THE YEAR OF 2003
Died : JAN 1 Cyril Shaps, actor.(voice of Mr Kipling's exceedingly good cakes)
Died : 6 Lord (Roy) Jenkins of Hillhead, politician.
Died : 10 Peter Tinniswood, playwright.
Died : 12 Maurice Gibb, Bee Gee, 5th biggest selling band of all time. (53)
Died : 13 Leoploldo Galtieri, Argentine dictator during Falklands invasion.
Died : 19 Richard Crenna, actor. (76)
1 Fireworks stalls in Mexico market exploded killing 28, 50 injured
1 Last Penny Black print press went on display at British Library.
2 Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sworn in as Brasil's new president.
2 Pakistan's police held public bonfire of pornographic material.
2 This years Xmas e-mail virus was yaha.k - relatively harmless.
3 BMW's first new Rolls Royce was unveiled at their Goodwood plant.
4 A record 125 mil text messages were sent on New Years Eve in UK.
JAN 5 Amsterdam Raelian Society announced the second cloned baby birth.
5 Nuevo Leon Mexicans baked world record xmas cake - 13400 kilos.
6 An unmanned Chinese space capsule landed back safely, in China.
6 Two suicide bombs rocked Tel Aviv, 23 died.
7 First new star on Hollywood walk of fame 2003 - Steven Spielberg.
7 Jack and Chloe were the most popular babies names in 2002.
7 UK temperatues plunged - Aviemore, Scotland recorded -18 F.
8 Dixons xmas sales increased only 1%, profits warning was issued.
8 Group of Moslems arrested in London with highly toxic Ricin.
9 Solitor General Harriet Harman caught speeding at 99 mph.
9 Supermarket William Morrison bought Safeway for £2,9 billion.
9 The Moslem version of Coca Cola, Mecca Cola, was launched.
10 UKs longest ever seige (15 days) ended in London with his death.
JAN 11 The aircraft carrier Ark Royal left for the Gulf of Arabia.
11 The Stop the War coalition held a conference in London.
11 US sent 35000 troops to the Gulf area.
12 Gov George Ryan of Illinois commuted 167 death sentences to life.
13 AoL chairman Steve Case resigned over federal accounting probe.
13 Average price of a gallon of petrol in the US was $1.47.
14 Six people were arrested in Bournemouth in a terrorist alert.
14 US cut off food aid from N Korea over it's nuclear program.
15 Average UK pocket money for tweenagers £7.58 - in Europe £4.79.
15 Police officer died, 3 injured in Manchester anti-terrorist raid.
16 Arunothai Sriaran, took the title of Miss Drunk in Bangkok.
16 Shuttle Columbia left with Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon.
17 Microsoft announced it's first ever dividend.
JAN 17 Online shopping over xmas exceeded £1bn, in 2000 it was £100m.
17 UN inspectors found 11 illegal empty chemical rockets in Iraq.
18 Bush fires reached the Australian capital of Canberra.
18 Demos in UK, US and round the world to stop a war with Iraq.
19 Prolonged cold spell in north India caused 1500 deaths.
19 Three men arrested at Gatwick Airport under the Terrorism Act.
19 Three men arrested at GCHQ Cheltenham under the Terrorism Act.
20 Air crash fatalities in 2002 totalled 1022. (2001 = 778).
20 Chicago named best musical at the Golden Globe Awards.
20 Police raided a north London Mosque looking for terrorists.
21 Canberra was on evacuation alert as bush fires drew closer.
21 Firemen staged another 24 hour strike over pay.
21 World's first (dancing) bear sanctuary opened in Agra, India.
JAN 22 Earthquake in Mexico (R7.6), at least 21 died.
22 Japan added 22 mountains to dangerous volcanoes list (now 108).
22 Simon Vallor of Llandudno given 2 yrs jail for spreading virus'.
23 EU says Lundy Island, Devon (pop.18) is too small to be an island
23 Laura Ashley closed it's 35 European stores.
23 UK stock market plunged to a 6 year low.
24 UK stock market went to an8 year low as war with Iraq loomed.
24 Unusually cold weather on US eastern seaboard - down to Florida.
25 NY drug pushers were selling Harry Potter ecstasy tablets.
25 Prominent Chinese dissident Fang Jue was expelled to the US.
25 Serena Williams won the Australian Open Tennis Tournement.
26 Andre Agassi won the Australin Open Tennis, his 8th Grand Slam.
26 Historic Mt Stromlo Observatory destroyed in Australian bushfires
JAN 26 Internet slowed to a standstill today by the "SQL slammer" worm.
26 Sixteen al-Qaeda suspects appeared in court in Catalonia, Spain.
27 Pres Bush delivered the State of the Union address.
27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers crowned Superbowl Champions (48-21 Oakland).
27 UKs First Pendolino tilting train left Manchester for London.
28 Kylie Minogue launched her lingerie collection, called Love Kylie
28 MSN site failed to install it's own patch and was hit by a virus.
28 UK 24hr fireman strike from 9am.
29 Dutchman Rene Veenema arrested for selling land - on the moon.
29 PM Blair went on a tour gathering support for an Iraq conflict.
30 AoL announced the biggest loss of all time, $100 billion for 2002
30 France and Germany refused to sign a document supporting US.
30 UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, expressed support for US.
JAN 31 Low-cost airline RyanAir bought rival Buzz for a bargain £15mil.
31 PM Blair met Pres Bush at Camp David to discuss invasion of Iraq.
Died : FEB 1 Laurel Clark, 41, Columbia astronaut.
Died : Kalpana Chawla, 41, Columbia astronaut.
Died : David Brown, 46, Columbia astronaut.
Died : Michael Anderson, 43, Columbia astronaut.
Died : William McCool, 41, Columbia astronaut.
Died : Rick Husband, 45, Columbia astronaut.
Died : Ilan Ramon, 48, Columbia astronaut.
Died : 19 Isser Harel, Israel's former Secret Service Chief.
Died : 23 Shlomo Argov, former US ambassador to Britain.
1 After 2in of snow hundreds of London motorists trapped for 20 hrs
1 Number of illegal immigrants in the US jumped 1m to 7 million.
1 Space shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry killing 7 astronauts.
2 Chinese new year - of the Ram.
FEB 2 Helicopters rained flowers on Tehran on 24th Islamic anniversary.
3 Russian singers Tatu went straight to no1 with "All The Things".
3 Unmanned Russian supply ship blasted off for the ISS.
4 Coke rip-off Qibla Cola launched, aimed at Muslims.
4 Phil Spector was arrested for the murder of a woman employee.
5 Brighton's Palace Pier was evacuated after catching fire.
5 Yugoslavia is officially no more, it became Serbia and Montenegro
6 About 35 UK protesters arrived in Iraq to act as "human shields".
6 Fastest computer virus sofar, slammer, 10mins to cover the globe.
7 The old Wembley Stadium's twin towers were demolished.
8 Gary Kasparov drew with Deep Junior in Man v Machine chess comp.
8 Nelson Mandela opened his paintings exhibition on Robben Island.
9 About 2 mil Moslim pilgrims converged on Mecca for annual Hajj.
FEB 9 BBC launched BBC3 TV channel - aimed at 20 to 30 somethings.
9 Dell computers said goodbye to the floppy disc on high end models
9 US pulled non-essential personnel from countries around Iraq.
10 Human rights activist Wang Bigzhang sentenced to life in China
10 Indian diplomats were expelled from Pakistan.
11 Troops were stationed around Heathrow Airport after terror threat
12 A video by Osama bin Laden urged Iraqis to launch suicide attacks
12 England cricket team withdrew from World Cup match in Zimbabwe.
13 An RAF jet patrolled the sky over London after terror threats.
13 Another 21 people trampled to death at the Saudi Arabian Hajj.
13 NY banned mobile phones at public performances.
14 A live grenade was found in a Gatwick passengers luggage.
14 Montego Bay, Jamaica kept tradition by marrying 31 naked couples.
FEB 14 Saddam Hussein decreed weapons of mass destructions were banned.
15 About 1 million Stop the War Protesters brought London to a halt.
15 About 10 million took part in anti-war protests around the world.
16 Over 100k broke mass aerobics record in Rizal Park, Manila.
16 Replica famine ship left Co Kerry for the USA.
17 Central London's £5 a day anti-congestion charge started.
17 London Fashion week started.
17 Robbery at Antwerp diamond vault emptied 123 safes of over £50mil
18 Arson in S Korea subway caused 120 deaths.
18 Petra Nemcova became Sports Illustrated 2003 swimsuit cover girl.
19 Britney Spears Crossroads voted worst film of 2002 in the Naftas.
19 Microsoft stock split gave them 10 billion shares worth $260 bil.
20 Argos fined £22.6 mil for price fixing toys with Hasbro.
FEB 20 Foreign Office advised all British nationals to leave Iraq.
20 Mounir el Motassadeq jailed for 15 years accessory to murder 3045
21 Coldplay won Best Group and Best Album at The Brit Awards.
21 US declared it was ready to attack Iraq at any time.
22 Fire at nightclub in Rhode Island caused by fireworks, 96 died.
22 UN inspectors ordered Iraq to destroy dozens of illegal missiles.
23 Hundreds injured in Business dispute between Tibetans and Chinese
23 Nine worshippers were killed in a Pakistan Mosque by gunmen.
24 Coldplay won 2 Grammy's in New York.
24 Nicole Kidman won a Bafta in London. (Best Actress in Hours)
24 Norah Jones won 8 Grammys with her 1st album Come Away With Me.
25 30000 Nike basketball shoes fell off a ship off N California.
25 Dutch retailer Ahold admits significant accounting irregularities
FEB 26 Abbey National made it's 1st ever loss - £1 billion.
26 Richard M Daley won a record 5th term as Chicago mayor.
27 Dr Rowan Williams enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury
27 First man made object left the solar system - Pioneer 10.
28 Number of people seeking asylum in UK in 2002 exceeded 100k.
28 Rio carnival started, guarded by 3000 troops against drug gangs.
Died : MAR 4 Horst Buchholz, actor. (The Magnificent Seven)
Died : 5 Sir Hardy Amies, fashion designer.
Died : 9 Adam Faith, singer, actor.
Died : 10 Barry Sheene, ex World Motorcycle Champion, of cancer. (52)
Died : 15 Dame Thora Hird, character actress.
Died : 17 Joseph Coors, brewing fortune heir, advisor to pres Reagan.
Died : 24 Terry Lloyd, war correspondent, in Iraq.
1 Scottish Harris Island purchased by it's inhabitants for £4.5m.
1 Start of the Rio Carnival was overshadowed by Drug gang wars.
2 Khalid Shaikh, 9/11 mastermind, was arrested in Pakistan.
2 Switzerland became first European nation to win the Americas Cup
3 Glasgow was named Britain's safest city to live in.
3 Salvadore Dali sketch stolen from lobby of Rikers Island Jail, NY
MAR 4 Ireland's plastic shopping bag levy netted £5.45m in 10 months.
4 Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, 9/11 financier, arrested in Pakistan.
5 First London Metro Uni honorary doctorate went to Prince Philip.
5 The Dow Jones index on Wall Street stocks continued it's fall.
6 Honda's factory in Swindon produced it's millionth car.
6 Seven more moons discovered orbitting Jupiter, total now 47.
7 Fidel Castro re-elected for a world record 6th time.
7 Japan stock market index, the Nikkei, at it's lowest since 1983.
8 Broadway was shut down by striking musicians.
8 Microsoft issued it's first ever dividend, £535 mil, 8c/sh.
8 New internet speed record - 6.7 gb over 6800 miles in under 1 min
9 David Coulthard (McLaren) won the first 2003 F1 GP in Melborne.
10 Fighting in a NY Times Square nightclub ended with 8 people shot.
MAR 10 Lenny Henry took over UKs speaking clock for Red Nose Week.
11 The Clash and The Police enter The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
11 The FTSE fell to an 8 year low in anticipation of war with Iraq.
12 Chinese govt cut 4 songs from the Rolling Stones Tour.
12 Turkey named Recep Tayyip Erdogan as their new PM.
12 Washington renamed french fries as freedom fries.
13 Execution of Delma Banks in Texas was stopped with 10 mins to go.
13 NY City passed resolution opposing Iraq war except as last resort
14 The TV event RED NOSE DAY organised by comic relief, started in
1985 it has raised over £250 million.
15 China replaced Jiang Zemin with Hu Jintao as president.
15 RED NOSE DAY raised over £35 million on the day - more to come.
16 PM Blair & Pres Bush met on The Azores in council of war on Iraq.
MAR 17 French Pres Chirac said he'd "Battle to the end" to stop the war.
17 NY 5th Av filled with 2 mil people for the St Patricks Day Parade
18 Australia sent 2000 troops to Iraq and threw out Iraq diplomats.
18 Pres Bush gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq.
19 A rebel ammendment by 138 labour MPs over Iraq war was defeated.
19 Antwerp's Police Chief was charged with embezzlement and forgery.
20 At 2:30am the US began it's war on Iraq with 40 cruise missiles.
20 War protester hanging banner on Golden Gate Br. fell to his death
21 Anti-war protests outside US embassies around the world.
21 Police arrested over 1000 in San Francisco anti-war demo.
21 Royal Marines entered southern Iraq.
22 "Shock and Awe" started as 3000 cruise missiles launched on Iraq.
22 A division of the Iraqi army surrendered in Southern Iraq.
MAR 23 Ford Model T back in production at Dagenham on its 100th birthday
23 Kimi Raikonnen won his first F1 GP at Sepang, Malaysia.
23 US troops were within 100 miles of Baghdad.
24 Chicago won Best Film Oscar, first musical since Oliver! in 1968.
24 RAF Tornado was shot down by "friendly fire" Patriot Missile.
25 J K Rowling (Harry Potter author) gave birth to a baby boy.
25 US forces began pounding Iraq Republican Guard around Baghdad.
26 Anti-war demo in Sydney ended in violence - 14 arrested.
26 US Senators asked people to boycott French wine.
27 On the 7th day of the Iraq war, Bush and Blair met at Camp David.
28 A further 100 000 US troops were despatched to Iraq.
28 Japan launched its' first 2 spy satellites.
28 Rolling Stones Hong Kong concert cancelled - SARS epidemic.
MAR 29 Takoma, an Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin trained to find mines,
went AWOL in the Arabian Gulf on his first mission.
30 A Royal Marine Brigadier was in control of US troops.
30 Ten English football fans arrested after they beat Lichtenstein.
31 A 4 week gun amnesty started in the UK for illegal owners.
31 £2 coin issued commemorating DNA discovery by Crick & Watson.
Died : APR 3 Edwin Starr, soul singer.
Died : 4 Michael Wayne, film producer, John's son.
