The 2003 Pacific hurricane season produced tropical cyclones that mainly affected Mexico. Hurricane Ignacio killed 2 people in Mexico and Marty killed 12; together they were responsible for damage worth about $1 billion. Two other Pacific hurricanes, one Pacific tropical storm and three Atlantic storms also had a direct impact on Mexico. The only other significant storm of the season was Hurricane Jimena, which passed just to the south of the island of Hawaii, becoming the first storm in several years to directly threaten the island. The season officially started on May 15, 2003, in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 2003, in the central Pacific, lasting until November 30, 2003. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. There were 16 named storms, including 7 hurricanes; both totals are comparable with the long-term averages. This was the first Pacific hurricane season since 1977 with no major hurricanes, that is, storms Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Pacific_hurricane_season

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1499:

Thirteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII of England, was married by proxy to his brother, 12-year-old Arthur, Prince of Wales. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon

1776:

American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison west of Montreal surrendered to British troops in the Battle of The Cedars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_The_Cedars

1845:

Captain Sir John Franklin and his ill-fated Arctic expedition departed from Greenhithe, England; the entire 129-man complement would be lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin%27s_lost_expedition

1911:

Parks Canada, the world's first national park service, was established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parks_Canada

1991:

Despite a boycott by the local Serb population, voters in Croatia passed a referendum supporting independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_independence_referendum,_1991

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

squat: 1. Relatively short or low, and thick or broad. 2. Sitting on the hams or heels; sitting close to the ground; cowering; crouching. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/squat

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Of course, relative citation frequencies are no measure of relative importance. Who has not aspired to write a paper so fundamental that very soon it is known to everyone and cited by no one?   --Abraham Pais https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Abraham_Pais