2002 was a year when many critical historical events happened related to sports, science, entertainment, politics, and much more. So, without any further ado, let’s talk about them.
World Events in 2002
- Sri Lankan and Tamil Tigers ended their 19 years of civil war by signing a cease-fire agreement (22nd February).
- Afghan and United States troops launched Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan against the remaining Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters (2nd March).
- International Criminal Court won UN ratification on 11th April 2002.
- East Timor, on 20th May, became a new nation.
- In Bali, a terrorist bomb killed hundreds of people on 12th October.
- Jiang Zemin of China officially retired as general secretary on 14th November.
- A unanimous resolution calling on Iraq with the options to either disarm or face serious consequences was passed by UN Security Council (8th November).
- United Nations arms inspectors returned to Iraq on 18th November.
- In reply to a string of Palestinian suicide attacks, Israel warplanes and tanks attacked Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem, and other towns of the West Bank. (29th March to 21st April). Fourteen suicide bombers wounded hundreds and killed dozens of Israeli civilians.
- The Euro became the official currency of twelve EU members.
U.S. Events/News in 2002
- Chairman of bankrupt energy trader Enron, Kenneth L. Lay resigned: a company under federal investigation for misrepresenting earnings and hiding debt (24th January).
- On 6th March, the USA withdraw from the International Court treaty.
- In a letter to FBI direct, Coleen Rowley, an FBI lawyer, criticized the FBI for foiling terrorist efforts (21st May).
- Announcement of change in the Middle East policy by Bush: the United States denied recognizing Palestine as an independent state until the replacement of Yasser Arafat (24th June).
- In response to a spate of corporate scandals, Bush, on 30th July, signed a corporate reform bill. Tyco, ImClone, Enron, Qwest, Adelphia, Arthur Andersen, and Global Crossing, among others, were placed or convicted under federal investigation for several misadventures in crooked and fraud accounting.
- After spending 77 hours in a flooded, dark mine shaft, Pennsylvania miners, rescued successfully (28th July).
- Bush called for a ‘regime change’ in Iraq in his address to United Nations on 12th September.
- Bush, on 25th November, signed legislation, forming cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security.
- In the midterm elections, republicans retake the Senate and gained additional House seats (5th November).
- As a result of the cover-up of priest-child molestation and sexual abuse scandals of the Catholic Church, Boston archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law resigned (13th December).
- A US activist, Elizabeth Smart, was kidnapped from her family’s home located in Salt Lake City in 2002. But luckily, she was found alive in 2003.
FIFA World Cup 2002
The FIFA World Cup, held between 31st May and 30th June, was a massive event hosted by Japan and South Korea. It was the first World Cup held in more than one nation and somewhere other than America or Europe. Brazil won the final by defeating Germany and becoming the first team to win all of their matches and five World Cups.
XIX Winter Olympics, February 2002
In the XIX Winter Olympics, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, 2,399 participants participated in 80 athletic events. They were from 77 different nations. The event had an addition of a Women’s bobsleigh and reintroduction of skeleton event. Moreover, it was for the first time that a black athlete won a gold medal in women’s bobsleigh. And in men’s ice hockey, a black male athlete won a winter gold medal.
Technology in 2002
On the planet Mars, the Mars Odyssey found the signs of massive water ice deposits. Moreover, over southern Bavaria, an enormous meteorite (660 pounds) plunged into Earth’s atmosphere and exploded in a fireball. A piece of meteorite that was found named Neuschwanstein after the local castle.
Science Events in 2002
New guidelines got issued by U.S. health officials on mammograms, which strongly recommended that the beginning of breast cancer screening should be at the age of 40 instead of age 50. The recommendation got criticized for months over the effectiveness of breast cancer screening (21st February).
A study conducted on 9th July found that drug therapy for menopausal ladies can lead to an increased rate of blood clots, breast cancer, stroke, and heart attacks. Moreover, evidence of the middleweight class of gravitational sink was found by Hubble Space technology, which added to their earlier found tiny and super classification. Hence, it was a new type of black hole (17th September).
Scientists compare human genomes and mice. Striking similarities got revealed by the first analysis of two complete genomes and gave scientists hope of hastening the genetic diseases’ understanding (5th December).
French scientists unearthed a seven million-year-old human family’s member, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, and reported it in the journal Nature. It was a fossil with a combination of chimpanzee and humans characteristics, nicknamed ‘Toumai’ (11th July).
In support of therapeutic cloning and opposition to human reproductive cloning, the National Academy of Science issued a report on 18th January. They favored creating embryonic stem cells to assist cures for such illnesses like diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.
Entertainment Events in 2002
Best reality series Emmy award won by Osbournes in September. Halle Berry and Denzel Washington were honored for Monster’s Ball and Training Day, respectively, on 24th March.
The controversial white rapper, Eminem, notorious for his hate-saturated lyrics, entered the mainstream with the release of the soundtrack ‘The Eminem Show’ and the movie ‘8 Mile’. The album was the top seller of the year (8th November).
The film ‘Spider-man’ crossed the grossing of $406 million and became the box-office blockbuster of the year. Moreover, an increase of 10 percent has been seen in the money spent by Americans on movie tickets in 2002 (31st December).
Popular Films of 2002
- Ice Age
- Die Another Day
- The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers
- Minority Report
- Gangs of New York
- Chicago
- Men in Black II
- Spider-Man
- The Pianist
- Harry Potter and The Chambers of Secret
- Signs
- About Schmidt
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of The Clones
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding
- Far from Heaven
- The Hours
- Adaptation
Popular Books of 2002
- The Crimson Petal and the White
- The Nanny Diaries
- Ian McEwan, Atonement
- Alice Sebold, Lovely Bones
- Stephen L. Carter, Emperor of Ocean Par
Popular Music of 2002
- Come Away with Me, Norah Jones
- Sea Change, Beck
- Phrenology, The Roots
- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco
- Busted Stuff, Dave Matthews Band
- Veni Vidi Vicious, The Hives
- The Rising, Bruce Springsteen
- Let Go, Avril Lavigne
- Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections
- A Rush of Blood to The Head
Popular Musicians of 2002
- Good Charlotte
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- The Rolling Stones
- The Offspring
- Revolution
- Justin Timberlake
- Michelle Branch
- Christina Aguilera
- Eminem
- Robbie Williams
- Madonna
- Counting Crows
- Linkin Park
- U2
- Avril Lavigne
- Pink
- Shania Twain
Deaths in 2002
- Rosemary Clooney
- Stephen Jay Gould
- Princess Margaret
- Byron White
- Stephen Ambrose
- Elizabeth
- Ann Landers
- Johnny Unitas
- Ted Williams
- Milton Berle
- Lionel Hampton
- Dudley Moore
- Billy Wilder
- Walter Annenberg
- John Gotti
- Alan Lomax
- Paul Wellstone
- Peggy Lee