Home About us Products Services Contact us Bookmark
:: wikimiki.org ::
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was the title to a song originally performed by The Four Lads in 1953, and was written by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon. The lyrics humorously remind the listener that the city of Istanbul used to be called Constantinople, and profess uncertainty about how and why cities' names change. The song's bewildered claims of the inscrutability of this process (for example, that New York City's name was changed from New Amsterdam because "people just liked it better that way") contrasts amusingly with the efforts of historians to account for such changes. The song was later covered by the rock group They Might Be Giants, who released it on their their LP Flood in 1990, and on its own EP that same year. The song was used for a music video in an episode of the animated childrens series Tiny Toon Adventures. The song was also featured in the 2003 film Mona Lisa Smile and the Pierce Brosnan episode of Muppets Tonight.

Track listing for They Might Be Giants' Istanbul (Not Constantinople) EP

#"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" #"James K. Polk" #"Stormy Pinkness" #"Ant" (not in UK version) #"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (Brownsville mix) Category:They Might Be Giants albums Category:1953 songs Category:Songs by Jimmy Kennedy Category:Songs by Nat Simon

The Four Lads

The Four Lads were a singing group. They grew up together in Toronto, Ontario, and were members of St. Michael's Cathedral Choir School, where they learned to sing. The founding members were Corrado "Connie" Codarini, bass; John Bernard "Bernie" Toorish (born March 2, 1931), lead; James F. "Jimmy" Arnold, (January 4, 1932-June 15, 2004) first tenor; and Frank Busseri, baritone and group manager. Codarini and Toorish had formed a group with two other St. Michael's students, Rudi Maugeri and John Perkins, who were later to become founding members of another group, The Crew-Cuts. The group was known variously as The Otnorots (a name taken from the name "Toronto" spelled backwards) and The Jordonaires (not to be confused with a similarly named group, The Jordanaires, that was known for singing background vocals on Elvis Presley's hits). When Maugeri and Perkins left the group to concentrate on their schoolwork, Codarini and Toorish joined with Arnold and Busseri in a new quartet. At home, they practiced until they achieved their clean-cut harmonies, whether for spirituals, sacred music, or pop. They originally called themselves The Four Dukes but found out that a Detroit group already used that name, so changed to The Four Lads. In 1950 they began to sing in local clubs and soon were noticed by scouts. Recruited to go to New York, they were noticed by Mitch Miller, who asked them to do backup for some of the artists he recorded. One unknown artist Johnnie Ray, became a major hit with "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud that Cried" with the Four Lads behind him. This made them well known. In 1953 they made their own first gold record, "Istanbul", which launched them to stardom and kept them busy throughout the 50s and 60s in the USA and Canada. Today, a reconsituted group, with original singer Frank Busseri, sings to the nostalgia crowds. Their most famous hit was "Moments to Remember" in 1955, and their next best known was "Standin' on the Corner" in 1956. A gospel album with Frankie Laine took them back to their roots and produced the hit single "Rain, Rain, Rain." They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Jimmy Arnold died of lung cancer in Sacramento, California at the age of 72.

Gold records


- "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (recorded August 12, 1953)
- "Moments to Remember" (recorded June 21, 1955)
- "No, Not Much" (recorded November 16, 1955)
- "Standin' on the Corner" (recorded March 1, 1956)
- "Who Needs You?" (recorded October 18, 1956)

Other records


- "A House With Love In It" (recorded July 17, 1956)
- "Down By The Riverside" (recorded January 30, 1953)
- "Enchanted Island" (recorded February 16, 1958)
- "Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea" (recorded February 27, 1954)
- "Happy Anniversary" (recorded September 23, 1959)
- "I Just Don't Know" (recorded April 4, 1957)
- "I'll Never Know" (1956)
- "My Little Angel" (recorded February 29, 1956) (flip side of "Standin' on the Corner")
- "Put A Light In The Window" (recorded October 27, 1957)
- "Skokiaan" (recorded August 4, 1954)
- "The Bus Stop Song" ("Paper of Pins") (recorded July 17, 1956)
- "The Fountain Of Youth" (1959)
- "The Girl On Page 44" (recorded November, 1958)
- "The Mocking Bird" (recorded April 16, 1952)
- "There's Only One Of You" (recorded February 16, 1958)

External links


- [http://www.the4lads.com/ The Four Lads home page]
- [http://www.vghf.com/four_lads.htm Vocal Group Hall of Fame page on The Four Lads]
- [http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/four_lads_1/bio.jhtml VH1.com page on The Four Lads]
- [http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicPopEncycloPagesF/four.html Jam! page on The Four Lads]
- [http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/fourlads.html Moments To Remember : The Four Lads]
- [http://www.lkwdpl.org/lore/lore94.htm Biography from the Jakewood (Ohio) Sun-Post]
- [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0001267 Canadian Encyclopedia article on The Four Lads] Four Lads, The Four Lads, The

Jimmy Kennedy

Jimmy Kennedy (born July 20, 1902, died April 6, 1984) was a British songwriter. Jimmy Kennedy was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland but grew up in Portstewart. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He taught for a while in England before embarking on a career in song writing. In a career spanning more than fifty years he wrote some 2000 songs, of which over 200 became world-wide hits and about 50 are all-time popular classics. Until John Lennon and Paul McCartney, he had more hits in the United States than any other British songwriter. His first success came in 1931 with the Barmaids Song sung by Gracie Fields. Red Sails in the Sunset was inspired by a beautiful summer evening in Portstewart in 1935 and South of the Border by a holiday picture postcard he received from Tijuana, Mexico. While serving in the British Army's Royal Artillery, where he rose to the rank of Captain, he wrote the wartime hit, We're Gonna Hang Out Our Washing On The Siegfried Line for the BEF. His hits also include The Isle of Capri, My Prayer, The TeddyBears' Picnic, Love is Like a Violin, Hokey Cokey, Roll Along Covered Wagon. Many of Kennedy's songs were recorded by such famous artists as Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, The Platters, Vera Lynn, Petula Clark, Paul Robeson, Perry Como, Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Glen Miller and Elvis Presley. Kennedy won two "Ivor Novello Awards" for his contribution to music and received an honorary degree from the New University of Ulster. He was also awarded the OBE in 1983. In 1997 he was posthumously inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Jimmy Kennedy died in Cheltenham, England and is buried in Taunton, Somerset. Kennedy, Jimmy Kennedy, Jimmy Kennedy, Jimmy Kennedy, Jimmy

Istanbul

Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul) (a Turkish contraction of Greek εις την πολιν "into the city", the former Constantinople, Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. It is located on the Bosphorus strait, and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn (Turkish: Haliç), in the northwest of the country. It is officially located in both Europe and Asia, but is generally considered European, perhaps because its predecessor, Constantinople, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Its 2000 Census population is 8,803,468 (city proper) and 10,018,735 (metropolitan area), making it, by some counts, one of the largest cities, in Europe. Census bureau estimate of 7/20/2005 is 11,322,000 for the city proper. İstanbul is located at , and is the capital of İstanbul Province. Originally founded by Greek colonists as Byzantium taking its name from their leader Byzas from Megara, it was made into the eastern capital of the Roman Empire in AD 324, by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great; Byzantium was renamed Nova Roma ("New Rome"), but this name failed to impress; and the city soon became known as Constantinople, "the City of Constantine". With the fall of Rome and the Western Roman Empire, Constantinople became the sole capital of what historians now call the Byzantine Empire. This empire was distinctly Greek in culture, and became the centre of Greek Orthodox Christianity after an earlier split with Rome, and was adorned with many impressive churches; including the once, world's-largest cathedral: Hagia Sophia. The seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, was located in what is now Istanbul. After the Fall of Constantinople to the invading Turks, in 1453, Constantinople became part of the Ottoman Empire and soon, its capital. Before the conquest, Turks called the city İstanbul, but officially used the name Qusţanţaniyyeh (قسطنطنيه), which means "City of Constantine" in Arabic. Only on March 28, 1930, was the city officially renamed İstanbul. This often causes confusion among foreigners, as illustrated by the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by The Four Lads. The Four Lads

Etymology

The Four Lads (March 2005)]] The name İstanbul comes from the Greek words eis tin Poli (pronounced IS TIN BOLI) and meaning "in the city" or "to the city", Constantinople being the largest city in the world (στήν Πόλι), from Classical Greek eis tên Polin (εις τήν Πόλι(ν)). The intermediate form Stamboul was commonly used by the Turks in the 19th century. Because of the custom of affixing an i before certain words that start with two consonants (as in "İzmir" from Smyrna: in a coincidence of s + m, the s turns to z in pronunciation as has been attested since early Byzantine times and in modern Greek usage), it was pronounced in Turkish İstambul. (The m in the middle is also the Turkish linguistic custom of changing the n before a p or b, as in çenber → çember, anbar → ambar, although rules like this are not always observed in proper nouns like İstanbul). Also in Greek an N before a P becomes an M, and the P after N becomes a B in pronunciation. Similar examples of modern Turkish town names derived from Greek are İzmit (from İznikmit which was Nicomedia and İznik (from Greek, Nicaea: "eis tin Nikaia" (pron. IS TIN NIKEA), becoming "ZNİK". Arab writers called the city Qusţanţini/--yye, but the Ottomans used several additional names, e.g. Pây-i taht, "the foot of the throne" (Persian); Asitane; and Islambol, "lots of Islam".

History

İznik Byzantium was the original name of the modern city of İstanbul. Byzantium was originally settled by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas. The name "Byzantium" is a transliteration of the original Greek name Βυζάντιον; (Demotic Modern Greek spells this υζάντιο, pronounced IPA //). After siding with Pescennius Niger against the victorious Septimius Severus the city was besieged by Rome and suffered extensive damage in 196 AD. Byzantium was rebuilt by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus and quickly regained its previous prosperity. The location of Byzantium attracted Constantine the Great who, in 330 AD, refounded it as Nova Roma or Constantinoupolis after himself (Constantinople,Greek: Konstantinoupolis or Κωνσταντινούπολη or Κωνσταντινούπολις) after a prophetic dream was said to have identified the location of the city. The name Nova Roma never came into common use. The Eastern Roman Empire which had its capital in Constantinople from then until 1453, has often been called the Byzantine Empire or Byzantium by modern scholars. The combination of imperialism and location would play an important role as the crossing point between two continents (Europe and Asia), and later a magnet for Africa and others as well, in terms of commerce, culture, diplomacy and strategy. At a strategic position, Constantinoupolis was able to control the route between Asia and Europe, as well as the passage from the Mediterranean Sea to the Efxinos Pontos (Black Sea). Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire. In Byzantine times the Greeks called Constantinople i Poli ("The City"), since it was the centre of the Greek world and for most of the Byzantine period the largest city in Europe. It was captured and sacked by the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and then re-captured by Nicaean forces under the command of Michael VIII Palaeologus in 1261. 1261 On May 29 1453 the city fell to the Ottoman Turks (See the Fall of Constantinople) and was part of the Ottoman Empire until its official dissolution on November 1 1922. The Ottoman Turks called the city Stamboul or İstanbul. During the Ottoman period the city went through a complete cultural change from an imperial Byzantine city to an Ottoman Islamic one. Hagia Sophia was converted to a Mosque as were several other churches in the city. Other Mosques were constructed around the city, each Sultan having built a grand Mosque to commemorate his reign. Amongst these Mosques, the most impressive are; Beyazit Mosque, Suleymaniye (The largest Mosque in İstanbul), Sultan Ahmed Mosque (The first Friday sermon or "Khutba" in this Mosque was read by the Jelveti Sufi Sheikh Aziz Mahmud Hudayi) and Fatih Mosque. The wives and mothers of the Sultans also contibuted to the construction of Mosques and several Mosques both on the European and Asian sides of the city have the name Valide Sultan Mosque to signify that they were constructed under the orders of the Sultans mother. Sufi orders which were so widespread in the Islamic world and who had many followers who had activly participated in the conquest of the city came to settle in the capital. During Ottoman times over 100 Tekkes were active in İstanbul alone. Many of these Tekkes survive to this day some in the form of Mosques while others as museums such as the Jerrahi Tekke in Fatih, the Sunbul Effendi and Ramazan Effendi Mosque and Turbes also in Fatih, the Galata Mevlevihane in Beyoglu, the Yahya Effendi Tekke in Besiktas and the Bektashi Tekke in Kadikoy which now serves Alevi Muslims as a Cem Evi. Cem Evi Cem Evi Cem Evi Cem Evi When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, the capital was moved from Constantinople to Ankara. İstanbul became the official name in 1930. In the early years of the republic, İstanbul was overlooked in favour of the new capital Ankara, but during the 1950s-1960s İstanbul underwent great structural change. The city's once numerous and prosperous Greek community, remnants of the city's Greek origins, dwindled in the aftermath of the 1955 İstanbul Pogrom and most Greeks leaving their homes for Greece. In the 1960s the government of Adnan Menderes sought to develop the country as a whole and new roads and factories were constructed throughout the country. Wide modern road were built in İstanbul but some, unfortunately, were at the expense of historical buildings within the city. During the 1970s the population of Istanbul began to rapidly increase as people from Anatolia migrated to the city to find employment in the many new factories that were constructed on the outskirts of the city. This sudden sharp increase in the population caused a rapid rise in housing development (some of poor quality resulting in great death and injury during the frequent eathquakes that hit the city) and many previously outlying villages became engulfed into the greater metropolis of İstanbul. Many Turks who have lived in İstanbul for over 30 or more years can still recollect how areas such as large parts of Maltepe, Kartal, Pendik and others were green fields when they were young. Other areas such as Tuzla were nothing more than sleepy villages. A more complete history of İstanbul before 1453 can be found at the Constantinople article.

Places to visit

Constantinople was a cultural and ethnic melting pot. As a result, there are many historical Mosques, Churches, Synagogues and Palaces to visit in the city.

Buildings and monuments

Constantinople Constantinople] Constantinople]
- Arap Mosque
- Basilica Cistern
- Bulgarian St Stephen Church (also known as "Bulgarian Iron Church")
- Castle of Seven Towers
- Chora Church
- Dolmabahçe Palace
- Fatih Mosque
- Galata Tower
- Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya camii)
- Hippodrome of Constantinople
- Mosaic Museum
- Rumeli Hisari
- Sadberk Hanım Museum
- Sultanahmet Mosque or Blue Mosque
- Süleymaniye Mosque
- Topkapı Palace
- Maiden's Tower (Kiz Kulesi)

Markets, neighborhoods and places


- Bebek fish restaurants
- Beyoglu
- Golden Horn
- Istiklal Avenue
- Prince's Islands
- Taksim Square
- The Grand Bazaar, İstanbul
- The Spice Bazaar, İstanbul
- Eyup Sultan Cemetery The cross-continent European walking route E8 trail begins/ends here, running 4700km to Cork, Ireland.

Seismic risk

İstanbul is situated near the North Anatolian fault, an active fault which has been responsible for several deadly earthquakes in contemporary history. Studies show that there are high risks of a devastating earthquake near İstanbul in the coming decades.[http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/tt/1999/aug25/quake.html][http://archives.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/04/28/istanbul.quake.enn/] The difficulties of imposing suitable building rules is likely to result in a large number of collapses, especially in cheap masonry dwellings.[http://atlas.cc.itu.edu.tr/~barka/pubs/ist_haz/istanbul.html]

Education

İstanbul holds finest education institutes in Turkey, including a number of universities. Most of these universities are public, but recent years have seen an upsurge in private universities. Istanbul Technical University, Bosphorus University, University of Istanbul, University of Marmara, Yildiz Technical University are the known public universities of Istanbul. Sabanci University, Koc University, Bilgi University, Yeditepe University, Kadir Has University and University of Halic are some of the private universities located in this city.

Transportation

Main article: Public transport in İstanbul

Airports


- Atatürk International Airport (IST)
- Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)

Climate

Temperate-Continental People coming to İstanbul can expect long, hot and humid summers and cold, rainy and snowy winters. The total precipitation for İstanbul averages 870 mm per year. The humidity of the city is constantly high which makes the air feel much harsher than the actual temperatures. The average maximum temperatures during the winter months vary between 03C and 08C. Contrary to common belief, snowfall is common and can be heavy, and can fall between in November and April. The summer months -- June through September - bring average daytime temperatures of 28 C degrees or higher. Despite summer being the driest season, rain is common and monsoon-like floods occur during that season.

Districts

Sister cities

İstanbul has 26 sister cities (aka "twin towns"):
- Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
- Amman, Jordan
- Barcelona, Spain
- Busan, South Korea
- Cairo, Egypt
- Cologne, Germany
- Constanta, Romania
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Durres, Albania
- Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Johor Bahru, Malaysia
- Kazan, Tatarstan
- Khartoum, Republic of Sudan
- Mari, Turkmenistan
- Odessa, Ukraine
- Osh, Kyrgyz Republic
- Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Rabat, Morocco
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shimonoseki, Japan
- Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

See also


- Byzantium
- Constantinople
- Fall of Constantinople
- List of mayors of Istanbul

Buildings and structures


- Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadyumu
- Bosporus Bridge
- Camlica TV Tower
- Endem TV Tower
- Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
- Galata Bridge
- List of hospitals in İstanbul
- Tünel
- Istanbul Park - Offical Formula 1 Grand Prix Circuit

Istanbul as capital of...


- The Roman Empire, Roman Emperors.
- The Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Emperors, List of Byzantine Empire-related topics, Byzantine architecture.
- The Ottoman Empire, Osmanli Dynasty.

Football Teams


- Beşiktaş JK
- Fenerbahçe SK
- Galatasaray SK
- İstanbulspor AŞ (in alphabetical order)

Basketball Teams


- Efes Pilsen
- Ülker

External links


- [http://www.ibb.gov.tr/en-US/AnaSayfa/ Municipality of Greater İstanbul (Turkish and English)]
- [http://www2.arch.uiuc.edu/research/rgouster/ Byzantine antiquities of İstanbul]
- [http://mypage.iu.edu/~ktuncay/Turkey/index.html Historic Pictures] Kagan Tuncay
- [http://members.fortunecity.com/fstav1/patrides/patrides.html Museum in İstanbul]
- [http://www.photoglobe.info/spc_istanbul.html İstanbul from Space]
- [http://istanbul.tourism-central.com İstanbul Tourism Central]
- [http://www.turkeyforecast.com/weather/istanbul/ İstanbul Weather Forecast Information]
- [http://ozhanozturk.com/content/view/89/45/ From Constantinople to Istanbul]
- [http://ozhanozturk.com/content/view/402/1/ Free travel guide to Istanbul]
- [http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/archaeological_museum_istanbul Pictures from the Archaeological Museum] Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Category:Cities along the Silk Road Istanbul Istanbul ja:イスタンブール ko:이스탄불 simple:Istanbul



Historian

:This article refers to those who study the subject of history. For medical uses of the term "historian", please refer to Historian (medical) article. A historian is a person who studies history. The term is often reserved for people whose work is recognized in academia, particularly those who have acquired graduate degrees in the discipline.

Historical analysis

The process of historical analysis is a difficult one, involving investigation and analysis of competing ideas, facts, and purported facts to create coherent narratives that explain "what happened" and "why or how it happened." Modern historical analysis usually draws upon most of the other social sciences, including economics, sociology, politics, psychology, philosophy and linguistics, in order to ensure these narratives are thorough, balanced and holistic. The related field in which methods of historical analysis are studied is called historiography.

The changing nature of the historian

The modern role of the historian (and the discipline of history) is a somewhat recent construction. The job of the historian has been important for thousands of years, to the extent that the definition of history has frequently been simply recorded history. The closely allied job of the chronicler often produces similar work as the historian and they are often considered together. The chronicler usually records events as they happen, so they engage less in delving back into history and there is often less historical analysis in their work. Many chronicles have short early histories attached so that they will start from the beginning of the world. These prefaces are usually of much less historical interest. While ancient writers do not normally share modern historical practices, their work remains valuable for its insights within its cultural context. An important part of the job of many modern historians is the verification or dismissal of earlier historical accounts through reviewing newly discovered sources, recent scholarship, or through parallel disciplines such as archaeology.

