At A Glance

17 October 2003 at a glance

Day of the week
17 October 2003 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Where Is the Love?” by The Black Eyed Peas.
Top Film of 2003
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2003 was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 October 2003 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 October 2003 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 17 October

  • 1989 The East German Politburo votes to remove Erich Honecker from his role as General Secretary.
  • 2004 A fire that lasted over 15 hours destroyed almost one third of the East Tower of the Parque Central Urban Complex in Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2017 Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture the last foothold of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Raqqa, marking the end of the Battle of Raqqa.
  • 2018 The recreational use of cannabis is legalized in Canada.
  • 2019 Drug dealers in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico force the government to back down on an arrest.

Famous people born on 17 October

  • Eminem, American rapper, producer, and actor (born 1972)
  • Norm Macdonald, Canadian actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter (1959–2021)
  • Rita Hayworth, American actress, singer and dancer (1918–1987)
  • Matthew Macfadyen, English actor (born 1974)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2003 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '2003 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 15 February – In London, more than 2,000,000 people demonstrate against the Iraq War, the largest demonstration in UK history.
  • 9 April – Invasion of Iraq: the Battle of Baghdad, fought with British air support, concludes, ending Saddam Hussein's rule in the country after 24 years in power.
  • 3 May – 2003 Scottish Parliament election: the Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition led by Jack McConnell win a majority of the seats and remain in power. The Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party significantly increase their representation.

Life in 2003

Prime Minister

Tony Blair

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£2.10

Loaf of Bread

78p

Average House

£137,709

Weekly Wage

£528.00

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →