2002 facts for kids

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