Developments prior to the Twentieth century

Although we regularly refer to Ancient writers such as Herodotus (often called "The Father of History") or Tacitus (c. 56–c. 117) as "historians," their works do not meet the modern standards of impartiality and objectivity. Many of the historians of the past have been called upon to write histories either to furnish a king or a ruling class with a lineage, thereby offering it legitimacy, or to give a people a cultural heritage and sense of identity. This meant that the works of these historians openly mixed oratory, poetry and literature in a way which is incompatible with the contemporary concern for impartiality and objectivity. This does not necessarily devalue their work, but does require that their efforts be considered within their cultural context. Herodotus, 5th century BC, is known as "The father of History" for being one of the earliest nameable historians whose work survives. His recount of strange and unusual tales are gripping stories, but not necessarily representative of the historical record. Despite this, The Histories of Herodotus displays some of the techniques of more modern historians. Herodotus interviewed witnesses, evaluated oral histories, studied multiple sources and then pronounced his preferred version. The work of Herodotus covered what was then the entire known world, or at least the part regarded as worthy of study, i.e., the peoples surrounding the Mediterranean. At about the same time Thucydides pioneered a different form of history much closer to reportage. In his work, History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides wrote about a single long conflict with its origins and results; but as it was mainly within living memory, and Thucydides himself was alive at the time of many of the events, there was less room for myths and tall tales. Much of the groundwork in creating the modern figure of the historian was done by Montesquieu (1689–1755). His wide-ranging Spirit of the Laws (1748) spanned legal, geographical, cultural, economic, political and philosophical study, and was hugely influential in forging the fundamentally inter-disciplinary historian.

Twentieth century developments

At the turn of the twentieth century, Western history remained notoriously biased towards the so-called "Great Men" school of history - covering wars, diplomacy, large ideas/science, and politics. This point of view was inherently bias towards the study of a small number of powerful males within the socioeconomical elite. A pronounced shift away from crude Whiggish analyses has started, in favor of a more critical and precise perspective. For example, a common myth is that Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb; a traditional American history might highlight Edison's story at the expense of all others. In contrast, a modern history of Edison mentions all his predecessors and competitors, in order to show that Edison's real accomplishment was in finding a long-lasting filament, and in engineering the successful commercial deployment of the technology. Since the 1960s, history as an academic discipline has undergone several revolutions. These changes fostered advances in a number of areas previously unrecognized in historiography. Previously neglected topics became the subject of academic study, such as the history of popular culture, mass culture, geographical culture, and the lives of ordinary people. Historians also started investigating histories of ideas surrounding various categories of people, such as women studies (including an entire branch of feminist history, sometimes called Herstory)), racial minorities (like African-American History), or disabled people (eg., a historian might study the construction of ideas about disabled people, and the results thereof, perhaps in a specific historical setting, such as Nazi Germany).

Recent developments

Today, many historians are employed at universities and other facilities for post-secondary education. In addition, it is common, although not required, for many historians to have a PhD in their chosen area of study. When doing their thesis for this degree, many turn it into their first book, since continual publishing is essential for advancement in educative professions. There is currently a great deal of controversy among academic historians regarding the possibility and desirability of neutrality in historical scholarship.

See also


- Historians - category
- List of historians - by name
- List of historians by area of study
- List of Canadian historians
- List of Jewish historians
- List of chess historians
- List of historians of the French Revolution
- List of history books
- Historiography

Bibliography


- The Blackwell dictionary of historians by John Cannon, R.H.C. Davis, William Doyle, Jack P. Greene (Editor). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1988 (ISBN 063114708X).
- Encyclopedia of historians and historical writing, ed. by Kelly Boyd, : London [etc.] : Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999
- Dictionary of British classicists, 1500–1960 by Richard B. Todd (editor). Bristol: Thoemmes Continuum, 2004 (ISBN 1855069970).

External links


- [http://www.nfhdata.de/premium/datenbasis-information/pages/International_News_Service_for_Historians/index.shtml International News Service for Historians].
- [http://www.h-net.org/ H-net Discussion and reviews] Category:Humanities occupations ja:歴史家 simple:Historian

They Might Be Giants

: They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) is an American pop/rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh, collectively known as "the two Johns" or "John and John". Known for their experimental / pop music, they have been popular on college campuses and earned a reputation as "intellectual rock" or "nerd rock." The band has maintained a loyal following over its 20+ years of existence, enough that fans rushed an online poll and got John Linnell voted one of People Magazine's "Most Beautiful People" in 1998 [http://www.tmbg.org/cool/linnell/]. TMBG's most famous songs are probably one single from each of their first three albums, "Don't Let's Start" (from They Might Be Giants), "Ana Ng" (from Lincoln), and "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (from Flood). Their appearance on the show Tiny Toon Adventures also gained recognition for their song "Particle Man" and cover of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)". They are also known for their version of the Bob Mould song "Dog on Fire" (the theme song to The Daily Show), and "Boss of Me", the theme to the hit television comedy Malcolm in the Middle, for which they won a Grammy Award. They also provide the theme song for The Travel Channel's "Amazing Vacation Homes", and Teletoon's The Wrong Coast.

History

The two Johns first met as children in Lincoln, Massachusetts. They began writing songs together in high school, but they never officially formed a band. Eventually the two went to separate colleges after high school, and Linnell joined The Mundanes, a New Wave group from Rhode Island. The two finally reunited after moving to Brooklyn (in the same apartment building on the same day) to continue their career.

Then: The Earlier Years (1982–1989)

BrooklynThe band began performing their own music accompanied by a drum machine, and soon became fixtures on the Manhattan underground. Their early work has been described as a type of performance art, in which they used many innovative stage props, including giant cardboard cutout heads of William Allen White. Many of these props would later turn up in their first music videos. Although they had a strong local following, they had a hard time getting a record deal. They did many live performances in New York, but when Linnell broke his wrist in a biking accident and Flansburgh's apartment was broken into and all his guitars were stolen, they set up the Dial-A-Song system with an answering machine hooked up to a tape of them playing popular songs. It soon caught the eye of Bar/None Records and earned them a review in People magazine. The duo released their self-titled debut album in 1986, and it became a college radio hit. The video for "Don't Let's Start" became a hit on MTV, earning them a broader following. In 1988, they released their second album, Lincoln. The album's artwork, featuring the famous podiums on the cover, marked a high point of the band's regular collaboration with Brooklyn musical inventor Brian Dewan. Beyond artwork, Dewan also performed and sang on many of their songs, both on their albums and live. Lincoln caused a major shock within the US music industry when, in its first week of release, it knocked U2's The Joshua Tree off the top of the Billboard College Charts (the US music industry's equivalent to the "Alternative/Independent" charts elsewhere in the world) after only a one-week stay at the top. (Most were expecting U2 to be on top for the remainder of the year.) The first single from Lincoln, "Ana Ng", reached number 89 on the UK Billboard charts and was #1 in the College Charts, garnering the attention of major labels.

Elektra Period (1990–1998)

In 1989, they signed with Elektra Records, and released their third album Flood the following year. Flood earned them a gold album, largely thanks to singles for "Birdhouse in Your Soul", which reached number 6 in the UK charts, and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)". Further interest in the band was generated when two cartoon music videos were created by Warner Brothers for Tiny Toon Adventures: "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Particle Man". The videos reflected the high "kid appeal" that TMBG had, resulting from their often silly or absurd songs and poppy melodies. Following those successes, Bar/None Records released the B-sides and rarities compilation Miscellaneous T in 1991. Following the 1992 release of Apollo 18, Flansburgh and Linnell decided to move away from the two-guys-with-samples nature of their live show, and recruited a supporting band that consisted of former Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone and drummer Brian Doherty. Through subsequent touring, the new "band" began to function as a collective unit, encouraging the Johns to record new albums in the band format. Several albums followed, including John Henry (1994) and their last for Elektra, Factory Showroom (1996). They left Elektra after Factory Showroom failed due to a lack of exposure.

Beyond Elektra (1999–Present)

In 1999, the ever-changing backing band lineup settled on "The Band of Dans", forming a full house line-up of Johns and Dans for almost five years. The Band of Dans was a trio of guys named Dan: guitarist Dan Miller, bassist Danny Weinkauf (both formerly of the band Lincoln) and drummer Dan Hickey. In 2004, however, Dan Hickey left the band and was subsequently replaced by Marty Beller, who had already played with TMBG for kids' shows and other projects. For most of their career, TMBG have been on the forefront of activity on the Internet. As early as 1992, the band was sending news updates to their fans via Usenet newsgroups. In 1999, They Might Be Giants became the first band to release an entire album exclusively on the Internet with Long Tall Weekend, available through Emusic's "TMBG Unlimited" service. Five years later, the band started one of the first artist-owned online music stores, at which customers could buy MP3 copies of their music for US$10 an album. By creating their own store, the band could keep money that would otherwise go to record companies. ([http://www.theymightbedownloads.com/ TMBG MP3 Music Store]) In 1999, the band contributed the song "Dr. Evil" to the motion picture Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Over their career, the band performed on numerous movie and television soundtracks, including The Oblongs, the ABC News miniseries Brave New World, and Ed and His Dead Mother. They also performed the theme music "Dog on Fire", composed by Bob Mould, for the Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. More recently, they composed and performed the music for the TLC series Resident Life, the theme song for the Disney Channel program Higglytown Heroes, and a song about the cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog. Contributing the TMBG single "Boss of Me" as the theme song to the hit television series Malcolm in the Middle, as well as to the show's compilation CD, brought a new audience to the band. Not only did the band contribute the theme, songs from all of the Giants' previous albums were used on the show: for example, the infamous punching-the-kid-in-the-wheelchair scene from the first MITM episode was done to the strains of "Pencil Rain" from Lincoln. "Boss of Me" became the band's second top-40 hit in the UK. On September 112001, they released the album Mink Car. The making of that album, including a record signing event at a Manhattan Tower Records, was included in a 2003 documentary directed by AJ Schnack titled Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns). The film, released in 2003, won rave reviews and several awards, and was featured in dozens of film festivals. The film was released on DVD in 2003. In 2002, the band released their first album "for the entire family," No!. They followed it up in 2003 with their first book, an illustrated children's book with an included EP, Bed, Bed, Bed. Bed, Bed, Bed2005.]] In 2004, the band released their first new rock work in years, the EP Indestructible Object. They followed that up with a new album, The Spine, and an associated EP, The Spine Surfs Alone. For the album's first single, "Experimental Film", TMBG teamed up with Homestar Runner creators Matt and Mike Chapman to create an animated music video. The band's collaboration with the Brothers Chaps also included several Puppet Jam segments with puppet Homestar. TMBG also became slightly involved with the electoral process by contributing a track to the Future Soundtrack For America compilation, a project compiled by John Flansburgh with the help of Spike Jonze and Barsuk Records. The band contributed "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too", a political campaign song from the presidential election of 1840. The compilation was released by Barsuk and featured indie, alternative, and high-profile acts such as Death Cab For Cutie, The Flaming Lips, and Bright Eyes. All proceeds went to progressive organizations such as Music For America and MoveOn.org. Following the Spine Surfs the Hiway Tour of 2004, the band announced that they would take an extended hiatus from performing to focus on other projects, such as a musical produced by Flansburgh and written by his wife, Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser, titled People Are Wrong!. 2005 saw the release of Here Come the ABCs, TMBG's follow-up to the successful children's album No!. Disney Sound released the CD and DVD separately on February 152005. However, children are currently barred from TMBG's concerts (except, of course, their children-exclusive shows). The reasons stated on their site mention a number of elements uncharacteristic to their typical concerts (such as pot smoking and violent, drunken audience members.

The band's name

The band takes its name from the 1971 movie They Might Be Giants starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward (based on the play of the same name written by James Goldman). The play (and movie) title is a reference to Don Quixote, who mistook windmills for giants. George C. Scott's character discusses man's ability to invent and analyze past the obvious, saying:
Of course, [Quixote] carried it a bit too far. He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that they might be... Well, all the best minds used to think the world was flat. But, what if it isn't? It might be round. And bread mold might be medicine. If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we'd all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes.
In an interview Flansburgh said (paraphrasing) that the words 'they might be giants' are just a very outward looking forward thing, that they liked. In an earlier radio interview, Linnell described the phrase as "something very paranoid sounding". Also, the band's name is parodied in Terry Pratchett's novel Soul Music by the dwarf "rock band", "We're Certainly Dwarfs".

