Past year · United States
The year of homeland security, the WorldCom collapse, a Salt Lake City Olympics and the first American Idol
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 3 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 4 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 5 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 7 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 8 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 9 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| 10 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 12 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 13 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 14 | 31 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 15 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 17 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 18 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 19 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 20 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 22 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1 | ||||||
| 23 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 24 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 25 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 26 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 27 | 30 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 28 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 29 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 30 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 31 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 32 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 33 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 34 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 35 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 37 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 38 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 39 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 40 | 29 | 30 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 41 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 43 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 44 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| 45 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 46 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 47 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 48 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 50 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 51 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 52 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 53 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Free printable 2002 calendars: the Year PDF fits all twelve months on one US Letter page, and the Monthly PDF gives each month its own page with holidays written in the day boxes. Both are landscape and print well on A4 with "fit to page".
2002 had 10 federal holidays. The list below also includes 32 widely observed religious, cultural and civic dates, the start of each season and the daylight saving time changes. Federal holidays are shaded red on the calendar.
Every federal holiday in 2002 fell on a weekday, so no substitute "observed" days were needed.
| Date | Holiday or observance | Type |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| 1 Tue | New Year's Day | Federal holiday |
| 21 Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal holiday |
| February | ||
| 2 Sat | Groundhog Day | Observance |
| 12 Tue | Lunar New Year | Cultural |
| 12 Tue | Mardi Gras | Cultural |
| 13 Wed | Ash Wednesday | Religious |
| 14 Thu | Valentine's Day | Observance |
| 18 Mon | Presidents' Day The official federal name is Washington's Birthday. | Federal holiday |
| 22 Fri | Eid al-Adha Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| March | ||
| 17 Sun | St. Patrick's Day | Observance |
| 20 Wed | March Equinox (Spring begins) At 2:16 p.m. ET. | Season |
| 28 Thu | Passover (first day) Begins at sundown on Wednesday, March 27, 2002. | Religious |
| 29 Fri | Good Friday | Religious |
| 31 Sun | Easter Sunday | Religious |
| April | ||
| 1 Mon | April Fools' Day | Observance |
| 7 Sun | Daylight Saving Time begins Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time (except Arizona and Hawaii). | Clock change |
| 22 Mon | Earth Day | Observance |
| May | ||
| 5 Sun | Cinco de Mayo | Cultural |
| 12 Sun | Mother's Day | Observance |
| 27 Mon | Memorial Day | Federal holiday |
| June | ||
| 14 Fri | Flag Day | Observance |
| 16 Sun | Father's Day | Observance |
| 19 Wed | Juneteenth Recognized by many states at the time. It became a federal holiday in 2021. | Observance |
| 21 Fri | June Solstice (Summer begins) At 9:24 a.m. ET. | Season |
| July | ||
| 4 Thu | Independence Day | Federal holiday |
| September | ||
| 2 Mon | Labor Day | Federal holiday |
| 7 Sat | Rosh Hashanah Begins at sundown on Friday, September 6, 2002. | Religious |
| 8 Sun | National Grandparents Day | Observance |
| 11 Wed | Patriot Day | Observance |
| 16 Mon | Yom Kippur Begins at sundown on Sunday, September 15, 2002. | Religious |
| 23 Mon | September Equinox (Fall begins) At 12:55 a.m. ET. | Season |
| October | ||
| 14 Mon | Columbus Day Many states and cities observe Indigenous Peoples' Day on this date. | Federal holiday |
| 27 Sun | Daylight Saving Time ends Clocks move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time. | Clock change |
| 31 Thu | Halloween | Observance |
| November | ||
| 5 Tue | Election Day (Midterm) | Observance |
| 6 Wed | Ramadan begins Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| 11 Mon | Veterans Day | Federal holiday |
| 28 Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal holiday |
| 29 Fri | Black Friday | Observance |
| 30 Sat | Hanukkah (first day) Begins at sundown on Friday, November 29, 2002. | Religious |
| December | ||
| 5 Thu | Eid al-Fitr Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| 21 Sat | December Solstice (Winter begins) At 8:14 p.m. ET. | Season |
| 24 Tue | Christmas Eve | Observance |
| 25 Wed | Christmas Day | Federal holiday |
| 26 Thu | Kwanzaa begins | Cultural |
| 31 Tue | New Year's Eve | Observance |
History
Americans spent 2002 living with the aftermath of September 11 and bracing for what might come next. Security shaped public life, from the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in February, the first Games held after the attacks, to the Department of Homeland Security, which President George W. Bush signed into existence in November. In October, Congress authorized the use of military force against Iraq, and for three weeks that month a pair of snipers terrorized the Washington, D.C., area, killing 10 people.
