Born in 2003
Turns 23 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 2003
2003 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from £21.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from £21.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from £21.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from £21.50
Front Page: United Kingdom edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 2003 · United Kingdom
A little history to go with their gift.
The Human Genome Project announced completion of its planned sequence ahead of schedule. Finding Nemo followed a clownfish across the ocean, while The Return of the King concluded Peter Jackson’s film trilogy based on Tolkien’s novels.
What happened in 2003?
The Human Genome Project reached completion
The international project announced completion of its planned human genome sequence on April 14, 2003, ahead of its original schedule.
National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH · International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, Nature
Finding Nemo makes animation a global force
Pixar?s Finding Nemo opened on May 30, 2003, and became the year?s highest-grossing film worldwide. Its undersea adventure followed a clownfish crossing the ocean to find his son.
Disney Movies · Los Angeles Times, by Kenneth Turan, May 30, 2003
England wins rugby’s World Cup in extra time
England beat Australia 20–17 after extra time to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Eurostar sets a British speed record
On July 30, 2003, a Eurostar test train reached 208 miles per hour on the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link in Kent. The run set a British rail speed record during safety testing ahead of passenger services.
Firsts and new ideas
Apple brought its iTunes store to Windows
Apple released a Windows version of the iTunes Music Store on October 16, 2003, expanding the service beyond Mac computers.
Apple Newsroom · Los Angeles Times, Terril Yue Jones and Jon Healey
NASA launched the Opportunity rover toward Mars
NASA launched its Opportunity rover toward Mars on July 7, 2003, the second of the mission’s two rovers launched that year.
Number ones and music in 2003
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Crazy in Love launches a solo era
Beyoncé released Crazy in Love in 2003, beginning a major solo pop career.
Hey Ya! makes the dance floor shake
OutKast’s Hey Ya! was released in 2003, mixing funk, pop and hip-hop.
Prices and everyday money in 2003
United Kingdom figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Average weekly earnings per person in the United Kingdom (Bank of England series) | £355.70 per week | GBP per week Bank of England (series republished by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED) |
| sugar (annual average) | 69p | perkg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| flour (annual average) | 61p | per1.5kg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| bread (annual average) | 58.0p | 800g source-table loaf Office for National Statistics |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 2003 turns 23 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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