2002

Millennium:	3rd millennium
Centuries:	20th century – 21st century – 22nd century
Decades:	1970s  1980s  1990s  – 2000s –  2010s  2020s  2030s
Years:	1999 2000 2001 – 2002 – 2003 2004 2005

2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

• January 1 – The Treaty on Open Skies, initially signed in 1992, officially enters into force.
• January 1 – Euro notes and coins started to be used in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria, the Republic of Ireland, and the Netherlands.
• January 5 – A light aircraft crashes into a Tampa, Florida building, bringing fear of a repeat September 11, 2001 attacks.
• January 10 – Enrique Bolaños became the President of the Republic of Nicaragua.
• January 16 – The UN Security Council agreed to forbid selling arms to Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida, and the Taliban and freezes their assets.
• January 17 – Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo erupts, leaving about 400,000 people without a home.
• January 23 – Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is kidnapped in Pakistan, accused of being a CIA agent.
• January 31 – A large section of the Antarctic Larsen Ice Shelf begins breaking up, eventually consuming about 3,250 km² (1,254 miles²) after 35 days.
• February 8-24 – The 19th Olympic Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• April 28 – Green Party of Pakistan is formed

Nobel prize winners

• Chemistry – John B. Fenn
• Chemistry – Koichi Tanaka
• Chemistry – Kurt Wüthrich
• Economics – Daniel Kahneman
• Economics – Vernon L. Smith
• Literature – Imre Kertész
• Medicine – Sydney Brenner
• Medicine – H. Robert Horvitz
• Medicine – John E. Sulston
• Peace – Jimmy Carter
• Physics – Raymond Davis Jr.
• Physics – Riccardo Giacconi
• Physics – Masatoshi Koshiba

Deaths

• January 8 – Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's fast food chain (b. 1932)
• February 13 – Waylon Jennings, American country music singer (b. 1937)
• April 5 – Layne Staley, American singer (Alice in Chains) (b. 1967)
• May 18 – Davey Boy Smith, British professional wrestler (b. 1962)
• December 22 – Joe Strummer, British musician (The Clash) (b. 1952)

Movies released

• Gangs of New York
• Punch-Drunk Love
• The Pianist
• 8 Mile
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
• The Master of Disguise

Hit Songs

• Don't Say Goodbye – Paulina Rubio
• Escape – Enrique Iglesias
• I'm Gonna Be Alright - Jennifer Lopez
• Lose Yourself – Eminem
• A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
• Beautiful – Christina Aguilera
• Somewhere Out There – Our Lady Peace
• Everyday – Bon Jovi
• Headstrong – Trapt
• Up! – Shania Twain
• Landslide – Dixie Chicks
• Cry – Faith Hill