Events from the year 1903 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

* Monarch of the United Kingdom, Monarch – Edward VII * Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister – Arthur Balfour (Unionist government, 1895–1905, Coalition) * Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament – List of MPs elected in the 1900 United Kingdom general election, 27th

Events

* 1 January – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * 19 January – first transatlantic radio broadcast between United States and Britain. * 27 January – fire at Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum kills 51. * 12 February – Randall Davidson enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he will hold until he retires 25 years later. * 13 February – Venezuelan crisis of 1902–03, Venezuelan crisis. After agreeing to arbitration in Washington, Britain, Germany and Italy reach a settlement with Venezuela, resulting in the Washington Protocols. The naval blockade that began in December 1902 will be lifted, and Venezuela commits 30% of its customs duties to settling claims. * 26–27 February – "''Ulysses''" Storm: A severe windstorm tracks across Ireland, moving on to cross the north of England and Scotland. * 3 March – the British Admiralty, Admiralty announces plans to build Rosyth Dockyard as a naval base on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth. * 24 March & 3 May – Derby earthquakes. * 1 April – Midwives Act 1902 comes into effect, regulating the profession of midwifery in England and Wales. * 14 April – Aberdeen F.C., Aberdeen Football Club is established. * 18 April – Bury F.C. beat Derby County F.C., Derby County by an all-time record 6 goals to nil to win the 1903 FA Cup Final. * 23 April – Government budget, Budget removes Corn Duty. * 29 May – Bradford City A.F.C., Bradford City Football Club is established. * c. June – Osea Island off Maldon, Essex, is bought by Frederick Nicholas Charrington to provide an alcohol addiction treatment centre. * 19 June – Caernarfon earthquake. * 7 July – British take over the Fula people, Fulani empire. * August – 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party moves from Brussels to London. * 14 August – first Poor Prisoners' Defence Act provides for limited legal aid in criminal cases with effect from 1904. * September – First Garden City Ltd formed to develop Letchworth. * 9 September – Rock Sand completes the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, English Triple Crown by finishing first in the Epsom Derby, 2,000 Guineas Stakes, 2,000 Guineas and St. Leger Stakes, St Leger. * 16 September – Joseph Chamberlain resigns as Secretary of State for the Colonies, Colonial Secretary. * 1 October – the University of Liverpool becomes independent of Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University. * 10 October – foundation of the militant Women's Social and Political Union by Emmeline Pankhurst, Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst in Manchester. * 31 October – opening of Hampden Park football ground in Glasgow in Scotland. * October: ** Opening of Willow Tearooms, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Catherine Cranston. ** The wettest month in the England and Wales Precipitation, EWP series with , beating November 1852 with * 2 November – ''Daily Mirror'' launched as a newspaper for women, run by women. * ? December – the remains of "Cheddar Man" are found within Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, dating to approximately 7150 BCE. * 10 December – William Randal Cremer is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Undated

* Typhoo, "Typhoo Tipps" tea first marketed. * Montague Burton establishes a business retailing ready-made men's suits in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, origin of the Burton (retailer), Burton and Arcadia Group brands. * Percy Furnivall carries out the first known case of cardiac surgery in Britain.

Publications

* Edward Harold Begbie's novel ''Lost in Blunderland'' (under the pseudonym Caroline Lewis). * Samuel Butler (novelist), Samuel Butler's Autobiographical novel, semi-autobiographical novel ''The Way of All Flesh (novel), The Way of All Flesh'' (posthumous). * George Gissing's semi-autobiographical novel ''The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft''. * John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, John Morley's biography ''The Life of Gladstone'', which sells more than 25,000 copies in its first year.

Births

* 7 January – Alan Napier, actor (died 1988) * 18 January ** Gladys Hooper, née Nash, pianist and supercentenarian (died 2016) ** Kathleen Shaw, figure skater (died 1983) * 22 February – Frank P. Ramsey, mathematician (died 1930) * 4 March – Dorothy Mackaill, British-born American actress (died 1990) * 10 March – Edward Bawden, artist and illustrator (died 1989) * 24 March – Malcolm Muggeridge, journalist, author and media personality (died 1990) * 31 March – H. J. Blackham, humanist and author (died 2009) * 15 April – John Williams (actor), John Williams, actor (died 1983) * 20 May – Barbara Hepworth, sculptor (died 1975) * 29 May – Bob Hope, British-born comedian (died 2003) * 12 June – H. C. Casserley, railway photographer (died 1991) * 19 June – Wally Hammond, cricketer (died 1965) * 25 June – George Orwell, author (died 1950) * 29 June – Alan Blumlein, electronics engineer (died 1942) * 1 July – Amy Johnson, aviator (died 1941) * 2 July – Alec Douglas-Home, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister (died 1995) * 3 July – David Webster (opera manager), David Webster, Scottish-born arts administrator (died 1971) * 4 July – Vernon Sewell, film director and screenwriter (died 2001) * 7 July – Steven Runciman, historian (died 2000) * 10 July – John Wyndham, English author (died 1969) * 12 July – Judith Hare, Countess of Listowel, Hungarian-born writer and journalist (died 2003) * 11 July – Rudolf Abel (alias of Vilyam "Willie" Genrikhovich Fisher), English-born spy for the Soviet Union (died 1971) * 13 July – Kenneth Clark, art historian (died 1983) * 26 July – Amy Gentry, rower (died 1976) * 28 July – Ernst Wilhelm Bohle, English-born Nazi German statesman (died 1960) * 7 August – Louis Leakey, paleoanthropologist, born in British East Africa (died 1972) * 24 August – Graham Sutherland, artist (died 1980) * 2 September – Fred Pratt Green, Methodist minister and hymn writer (died 2000) * 7 September – Jock Wilson (British Army soldier), Jock Wilson, soldier (died 2008) * 9 September – Edward Upward, author (died 2009) * 28 October – Evelyn Waugh, writer (died 1966) * 29 October – Vivian Ellis, composer and lyricist (died 1996) * 31 October – Joan Robinson, economist (died 1983) * 1 November – Max Adrian, Irish-born actor (died 1973) * 5 November – Joan Barry (British actress), Joan Barry, actress (died 1989) * 11 November – Thomas Allibone, physicist (died 2003) * 4 December – A. L. Rowse, historian (died 1997) * 5 December – Cecil Frank Powell, physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1969) * 10 December – Mary Norton (author), Mary Norton, children's author (died 1992) * unknown date – John Illingworth (yacht designer), John Illingworth, yachtsman, yacht designer and naval officer (died 1980)

Deaths

* 17 January – Quintin Hogg (merchant), Quintin Hogg, philanthropist (born 1845) * 1 February – Sir George Stokes, 1st Baronet, mathematician and physicist (born 1819) * 7 February – James Glaisher, meteorologist and aeronaut (born 1809) * 4 March – Joseph Henry Shorthouse, novelist (born 1834) * 13 March – George Granville Bradley, vicar and scholar (born 1821) * 10 April – Enderby Jackson, pioneer of the British brass band (born 1827) * 19 June – Herbert Vaughan, Catholic cardinal and archbishop (born 1832) * 11 July – William Ernest Henley, W. E. Henley, poet, critic, and editor (born 1849) * 5 August – Phil May (caricaturist), Phil May, artist (born 1864) * 22 August – Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1830) * 18 September – Alexander Bain (philosopher), Alexander Bain, philosopher (born 1818) * 8 December – Herbert Spencer, philosopher (born 1820) * 28 December – George Gissing, novelist (born 1857)

References

{{Year in Europe, 1903 1903 in the United Kingdom, Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom 1903 by country 1900s in the United Kingdom 1903 in Europe