Jun 1-4
Queen's Golden Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 50 years on the throne. Brian May played guitar on the Buckingham Palace roof. A million people filled the Mall. The Queen had outlived predictions of the monarchy's decline.
🇬🇧United Kingdom · 00s
Golden Jubilee
The Queen celebrated 50 years, Pop Idol created a new kind of fame, and England nearly won the World Cup.
What happened
5 milestones of 2002
Mar 30
Death of the Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother died aged 101. She had been a symbol of wartime resilience and royal duty. 200,000 people filed past her coffin in Westminster Hall.
Royal bereavement — respectful
Jun 21
World Cup 2002
England reached the World Cup quarter-finals in Japan/South Korea. Beckham redeemed himself with a penalty against Argentina. Ronaldinho's free kick knocked England out. Sven-Göran Eriksson's men came home.
Oct 12
Bali Bombings
Terrorist bombs killed 202 people in Bali, including 28 British tourists. The deadliest attack on Britons since Lockerbie. The 'War on Terror' felt very close to home.
Terrorism — honour all victims
Aug 4
Soham Murders
Two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, were murdered in Soham, Cambridgeshire, by school caretaker Ian Huntley. The case led to major changes in criminal records checks for people working with children.
Child murder — extreme sensitivity. Focus on the victims and safeguarding reforms
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Chris Columbus — Daniel Radcliffe returns. The franchise was unstoppable.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Peter Jackson — Helm's Deep. Gollum. Andy Serkis performance capture.
28 Days Later
Danny Boyle — Cillian Murphy in deserted London. British horror reinvented.
Bend It Like Beckham
Gurinder Chadha — Football and Punjabi families in Hounslow. Cross-cultural gem.
Spider-Man
Sam Raimi — Tobey Maguire. The superhero film era began in earnest.
What was on TV
Pop Idol
2001-2003 — Will Young beat Gareth Gates. 9 million voted. Reality TV conquered.
Golden Jubilee Concert
Jun 2002 — Brian May on the Palace roof. Paul McCartney. A million in the Mall.
The Office
2001-2003 — Ricky Gervais as David Brent. 'That's what she said.' Changed comedy.
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
2002-present — Tony Blackburn won the first series from the Australian jungle.
Faking It
2000-2006 — Channel 4's social experiment. Ordinary people trained as experts.
How much things cost
Currency: GBP
Pint of milk38p
Loaf of bread62p
Pint of bitter£2.10
Average house£101,544
Litre of petrol72p
Cinema ticket£5.00
Inflation: 1.3%
House prices surging. Low inflation. Employment high. The boom continued. Iraq debate looming.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Pint of milkONS
2002 (GBP)
38p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Loaf of breadONS
2002 (GBP)
62p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Pint of bitterBBPA
2002 (GBP)
£2.10
→
Today's value (£)
--
Average houseONS
2002 (GBP)
£101,544
→
Today's value (£)
--
Litre of petrolAA
2002 (GBP)
72p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Cinema ticketBFI
2002 (GBP)
£5.00
→
Today's value (£)
--
Technology
Camera phones
First camera phones appearing — everyone became a photographer.
Broadband
ADSL broadband replacing dial-up — always-on internet.
iPod
Apple iPod spreading — 1,000 songs in your pocket.
Wi-Fi
Wireless internet in homes and coffee shops.
Text messaging
SMS dominant — 30 billion texts sent in the UK this year.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Low-rise jeans and crop topsBurberry check — worn by everyone, then associated with 'chav' cultureJuicy Couture tracksuits — velour luxury
Slang
Chav— Pejorative term for working-class youth
Innit— Isn't it — universal tag question
Peak— Bad, unfortunate
Behavior
- Golden Jubilee restored affection for the monarchy after Diana's death years
- Pop Idol and reality TV changed the nature of fame
- The Office changed comedy — mockumentary became the dominant form
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