Died : 12 Little Eva, singer. (1962 The Loco-Motion)
Died : 18 Sir Paul Getty, US born billionaire, in London. (70)
Died : 19 Earl King, songwriter, guitarist. (69)
Died : 21 Nina Simone, jazz singer. (in France aged 70)
Died : 22 Cholly Atkins, Tamla Motown choreographer. (89)
Died : 29 Elaine Steinbeck, actress, wife of John. (88)
1 Staff at birthdayblews were on strike for more money.
2 New regulations for club bouncers mean 40% will lose their job.
2 PoW Jessica Lynch, supply clerk, was rescued by US Special Forces
3 Arab TV al-Jazeera stopped broadcasts from Iraq.
3 Coalition forces were within 20 miles of Baghdad.
APR 4 British troops beaten 9-3 by Iraq football team at Umm Kaayyal.
4 US forces captured Baghdad Airport.
5 Monty's Pass won the 156th Grand National.
5 US troops surrounded the City of Baghdad.
6 Jancarlo Fisichella won his first F1 GP in Brasil.
6 Watched by 400m, Oxford won the 149th Boat Race by 1 foot.
7 Number in US prisons exceeded 2 million for the first time.
7 PM Blair and Pres Bush met in Northern Ireland.
8 One of Iraq most wanted "Chemical" Ali Hassan al-Majid found dead
8 Winner of £1mil quiz show found guilty of deception - fined £10k
9 Anne Summers "Lancashire Hotbot" poster banned by the ASA.
9 Toronto quarantined 5000 people containing a SARS outbreak.
10 Iraq's UN ambassador conceded defeat after 21 days of war.
APR 10 US biggest satellite TV Hughes DirectTV acquired by Rupert Murdoch
11 Cleric Abdul al-Khoei hacked to death at Grand Imam Mosque.
11 Harry Potter book became the most borrowed library book.
11 Suicide bomb attack killed 1 injured 3 at a Baghdad checkpoint.
12 Chaos reigned in Iraq as looters took over.
12 Cuba executed by firing squad 3 hijackers of a ferry to the US.
13 Hungarian referendum voted to join the EU, only 45% voted.
13 Paul Tracy won his third consecutive CART race at Long Beach.
13 Paula Radcliffe won the women's London Marathon in record time.
13 The 23rd London Marathon attracted 33000 runners.
14 A NY club bouncer was killed when he asked someone not to smoke.
14 International Human Genome Consortium announced the completion of
the 3 billion letters that make up the DNA strand.
APR 15 F1 team BMW Williams will be sponsored by quit smoking aid Niquitin CQ in preparation for the cigarette sponsorship ban.
16 Convicted Palestinian terrorist Abul Abbas captured in Baghdad.
17 Annual Maundy Money service took place in Gloucester Cathedral.
17 Temperatures in Britain reached a record 80 degrees F.
18 Saddam Hussein's half brother Barzan al-Tikriti was captured.
18 Volcano Mount Asama in Japan erupted.
19 300 million £1 pound coins have gone missing in the last 20 years
19 About 30 Pilot whales beached themselves on Florida beach, 4 died
19 US Marines were guarding £600 mil in gold from Baghdad looters.
20 M Schumacher won the Imola F1 GP in a Ferrari.
20 Middle East Christians were asked to refrain from celebrating
Easter by the M E Council of Churches due to the Iraq situation.
21 China's health minister and Beijing's mayor were sacked over the mis-handling and cover-up of the SARS epidemic.
APR 22 Iraq's former PM Hazmaq al-Zubaydi was handed over to US military
23 Beijing schools closed for 2 weeks to stop the spread of SARS.
23 Princess Alexandra was made a Lady of the Garter.
24 SARS closed down Beijing's major hospital to be disinfected.
24 The Penguin Dictionary of British Place Names was published.
25 Iraq's deputy PM, Tariq Aziz, was arrested by US military.
25 Pyramid savings scam in the Phillipines netted over £550 mil.
25 Winnie Mandela, wife of Nelson, was convicted of fraud and theft.
26 First ISS flight since Columbia crashed blasted off from Russia.
26 Robert Maxwell topped AOL (UK) poll as Biggest Cheat of All Time.
27 Beijing closed cinemas, theatres and bars to stop SARS epidemic.
27 Sunday Times Rich List put JK Rowling at no 1, above The Queen.
28 Dead or alive it is Saddam Hussein's 66th birthday.
APR 28 Paintings worth £1m were stolen from a Manchester gallery.
29 Restaurant Magazine put 11 British eateries in the world top 50.
29 Stolen Picasso, Gaugin and van Gogh found close to their gallery.
30 Libya offered $3 bil compensation to Lockerbie bombing families.
30 Two British suicide bombers killed 3 in a Tel Aviv restaurant.
Died : MAY 13 Noel Redding, bass player for Jimi Hendrix. (57)
Died : 16 Robert Stack, actor, hero of TV's Untouchables.(84)
Died : 26 Rachel Kempson, actress, widow of Sir Michael Redgrave.
1 Earhquake in Southern Turkey (R6.4) buried 135 children in school
1 First brothel, Daily Planet, floated on a stock exchange (Aus).
2 Pres Bush declared hostilities in Iraq over and a new era begun.
2 Students at Princeton were fined up to $20k for music file swaps.
3 Argentinas worst flooding forced 100,000 from their homes.
3 International Cannabis Day of Action 230 events around the world.
4 M Schumaker won the Spanish F1 GP, Alonso was 2nd.
4 Occupants of the ISS returned to earth in a soyuz while the
US shuttles were grounded - 2 Americans and 1 Russian landed,
250 miles off target in Kazakstan.
MAY 5 Emma Richards became first woman to complete Around Alone race.
5 Mark Williams became World Snooker Champion.
5 Matt LeBlanc of Friends married model Melissa McKnight on Kauai.
6 France topped EU's league table of rule-breakers.
6 Rare tornadoes killed 39 in Missouri, Kansas and Tennessee.
7 First class stamp prices rose 1p to 28p, 2nd class unchanged.
7 FTSE 100 broke through 4000 barrier for the first time this year.
8 Four people arrested after an unreleased Harry Potter novel
was found in a field in North Suffolk.
9 Japan launched a probe to bring back asteroid samples.
9 World's best Leonardo da Vinci collection at Buckingham Palace.
10 Channel 4's 100 worst Britons was headed by Robbie Williams.
10 David Beckham had his hairband banned by boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
MAY 10 Four Britons freed from Morocco after mass pardon by King Mohamed
11 Bonds Aston Martin in Die Another Day sold for £210k.
11 Paul McCartney rocked Romes' Colloseum with free concert for 300k
12 A truck bomb hit an administration building in Chechnya, 16 dead.
13 Four bomb blasts shook Western targets in Riyadh afew hours
before Colin Powell was due on a peace visit. At least 20 died
plus 9 bombers.
14 A gold figurine worth £36m was stolen from Vienna museum.
14 The proportion of births outside of marriage in 2002 - 41%.
15 London exhibition opened of 200 artefacts raised from the Titanic
15 Total lunar eclipse - best viewing most of US and South America.
16 Terror alert on flights from Africa stranded 1200 Britons.
16 World's first robot vacuum cleaner (Trilobite) on sale for £1k.
MAY 17 Arsenal bt Southampton 1-0 in the FA Cup final.
17 Casablanca hit by 3 car bombs and a suicide bomber - 24 killed.
18 At annual Harley-Davidson rally in Carolina accidents killed 5.
18 Michael Schumacher won the Austrian F1 GP in a Ferrari.
18 Nicki Lane became Miss Great Britain.
19 A 115ft inflatable Pinocchio was outside Tate Modern Art Gallery.
19 Switzerland went to the polls in 9 seperate referendums.
20 The annual festival of flowers, The Chelsea Flower Show, opened.
21 Imam Samudra went on trial for the Bali bombings.
21 The US goes on "high" alert citing possible terrorist attacks.
22 Over 2000 people were killed in a strong earthquake in Algeria.
22 Ruben Studdard beat Clay Aiken to become the new American Idol.
23 Concrete blocks placed outside parliament as anti-terror measure.
MAY 23 Halle Berry was named the world's sexiest woman by FHM magazine.
23 The 4th Big Brother TV show started with 12 contestants.
24 St Petersburg kicked off the city's 300th birthday celebrations.
24 The Eurovision Song Contest from Latvia was won by Turkey.
24 UK Eurovision entry received nil points - first time ever.
25 Sir Paul McCartney performed his first-ever concert in the former Soviet republic.
26 Fighting broke out at a Wolverhampton v Sheffield football match.
26 The first draft of a new EU constitution was unveiled.
27 Earthquake in N Japan (R7).
27 Sherpa Lakpa Gyelu climbed Mt Everest in a record 10 hrs 56 mins.
28 An Indian man rolled 265 ml in blistering heat for a Hindu temple
28 Pentagon found 2000 tons of US chemical weapons at a US Army base
29 Party in Kathmandu celebrating 50 years since Everest was climbed
MAY 29 Tony Blair became first Western leader in Iraq since the war.
30 Microsoft agreed to pay $750m to AoL to settle a monopoly lawsuit
30 The historic Moulin Rouge Las Vegas casino was destroyed by fire.
31 Annular eclipse of the Sun was seen from Greenland to Scotland
31 The last Air France Concorde flight touched down in New York,
the airline's farewell commerical flight using supersonic jets.
Died : JUN 2 Mickie Most (Born Michael Peter Hayes), record producer. (64)
Died : 4 Peter Bromley, horseracing commentator. (74)
Died : 7 Dave Rowberry, rock star, keyboards (with The Animals).
Died : 27 Dennis Thatcher, ex PM Margaret Thatcher's businessman husband.
Died : 30 Katharine Hepburn, actress, screen legend. (aged 96)
1 Monaco F1GP was won by Montoya in a BMW Williams.
1 Sluice gates at the Yangtze River's Three Gorges dam were shut
starting a lake that will be the size of England and will become
the world's largest hydroelectric project.
2 Anti-globalisation demo clashed with Swiss police at G7 summit.
2 European Beagle 2 was launched - will arrive on Mars on Xmas Day.
3 An artwork featuring Kylie Minogue's bottom was pulled from the
Royal Academy's summer show after the singer's lawyers complained
JUN 4 Amelia Vega (Dominican Republic) was crowned Miss Universe 2003.
5 Female suicide bomber blew up a bus at the Russia-Chechnya border
5 Pope John Paul set out on foreign tour No 100, 5 days in Croatia.
6 Pres Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan visited Queen at Windsor Castle.
7 Bling-bling and sambuca included in the Oxford English Dictionary
7 DJ Sara Cox won human rights case against the tabloid press for
invading her privacy by taking nude photos of her on honeymoon.
8 Polish referendum on EU membership votes to enter, with
38 million people. The required 50% vote was only just achieved.
9 Hillary Clinton's autobiography, Living History, was published.
9 Juan Carlos Ferrero won the French Open Tennis Tournement.
10 Kate Winslet married Sam Mendes in secret in the West Indies.
10 Nasa launched first of two rovers to explore the surface of Mars.
JUN 11 Egypt's censors banned The Matrix Reloaded on religious grounds.
11 Israel began to dismantle settler outposts in the West Bank.
12 In Jerusalem 16 people were killed by a suicide bomber on a bus.
12 Israel retaliated with helicopter attack on terrorist car in Gaza
13 The job of Britain's Lord Chancellor was abolished.
13 The last French Concorde was delivered to the Smithsonian Inst
National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
14 F1 team owners agreed to start a rival Championship in 2007.
14 Le Mans 24hr Race started with a Bentley in pole and 2nd position
14 Queen's birthday honours went to Roger Moore, Billy Connolly,
David Beckham, Jamie Oliver, Helen Mirren, and many others.
15 Michael Schumaker won the Canadian F1 GP in a Ferrari.
15 Two Bentleys led The 24hr Le Mans Race from start to end and
JUN finished in 1st and 2nd places.
16 Queen's birthday was again celebrated in British Embassy in Iraq.
16 Thousands join the latest Tehran protests against clerical rule.
17 Start of Royal Ascot - hats, Pimms, straweberries and horses.
17 Tokyo replaced Hong Kong as the World's most expensive city.
17 x 1.Tokyo 2.Moscow 3.Osaka 4.Hong Kong 5.Beijing 6.Geneva 7.London
18 7500 copies of an unpublished new Harry Potter novel were stolen.
18 David Beckham agreed a £25m deal to play for Real Madrid.
19 Inventive hats were on parade for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot.
19 Shoe designer Jimmy Choo got honorary OBE for services to fashion
20 Bounty hunter caught Max Factor heir and rapist Andrew Luster.
20 David Beckham entered the US Forbes Top 100 Celebrity List.
20 Early love letters from Edward VIII sold for £100k at NY auction.
JUN 21 Stonehenge was crowded with revellers on the summer solstice.
21 The 5th Harry Potter book was published worldwide at midnight.
22 JK Rowling's new Harry Potter book sold 8 mil in day 1, a record.
23 Australia gained a new Governor-General - Michael Jeffrey
23 Iraq re-entered world oil markets following the war.
24 Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrived in Britain for the
first state visit by a Russian leader since the days of the tsars
25 Comical Ali, Saddam Hussein's spin doctor, was been arrested in Baghdad.
26 Interest rates (US) were at their lowest level since 1958 - 1%.
26 The deaths of 6 British soldiers in Iraq was described as
unprovoked murders by a frenzied mob.
27 Music lovers gathered in Somerset for the start of the 2003
Glastonbury Festival. Tickets this year sold out in just one day.
JUN 28 Iraq Symphony Orchestra held its first concert since the war.
28 World's longest steel-arched bridge opened. on the Huangpu River.
29 Italian motorway speed limit raised to 150kph, or 110 in the rain
29 R Schumaker won the European F1GP, Williams cars were 1st and 2nd
30 "Charlie's Angels Full Throttle" overtook "The Hulk" ticket sales
Died : JUL 3 Herbie Mann, Jazz flautist.
Died : 5 Barry White, American soul legend. (58)
Died : 12 Winston Graham, author. (The Poldark novels).
Died : 19 Lord Perry of Walton, Vice-Chancellor of the Open University.
Died : 24 Nicolas Freeling, author, including the Van der Valk series.
Died : 26 John Schlesinger, the legendary British film director. (77)
Died : 27 Bob Hope, British-born Hollywood star and comedian. (100)
Died : 31 Sam Phillips, founded Sun Records in 1952, signed Elvis Presley.
1 UK premiere of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle in Leicester Sq.
2 Kraft Foods reduced the size of portions over obesity concerns.
2 Russian Roman Abramovich paid £29.6m for 51% of Chelsea FC.
3 EU food over 1% GM content will be labeled "Produced from GMOs".
3 Latest Harry Potter first book in English to make no.1 in France.
JUL 4 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness released with LSO score
4 US gov put $25 mil bounty on Saddam Hussein + $15 mil on his sons
5 Sci-Fi channel's Ultimate Gamer tournament in London.
5 Serena Williams bt her sister Venus to defend her Wimbledon crown
5 UK multiple-birth gathering at Blenheim Palace with 1154 twins.
6 Chechen suicide bombers killed 17 at Moscow rock music fesstival.
6 Naked animal cruelty protesters were at Pamplona running of bulls
6 R Schumacher won the French F1 GP in a Williams BMW.
6 Roger Federer (SWI) won the Mens Wimbledon Singles Title.
6 There was a Party in the Park for 100k and The Princes Trust.
7 Corsican referendum voted "no" to autonomy from mainland France.
8 Second Mars Exploration Rover began a 6 month journey to Mars.
8 Spirits distilled over 150 yrs ago in China's Qing dynasty made
JUL a Guinness Book of Records $700k at auction.
9 A man in Arkansas woke up after spending 19 years in a coma.
9 Britney Spears admitted losing her virginity to Justin Timberlake
10 In an RSPB sparrow sighting survey Lincoln was top, London last.
10 San Francisco is losing population faster than any other US city.
10 Singapore residents can now buy chewing gum again following a ban
11 Rembrandt self-portrait sold for £6.94m at auction in London.
11 UK interest rates cut to 3.5%, the lowest in almost 50 years.
12 Berlin's Love Parade attracted over 1 mil in Tiergarten Park.
12 Lingerie chain Ann Summers can now advertise in jobcentres.
13 Astronomical Union met in Aus. to debate state of the universe.
13 Iraqi governing council met for the first time following the war.
13 Rubber ducks by the thousand washed ashore in New England after
JUL falling off a ship near Seattle 11 years ago.
14 Last Edition VW Beetle was made in Puebla, Mexico. (see Jul 30th)
14 Swan uppers were counting swans on the Thames in annual census.
14 Yang Bin (2nd richest man in China) jailed for 18 yrs for fraud.
15 Jerry Springer officially filed papers to run for the US Senate.
15 Montserrat continued to shake with minor eruptions.
16 Claudette, seasons 1st hurricane, downgraded to a tropical storm.
16 The UN started training Afghan civil servants in the Linux OS.
17 China legend "Lake Tianchi Monster" resurfaced with 20 sightings.
17 Montserrat declared a disaster zone following a volcanic eruption
18 PM Blair received 17 standing ovations addressing the US Comgress
18 Security flaw found in Windows 2003 only 1 month after release.
19 French govt will in future refer to "courriel"instead of "e-mail"
JUL 19 Weekend festival in honour of the Martyrs at Tolpuddle in Dorset.
20 British F1GP at Silverstone won by Rubens Barichello in a Ferrari
20 Petrol bombs thrown at police near a music festival in Brittany.
20 The "Boiler room scam" in Cambodia came to an end with the
expulsion of 20 US, UK and Aus for internet fraud. Fined $27k.
21 Disgraced peer Jeffrey Archer left prison after 2yrs of 4yr term.
21 Premiere of the 3rd instalment of the Terminator films in London.
22 Buy.com started downloading music at 99c per track.
22 Moscow Strangler claimed latest and 10th victim, all young women.
23 Prince Charles attended the 122nd Sandringham Flower Show.
23 Saddam Hussein's 2 sons were killed in a shoot-out at a villa in
Mousel. The $15 mil bounty on each will be paid to villas owner.
24 Anti-violence NY councillor James Davis was shot dead by a rival.
JUL 24 Reese Witherspoon attended UK premiere of Legally Blonde 2.
25 Britain's largest Islamic convention (30k) in Tilford, Surry.
25 Cameron Stout of Orkney won Big Brother 4 and the £70k top prize.
25 Cubans tried to enter the US on 1951 Chevy truck adapted to float
26 15th Sunderland International Airshow was seen by over 1 mil.
26 Surfing team of 14 in Cornwall broke 'most on a surfboard record'
the 37ft board weighed 400lbs. 10 Brits, 1 Aussie and 3 S Africa.
27 Lance Armstrong (US) won a record fifth Tour de France cycle race
27 Rebel soldiers stormed a major commercial center in Manila
set explosives and demanded resignation of Pres Gloria Macapagal.
28 A bomb planted by ETA exploded in Santander Airport in Spain.
28 Malaysian quickie divorce allowed by mobile phone text message.
29 Japan's Toto started selling luxury loos in the US at $4k each.
JUL 29 Judge called a money-laundering operation by Scotland Yard
"state-created crime" and "massively illegal".
30 Last VW Beetle in the world was made in Puebla, Mexico.
30 Sound tape from the world's most wanted man, Saddam Hussein,
was broadcast on arab TV, he said his sons were martyrs.
31 British tourists caught by over 30 forest fires in France.
31 Felix Baumgartner first to fly across the channel in an unpowered
flight with fixed wings (Buzz Lightyear type) strapped to him.
Died : AUG 5 Dr Peter Safar, credited with invention of the "kiss of life".
Died : 13 Diana Mosley, wife of British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley.
Died : 16 Idi Amin, brutal former dictator of Uganda, died in Saudi Arabia.
Died : 28 Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim, Iraq Shi'ite leader, bombed.
1 Pope says gay marriage is 'evil, deviant and against moral laws'.
1 The Manchester United FC was fined £1,65 mil for price fixing
it's Umbro replica football kits, JJB Sports guilty of collusion.
2 British Lawn Mower Racing Association's 12-hour race, Pulborough.
2 Tony Blair became longest continuously serving Labour PM ever.
3 Juan Montoya won the German F1 GP in a Williams.
3 Original Superman costume fetched $129,800 at Los Angeles auction
it was from the 1950s TV series with George Reeves as Superman.
4 A new phenomenon of flash mobs continued to spread though US and Europe
AUG 4 Chung Mong-hun - chairman of Hyundai Asan - was found dead after
falling from the 12th floor of company HQ in central Seoul.
5 Lightning destroyed 19,000 barrels of Jim Beam bourbon in the US.
5 UK Heat wave imposed 60mph speed limit on trains for 2nd day.
6 David Beckham scored his first goal for his new team Real Madrid.
6 Explosion in Jakarta's Marriott Hotel killed 14 and injured 150.
7 Arnold Schwarzenegger said he will run for governor in California
7 Iceland resumed hunting of whales claiming science research only.
8 Muslim sentenced to firing squad for the Bali nightclub bombings.
8 The Edinburgh International Book Festival of the written word.
9 Annual Scottish Highland Games attended by Prince of Wales.
9 In Australia about 3,000 females in a colony of koala bears were
given contraceptive drugs after eating most of their habitat.
AUG 10 Hottest day ever recorded in the UK - 38.1 C - 100.5 F.
10 Animals worth $50k were stolen from Venezuela's Caracas zoo.
10 Nike's new running shoe, the Mayfly, designed to last 62 miles.
10 UKs first flashmob, in Sofas UK in Tottenham Court Road.
11 Royal Mail issued a set of five special British Pub Signs stamps.
11 Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, 41, married his US girlfriend
Yekaterina Dmitriyeva, by video link between the International
Space Station and Nasa space control centre in Houston.
12 Microsoft to pay $520 mil to UCLA because IE infringed a patent.
12 President Charles Taylor of Liberia flew to exile in Nigeria.
13 Harmless but annoying Windows virus MSBLAST spread across the net.
13 Publisher of Penthouse magazine filed for bankruptcy.
14 Single ticket won Italy's record rollover lottery prize of £46m.
AUG 14 Texas police arrested 91-yr-old Red Rountree for robbing an
Abilene bank making him the oldest bank robber in US history.
15 French Health Ministry said 3000 died due to the 3 week heatwave.
15 US blamed a lightning strike for a power cut affecting large
parts of NE US and Canada, 55 million were cut off for 24 hrs.
16 Libya accepted responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing
16 Ulrika Jonsson married Lance Gerrard-Wright.
17 Flashmob2 - 120 at the London Eye, holding an umbrella and banana
17 Pregnant women offered upgrade to first class on UK trains.
18 Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana was killed in Iraq by mistake.
