2002

The world population on January 1, 2002, was estimated to be 6.272 billion people, and it increased to 6.353 billion people by January 1, 2003. An estimated 134.0 million births and 52.5 million deaths took place in 2002. == Conflicts ==

There were 31 armed conflicts in 2002 that caused at least 25 fatalities. Five of these resulted in at least 1,000 fatalities: the Burundian Civil War, the Colombian conflict, the Kashmir insurgency, the Nepalese Civil War, and the Second Sudanese Civil War. Internal conflicts The Colombian conflict escalated after far-left insurgents occupied demilitarized zones and kidnapped Íngrid Betancourt, effectively ending peace talks. The insurgents began bombing cities, and over 200,000 Colombians were displaced by the conflict in 2002. Conflicts that saw some form of resolution in 2002 include the Eelam War III in Sri Lanka, which was halted with a ceasefire agreement in February, beginning in late 2001. This conflict was primarily one of brinkmanship, with the threat of nuclear warfare. The Second Intifada continued in 2002 between the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian paramilitary groups with an escalation in violence. Palestinian suicide bombings became coordinated to maximize the number of civilian casualties, while the Israeli military killed approximately twice as many Palestinians in retaliation. In response to the suicide bombings, Israel carried out Operation Defensive Shield in March. Under this operation, Israel occupied much of West Bank, and it and briefly held Palestinian president Yasser Arafat under house arrest. The Battle of Jenin was particularly destructive, with the United Nations finding both parties to be irresponsible regarding collateral damage. == Culture ==

Art and architecture was completed in 2002. Economic downturn in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks limited the art industry in 2002. Organizations were less willing to give patronage, and tourists were less willing to visit art exhibitions and museums, particularly in New York and the Middle East. Critically acclaimed paintings in 2002 include The Upper Room, a collection of paintings by Chris Ofili based on a drawing of a monkey by Andy Warhol, and Dispersion, an abstract work by Julie Mehretu. The rebuilding of the World Trade Center was a major focus in the architectural world, and various exhibitions were held to showcase design concepts. The Tribute in Light was implemented on the site during the interim. Film was marked by several unexpected successes and failures in 2002, including the underwhelming performances of the Star Wars film Attack of the Clones, the James Bond film Die Another Day, and the Disney film Treasure Planet, as well as the word-of-mouth success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Critically acclaimed films from 2002 include Adaptation,'' Far from Heaven, and Talk to Her. Pop music saw a major decline in 2002 as it was overtaken by country and hip hop music. Globally, the best-selling albums in 2002 were The Eminem Show by Eminem, followed by Let Go by Avril Lavigne and the Elvis Presley greatest hits album ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits. The best-selling non-English album was Mensch () by German singer Herbert Grönemeyer, the 29th best-selling album overall. Sony and Microsoft introduced online gaming services for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles, respectively. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault was influential in the war-based first-person shooter genre with its portrayal of grand cinematic battles. 2002 was the final year of traditional survival horror before it was overtaken by action-based survival horror games in franchises such as Resident Evil. Libraries, press, and radio Costa Rica was celebrated for an advance in free speech when it abolished criminal penalties for insulting public officials. The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester. The New Zealand All Blacks received wide attention in rugby union for its victory in the 2002 Tri Nations Series, making a comeback performance following its losses in previous years. Bruno Peyron set the record for the fastest circumnavigation by sailing in 2002, making the trip in 64 days. == Economy ==

became the official currency of the European Union on January 1, 2002. International trade increased by 1.9% in 2002, recovering from a decrease in 2001. Most countries experienced only limited growth of output and employment in the year, and economic policy within the largest economies focused primarily on combating inflation. By October, global equities saw a 24% decrease in 2002. Particularly affected was AOL-Time Warner, with its stocks losing 65% of their value by the fall. The information technology industry in particular saw major decline in 2002 before it began its recovery from the dot-com crash that had previously affected it. The telecommunications industry was affected even more severely. The price drops associated with the September 11 attacks persisted for several months into 2002. Apprehensions about potential military conflict in Iraq also limited growth. Latin American economies with large deficits were severely affected by lower prices, limiting export growth and preventing capital from entering the region, requiring further increases to the deficit. The region overall saw a negative GDP in 2002. Imports grew significantly in East Asia, with China competing with the United States as one of the largest export markets for other countries in the region. Imports in Latin America and Africa decreased compared to the previous year. The United States recovered in part from the recession that had affected the Western world, while Europe's recovery was more limited. South America saw significant economic challenges: Argentina's economic crisis continued from 2001, Brazil had low confidence in its economy, and Venezuela's economy suffered amid political upheaval. Unlike the Western world, Eastern Europe and Asia showed strong growth in 2002. Africa did not share this growth, as it also experienced a weak economy during the year. Several companies, predominantly in the United States, underwent major scandals in 2002. These included the WorldCom scandal that led to what was then the largest bankruptcy in American history, and accounting scandals emerging from the previous year's Enron scandal. Xerox and the French company Vivendi were found to be reporting artificially inflated profits. Others incidents included the ImClone stock trading case and fraud cases at Adelphia and Tyco. These scandals brought the arrests of several high-profile executives, negatively affected public trust in corporate accounting, and increased the volatility of global stock markets. == Environment and weather ==

on August 27 2002 was the second hottest year on record, exceeded only by 1998. There was below average precipitation in 2002, with droughts in Australia, northern China, India, and Western United States. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Iran killed approximately 200 people the following June. The 2002 Pacific typhoon season entailed a typical number of typhoons, but they were above average in intensity with 46% of typhoons reaching "intense strength". Typhoon Rusa killed at least 113 people in South Korea, making it the nation's deadliest typhoon in 43 years. == Health ==

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized "reducing risks" and "promoting healthy life" as its health concern of focus in the 2002 World Health Report. Global food supplies reduced in 2002 amid droughts and drops in harvest yields. Famines occurred in Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Eritrea, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Swaziland were also heavily affected by insufficient food. The fishing industry was not affected, increasing slightly from previous years. Nigeria and the Philippines took steps toward establishing national healthcare systems. A 2001 Ebola outbreak in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo continued through 2002. The United States and the Dutch company Crucell collaborated to begin development on an Ebola vaccine in response. The year's increased focus on terrorism, particularly after the 2001 anthrax attacks, prompted many countries to invest in vaccines, antibiotics, and antivirals as a precaution against bioterrorism. Renewed attention was brought to the case of family doctor Harold Shipman when it was announced in July that he had killed 200 other people under his care beyond the 15 for which he was prosecuted. == Politics and law ==

(right) is elected president of Afghanistan East Timor became a sovereign nation in 2002. The United States was not reelected to its membership on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights for the first time. The United Kingdom held a Golden Jubilee celebration for Queen Elizabeth II, marking fifty years as the monarch. Because of this dispute, as well Hussein's involvement with terrorist groups amid the war on terror, an invasion of Iraq by the United States was widely expected. == Religion ==

Religious violence was prevalent in 2002. Hindu–Muslim relations were strained in India, most prominently by an attack on a Hindu train car in February that led to weeks of deadly riots in Gujarat. Unrest from the Second Intifada led to widespread attacks on Jews throughout the world, and Christians in Pakistan faced several attacks throughout the year. The Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal continued from 2001; the church adopted rules on how to address sexual abuse allegations on January 8, and Pope John Paul II made his second papal statement on the matter on March 22. The Catholic Church created four new Russian dioceses in February, resulting in protests by members of the Russian Orthodox Church. Belarus made the Belarusian Orthodox Church into the state's legally recognized religion, curtailing practice of other religions. The Church of England determined in July that divorcees could marry in the church. Then in December, the church saw its first leader in centuries from outside its own membership when the Welsh Rowan Williams was confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury. Islam grappled with the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2002, facing both the expansion of Islamic terrorism and of United States military action in combating it. Orthodox Judaism was the subject of several disputes with the Israeli government throughout the year, including the exemption of Orthodox Jews from military service and recognition of non-Orthodox conversions in the population registry. The relationship between religion and education shifted in several nations in 2002. The removal of the Taliban from power allowed girls to attend school in Afghanistan for the first time, and textbooks funded by the United States included images of women. Pakistan introduced a law to regulate Islamic madrasa schools under pressure from Western nations, but it saw backlash from the schools. State-funded faith schools became a polarizing issue when the government suggested increasing their number. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that school vouchers allowed students to seek religious education. == Science ==

