Uncover the Past: 13 Surprising and Entertaining Facts from 2002 You Never Knew!

1. Brain's Reaction to Sexy Images

Ever wonder why you just can't look away from scantily clad beachgoers or steamy movie scenes? It turns out, your brain has some stealthy seaside cravings of its own: In 2006, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine discovered that our brains determine the erotic appeal of an image long before we're consciously aware of it, with both men's and women's brains experiencing an equally potent reaction to sexy stimuli that triggers a strong response in the hypothalamus.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. GREENIES Pet Dental Treats and Pill Pockets

In 2002, pet owners everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief when the age-old question of "how to sneak medication into your pet's food" was answered in a delicious and nutritious way: GREENIES launched its line of dental treats and supplements made from quality ingredients across the globe, introducing America's furry friends to the wonders of pill pockets and hip & joint supplements.
Source => greenies.com

Discover the fascinating origin story of Facebook, from its 2004 creation in a Harvard dorm room to becoming a global phenomenon with over a billion users, endless controversies, and an unstoppable hunger for "Likes"!

=> Fun Facts about The-2000s

3. Chester Bennington's Ve'cel Clothing Line

Before he was rocking his "In the End" wardrobe, Chester Bennington was strutting his stuff down the catwalks in his mind, dreaming of fabulous punk couture: In 2002, the Linkin Park frontman launched his own high-end clothing line called Ve'cel, inspired by his love for fashion and art, and targeting men and women between 15 and 40 with an edgy and unique design style.
Source => ocregister.com

4. Fossil Wrist PDA Smartwatch

Who needs a Flux Capacitor when you have a wristwatch that doubles as a PDA? The future was clearly arriving ahead of schedule: In 2002, Fossil introduced the Fossil Wrist PDA, a smartwatch running on Palm OS that could do almost everything a regular PDA could, complete with touch screen, virtual keyboard, and PC-syncing abilities. But of course, the Fossil Wrist PDA received some flak for its chunky design, tiny dim screen, unimpressive battery life, and fear of commitment to water.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Chamber of Secrets Box Office Success

With a wave of their wand and a swish of their cloak, Harry Potter and his fellow wizards conjured bank vaults overflowing with gold and left Muggles everywhere green with galleons-envy: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" boasted a magical $100 million budget, only to enchantingly gross $879.8 million worldwide and secure its place as the second highest-grossing film of 2002.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. American Idol's Star-Making Debut

Before the Kardashians were the rulers of our reality TV universe, a competition show emerged from the primordial ooze of addictive television to mold future pop sensations out of clay — and no, we're not talking about Clay Aiken: American Idol premiered in 2002 as a launching pad for artists who would become household names, such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jennifer Hudson, while racking up a whopping 345 Billboard chart-toppers during its 14-year reign.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Sabena's Transformation into Brussels Airlines

Sabena's bankruptcy flew them into a terminal tailspin, but they soared out of the ashes like a financially reborn Phoenix: In 2002, the Belgian airline's assets were taken over by SN Brussels Airlines, which eventually merged with Virgin Express and transformed into the flag carrier we know today as Brussels Airlines.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. LinkedIn's Prehistoric Beginnings

In the not-so-distant, economically prehistoric year of 2002, in a land filled with dial-up internet and flip phones, a new social species was born in the living room of a curious entrepreneur named Reid Hoffman: Enter, LinkedIn – or at least, the germ of the idea. Colon: The professional networking giant we know today was actually launched on May 5, 2003, aiming to unite the world's cubicle dwellers and corner office kings. This powerhouse now boasts 930 million members in more than 200 countries, cashing in on subscriptions, ads, and recruitment solutions, and in a Game of Technological Thrones-style twist, was acquired by Microsoft in 2016 to rule the realm of professional clouds and networks.
Source => about.linkedin.com

9. First-Generation Roomba Invasion

In 2002, our robotic overlords took their first sneaky steps into our homes under the guise of helpful cleaning assistants, whizzing and whirring their way to world domination: Enter the first-generation Roomba by iRobot – an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner equipped with sensors to navigate obstacles, avoid stairs, and eventually pave the way for models with tangle-free brushes, obstacle avoidance technology, and smartphone app-based performance maps.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Tour

In 2002, Queen Elizabeth II went on a world tour so fabulously grand that even the pop stars were left green with envy: To mark her Golden Jubilee, the globe-trotting monarch and Prince Philip covered a staggering 40,000 miles, visiting exotic Commonwealth realms like the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, making the festivities truly spectacular even amidst the somber mourning of Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's passing earlier that year.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Ricky Martin's World Cup Anthem

When the world was livin' la vida loca and shaking their bon-bons to the beat of Latin pop: 1998 gifted us with "La Copa De La Vida" by Ricky Martin, the official anthem of the year's World Cup, which danced its way to being number one in eight countries and achieved platinum status in Australia, France, and Sweden.
Source => bleacherreport.com

12. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem Game

In a world where video game characters need therapy, one game dared to question our very sanity: In 2002, "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem" was released for the Nintendo GameCube, introducing unique "sanity effects" that toyed with players by breaking the fourth wall, earning critical acclaim and several awards, but sadly, never achieving commercial success nor a direct sequel.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

13. The SQL Slammer Worm Attack

In 2002, the world experienced a digital hiccup that triggered the "Mother of all Tech Hangovers": A Microsoft security patch went ignored, leaving the door wide open for the SQL Slammer worm to infect over 75,000 hosts within just 10 minutes, effectively plunging the Internet into chaos as it caused denial of service, slowed traffic, and crashed countless routers worldwide.
Source => en.wikipedia.org