18 The film "Freddy vs. Jason" was top of the US box office.
19 Chinese airline paid £170,000 for the phone number 8888-8888.
19 Jordan's Diana Karzon won Superstar run by Lebanon's Future TV.
AUG 20 Powerful thunderstorms caused flash flooding in Las Vegas.
20 Princess Alice became the oldest British royal in history at 101.
20 Suicide truck bomber rammed UN HQ in Baghdad killing the UN rep.
21 Sobig.F became the fastest spreading e-mail plague of all time.
21 World Bank withdrew staff from Iraq after attack on the UN HQ.
22 Chemical Ali was captured in Iraq.
22 Danube was at its lowest level for 100 yrs.
22 Honda's Asimo, the world's most advanced humanoid robot, arrived
in Czech Republic and spoke to PM Koizumi. (ROBOT is Czech word)
23 Directory enquiries 192 number, started in 1966, ceased to exist
23 Notting Hill Carnival weekend.
23 Staff quit British embassy in Baghdad after a "credible threat" of attack.
24 Fernando Alonso (Renault) became youngest F1 GP winner (Hungary).
AUG 24 Mars passed at it's closest point for 60k years - 34.5 mil miles.
24 New Yorker Demetri Martin won Edinburgh 23rd Perrier Comedy Award
25 Following Hubble, Chandra and Compton - SIRTF went into orbit.
25 Former RC priest John Geoghan was killed in prison by an inmate
following his child abuse and molestation conviction in NY.
26 Artificial reef off Florida attracted sharks and closed beaches.
26 The Notting Hill Carnival lost it's title of largest in Europe.
27 UK's 2 week heat wave claimed almost 1,000 lives.
27 US petrol prices soared to highest ever 29p a litre.
28 BBC paid £10m for the TV rights to the first Harry Potter film.
28 Oxfam pulled it's staff out of Iraq due to increasing threat.
28 Shi'ite leader Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim and 75 others
were killed by a bomb in Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Najaf.
AUG 29 Britain lost 50th soldier in Iraq since the war ended.
29 Transcripts of 911 calls from World Trade Center on 9/11 released
30 Dover Port closed for 5 hours after 3 terrorists found with bomb.
30 Jeffrey Parson arrested in Minnesota for writing Blaster virus.
30 Stella McCartney married Alasdhair Willis on Scots Isle of Bute
31 A 2 day 100 ml funeral march began in Iraq after Aug 28th bombing
31 Russia supply rocket docked with ISS, shuttle still grounded.
Died : SEP 1 Charles Bronson, coal miner from Pennsylvania, made it in films.
Died : 10 Edward Teller, the "father of the H-bomb". (95)
Died : 10 Leni Riefenstahl, lived down being Hitler's favourite film-maker.
Died : 11 John Ritter, actor and comedian. (54)
Died : 12 Anna Lindh, Swedish politician, murdered in a Stockholm shop.
Died : 13 Johnny Cash, country music legend. (71)
Died : 21 Lord Williams of Mostyn, Leader of the House of Lords. (62)
Died : 27 George Plimpton, author. (Paper Lion) (76)
Died : 27 Robert Palmer, singer. (54)
Died : 29 Elia Kazan, veteran Hollywood film director. (94)
1 Harley Davidson 100th birthday saw 10k bikers ride thru Milwaukee
1 UK driving test began questions on basic vehicle maintenace.
2 Caprice became the new £250k face of diet coke.
SEP 2 UN arbitors gave Pierce Brosnan back his website name.
3 Premiere of Calendar Girls was attended by the Womens Institute
members whose nude calendar shoot inspired the making of the film
4 Birmingham's new £500m Bullring welcomed its first customers.
4 Paul Hill was executed for the murder of an abortion doctor.
5 London Police seized $6 bil in bonds drug money, 9 arrested.
5 UK film This Is Not A Love Song first film to premiere on the web
6 Accident at Disneyland's Big Thunder Railroad killed 1 injured 10
6 Hurricane Fabian hit Bermuda, the most powerful for 50 yrs.
6 Justine Henin-Hardenne won the US Open Tennis Tournement.
7 Andy Roddick won the US Open Tennis Tournement.
7 Female TV presenters in Egypt were banned from wearing the veil.
7 First UK terrorist attack simulation, chemical on the London tube
SEP 8 Google website started 5 yrs ago in a garage at Menlo Park, Cal.
8 Kathmandu was rocked by 4 explosions set by Moaist rebels.
9 Controversial arms exhibition in London guarded by 2000 police.
9 The heatwave in France last month caused 15k deaths.
10 A girl of 12 was fined $2k in the US for sharing music files.
10 Roman Catholic Church in Boston agreed Damages of $85mil to
552 people who were molested by priests over last 30 yrs.
11 Al-Jazeera aired new Osama Bin Laden video praising terrorism.
11 Barbie dolls branded jewish toy and moral threat in Saudi Arabia.
12 England captain David Beckham launched his autobiography, My Side
13 George Harrison guitar sold for $434750 in LA.
13 Greenpeace turned away a shipment of US GM corn from Veracruz.
13 Tony Benn MP launched his CD - Greatest Hits compilation speeches
SEP 14 Estonia voted 2 to 1 for entry into the European Union.
14 Michael Schumacher won the Italian F1 GP
14 Swedish referendum vote 56% to keep the kroner rejecting the euro
15 Met Office began weather forecasts at new £150 mil Exeter complex
15 Sindy Doll is 40 and relaunched with breasts reduced and trainers
15 Typhoon Maemi strongest typhoon to hit South Korea for 100 years.
16 Kamato Hongo in Japan 116 today - world's oldest living person.
16 Pitcairn Island population booms with first baby born for 17 yrs.
17 USA World Champion Soccer team ceased due to lack of sponsors.
18 NYSE chairman Richard Grasso quit amid anger over $140 mil salary
18 Tough new LA laws mean lap dancers must stay 6 feet from clients.
19 Hurricane Isobel left 2.5 mil people without power in East USA.
20 David Beckham Billboard blacked out in Tehran as "too suggestive"
SEP 20 Latvia voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining European Union.
21 First use of breathalyser in Mexico.
21 Gallileo craft was crashed into Jupiter after 8 year mission.
21 Miss Florida Ericka Dunlap beat 50 rivals, crowned Miss America.
21 Moscow Polo Club hosted it's first match since 1917 revolution.
22 In the EMMYS The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award went to Bill Cosby.
22 The Elephant Polo World Cup in Thailand was won by Germany.
23 Carol Moseley entered US Presidential race, the first woman ever.
24 Chip maker AMD launched Athlon 64 bit processor designed for PCs.
24 Microsoft closed all it's untraceable chatrooms around the world.
25 Kazaa began suing music companies for illegal use of its software
25 Naomi Campbell in London Fashion Week in a "Use a Condom" bikini.
26 Rapper 50 Cent won 3 awards at the MOBOs, including best hip-hop.
SEP 27 Aftershocks at R6 continued after Japan's R8 earthquake.
27 Europe's first craft destined for the moon took off, it will take over a year to arrive powered by the first ever ion engine.
28 Massive power cut in Italy put the nation in darkness for 24 hrs.
28 Michael Schumacher won the USA F1 GP in a Ferrari.
29 Kameni Nakamura, 108 yrs old, became the world's oldest person.
29 Yukichi Chuganji, oldest man in the world at 114, died in Japan.
30 Which ? magazine named UKs most unpopular cars, Citroen Saxo, Peugot 106 and Rover 25. Voted best buy was Toyota Yaris.
Died : OCT 6 William Steig, author and illustrator of Shrek. (95)
Died : 24 Madame Chiang Kai-shek, died in New York at the age of 105.
1 New regulations in China mean that employers permission will no
longer be needed nor medical checks before people get married.
2 Ali Gufron was found guilty in Indonesia of planting a bomb in a
Bali hotel killing 200. He was sentenced to death by firing squad
3 Chicago Archdiocese agreed to pay $8 million to 15 people who were molested by priests over the past five decades.
4 Alex Parks won BBC's Fame Academy earning a £1m record deal.
4 Saudi Arabian govt banned the US magazine National Geographic.
5 Iran employed policewomen, first time since 1979 Islam revolution
5 Omanis voted for the first time in elections for an 83-member advisory council, first elections to be open to all citizens.
6 Elena Slough, USA's oldest person, died in New Jersey aged 114.
6 Scottish & Newcastle sold 1400 pubs for £2.51 bil to Spirit Pubs.
OCT 7 Motorists clocked up £165m in parking fines last year.
7 Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger won the recall election to become governor of California.
8 Granada and Carlton merged to become the only ITV network.
8 Iraqi intelligence staff threw stones at US troops demanding jobs
9 Greek riot squad fired tear gas at police protesting for more pay
9 Wang Huan arrested for climbing 1400ft Jinmao Tower in Shanghai.
10 Concorde broke it's own trans-atlantic record UK-US in 3hrs 5mins
10 Jackie Turner, 25, of Bournemouth, became Miss England.
11 Thirty British football fans were deported from Turkey.
11 Tiree Wave Classic windsurf competition began in Inner Hebrides
12 Ferrari won the F1 2003 constructors championship.
12 Michael Schumaker was 8th in Japanese F1GP, won 2003 championship
12 The World Conker Championship began in Ashton, near Oundle, Northamptonshire. 350 contestants were watched by 5000 spectators
OCT 13 About 70k California grocry staff were on strike for more pay.
13 British Pathe newsreel put 12 million historic photos online.
13 World King and Queen Conker were crowned (see yesterday) Brian Stewart, 39, Debbie Oates, 24.
14 MSN closed it's anonymous chat rooms to combat paedophile threat.
14 New Zealand final court of appeal was established.(previously UK)
15 Iraq's banknotes with Saddam Hussein on them were replaced.
15 The Shenzhou 5, carrying lone taikonaut air force lieutenant
colonel Yang Liwei, blasted off from the Gobi desert. Making
China the 3rd country to put a man in space.
16 After a 21 hr mission Shenzhou 5 (orbited 14 times) landed safely
16 New York's Staten Island ferry crashed into a dock killing 10.
17 Camelot lottery launched Britain's first £2 million scratchcard.
18 A first-time novelist DBC Pierre won the Man Booker Prize.
OCT 18 A Soyuz spacecraft carrying UK-born astronaut Michael Foale and others blasted off for the International Space Station.
19 The Pope beatified Mother Theresa in Rome's St Peter's Sq.
19 The Taipei 101 Tower achieved its full 508-meter (1,674 feet) and gave Taiwan the record of the tallest building in the world.
20 B&Q's biggest store open - in Beijing - with a record £500k sales
20 Nationalist Swiss People's Party won a majority in Swiss election
21 MG Rover announced losses of more than £100 million.
22 Elton John signed a $50mil 3 yr 75 concert contract in Las Vegas
22 Meg Ryan launched London Film Festival with The Cut's premiere.
23 Apple's iTunes was downloaded 1 mil times in it's first week.
24 Mexican troops destroyed 23 tons and 15 acres of marijuana.
24 The final commercial flight of Concorde crossed the Atlantic to
JFK Airport. The return and final flight back to Heathrow was by
invitation only. Future of the remaining planes is unclear.
OCT 25 Apple launched latest Mac operating system, nicknamed Panther.
25 Russia's richest man Mikhail Khodorkovsky charged for tax evasion
26 Riots in Jamaica blocked airport road with flaming barricade.
26 Student protest march against tuition fees in London.
27 Pharaoh Ramses I mummy returned to Egypt as a gift from US museum
27 Suicide bomb attack at the Baghdad headquarters of the Red Cross.
28 El Al installed experimental anti-missile system on it's aircraft
28 Six seperate wildfires burned out of control in California
29 At the National TV Awards Eastenders took the main prizes.
29 Royal Mint on second 24-hour strike in a row over pay.
30 Ian Duncan-Smith was deposed as leader of the Conservatives.
30 Russia and Mexico challenged the total smoking ban at UN HQ in NY
31 California continued to burn with 10 wildfires out of control.
OCT 31 Sunday Times top earners list put Paul McCartney top, earning £40 million last year. Simon Cowell was 2nd with £33 million.
Died : NOV 5 Bobby Hatfield, half of chart-topping duo the Righteous Brothers.
Died : 11 Canaan Banana, Zimbabwe's first post-independence president. (67)
Died : 15 Tony Thompson, prolific session and Power Station drummer. (48)
Died : 20 Don Gibson, country singer, wrote Oh Lonesome Me.
Died : 30 Don Forest, 1st person to scale all 56 peaks in the Rockies. (83)
1 Anti-landmines group built a pyramid of shoes in central London.
1 MTV held auditions for "screamers" to attend the awards event.
2 Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich topped Times pay list.
2 JK Rowling became the highest paid author in history at £125 mil.
2 Sir Ralph Fiennes, at 59, ran the New York marathon and completed
the final leg of a record breaking 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 days.
3 Cruise ship Aurora (1800 onboard) hit by a virus and headed home.
3 James Murdoch, Rupert's son, was given the BskyB CEO job.
NOV 4 Andy Page was named TV Mastermind of the Year (subject golf).
4 Last episode of soap Brookside shown on C4. (Aired for 21 yrs)
5 First film from Bhutan, Travellers & Magicians, London premiere.
5 Vote rigging in Georgia brought protests to the capital.
6 Probe Voyager I left solar system after 25 yrs and 8.4 bil miles.
6 The most prolific serial killer in US history, Gary Leon, pleaded
guilty in Seattle of the murder of at least 48 women.
7 Bank of England raised primary interest rate first time in 4 yrs.
7 The 10th annual MTV Europe Awards took place in Edinburgh, seen
by about 1 billion people in 28 countries, hosted by Christina Aguiliera.
8 Rolling Stones played one-off Hong Kong concert in aid of SARS.
8 Search for Miss Digital World commenced at missdigitalworld.com
8 Total lunar eclipse - best viewing East US, Europe, S.America,Afica
NOV 9 Al-Qeada Suicide bomber hit an Arab housing complex in Riyadh.
9 Remembrance Sunday parade in London past the cenotaph.
10 Kylie Minogue scored her 7th no 1 single, Slow.
10 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary definition of McDonald's
McJob was greeted with outrage = "low-paying and dead-end work".
11 Maumoon Abdul Gayoom became longest-serving head of state in Asia
11 Police booked 17 drivers for speeding during the GB Rally.
12 Gun that killed outlaw Jesse James sold at $350,000 in California
13 Andy Roddick ended the PTA season as world No.1 tennis player.
13 The Matrix Revolutions went straight to no 1 of box office charts
14 Most popular baby names in the US were - Jacob and Emily.
14 The 101 storey Taipei Tower, world's tallest building, opened.
14 The 10th planet in the solar system was named - Sedna.
NOV 15 The FTSE 100 Index was hovering above the 4400 mark.