were discovered by archaeologists in 2002. Archeological finds in 2002 included the alleged ossuary of James, brother of Jesus; red ochre cave art in the Blombos Cave in South Africa, created approximately 77,000 years ago and the oldest known artwork; the largest Etruscan civilization settlement found to date, from approximately 2,600 years ago; a collection of bamboo slips featuring 200,000 characters of calligraphy from the Qin dynasty; two stone slabs featuring the Indian emperor Ashoka; ancient irrigation canals under Tucson, Arizona; a Mayan mural in San Bartolo, Guatemala; an Aztec shrine on Pico de Orizaba in Mexico; and the Palace of Parliament of Upper Canada that had been destroyed in the War of 1812. observed a blackberry-shaped molecular structure in molybdenum blue, fluorinated carbon nanotubes, synthesized a stable cyclopentadienyl cation, discovered the oxidation-resistant gold , incorporated a photonic lattice into a tungsten filament, invented the ITQ-21 zeolite to more efficiently refine petroleum, and developed a method to create crystalline oxide film without extreme heat. Major advances in the development and application of stem cells triggered an ethics debate that defined the field, in part because stem cells were commonly developed from the human fetus. The CONTOUR probe was put into orbit on July 3 but lost when activated on August 15. The European Space Agency launched the Meteosat 8 satellite in August and the INTEGRAL observatory in October. It also saw the launch of the Envisat satellite. China launched the Shenzhou 3 and Shenzhou 4 missions in March and December, respectively. Russia sent the second ever space tourist, Mark Shuttleworth, into space. The creation of the International Space Station remained the largest focus of global space programs, but its development was halted for several months after potentially deadly cracks were found on several space shuttles. The open-source-software movement saw growth throughout the year, in part because of Microsoft's success in avoiding tighter regulations in court. China blocked Google Search and AltaVista in August, provoking a hacktivist movement in the United States that worked to circumvent such restrictions in authoritarian nations. Some parts of Google were restored on September 12. New developments in peer-to-peer sharing allowed decentralized file sharing between computers, causing a proliferation of online piracy. Blogging also became a common practice in 2002. Klez was a computer worm that spread extensively in 2002 before public awareness limited its effectiveness. Hybrid vehicles first saw widespread popularity in 2002. ==Events==