Business news was dominated by accounting scandals. Months after Enron's collapse, WorldCom disclosed billions of dollars in improperly booked expenses and filed for bankruptcy on July 21 with about $107 billion in assets, the largest in US history at the time. Nine days later Bush signed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which put auditors under a federal overseer and made executives certify their books. Time magazine closed the year by naming three whistleblowers, from WorldCom, Enron and the FBI, its Persons of the Year. Abroad, euro notes and coins replaced the currencies of 12 European countries on New Year's Day.
Popular culture offered relief. Spider-Man became the first movie to earn more than $100 million in its opening weekend, Halle Berry and Denzel Washington made Academy Awards history in March, and a summer talent show called American Idol turned Kelly Clarkson into a star. In July, all nine miners trapped in the flooded Quecreek Mine in Pennsylvania were pulled out alive. In sports, the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl on a last-second field goal, the Los Angeles Lakers swept to a third straight NBA title, and the Anaheim Angels won the franchise's first World Series in seven games.
Euro banknotes and coins entered circulation in 12 European countries with a combined population of about 308 million, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The European Central Bank called it the largest cash changeover in history, and national currencies such as the mark, franc and lira were phased out by the end of February.
At Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act, a rewrite of the main federal law on elementary and secondary education. It required states to test students in reading and math every year in grades 3 through 8, phased in by the 2005-06 school year.
Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the New England Patriots a 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams at the Louisiana Superdome. Quarterback Tom Brady, who led the final drive with no timeouts left, was named MVP of the franchise's first Super Bowl victory.
The first Olympics after September 11 opened with a torn flag from the World Trade Center carried into Rice-Eccles Stadium. Over 17 days, athletes from 78 nations competed in 78 events, and the United States won 34 medals, including a record 10 golds, despite a pairs figure skating judging scandal.
Read the full storyAt the first Academy Awards held at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, Halle Berry became the first African American woman to win Best Actress, for Monster's Ball, and Denzel Washington won Best Actor for Training Day. Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind won Best Picture and Best Director.
Sony's Spider-Man opened to $114.8 million over its first weekend, the first film to pass $100 million in an opening weekend. It beat the record of $90.3 million set six months earlier by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and its $39.4 million opening day was also a record.
A month after disclosing that it had improperly accounted for about $3.8 billion in expenses, the telecommunications company WorldCom filed for Chapter 11 protection with about $107 billion in assets. The filing replaced Enron's as the largest bankruptcy in American history and sped Congress toward corporate reform.
Miners at the Quecreek Mine in Somerset County cut into an abandoned, water-filled mine, trapping nine men about 240 feet underground. After 77 hours, an air hole, huge pumps and a drilled rescue shaft brought all nine to the surface alive early on July 28.
Read the full storyPassed 423-3 in the House and 99-0 in the Senate, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, required chief executives and finance chiefs to certify financial reports and raised penalties for corporate fraud. Bush called it the most far-reaching business reform since Franklin Roosevelt.
Read the full storyThe 20-year-old from Burleson, Texas, won the first season of Fox's American Idol with about 58 percent of 15.5 million votes, defeating Justin Guarini. About 22.8 million people watched the finale, and her single A Moment Like This soon jumped from No. 52 to No. 1.
Read the full storyOver three weeks, two snipers shot 13 people in the Washington, D.C., region, killing 10 and critically wounding three, and set off a manhunt across the region. A tip from a motorist led police to the suspects at a rest stop near Myersville, Maryland, on October 24.
President Bush signed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, which the House had passed 296-133 on October 10 and the Senate 77-23 early on October 11. The resolution authorized force against the continuing threat posed by Iraq and set the stage for the 2003 invasion.
John Lackey and Garret Anderson led the Angels past Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants 4-1 in Game 7, giving the franchise its first championship. Third baseman Troy Glaus was named MVP after hitting .385 with three home runs, including the go-ahead double in a Game 6 comeback.