Discography

Studio Albums


- They Might Be Giants (aka The Pink Album) (1986)
- Lincoln (1988)
- Flood (1990)
- Apollo 18 (1992)
- John Henry (1994)
- Factory Showroom (1996)
- Long Tall Weekend (1999) (Internet Release)
- Mink Car (2001)
- No! (2002)
- The Spine (2004)
- Here Come the ABCs (2005)

EPs and Singles


- Don't Let's Start (1987)
- (She Was A) Hotel Detective (1988)
- They'll Need a Crane (1989)
- Ana Ng (1989)
- Purple Toupee (1989)
- Birdhouse in Your Soul (1989)
- Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (1990)
- The Statue Got Me High (1992)
- The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) (1992)
- I Palindrome I (1992)
- Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) (1993)
- O Tannenbaum (1993)
- Back to Skull (1994)
- S-E-X-X-Y (1996)
- Doctor Worm (1998)
- What We Did This Summer (1999)
- Working Undercover for the Man (2000)
- Boss of Me (2000)
- Man, It's So Loud in Here (2001)
- They Might Be Giants in Holidayland (2001)
- Indestructible Object (2004)
- The Spine Surfs Alone (2004)
- Experimental Film (2004)
- "T-Shirt" (2005) (Single, exclusive to iTunes Music Store)

Compilations, Online Releases, Other Releases


- Miscellaneous T (1991)
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94 (1994)
- Then: The Earlier Years (1997)
- Severe Tire Damage (1998) (Mostly live album)
- Live (1999)
- Long Tall Weekend (1999) (Internet release only)
- They Got Lost (2002)
- Dial-A-Song: 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants (2002)
- Bed, Bed, Bed (2003)
- The Spine Hits The Road (2004) (Internet release only, live album)
- Almanac (2004) (Internet release only, live album)
- Venue Songs (2004) (Internet release only)
- A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants (2005)
- Venue Songs (re-release) (2005) (A re-release of Venue Songs in a CD/DVD combo pack with bonus material)

Charting Singles

Music Videos

The band has made music videos for many of their songs, including:
- "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" (1986)
- "Don't Let's Start" (1986)
- "(She Was a) Hotel Detective" (1986)
- "Ana Ng" (1988)
- "Purple Toupee" (1988)
- "They'll Need a Crane" (1988)
- "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (1990)
- "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (1990)
- "The Statue Got Me High" (1992)
- "The Guitar" (1992)
- "Snail Shell" (1994)
- "Doctor Worm" (1998)
- "Boss of Me" (2001) (abridged version premiered on FOX, some airplay on MTV2 and other stations) Other videos include:
- "Rabid Child" (1986) (home video, not released publicly, clip can be seen in Gigantic)
- "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (1990) (produced by and featured on Tiny Toons)
- "Particle Man" (1990) (produced by and featured on Tiny Toons)
- "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandecent Gas)" (1997) (animated/live action, premered on KaBlam!)
- "Doctor Worm" (1999?) (animated, premered on KaBlam!)
- "Cut the Strings" (2001) (can be found at [http://www.twinkleland.com/gallery_cutthestrings.html twinkleland.com])
- "Courage the Cowardly Dog" (2003?) (computer animated, aired on Cartoon Network)
- "Experimental Film" (2004) (animated, with Homestar Runner characters)
- "Damn Good Times" (2005) (animated, appears on [http://www.tmbg.com tmbg.com])
- "Bastard Wants to Hit Me" (2005) (animated, appears on [http://www.tmbg.com tmbg.com])

External links


- [http://www.tmbg.com Official They Might Be Giants web page]
- [http://www.theymightbegiants.com Official band-operated download site]
- [http://www.dialasong.com/ They Might Be Giants' Dial A Song]
- [http://www.giganticfilm.com/ The official Gigantic web page]
- [http://www.giantkid.net/ The Official TMBG Kids web page]
- [http://www.tmbg.ukfriends.com/ TMBG:UK - a fansite with a European flavour]
- TMBW:This Might Be A Wiki - a wiki about TMBG. As of September 24, 2005, it contained 8594 pages.
- [http://www.tmbg.org/ The Unofficial They Might Be Giants Site]
- [http://www.homestarrunner.com/expfilm.html Experimental Film Video]
- [http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/giants.html They Might Be Giants Release First MP3 Only Album] - MP3 Newswire article
- [http://tmbgtalk.1.forumer.com/ TMBG Talk] a discussion forum for fans of TMBG
- Category:Songwriters Category:American musical groups Category:Rock music groups

Flood (album)

Flood is the third studio album by They Might Be Giants, and their first with a major label, Elektra Records. It was released in 1990 (see 1990 in music). The first single, "Birdhouse In Your Soul," reached number 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart and was a top 40 hit elsewhere, including Australia. Flood also contains another two of their most well-known songs, "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Particle Man," both of which were made into animated music videos on the children's television show Tiny Toon Adventures, exposing the band to a much younger audience. Being their most popular record and many fans' first exposure to the group, the album is occasionally performed in its entirety at live shows. At some of these performances, the group essentially 'opens' for itself, taking the stage as "Sapphire Bullets: the only TMBG cover band that matters." With all the success Flood enjoyed, some fans and critics were disarmed by its polished production and slightly sillier lyrics. The group returned to a more organic sound and darker territory on its 1992 follow-up, Apollo 18.

Track listing

#"Theme From Flood" #"Birdhouse in Your Soul" (vorbis sample 141K) #"Lucky Ball And Chain" #"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" #"Dead" #"Your Racist Friend" #"Particle Man" (vorbis sample 105K) #"Twisting" #"We Want A Rock" #"Someone Keeps Moving My Chair" #"Hearing Aid" #"Minimum Wage" (vorbis sample 103K) #"Letterbox" #"Whistling In The Dark" #"Hot Cha" #"Women And Men" #"Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love" #"They Might Be Giants" #"Road Movie To Berlin" All of the songs except for "Istanbul..." were written by John Flansburgh & John Linnell. "Istanbul..." (a cover of a 1953 hit for The Four Lads) was written by J. Kennedy & N. Simon.

External links


- [http://www.tmbw.net/wiki/index.php/Flood Flood] page at This Might Be A Wiki Category:1990 albums Category:They Might Be Giants albums

Extended play

:For the TV show on G4 formerly called Extended Play, see X-Play. An extended play or EP, is the name given to vinyl records or CDs which are too long to be called singles but too short to qualify as albums. Typically an album has eight or more tracks (anywhere between 30-60 minutes), a single only one or two (5-15 minutes), and an EP four to eight (or around 15-35 minutes.) Some artists, especially in the days of vinyl, have released full-length albums that could fit the definition of a modern-day EP. (See Yes's Close to the Edge and Prince's Dirty Mind as examples.) A remix single is not considered an EP unless it also has other songs on it (an EP/single hybrid). The name "extended play" has become something of a misnomer, for though it originally was used for singles that were extended beyond the standard length, it is now more often synonymous with an album that is shorter than usual; indeed, EPs are sometimes referred to as "mini-albums" (see below). For this reason, among others, they are referred to as "EPs", the full name being used much more rarely. EPs were released in various sizes in different eras. The earliest EPs were 33⅓ RPM recordings on 10" (25cm) disks, and appeared at the close of the 78 RPM era. By coincidence, the format gained wide popularity with the coming of Elvis Presley, and it is sometimes erroneously stated that the term "EP" derived from his initials. In 1967, The Beatles released a double-EP containing all the songs from their TV film Magical Mystery Tour. In the 1970s and 1980s there was less standardization, and EPs were made on 7" (18cm), 10", or 12" (30cm) discs running either 33⅓ or 45 RPM. Some novelty EPs used odd shapes and colours, and a few were picture discs. The term is also sometimes applied to compact discs with short playing times. However, since a CD can carry any amount of material up to around 80 minutes, the distinction between a CD EP and a short CD LP is somewhat arbitrary and is based on artistic and marketing factors. For example, EPs are usually released as a promo or as a method for an artist to release a collection of songs unfit for an album. Some artists prefer to use the term "mini-album" instead of "EP", bringing a stronger significance to the work instead of it being counted as a mere add-on to an artist's discography. Music fans have been divisive on whether, for example, a five-track release of 60 minutes would be considered an EP or an album; this choice is left for the artist to determine themselves. The Mars Volta ran into problems with their five-track album Frances the Mute before its release; the final track, "Cassandra Gemini", was divided into eight arbitrary sections so the band would be paid an album's wages rather than an EP's.[http://www.thecomatorium.com/board/index.php?showtopic=30877] Fans of doom metal or experimental music such as Current 93 and Nurse With Wound are very familiar with albums containing a very low track count.

The 7" EP in punk rock

The first recordings released by many punk rock bands were released in 7" EP format, mainly because short song nature of the genre that resulted made it difficult to create sufficient material to fill an LP. Many such bands also were unsigned, or signed to a minor record label that did not have the funds to release a full length album, particularly by newly formed bands. As many record stores would not sell demo tapes, the 7" EP became a standard release for punk rock bands, who could sell them nationwide at a cheap price, and thus be heard beyond the areas where they performed. These records would vary in length, having anywhere from 2 to as many as 10 or more songs (4 being somewhat of a standard), and recorded at 33 RPM as often as 45 (outside of punk rock many people refer to any 7" record as a 45, as it has been the standard speed for such records). Some of these recordings would qualify as singles, although this term was sometimes eschewed as being a mainstream design for determining commercial airplay, which did not apply to the vast majority of such bands. The term "single" also had a way of being somewhat dismissive of any tracks other than the primary one, delegating them as b-sides, when many bands, having a 7" record as their most significant release, would put all their best songs on the recording. Using the term EP in such cases would be considered technically incorrect, as they were not "extended", and the term "7 inch" became a standard. For bands that went on to achieve commercial success, it was often customary for the original EP tracks to be released later on full-length albums, or to be somehow re-issued in another format. The split 7" EP has also been a widespread feature in the genre, in which two bands would release such a record together, each performing on one side. This was a way to cut costs, particularly for self-released EPs, and was often used as a way for a more established band to help promote a promising newer act. Alternately, two bands with friendly relations with each other would release split EPs together. In some countries, split EPs are also used by major record labels to promote two new albums by wholly different artists, usually in the form of radio promos.[http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=196210]

See also


- Gramophone record
- List of EP's Category:Audio storage ja:コンパクト盤

2003

2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the:
- International Year of Freshwater
- European Disability Year
- Blog Year See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Events

January


- January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil.
- January 1 - Pascal Couchepin becomes President of the Confederation in Switzerland.
- January 8 - US Airways flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina killing all 21 people aboard.
- January 15 - The United States Supreme Court hands down its decision in Eldred v. Ashcroft allowing the extension of copyright terms in the U.S.
- January 24 - The new United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
- January 25 - Central Line train crashes into the tunnel wall at Chancery Lane station in London, injuring 34 people.
- January 25 - An international group of volunteers left London and headed for Baghdad to act as voluntary human shields, hoping to avert a U.S. invasion.
- January 30 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic release a statement, the letter of the eight, demonstrating support for the United States' plans for an invasion of Iraq.

February

February
- February 1 - The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts onboard.
- February 1 - In Northern Ireland, The Protestant UDA Belfast leader John Gregg is killed by a loyalist faction.
- February 3 - The worldwide movie premiere of Shanghai Knights was held at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.
- February 5 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the UN Security Council on Iraq.
- February 9 - Cricket World Cup begins in South Africa.
- February 15 - Global protests against Iraq war - more than ten million people protest in over 600 cities worldwide, the largest war protest to take place before the war occurred.
- February 17 - Antwerp Diamond Center in Belgium opens its vaults after weekend and discovers that unknown burglars had stolen diamonds worth $100 million - largest diamond theft so far.
- February 26 - An American businessman is admitted to the Vietnam France Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam. WHO doctor Carlo Urbani reports the unusual highly contagious disease to WHO. Both the businessman and Carlo Urbani die of SARS in March.

March


- March 1 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The United Arab Emirates calls for Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to step down to avoid war. The sentiment is later echoed by Bahrain and Kuwait
- March 1 - The Turkish parliment vetos the access of the U.S troops to airbases in Turkey in order to attack Iraq from the north. The Bush administration starts working on the B Plan, namely attacking Iraq from the south, through the Persian Gulf.
- March 1 - The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the United States Customs Service, and the United States Secret Service moves to the United States Department of Homeland Security
- March 1 - Boxer Roy Jones Jr. beats John Ruiz to become WBA champion
- March 1 - War on Terrorism: Authorities in Pakistan capture Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks along with money man Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi.
- March 1 - Ohio celebrates its bicentennial statehood.
- March 5 - The Supreme Court of the United States by a 5-4 margin upholds California's "three strikes and you're out" law.
- March 11 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi fighters threaten two U.S. U-2 surveillance planes, flying missions for U.N. weapons inspectors, forcing them to abort their mission and return to base.
- March 12 - Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić assassinated in Belgrade
- March 12 - WHO issues a global alert on SARS.
- March 12 - Iraq disarmament crisis: British prime minister Tony Blair proposes an amendment to the possible 18th U.N. resolution, which would call for Iraq to meet certain benchmarks to prove that it was disarming. The amendment is immediately rejected by France, who promises to veto any new resolution.
- March 13 - Human evolution: The journal Nature reports that 350,000-year-old upright-walking human footprints had been found in Italy
- March 15 - Hu Jintao becomes president of the People's Republic of China, replacing Jiang Zemin.
- March 16 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The leaders of the United States, Britain, Portugal, and Spain meet at a summit in the Azores Islands. U.S. President Bush calls Monday, March 17th, the "moment of Truth", meaning that the "coalition of the willing" would make its final effort to extract a resolution from the U.N. Security Council that would give Iraq an ultimatum to disarm immediately or to be disarmed by force.
- March 17 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President George W. Bush gives an ultimatum: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons must either leave Iraq, or face military action at a time of the U.S.'s choosing
- March 19 - First American bombs dropped on Baghdad, Iraq. President Saddam Hussein and his sons do not comply with President Bush's 48 hour mandate demanding their exit from Iraq.
- March 20 - 2003 Iraq war: Land troops from United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invade Iraq.
- March 22 - The United States and the United Kingdom begin their shock and awe campaign with a massive air strike on military targets in Baghdad.
- March 23 - Cricket World Cup ends as Australia wins over India in Centurion, South Africa.
- March 29 - WHO doctor Carlo Urbani, who first identified SARS, dies of the disease.
- March 30 - The Undertaker defeated the Big Show and A-Train in a handicap match, boosting his Wrestlemania record to 11-0.

April

April.]]
- April 3 - Passenger bus hits remote-controlled land mine in the Chechen capital, killing at least 8.
- April 9 - U.S. forces seize control of Baghdad, apparently ending the regime of Saddam Hussein.
- April 14 - Human Genome Project successfully completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to 99.99% accuracy.
- April 17 - The Stevens Report concludes that members of the RUC and British Army cooperated with the UDA in the killings of Catholics in Northern Ireland
- April 21 - Retired U.S. Army General Jay Garner becomes Interim Civil Administrator of Iraq.
- April 30 - The last American owned vehicle frame manufacturer, [http://web.archive.org/web/20010623093543/www.immsp.com/index.htm Midland Steel Products] goes [http://www.newsnet5.com/news/2166844/detail.html out of business] after almost 110 years in business, laying off almost 250 people.

May


- May 1 - George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gave a speech announcing end of major combat in the Iraq war.
- May 2 - Monkeyman superhero hoax begins in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK
- May 3 - Old Man of the Mountain, rock formation in New Hampshire, crumbles after heavy rain
- May 4-10 - A major severe weather outbreak spawned more tornadoes than any week in U.S. history. 393 tornadoes were reported in 19 states.
- May 11 - Benvenuto Cellini's Saliera is stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
- May 12 - Suicide truck-bomb attack kills at least 60 at a government compound in northern Chechnya.
- May 12 - In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 26 people are killed in the Riyadh Compound Bombings.
- May 14 - Female suicide bomber blows up explosives strapped to her waist in crowd of thousands of Muslim pilgrims, killing at least 18 people in Chechnya.
- May 16 - In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.
- May 19 - Pen Hadow becomes the first man to walk alone, without any outside help, from Canada to the North Pole
- May 23 - The birth of Dewey, the first cloned deer by scientists at Texas A&M University
- May 26 - A draft of the proposed European constitution is unveiled.
- May 28 - The birth of Prometea, the first cloned horse by Italian scientists.
- May 31 - Eric Rudolph, the suspected person to have carried out the Centennial Olympic Park bombing is captured in North Carolina behind a Save-A-Lot store.

June


- June 1 - The People's Republic of China begins filling the reservoir behind the massive Three Gorges Dam, raising the water level near the dam over 100 metres.
- June 4 - Martha Stewart and her broker are indicted for using privileged investment information and then obstructing a federal investigation. Stewart also resigned as chairperson and chief executive officer of Martha Stewart Living.
- June 5 - Female suicide bomber detonates bomb near a bus carrying soldiers and civilians to a military airfield in Mozdok, a major staging point for Russian troops in Chechnya, killing at least 16 people.
- June 15 - 2003 NBA Finals end. The San Antonio Spurs defeat the New Jersey Nets, 4 games to 2.
- June 22 - The largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, Nebraska, USA.
- June 23 - U.S. Supreme Court upholds affirmative action in university admissions in Grutter v. Bollinger
- June 26 - U.S. Supreme Court rules sodomy laws unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas

July


- July 1 - 500,000 Hong Kong people march to protest Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, which redefined treason controversially.
- July 2 - International Olympic Committee session in Prague. Vancouver ,Canada is declared the Host City for the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010.
- July 5 - SARS is declared to be contained by WHO.
- July 5 - Double suicide bombing at a Moscow rock concert kills the female attackers and 15 other people.
- July 6 - Residents of Corsica reject a referendum for increased autonomy for the region from France by a very narrow margin.
- July 7 - Canon Jeffrey John, first would-be gay bishop in the Church of England, withdraws his acceptance of the post of The Bishop of Reading after discussions with the church leaders
- July 10 - Russian security agent dies in Moscow while trying to defuse a bomb a woman had tried to carry into a cafe on central Moscow's main street.
- July 14 - U.S. columnist Robert Novak publishes the name of Valerie Plame, blowing her cover as a CIA operative. CIA leak scandal begins.
- July 18 - Convention on the Future of Europe finishes its work and proposes the first European constitution
- July 18 - The body of Dr. David Kelly, a scientist at the Ministry of Defence, is found a few miles from his home, leading to the Hutton inquiry
- July 23 - Operation Warrior Sweep is the first major military deployment of the Afghan National Army
- July 24 - The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, Operation Helpem Fren, led by Australia, begins in the Solomon Islands
- July 30 - The last old-style Volkswagen Beetle rolls off its production line in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.

August


- August 1 - Suicide bomber rams truck filled with explosives into a military hospital near Chechnya, killing 50 people, including Russian troops wounded in Chechnya.
- August 2 - The United Nations authorizes an international peacekeeping force for Liberia.
- August 10 - The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK - 38.1°C (100.6°F) at Gravesend in Kent and Kew Botanic Gardens, London. It is the first time the UK has recorded a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- August 11 - NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
- August 11 - Jemaah Islamiah leader Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, is arrested in Bangkok, Thailand.
- August 14 - Widespread power outage affects northeast United States and Canada.
- August 14 - 6.4 Richter scale earthquake near the Greek Ionian island of Lefkada - 24 injured
- August 22 - 21 killed at the Brazilian rocket complex in Alcântara due to a premature ignition of a solid rocket booster.
- August 25 - 52 killed in two bomb blasts in Mumbai, India.
- August 27 - Perigee of Mars

September


- September 5 - Roller coaster accident at Disneyland injures 10 and kills one.
- September 10 - Swedish foreign minister Anna Lindh is stabbed in a Stockholm department store and dies the next day.
- September 14 - Sweden rejects adopting the Euro in a referendum. (Results.)
- September 14 - Estonia approves joining the European Union in a referendum.
- September 15 - ELN kidnaps 8 foreign tourists in the Ciudad Perdida - they demand a human rights investigation and release last of the hostages three months later
- September 16 - Two suicide bombers drive a truck laden with explosives into a government security services buildi