I have many favourite years that are special to me, especially if they involve the numbers 3, 5, 6, 7, or 9. One of my favourite years is 1997 because it was when I first visited Kenya, one of my favourite countries. The number 9 is my favourite because in 1999, I visited Singapore for the first time, which I love just as much as Kenya. Other countries I am passionate about include (my hometown) New Zealand, South Africa, Namibia, China, Malaysia, Uganda, Thailand, and Ireland, all of which I consider exotic. These countries have a significant impact on my interests, especially in film, but also in music, literature, television, and events. I have talked about 1997 and 1999, and recently, I felt inspired to write about 2003 because I often connect the numbers 3 and 7.
Film
January 21st
101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure is the sequel to 101 Dalmatians although it is released directly to video rather than have a theatrical release (and unlike its predecessor is not based on a book)
January 31st
Just Married (directed by Shawn Levy) about young newlywed couple on a honeymoon in Europe but various obstacles thwart their ability to sustain their marriage/relationship.
February 14th
Daredevil (directed by Mark Steven Johnson) starring Ben Affleck (in the title role) as well as Jennifer Garner based on the comic character of the same name is released
March 16th
Piglet’s Big Movie is the third feature film based on Winnie-the-Pooh
May 28th
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi) is a visual companion to the 2001 Daft Punk Album Discovery. It is the first Anime film to premiere at the Cannes film festival that year and it also marks a decade since Daft Punk themselves debuted.
June 9th
Johnny Depp celebrates his 40th birthday
June 11th
Jurasssic Park (directed by Steven Spielberg) based on the 1990 novel by Michael Crichton celebrates its 10th Anniversary
June 20th
Alex and Emma (directed by Rob Reiner) starring Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson is about a struggling author with writer’s block who must finish a novel in 30 days or face being caught by people who he owes money to. He enlists the help of a stenographer who he falls in love with while she helps him during the process of writing the book.
July 9th
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (directed by Gore Verbinski) starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffery Rush is based on Disney’s theme park ride of the same name. The film revives the pirate genre as well as provides its main star (Depp) with his first Oscar nomination.
July 18th
Bad Boys II (directed by Michael Bay) starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, sees the two actors reprise their roles from the film’s predecessor.
August 11th
American Graffiti which was its director George Lucas’ first major hit before Star Wars turns 30
July 22nd
Guilty by Association marks the third time Morgan Freeman plays a law figure although the film is released straight to video
August 22nd
My Boss’ Daughter (directed by David Zucker) starring Ashton Kutcher, Tara Reid and Terrance Stamp is released
September 19th
Secondhand Lions (directed by Tim McCanlies) starring (Sir) Michael Caine and Robert Duvall (as well as Hayley Joel Osmett) tells the story of an introverted young boy who is sent by his mother to Texas to live with his eccentric great uncles Texas.
October 29th
Alien (directed by Sir Ridley Scott) starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto is re-released to cinemas for its 24th Anniversary.
October 31st
The Human Stain (directed by Robert Benton) starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Wentworth Miller, Jacinda Barrett and Gary Sinise is based on the book of the same name by Philip Roth.
November 26th
Timeline (directed by Richard Donner) starring Paul Walker, Francis O’Connor, Gerald Butler, Anna Friel and Billy Connolly as well as David Thewlis is based on the 1999 novel by Michael Crichton.
December 5th
Honey (directed by Billie Woodruff) starring Jessica Alba, Meki Pfifer, Joy Bryant and Lil ’Romeo is Alba’s breakthrough as a leading actress
December 15th
Peter Pan (directed by Paul John Hogan who also wrote it) starring Jeremy Sumpter, Ludivine Sagnier, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Jason Isaacs, Olivia Williams, Lynn Redgrave and Richard Briers is based on J.M. Barrie’s play and book of the same name. Released 50 years after the Disney animated version, it is also the first adaptation to attempt to be faithful to the original story.
December 25th
Schindler’s List (directed by Steven Spielberg) based on the true story of German businessman Oskar Schindler who was responsible for saving more than a thousand Jews from persecution by employing them as workers in his factory turns 10
December 26th
The Exorcist based on the 1971 novel of the same name turns 30 while the novel itself turns 32
Television
February 5th
The final episode of The Legend of Tarzan, a series set after the events of the Disney film about Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel hero Tarzan (and also draws inspiration from the Tarzan books) airs.
27th March – 23rd April
Walking With Cavemen (directed by Richard Dale) is BBC’s third mainstream production related to prehistory. It showcases human evolution and explores various prehistoric humans. It is also the first time a BBC programme related to prehistory features a host although Lord Robert Winston does so for the UK and actor Alec Baldwin does for the United States. It is also marks the first time that Tim Haines the creator of the earlier instalments Walking With Dinosaurs and Walking With Beasts is not involved.
August 28th
Pokemon Season 6 (which began on November 21st of the previous year) ends.
Music
January 27th
A*Teens the spinoff to the Swedish music band ABBA releases a reissue of their third Album Pop Till You Drop! which was released the previous year. The new version is known as New Arrival in a nod to the original ABBA’s fourth studio album Arrival. Following this, they perform at the Stockholm Pride Festival in July
April
S Club (7) announce their ceasing as a band after four years. Their final single Say Goodbye enters the chart at #2 a month after the announcement.
October 13th
S Club (8) more known as S Club Juniors releases their second (and final) album Sundown
October 25th
Future American singer Kathryn Elisabeth Hudson better known as Katy Perry turns 19
November 25th
7 is by happenstance the seventh album released by Spanish Enrique Iglesias. One of its singles Not In Love which also features American singer Kelis is a hit in Europe.
Singapore
January 1st
Singapore implements a 3% Goods and Services Tax, raising the tax rate from 2.5% to 3%. This move aims to diversify the country’s revenue sources and reduce its reliance on corporate and personal income taxes.
January 4th
There is a service disruption on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which affects commuters’ travel plans and highlights the need for improvements in the public transportation infrastructure.
January 6th
Singapore Airlines (SIA) Announcement: Singapore Airlines announces its intention to introduce a new low-cost carrier, which will be known as Tiger Airways. This move is part of the company’s strategy to tap into the growing budget travel market.
January 13th
Launch of Singapore’s National Service Policy: The government announces new policies related to National Service, aiming to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Singapore’s conscription system and improve the overall experience for conscripts.
January 27th
Public Health Advisory: Singapore’s Ministry of Health issues a public health advisory in response to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the region, urging citizens to take precautionary measures and stay informed about the situation.
February 5th
Singapore’s government introduced the “Singapore 21” report, which outlined the future directions for Singapore’s development over the next decade. This report aimed to address various social and economic issues and provide a vision for Singapore’s continued progress.
February 6th
The Singaporean government announced a new set of guidelines for the safe use of the country’s ports and shipping industry in response to increased concerns about security and safety following global events.
February 10th
Singapore hosted a significant international conference focusing on regional security and economic cooperation, attracting attention from various global leaders and policymakers.
February 15th
In light of heightened global tensions, Singapore conducted a series of emergency preparedness drills to ensure readiness and resilience in the event of any potential crisis or disaster.
March 6th
Introduction of the International Enterprise (IE) Singapore Act: The Act was enacted to establish a statutory board responsible for promoting international trade and investment, and to facilitate the development of Singapore as a global trading hub.
March 8th
Implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Measures: As part of its response to heightened global security threats, Singapore introduced new measures to strengthen its anti-terrorism framework, including enhanced security protocols and increased vigilance.
March 12th
Inauguration of the National Blood Donor Recruitment Campaign: This campaign was launched to address the need for a steady supply of blood for medical purposes, aiming to encourage more individuals to participate in blood donation.
March 14th
Launch of the Community Safety and Security Program: This program was introduced to bolster community involvement in safety and security measures, focusing on enhancing public awareness and engagement in crime prevention.
March 21st
Opening of the Singapore International Conference on Environmental Management: This conference brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss strategies for managing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable practices in Singapore and the region.
March 25th
Announcing the Revisions to the Housing Development Board (HDB) Policies: The revisions aimed to improve housing accessibility and affordability and included updates to various schemes and subsidies for Singaporean residents.
March 28th
The plan outlined new initiatives and policies aimed at improving the healthcare system in Singapore, focusing on increasing accessibility and quality of care for all citizens.
April 1st
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority is formed to tackle new security threats, leading to the formation of Singapore Customs. As a result, the Registry of Societies and Registry of Political Donations will transfer to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Elections Department
Meidi-Ya opens in Liang Court, taking over what used to be a Daimaru
28 April – The last traces of the Overseas Union Bank (OUB) name will disappear by end-2003 as it merged into United Overseas Bank (UOB).
6th May
Singapore and United States sign the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USS-FTA).
26th May
The Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is launched to help businesses thrive.
9th June
The Declaration of Religious Harmony is unveiled.
20th June
The North East MRT line opens, the first line operated by SBS Transit. Stretching about 20 km (12 miles) long, the line is the world’s first fully automated underground line.
1st July
The then HDB Corporation (renamed to Surbana and now Surbana Jurong) is formed from a corporatisation.
7th July
The Singapore civil service now allows gay employees to be employed, as revealed in a Time magazine interview.
8th July
Two conjoined Iranian twins are separated, but the operation takes a drastic turn and tragically neither survive.
14th July
Bungee jumping will be allowed after being turned down years back on grounds of safety. It is hoped this will encourage a more risk-taking society.[49]
22nd July
A pair of conjoined South Korean twins are successfully separated.
24th July
Singapore and Malaysia jointly submit to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a dispute concerning sovereignty over Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge).
1st August
DesignSingapore Council is launched to spearhead design in Singapore.
4th August
The Sumatra-Singapore gas pipeline is inaugurated
6th August
Creative Technology announced that they will progressively launch 90 new products.
25th August
The National Volunteer Centre is renamed to the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre.
8 September
The Ministry of Health announced that a laboratory technician caught SARS, after a big outbreak earlier in March. It is later learnt that it is caused by a mix-up in viruses for research.
17 September
The Singapore Workforce Development Agency is formed to help workers find jobs, especially during the ongoing economic downturn.
25 September
BreadTalk launches the first Din Tai Fung restaurant in The Paragon
1st October
In view of economic restructuring, CPF rates were cut by 3 percentage points.
10th October
The Raffles Terrace is officially opened.
16th October
MoneySENSE is launched to educate Singaporeans on financial literacy.
20th October
The Ministry of Health launched SingaporeMedicine to promote Singapore as a leading medical hub.
29th October
Biopolis is opened as a research hub.
31st October
The Queenstown Community Library is reopened after upgrading works.
10th November
Amendments to the Computer Misuse Act are passed to protect against potential cyberattacks that could disrupt critical information infrastructure (CIIs) on the basis of national security, but not before addressing concerns on privacy and liberties. The new law also compounds certain offences.
14th November
Dairy Farm acquires Delhaize’s stake in Shop N Save, which is also owned by QAF Limited.
12th December
Stages 4 and 5 of the Circle MRT line are unveiled, connecting western Singapore from Bishan to HarbourFront. It is slated for completion in 2010, but later delayed to 2011.[67][68]
13th December
10-year-old Megan Zheng becomes the first Singaporean actress to win the Taipei Film Festival Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer (co-recipient) with her role in director Jack Neo‘s movie Homerun.
30th December
The Kaki Bukit Viaduct opens