President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act, which merged all or part of 22 federal agencies, including the Coast Guard, Secret Service, FEMA and the Customs Service, into the Department of Homeland Security. With about 170,000 employees, it was the largest federal reorganization since 1947.
Read the full storyGold dots on the calendar above mark these dates. Articles are researched from primary and authoritative sources listed on each page.
At a glance
Quick facts about 2002 — from key dates and calendar statistics to major events and achievements.
Important dates in 2002
Water Horse
Notable winners and milestones in 2002
How many of each weekday 2002 had.
How many of each weekday 2002 had. A common year has 52 of every weekday plus one extra—the weekday it starts on; a leap year gets two extras.
Sky calendar
All times are US Eastern Time, calculated with standard astronomical algorithms (Meeus). Dates can differ by a day in other time zones.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
2:16 p.m. ET
Friday, June 21, 2002
9:24 a.m. ET
Monday, September 23, 2002
12:55 a.m. ET
Saturday, December 21, 2002
8:14 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 7, 2002. Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time (except Arizona and Hawaii).
Clock changeSunday, October 27, 2002. Clocks move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time.
| Month | New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13 8:28 a.m. | 21 12:46 p.m. | 28 5:50 p.m. | 5 10:54 p.m. |
| February | 12 2:40 a.m. | 20 7:02 a.m. | 27 4:16 a.m. | 4 8:33 a.m. |
| March | 13 9:02 p.m. | 21 9:28 p.m. | 28 1:24 p.m. | 5 8:25 p.m. |
| April | 12 3:21 p.m. | 20 8:48 a.m. | 26 10:59 p.m. | 4 10:29 a.m. |
| May | 12 6:45 a.m. | 19 3:41 p.m. | 26 7:51 a.m. | 4 3:15 a.m. |
| June | 10 7:46 p.m. | 17 8:28 p.m. | 24 5:42 p.m. | 2 8:04 p.m. |
| July | 10 6:25 a.m. | 17 12:47 a.m. | 24 5:07 a.m. | 2 1:19 p.m. |
| August | 8 3:15 p.m. | 15 6:13 a.m. | 22 6:29 p.m. | 1 6:22 a.m. 30 10:31 p.m. |
| September | 6 11:10 p.m. | 13 2:08 p.m. | 21 9:59 a.m. | 29 1:02 p.m. |
| October | 6 7:17 a.m. | 13 1:32 a.m. | 21 3:20 a.m. | 29 12:27 a.m. |
| November | 4 3:34 p.m. | 11 3:51 p.m. | 19 8:33 p.m. | 27 10:46 a.m. |
| December | 4 2:34 a.m. | 11 10:48 a.m. | 19 2:10 p.m. | 26 7:31 p.m. |
Reuse your calendar
Every year that starts on a Tuesday and is a common (non-leap) year has exactly the same dates and weekdays as 2002. That means a printed 2002 calendar works again in 2013, 2019, 2030.Holidays tied to the moon, such as Easter, will still move.
Why calendars repeatFAQ
2002 started on a Tuesday (January 1, 2002) and ended on a Tuesday (December 31, 2002). It had 365 days, 52 ISO weeks and 251 working days once federal holidays are excluded.
No. 2002 was a common year with 365 days, so February had 28 days. The nearest leap years were 2000 and 2004. See leap years explained.
1985, 1991, 2013, 2019, 2030 share the exact same calendar as 2002: they start on a Tuesday and are common years. A 2002 calendar can be reused in 2013, 2019, 2030. Use the same calendar year finder for any other year.
Thanksgiving Day 2002 was on Thursday, November 28, 2002. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, so it can fall between November 22 and November 28. Read more about Thanksgiving.
Easter Sunday 2002 was on Sunday, March 31, 2002, with Good Friday on Friday, March 29, 2002. Western Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25. See how the date of Easter is calculated.
2002 is the Year of the Water Horse, which began with Lunar New Year on Tuesday, February 12, 2002. Anyone born between January 1 and February 11, 2002 belongs to the previous zodiac year, the Metal Snake.
George W. Bush (Republican) was the 43rd president throughout 2002, with Dick Cheney as vice president.
There were 10 federal holidays in 2002. When a holiday lands on a Saturday, federal employees get the Friday before off; a Sunday holiday moves to Monday. See how federal holidays work.