisted the 101st Airborne United States to attack a compound, killing Saddam Hussein’s sons Uday, Qusay and Mustapha Hussein. Qusay's 14 year old son and bodyguard, Qusay, was also killed.
23 Jul 2003 A poll published by German newspaper "Die Zeit" claims that nearly one third of Germans under 30 believe that the United States government could have ordered the September 11 attacks against the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. The survey was completed by 1000 participants.
24 Jul 2003 In an effort to prove that Uday and Qusay Hussein were killed in a U.S. military operation, the United States released photos from Iraq's provisional authority.
25 Jul 2003 The United States swimmer Michael Phelps sets world records in the individual and butterfly medleys at the World Swimming Championships Barcelona. He is the first person to ever break two world records in swimming in a single day.
26 Jul 2003 The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma elects a new constitution that redesignates the tribe quotCherokee Nationquot, without quotof Oklahomaquot, and specifically disenfranchises the Cherokee Freedmen.
27 Jul 2003 Bob Hope, comedian, dies in his sleep
28 Jul 2003 Harri Holkeri is appointed by the United Nations Security Council to lead UNMIK's temporary civilian administration.
30 Jul 2003 Mexico's last Volkswagen Beetle 'old-style' rolls off the assembly line.
01 Aug 2003 North Korea has agreed to multilateral talks regarding its nuclear standoff with Japan and South Korea, Russia as well as the United States and the People's Republic of China.
02 Aug 2003 The Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom claims that attempts by the British Ministry of Defence to destroy documents relating to its treatment of Dr. David Kelly, BBC source, in the weeks leading up to his suicide were stopped by a security guard who discovered the documents set for destruction and called police. According to the MoD, the documents are not important and will be kept by the Hutton Inquiry.
03 Aug 2003 A series of explosions that occurred in northern Pakistan have claimed the lives of at least 52 people (BBC).
04 Aug 2003 Five Japanese mustard gas bombs were accidentally dug out by construction workers in Qihar, Heilongjiang Province and People's Republic of China during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Two bombs are destroyed, and 43 gas poisons are released. One of them died 19 days later. Japan accepts responsibility a week later and sends compensation and doctors to China.
05 Aug 2003 In Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, a car bomb explodes outside the Marriott Hotel. It kills 12 people and injures 150.
06 Aug 2003 2003 California recall: Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he would run for Governor in the recall election of Gray Davis.
07 Aug 2003 2003 California recall: Republican Darrell Issa was behind the recall election of Gray Davis. He quickly and unexpectedly dropped out of the race for the governorship.
08 Aug 2003 Hezbollah is a militant Lebanese militia backed by Iran and Syria. It fires artillery at Israeli border posts, drawing back fire. This was the first such exchange in eight years. AP Story
09 Aug 2003 Europe continues to be affected by a historic heat wave that is expected to last another week. Portugal and Spain are especially hard hit by forest fires. Portugal has been declared a national catastrophe, with damage estimated at at. Additional fires have been reported in Majorca and the Canary Islands. Andalusia has temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius. Scotland sets a new record for the highest temperature ever recorded in history with 32.9 degrees Celsius (91.2 degrees F) at Greycrook near New
10 Aug 2003 The United Kingdom's highest recorded temperature was 38.5?C (101.3?F) in Kent. This is the first time that the United Kingdom has ever recorded temperatures above 100 degrees (38?C).
11 Aug 2003 NATO assumes command of Afghanistan's peacekeeping force, marking the NATO's first major operation outside Europe in 54 years.
12 Aug 2003 War on Terrorism: A BBC exclusive report reveals that the United States, Russia, and United Kingdom stopped a plot to down Air Force One with an Igla surface-to-air missile. According to the BBC, President Vladimir Putin requested that an FBI agent travel to St. Petersburg to investigate the plot. The agent claimed to be an Islamic extremist and met with the British arms dealer who supplied the missile. The missile was sent from St. Peterburg.
13 Aug 2003 Bogdan Bukomiric and Ivan Jovovic, both 16-year-olds, were killed in an attack by two AK-47-wielding attackers who fired on a group from Gorazdevac, near Pec, while they were swimming in the river Bistrica. Two of the four children who were hurt in the attack are currently in critical condition. UNMIK and KFOR claimed they had transferred Marko Bogicevic to Belgrade. However, he is currently in Prizren at a German military hospital, against his parents' wishes. A KFOR Italian patrol refused to f
14 Aug 2003 Captain William Ponce, a US intelligence officer, contacts other officers in Iraq to inform them that a colonel indicated that prisoners must be "broken" in order to collect information to stop further attacks on American troops.
15 Aug 2003 Oil prices rise since 2003: The global oil production plateaus after four years (and then declines) due to rising demand. This leads to new price increases.
16 Aug 2003 Major blackout: Power has been restored to most of Ottawa, New York City and Toronto after a major blackout. As work continues to restore power to the grid, authorities warn of future disruptions and recommend conservation. The theories surrounding the causes of the event are growing more solid and consistent.
17 Aug 2003 Investigators believe that the major blackout started in Ohio. FirstEnergy Corporation (which services Ohio residents) released a statement Saturday stating that three of its transmission cables tripped at Unit 5 at their Eastlake Plant hours prior to the blackout and could have been the cause.
18 Aug 2003 War on Terrorism - Arab television broadcasts an audio tape allegedly by Abdel Rahman al-Najdi, an al Qaeda official. It states that Osama Bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Omar still live. The tape encourages Muslims to commit terroristic acts against the Coalition forces in Iraq.
19 Aug 2003 Sergio Vieira de Mello, the top UN envoy in Iraq, and 21 other staff members are killed by a car bomb attack at their headquarters in Iraq.
20 Aug 2003 War on Terrorism - Canal Hotel - US officials comment terror group linked with al Qaeda, Ansar al-Islam is emerging as a top suspect for the U.N. Headquarters bombing in Baghdad. It's part of the global war against terrorists that was declared on us September 11. It is clear that we have terrorists in Iraq.
21 Aug 2003 Occupation in Iraq: According to reports, General Ali Hassan al-Majid (Chemical Ali), was captured in Iraq. He was previously reported to be dead. August 21082003133538.asp
22 Aug 2003 Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was suspended for refusing to follow a federal court order to remove the rock with the Ten Commandments from the lobby at the Alabama Supreme Court Building.
23 Aug 2003 In a rare move, the British government submitted thousands of documents to the Hutton Inquiry. Many of these documents would not normally be visible by the public for more than 30 years.
24 Aug 2003 Hurricane Ignacio is approaching the coast of Baja California. All airports and harbours in close proximity to low-lying areas must be evacuated.
25 Aug 2003 The Tli Cho Land Claims Agreement was signed by the Dogrib First Nations with the Canadian federal government at Rae-Edzo (now Behchoko).
26 Aug 2003 Columbia Accident Investigation Board releases final reports regarding the Columbia Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
27 Aug 2003 Brian Douglas Wells, a bank robber, is killed by a time bomb that explodes around his neck. This explosion was allegedly an act of betrayal from his co-conspirators.
28 Aug 2003 Brian Douglas Wells, a US citizen, is afflicted with a time bomb and explodes around his neck. He then dies. This is the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most bizarre incident.
29 Aug 2003 Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim is the Shia Muslim leader of Iraq. He was assassinated along with almost 100 worshippers, as they left a mosque in Najaf.
30 Aug 2003 Software patents: The European Parliament delayed its decision on legality of software patents in the European Union, from September 1 through September 22 after protests.
31 Aug 2003 Baghdad is packed with thousands of mourners for Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al Hakim's funeral procession.
01 Sep 2003 The Dutch dispensaries will be the first to offer cannabis prescription drugs.
02 Sep 2003 Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda leader, says his organization is involved in ampquot''serious project''ampquot and that his priority it to use biological weapons against America. Al Qaeda could already possess such weapons and may be looking for ways to transport them and launch them.
03 Sep 2003 Hubble Ultra Deep Field is launched by the Hubble Space Telescope.
04 Sep 2003 Anna Lindh, the Swedish foreign minister, is attacked in a Stockholm department shop and killed the next day.
05 Sep 2003 Tung Cheehwa, the leader of Hong Kong, announces that he will postpone plans to amend a highly unpopular security bill. This bill had sparked huge public protests and would have given the government broad powers to prosecute vaguely-defined threats to national security.
06 Sep 2003 Johns Hopkins researchers have retracted all findings from a widely cited study that claimed extensive and permanent brain damage was caused by Ecstasy. All but one of the animal participants in the study were not given Ecstasy due to a labelling error on experimental drug vials. Instead, they were given the drug d–methamphetamine.
07 Sep 2003 Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Ariel Sharon, Israel's Prime Minister, declares that Hamas leaders have been "marked for deathampquot. This statement comes after Israel failed to kill Hamas' top-ranking Hamas members with a 550-pound bomb that was dropped on an apartment in Gaza City.
08 Sep 2003 "Occupation in Iraq": President Bush declares Iraq the ampquotcentral frontampquot of the war against terror and asks Congress to pay for reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan.
09 Sep 2003 After a stroke that occurred in a Chicago hotel room, Governor Frank O'Bannon (Indiana) falls into a coma. Acting governor is Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan.
10 Sep 2003 Anna Lindh, the Swedish Foreign Minister, is attacked while shopping at a mall for clothes without any bodyguards.
11 Sep 2003 Actor John Ritter, 54, is hospitalized after suffering a heart attack that was previously unknown.
12 Sep 2003 After Libya accepted responsibility for the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, the United Nations lifted sanctions on Libya.
13 Sep 2003 Frank O'Bannon, the Indiana Governor, dies following a stroke that occurred on September 8, in Chicago (Illinois). Joe Kernan is elected the 48th Governor of Indiana.
14 Sep 2003 Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the top American commander in Iraq, authorizes a variety of new interrogation techniques, including demeaning dogs, exploiting their fear, sensory overload, sensory deprivation and stress positions.
15 Sep 2003 China officially acknowledges that it transferred guard duties along China-North Korea border from the police force to the army. Although the government doesn't report the actual number of troops deployed in force, independent media estimates place it at 150,000.
16 Sep 2003 WNBA Finals - The Detroit Shock defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 83 to 78, in Game three to win the series, two games to one and the WNBA world championship.
17 Sep 2003 NASA claims that capsules similar in design to those used for the Apollo program will be considered as replacements for the Space Shuttle.
18 Sep 2003 International Atomic Energy Agency. Iranian officials signal that they are not going to follow a resolution by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. It gave Tehran until next month to disclose its atomic program. Parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karrubi, a close ally of President Mohammad Khatami, said the IAEA resolution was ampquotpoliticalampquot and that ampquotthe Iranian people will not accept giving in to the logic of force.ampquot
19 Sep 2003 Peace: United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan rings Japan's Peace Bell to mark International Day of Peace. He warns that terrorist attacks and weapons of mass destruction are one of the greatest threats to peace, while others see poverty, disease and civil war as the most serious.
20 Sep 2003 Conflict between Israel and Palestine: Israel claims that the United Nations resolution regarding Yasser Alafat (passed with 133-4 votes with 15 abstentions), is meaningless. It is only an advisory and is not legally binding. Israel says that the Palestinians should concentrate their efforts on fighting terrorism. Israel insists on a new government being established by the incoming Palestinian Prime Minister.
21 Sep 2003 Galileo's mission is ended by sending the probe into Jupiter’s atmosphere. It is then crushed by the pressure at lower altitudes.
22 Sep 2003 David Hempleman Adams becomes the first person in open-air, wicker basket hot air balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
23 Sep 2003 California recall: A United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit panel of 11 judges overturns a previous ruling of a panel of three and reinstates October 7, as the date for the California gubernatorial election recall election. The original decision was made by the American Civil Liberties Union. They will not appeal it to the Supreme Court.
24 Sep 2003 Swedish police have arrested a new suspect in Anna Lindh's murder. Per-Olof Svensson has been removed from the list of suspects.
25 Sep 2003 Terrorism FBI investigates Hamas-linked "criminal enterprises" associated with Hamas, a radical Islamic group that has claimed responsibility for several bombings in Israel. Hamas declares that it will not join other Palestinian groups in the proposed cease-fire or the next Palestinian government. Sheik Ahmed Yassin stated that the enemy is continuing to kill, invade, and settle.
26 Sep 2003 Medicine: A British man received an experimental treatment that stopped the progression of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease-related brain damage.
27 Sep 2003 Launch of Smart 1 satellite.
28 Sep 2003 Nuclear Weapons: Iran remains defiant about nuclear program. Iran declares that it will not abandon its nuclear program, including uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency gave Iran until October 31st to prove that it does not have a secret nuclear weapons program. They also told Iran to stop enrichment activities. Iran says international pressure won't stop it from pursuing its nuclear plans.
29 Sep 2003 After being the first Briton to accept an ampquothonour killingampquot, Abdalla Yones was convicted for murdering his daughter, Heshu Yones.
30 Sep 2003 Air France and KLM have completed their merger.
01 Oct 2003 South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun reiterates offer to the United States to consider a request for South Korean participation in Multi-National Force - Iraq in exchange for ampquotpositiveampquot movement to resolve the standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
02 Oct 2003 North Korea claims that it has already processedampquot 8,000 fuelrods from its Yongbyon nuclear plant north of Pyongyang. It is also using the plutonium obtained during the process to create atomic bombs in order to increase its nuclear capability for nuclear deterrent force. Choe Su Hon, Vice Foreign Minister, claims this is an attempt to protect the country's territory.
03 Oct 2003 Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy gets attacked by one the show's tigers. The show was cancelled until 2009 when the tigers rejoined Roy, the tiger who mauled Roy six years ago.
04 Oct 2003 Conflict between Israel and Palestine: A suicide bomber from Palestinian causes havoc in a Haifa beach restaurant. She kills at least 19 people, wounds at least two dozen others, and leaves at least six of them seriously injured. Hours later, Israeli helicopter gunships strike back at targets in Gaza City or Central Gaza.
05 Oct 2003 Maher Arar was reported to have been released from a Syrian prison. Over a year ago, the US deported the Canadian engineer to Syria as he was changing planes in New York. He will arrive in Montreal on the next afternoon.
06 Oct 2003 2004 U.S. Democratic Primary: Senator Bob Graham announces, on "Larry King Live", that he will be ending his 2004 presidential campaign.
07 Oct 2003 California Governor Gray Davis is recalled by voters. They also elect Arnold Schwarzenegger as his successor.
08 Oct 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Roderick McKinnon and Peter Agre share the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discoveries about aquaporins in cell membranes.
09 Oct 2003 The Mission: Space attraction opens at Walt Disney World's Epcot. It cost US$150million to build.
10 Oct 2003 Nobel Prize: Shirin Ebadi (Iran human rights lawyer) is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
11 Oct 2003 Conflict between Israel and Palestine: Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. Israel will continue to destroy tunnels. Although the Israeli army claims it has discovered three tunnels within the camp, no weapons have been located. One Palestinian teenager was shot to death, and 10 homes were destroyed and power and water facilities damaged. Palestinian militants wanted to smuggle missiles with shoulder-fired launchers from Egypt that could be used against tanks and helicopters as well as fighter jet
12 Oct 2003 China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission.
13 Oct 2003 2003 occupation of Iraq: A new UN draft resolution is being circulated. It aims to get international aid. This resolution establishes a deadline for the first steps, even if they are only temporary, towards restoring Iraqi sovereignty. It gives the Iraqi Governing Council until December 15, to create a timeline for writing a constitution, and holding elections. Bush's administration proposes that United Nations recognize Iraqi Governing Council, a unit that 'ampquotwill embody.
