Editing 2003 (section)

===February===
* [[February 1]] – At the conclusion of the [[STS-107]] mission, the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disintegrates during reentry]] over [[Texas]], killing all seven astronauts on board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/space/Columbia%20accident.htm|title=The Columbia Space Shuttle Accident|website=Century of Flight|access-date=July 1, 2016|archive-date=August 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824204843/http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/space/Columbia%20accident.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 4]] – The [[Serbia and Montenegro|Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] is renamed to "Serbia and Montenegro" (after its two constituent states) after its leaders reconstitute the country into a loose state-union between [[Republic of Montenegro (1992–2006)|Montenegro]] and [[Republic of Serbia (1992–2006)|Serbia]], marking an end to the 73-year-long use of the name "Yugoslavia" by a sovereign state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.factrover.com/history/Serbia_and_Montenegro_history.html|title=The History of Serbia and Montenegro|website=Fact Rover|access-date=July 2, 2016|archive-date=July 19, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040719223006/http://www.factrover.com/history/Serbia_and_Montenegro_history.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://euobserver.com/world/9257 | archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240329155218/https://euobserver.com/world/9257 | archive-date=March 29, 2024 | title=Yugoslavia no longer exists | date=February 5, 2003 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Daniel |date=February 4, 2003 |title=Yugoslavs Shrug off Their Country's End - the Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/02/05/yugoslavs-shrug-off-their-countrys-end/992f5418-7329-4489-9a23-f0792169aeac/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240329155045/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/02/05/yugoslavs-shrug-off-their-countrys-end/992f5418-7329-4489-9a23-f0792169aeac/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-03-29 |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref>
* [[February 5]] – U.S. Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] speaks to the United Nations presenting the case for a military invasion of [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]]. It will later be discovered that the [[Bush administration (2000)|Bush administration]] misled him when preparing his testimony.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2021-10-18 |title=Colin Powell's Fateful Moment |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/colin-powells-fateful-moment |access-date=2022-12-13 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |archive-date=December 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213190410/https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/colin-powells-fateful-moment |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[February 7]] – [[2003 El Nogal Club bombing]]: A car bomb goes off in the garage of the El Nogal club in [[Bogotá]], Colombia, killing 36 people and injuring hundreds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Suárez |first=Juliana |title=16 years of the attack at Club El Nogal in Bogotá - LatinAmerican Post |url=https://latinamericanpost.com/26241-16-years-of-the-attack-at-club-el-nogal-in-bogota |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Latin American Post |date=February 6, 2019 |language=en-gb |archive-date=December 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213183333/https://latinamericanpost.com/26241-16-years-of-the-attack-at-club-el-nogal-in-bogota |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[February 9]]–[[March 23]] – The [[2003 Cricket World Cup]] is held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya with Australia defeating India in the final.
* [[February 15]]–[[February 16|16]] – [[Antwerp diamond heist]]: An Italian gang steals loose diamonds, gold and jewellery valued at more than $100&nbsp;million from a Belgian vault, one of the largest robberies in history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hopes of finding diamond haul fade |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3364911.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=18 June 2022 |date=14 February 2004 |archive-date=June 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220618124813/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3364911.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Davis |first1=Joshua |title=The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/03/ff-diamonds-2/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=18 June 2022 |archive-date=December 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214201638/https://www.wired.com/2009/03/ff-diamonds-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[February 15]] – Millions of people worldwide take part in massive [[15 February 2003 anti-war protests|anti-war protests]] in anticipation of the United States and its allies invading [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]] to overthrow [[Saddam Hussein]]'s regime.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2765215.stm|title=Millions join global anti-war protests|date=2003-02-17|work=BBC News|access-date=2016-07-01|archive-date=September 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921125652/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2765215.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 18]] – [[Daegu subway fire]]: An arsonist sets fire to a subway train in Daegu, South Korea, killing 192 people.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chan |first1=Wing-Cheong |title=Support for Victims of Crime in Asia |date=12 September 2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-07711-3 |pages=67–177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcK0iJIyZlIC&pg=PA177 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[February 19]] – An [[Ilyushin Il-76]] plane [[2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 crash|crashes]] near [[Kerman Airport]] in Iran, killing 270 military personnel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-02-19 |title=Iran plane crash kills 270 soldiers |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/19/iran |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=December 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214011523/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/19/iran |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[February 20]] – A pyrotechnics accident during a [[Great White]] concert causes [[The Station nightclub fire|a fire]] at a nightclub in [[West Warwick, Rhode Island]], killing 100 people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who's to blame for disaster that killed 100? |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-station-nightclub-fire-rhode-island-what-happened-and-whos-to-blame/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=CBS News |date=October 24, 2021 |language=en-US |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215003955/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-station-nightclub-fire-rhode-island-what-happened-and-whos-to-blame/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[February 24]] – [[2003 Bachu earthquake]]: A 6.8 {{M|w}}earthquake strikes in [[Xinjiang]], killing 257 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Wendy |date=2003-02-25 |title=China: Mighty earthquake strikes Xinjiang |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/china/china-mighty-earthquake-strikes-xinjiang |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=ReliefWeb |language=en |archive-date=July 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702092014/https://reliefweb.int/report/china/china-mighty-earthquake-strikes-xinjiang |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[February 26]] – The [[War in Darfur]] begins after rebel groups rise up against the Sudanese government.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3496731.stm|title=Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict|date=2010-02-23|website=BBC News|access-date=2016-07-01|archive-date=April 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414191135/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 27]] – Former Bosnian Serb leader [[Biljana Plavšić]] is sentenced by the United Nations [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]] to 11 years in prison for war crimes committed during the [[Bosnian War]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/27/warcrimes|title='Iron lady' jailed for Bosnia war crimes|date=2003-02-27|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|access-date=2016-07-01|archive-date=September 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921054743/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/27/warcrimes|url-status=live}}</ref>