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Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

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2002 Year in Pictures

Spanish Translation

The year 2002 was a time for hope. See it in the eager faces of Afghan girls going to school for the first time? How about in the eyes of an East Timorese boy celebrating his nation's independence? The human race's hope for the future is what keeps us going through troubled times.

This year had its share of trouble. We worried about terrorism and the conflict with Iraq. The economy hit a rough patch, and many Americans lost their jobs. Floods, drought and fires did their awful damage.

In picking images for this week's magazine, we aimed to include many moments of hope and triumph. We want to remember the year as a time of challenge that was met with great courage and strength. We hope that you will too.

January 2002

On January 1, 12 European nations said adios and ciao to local coins and bills such as the peseta and lira. They adopted a single currency: the euro. Leaders hope that the euro will build a bond among Europe's 304 million people and improve trade. Some rang in the new year near a euro symbol (above) in Frankfurt, Gerrmany.

February 2002

Shocking scandals and charges of dishonesty rocked several big U.S. corporations in 2002. None made more news than Enron Corporation, once a powerful natural gas and electric company. In February, its former chief, Kenneth Lay, appeared before a Senate committee in Washington, D.C., to answer questions about Enron's failure. It filed for bankruptcy in December 2001 and laid off more than 4,000 workers. Aready, four Enron bosses have been accused of crimes.

March 2002

Schools opened in Afghanistan on March 23, and for the first time in nearly six years, girls could attend! Education for Afghan girls was forbidden under the rule of the Taliban, the country's strict Islamic government. U.S. forces drove the Taliban out of power in late 2001. By July 2002, almost 3,000,000 students were enrolled in school. About one-third of them were girls. The girls pictured attended school in Kabul, the capital.

April 2002

Astronauts installed a new, more powerful camera onto the Hubble Space Telescope. The $76 million Advanced Camera for Surveys has already captured out-of-sight images of galaxies colliding and stars being born (below). Launched in 1990, the Hubble is in orbit more than 300 miles above Earth.

May 2002

In East Timor, May 20 was a day of great celebration. The tiny nation gained its independence after 24 years of Indonesian rule. The people of East Timor had first voted for independence in August 1999. Over the next three years, the United Nations helped create a democratic government. This boy waves the nation's new flag.

On May 3, comic-book hero Spider-Man beat the bad guys and broke box office records. Spidey's movie snared $200 million in ticket sales in just nine days, faster than any film in history!

June 2002

The wildfire season started early this year. Dry, hot conditions fueled the blazes, like this one in Colorado. Arizona and Colorado were hit with the largest fires in either state's history, and Oregon suffered its largest in 100 years! This year was among the worst since 1950. 7.1 million acres have burned.

July 2002

Scientists in Africa announced the discovery of a nearly 7 million-year-old humanlike skull. The fossil, found in Chad, appears to be the oldest-known human ancestor.

Also in July, nine Pennsylvania coal miners were saved after being trapped underground for five days.

After four years of failed attempts, Steve Fossett finally reached his goal. On July 2, the Chicago millionaire became the first person to circle the globe alone in a hot-air balloon. His trip took 14 days.

August 2002

Record summer rain caused raging floods in Eastern and Central Europe. At least 120 people died, and thousands were forced to flee as rivers overflowed in towns like Pirna, Germany (above).

A hot, dry summer led to one of the worst U.S. droughts in 50 years. Farmers lost crops, and lakes and ponds, like this one in South Carolina, dried up.

September 2002

The world marked the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. President George W. Bush visited the World Trade Center site in New York City (left), the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the plane-crash site in Pennsylvania.

On September 12, President Bush addressed world leaders at the U.N. He asked for support in pressuring Iraq to get rid of its illegal weapons.

October 2002

It was a wild World Series win for the Anaheim Angels over the San Francisco Giants on October 27. This was the first time two wild-card teams played for the champion-ship. Barry Bonds and the Giants put up a good fight, but the Angels brought home their first World Series title ever.

November 2002

On Election Day, Americans voted for state and local leaders and Congress members. For the first time in 50 years, the Republican party gained control of both houses of Congress during a Republican presidency. New members of the House of Representatives (below), who take office in January, posed at the Capitol building.

December 2002

United Nations weapons inspectors search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In a report to the U.N. on December 8, Iraq denied having such weapons. Inspectors will search the nation, including its presidential places (above) until February. If illegal weapons are found, the U.S. will likely lead an attack against Iraq.

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