14 Oct 2003 Religion: RTE's Prime Time's current affairs programme reports on Cahal Daly's refusal to hear allegations from students that he had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with Monsignor Micheal Leedwith, the head of St Patrick's College Maynooth, Ireland's largest seminary. According to the TV programme, Daly became aggressive and told students to "go back and pray." According to the TV program, Daly and his predecessor, Cardinal Tomas O Fiaich were
15 Oct 2003 After one of its ferries collided with a pier, the 2003 Staten Island Ferry accident leaves 11 dead.
16 Oct 2003 Occupation in Iraq: A new US resolution regarding Iraq was unanimously approved by the UN Security Council. Russia, Germany, and France support the resolution but won't provide troops or funds. Surveys show that troops serving in Iraq are not feeling well.
17 Oct 2003 The Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada is removed from office. This ends the conflict over bolivian natural gas and he flees to America.
18 Oct 2003 Bolivian Gas War: President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada is forced to resign.
19 Oct 2003 Pope John Paul II beatifies Mother Teresa.
20 Oct 2003 Jean Chretien, Canadian Prime Minister, indicates that Vladimir Putin indicated during an informal meeting that he was open to signing the Kyoto Protocol. Russia must sign the protocol in order for it to become law.
21 Oct 2003 Photographs of dwarf planet Eris were taken by Chad Trujillo and Michael E. Brown. They are used to document its discovery by David L. Rabinowitz and David L. Rabinowitz.
22 Oct 2003 India: India launches peace initiative to normalize relations with Pakistan Talks are only possible if Islamabad ends its cross-border terrorist initiatives in Kashmir.
23 Oct 2003 Luis A. Ferre (third Democratically Elected Governor, Puerto Rico) dies at the age of 99.
24 Oct 2003 Concorde's last commercial flight is completed. This marks the end of the age of supersonic airline travel.
25 Oct 2003 The Cedar Fire starts in San Diego County. It burns 280,000 acres (1.100 km2), 2,232 homes, and kills 14.
26 Oct 2003 The Cedar Fire, which is the second-largest wildfire in California history, causes 15 deaths and burns 250,000 acres (1,050 km). It also destroys more than 2,200 homes in San Diego.
27 Oct 2003 Occupation in Iraq: Over 40 people are killed and more than 200 injured in coordinated bomb attacks against the Red Cross compound in Baghdad and several local police stations. George W. Bush stated that the bombings were an indication of insurgent desperation.
28 Oct 2003 Economics: The United States Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unaffected at today's meeting. It stated that rates would remain low for a long time.
29 Oct 2003 Medicine: Risperdal Consta (Risperidone long acting injection) has been approved by the US FDA for schizophrenia treatment. It is approved in many other countries but the FDA has approved it as the first antipsychotic drug that is long-acting and atypical.
30 Oct 2003 Two-hour-long terror scare at Washington's Capitol follows the use of a plastic toy gun as part of Halloween costumes.
31 Oct 2003 MCI's restructuring plans are approved by a bankruptcy court, which allows the company to declare bankruptcy.
01 Nov 2003 Conflict between Israel and Palestine: A UN report has stated that Israel will annex large parts of Palestinian territory in Israel as a result the permits it plans to issue to Palestinians living near the wall. The Israeli West Bank barrier has been built inside the internationally recognised Green Line about 18,000 acres (73nbspkmampsupamp2amp/supamp) and cuts off the rest of the West Bank. It has been designated a "closed military zone".
02 Nov 2003 Occupation in Iraq: Two US Chinook helicopters were hit by two surface to air missiles. One of them crashes near Fallujah on its way towards Baghdad. 16 soldiers are killed, and 20 are injured. An explosion damages an oil pipeline north of Baghdad, near Kirkuk.
03 Nov 2003 Occupation in Iraq: The US Congress allocates the funds for rebuilding. This provision was strongly opposed by President Bush of the United States.
04 Nov 2003 After initial research showing promising results against various types of cancer, the U.S. National Cancer Institute has funded human clinical trials to test experimental reovirus-based treatments.
05 Nov 2003 Gary Ridgway, also known as the "Green River Killer", confesses to having murdered 48 women.
06 Nov 2003 Temperatures are unseasonably high at 18 degrees Celsius in London Heathrow Airport
07 Nov 2003 Occupation in Iraq
08 Nov 2003 According to 'United Press International', Pakistan, a letter was sent to opposition members in Pakistan on military letterhead. It stated that Pervez Musharraf and his gang had imposed their will on the country.
