8th January » Turkish Airlines Flight 634 crashes near Diyarbakır Airport, Turkey, killing the entire crew and 70 of 75 passengers.
8th January » US Airways Express Flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte-Douglas Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, killing all 21 people on board.
16th January » The Space Shuttle Columbia or Space Shuttle 'Columbia' takes off for mission STS-107 which would be its final one. 'Columbia' disintegrated 16 days later on re-entry.
21st January » A 7.6 magnitude 2003 Colima earthquake known as earthquake strikes the Mexican state of Colima, killing 29 and leaving approximately 10,000 people homeless.
23rd January » Final communication between Earth and Pioneer 10.
24th January » The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
25th January » 2003 Invasion of Iraq: A group of people leave London, England, for Baghdad, Iraq, to Human shield action to Iraq serve as human shields, intending to prevent the United States U.S.-led coalition of the willing coalition troops from bombing certain locati
27th January » The first selections for the National Recording Registry are announced by the Library of Congress.
31st January » The Waterfall rail accident occurs near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia.
4th February » The Bengali Hindus declares the independence of the Republic of Bangabhumi from Bangladesh.
4th February » The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is officially renamed Serbia and Montenegro and adopts a new constitution.
10th February » France and Belgium break the NATO procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq.
15th February » February 15, 2003 anti-war protest known as Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between 8 million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
17th February » The London Congestion Charge scheme begins.
18th February » Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea.
19th February » An Ilyushin Il-76 military aircraft 2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 crash called crashes near Kerman, Iran, killing 275.
20th February » During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island called West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display The Station nightclub fire e.g sets the Station nightclub ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others.
1st March » Management of the United States Customs Service and the United States Secret Service move to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
1st March » The International Criminal Court holds its inaugural session in The Hague.
5th March » In Haifa, 17 Israeli civilians are killed by a Hamas suicide bomb in the Haifa bus 37 massacre.
12th March » Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia, is Assassination of Zoran Đinđić named assassinated in Belgrade.
13th March » Human evolution: The journal Nature (journal) e.g Nature reports that 350,000-year-old footprints of an upright-walking human had been found in Italy.
16th March » Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American woman involved with the International Solidarity Movement, is killed trying to prevent a Palestinian home from being destroyed by a bulldozer in Rafah.
17th March » Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Robin Cook, resigns from the Cabinet of the United Kingdom called British Cabinet in disagreement with government plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
20th March » 2003 invasion of Iraq: In the early hours of the morning, the United States and three other countries (the UK, Australia and Poland) begin military operations in Iraq.
23rd March » Battle of Nasiriyah, first major conflict during the 2003 invasion of Iraq named invasion of Iraq.
24th March » The Arab League votes 21–1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of U.S. and British soldiers from Iraq.
9th April » 2003 invasion of Iraq: Baghdad falls to American forces; Iraqis turn on symbols of their former leader Saddam Hussein, pulling down a grand statue of him and tearing it to pieces.
14th April » The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.
14th April » U.S. troops in Baghdad capture Abu Abbas, leader of the Palestinian people called Palestinian group that killed an American on the hijacked cruise liner the MS e.g Achille Lauro in 1985.
16th April » The Treaty of Accession 2003 named Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting ten new member states to the European Union.
1st May » 2003 invasion of Iraq: In what becomes known as the "Mission Accomplished speech Mission Accomplished" speech, on board the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 6 (off the coast of California), U.S. President George W. Bush declares that "major combat operations in
12th May » The Riyadh compound bombings, carried out by Al Qaeda, kill 26 people.
16th May » In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the 2003 Casablanca bombings or Casablanca terrorist attacks.
21st May » An earthquake hits northern Algeria, killing more than 2,000 people.
22nd May » In Fort Worth, Texas, Annika Sörenstam becomes the first woman to play the PGA Tour in 58 years.
28th May » Peter Hollingworth becomes the first Governor-General of Australia to resign his office as a result of criticism of his conduct.
30th May » Depayin massacre: at least 70 people associated with the National League for Democracy are killed by government-sponsored mob in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi fled the scene, but is arrested soon afterwards.
5th June » A severe heat wave across Pakistan and India reaches its peak, as temperatures exceed 50°C (122°F) in the region.
20th June » The Wikimedia Foundation is founded in St. Petersburg, Florida.
26th June » The Supreme Court of the United States e.g U.S. Supreme Court rules in 'Lawrence v. Texas' that gender-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional.
1st July » Over 500,000 people protest against efforts to pass Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 e.g anti-sedition legislation in Hong Kong.
6th July » The 70-metre Eupatoria Planetary Radar sends a Message to Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence METI message (Cosmic Call Cosmic Call 2) to five stars: Cassiopeia (constellation) Hip 4872, Orion (constellation) HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ur
7th July » NASA Opportunity rover, MER-B or Mars Exploration Rover – B, was launched into space aboard a Delta II rocket.
13th July » French Directorate-General for External Security DGSE personnel abort Opération 14 juillet an operation to rescue Íngrid Betancourt from Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FARC rebels in Colombia, causing a political scandal when details are leaked to
15th July » Time Warner e.g AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day
10th August » The highest temperature ever recorded in the United Kingdom – convert 38.5 °C °F in Kent, England. It is the first time the United Kingdom has recorded a temperature over Convert 100 °F °C.
10th August » Yuri Malenchenko becomes the first person to marry in space.
