2002⚡ Event
MV Karine A Seized
During the Second Intifada, Israeli forces seized the MV Karine A, which was carrying 50 tons of smuggled weapons on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
warpolitics
What Happened in 2002?
Explore 194 historical moments from 2002 — 28 events, 166 birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
Events in 2002(28)
2002⚡ Event
Mount Nyiragongo Eruption
Mount Nyiragongo, a volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, began an eruption that killed hundreds and left about 120,000 people homeless.
disaster
2002⚡ Event
Daniel Pearl Kidnapping
American journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and later murdered by al-Qaeda agents in Karachi, Pakistan.
lawpolitics
2002⚡ Event
Gujarat riots
Violent riots broke out in the Indian state of Gujarat, killing at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, over three days.
disasterpolitics
2002⚡ Event
Religious violence in Gujarat
During a period of religious violence in Gujarat, India, mobs of Hindus attacked Muslims in Naroda Patiya and in Chamanpura, resulting in 166 deaths.
religionpoliticsdisaster
2002⚡ Event
Premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's Johannes-Ostern
Sofia Gubaidulina's Johannes-Ostern premiered in Hamburg on March 16, 2002, alongside her Johannes-Passion.
musicarts
2002⚡ Event
Netanya suicide bombing and Operation Defensive Shield
A suicide bomber killed around 30 Israeli civilians in Netanya, triggering Operation Defensive Shield, a large-scale counter-terrorist military incursion into the West Bank.
warpolitics
2002⚡ Event
Death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, widow of King George VI and mother of Queen Elizabeth II, died at the age of 101.
politics
2002⚡ Event
Siege of the Church of the Nativity
During the Second Intifada, Palestinian militants took refuge in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, initiating a month-long siege by Israeli forces.
warpolitics
2002⚡ Event
First Reported Data Breach
In the first reported data breach, 250,000 social security numbers collected by the State of California were stolen from a data center.
technologylaw
2002⚡ Event
2002 Venezuelan coup attempt
In a coup attempt, members of the Venezuelan military detained President Hugo Chávez and demanded his resignation.
politicslaw
2002⚡ Event
Chandra Levy remains found
Skeletal remains of Federal Bureau of Prisons intern Chandra Levy were found in Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C. She had been missing for a year.
law
2002⚡ Event
I-40 Bridge Disaster
Barges being towed destroyed part of a bridge near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, causing vehicles to fall into the Arkansas River. The aftermath was pictured.
disastertechnology
2002⚡ Event
Wimbledon F.C. relocation approved
An independent commission voted to allow Wimbledon F.C. to relocate from London to Milton Keynes.
sports
2002⚡ Event
Iran earthquake
A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck northwestern Iran, killing at least 230 people and injuring 1,300 others. The perceived slow response caused public anger.
disaster
2002⚡ Event
Überlingen Mid-air Collision
Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 and DHL Flight 611 collided in mid-air over Überlingen, Germany, killing all 71 people aboard both aircraft.
disaster
2002⚡ Event
Israel bombs Hamas leader's home
The Israel Defense Forces bombed the home of Salah Shehade, the leader of the military arm of Hamas. He, his family, and neighboring civilians were killed.
warpolitics
2002⚡ Event
Jerusalem University Bombing
Hamas detonated a bomb at the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The attack killed nine students and injured about 100 more.
war
2002⚡ Event
Mil Mi-26 helicopter crash in Chechnya
A Russian Mil Mi-26 helicopter was shot down by Chechen separatists, killing 127 people. This event marked the deadliest helicopter crash in history.
war
2002⚡ Event
Typhoon Rusa hits South Korea
Typhoon Rusa made landfall in Goheung, South Korea. It was the most powerful typhoon to hit the country in 43 years, killing at least 236 people.
disaster
2002⚡ Event
Liberty's Kids Premieres
The American animated edutainment show Liberty's Kids aired its first episode.
entertainment
2002⚡ Event
Firefox Web Browser Released
The first version of the web browser Firefox was released by the Mozilla Organization.
technologyentertainment
2002⚡ Event
Al-Qaeda bombs oil tanker Limburg
Al-Qaeda bombed the oil tanker Limburg, causing oil to leak into the Gulf of Aden.
wardisaster
2002⚡ Event
Myyrmanni shopping center bombing
A bomb exploded in the Myyrmanni shopping center in Helsinki, Finland, resulting in seven deaths and 159 injuries.
disaster
2002⚡ Event
Warren Zevon's last public appearance
After his terminal-cancer diagnosis, Warren Zevon made his last public appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman on October 30, 2002. He gave the advice to "enjoy every sandwich".