09 Nov 2003 Guatemalan election: Despite fears of violence, large numbers turn out to vote in the general election. Oscar Berger, ex-mayor of Guatemala City, receives 34%, while Alvaro Colom, center-left candidate, gets 26%. Former dictator Efrain Rios Montes comes in third with 19%. On December 28, a run-off vote will take place between Berger und Colom.
10 Nov 2003 The World Trade Organization declared the United States' steel import tariffs incompatible with free trade. This opens the door for the European Union, which can impose punitive tariffs to goods of US origin.
11 Nov 2003 The US Senate supports legislation that imposes sanctions on Syria. This bill allows President Obama to adjust sanctions based on Syria's cooperation.
12 Nov 2003 Shanghai Transrapid establishes a new speed record for commercial railway systems (501 km/h (311 mph).
13 Nov 2003 SCO v. IBM: SCO Group files subpoenas to Linus Torvalds and Richard Stallman.
14 Nov 2003 Astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael E. Brown discover 90377 Sedna. This is a Trans-Neptunian object.
15 Nov 2003 Two car bombs targeting two synagogues explode on the first day of 2003 Istanbul Bombings. This kills 25 and injures about 300. On November 20, additional bombings occur.
16 Nov 2003 Only 38% of registered voters showed up to vote in the Serbian presidential election. Only 18% of registered voters voted for Tomislav Nikolic, 14% for Dragoljub Mizunovic, 4% to Velimir Ilic and 3% for any other candidates. The poll is invalidated if there is a lower than 50% turnout.
17 Nov 2003 Lord Black of Crossharbour has been forced to resign his position as chief executive of the media empire. It may be sold.
18 Nov 2003 In Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the state cannot deny civil marriage protections to individuals of the same sex.
19 Nov 2003 The Canada-U.S. Power System Outage Task Force releases an interim report, citing a loss of situational awareness in FirstEnergy Corporation's control room as the primary cause and ampquotimmatureampquot monitoring software used at the Midwest Independent System Operator as a secondary cause.
20 Nov 2003 The second day of the 2003 Istanbul Bombings in Istanbul, Turkey occurs after the November 15th bombings. It destroys the Turkish head office at HSBC Bank AS as well as the British consulate.
21 Nov 2003 After his controversial State Visit to Britain, President George W. Bush returns to the United States.
22 Nov 2003 After weeks of protests and mass demonstrations against fraudulent elections, the Georgian Rose Revolution is over. President Eduard Shevardnadze steps down.
23 Nov 2003 After weeks of protests and a series of failed elections, Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgia's president, has resigned.
24 Nov 2003 It is illegal to use hand-held mobile phones while driving in the United Kingdom.
25 Nov 2003 The annualized Q3 growth rate of the US gross domestic products exceeds 8%. This is the highest growth rate since the Reagan administration.
26 Nov 2003 Concorde's final flight takes place over Bristol, England.
27 Nov 2003 Scientists warn of a possible epidemic of influenza that is not only likely but also probable.
28 Nov 2003 According to Science, the United States is not adequately prepared to deal with an influenza pandemic.
29 Nov 2003 The USS Cole leaves Norfolk, Virginia on its first overseas deployment since being bombed in Yemen's port of Aden in 2000.
30 Nov 2003 According to semi-official Anatolia news agency, 22 Syrian suspects were handed over to Turkey Sunday in connection to four suicide bombings that took place in Istanbul.
01 Dec 2003 Occupation in Iraq: A firefight that saw more than 50 Iraqis killed is now believed to have been a currency heist. One GI was killed in fighting westwards Baghdad on Monday.
02 Dec 2003 Venezuelan opposition leaders claim they have collected enough signatures to trigger a referendum to recall President Hugo Chavez. The government counters that the signature drive took place over four days and was corrupted by "massive fraud".
03 Dec 2003 The UN human rights prizes are given every five years to Deng Pufang and Sergio Vieira de Mello.
04 Dec 2003 Polish Prime Minister Leszek Müller is hurt in a helicopter accident outside Warsaw.
05 Dec 2003 At least 40 people are killed when suicide bombers explode a commuter train at Moscow's Northern Caucasus border with Chechnya.
06 Dec 2003 After allegedly assaulting Liberal Jeannie Feris, Andrew Bartlett, leader of the Australian Democrats, steps aside.
07 Dec 2003 After the merger of the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, the Conservative Party of Canada has been officially recognized.
