-
-
22nd_century
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s -
2000s -
2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s
Years:
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 -
2003 -
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
2003 news by month:
January -
February -
March -
April -
May -
June -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December
----
This is a
common_year_starting_on_Wednesday (link will take you to calendar)
----
See also:
2003_in_architecture
2003_in_aviation
2003_in_film
2003_in_games
2003_in_India
2003_in_literature
2003_in_music
2003_in_politics
2003_in_science
2003_in_sports
2003_in_television
2003_in_Canada
Deaths_in_2003
2003 state leaders
2003 religious leaders
2003 intl. org. leaders
''The International Year of Freshwater''
''The European Disability Year''
Summary
Perhaps the defining global event of the year 2003 was the Invasion_of_Iraq launched by the United States and select allies. All over the world, Many months in 2003 were devoted to the discussion, debate, protest, and organization of this war, making it probably the most discussed (and controversial) war in modern history. The war would ultimately depose longtime Iraqi Leader Saddam_Hussein and begin an occupation period that would continue well into 2004.
Over 30 nations held elections in 2004.
Events
January
January_1 - Luíz_Inácio_Lula_Da_Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil.
January_1 - Pascal_Couchepin becomes President of the Confederation in Switzerland
January_15 - The Supreme Court hands down its decision in Eldred_v._Ashcroft allowing the extension of copyright terms.
January_21 - Kevin_Mitnick is allowed to use a computer again.
January_24 - The new United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security officially begins operation.
, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and the Czech_Republic release a statement showing support for the U.S.'s position on Iraq, saying that Saddam Hussein should not be allowed to violate U.N. resolutions.
February
February_1 - The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts onboard.
addresses the UN_Security_Council on Iraq.
February_9 - Cricket World Cup begins in South_Africa
February_15 - Global_protests_against_war_on_Iraq - more than six million people protest in over 600 cities worldwide, the largest war protest to take place before the war occurred.
February_23 - New_York_City is the site of the 2003 Grammy Awards, with Nickelback, No_Doubt, Foo_Fighters, Britney_Spears and some other bands and performers.
February_26 - An American businessman is admitted to the Vietnam France Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam. WHO doctor Carlo_Urbani report the unusual highly contagious disease to WHO. Both the businessman and Carlo_Urbani die of SARS in March.
talks publicly about his vision of a post-invasion democracy in Iraq. Bush says it will be "an example" to other nations in Arabia.
March
calls for Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to step down to avoid war. The sentiment is later echoed by Kuwait.
capture Khalid_Shaikh_Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the September_11,_2001_Terrorist_Attacks along with money man Mustafa_Ahmed_al-Hawsawi.
becomes the third Arab country to call for Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to step down.
March_5 - The Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States by a 5-4 margin upholds California's "three strikes and you're out" law.
March_6 - U.S. President George W. Bush holds a live, televised press conference on the latest developments in the War on Terrorism, the situation with North_Korea and the disarmament standoff with Iraq.
, flying missions for U.N. weapons inspectors, forcing them to abort their mission and return to base. Iraqi officials described the incident as a "technical mistake" by the U.N. inspectors. Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for UNMOVIC, said that Iraqi officials had been notified about the flight beforehand.
March_11 - Iraq disarmament crisis: According to Arab media, Saddam Hussein opens terrorist training camps in Iraq for Arab volunteers willing to carry out suicide bombings against U.S. forces if a U.S.-led attack took place.
March_12 - Zoran_Djindjic assassinated in Belgrade
March_12 - WHO issues a global alert on SARS.
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_14 - U.S. Rep. James_P._Moran_Jr. steps down as a regional Whip for the House Democrats for making what he called "insensitive" remarks about Jews pushing the nation into war with Iraq. At a March_3 anti-war rally in Reston,_Virginia, Moran said, "If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this."
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_16 - Largest co-ordinated worldwide vigil as part of the global protests against war on Iraq.
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 - Sen. Robert_Byrd (D-W. Va.) gives a speech in the Senate, saying "I weep for my country" as he attests that America is discarding its image of a strong, benevolent peacekeeper.
, Australia and Poland invade Iraq, preceded by a air strike on the suspected bunker of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.
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 using cruise_missiles fired from US_Navy warships, Royal_Navy submarines and B-52 bombers; and laser guided missiles fired by Stealth_Bombers.
March_23 - Cricket World Cup ends as Australia win over India in Centurion, South_Africa.
March_29 - WHO doctor Carlo Urbani, who first identified SARS, dies of the disease.
April
April_9 - US forces seize control of Baghdad, apparently ending the regime of Saddam Hussein.
April_21 - Retired US General Jay_Garner becomes Interim Civil Administrator of Iraq.
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. Clearly visible in the background was a banner stating "Mission Accomplished". Bush's landing was criticized by opponents as overly theatrical and expensive. The banner, made by White_House personnel (according to a CNN story:
Home |
Categorie | |
Mail
Google-Suche | MSN-Suche
Original, History and Authors:
en-wikipedia-org/wiki/2003
| History and Authors
| Edit Content
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
"GNU Free Documentation License".