January coin • January – Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines: The Philippines and the United States begin a joint operation to combat Jihadist groups in the Philippines. • January 1 – The Euro is introduced as the official physical currency in the Eurozone countries. The first physical transactions are carried out on Réunion. The former currencies of all the countries that use the Euro cease to be legal tender on February 28. • January 6 – The Boston Globe publishes results of an investigation leading to the criminal prosecutions of five Roman Catholic priests and bringing widespread attention to the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. • January 16 – The United Nations and Sierra Leone create a joint Special Court for Sierra Leone to prosecute the Revolutionary United Front. • January 17 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing an estimated 400,000 people. • January 18 – The Sierra Leone Civil War comes to a conclusion with the defeat of the Revolutionary United Front by government forces. • January 19 – In American football, Tom Brady's victory in the Tuck Rule Game causes a national controversy. • January 29 – American president George W. Bush defines an axis of evil consisting of Iran, Iraq, and North Korea in his State of the Union Address. February during the 2002 Winter Olympics • February 3 – 2002 Afyon earthquake: A 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Afyonkarahisar Province, Turkey, killing 41 people and damaging thousands of buildings. • February 5 – NASA launches the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager as part of the Explorers Program. • February 8–24 – The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City, Utah. • February 11 • Several Muslim-majority nations ban an issue of Newsweek International when it depicts Muhammad. • February 12 • The trial of Slobodan Milošević, the former president of Yugoslavia, begins at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. • The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict comes into effect, establishing an international agreement against the use of child soldiers. • February 14 • The State of Bahrain is declared a constitutional monarchy and becomes the Kingdom of Bahrain. • The International Court of Justice rules in favor of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 case. • February 19 – NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system. • February 22 – UNITA guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi is killed in clashes against government troops led by Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos in Moxico Province, Angola. • February 23 • The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia kidnap the presidential candidate Íngrid Betancourt, holding her captive for the next six years. • A ceasefire ends Eelam War III in Sri Lanka. It stays in effect until January 2008. • February 25 – Good Morning Afghanistan begins broadcasting over radio in Dari and Pashto, establishing a national news source for Afghanistan. • February 27 – A mob attacks a train near Godhra, India, killing approximately 59 people. The state of Gujarat breaks out into riots, including the Gulbarg Society massacre on February 28 that kills approximately 69 people. March satellite • March 1 – The Envisat environmental satellite is launched, with its purpose being the recording of information on environmental change. • March 2–10 – Afghan and coalition troops carry out Operation Anaconda in the Shah-i-Kot Valley, the largest combat operation against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban to that point. • March 3 – Switzerland votes in favor of a referendum to join the United Nations, challenging a long-held tradition of neutrality and isolationism. • March 11 – The Tribute in Light is installed at the World Trade Center site in New York City. • March 16 – Sofia Gubaidulina's Johannes-Ostern is premiered, together with her earlier Johannes-Passion, at Hamburg's Michaeliskirche, performed by soloists, choir and orchestra from the Mariinsky Theatre combined with NDR choir and orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev. • March 25 • 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes: A 6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Nahrin, Afghanistan, killing 800 people and leaving 10,000 homeless. • Shenzhou 3 is launched from China. • March 27 • A Palestinian suicide bomber kills 30 people and injures 140 others at a hotel in Netanya, Israel. • Nanterre massacre: A man kills eight members of the Nanterre town council in France at the end of a council meeting. April soldiers during the Battle of Nablus • April 1 • The South West State of Somalia is established as an autonomous territory in Somalia by Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud. • Battle of Jenin: Israeli forces attack Palestinian militants in the Jenin refugee camp. • April 2 – Siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem: Israeli forces besiege the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem when militants take shelter there. The siege will last for 38 days. • April 3–8 – Battle of Nablus: Israeli forces occupy Nablus, Palestine. • April 4 – A peace agreement is made to end the Angolan Civil War. • April 5 – The genome sequence for indica rice is published. • April 11 – Llaguno Overpass events: a shootout takes place between the and pro-government Bolivarian Circles in central Caracas, Venezuela, near the presidential Miraflores Palace, causing 19 deaths and injuring 127 people. The military high command refuse President Hugo Chávez's order to implement the Plan Ávila as a response