08 Dec 2003 At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting the Aso Rock Declaration was issued, which outlines the Commonwealth's priorities.
09 Dec 2003 Six people are killed and several others injured in a blast that occurred in Moscow's center.
10 Dec 2003 At the World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva, Western leaders are criticized.
11 Dec 2003 Spamming: Virginia indicts one man and two men on felony charges of violating state laws regarding bulk e-mail solicitations.
12 Dec 2003 An Al Qaeda plot to attack the United Kingdom Embassy in Yemen by militants is foiled.
13 Dec 2003 Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, is being held near Tikrit (see Operation Red Dawn).
14 Dec 2003 Pervez Musharaf, President of Pakistan, narrowly escapes assassination attempts
15 Dec 2003 Wesley Clark finishes his first day of closed-door testimony in opposition to Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
16 Dec 2003 President George W. Bush signs into law the CAN-SPAM Act 2003. This law establishes the first national standards in the United States for sending commercial e-mails and directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce its provisions.
17 Dec 2003 Ian Huntley was found guilty of two murder charges in the Soham murder trial. Maxine Carr, his girlfriend, is found guilty for perverting justice.
18 Dec 2003 The Soham Murder Trial is over at London's Old Bailey. Ian Huntley was found guilty of two murder counts. Maxine Carr, his girlfriend, is found guilty for perverting justice.
19 Dec 2003 Parmalat, an Italian dairy company, declared a 3.96 Billion Euro hole in its accounts after the Bonlat Financing Corporation (a Cayman Islands-based unit) was declared false.
20 Dec 2003 Libya admits to having built a nuclear bomb.
21 Dec 2003 TIME magazine's "Persona of the Year" is "The American Soldier". Editors of TIME magazine chose an anonymous soldier to represent the nearly 1.4 million Americans serving in the Armed Forces.
22 Dec 2003 California is shaken by an earthquake, killing two.
23 Dec 2003 Explosion of the natural gas field PetroChina Chuandongbei, Guoqiao Kai County, Chongqing China, killing at most 234.
24 Dec 2003 An outbreak of mad cow disease (BSE) in Washington State has been announced. Many countries, including Australia, Taiwan, and Brazil have banned beef imports from the United States of America.
25 Dec 2003 Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, survives a suicide bomber attack against his motorcade. This was the second attempt at assassinating him within two weeks.
26 Dec 2003 Bam, a southeast Iranian city struck by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake, kills tens of thousands and destroys the citadel at Arg-e Bam.
27 Dec 2003 According to the provincial governor, the death toll from the Bam earthquake has risen to 40,000. Iran refused to accept earthquake aid from Israel.
28 Dec 2003 Serbian parliamentary elections, 2003: Serbia holds an election for a parliamentary seat. The 81 seats won by the Serbian Radical Party in the 250-seat parliament are for them.
29 Dec 2003 Akkala Sami's last speaker dies, making the language extinct.
30 Dec 2003 The European Union is currently investigating a string of bombings that targeted the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, and Europol Headquarters at The Hague. Investigators say it is too soon to make any connections between these bombs, and the letter bomb that was sent to Romano Prodi's Bologna home two days ago.
31 Dec 2003 Taiwan's President Chen Shuibian signs a law allowing referendums. This is condemned by the People's Republic of China.

2003

Your place in the Universe on 2003

Find out more about your Moon Sign

Oscar Winners

Best picture

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best director

Peter Jackson

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best actor

Sean Penn

Mystic River

Best actress

Charlize Theron

Monster

Best supporting actor

Tim Robbins

Mystic River

Best supporting actress

Renée Zellweger

Cold Mountain

Time Person of the Year

Books

The South Beach Diet

Stupid White Men

Benjamin Franklin

The Savage Nation

The Lovely Bones

Have a look at the old UK newspapers from 2003 and get them!

Do you remember those beautiful old magazines?

Nobel Prizes

Peace Prize

Literature

Physics

Economic Sciences

Chemistry

Physiology or Medicine

Music charts

Top #1 songs in the USA

Top #1 songs in the UK

Movies

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Chappelle's Show

New Scandinavian Cooking

Peep Show

Oldboy

2003 Chinese Zodiac and Horoscope

Popular names

Top #10 male names

Top #10 female names

World Population

Population statistics

Historical Events

Events