Timeline March 2003

Events in March 2003 14

• 1927 – 2003 Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003) Died 26 March 2003, aged 76 Daniel Patrick Moynihan was a US senator from New York for 24 years and a social scientist who advised four presidents of both parties. Known for a wide-ranging intellect and provocative reports on poverty and family, he also served as ambassador to India and to the United Nations.
• 1956 – 2003 Carlo Urbani (1956-2003) Died 29 March 2003, aged 46 Carlo Urbani was an Italian physician and infectious disease specialist with the World Health Organization who recognised SARS as a dangerous new disease in a patient in Hanoi and raised the alarm that led to a coordinated global response. He contracted the virus and died weeks later.
• 1979 – 2003 Rachel Corrie (1979-2003) Died 16 March 2003, aged 23 Rachel Corrie was an American activist with the International Solidarity Movement who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer while trying to obstruct the demolition of a Palestinian home in Gaza. Her death became the subject of a play and lasting dispute over the circumstances.
• 1998 – 2003 Premier of China Named Premier of China at the age of 69. Declared war on corruption with his famous line: 'I have prepared 100 coffins here — 99 for corrupt officials and one for myself.' Steered the economy through the Asian financial crisis while pushing through wrenching reforms to state-owned enterprises.
• 2003 Iditarod 2003 Winner: Robert Sørlie — 9 days 15h Norwegian Robert Sørlie became the first European to win the Iditarod.
• 2003 Intel Centrino — mobile computing begins Intel introduces the Centrino mobile platform in March 2003 — combining a Pentium M processor, Intel wireless networking and a mobile chipset into an integrated platform for laptops. The Pentium M is derived from the Pentium III's efficient architecture rather than the hot, power-hungry Pentium 4. Centrino laptops achieve dramatically longer battery life than previous Intel-based laptops. Centrino is Intel's most commercially successful marketing platform and the origin of Intel's eventual Core architecture.
• 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 Elvis Costello inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame With the Attractions Inducted with the Attractions.
• 2003 The Clash inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hall of Fame Inducted months after Strummer's death.
• 2003 The Police inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hall of Fame They play together for the first time in nearly 20 years.
• 2003 Assassination of Zoran Djindjic Serbian prime minister shot dead in Belgrade Zoran Djindjic, the reformist prime minister of Serbia who had helped transfer Slobodan Milosevic to the war crimes tribunal, was killed by a sniper outside a government building in Belgrade. Members of a special police unit and organised crime figures were later convicted of the murder.
• 2003 SARS epidemic New coronavirus spreads from southern China along air routes A novel coronavirus that emerged in Guangdong province spread along air-travel routes to Hong Kong, Hanoi, Singapore and Toronto, prompting the World Health Organization to issue its first global health alert on 12 March. Around 8,000 people were infected and roughly 770 died before transmission was broken through quarantine and travel restrictions. The WHO declared the outbreak contained in July.
• 2003 Iraq War begins US-led invasion of Iraq A US-led coalition invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, aiming to remove Saddam Hussein and eliminate alleged weapons of mass destruction. No WMDs were found.
• 2003 Cricket World Cup final Australia beat India to complete an unbeaten tournament Australia beat India by 125 runs in the final at Johannesburg to win their third Cricket World Cup, finishing the tournament unbeaten. Ricky Ponting made an unbeaten 140 in the final. The event was hosted mainly by South Africa.