On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 2002, the world population was approximately 6,337,730,342 people[†]
2002Elena Huelva, Spanish cancer activist and influencer (died 2023)[†]
Elena Huelva Palomo was a Spanish cancer activist, influencer, and writer. Through her regular use of social media, she divulged information about Ewing sarcoma, the type of cancer she was suffering from, to a wider audience, and demanded more investment for cancer research. She was credited with increasing the visibility of childhood bone cancer while dispelling misconceptions and myths about the disease.
2002Niki de Saint Phalle, French-American sculptor and painter (born 1930)[†]
Niki de Saint Phalle was a French sculptor, painter, filmmaker, and author of colorful hand-illustrated books. Widely noted as one of the few female monumental sculptors, Saint Phalle was also known for her social commitment and work.
New York Yankees defeat Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3; photos (M)
Stephen Jay Gould, Harvard University evolutionary theorist whose research, lectures and prolific output of essays helped reinvigorate field of paleontology, dies of cancer at age 60; was one of most influential evolutionary biologists of 20th century, perhaps best known since Charles Darwin; Gould touched off numerous debates forcing scientists to rethink sometimes entrenched ideas about evolutionary patterns and processes; his best known theory of punctuated equilibrium, developed with Niles Eldredge, argued that evolutionary change in fossil record came in fits and starts rather than in steady process of slow change; brought forsaken paleontological perspective to evolutionary mainstream; photos (M)
Amster Yard, eclectic collection of apartments and offices on Manhattan's East 49th Street that won landmark status in 1996 and was home to community of artistic tenants, is demolished as part of construction project; Landmarks Preservation Commission says site's developer, Instituto Cervantes, nonprofit cultural group created by Spanish government, did not violate any laws or regulations while preparing to build auditorium under yard and renovate buildings around it; questions remain about whether public was informed properly about various steps in demolition, and whether necessary permits were issued before corner of city once hailed as 'blueprint for the future' was razed; photos (M)
Ben Brantley reviews Mike Leigh play Smelling a Rat, directed by Scott Elliott; Terence Rigby stars; photo (M)
Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column on Jerry West, new president of basketball operations for struggling Memphis Grizzlies who went from building perennial champion Los Angeles Lakers to nursing Grizzlies, hoping that New Jersey Nets' rise to success means his small-market team can follow suit; photo (M)
Securities and Exchange Commission sues Ernst & Young, accusing firm of violating ethics rules by having seven-year business partnership with client PeopleSoft; SEC says while Ernst was auditing PeopleSoft firm's tax department and PeopleSoft jointly developed and marketed computer program to help clients manage payroll and tax withholding for overseas employees; Ernst agreed to pay PeopleSoft royalties of 15 percent to 30 percent from each sale of program; complaint says firm also earned 'hundreds of millions of dollars in consulting revenues' from its sale of software to clients; Ernst says it is 'surprised and disappointed' by complaint and vows to fight accusations before administrative law judge; spokesman Leslie Zucke says relationship did not create any errors on PeopleSoft's financial statements, which SEC has acknowledged; adds issues raised by complaint are 'purely technical' and out of date (M)
Rolf E Breuer's most immediate goal when he takes over for Josef Ackermann as chief executive of Deutsche Bank is to bolser bank's lagging stock price by drastically cutting costs; Deutsche Bank is one of biggest banks in world but it is less efficient than its competitors and its market capitalization makes it hard for bank to engage in any big deals; no one expects Deutsche Bank to fall victim to foreign takeover any time soon, but bank that used to be at very heart of Germany Inc has already ceased to be German institution in many respects; more than half of bank's powerful new executive committee, led by Ackermann, are non-Germans and three of them are Americans; chart; photo (M)
Article on latest research into whether 'runner's high' actually exists; neuroscientists are finding that exercise in rats may be addictive but that it is not clear that crucial brain chemical is an endorphin; photo (M)
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel fired ministers from the rigorously Orthodox Shas Party from his cabinet after they voted against an emergency economic package in Parliament.
British Sky Broadcasting Group, controlled by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, says its attempt to exercise put options, which would force insolvent KirchpayTV to buy back BSkyB's 22 percent stake for $1.5 billion is rejected (S)
Article on Charles Lindbergh and his plane, Spirit of St Louis, which made first nonstop trans-Atlantic flight, from New York to Paris, on May 21, 1927; focuses on Lindbergh's design for plane and his preparations for trip; photos; diagrams (M)
Gazprom's board recommends PricewaterhouseCoopers continue as auditor, ignoring shareholder criticism that accounting firm failed to reveal billions of dollars of losses at Gazprom; photo (S)