to the protests and demands his resignation. President Chávez is subsequently arrested by the military. Chávez's request for asylum in Cuba is denied, and he is ordered to be tried in a Venezuelan court. • April 12 – Augustin Bizimungu is arrested for his involvement in the Rwandan genocide. • April 14 – President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela is restored to power following an attempted coup. • April 18 – Romanian mathematician Preda Mihăilescu creates a proof for the Catalan's conjecture, which had gone unsolved for 158 years. • April 25 – South African Mark Shuttleworth blasts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the Soyuz TM-34, becoming the first African space tourist. and George W. Bush sign the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty May • May 2 – Bojayá massacre: A church is struck with a cylinder bomb during a conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, killing an estimated 119 people. • May 4 – NASA launches the Aqua satellite as part of the Earth Observing System. • May 9 – 2002 Kaspiysk bombing: Over 40 people are killed when insurgents bomb a military parade in Kaspiysk, Russia. • May 10 – American FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life in prison for espionage. • May 13 – Rebels bombard Arthington, Liberia, with artillery during the Second Liberian Civil War causing panic in the neighboring capital, Monrovia. • May 14 – Kaluchak massacre: Militants attack a bus and an Indian army camp in Kaluchak, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 31 people and escalating the India–Pakistan standoff. • May 20 – Timor-Leste independence: East Timor regains its independence as the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste after 2.5 years of United Nations administration and 26 years of Indonesian occupation since 1975. • May 22 – Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba asks King Gyanendra to dissolve the parliament amid escalation of the Nepalese Civil War. • May 24 – United States President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin sign the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty. • May 28 – The NATO-Russia Council is established. • May 31 • The 2002 FIFA World Cup begins, taking place in South Korea and Japan. • The Kyoto Protocol is ratified by the European Union. June and its moon Weywot. Quaoar's two rings are not resolved in this image. • June 3 – Archaeologists begin uncovering the Liye Qin Slips in Liye, China. • June 4 • The ringed dwarf planet Quaoar is discovered by astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown at the Palomar Observatory. • The Zeyzoun Dam in Zayzun, Syria, fails. • June 8 – The Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson boxing fight takes place. Following a scuffle prior to the match, Lennox Lewis defeats Mike Tyson. • June 10 – British scientist Kevin Warwick carries out first direct electronic communication experiment between the nervous systems of two humans. • June 12 – The ImClone stock trading case begins when ImClone Systems CEO Samuel D. Waksal is arrested for insider trading. • June 13 • Afghanistan changes its official longform name to the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan. • The United States withdraws from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia. • June 14 – Russia withdraws from the START II nuclear reduction agreement with the United States. • June 22 – 2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake: A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes north-western Iran, killing over 200 people. • June 25 – The WorldCom scandal breaks and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission begins its investigation into WorldCom. • June 29 – Second Battle of Yeonpyeong: During the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, two North Korean patrol boats cross a contested border in between the two Koreas and attack two South Korean Chamsuri-class patrol boats. • June 30 – 2002 FIFA World Cup: Brazil beats Germany 2–0 in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final with Ronaldo scoring the two goals; Brazil's captain Cafu, who becomes the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals, accepts the trophy on behalf of the team. July • July 1 – The Rome Statute comes into force, thereby establishing the International Criminal Court. • July 3 – NASA launches the CONTOUR satellite but loses contact. • July 5 – The Imperial War Museum North opens in Trafford, England. • July 9 • The Organisation of African Unity is disbanded and replaced by the African Union. • The Church of England allows divorcees to remarry. • July 11 • The first synthetic virus is announced after being successfully created and tested at Stony Brook University. • Former Argentine junta leader Leopoldo Galtieri is arrested for the kidnap, torture, and murder of 20 leftist guerillas during the Dirty War. • The discovery of the early hominid Sahelanthropus is announced. • July 13 – Militants attack in Qasim Nagar, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 29 people. • July 14 – The only captive baiji dolphin dies as the species approaches extinction. • July 20 – The Machakos Protocol is signed during the Second Sudanese Civil War, establishing a framework for peace talks and possible independence of South Sudan. • July 21 – At the height of the WorldCom scandal, WorldCom files the largest bankruptcy in American history. • July 23 – Salvadoran generals José Guillermo García and Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova are found liable for torture in an American court. • July 25–August 4 – The 2002 Commonwealth Games are held in Manchester, England. • July 27 – The Sknyliv air show disaster takes place, and kills 77, becoming the deadliest Air show accident of all time August • August 7 – The AKS primality test is published by Manindra Agrawal, Neeraj Kayal, and Nitin Saxena from the Indian Institutes of Technology. • August 19 – 2002 Khankala Mi-26 crash: Chechen separatists shoot down a Russian Mil Mi-26, killing 127 soldiers. It was the worst aviation disaster in the history of the Russian military. • August 22–September 4 – Typhoon Rusa, the most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in 43 years, makes landfall, killing at least 236 people. • August 26–September 4 – Earth Summit 2002 takes places in Johannesburg, South Africa, aimed at discussing sustainable development by the United Nations. • August 28 – EUMETSAT launches the Meteosat 8 satellite as part of its Meteosat program. September • September – Yemeni al-Qaeda operative Ramzi bin al-Shibh is arrested in Pakistan for involvement in the September 11 attacks. He will later be found unfit to stand trial. • September 10 – Switzerland joins the United Nations as the 190th member state after rejecting a place in 1986. • September 14–27 – Hurricane Isidore crosses Cuba, the Yucatán Peninsula, and Louisiana. • September 21–October 4 – Hurricane Lili crosses Cuba and several other Caribbean islands before making landfall in Louisiana. it also changes its official longform name from "Democratic Republic of East Timor" to "Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste". October • October – Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa: The United States deploys troops to the Horn of Africa to combat Islamist groups and pirates. • October 2 – Former Republika Srpska president Biljana Plavšić pleads guilty to crimes against humanity for her involvement in the Bosnian genocide. • October 4 – The genome sequences for malaria carriers anopheles gambiae and plasmodium falciparum are published. • October 10 – The International Court of Justice rules in favor of Cameroon in Cameroon v. Nigeria. • October 11 – The United States Congress approves military action in Iraq should it fail to comply with United Nations requirements for weapons of mass destruction. • October 12 – Jemaah Islamiyah militants detonate multiple bombs in two nightclubs in Kuta, Bali, killing 202 people and injuring over 300 people, making it the worst terrorist act in Indonesia's history. • October 15 – The Somali Reconciliation Conference begins, initiating peace talks between two factions of the Somali Civil War: the Transitional National Government and the government of Puntland. • October 16 • The Indian military stands down from the border with Pakistan, ending the standoff between the two nations. • October 17 – The European Space Agency launches the INTEGRAL observatory. • October 21 – The discovery of the James Ossuary is announced. • October 23–26 – Chechen rebels take control of the Nord-Ost theatre in Moscow and hold the audience hostage. At least 170 people are killed following a Russian attempt to subdue the militants. • October 24 • The culprits of the D.C. sniper attacks are arrested after they kill ten people in the United States over the previous three weeks. • 2002 Bahraini general election: Bahrain holds its first Parliamentary elections since 1973. • October 27 – 2002 Brazilian general election: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is elected President of Brazil. • October 31 – Belarus restricts religious activity outside of the Belarusian Orthodox Church with a new law. November disaster • November 3 – 2002 Denali earthquake: A 7.9 magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest North American earthquakes recorded, occurs in Alaska. Iraq agrees to the terms of the resolution on November 13. • November 15 – Hu Jintao becomes General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. • November 16 – 2002–2004 SARS outbreak: The first case of the Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, a zoonosis caused by a coronavirus, is recorded in Guangdong province of south China. • November 22 – Prague summit: NATO announces seven new countries that intend to join: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. • November 25 • The Hague Code of Conduct is signed to regulate intercontinental ballistic missiles internationally. • U.S. President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Act into law, establishing the Department of Homeland Security, in the largest U.S. government reorganization since the creation of the Department of Defense in 1947. Following a several month-long transitional period, it commences operations the following year. • November 28 – 2002 Mombasa attacks: Suicide bombers blow up an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, but their colleagues fail in their attempt to bring down an Arkia Israel Airlines charter flight with surface-to-air-missiles. December • December 2 – Opponents of President Chavez begin a strike in Venezuela. • December 3 – The government of Burundi signs a ceasefire with the CNDD-FDD rebel group to end the Burundian Civil War. It holds until February 2003. • December 17 • A peace agreement is made in the Second Congo War, approving the creation of the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. • December 27 • 2002 Grozny truck bombing: Chechen suicide bombers attack the government headquarters in Grozny, Russia, killing over 70 people. • December 29 – Shenzhou 4 is launched from China. • December 31 – The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina ends. == Nobel Prizes ==

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