[4th Wall Break] After much thought, 2003 Live will be discontinued for now. It will remain preserved as-is. The person behind it has lost the motivation to continue, and life is moving forward with new priorities as we grow and take on more beyond the past.

Australia won the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup Final by defeating India by 125 runs at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists killed 24 Kashmiri Pandits in Nadimarg village. They killed men, women, and two children. The attackers disarmed the village police post.

The Battle of Nasiriyah began on Sunday as coalition forces secured 2 bridges over the Euphrates to advance toward Baghdad. Early that morning, a convoy mistakenly entered the city after missing a turn. They were ambushed by Iraqi forces, leading to 11 soldiers killed and 6 captured.

Colorful covers of today's Saturday magazines:

This week's music charts:

Friendster, a social networking service based in Mountain View, California, founded by Jonathan Abrams, was launched to the public.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy became the first goaltender in NHL history to record 30 or more wins in 13 different seasons in a dominant 8-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center.

"The Unnatural". the 14th episode of the first season of What's New, Scooby-Doo?, premieres on Kids WB.

LeBron James played his last high school game for St. Vincent-St. Mary in the Ohio Division II state championship. The Fighting Irish defeated Kettering Alter with 40–36 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, to secure their 3rd state title in 4 years. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nC9...

In the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, the #3 seed Marquette Golden Eagles defeated the #6 seed Missouri Tigers 101–92 in an overtime thriller. Played at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, the victory sent Marquette to its first Sweet 16 since 1994.

A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles won $39.7 million on a Megabucks slot machine at the Excalibur in Las Vegas during March Madness, spending about $100 before hitting the jackpot. The payout is typically in 25 annual installments.

In the new SpongeBob SquarePants double-length episode, "The Sponge Who Could Fly", SpongeBob attempts to fly to join jellyfish and succeeds by inflating his pants with a hairdryer. It was commonly referred to as "The Lost Episode."

Stargate SG-1's sixth season finale airs on the Sci-Fi Channel, "Full Circle."

The first U.S. combat deaths in the Iraq War occurred during the opening ground offensive. While several service members died that day due to both direct combat and a helicopter crash, the first American killed specifically by enemy fire was 1st Lt. Therrel Shane Childers.

U.S. Marine Corps CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter crashed in the Kuwaiti desert, approximately 9 miles south of the border with Iraq. All 12 personnel on board—eight British and four American—were killed, marking the first coalition fatalities of the Iraq War.

American romantic comedy film, View from the Top, has been released. It stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Candice Bergen, Joshua Malina, Mark Ruffalo, Rob Lowe, Mike Myers, and Kelly Preston.

Piglet's Big Movie has been released 6 days after its debut on the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.

American science fiction horror film, Dreamcatcher, has been released. It is based off of the book of the same name from 2001 by Stephen King.

Coalition forces launched the "Shock and Awe" phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with 1,700 air sorties and 504 cruise missiles targeting Baghdad's government infrastructure. The campaign also struck Kirkuk and Mosul while aiming to demoralize Iraqi forces and decapitate leadership.

Brian Patrick Regan, a retired Air Force master sergeant and intelligence contractor, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for attempted espionage.

Sun Zhigang died yesterday after being detained for lacking ID. Autopsy showed he was beaten.

India defeated Kenya by 91 runs in the second semi-final of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup at Kingsmead, Durban. This victory secured India's place in the final for the first time since their 1983 triumph.

BREAKING NEWS: COALITION LAUNCHES OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, WAR ON IRAQ BEGINS. The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began as a coalition, including troops from the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Australia, as they launched "Operation Iraqi Freedom".

"The My Big Toe (My Big Theory of Everything)" book trilogy by Thomas Campbell, a nuclear physicist and consciousness researcher, was first published. The series was released through Lightning Strike Books and explores a unified model of reality connecting science and philosophy.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins delivered a famous "eve-of-battle" speech to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment at Fort Blair Mayne in the Kuwaiti desert. The speech was given just before the invasion of Iraq began.

BREAKING NEWS: President George W. Bush addressed the nation from the Oval Office to announce that American and coalition forces had begun military operations against Iraq. The speech followed the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum for Saddam Hussein + his sons to leave Iraq. youtu.be/xWyxbcW7IGo

Barcelona defeated Newcastle United 2–0 at St James' Park in the final match of the UEFA Champions League second group stage. Despite needing a win to advance, the Magpies were eliminated from the competition while Barcelona finished the group unbeaten. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUQ...

The seventh season of South Park has premiered with its first episode "Cancelled."

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire made their release in North America for the Gameboy Advance, featuring its third generation of Pokemon!

Barbara Bush appeared on Good Morning America to discuss the impending Iraq war and the ultimatum given by her son, President George W. Bush. In the interview, she expressed her support for her son but stated she would not watch televised coverage of the war.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was first published by Doubleday. It became one of the best-selling novels of all time, with over 80 million copies sold worldwide.

Da Undaground Heat, Vol. 1, the sixth studio album by legendary rapper MC Lyte, was released. This project marked her first release as an independent artist under her own label, SGI Music, in conjunction with iMusic.

White Eyes, the third solo studio album by New Orleans rapper Magic, was released. This release marked his final project with The New No Limit Records and Universal Records.

Back Again!, the second solo studio album by American rapper Mr. Cheeks, was released through Universal Records.

The album "Blackout" by (hed) p.e. (often styled as (həd) Planet Earth) was released. It was the band's third studio album and served as their final release under a major label (Jive Records) before they moved to independent labels.

Batman: Dark Tomorrow was released for the Xbox in North America, published and developed by Kemco (with the Xbox version specifically developed by HotGen).

Telecommunications Specialist Elton Lee Armstead died in the line of duty due to injuries sustained from a fall while installing surveillance equipment.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller were doused with red paint by activists. The incident occurred in Copenhagen to protest Denmark's involvement in the impending Iraq War, with the red paint symbolizing blood on their hands.

Australian SASR 1 Squadron entered Iraq. They conducted clandestine desert missions to destroy Scud missile sites and may have fired the war's first shots as part of Operation Falconer.

The U.S. announced 30 countries joined a "Coalition of the Willing" to disarm Iraq, with 15 others privately supporting it.

UN weapons inspectors from UNMOVIC and the IAEA officially withdrew from Iraq. This withdrawal followed an order from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan after the U.S. and the U.K. advised that the safety of UN personnel could no longer be guaranteed due to the imminent threat of military action.

The UK House of Commons voted 412 to 149 to authorize military action against Iraq.

Qusay Hussein withdrew approximately 920 million from Iraq's Central Bank using a handwritten note from his father Saddam. The money was loaded onto tractor-trailers, and about650 million was later discovered in a Baghdad palace, with roughly $132 million still missing.

The Black Spring began when Cuba arrested 75 non-violent activists including journalists and human rights defenders. They faced summary trials with sentences of 14 to 27 years.

American singer Justin Timberlake releases a single called "Rock Your Body" from his 2002 studio debut album "Justified." www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSVH...

Paul McCartney releases "Back in the World," a live album that contains highlights from his spring 2002 "Driving USA" tour in support of his release of his twelfth solo studio album from 2001 "Driving Rain."

Robin Cook resigned from his position as Leader of the House of Commons (having previously served as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001) in protest against the UK government's plans to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced to the House of Commons that Canada would not join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. His decision was predicated on the fact that the mission lacked a new authorizing resolution from the United Nations Security Council.

Hidden camera–practical joke reality television series "Punk'd" has premiered on MTV, featuring Ashton Kutcher as the host (who is also a co-creator and producer of this show.)