2000 History Events: What Happened in 2000

Mission Impossible II, Tom Cruise’s second film in the Mission Impossible franchise, was the highest-grossing film in theatres at the time of its release. The year 2000 was also designated as the International Year of Peace Culture and the World Mathematical Year. It is the year that witnessed the publishing of Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet, the world’s first E-book for the mainstream market.

At the height of the internet bubble, America Online Inc. announced the purchase of Time Warner Inc. for $182 billion in stock and debt. The merger resulted in a $350 billion mega media conglomerate with interests in music production, publishing, entertainment, cable television, news, and internet services. In December 2000, the Federal Trade Commission gave the two corporations permission to consolidate. The new business was 55 percent controlled by AQL stockholders and 45 percent by Time Warner shareholders.

Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced the recall of approximately 6 million Wilderness AT, ATX, and ATX II tyres on August 9. The recall was announced two days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration linked the tyres to hundreds of accidents and 46 deaths. The tread on the tyres was the source of the problem. The research revealed that the tread on the 15-inch Wilderness AT, ATX, and ATX II tyres tended to peel off, causing vehicles to roll over.

For many people, Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year. On Christmas Day 2000, in China, a Christmas party turned fatal. The party was held in an unlicensed disco, which caught fire as the evening progressed. The tragedy in Luoyang, China, claimed the lives of more than 300 individuals. Despite claims that the world was coming to an end, the year 2,000 brought with it a new era of scientific progress and civic rights for neglected societies and groups. The year 2000 is the first of the new millennium.

Continue reading to discover more about the events of 2000.

Event
(February 23, 2000) Carlos Santana, a Mexican-born American artist, tied Michael Jackson's record of eight Grammy Awards with his album Supernatural.
Advertisements (March 17, 2000) A fire at the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God's headquarters in Kanungu, Uganda, led to the discovery of over 775 dead, many of them poisoned.
(March 18, 2000) Chen Shui-bian, a pro-independence leader who desired statehood for the Republic of China (Taiwan), was elected president of Taiwan on this day in 2000, ending the Nationalist Party's 55-year dominance.
(March 26, 2000) Vladimir Putin, a Russian intelligence officer and politician, has been elected President of Russia.
(May 02, 2000) President Bill Clinton of the United States said that highly accurate GPS would be made available to the general people, once the satellite signals had been reduced for nonmilitary use.
Advertisements (May 04, 2000) Ken Livingstone, a British politician, was elected mayor of London, the first time a candidate for an executive office at any level of government was directly elected by British citizens.
(May 21, 2000) Dame Barbara Cartland, a British author who wrote over 700 books, primarily formulaic romantic love stories set in the nineteenth century, died.
(May 24, 2000) After 22 years of occupation, Israeli troops are leaving southern Lebanon.
(May 27, 2000) Maurice ("Rocket") Richard, a Canadian ice hockey player who helped the Montreal Canadiens win eight Stanley Cups and became the first NHL player to achieve 500 goals, died at the age of 78.
Advertisements (June 13, 2000) On this day in 2000, South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in the first summit between the two countries' leaders, earning Kim Dae-Jung the Nobel Peace Prize.
(September 14, 2000) Windows Me, which was the successor to Windows 98, was released to retail customers. photo source: wikimedia.org
(October 11, 2000) The International Women of the Year Association honoured Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, with the title of Greatest Woman Achiever of the Century during a ceremony in London. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 02, 2000) Expedition 1 - The International Space Station's first resident crew, consisting of one American and two Russians, arrived for the first long-duration stay onboard. From that day forward, the station has maintained a continuous human presence in space. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 07, 2000) Hillary Clinton was elected to the United States Senate, making her the first first lady to hold elective office. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (December 01, 2000) Vicente Fox Quesada is sworn in as Mexico's president, marking the country's first peaceful transfer of executive federal authority to an opposition political party after a free and democratic election. photo source: wikimedia.org