Timeline December 2003

Events in December 2003 20

• 1925 – 2003 Jeanne Crain (1925-2003) American actress, 20th Century Fox's girl next door, Oscar-nominated for Pinky.
• 1934 – 2003 Alan Bates (1934-2003) Died 27 December 2003, aged 69 Alan Bates was an English actor prominent in the 1960s wave of British stage and screen realism, with films including 'Zorba the Greek', 'Women in Love' and 'The Go-Between'. He worked extensively in the theatre and was knighted in 2003.
• 1963 – 2003 Anita Mui (1963-2003) Died 30 December 2003, aged 40 Anita Mui was a Cantopop singer and actress often called the Madonna of Asia, with some 30 films and dozens of albums to her name. She continued performing during treatment for cervical cancer, giving a final series of concerts weeks before her death.
• 1999 – 2003 The Vision of Emma Blau and Sacred Time Published The Vision of Emma Blau (1999) and Sacred Time (2003), continuing to explore themes of immigration, family and the weight of history.
• 2003 2003: Michael Schumacher Ferrari Schumacher won his sixth title, surpassing Fangio's long-standing record of five championships.
• 2003 Birth of Son Jonah Had her son Jonah and began stepping back from full-time modelling to focus on raising him on a ranch in California.
• 2003 Finding Nemo Voiced Bruce the shark in Pixar's Finding Nemo, introducing his talents to a new generation.
• 2003 Jerry Springer: The Opera The British musical Jerry Springer: The Opera premiered in London, later transferring to the West End and winning four Olivier Awards.
• 2003 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Gibbons and Hill, recognising ZZ Top's enduring contribution to American rock music.
• 2003 Retirement Stepped down as Premier, succeeded by Wen Jiabao. Under his leadership, China had sustained annual economic growth above 8% and had joined the WTO. He largely withdrew from public life after retirement.
• 2003 Declined OBE Publicly declined an OBE, writing in The Guardian that the honour reminded him of 'thousands of years of brutality' associated with the British Empire.
• 2003 Third FIFA World Player of the Year award Zidane wins the FIFA award for a third time In December 2003, Zidane was named FIFA World Player of the Year for a third time, having previously won in 1998 and 2000. The achievement placed him alongside Ronaldo Nazário as one of only three players at the time to win the award three times. It reflected his continued dominance in midfield during his early years at Real Madrid.
• 2003 iTunes Store transforms music 99 cent songs change the industry Apple's iTunes Store, launched in April 2003, sold 70 million songs in its first year at 99 cents each, fundamentally changing how people buy and listen to music.
• 2003 Catharina-Amalia born Princess of Orange Catharina-Amalia was born as heir apparent to the Dutch throne.
• 2003 Capture of Saddam Hussein Former Iraqi leader found hiding near Tikrit US soldiers found the deposed Iraqi president hiding in a concealed pit beside a farmhouse near Tikrit and detained him without resistance. Footage of the dishevelled, bearded former ruler undergoing a medical examination was released the next day. He was later tried by an Iraqi court and executed in December 2006.
• 2003 Jeanne Crain dies in Santa Barbara Jeanne Crain dies aged 78.
• 2003 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King #1 film of 2003 — $1.12bn worldwide Directed by Peter Jackson. The final chapter of the trilogy. Won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture — equalling the all-time record.
• 2003 The Return of the King -- 11 Oscars, a clean sweep The Return of the King is released on 17 December 2003. It wins all 11 Academy Awards for which it is nominated -- tying the record set by Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997). Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Adapted Screenplay (Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens), Best Score (Howard Shore), Best Song, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Make-up, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing. It is the first (and only) fantasy film to win Best Picture. It grosses $1.12 billion worldwide, bringing the trilogy's total to $2.92 billion.
• 2003 Libya renounces weapons programmes Gaddafi agrees to give up weapons of mass destruction Libya announced that it would dismantle its chemical and nuclear weapons programmes and admit international inspectors, after months of secret talks with Britain and the United States. The decision led to the lifting of sanctions and the restoration of diplomatic and commercial ties with the West.
• 2003 Bam earthquake Magnitude 6.6 quake devastates a historic Iranian city A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the south-eastern Iranian city of Bam before dawn, collapsing its mud-brick buildings and the ancient citadel of Arg-e Bam. Around 26,000 people were killed and most of the surviving population was left homeless. International rescue teams flew in within days.