entertainmentmusic
2002⚡ Event
First SARS case recorded
The first case of SARS, a zoonotic respiratory coronavirus disease, was recorded in Guangdong, China, on November 16, 2002.
medicinedisaster
2002⚡ Event
Prestige oil spill
The Greek oil tanker Prestige split in two and sank off the coast of Galicia, spilling 420 thousand barrels of oil. This event caused the worst environmental disaster in Spanish and Portuguese history.
disastertechnologyeconomics
2002⚡ Event
Clonaid claims first human clone
The human-cloning company Clonaid claimed to have performed the first reproductive cloning of a human. However, they provided no evidence to support this assertion.
sciencetechnologymedicine
Born in 2002(166)
2002🎂 Birth
Anastasia Zakharova born
Anastasia Zakharova, a Russian tennis player, was born on January 18, 2002.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Ki-Jana Hoever born
Ki-Jana Hoever, a Dutch footballer, was born on January 18, 2002.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Birth of Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark, an American basketball player, was born on January 22, 2002.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Darya Astakhova
Darya Astakhova, Russian tennis player, was born on January 26, 2002.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Johnny Davis
Johnny Davis, an American basketball player, was born. He later played in the NBA.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva
Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva is an Australian rhythmic gymnast.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Emma Myers
Emma Myers is an American actress known for her roles in television and film.
entertainment
2002🎂 Birth
Andrea Botez
Andrea Botez, Canadian-American chess player, commentator, Twitch streamer and YouTuber, was born.
sportsentertainment
2002🎂 Birth
Loren Gray Born
Loren Gray, American singer and internet personality, was born.
entertainmentmusic
2002🎂 Birth
Angel Reese
Angel Reese is an American professional basketball player born on May 6, 2002.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Andrew Barth Feldman
Andrew Barth Feldman is an American actor and singer, known for his role as the title character in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen.
entertainmentmusicarts
2002🎂 Birth
Chase Hudson
Chase Hudson, an American internet celebrity, singer, and actor, was born.
entertainmentmusic
2002🎂 Birth
João Gomes
João Gomes, a Brazilian singer, was born. He is known for his contributions to Brazilian music.
musicentertainment
2002🎂 Birth
Nessa Barrett
Nessa Barrett, American singer-songwriter, was born on August 6, 2002.
musicentertainment
2002🎂 Birth
Gaeul
Gaeul, South Korean singer, rapper, and dancer, was born on September 24, 2002.
entertainmentmusic
2002🎂 Birth
Jacob Sartorius
Jacob Sartorius, an American social media personality and singer, was born.
entertainmentmusic
2002🎂 Birth
Jonathan Kuminga
Congolese basketball player Jonathan Kuminga was born.
sportsentertainment
2002🎂 Birth
Lee Eunsang
Lee Eunsang, a South Korean singer, was born on October 26, 2002.
musicentertainment
2002🎂 Birth
Pedri
Spanish footballer Pedri was born. He is known for his play as a central midfielder.
sports
2002🎂 Birth
Syd Hartha
Syd Hartha, a Filipino singer-songwriter, was born on December 18, 2002.
musicentertainment
Deaths in 2002(0)
No deaths recorded for 2002.
Dates in 2002
January 1January 3January 11January 12January 14January 15January 17January 18January 20January 22January 23January 25January 26January 28January 30January 31February 1February 5February 6February 7February 9February 11February 13February 14February 18February 20February 23February 26February 27February 28March 2March 4March 9March 10March 13March 16March 18March 20March 27March 30April 2April 5April 6April 8April 11April 13April 16April 19April 24April 27April 29April 30May 1May 6May 7May 13May 14May 15May 16May 18May 19May 21May 22May 24May 25May 26May 27May 28May 29May 30June 2June 3June 12June 16June 19June 22June 25June 26June 27June 28June 29July 1July 10July 11July 12July 13July 17July 22July 23July 25July 31August 1August 6August 11August 19August 26August 30August 31September 1September 2September 6September 8September 17September 18September 23September 24September 27September 30October 1October 2October 6October 7October 8October 9October 10October 11October 12October 17October 20October 23October 26October 30October 31November 1November 5November 10November 12November 13November 16November 18November 19November 20November 22November 25November 29December 4December 7December 8December 13December 14December 17December 18December 21December 22December 23December 24December 26December 27December 28December 31
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened in 2002?
- 2002 saw 194 notable historical moments, including 28 events, 166 famous birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
- What were the biggest events of 2002?
- Key events of 2002 include: MV Karine A Seized, Mount Nyiragongo Eruption, Daniel Pearl Kidnapping.
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