15 World's largest festival of erotica opened at Olympia, London.
16 Kathleen Blanco (dem) became Louisiana's first female governor.
16 Nose cone from Concorde sold for $500k at Paris charity auction.
17 Poor turnout caused Serbian elections to fail for the 3rd time.
17 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band was named the best
album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
18 Britney Spears became youngest star on the Hollywood walk of fame
18 Pres Bush began 1st official visit of a US president to the UK.
19 During 3 day Pres Bush visit muggings in London increased by 20%.
19 Gary Kasparov tied with his computerized chess opponent X3D Fritz
19 Manhattan finance house raided by police, 48 arrested for fraud.
20 British Consulate and HSBC Bank in Istanbul were bombed.
NOV 20 George Harrison's 1st guitar sold for £240k at Hard Rock London.
20 Pres Bush attracted 100k anti-war protesters in central London.
21 Effigy of President George Bush was toppled in Trafalgar Square.
21 Michael Jackson was arrested on child abuse charges.
21 Phil Specter was in court denying a charge of murder.
22 Annual Children in Need telecast made record £15 mil on the night
22 England won the Rugby World Cup in Sydney - Eng 20 Aus 17.
23 Algerian President Bouteflika pardoned 3080 prisoners for Ramadan
23 Black Lace's Agadoo named as worst song of all time by Q magazine
23 Georgia's parliament was stormed and Pres Shevardnadze removed.
24 First total solar eclipse ever recorded in Antarctica.
24 PM Tony Blair appeared on US TV - in an episode of the Simpsons
entitled "The Regina Monologues" where the Simpsons visit the UK.
NOV 25 Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi was sentenced to 27 yrs.
25 Rachel Stevens had six leather whips confiscated Heathrow airport
26 Paintings by Nelson Mandela "the jail years" were shown in London
26 Queen's speech included the abolition of last 92 hereditary peers
27 David Beckham was at Buckingham Palace receiving his OBE.
27 Ex 1st Lady Hillary Clinton was visiting US troops in Afghanistan
28 A surprise Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad was made by Pres Bush.
28 New Delhi swarmed with weddings as 14k couples tied the knot on a
day considered lucky by Hindus - festival associated with Ganesha
29 Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro married in Los Angeles.
29 Olympic Airways strike stranded thousands on holiday in Greece.
30 Davis Cup was won by Australia for the 28th time (Aus 3-1 Spain).
30 Geuda Springs, Kansas made a law that each house must have a gun.
Died : DEC 2 Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the Channel. (98)
Died : 5 David Hemmings, actor, (Barbarella and Blow Up)(62)
Died : 13 Keiko, killer whale, star of Free Willy. (aged 27)
Died : 29 Bob Monkhouse, comedian, entertainer. (75)
Died : 30 Enric Bernat Fontlladosa, creator of Spain's Chupa Chups lollipop
Died : 31 Dinsdale Landen, comic actor.
1 Ban on hand-held mobiles while driving came into effect, £30 fine
1 Disney Ltd lost last family member, Chairman Roy Disney resigned.
2 Copies of MS next o/s on sale in Malaysia before the release date
2 In Wellington NZ 125k cheered "Return of the King" world premiere
3 Freak storm flooded the streets of Melbourne.
3 House of Lords voted against expelling last 92 hereditary peers.
3 Japanese Maglev train beat it's own speed record - 360 mph.
DEC 4 Australia signed on to the United States Missile Defence program.
4 European Mars Express spacecraft sent back it's first pictures.
4 Sometime today the population of Australia went over 20 million.
5 Actress Helen Mirren was invested as a Dame by Prince of Wales.
5 Ludwig van Beethoven manuscript sold for £1.18 mil at Sotheby's.
6 Bridget Fonda and Danny Elfman got married.
6 Miss Ireland, Roseanna Davison, won Miss World in Sanya, China.
6 Westlife won Record of the Year 2003, for 3rd time, with Mandy.
7 High winds toppled Prague's Old Town Xmas tree injuring 4 people.
7 President Putin's' party won the parliamentary election in Russia
7 US presidential guard examined Eminem song for threatening lyrics
8 Crowd of 750k+ saw World Cup winning England Rugby team in London
8 President Robert Mugabe pulled Zimbabwe out of the Commonwealth.
DEC 9 Average home in the UK cost £160,000.
9 Britain's first toll motorway opened, the 27 mile M6 Toll.
10 Abbey National fined £2mil for inadequate money laundering system
10 Signed first edition Harry Potter book sold for £30k at Sotheby's
10 Suicide bomber in Red Sq, Moscow killed 5.
11 England rugby captain Jonny Wilkinson received MBE from Queen.
11 New EU "anti-spam" laws made unsolicited company e-mails illegal.
11 UK premiere of (Lord of the Rings) The Return Of The King.
12 Mick Jagger received a knighthood from the Prince of Wales.
12 Paul Martin replaced Jean Chretien as Prime Minister of Canada.
13 California illegal immigrants can no longer hold driving licences
13 Mexico police announced breath tests would not be taken over Xmas
13 World class criminal Saddam Hussein was captured by US troops.
DEC 14 Jonny Wilkinson was named 2003 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
14 The Lord Of The Rings was named as UK's favourite book in the
Big Read poll of more than 500,000 people.
15 Mobile calls made daily in the UK - 132 mil speech - 120 mil text
15 The $25 mil reward for Saddam Hussein's capture went unclaimed.
16 Apple's iTunes sold 25 million songs since its launch in April.
16 Consumer Prices Index was 1.3%, house prices rose 8%.
17 Christie's auction of Playboy memorabilia made £1.5 mil.
17 Police mobile phone unit was set up as thefts reached 200 a day.
18 Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport,Ca was renamed Bob Hope Airport
18 Ecstacy tablets worth £5 mil were seized in Australia.
19 London fathers demo presented Turkey of the year award to govt.
19 NASA released the first pictures from the Spitzer telescope.
DEC 20 European food company Parmalat declared a 4 bil euro discrepancy.
20 Lybya agreed to voluntarily dismantle weapons of mass destruction
20 The second series of Pop Idol was won by Michelle McManus.
21 Cyclone Debbie passed by Darwin at about 140 mph.
21 Mark Ellyatt set new world record deepest scuba dive at 1027ft.
22 Gary Jules had the Xmas no 1 single with Mad World.
22 Time magazine named "The American soldier" as Person of the Year.
23 Earthquake hit California from LA to San Francisco (R6.5).
23 Kylie Minogue was the UK's best-selling calendar for 2004.
24 Italian dairy firm Parmalat's accounts were missing £7.1 billion.
24 US comedian Lenny Bruce was granted a posthumous pardon by NY.
24 USA's first case of "mad cow disease" found in Washington state.
25 Biggest film at the Xmas box office was Return of the King.
DEC 25 US, UK on terrorism alert, France cancelled all flights with LA.
26 Earthquake in Bahn SE Iran, 50 000 killed (R6.3).
26 UK's Mars lander Beagle 2 was missing presumed lost.
27 Only Fools And Horses top of the Christmas ratings with 15.8 mil.
27 World's longest, tallest, widest and most expensive cruise liner
The Queen Mary 2 was welcomed at it's home port of Southampton.
28 Founder of Parmalat, Calisto Tanzi, was arrested by Milan police.
28 Right-wing nationalists allied to former pres Slobodan Milosevic
won 27% of the vote in parliamentary elections in Serbia.
29 Armed sky marshals were deployed on UK flights for the first time
29 Jennifer Love Hewitt opened the Harrods winter sale.
30 A record python was found in Indonesia - 49.5 feet long.
30 Australian police killed a 13 ft crocodile that had eaten a man.
DEC 31 Eric Clapton was made a CBE in the New Year Honours List.
31 UK trains gave Lynn O'Malley 1 years free travel for being it's
1 billionth passenger in 2003. (first since 1961).