WHAT ALL HAPPENED MARCH TO AUGUST 2003
Find out what all happened March to August 2003

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. (9. April 2003)

An earthquake hits northern Algeria, killing more than 2,000 people. (21. May 2003)

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. (20. March 2003)

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

The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%. (14. April 2003)

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

NASA Opportunity rover, MER-B or Mars Exploration Rover – B, was launched into space aboard a Delta II rocket. (7. July 2003)

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

The 70-metre Eupatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to 5 stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044 and 2049 respectively. (6. July 2003)

NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history. (11. August 2003)

Battle of Nasiriyah, first major conflict during the invasion of Iraq. (23. March 2003)

Delta Goodrem diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. (8. July 2003)

In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks. (16. May 2003)

Management of the United States Customs Service and the United States Secret Service move to the United States Department of Homeland Security. (1. March 2003)

Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia, is assassinated in Belgrade. (12. March 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)

The Wikimedia Foundation is founded in St. Petersburg, Florida. (20. June 2003)

Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, is assassinated in a terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they leave a mosque in Najaf. (29. August 2003)

Jemaah Islamiyah leader Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, is arrested in Bangkok, Thailand. (11. August 2003)

The Riyadh compound bombings, carried out by Al Qaeda, kill 26 people. (12. May 2003)