2002

The calendar year 2002: a common year beginning on Tuesday in the Gregorian calendar. Notable for the cash introduction of the euro, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and other global events.

Overview

2002 (written in Roman numerals as MMII) was a common year — a 365‑day year — that began on a Tuesday in the Gregorian calendar. As a year designation it is the 2002nd year of the Common Era and the Anno Domini era. It is also commonly described as the 2nd year of the third millennium, the 2nd year of the 21st century, and the 3rd year of the 2000s decade. In calendrical terms it is classified as a common year starting on Tuesday, meaning it did not include February 29.

Major events

Several events in 2002 had lasting international significance. The most visible was the physical introduction of the euro as cash currency across many European countries on 1 January, replacing national banknotes and coins in everyday use. The year also hosted major global sporting events: the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and the FIFA World Cup, co‑hosted by South Korea and Japan — the first World Cup held in Asia and the first with joint hosts.

1 January: Euro banknotes and coins enter circulation in participating eurozone countries.
February: Winter Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City, United States.
May–June: FIFA World Cup held in Japan and South Korea, a landmark for international football in Asia.
July: The Rome Statute, creating the International Criminal Court, entered into force earlier in the year, shaping future international justice efforts.
October: A major terrorist attack in Bali drew international attention and responses to transnational terrorism.

Culture and technology

The cultural landscape in 2002 saw several blockbuster films and popular music releases that influenced entertainment in the early 21st century. The internet continued to grow: social networking and community sites emerged and broadband adoption expanded, changing how people accessed media and shared information. In technology and business, companies and markets adapted to an increasingly global digital economy.

Calendar, numbering and distinctions

As a calendar year, 2002 is described using a variety of systems: Roman numerals (MMII), the Gregorian civil calendar, and era labels such as CE and AD. It is part of overlapping ordinal frameworks (millennium, century, decade) that are commonly used to organize historical time. Because it is not a leap year, it had the standard 365 days and progressed through the weekly cycle beginning on Tuesday.

Notable facts

Among its distinctions, 2002 is remembered for the euro's transition to cash, major international sports milestones, and developments in international law and counterterrorism that influenced the following decades. These changes reflect broader social, economic and political trends at the start of the 21st century.

For further reading on calendar systems, era notation and the events of 2002, see entries linked above and relevant timelines.