391 notable events from 2002 — murders, terror attacks and air crashes. Page 1 of 4.
- Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart
Jun 5, 2002–Mar 12, 2003 · United States · Kidnapping & hostage
- Ariel Castro kidnappings
Aug 22, 2002 · United States · Kidnapping & hostage
- Murder of Laci Peterson
Dec 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- D.C. sniper attacks
Sep 5, 2002–Oct 24, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Moscow theater hostage crisis
Oct 23, 2002–Oct 26, 2002 · Russian Federation · Kidnapping & hostage
- 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision
Jul 1, 2002 · Germany · Aviation accident
- Soham murders
Aug 4, 2002 · United Kingdom · Murder & homicide
- John Allen Muhammad
Feb 16, 2002–Oct 23, 2002 · United States · Terrorism
- 2002 Gujarat violence
Mar 1, 2002 · India · Riot & unrest
- Levi Bellfield
Mar 21, 2002–Aug 19, 2004 · Attack (other)
- Cogne case
Jan 30, 2002 · Italy · Murder & homicide
- Godhra train burning
Feb 27, 2002 · India · Rail accident
- William Clyde Gibson
Jan 1, 2002–Jan 1, 2012 · Murder & homicide
- China Airlines Flight 611
May 25, 2002 · Taiwan · Aviation accident
- Bison Dele
Jul 7, 2002 · French Polynesia · Murder & homicide
- Murder of Charles Perez
Jul 13, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- 2002–2004 SARS outbreak
Nov 16, 2002–May 19, 2004 · Mongolia · Epidemic & disease
- GBU-43/B MOAB
Jan 1, 2002 · Bombing & explosion
- Saipan incident
May 1, 2002 · Northern Mariana Islands · Scandal & controversy
- 2002 Bali bombings
Oct 12, 2002 · Indonesia · Terrorism
- Murder of Milly Dowler
Mar 21, 2002 · United Kingdom · Murder & homicide
- 7 World Trade Center
Jan 1, 2002 · United States · Terrorism
- Erfurt school massacre
Apr 26, 2002 · Germany · Shooting
- Nara noise injury case
Nov 1, 2002–Apr 1, 2005 · Japan
- Richthofen case
Oct 31, 2002 · Brazil · Crime & justice
- Élodie Kulik affair
Jan 10, 2002 · France · Murder & homicide
- Sknyliv air show disaster
Jul 27, 2002 · Ukraine · Aviation accident
- Dos Palmas kidnappings
Jun 7, 2002 · Philippines · Kidnapping & hostage
- Murder of Gwen Araujo
Oct 4, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- 2002 Tampa Cessna 172 crash
Jan 5, 2002 · United States · Terrorism
- Inaba Incident
2002 · Japan · Scandal & controversy
- Scott Dozier
Apr 18, 2002 · Murder & homicide
- West Bank barrier
from 2002 · Palestine · Terrorism
- Mishima women's junior college student burning murder case
Jan 22, 2002 · Japan · Murder & homicide
- John Darwin disappearance case
Mar 21, 2002 · United Kingdom · Disappearance
- Assassination of Pim Fortuyn
May 6, 2002 · Netherlands · Murder & homicide
- Koodathayi cyanide killings
Jan 1, 2002 · India · Murder & homicide
- Air China Flight 129
Apr 15, 2002 · South Korea · Aviation accident
- Mabuchi Motor president's home murder and arson case
Aug 5, 2002 · Japan · Attack (other)
- Skin Hunters
2002 · Poland · Crime & justice
- Northwest Airlines Flight 85
Oct 9, 2002 · Russian Federation · Aviation accident
- Denis Gorin
Jan 1, 2002–Jan 1, 2012 · Russian Federation · Murder & homicide
- Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
from Apr 11, 2002 · Algeria · War & armed conflict
- First Ivorian Civil War
Sep 19, 2002–Mar 4, 2007 · Côte d'Ivoire · War & armed conflict
- Mohamed Medjahed case
Oct 7, 2002 · France · Crime & justice
- 2002 Venezuelan coup attempt
Apr 11, 2002 · Venezuela · War & armed conflict
- Prestige oil spill
Nov 19, 2002 · Spain · War & armed conflict
- Garuda Indonesia Flight 421
Jan 16, 2002 · Indonesia · Aviation accident
- Rywin affair
from Jul 22, 2002 · Poland · Scandal & controversy
- "False positives" scandal
2002 · Colombia · Scandal & controversy
- Erika and Benjamin Sifrit
