What is 1703?
{{Year nav|1703}} {{Year in various calendars|1703}} '''1703''' ([[Roman numerals|MDCCIII]]) was a [[common year]] [[Common year starting on Monday|starting on Monday]] in the [[Gregorian calendar]] and a [[common year starting on Friday]] in the [[Julian calendar]]. As of the start of this year, the Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar. It remained in localized use until 1923. == Events == * St. Petersburg becomes the capital of Russia * [[February 2]] – an [[earthquake]] hit the town of [[L'Aquila]], [[Italy]]. * [[February 4]] – in [[Japan]], the [[47 samurai]] ([[47 samurai|47 Ronin]]) commit [[seppuku]], a ritual suicide. * [[February 14]] – an [[earthquake]] hits the city of [[Norcia]], [[Italy]]. * [[February]] – soldiers at ''[[Fort Louis de la Mobile]]'' celebrate [[Mardi Gras in Mobile]], starting the tradition for [[Mobile, Alabama]]. * [[April 21]] – the ''Company of Quenching of Fire'' (i.e., a [[fire brigade]]) was started in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]]. * [[May 27]] – the founding of [[St Petersburg]] in [[Russia]]. * [[May 26]] – [[Portugal]] joins the [[Grand Alliance]]. * [[July 29]] to [[July 31|31]] – [[Daniel Defoe]] is placed in a [[pillory]] then imprisoned 4 months for the crime of [[libel]], after publishing a [[satire|satirical]] [[pamphlet]] (his release is granted mid-November). * [[September 12]] – the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] started in [[Habsburg]], when Archduke Charles was proclaimed King of [[Spain]]. * [[October]] – a whirlwind blows down the tower of the [[Gan Takal]] in [[Gondar]], the capital of [[Ethiopia]], killing 30 people. * [[November 19]] – an [[The Man in the Iron Mask|Unknown masked prisoner]] dies in [[Bastille]]. * [[November 24]] to [[December 2]] – the [[Great Storm of 1703]], an Atlantic [[hurricane]], blowes through southern [[England]] and the [[English Channel]], killing nearly 8000, mostly at sea. * [[December 27]] – [[Portugal]] and [[England]] sign the [[Methuen Treaty]] which gives preference to Portuguese imported [[w