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2003
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
On 1st February 2003, at the conclusion of the STS-107 mission, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry over Texas, killing all seven astronauts inside. The loss of Columbia was a result of damage sustained during launch, when a piece of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase broke off the main propellant tank, under the aerodynamic forces of launch. The debris struck the leading edge of the left wing, damaging the Shuttle's thermal protection system, which was unable to protect it from heat generated by the atmospheric re-entry.
The invasion of Iraq
The invasion of Iraq was led by the United States, alongside the United Kingdom and smaller contingents from other countries. The initial invasion phase lasted from 20th March to 1st May 2003 and involved troops from the US (248,000), UK (45,000), Australia (2,000) and Poland (194). 36 other countries were involved in its aftermath.
According to then President of the United States, George Bush, and then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, the reasons for the invasion were "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." According to Blair, the trigger was Iraq's failure to take a "final opportunity" to disarm itself of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that US and UK officials called an immediate and intolerable threat to world peace.
Although some remnants of pre-1991 production were found after the end of the war, US government spokespersons confirmed that these were not the weapons for which the US went to war. In 2005, the CIA released a report saying that no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq.
In December 2007, the Iraqi government reported that there were 5 million orphans in Iraq – nearly half of the country's children. According to the UN, Iraq's health had deteriorated to a level not seen since the 1950s. Malnutrition rates had risen from 19% before the US-led invasion to a national average of 28% four years later. Some 60-70% of Iraqi children were suffering from psychological problems. 68% of Iraqis had no access to safe drinking water. A cholera outbreak in northern Iraq was thought to be the result of poor water quality. As many as half of Iraqi doctors left the country between 2003 and 2007.
By 2010, the lowest credible estimate of civilian casualties in both Iraq and Afghanistan was around 850,000 – about 283 times as many than were killed in the attacks of 9/11. Put another way: over 121 times as many people had been killed in these wars and occupations than in all terrorist attacks in the world from 1993-2004, according to data compiled by the US State Department. Throughout the entire Iraq War and occupation there were countless human rights abuses. The financial cost of the war had been more than $845 billion to the US, with the total cost to the US economy estimated at $3 trillion.
The Human Genome Project is completed
The Human Genome Project was an international scientific effort with a primary goal to determine the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up DNA and to map the 20,000+ genes of the human genome from both a physical and functional standpoint.
The project began in 1990. About halfway through, critics pointed out that given the rate at which the genome could then be scanned, it would take hundreds of years to finish. However, a working draft of the genome was released in 2000 and a complete one on 14th April 2003. This was made possible thanks to exponential progress: information on the base pairs was actually doubling every year, and therefore required only several more doublings to reach 100%.
In addition to nearly $1 trillion of economic returns,* the project brought long-term benefits to the world of science and medicine. Knowledge of the effects of variation of DNA among individuals revolutionised the ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent a number of diseases affecting human beings, as well as providing clues to the understanding of biology as a whole.
LinkedIn is founded
Founded in 2003 by Reid Hoffman and team members from PayPal and Socialnet.com, LinkedIn started as a professional networking platform aimed at connecting people for job opportunities and career advancement. Launched on 5th May 2003, the platform quickly gained popularity and became an essential tool for recruiters and job seekers.
By 2008, LinkedIn had over 25 million users, and by 2011, it went public, further solidifying its status. Over the years, LinkedIn expanded its features to include things like professional endorsements, educational courses, and company pages. In 2016, Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, marking a significant milestone in the company's growth and evolution. By 2023, LinkedIn boasted over 930 million users worldwide.
Belgium legalises same-sex marriage
Belgium became the second country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage, after the Netherlands in 2001. This historic milestone came after a parliamentary vote in favour of a bill that extended the existing marriage laws to include same-sex couples. The bill, passed by the Senate on 28th November 2002 and by the Chamber of Representatives on 30th January 2003, entered into force on 1st June 2003, after King Albert II gave his assent.
With this law, Belgium affirmed the equal rights of all its citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation. The new legislation not only allowed same-sex couples to marry but also provided them with the same legal protections, responsibilities, and benefits that heterosexual couples receive.
Credit: flamenc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Czech Republic votes to join the European Union
On 14th June 2003, the Czech Republic – one of the ten candidate countries from Central and Eastern Europe – held a critical referendum on becoming a member of the European Union (EU). This was a significant moment in the country's post-Communist history and marked a definitive move towards integration with Western Europe. The Czech citizens responded positively, with a clear majority of 77.3% voting in favour of EU membership. The outcome underscored the nation's desire for increased economic opportunities, stability, and a stronger voice in European affairs. This vote paved the way for the Czech Republic's official entry into the EU on 1st May 2004.
Czech Republic (orange) and the EU (green) prior to its accession in 2004. Credit: Treehill, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tesla is founded
Tesla, Inc. was founded on 1st July 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, with a mission to popularise electric vehicles (EVs). Elon Musk joined as chairman and later became CEO, playing a pivotal role in the company's development.
In 2008, Tesla launched its first car, the Roadster, demonstrating that EVs could offer high performance. This was followed by the Model S sedan in 2012, and the Model X SUV in 2015. The more affordable Model 3, launched in 2017, significantly boosted Tesla's market share.
Over the years, Tesla expanded dramatically, building Gigafactories in various locations around the world. In June 2021, its Model 3 became the first electric car to sell 1 million units worldwide. A few months later, in October of that year, Tesla reached a market capitalisation of $1 trillion, becoming only the sixth company to do so in U.S. history.
However, Tesla was not without its problems. It became the subject of lawsuits, government scrutiny, and journalistic criticism, stemming from allegations of whistleblower retaliation, worker rights violations, product defects, and Musk's many controversial statements.
The original Roadster. Credit: cytech, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The SARS CoV-1 epidemic is contained
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) outbreak, which began in late 2002, was declared contained by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 5th July 2003. This virus, with a mortality rate of almost 10%, had spread rapidly from Guangdong, China, to 29 other countries across the globe.
Unprecedented cooperative measures for containment, including screening of airline passengers and strict isolation of cases, enabled the WHO and health authorities worldwide to eventually limit the spread of the disease. The containment announcement came after Taiwan became the final country to be removed from the WHO's list of affected areas. However, several cases continued to be reported until May 2004. In total, SARS infected over 8,000 people and caused 774 deaths globally.
Credit: Wenjun Du, et al. (2020)
Ending of the Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as the Great War of Africa, was a complex conflict that involved multiple parties with competing interests. The war was fought from 1998 to 2003 and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 5.4 million people, making it the deadliest conflict worldwide since World War II.
The main causes of the war included political instability, ethnic tensions, competition over resources such as diamonds and minerals, and interference by neighbouring countries. The war was also fuelled by historical grievances and the legacy of colonialism in the region.
The division of Rwandan society into Hutu and Tutsi, exacerbated by Belgian colonial rule, led to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The aftermath of the genocide saw an influx of Hutu refugees and genocidaires into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), contributing to cross-border tensions and eventually serving as one of Rwanda's reasons for intervention.
In addition, the colonial legacy of exploiting the DRC's rich mineral resources continued into the post-colonial period, fuelling corruption, inequality, and conflict. The struggle for control over these resources – including diamonds, cobalt, coltan, and gold – played a key role in the war, with various factions seeking to control mining areas, which often changed hands as the balance of power shifted. The wealth derived from these minerals funded arms purchases and further perpetuated the conflict.
Despite promises of a ceasefire and the presence of UN peacekeepers, the war raged on into the early 2000s. On 16th January 2001, President of the DRC, Laurent-Désiré Kabila, was assassinated at his official residence in Kinshasa by his 18-year-old bodyguard. Kabila was succeeded by his son, Joseph, who at the age of 29 became one of the world's youngest heads of government and the first to be born in the 1970s.
The conflict began to deescalate in 2002, with peace negotiations and the signing of several agreements. The Sun City Agreement, formalised in April, sought to provide the framework for a unified, multiparty government and democratic elections. The Pretoria Accord was signed in July, with Rwanda agreeing to withdraw its troops from the DRC, in exchange for a commitment towards the disarmament of Hutu militias. The Luanda Agreement was signed in September and formalised peace between the DRC and Uganda, although implementation proved troublesome.
The Global and All-Inclusive Agreement – also known as the Final Act of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue – was signed on 17th December 2002 and marked a major milestone towards ending the conflict. Signed in Pretoria, South Africa, it followed a complex negotiation process among the various factions.
On 7th April 2003, Joseph Kabila was sworn in as transitional president. The war officially ended on 18th July 2003, when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo came into being, as specified in the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement. The transitional period came to an end following the 2006 general election and the swearing in of Kabila as president on 6th December 2006.
Despite the formal conclusion of the Second Congo War in 2003, the DRC continued to grapple with sporadic violence and tensions, particularly in the east. Interethnic disputes, armed militia activity, and struggles over resource-rich areas perpetuated instability for many years thereafter, posing significant challenges to peace and development efforts.
Credit: Don-kun, Uwe Dedering, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
MySpace is launched
MySpace.com was launched on 1st August 2003 and quickly became one of the most popular social networking sites on the web. In 2006, the 100 millionth account was created. However, it was overtaken by its main competitor – Facebook – during April 2008, based on monthly unique visitors.
Record heatwaves kill tens of thousands in Europe
The 2003 European heat wave was among the hottest summers ever recorded in Europe. Peaking in early August, it led to a health crisis in several countries and combined with drought to produce a crop shortfall. Seven days with temperatures of greater than 40°C (104 °F) were recorded in France. More than 37,000 died as a result, mostly the elderly.
Above: 2003 heatwave temperature variations in comparison
to normal temperatures in Europe.
The Northeast blackout hits Canada and the United States
The Northeast blackout, which occurred on 14th August 2003, was one of the largest power outages in history. It affected 55 million people across a vast swathe of Canada and the United States, lasting for between two hours and four days, depending on the location.
The blackout, triggered by a software bug in an Ohio-based power company's control room, led to cascading failures of over 100 power plants. Major cities like New York, Detroit, and Toronto lost electricity, resulting in widespread disruption. Traffic lights stopped working, trains were halted, and millions were left without air conditioning during a hot summer.
In New York, around 3,000 fire calls were reported, many from people using candles. Emergency services responded to 80,000 calls for help, more than double the average. The blackout contributed to almost 100 deaths – mainly from fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, traffic accidents, and falls.
The blackout prompted the federal government of the United States to include reliability provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The standards of the nonprofit North American Electric Reliability Corporation became mandatory for all U.S. electricity providers.
States and provinces that experienced power outages. Credit: Lokal_Profil, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Skype is released
Founded by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis – entrepreneurs from Sweden and Denmark, respectively – Skype emerged as a revolutionary platform for voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services, enabling users to make voice and video calls over the internet. Launched on 29th August 2003, Skype's user-friendly interface and high-quality calls gained rapid popularity. Skype's 'freemium' model offered free Skype-to-Skype calls, generating revenue from premium features.
In 2005, eBay acquired Skype for $2.6 billion. Despite integration challenges, Skype continued to grow, reaching 663 million registered users by 2010. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion and integrated it into its suite of products. By the end of the 2010s, Skype had evolved into a versatile communication tool for both personal and business use. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Skype lost a large part of its market share to Zoom.
China launches its first manned space mission
On 15th October 2003, China successfully placed its manned "Shenzhou 5" spacecraft in orbit. This followed four previous missions of which three were unmanned and one carried animals. Shenzhou 5 carried a single astronaut – Yang Liwei. It was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, using a Long March 2F rocket booster.
Shenzhou 5 was made up of three components: a service module, orbital module and reentry module. The orbital module spent 21 hours above the Earth, reaching a maximum height of 336 km (209 mi). It contained various experimental equipment and was left in space, along with the service module. The reentry component returned to Earth after orbiting the planet 14 times.
With this mission, China became only the third country in the world to have independently put humans in space. Following this success, two more manned missions were launched, Shenzhou 6 in 2005 and Shenzhou 7 in 2008. However, China still received some criticism for its expensive space program, with some saying the money could have been better spent elsewhere.
Capture of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein, the former President of Iraq, was captured on 13th December 2003, in Operation Red Dawn by U.S. forces near his hometown of Tikrit. His capture came eight months after the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq to disarm the country of weapons of mass destruction that were never found. Hussein was discovered hiding in a small, concealed hole near a farmhouse. The operation marked a significant moment in the Iraq War and was met with mixed reactions globally. Following his capture, Saddam was tried in an Iraqi court for crimes against humanity and was executed in 2006.
Mars Express arrives in orbit around the Red Planet
Mars Express – the first planetary mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) – was launched on 2nd June 2003, along with a British-designed lander called Beagle 2, from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. The mission aimed to study the Martian atmosphere and surface from orbit and deploy Beagle 2 to perform exobiology and geochemistry research.
"Express" originally referred to the speed and efficiency with which the spacecraft was designed and built. However, "Express" also described the spacecraft's relatively short interplanetary voyage, a result of being launched when the orbits of Earth and Mars brought them closer than they had been in 60,000 years.
After a six-month journey, the spacecraft entered Mars' orbit on 25th December 2003. Unfortunately, the Beagle 2 lander failed to properly deploy on the surface and was unable to communicate.
Despite this, Mars Express went on to become extremely successful, remaining operational for decades. Its high-resolution stereo camera and mineralogical mapping spectrometer, among other instruments, provided detailed insights into Martian geology, climate, and the potential for life, contributing significantly to scientists' understanding of the Red Planet.
A devastating earthquake hits Iran
On 26th December 2003, a devastating earthquake with a moment magnitude of 6.6 struck the Kerman province of southeastern Iran, hitting the city of Bam particularly hard. The disaster resulted in over 34,000 deaths, with up to 200,000 people injured, and left Bam in ruins.
Many houses in Bam were homemade, without the use of skilled labour or proper building materials to resist earthquakes in the construction. These were often built in the traditional mud-brick style. As a result, 90% of buildings and infrastructure in the Bam area were either damaged or destroyed, with 70% of houses being completely destroyed. This left an estimated 100,000 people homeless.
In addition, the earthquake caused the destruction of the ancient citadel of Arg-é Bam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country's most famous historical landmarks. The citadel, dating back more than 2,000 years, was almost entirely flattened, dealing a major blow to Iran's cultural heritage.
The earthquake sparked international sympathy and aid efforts to assist in the region's recovery. The year 2003 was later declared to be the deadliest earthquake year globally since 1990, primarily due to the Bam earthquake which contributed almost 75% of the world's earthquake fatalities for that year.
Before and after pictures of the Bam Citadel. Credit: Arad Mojtahedi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons/Marty Bahamonde
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References
1 U.S. genetics industry has trillion dollar economic impact, Future Timeline Blog:
https://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2013/06/13.htm
Accessed 3rd November 2013.