May 25, 2002 · Murder & homicide
- Irina Gaidamachuk
Jan 1, 2002–Jan 1, 2010 · Russian Federation · Murder & homicide
- Death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Mar 30, 2002 · United Kingdom · Death & funeral
- Robert Roberson case
Jan 31, 2002 · Murder & homicide
- 2002 European floods
Aug 5, 2002–Sep 13, 2002 · Germany · Natural disaster
- 2002 Japan animal cruelty case
2002 · Japan · Crime & justice
- 2002 Khankala Mi-26 crash
Aug 19, 2002 · Russian Federation · Aviation accident
- Akshardham Temple attack
Sep 24, 2002–Sep 25, 2002 · India · Terrorism
- China Northern Airlines Flight 6136
May 7, 2002 · China · Aviation accident
- Luxair Flight 9642
Nov 6, 2002 · Luxembourg · Aviation accident
- Naroda Patiya massacre
Feb 28, 2002 · India · Massacre
- Disappearance of Marita Verón
Apr 3, 2002 · Argentina · Disappearance
- Murder of Brett Bowyer
Jan 1, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Murder of Danielle van Dam
Feb 1, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Perejil Island crisis
Jul 11, 2002–Jul 18, 2002 · Spain · War & armed conflict
- Vyacheslav Yaikov
Jan 1, 2002–Jan 1, 2003 · Russian Federation · Murder & homicide
- Murder of Alton McDonald
Apr 3, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Murder of Samantha Runnion
Jul 15, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Mount Tomuraushi mountaineering accident (2002)
Jul 2002 · Japan
- I-40 bridge disaster
May 26, 2002 · United States · Maritime disaster
- Bojayá massacre
May 2, 2002 · Colombia · Massacre
- Nanterre massacre
Mar 27, 2002 · France · Shooting
- Murder of Casey Williamson
Jul 26, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Murder of Marinus Schöberl
Jul 13, 2002 · Germany · Crime & justice
- Shenyang consulate North Korean defector asylum incident
May 8, 2002 · China · War & armed conflict
- Murder of Kacie Woody
Dec 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Gunma high school girl kidnapping murder case
Jul 19, 2002 · Japan · Murder & homicide
- Disappearance of Joshua Guimond
Nov 9, 2002 · United States · Disappearance
- Sexual abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston
2002 · United States · Crime & justice
- Trial of Slobodan Milošević
Feb 12, 2002–Mar 2006 · Netherlands · War & armed conflict
- Effacer le tableau
Oct 2002–Jan 2003 · DR Congo · Genocide & ethnic violence
- Galaxy Leader
2002–Jul 6, 2025 · Maritime disaster
- Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines
Jan 15, 2002–Oct 23, 2017 · Philippines · War & armed conflict
- Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa
from Oct 7, 2002 · Somalia · War & armed conflict
- Murder of Alexandra Zapp
Jul 18, 2002 · United States · Murder & homicide
- Kobe graduate student lynching murder case
Mar 4, 2002 · Japan · Murder & homicide
- Casa Pia child sexual abuse scandal
Nov 23, 2002 · Portugal · Crime & justice
- Bagram torture and prisoner abuse
Jan 1, 2002 · Afghanistan · Terrorism
- Llaguno Overpass events
Apr 11, 2002 · Venezuela · Massacre
- Case of María Marta García Belsunce
Oct 27, 2002 · Argentina · Murder & homicide
- Tarnak Farm incident
Apr 17, 2002 · Afghanistan · War & armed conflict
- Battle of Jenin (2002)
Apr 11, 2002 · Palestine · War & armed conflict
- Tri-State Crematory scandal
Feb 15, 2002 · United States · Scandal & controversy
- Gulbarg Society massacre
Feb 28, 2002 · India · Massacre
- Disappearance of Tina Lim
Jun 22, 2002 · Singapore · Disappearance
- 2002 Lima, Ohio, apartment shooting
Jan 3, 2002 · United States · Shooting
- Protests against the Iraq War
2002–2011 · Riot & unrest
- Michael Brown Okinawa assault incident
Nov 2, 2002 · Japan · Attack (other)
- Maxime Brunerie
Jul 14, 2002 · Attack (other)
- EgyptAir Flight 843
May 7, 2002 · Tunisia · Aviation accident