Today in History for February 2003

Months in 2003: January March April May June July August September October November December

Historical Events

Events 1 - 13 of 13

1st - Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
2nd - Jennifer Lopez starts a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'All I Have'
2nd - Russian pop girl duo Tatu start a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'All The Things She Said'
4th - The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is officially renamed to Serbia and Montenegro and adopts a new constitution.
10th - France and Belgium break the NATO procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq.
15th - An estimated eleven million people around the world take to the streets to protest against the looming war with Iraq
16th - Michael Waltrip wins motor racing's Daytona 500 after rain stops the race for a second time at lap 109
17th - The London Congestion Charge scheme begins.
18th - Comet C/2002 V1 (NEAT) makes perihelion, seen by SOHO.
18th - Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea.
20th - During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the club ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 300 others.
27th - Former Bosnian Serb leader Biljana Plavsic is sentenced by the U.N. tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, to 11 years in prison
27th - Rowan Williams is enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in the Anglican church.

Famous Deaths

Deaths 1 - 50 of 50

1st - Michael P. Anderson - crew of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster) (b. 1959)
1st - David Brown - crew of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster) (b. 1956)
1st - Kalpana Chawla - crew of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster) (b. 1961)
1st - Laurel Clark - crew of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster) (b. 1961)
1st - Rick D. Husband - crew of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster) (b. 1957)
1st - Willie McCool - crew of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster) (b. 1961)
1st - Ilan Ramon - crew of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster) (b. 1954)
1st - Mongo Santamaria, Cuban percussionist and band leader (b. 1922)
2nd - Lou Harrison, American composer (b. 1917)
3rd - Lana Clarkson, American actress (b. 1962)
4th - Charlie Biddle, Canadian jazz bassist (b. 1926)
4th - Benyoucef Ben Khedda, Algerian politician (b. 1920)
4th - André Noyelle, Belgian cyclist (b. 1931)
5th - Helge Boes, American Central Intelligence Agency officer
7th - Augusto Monterroso, Guatemalan author (b. 1921)
7th - John Reading, Mayor of Oakland, California (b. 1917)
10th - Edgar de Evia, American photographer (b. 1910)
10th - Curt Hennig, American professional wrestler (b. 1959)
10th - Clark MacGregor, United States Congressman from Minnesota (b. 1922)
10th - Al Ruffo, Mayor of San Jose, California (b. 1908)
10th - Ron Ziegler, press secretary to Richard Nixon (b. 1939)
12th - Vali Myers, Australian painter (b. 1930)
13th - Kid Gavilan, Cuban boxer (b. 1926)
13th - Axel Jensen, Norwegian author (b. 1932)
13th - Walt Rostow, U.S. government official (b. 1916)
First Cloned Sheep Dolly (14th) 14th - Dolly the sheep, first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell dies young form a progressive lung disease aged 6
14th - Johnny Longden, English jockey (b. 1907)
16th - Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907)
18th - Isser Harel, Israeli Mossad leader (b. 1912)
19th - Johnny PayCheck, American country singer/songwriter (b. 1938)
20th - Maurice Blanchot, French author (b. 1907)
20th - Orville Freeman, American politician (b. 1918)
20th - Mushaf Ali Mir, Pakistani Chief of the Air Staff (b. 1947)
20th - Harry Jacunski, American football player
20th - Ty Longley, American guitarist (Great White) (b. 1971)
21st - Eddie Thomson, Scottish football player and coach (b. 1947)
22nd - Daniel Taradash, American screenwriter (b. 1913)
23rd - Robert K. Merton, American sociologist (b. 1910)
23rd - Howie Epstein, American bass guitarist (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) (b. 1955)
24th - John Edward Christopher Hill, English historian (b. 1912)
24th - Bernard Loiseau, French chef (b. 1951)
25th - Tom O'Higgins, Irish Chief Justice (b. 1916)
25th - Alberto Sordi, Italian actor (b. 1920)
26th - Christian Goethals, Belgian racing driver (b. 1928)
27th - John Lanchbery, English composer (b. 1923)
27th - Fred Rogers, host of TV's "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" dies at age 74
28th - Chris Brasher, English athlete (b. 1928)
28th - Fidel Sánchez Hernández, President of El Salvador (b. 1917)
28th - Roger Michael Needham, British cryptographer (b. 1935)
28th - Rudolf Kingslake, Lens designer, and Engineer (b. 1903)