2003 in Norway

← 2002 2001 2000 2003 in Norway → 2004 2005 2006
Centuries:	19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	List of years in Norway

Events in the year 2003 in Norway.

Incumbents

• Monarch – Harald V
• Regent – Haakon – from 25 November 2003 until 12 April 2004 (during the King's treatment for cancer and the subsequent convalescence period)
• Prime Minister – Kjell Magne Bondevik (Christian Democratic Party)

Events

King Harald V successfully undergoes a 5½-hour cancer operation

March

• 19 March – A man dies and four are injured in a blasting accident in Namsos Municipality.

May

• 15 May - Discovery of high levels of chemicals in whale meat leads to pregnant women being warned not to eat it. ^[1]

Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik (left) meets with U.S. President George W. Bush (right) at the Oval Office in White House, Washington, D.C., on 27 May 2003.

• 25 May – After docking in Miami at 05:00, SS Norway is severely damaged by a boiler explosion at 06:30, that kills 7, and injures 17 crew members. A few weeks later it is announced by NCL that she will never sail again as a commercial ocean liner.

June

• 23 June - World Refugee Day in Norway. UNHCR, together with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), set up a mock refugee camp in central Oslo. A number of activities took place inside the camp. The NRC, in co-operation with the Norwegian Post, launched a World Refugee Day stamp on June 20. The Refugee Council invited all ninth-grade students in Norway to participate in an essay and poem competition with the theme, "Refugee Youth". A jury consisting of well-known Norwegian authors chose the best of the contributions, which will be presented in different contexts. Several activities were also launched at refugee reception centres throughout Norway to celebrate World Refugee Day. The Norwegian Scouts' Association organised a World Refugee Day fund-raising campaign for NRC. ^[2]

September

• 15 September – Norwegian county council elections, and municipal and county elections are held throughout the country.

October

Five Nordic Prime Ministers (Matti Vanhanen (left) from Finland, Davíð Oddsson (second left) from Iceland, Kjell Magne Bondevik (center) from Norway, Anders Fogh Rasmussen (second right) from Denmark and Göran Persson (right) from Sweden) at the Nordic Council Session in Oslo, Norway, on 27 October 2003.

December

• 1 December – King Harald V was announced to be suffering from bladder cancer.
• 10 December – Shirin Ebadi of Iran receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. ^{[3] [4]}
• 12 December – Keiko, the orca whale who starred in the 1993 film Free Willy , dies of pneumonia while in the Taknes Bay located at the Arasvikfjord in Norway, where he had lived in the recent years. ^[5]
• December
  • Bare på jobb , a Norwegian comedy film is released. ^[6] at Filmweb.no (Norwegian)
  • Plans to explore for oil and gas in the Barents Sea spark criticism from environmentalists and fishing industry.

Popular culture

Music

• Norway competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, represented by Jostein Hasselgård with the song "I'm Not Afraid to Move On". The song was chosen as the Norwegian entry for the 2003 contest through the Melodi Grand Prix contest.

Film

Main article: Norwegian films of the 2000s § 2003

Television

Main article: 2003 in Norwegian television

Notable births

• 3 January – Nicolai Skoglund, footballer
• 18 January – Odin Thiago Holm, footballer
• 21 January – Andreas Endresen, footballer
• 9 February – Iker Carew, footballer (born in Spain)
• 16 February – Bryan Fiabema, footballer
• 21 February – Selma Pettersen, footballer
• 23 February – Christos Zafeiris, footballer (born in Greece)
• 16 March – Pawel Chrupalla, footballer (born in Poland)
• 18 March – Seedy Jatta, footballer
• 29 April – Maud Angelica Behn, daughter of Ari Behn and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway ^[7]
• 14 May – Maja Furu Sæteren, handballer
• 16 May – Kristian Bernt Torgersen, footballer
• 26 May – Simen Kvia-Egeskog, footballer
• 8 June – Mathias Emilsen, footballer
• 10 June – Sondre Auklend, footballer
• 9 July – Tobias Fjeld Gulliksen, footballer
• 10 July – Mina Bergersen, footballer
• 12 July – Oscar Bobb, footballer
• 24 July – Max Normann Williamsen, footballer
• 26 August – Leo Hjelde, footballer
• 7 September – Kristian Arnstad, footballer
• 22 October – Petter Nosakhare Dahl, footballer
• 24 October – Leander Øy, footballer
• 30 October – Thea Minyan Bjørseth, ski jumper
• 6 December – Mathias Fjørtoft Løvik, footballer
• 21 December – Jasper Silva Torkildsen, footballer

Notable deaths

Axel Jensen

• 13 January – Andreas Holm, politician (born 1906)
• 24 January – Rolf Kirkvaag, journalist and radio and television personality (born 1920)
• 13 February – Axel Jensen, author and poet (born 1932)
• 3 March – Kitty Petrine Fredriksen, politician (born 1910). ^[8]
• 6 March – Claus Helberg, resistance fighter and mountain guide (born 1919)
• 17 March – Anne-Olaug Ingeborgrud, politician (born 1925)
• 26 March – Gerd Benneche, jurist and journalist (born 1913). ^[9]
• 29 March – Herbjørn Sørebø, media personality (born 1933). ^[10]
• 5 April – Sigurd Manneråk, politician (born 1942)
• 6 April – Ole Otto Paus, General and diplomat (born 1910)
• 14 April – Olai Ingemar Eikeland, politician (born 1915)
• 21 April – Helga Dagsland, nurse educator (born 1910). ^[11]
• 22 April – Ola H. Kveli, politician (born 1921)
• 9 May – Hans Engnestangen, speed skater and World Champion (born 1908)
• 14 May – Ingvar Lars Helle, politician (born 1933)
• 24 May – Arne Skouen, film director and journalist (born 1913)
• 30 May – Lars T. Platou, electrical engineer and politician (born 1920)
• 13 June – Tor Stokke, actor (born 1928)
• 27 June – Magne Aarøen, politician (born 1944)
• 12 July – Rudolf Næss, illustrator (born 1914) ^[12]
• 12 August – Håkon Kyllingmark, politician and Minister (born 1915)
• 5 September – Harry Hansen, politician (born 1919)
• 9 September – Otto Lyng, politician (born 1926)
• 8 October – Petter Thomassen, politician and Minister (born 1941)
• 24 October – Eva Haalke, ballet teacher and dancer (born 1912). ^[13]
• 10 November – Edvard Beyer, literary historian, literary critic and professor (born 1920)
• 3 December – Kristine Rusten, politician (born 1940)
• 24 December – Gunnar Alf Larsen, politician (born 1919)

Full date unknown

• Harald Magne Elstad, judge (born 1913)

References

1. "Norway advises pregnant women against whale meat". www.eurocbc.org. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
2. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "World Refugee Day 2003: Norway". UNHCR. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
3. "Shirin Ebadi Receives her Nobel Prize (2 minutes)". nobelprize.org. 10 December 2003.
4. "Nobel winner blasts rights abuses". BBC News. 10 December 2003.
5. Kjetil Mæland Tips meg. "Siste farvel til Keiko". Nettavisen.no.
6. Bare på jobb
7. Turner, B. (12 January 2017). The Statesman's Yearbook 2008: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World. Springer. p. 951. ISBN   978-1-349-74024-6.
8. "Fredriksen, Kitty Petrine". stortinget.no (in Norwegian). Parliament of Norway. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
9. Bolstad, Erik (ed.). "Gerd Benneche". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
10. Kobbeltveit, Olav. "Herbjørn Sørebø". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
11. Bolstad, Erik (ed.). "Helga Dagsland". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
12. Death announcement, Bergens Tidende 23 July 2003
13. Hansteen, Valdemar. "Eva Haalke". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 20 October 2014.