At A Glance

31 December 2002 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 2002 was a Tuesday.
Irish Chart Song in 2002
The Irish chart song for 2002 was “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne.
Top Film of 2002
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2002 was The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 2002 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 2002 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1998 The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency.
  • 1999 The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.
  • 1999 The U.S. government hands control of the Panama Canal (as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone) to Panama. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties.
  • 2001 Rwanda adopts a new national flag and anthem.
  • 2004 The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft).

Famous people born on 31 December

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2002 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '2002 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – The Euro Currency officially became the legal tender for the Republic of Ireland, along with the other European Union (EU) Eurozone member area countries, replacing the Irish pound by being introduced physically with the official launch of the currency coins and banknotes.
  • 9 January – Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev received the Freedom of the City of Dublin.
  • 13 March – The MS Stena Europe ferry was introduced on the Fishguard–Rosslare route.
More events of 2002 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Ireland in 2002

Taoiseach

Bertie Ahern

Petrol (per litre)

€0.88/L

Loaf of Bread

€1.05

Average House

€220,000

Weekly Wage

€315

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Troy Parrott4 February 2002FootballerView their day →Kate O'Connor12 December 2000AthleteView their day →Evan Ferguson19 October 2004FootballerView their day →Rhasidat Adeleke29 August 2002AthleteView their day →Adam Idah11 February 2001FootballerView their day →Amybeth McNulty7 November 2001ActressView their day →James Abankwah16 January 2004FootballerView their day →Sophie O'Sullivan23 December 2001AthleteView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →