Year by year · 21st century

2003

2003 in world history: 9 events, 7 deaths, 1 state founded and 1 that came to an end. 188 recorded states existed that year.

Events

  1. 16 January

    Space Shuttle Columbia launches on its final mission

    Columbia lifted off on mission STS-107 with seven astronauts. Foam debris struck its wing during launch, and the shuttle broke apart on re-entry sixteen days later, killing the crew.

  2. 1 February

    Space Shuttle Columbia breaks up on re-entry

    Columbia disintegrated over Texas minutes before landing, killing all seven astronauts. Hot gases had entered a wing damaged by foam at launch; shuttle flights were suspended for two and a half years.

  3. 9 April

    Baghdad falls and Saddam's statue is pulled down

    As US troops entered central Baghdad, a statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square was toppled with the help of a Marine vehicle. The images marked the regime's collapse, though years of insurgency followed.

  4. 1 May

    George W. Bush declares major combat in Iraq over

    Speaking aboard USS Abraham Lincoln beneath a 'Mission Accomplished' banner, the president announced the end of major combat operations. The insurgency that followed made the moment notorious.

  5. 24 October

    Concorde makes its last commercial flight

    British Airways Concorde flight BA002 from New York landed at Heathrow, ending 27 years of supersonic passenger travel. The aircraft could cross the Atlantic in about three and a half hours.

    New York

  6. Revolution

    Rose Revolution

    The Rose Revolution was the peaceful change of power in Georgia in November 2003.

ProfileState185 states with a known seat in 2003Open the atlas at 2003 →

In the profiles

  • NahuatlMexico’s law on linguistic rights recognises Nahuatl and other Indigenous languages as national languages
  • Kingdom of MapungubweThe Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wars and longer events

Died in 2003 7

States founded 1

States that came to an end 1

All years → The 21st century →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). 2003. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/2003
MLA
“2003.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/2003. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “2003.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/2003.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘2003’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/2003 (Accessed: ).