WHAT ALL HAPPENED FEBRUARY TO DECEMBER 2003
Find out what all happened February to December 2003

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. (10. February 2003)

Mother Teresa is beatified by Pope John Paul II. (19. October 2003)

The People's Republic of China begins filling the reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam. (1. June 2003)

Chicago Cubs fan 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. (14. October 2003)

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 AS and the British consulate. (20. November 2003)

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules 4 to 3 in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and gives the state legislature 180 days to change the law making Massachusetts the first state in the United States to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples. (18. November 2003)

Maldives civil unrest: the death of prisoner Hassan Evan Naseem sparks a day of rioting in Malé. (20. September 2003)

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. (22. November 2003)

Iraq War: Operation Red Dawn – Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit. (13. December 2003)

Shanghai Transrapid sets a new world speed record (501 kilometres per hour (311 mph)) for commercial railway systems, which remains the fastest for unmodified commercial rail vehicles. (12. November 2003)

Peter Hollingworth becomes the first Governor-General of Australia to resign his office as a result of criticism of his conduct. (28. May 2003)

A magnitude-8.0 earthquake strikes just offshore Hokkaidō, Japan. (25. September 2003)

In Haifa, 17 Israeli civilians are killed by a Hamas suicide bomb in the Haifa bus 37 massacre. (5. March 2003)

Concorde makes its final flight, over Bristol, England. (26. November 2003)

Concorde makes its last commercial flight. (24. October 2003)

An Ilyushin Il-76 military aircraft crashes near Kerman, Iran, killing 275. (19. February 2003)

French DGSE personnel abort an operation to rescue Íngrid Betancourt from FARC rebels in Colombia, causing a political scandal when details are leaked to the press. (13. July 2003)

Widescale power blackout in the northeast United States and Canada. (14. August 2003)

The Tli Cho land claims agreement is signed between the Dogrib First Nations and the Canadian federal government in Rae-Edzo (now called Behchoko). (25. August 2003)

In Mexico, the last 'old style' Volkswagen Beetle rolls off the assembly line. (30. July 2003)