2003

Events from the year **2003 in the United States**.

* Senate Majority Leader: Tom Daschle (D-SD) (until January 3), Bill Frist (R-TN) (starting January 3)
* Congress: 107th (until January 3), 108th (starting January 3)

Governors
* Governor of Alabama: Don Siegelman (Democratic) (until January 20), Bob Riley (Republican) (starting January 20)
* Governor of Alaska: Frank Murkowski (Republican)
* Governor of Arizona: Jane Dee Hull (Republican) (until January 6), Janet Napolitano (Democratic) (starting January 6)
* Governor of Arkansas: Mike Huckabee (Republican)
* Governor of California: Gray Davis (Democratic) (until November 17), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) (starting November 17)
* Governor of Colorado: Bill Owens (Republican)
* Governor of Connecticut: John G. Rowland (Republican)
* Governor of Delaware: Ruth Ann Minner (Democratic)
* Governor of Florida: Jeb Bush (Republican)
* Governor of Georgia: Roy Barnes (Democratic) (until January 13), Sonny Perdue (Republican) (starting January 13)
* Governor of Hawaii: Linda Lingle (Republican)
* Governor of Idaho: Dirk Kempthorne (Republican)
* Governor of Illinois: George Ryan (Republican) (until January 13), Rod Blagojevich (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Governor of Indiana: Frank O'Bannon (Democratic) (until September 13), Joe Kernan (Democratic) (starting September 13)
* Governor of Iowa: Tom Vilsack (Democratic)
* Governor of Kansas: Bill Graves (Republican) (until January 13), Kathleen Sebelius (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Governor of Kentucky: Paul E. Patton (Democratic) (until December 9), Ernie Fletcher (Republican) (starting December 9)
* Governor of Louisiana: Murphy J. Foster Jr. (Republican)
* Governor of Maine: Angus King (Independent) (until January 8), John Baldacci (Democratic) (starting January 8)
* Governor of Maryland: Parris N. Glendening (Democratic) (until January 15), Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (Republican) (starting January 15)
* Governor of Massachusetts: Jane Swift (Republican) (until January 2), Mitt Romney (Republican) (starting January 2)
* Governor of Michigan: John Engler (Republican) (until January 1), Jennifer Granholm (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Governor of Minnesota: Jesse Ventura (Independence) (until January 6), Tim Pawlenty (Republican) (starting January 6)
* Governor of Mississippi: Ronnie Musgrove (Democratic)
* Governor of Missouri: Bob Holden (Democratic)
* Governor of Montana: Judy Martz (Republican)
* Governor of Nebraska: Mike Johanns (Republican)
* Governor of Nevada: Kenny Guinn (Republican)
* Governor of New Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic) (until January 9), Craig Benson (Republican) (starting January 9)
* Governor of New Jersey: Jim McGreevey (Democratic)
* Governor of New Mexico: Gary Johnson (Republican) (until January 1), Bill Richardson (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Governor of New York: George Pataki (Republican)
* Governor of North Carolina: Mike Easley (Democratic)
* Governor of North Dakota: John Hoeven (Republican)
* Governor of Ohio: Bob Taft (Republican)
* Governor of Oklahoma: Frank Keating (Republican) (until January 13), Brad Henry (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Governor of Oregon: John Kitzhaber (Democratic) (until January 13), Ted Kulongoski (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Governor of Pennsylvania: Mark S. Schweiker (Republican) (until January 21), Ed Rendell (Democratic) (starting January 21)
* Governor of Rhode Island: Lincoln C. Almond (Republican) (until January 7), Donald Carcieri (Republican) (starting January 7)
* Governor of South Carolina: Jim Hodges (Democratic) (until January 15), Mark Sanford (Republican) (starting January 15)
* Governor of South Dakota: William J. Janklow (Republican) (until January 7), Mike Rounds (Republican) (starting January 7)
* Governor of Tennessee: Don Sundquist (Republican) (until January 18), Phil Bredesen (Democratic) (starting January 18)
* Governor of Texas: Rick Perry (Republican)
* Governor of Utah: Mike Leavitt (Republican) (until November 5), Olene S. Walker (Republican) (starting November 5)
* Governor of Vermont: Howard Dean (Democratic) (until January 9), Jim Douglas (Republican) (starting January 9)
* Governor of Virginia: Mark Warner (Democratic)
* Governor of Washington: Gary Locke (Democratic)
* Governor of West Virginia: Bob Wise (Democratic)
* Governor of Wisconsin: Scott McCallum (Republican) (until January 6), Jim Doyle (Democratic) (starting January 6)
* Governor of Wyoming: Jim Geringer (Republican) (until January 6), Dave Freudenthal (Democratic) (starting January 6)

Lieutenant Governors
* Lieutenant Governor of Alabama: Steve Windom (Republican) (until January 20), Lucy Baxley (Democratic) (starting January 20)
* Lieutenant Governor of Alaska: Loren Leman (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas: Winthrop Paul Rockefeller (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of California: Cruz Bustamante (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Colorado: Joe Rogers (Republican) (until January 14), Jane E. Norton (Republican) (starting January 14)
* Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: Jodi Rell (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Delaware: John Carney (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Florida: Frank Brogan (Republican) (until March 3), Toni Jennings (Republican) (starting March 3)
* Lieutenant Governor of Georgia: Mark Taylor (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii: Duke Aiona (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Idaho: Jack Riggs (Republican) (until January 6), Jim Risch (Republican) (starting January 6)
* Lieutenant Governor of Illinois: Corinne Wood (Republican) (until January 13), Pat Quinn (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Lieutenant Governor of Indiana:
	+ until September 13: Joe E. Kernan (Democratic)
	+ September 13-October 20: vacant
	+ starting October 20: Kathy Davis (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Iowa: Sally Pederson (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kansas: Gary Sherrer (Republican) (until January 13), John E. Moore (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky: Steve Henry (Democratic) (until December 9), Steve Pence (Republican) (starting December 9)
* Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana: Kathleen Blanco (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Maryland: Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (Democratic) (until January 15), Michael Steele (Republican) (starting January 15)
* Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: Jane Swift (Republican) (until January 2), Kerry Healey (Republican) (starting January 2)
* Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Dick Posthumus (Republican) (until January 1), John D. Cherry (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota: Mae Schunk (Independence) (until January 6), Carol Molnau (Republican) (starting January 6)
* Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi: Amy Tuck (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Missouri: Joe Maxwell (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Montana: Karl Ohs (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska: David I. Maurstad (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nevada: Lorraine Hunt (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico: Walter Dwight Bradley (Republican) (until January 1), Diane Denish (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Lieutenant Governor of New York: Mary Donohue (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina: Bev Perdue (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota: Jack Dalrymple (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Ohio: vacant (until January 13), Jennette Bradley (Republican) (starting January 13)
* Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma: Mary Fallin (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania: Robert Jubelirer (Republican) (until January 21), Catherine Baker Knoll (Democratic) (starting January 21)
* Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: Charles J. Fogarty (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: Bob Peeler (Republican) (until January 15), André Bauer (Republican) (starting January 15)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota: Carole Hillard (Republican) (until January 7), Dennis Daugaard (Republican) (starting January 7)
* Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee: John S. Wilder (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Texas: Bill Ratliff (Republican) (until January 21), David Dewhurst (Republican) (starting January 21)
* Lieutenant Governor of Utah: Olene S. Walker (Republican) (until November 5), Gayle McKeachnie (Republican) (starting November 5)
* Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: Doug Racine (Democratic) (until January 9), Brian Dubie (Republican) (starting January 9)
* Lieutenant Governor of Virginia: Tim Kaine (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Washington: Brad Owen (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin: Margaret A. Farrow (Republican) (until January 6), Barbara Lawton (Democratic) (starting January 6)

## Events

### January

* January 1 – Sky marshals are introduced on U.S. airlines in an attempt to prevent hijackings.
* January 3
	+ The 108th United States Congress is sworn in, including incoming freshmen Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Sununu (R-NH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Norm Coleman (R-MN), and Mark Pryor (D-AR).
	+ The Ohio State University defeats the University of Miami in double-overtime in the Fiesta Bowl, 31–24, for the national Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title.
* January 4 – In American football, the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Green Bay Packers in a 27-7 upset, handing the Packers their first ever playoff loss at Lambeau Field.
* January 8 – U.S. Airways Express Flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing all 21 people aboard.
* January 15 – *Eldred v. Ashcroft*: The Supreme Court of the United States allows the extension of copyright terms in the U.S.
* January 16 – STS-107: Space Shuttle *Columbia* is launched on what turns out to be its last flight.
* January 23 – The last signal is received from NASA's *Pioneer 10* spacecraft, some 7.5 billion miles from Earth.
* January 24 – The newly created United States Department of Homeland Security begins operations.
* January 25 – An international group of volunteers leaves London for Baghdad to act as voluntary human shields, hoping to avert a U.S. invasion.
* January 26 – Super Bowl XXXVII: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Oakland Raiders 48–21 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
* January 30 – Iraq disarmament crisis: The leaders of the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain release a statement (*The Letter of the Eight*) demonstrating support for the United States' plans to invade Iraq.

### February

* February 1 – STS-107: Space Shuttle *Columbia* disintegrates over Texas upon re-entry, killing all seven astronauts on board.
* February 3 – John W. Snow is sworn in as the new Secretary of Treasury, succeeding Paul O'Neill.
* February 4 – Four-year-old Sofia Juarez disappears in Kennewick, Washington.
* February 5 – Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the U.N. Security Council on Iraq.
* February 7 – An unsuccessful attempt is made to contact *Pioneer 10*.
* February 20 – The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island claims the lives of 100 people.
* February 27 – Fred Rogers, host of the children's television show *Mister Rogers Neighborhood*, dies of stomach cancer at the age of 74.

### March

* March 1
	+ The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the United States Customs Service, and the United States Secret Service move to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
	+ The Turkish parliament vetoes U.S. troop access to airbases in Turkey in order to attack Iraq from the north. The Bush administration starts working on Plan B, namely attacking Iraq from the south, through the Persian Gulf.
* March 5 – *Lockyer v. Andrade*, *Ewing v. California*: In two separate opinions, the Supreme Court of the United States, by 5–4 margins, upholds California's "three strikes" law.
* March 11 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi fighters threaten two U.S. U-2 surveillance planes, on missions for U.N. weapons inspectors, forcing them to abort their mission and return to base.
* 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 March 17 the "moment of truth", meaning that the "coalition of the willing" will make its final effort to extract a resolution from the U.N. Security Council, giving Iraq an ultimatum to disarm immediately or 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 18
	+ FBI agents raid the corporate headquarters of HealthSouth Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama, on suspicion of massive corporate fraud led by the company's top executives.
	+ About $1 billion is taken from Iraq's Central Bank by Saddam Hussein and his family, just hours before the United States begins bombing Iraq.
* March 19 – The first American bombs drop on Baghdad after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his sons do not comply with U.S. President George W. Bush's 48-hour mandate demanding their exit from Iraq.
* March 20 – The U.S.-led Iraq War begins.
* 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
	+ Hasan Akbar, a Muslim soldier with the 101st Airborne, kills two fellow soldiers in a grenade attack at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait.
	+ The 75th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Steve Martin, is held at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Rob Marshall's *Chicago* wins six awards out of 13 nominations, including Best Picture (the first musical to win the award since 1968's *Oliver!*). Roman Polanski wins Best Director for *The Pianist*, though he does not attend due to a long-standing arrest warrant. The telecast garners over 33 million viewers, making it the least-watched and lowest-rated televised Oscar ceremony so far.
* March 30 – Meigs Field Airport in Chicago, Illinois, is demolished overnight.

### April

* April 3
	+ U.S. forces seize control of Saddam International Airport, changing the airport's name to Baghdad International Airport.
	+ Iraq War: U.S. forces defeat the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Republican Guard in the Battle of Baghdad.
* April 9 – Iraq War: U.S. forces seize control of Baghdad, ending the regime of Saddam Hussein.
* April 13
	+ Iraq War: Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit falls to U.S. forces.
	+ President George W. Bush accuses Syria of possessing chemical weapons.
	+ April 18 – *Holes*, directed by Andrew Davis is released in theaters.
	+ April 21 – Retired U.S. Army General Jay Garner becomes Interim Civil Administrator of Iraq.
	+ April 29 – Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld confirms that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Saudi Arabia where they have been stationed since the 1991 Gulf War.

### May

* May 1 – U.S. president George W. Bush lands on the aircraft carrier USS *Abraham Lincoln*, where he gives a speech announcing the end of major combat in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. A banner behind him declares "Mission Accomplished".
* May 3 – The Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation in New Hampshire, crumbles after heavy rain.
* May 4 – Top Thrill Dragster opens in Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio as the world's tallest, fastest roller coaster.
* May 10 – A major severe weather outbreak spawns more tornadoes than any week in U.S. history; 393 tornadoes are reported in 19 states.
* May 23 – Dewey, the first deer cloned by scientists at Texas A&M University, is born.
* May 25 – After docking in Miami at 05:00, the SS *Norway* (old SS *France*) is severely damaged by a boiler explosion at 06:30, killing seven and injuring 17 crew members. A few weeks later it is announced by Norwegian Cruise Line that she will never sail again as a commercial ocean liner.
* May 28 – President George W. Bush authorizes $350 billion worth of tax cuts over 10 years.
* May 30 – Pixar Animation Studios' fifth feature film, *Finding Nemo*, is released in theaters, becoming the studio's biggest financial success up to that point.
* May 31 – Eric Rudolph, suspected in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in 1996, is captured in Murphy, North Carolina.

### June

* June 1 – As a result of the early 2000s recession, as well as the jobless recovery that followed, unemployment peaks at 6.3%, the highest since April 1994.
* June 4 – Martha Stewart and her broker are indicted for using privileged investment information and then obstructing a federal investigation. Stewart also resigns as chairperson and chief executive officer of *Martha Stewart Living*.
* June 14 – Ennis shooting: A gunman goes on a shooting spree in Madison County, Montana. The gunman kills one man and injures six others, before being involved in a chase and shootout with responding police. He is sentenced to 11 life terms, the longest prison sentence in Montana state history.
* June 19 – The U.S. Census Bureau announces that with 37 million, Hispanics constitute the largest minority in the USA (compared with 36 million African Americans).
* June 22 – The largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, Nebraska.
* June 23 – *Grutter v. Bollinger*: The Supreme Court of the United States upholds affirmative action in university admissions.
* June 26
	+ A senior Department of State chemical and biological weapons expert testifies to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee that he was pressured to modify intelligence reports about Iraq.
	+ *Lawrence v. Texas*: The U.S. Supreme Court declares sodomy laws unconstitutional.
* June 29 – A balcony collapse in Chicago kills 13.
* June 30 – In Irvine, California, Joseph Hunter Parker kills two Albertsons employees with a sword, before being shot to death by the police.

### July

* July 8 – Douglas Williams goes on a shooting rampage in a Lockheed Martin plant in Meridian, Mississippi, killing six and injuring eight before committing suicide.
* July 9 – *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl*, directed by Gore Verbinski, is released in theaters as the first film in the *Pirates of the Caribbean* film Series.
* July 14 – CIA leak scandal: *The Washington Post* columnist Robert Novak publishes the name of Valerie Plame, blowing her cover as a CIA operative.
* July 22 – Uday and Qusay Hussein, sons of Saddam Hussein, are killed by the U.S. military in Iraq, after being tipped off by an informant.
* July 26 – The electorate of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma approves a new constitution re-designating the tribe "Cherokee Nation" without "of Oklahoma" and specifically disenfranchising the Cherokee Freedmen.

### August

* August 1 – The social network Myspace launches.
* August 14 – A widespread power outage affects the northeastern United States and South-Central Canada.
* August 25 – The Spitzer Space Telescope was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, during Delta II.
* August 28 – Brian Douglas Wells, a pizza delivery man in Erie, Pennsylvania, is killed after a bomb fastened around his neck explodes. Wells was forced to rob a bank with the bomb collar on before it was detonated remotely.

### September

* September 7 – President Bush announces a request for $87 billion from Congress for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
* September 17 – President Bush concedes there is no evidence linking Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
* September 18 – Hurricane Isabel makes landfall as a Category 2 Hurricane on North Carolina's Outer Banks. It directly kills 16 people in the Mid–Atlantic area.

### October

* October 7 – 2003 California gubernatorial recall election: Voters recall Governor Gray Davis from office and elect actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed him.
* October 9 – The redesigned $20 bill is first released, containing many new security features not found in older bills.
* October 10 – Facing an investigation surrounding allegations of illegal drug use, American right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh publicly admits that he is addicted to prescription pain killers, and will seek treatment.
* October 15 – The 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash kills 11 after one of its ferries slams into a pier.
* October 25
	+ The Florida Marlins defeat the New York Yankees to win their second World Series title.
	+ The Cedar Fire begins in San Diego County, burning 280,000 acres (1,100 km2), 2,232 homes and killing 14.

### November

* November 1 – Walt Disney Pictures' 44th feature film, *Brother Bear*, is released to box office success but mixed-to-negative critical reception.
* November 7 – *Elf*, directed by Jon Favreau, is released in theaters.
* November 18
	+ The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in *Goodridge v. Department of Public Health*, rules anti-gay laws against same-sex marriage unconstitutional in Massachusetts.
	+ U.S. President George W. Bush makes a state visit to London in the midst of massive anti-war protests.
* November 20 – Iraq War: End of Operation Iron Hammer, an attempt to end the Iraq insurgency.

### December

* December 1 – Boeing chairman and CEO Phil Condit resigns unexpectedly. He is replaced by Lewis Platt as non-executive chairman and Harry Stonecipher as president and CEO.
* December 13 – Iraq War: End of Operation Red Dawn, resulting in the capture of Saddam Hussein in Tikrit.
* December 19 – After being arrested, Guatemalan Ricardo Alfonso Cerna commits suicide at a police station in San Bernardino County, California by shooting himself in the head with a concealed handgun.
* December 22 – The 6.6 Mw San Simeon earthquake shook the central coast of California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (*Severe*), leaving two dead and 40 injured, and causing $250–300 million in damage.
* December 24
	+ At the request of the U.S. Embassy in Paris, the French government orders Air France to cancel several flights between France and the U.S. in response to terrorism concerns.
	+ A BSE (mad cow disease) outbreak in Washington state is announced. Several countries including Brazil, Australia, and Taiwan ban the import of beef from the United States.
* December 31 – British Airways Flight 223, a Boeing 747-400 flying from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles, is held for security checks after landing in Washington, D.C. due to intelligence suggesting a terrorist threat.

## Memoriam

### January

* January 1 – Joe Foss, 20th Governor of South Dakota (aged 87; Scottsdale, AZ, USA)
* January 3 – Sid Gillman, American football player, coach and executive (aged 91; Carlsbad, CA, USA)
* January 4 – Sabine Ulibarrí, poet and critic (aged 83; Albuquerque, NM, USA)
* January 11 – Richard Simmons, actor (aged 89; Oceanside, CA, USA)
* January 12
	+ Dean Amadon, ornithologist (aged 90; Tenafly, NJ, USA)
	+ Maurice Gibb, British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer of the Bee Gees (aged 53; Miami Beach, FL, USA)
* January 15 – Doris Fisher, singer and songwriter (aged 87; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* January 17 – Richard Crenna, actor (aged 76; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* January 20
	+ Al Hirschfeld, cartoonist (aged 99; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Craig Kelly, snowboarder (aged 36; Revelstoke, BC, Canada)
* January 23 – Nell Carter, singer and actress (aged 54; Beverly Hills, CA, USA)
* January 29 – Frank Moss, U.S. Senator from Utah from 1959 to 1977 (aged 91; Salt Lake City, UT, USA)

### February

* February 1
	+ Michael P. Anderson, astronaut (aged 43; TX, USA)
	+ David M. Brown, astronaut and physician (aged 46; TX, USA)
	+ Kalpana Chawla, India-born American astronaut and aerospace engineer (aged 40; TX, USA)
	+ Laurel Clark, astronaut and physician (aged 41; TX, USA)
	+ Rick Husband, commander astronaut (aged 45; TX, USA)
	+ William McCool, astronaut (aged 41; TX, USA)
	+ Ilan Ramon, Israeli fighter pilot and astronaut (aged 48; TX, USA)
* February 2 – Lou Harrison, composer (aged 85; Lafayette, IN, USA)
* February 10
	+ Edgar de Evia, Mexican-born photographer (aged 92; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Ron Ziegler, White House Press Secretary (aged 63; Coronado, CA, USA)
	+ Curt Hennig, American wrestler (aged 44; Brandon, FL, USA)
* February 16 – Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (aged 95; Chicago, IL, USA)
* February 19 – Johnny Paycheck, singer and songwriter (aged 64; Nashville, TN, USA)
* February 20 – Orville Freeman, 29th Governor of Minnesota from 1955 to 1959 (aged 84; Minneapolis, MN, USA)
* February 21 – Julie Mitchum, actress (aged 88; Sun City, AZ, USA)
* February 23 – Howie Epstein, musician and producer (aged 47; Santa Fe, NM, USA)
* February 27 – Fred Rogers, educator, minister, songwriter, writer, and television host (aged 74; Pittsburgh, PA, USA)

### March

* March 2 – Hank Ballard, singer and songwriter (aged 75; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* March 3 – Ann A. Bernatitus, U.S. Navy nurse (aged 91; Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA)
* March 9 – Stan Brakhage, filmmaker (aged 70; Victoria, BC, Canada)
* March 12
	+ Howard Fast, novelist (aged 88; Greenwich, CT, USA)
	+ Lynne Thigpen, actress (aged 54; Marina del Rey, CA, USA)
* March 14 – Amanda Davis, writer and teacher (aged 32; McDowell County, NC, USA)
* March 16 – Rachel Corrie, activist and diarist (aged 23; Rafah, Gaza Strip)
* March 20 – Sailor Art Thomas, bodybuilder and wrestler (aged 79; Fitchburg, WI, USA)
* March 22 – Milton George Henschel, minister and executive (aged 82; Brooklyn, NY, USA)
* March 26 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, politician (aged 76; Washington, DC, USA)
* March 30 – Michael Jeter, actor (aged 50; Hollywood, CA, USA)
* March 31 - Anne Gwynne, actress (aged 84; Woodland Hills, CA, USA)

### April

* April 2 – Edwin Starr soul singer (aged 61; Chilwell, England, UK)
* April 4 – Anthony Caruso, actor (aged 86; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* April 8 – Bing Russell, actor (aged 76; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA)
* April 11 – Cecil Howard Green, British-American geophysicist and businessman (aged 102; La Jolla, CA, USA)
* April 17
	+ Robert Atkins, physician (aged 72; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ J. Paul Getty, American-born British philanthropist (aged 83; Guildford, England, UK)
	+ Earl King, singer, songwriter, and guitarist (aged 69; New Orleans, LA, USA)
* April 20 – Ruth Hale, writer and actress (aged 94; Salt Lake City, UT, USA)
* April 21 – Nina Simone, singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist (aged 70; Carry-le-Rouet, France)
* April 22 – Mike Larrabee, Olympic athlete (aged 69; Santa Maria, CA, USA)
* April 26 – Peter Stone, screenwriter (aged 73; Manhattan, NY, USA)

### May

* May 1 – Miss Elizabeth, wrestling manager and valet (aged 42; Marietta, GA, USA)
* May 3 – Suzy Parker, model and actress (aged 70; Montecito, CA, USA)
* May 9
	+ Carmen Filpi, actor (aged 80; Washington, DC, USA)
	+ Russell B. Long, politician (aged 84; Washington, DC, USA)
* May 14 – Robert Stack, actor and television host (aged 84; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* May 15 – June Carter Cash, singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedian, and writer (aged 73; Nashville, TN, USA)
* May 17 – Pop Ivy, American-Canadian football player and coach (aged 87; Norman, OK, USA)
* May 26 – Kathleen Winsor, writer (aged 83; New York City, NY, USA)
* May 28 – Martha Scott, actress (aged 90; Los Angeles, CA, USA)

### June

* June 2
	+ Freddie Blassie, wrestler and manager (aged 85; Hartsdale, NY, USA)
	+ Dick Cusack, actor, filmmaker and humorist (aged 77; Evanston, IL, USA)
	+ Burke Marshall, civil rights lawyer (aged 80; Newtown, CT, USA)
* June 6 – Ken Grimwood, writer (aged 59; Santa Barbara, CA, USA)
* June 10 – Donald Regan, 66th United States Secretary (aged 84; Williamsburg, VA, USA)
* June 11 – David Brinkley, television journalist (aged 82; Houston, TX, USA)
* June 12 – Gregory Peck, actor (aged 87; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* June 14 – Jimmy Knepper, musician (aged 75; Triadelphia, WV, USA)
* June 15 – Hume Cronyn, Canadian-American actor (aged 91; Fairfield, CT, USA)
* June 18 – Larry Doby, baseball player and manager (aged 79; Montclair, NJ, USA)
* June 20 – Bob Stump, politician (aged 76; Phoenix, AZ, USA)
* June 21 – Leon Uris, writer (aged 78; Shelter Island, NY, USA)
* June 23 – Maynard Jackson, politician (aged 65; Arlington, VA, USA)
* June 25 – Lester Maddox, politician (aged 87; Atlanta, GA, USA)
* June 26 – Strom Thurmond, politician (aged 100; Edgefield, SC, USA)
* June 29 – Katharine Hepburn, actress (aged 96; Fenwick, CT, USA)
* June 30 – Buddy Hackett, comedian and actor (aged 78; Malibu, CA, USA)

### July

* July 1 – Herbie Mann, musician (aged 73; Pecos, NM, USA)
* July 4 – Barry White, singer and songwriter (aged 58; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* July 6 – Buddy Ebsen, actor and dancer (aged 95; Torrance, CA, USA)
* July 12 – Benny Carter, musician (aged 95; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* July 15 – Tex Schramm, American football executive (aged 83; Dallas, TX, USA)
* July 16
	+ Celia Cruz, Cuban-American singer (aged 77; Fort Lee, NJ, USA)
	+ Carol Shields, American-born Canadian writer (aged 68; Victoria, BC, Canada)
* July 17 – Rosalyn Tureck, pianist and harpsichordist (aged 89; New York City, NY, USA)
* July 25 – Erik Brann, American musician (aged 52; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* July 27 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian (aged 100; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* July 28 – Greg Guidry, American singer-songwriter (aged 49; Fairview, TN, USA)
* July 30 – Sam Phillips, record producer (aged 80; Memphis, TN, USA)

### August

* August 3 – Roger Voudouris, singer-songwriter and guitarist (aged 48; Sacramento, CA, USA)
* August 4 – Frederick Chapman Robbins, American Nobel pediatrician and virologist (aged 86; Cleveland, OH, USA)
* August 6 – Julius Baker, flute player (aged 87; Danbury, CT, USA)
* August 9 – Gregory Hines, actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer (aged 57; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* August 11 – Herb Brooks, hockey player and coach (aged 66; Forest Lake, MN, USA)
* August 21 – Wesley Willis, musician (aged 40; Skokie, IL, USA)
* August 23 – Bobby Bonds, baseball player (aged 57; San Carlos, CA, USA)
* August 26 – Wilma Burgess, country musician (aged 64; Nashville, TN, USA)
* August 28 – Brian Wells, criminal and murder victim (aged 46; Erie, PA, USA)
* August 30 – Charles Bronson, actor (aged 81; Los Angeles, CA, USA)

### September

* September 1
	+ Rand Brooks, actor (aged 84; Santa Ynez, CA, USA)
	+ John Gould, humorist, essayist, and columnist (aged 94; Portland, ME, USA)
* September 3 – Ma Dunjing, Chinese General (aged 93; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* September 6 – Harry Goz, actor (aged 71; Manhasset, NY, USA)
* September 7 – Warren Zevon, singer, songwriter, and musician (aged 56; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* September 9
	+ Larry Hovis, actor (aged 67; Austin, TX, USA)
	+ Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist (aged 95; Stanford, CA, USA)
* September 11
	+ Joe Hall Morris, oral surgeon and university educator (aged 81; Memphis, TN, USA)
	+ John Ritter, actor and comedian (aged 54; Burbank, CA, USA)
* September 12 – Johnny Cash, singer, songwriter, musician, and actor (aged 71; Nashville, TN, USA)
* September 13 – Frank O'Bannon, 47th Governor of Indiana from 1997 to 2003 (aged 73; Chicago, IL, USA)
* September 14 – John Serry Sr., Italian-American musician (aged 88; Long Island, NY, USA)
* September 16 – Sheb Wooley, actor, singer, and songwriter (aged 82; Nashville, TN, USA)
* September 22 – Gordon Jump, actor (aged 71; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* September 25
	+ Franco Modigliani, Italian-American Nobel economist (aged 85; Cambridge, MA, USA)
	+ George Plimpton, journalist, writer, and actor (aged 76; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Edward Said, Palestinian-American literary critic (aged 67; New York City, NY, USA)
* September 26 – Shawn Lane, musician (aged 40; Memphis, TN, USA)
* September 27 – Donald O'Connor, actor, singer, and dancer (aged 78; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* September 28
	+ Althea Gibson, tennis player (aged 76; East Orange, NJ, USA)
	+ Elia Kazan, Greek-American director (aged 94; New York City, NY, USA)
* September 30 – Robert Kardashian, attorney and businessman (aged 59; Los Angeles, CA, USA)

### October

* October 3 – William Steig, cartoonist, illustrator, and writer (aged 95; Boston, MA, USA)
* October 5
	+ Neil Postman, writer, media theorist, and cultural critic (aged 72; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Timothy Treadwell, enthusiast, environmentalist, amateur naturalist, and documentary film maker (aged 46; Katmai National Park, AK, USA)
* October 10 – Eugene Istomin, pianist (aged 77; Washington, DC, USA)
* October 12 – Bill Shoemaker, jockey (aged 72; San Marino, CA, USA)
* October 17 – Janice Rule, actress (aged 72; New York City, NY, USA)
* October 19
	+ Margaret Murie, environmentalist and author (aged 101; Moose, WY, USA)
	+ Road Warrior Hawk, professional wrestler (aged 46; Indian Rocks Beach, FL, USA)
* October 20 – Jack Elam, actor (aged 82; Ashland, OR, USA)
* October 21
	+ Fred Berry, actor (aged 52; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Elliott Smith, singer, songwriter, and musician (aged 34; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* October 22 – Tony Renna, race car driver (aged 26; Speedway, IN, USA)
* October 25 – Robert Strassburg, conductor, composer, musicologist, and music educator (aged 88; Birmingham, AL, USA)
* October 27 – Rod Roddy, television announcer (aged 66; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* October 29 – Hal Clement, writer (aged 81; Milton, MA, USA)
* October 31 – Richard Neustadt, political scientist (aged 84; London, England, UK)

### November

* November 5
	+ Dorothy Fay, actress (aged 88; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Bobby Hatfield, singer (aged 63; Kalamazoo, MI, USA)
* November 6
	+ Crash Holly, wrestler (aged 32; Navarre, FL, USA)
	+ Spider Jorgensen, baseball player and coach (aged 84; Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA)
* November 9 – Art Carney, actor (aged 85; Chester, CT, USA)
* November 10 – Irv Kupcinet, columnist and television personality (aged 91; Chicago, IL, USA)
* November 12
	+ Jonathan Brandis, actor, director, and screenwriter (aged 27; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
	+ Kay E. Kuter, actor (aged 78; Burbank, CA, USA)
	+ Penny Singleton, actress (aged 95; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* November 13 – Kellie Waymire, actress (aged 36; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* November 14 – Gene Anthony Ray, actor, dancer, and choreographer (aged 41; New York City, NY, USA)
* November 15
	+ Dorothy Loudon, actress and singer (aged 78; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Laurence Tisch, businessman, co-founded the Loews Corporation (aged 80; New York City, NY, USA)
	+ Speedy West, guitarist and producer (aged 79; Broken Arrow, OK, USA)
* November 17 – Don Gibson, country musician (aged 75; Nashville, TN, USA)
* November 18
	+ Patricia Broderick, playwright and painter (aged 78; Greenwich Village, NY, USA)
	+ Michael Kamen, composer, conductor, and songwriter (aged 55; London, England, UK)
* November 20 – Jim Siedow, actor (aged 83; Houston, TX, USA)
* November 24 – Warren Spahn, baseball player (aged 82; Broken Arrow, OK, USA)
* November 26 – Soulja Slim, rapper, songwriter, and murder victim (aged 26; New Orleans, LA, USA)
* November 30 – Gertrude Ederle, swimmer (aged 97; Wyckoff, NJ, USA)

### December

* December 3 – Ellen Drew, actress (aged 89; Palm Desert, CA, USA)
* December 4 – Iggy Katona, race car driver (aged 87; Daytona Beach, FL, USA)
* December 7
	+ Carl F. H. Henry, theologian and publisher (aged 90; Watertown, WI, USA)
	+ Azie Taylor Morton, 36th Treasurer of the United States (aged 67; Bastrop County, TX, USA)
* December 9 – Paul Simon, politician (aged 75; Springfield, IL, USA)
* December 13 – William Roth, politician (aged 82; Washington, DC, USA)
* December 14 – Jeanne Crain, actress (aged 78; Santa Barbara, CA, USA)
* December 15 – George Fisher, political cartoonist (aged 80; Little Rock, AR, USA)
* December 16 – Gary Stewart, singer, songwriter, and musician (aged 59; Fort Pierce, FL, USA)
* December 17 – Otto Graham, American football player and coach (aged 82; Sarasota, FL, USA)
* December 19 – Hope Lange, actress (aged 70; Santa Monica, CA, USA)
* December 22 – Dave Dudley, singer (aged 75; Danbury, WI, USA)
* December 27
	+ Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (aged 41; Loiza, PR, USA)
	+ Pete Alvarado, animator and comic book artist (aged 83; La Crescenta, CA, USA)
* December 29 – Earl Hindman, actor (aged 61; Stamford, CT, USA)
* December 30 – John Gregory Dunne, writer, screenwriter, literary critic, and journalist (aged 71; New York City, NY, USA)