11th August » NATO takes over command of the International Security Assistance Force known as peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
11th August » Jemaah Islamiyah leader Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, is arrested in Bangkok, Thailand.
14th August » A Northeast blackout of 2003 or widescale power blackout affects the northeast United States and Canada.
19th August » A suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem, Israel, planned by Hamas, kills 23 Israelis, seven of them children, in the Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing.
22nd August » Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is suspended after refusing to comply with a federal court order to remove a rock inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the lobby of the Alabama Supreme Court building.
25th August » The Tli Cho land claims agreement is signed between the Dogrib people Dogrib First Nations and the Canada Canadian federal government in Behchoko, Northwest Territories Rae-Edzo (now called Behchoko).
27th August » Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing convert called 34646418 e.g mi distant.
27th August » The first six-party talks, involving South and North Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, convene to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korea and weapons of mass destruction called North Korean nucle
29th August » Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, is assassination e.g assassinated in a terrorism or terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they leave a mosque in Najaf.
30th August » While being towed across the Barents Sea, the de-commissioned Russian submarine K-159 sinks, taking nine of her crew and 800 kg of spent nuclear fuel with her.
10th September » Anna Lindh, the foreign minister of Sweden, is fatally stabbed while shopping, and dies the following day.
12th September » The United Nations lifts International sanctions known as sanctions against Libya after that country agreed to accept responsibility and recompense the families of victims in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.
12th September » Iraq War: In Fallujah, U.S. forces mistakenly shoot and kill eight Iraqi police officers.
14th September » In a referendum, Estonia approves joining the European Union.
20th September » 2003 Maldives civil unrest known as Maldives civil unrest: the death of prisoner Hassan Evan Naseem sparks a day of rioting in Malé.
25th September » A Richter magnitude scale or magnitude-8.0 earthquake strikes just offshore Hokkaidō, Japan.
4th October » Maxim restaurant suicide bombing in Haifa, Israel: 21 Israelis, Jews and Arabs, are killed, and 51 others wounded.
7th October » A historic California gubernatorial recall election e.g recall election takes place in the U.S. State of California in which the sitting Governor Gray Davis, a Democrat, is overwhelmingly voted out of office. Actor, bodybuilder and Republican candidate Ar
9th October » Mission: SPACE opens to the public in the Epcot park at Walt Disney World. The opening ceremony included several astronauts from all eras of space exploration.
14th October » Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman incident called Steve Bartman becomes infamously known as the scapegoat for the Cubs losing game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series to the Florida Marlins.
15th October » China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission.
15th October » The Staten Island Ferry boat 'Andrew J. Barberi' 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash e.g runs into a pier at the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island, killing 11 people and injuring 43.
18th October » Bolivian Gas War: List of presidents of Bolivia or President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, is forced to resign and leave Bolivia.
19th October » Mother Teresa is Beatification or beatified by Pope John Paul II.
24th October » Concorde makes its last commercial flight.
26th October » The Cedar Fire, the second-largest fire in California history, kills 15 people, consumes convert 250,000 acre km2, and destroys 2,200 homes around San Diego.
5th November » Green River Killer Gary Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of murder.
12th November » Iraq war: In Nasiriya, Iraq, at least 23 people, among them the first Italian casualties of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, are killed in a suicide bomb attack on an Italian police base.
12th November » Shanghai Transrapid sets a new Land speed record for rail vehicles world speed record (convert 501 km/h mph) for commercial railway systems, which remains the fastest for unmodified commercial rail vehicles.
14th November » Astronomers Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz discover 90377 Sedna, a Trans-Neptunian object.
15th November » The first day of the 2003 Istanbul bombings, in which two car bombs, targeting two synagogues, explode, killing 25 people and wounding about 300. Additional bombings follow on November 20.
18th November » In the United Kingdom, the Local Government Act 2003, repealing controversial anti-gay amendment Section 28, becomes effective.
20th November » After the November 15 bombings, a second day of the 2003 Istanbul Bombings occurs in Istanbul, Turkey, destroying the Turkish head office of HSBC Bank (Turkey) known as HSBC Bank AS and the British consulate.
22nd November » 2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident: Shortly after takeoff, a DHL Express cargo plane is struck on the left wing by a surface-to-air missile and forced to land.
23rd November » Rose Revolution: Georgia (country) named Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze resigns following weeks of mass protests over flawed elections.
26th November » Concorde makes its final flight, over Bristol, England.
7th December » The Conservative Party of Canada is officially registered, following the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
9th December » A Red Square Bombing e.g blast in the center of Moscow kills six people and wounds several more.
13th December » Iraq War: Operation Red Dawn Former President of Iraq or Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit.
14th December » President of Pakistan or Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf narrowly escapes an assassination attempt.
17th December » The Soham murders e.g Soham murder trial ends at the Old Bailey in London, England, with Ian Huntley found guilty of two counts of murder. His girlfriend Maxine Carr is found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
17th December » SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, makes SpaceShipOne flight 11P e.g its first powered and first supersonic flight.
23rd December » PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
25th December » The ill-fated 'Beagle 2' probe, released from the Mars Express Spacecraft on December 19, disappears shortly before its scheduled landing.
26th December » A 2003 Bam earthquake called magnitude 6.6 earthquake devastates southeast Iranian city of Bam, Iran or Bam, killing tens of thousands and destroying the citadel of Arg-é Bam.
29th December » The last known speaker of Akkala Sami language named Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct.