1999

Year 1999 () was a (link will display full 1999 ).

The year 1999 was designated the by the.

Ongoing

 * preparation was a major event in 1999 both in actual events and in media over-reporting.
 * The of  surpassed six . The  Population Fund designated October 12 as the approximate date for this event.
 * The of  surpassed six . The  Population Fund designated October 12 as the approximate date for this event.

January
s.
 * - European currency, the, is introduced, locking the exchange rates of member state currencies.
 * - A brutal smashes into the ern, causing 14 inches (359 mm) of snow at  and 19 inches (487 mm) at . In Chicago, temperatures plunge to -13°F (-25°C), and 68 deaths are reported.
 * - Gunmen open fire on Muslims worshipping in a mosque in, , killing 16 people and injuring 25.
 * - releases the.
 * - A large piece of the chalk cliff at collapses into the sea.
 * - After 13 years of playing basketball, superstar  announces his second retirement from basketball.
 * - The announces new government restrictions on  use aimed especially at
 * - : In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the intercepts a ship with over 9,500 pounds (4.3 t) of  aboard, headed for.
 * - A 6.0  hits western, killing at least 1,000.
 * - The win their second  in a row, defeating the  34-19 in  at, in ,.

February



 * - Unarmed n immigrant is shot dead by NYC police officers on an unrelated stake-out, inflaming race relations in the city.
 * - is sentenced to a year's imprisonment, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve 2 years probation and perform 200 hours of community service for the,  assault on 2 people after a car accident.
 * - King dies from, and his son  inherits the throne.
 * - s in the near  kill at least 10.
 * - moves along its eccentric orbit further from the  than . It was then considered a planet but is now categorized as a . It had been nearer than Neptune since, and will become again in.
 * - In, an apparent attempt against President  takes place at government headquarters.
 * - Across Europe, ish rebels take over embassies and hold hostages after arrests one of their rebel leaders.
 * - In, testimony begins in the trial of who is accused of dragging   to death in an apparent . King is later convicted and sentenced to the.
 * - The Albertinkatu shootings in, : Three men are killed and 1 wounded at a shooting range.
 * - Moderate i cleric  is assassinated.
 * - ish rebel leader is charged with  in,.
 * -  is found guilty of kidnapping and killing   by dragging him behind a truck for 2 miles (3 km).
 * - An destroys the village of Galtür,, killing 31.
 * - : The State of executes, a German national involved in an armed robbery that led to a death. Karl's brother Walter is executed a week later, in spite of 's legal action in the  to attempt to save him.
 * - While trying to circumnavigate the world in a, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after being in a hot air balloon for 233 hours and 55 minutes.

March

 * - One of 4 bombs detonated in, , destroys the Angolan.
 * - n rebels kill and hack to pieces 8 foreign tourists at the Buhoma homestead,.
 * - The comes into force.
 * - and  begin their attempt to circumnavigate the world in a  without stopping.
 * - is executed in the.
 * - In a military court, Captain Richard Ashby is acquitted of the charge of reckless flying which resulted in the deaths of 20 skiers in the, when his low-flying jet hit a  cable.
 * -, and the  join.
 * - In, the resigns over allegations of corruption.
 * - The is introduced by U.S. Senator
 * - s launch an offensive in.
 * - and  become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a.
 * - U.S. pro- doctor goes on trial for murder in.
 * - Gunmen assassinate 's Vice President.
 * - launches air strikes against the, which refused to sign a peace treaty. This marks the first time NATO attacked a sovereign country.
 * - Fire in the kills 39 people, closing the tunnel for nearly three years.
 * - energy traders allegedly route 2,900 megawatts of electricity destined for  to the town of, population 200.
 * - The attacks the.
 * - A jury finds Dr.  guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man (an incident videotaped and aired on the   edition of ).
 * - : A U.S. is shot down by Serbian forces.
 * - For the first time, the closes above the 10,000 mark, at 10,006.78.
 * - defeats, despite overwhelming predictions to the contrary, for the.

April

 * -, an homeland, is created from the eastern portion of the  to become 's third, and final.
 * - Two ns suspected of bringing down in 1988 are handed over to Scottish authorities for eventual trial in the . The  suspends sanctions against.
 * - In, Russell Henderson pleads guilty to and felony murder, in order to avoid a possible  conviction for the apparent  killing of.
 * - : 's main border crossings are closed by n forces to prevent ethnic ns from leaving.
 * - A bomb explodes at the Church in ;  claims responsibility.
 * -, president of , is assassinated.
 * - Tercentenary celebrations of the creation of the,.
 * - A nail bomb explodes in the middle of a busy market in, South.
 * - "The Great One" plays his final  game.
 * - The US Navy kills a civilian guard in the Naval Base at Vieques, an island east of Puerto Rico which the Navy has used since 1943. The death of the civilian officer sparks off a civil disobedience campaign throughout the island of Puerto Rico to protest the presence of the Navy on the island.
 * - : Two teenagers,, open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12 students and 1 teacher, and then themselves.
 * - The term of as the 10th  of  ends.
 * -, of , becomes the 11th  of.
 * - T.V presenter, 37, is shot dead on the doorstep of her home in ,.
 * - joins the  (ASEAN), bringing the total members to 10.
 * - A third nail bomb (see ) explodes in the in Old Compton Street,, killing a pregnant woman and two friends and injuring 70 others, including her husband. This is part of a hate campaign against  and  people by.

May

 * - The Series Premiere of the animated cartoon,.
 * - Norman J. Sirnic and Karen Sirnic are murdered by the serial killer in a parsonage in  (his fourth and fifth victims in his fourth slaying incident).
 * - : A  slams into, killing 38 people - the second strongest tornado ever recorded in United States history.
 * - The closes above 11,000 for the first time, at 11,014.70.
 * - Elections are held in and  for the new  and.
 * - A jury finds  and liable in the shooting death of, after the show purposely deceived  to appear on a secret same-sex crush episode.
 * - : In the, 3 embassy workers are killed and 20 wounded, when a  aircraft mistakenly bombs the Chinese Embassy in.
 * - In, President is ousted in a military.
 * - becomes the first female cadet to graduate from.
 * - scores the goal that keeps  in the.
 * - becomes the first Presiding Officer (Speaker) of the modern.
 * - is elected President of.
 * - is elected prime minister of.
 * - The launches an attack on intruding  Army troops and  militants in.
 * - The first in over 600 years opens in.
 * - wins the  at the  stadium,, beating  to lift their third major trophy of the season, after winning the   and , an unprecedented feat for a single season.
 * - The in,  indicts  and four others for s and  committed in.
 * - The s  and  gets wounded by three bank robbers armed with automatic weapons and later executed with their own service pistols by shots in the head from close distance on the scene in.
 * - After 22 years of restoration work, ’s "" is placed back on display in,.
 * -, a South African mountaineer, becomes the first woman to summit from both the north and south sides.
 * - terminates military rule, and the  is established with  as.

June

 * - debuts.
 * - After decades of fighting off outside technological influences like television, the allows television transmissions to commence in  for the first time, coinciding with the King's Silver Jubilee (see ).
 * - The, the armed wing of the , agrees in principle to disband in.
 * - In, 345 prisoners escape from through the front gate.
 * - The government of announces it will include the estimated value of the country's  crops, exceeding half a billion s, in its.
 * - : The and  sign a.
 * - Kosovo War: suspends its s after  agrees to withdraw n forces from.
 * - Kosovo War: begins - -led  peacekeeping forces  enter the province of  in the.
 * - Governor  announces he will seek the  nomination for.
 * - George Morber Senior and Carolyn Frederick are murdered by in  (his 8th and 9th victims, in his 7th and final incident).
 * - Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras wins the Libertadores Cup.
 * - The international anti-globalization protests are organized in dozens of cities around the world, some of which lead to riots.
 * - The defeat the  in triple overtime of game six of the  to win their first .  scores the controversial cup-winning goal to seal the victory.
 * - is hit in a car accident on Route 5 in,  by.
 * - releases the first.
 * - The defeat the  78-77 in Game 5 of the  to take home the title in a strike-shortened season.

July



 * - begins a 3-day killing spree targeting racial and ethnic minorities in Illinois and Indiana, USA.
 * - U.S. Army Pfc. is bludgeoned in his sleep at,  by fellow soldiers; he dies the next day from his injuries.
 * - In, runs the fastest mile ever recorded - a mere 3:43:13.
 * - recaptures, forcing the  Army to retreat. India announces victory ending the two-month conflict.
 * - Off the coast of, a plane piloted by crashes, killing him and his wife  and her sister.
 * - pitches a, the 16th in history, as the  defeat the , 6-0, to celebrate Yogi Berra Day.
 * - : is raised from the.
 * - begins.  was banned in the  under.
 * - The first version of Messenger is released by.
 * - is hijacked in.
 * - becomes king upon the death of his father.
 * - - The festival is held in.
 * - wins his first.
 * - The last taxi cab is retired in  and auctioned off for approximately $135,000.
 * - Twenty-one people die in a disaster near,.
 * - kills 9 in.
 * - intentionally crashes the   into the, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the lunar surface.

August

 * - Hundreds of Chechen guerrillas invade the n republic of, triggering a short war.
 * - The first, the largest music & culture festival in , is held.
 * - n President fires his Prime Minister,, and for the fourth time fires his entire cabinet.
 * - wounds 5 and kills 1 during the.
 * - The occurs as an intruding  plane is shot down in . The incident sparks tensions between the 2 nations, coming just a month after the end of the.
 * - A total solar is seen in Europe and Asia.
 * - announces her retirement from tennis after a 17 year career in which she won 107 career titles including 22 s.
 * - : A 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes and levels much of northwestern, killing more than 17,000 and injuring 44,000. This is the first of a long series of unrelated but frequent earthquakes throughout the world during the years 1999 and 2000.
 * - In, tens of thousands of ns rally to demand the resignation of President.
 * - crashes in.
 * - captures the 400 M. world record.
 * - releases the Power Macintosh G4.

September

 * - A magnitude 5.9 hits, killing 143 people and injuring more than 2,000.
 * - Viacom-CBS merger
 * - The first of a series of occurs. Subsequent bombings occur on September 13 and 16, while a bombing on September 22 fails.
 * - releases the   worldwide (on 9/9/99), breaking video game and entertainment sales records in the first 24 hours.
 * - of the  pitches a 7-0  against the.
 * -, and  join the.
 * - The with magnitude 7.6 on the Richter scale kills about 2,400 people in central.

October

 * - opens in, China, taking over all international flights to Hongqiao.


 * - loses one of its probes, the.
 * - Thirty-one people die in the, west of ,.
 * - Elections are held in.
 * - i Prime Minister attempts to dismiss Army Chief General  and install  director Khwaja Ziauddin in his place. Senior Army generals refuse to accept the dismissal. Musharraf, who was out of the country, attempts to return in a commercial airliner. Sharif orders the Karachi airport to not allow the plane to land. The generals lead a, ousting Sharif's administration and taking over the airport. The plane lands with only a few minutes of fuel to spare, and Musharraf takes control of the government.
 * - reached 6 billion people, as the six billionth  (according to the ) is born in,.
 * - The rejects ratification of the  (CTBT).
 * - A press conference reveals the fossil of  (which is later found to be a forgery).
 * - Gunmen in the n Parliament, killing Prime Minister, Parliament Chairman , and 6 other members.
 * - The complete a 4-game sweep of the  to win their second consecutive.
 * - traveling from  to  crashes off the coast of, killing all 217 on-board. When the pilot leaves the cockpit, the co-pilot causes the  to enter a steep dive, resulting in impact with the.
 * - and  leaders sign the, ending a centuries-old doctrinal dispute over the nature of  and.

November



 * - : U.S. District Judge issues a preliminary ruling that the software company  has "monopoly power" (on,  Jackson finds that Microsoft violated the ).
 * - ns vote to keep the as their head of state.
 * - crashes a few minutes after leaving the Uruapan airport en-route to Mexico City; 18 people are killed in the accident.
 * - A six-story apartment building collapses in city of  killing more than 60 residents.
 * - A 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes and northwestern, killing 845 and injuring 4,948.
 * - rock star, 54, is jailed for 4 months after being found guilty of possessing child.
 * - In, 12 are killed and 28 injured at when the annual  collapses while under construction.
 * - becomes the first top prize winner of  and breaks the record of the largest single win on a United States game show.
 * - In, the (OSCE) ends a two-day summit by calling for a political settlement in  and adopting a Charter for European Security.
 * - The launches the first.
 * - is inducted into the, his number  permanently retired by the.
 * - An earthquake and tsunami strike.
 * - The passenger ferry  sinks, killing 16 people on board.
 * - The, led by , wins office in a , unseating the incumbent administration of.
 * - A man wielding a samurai sword enters St. Andrew's Catholic Church in and injures 11.
 * -, of the , is elected.
 * - The defeat the  32-21 to win the  at  in.
 * - In, the first major mobilization of the catches police unprepared and forces the cancellation of the opening ceremonies of the  (protests end on ).
 * - Corporation merger was completed, and formed the largest company in the world.

December

 * - The devolves political power in  to the.
 * - After rowing for 81 days and 2,962 nautical miles (5486 km), becomes the first woman to cross the  by  alone, when she reaches  from the.
 * - loses radio contact with the, moments before the spacecraft enters the  atmosphere.
 * - President Lt. General of  dismisses the National Assembly, during an internal power struggle between him and speaker of the Parliament.
 * - Algerian is arrested while crossing the - border at, when United States Customs finds explosives in the trunk of his automobile. The arrest causes fears of a terrorist attack in the United States, and is a major factor in the cancellation of a public New Year's celebration in . Ressam is later convicted in a  to bomb  on New Year's Eve.
 * - Torrential rains cause catastrophic floods and mudslides in the coastal regions of, killing an estimated 25,000 people and leaving 100,000 others homeless.
 * - : The (UNMOVIC) is created to replace UNSCOM. The U.N. Security Council once again orders Iraq to allow inspections teams immediate and unconditional access to any weapons sites and facilities. Iraq rejects the resolution.
 * - NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments, including, , , and.
 * - is  to the  by.
 * - The orders the state to legalize same-sex unions.
 * - - The intercepts near   a -bound van driven by  and loaded with 950 kg of s. The next day, another van loaded with 750 kg is found not far from there. The incident is known as la caravana de la muerte (the caravan of death). Shortly after, ETA confirms their plan had been to blow down.
 * -, en route from , to ,  is hijacked and taken to ,.
 * - In, , former  is stabbed several times in the chest by Michael Anram, who had broken into his home. Harrison's wife wrestles the knife out of the assailant's hand before the police arrive. The man apparently believes that Harrison is the devil. He is later charged with attempted murder.
 * - resigns as, to be replaced by.
 * - Five, who had been holding 155 hostages on an plane, leave the plane with two Islamic clerics that they had demanded be freed.
 * - celebrations begin worldwide (although technically the  starts in  not ).  opens the  at,.
 * - Years of growing concern about serious date-handling problems with computer systems reach the moment of truth.
 * - US turns over complete administration of the to the Panamanian Government as stipulated in the Torrijos-Carter Treaty of 1977 free of liens and debts, in good operation and with a $1billion investment progran in place designed to ensure continued first class service to the maritime world.  At the transfer, more than 97 percent of the Canal's 9,000 workers are Panamanian.

Births

 * -, Polish actress
 * -, American actress
 * -, New Zealand actress
 * - Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón, grandson of of.
 * -, American actress
 * - Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón, grandson of of.
 * -, American actress

January

 * -, Irish-born writer (b. )
 * -, Italian singer and songwriter (b. )
 * -, Polish theatre director (b. )
 * -, Australian missionary burnt alive in India (age 58)
 * -, American radio and television announcer (b. )
 * -, American conductor (b. )
 * -, Irish painter (b. )
 * -, baseball player (b. )

February

 * -, American philanthropist (b. )
 * -, Turkish singer and television personality (b. )
 * -, Russian economist, laureate (b. )
 * -, American singer,  (b. )
 * - King (b. )
 * -, Irish author (b. )
 * -, American physicist, laureate (b. )
 * -, American rapper (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, American actor and director (b. )
 * -, big money winner (b. )
 * -, English playwright (b. )
 * -, American film critic (b. )
 * -, American scientist, recipient of the (b. )
 * -, American poet (b. )
 * -, Marine Sniper
 * -, American short-story writer (b. )
 * -, American civil rights activist (b. )
 * -, American chemist, laureate (b. )

March

 * -, American dancer and actress (b. )
 * -, English singer (b. )
 * -, German-born chemist, laureate (b. )
 * -, Native American activist (b. )
 * -, American judge (b. )
 * -, American actor, writer, and teacher (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, American Central Intelligence Agency official (b. )
 * -, American film director and producer (b. )
 * -, baseball player (b. )
 * -, American-born violinist (b. )
 * -, Argentine writer (b. )
 * -, British entertainer (b. )
 * -, British comedian (b. )
 * -, American actor (suicide) (b. )
 * -, baseball player and manager (b. )
 * -, baseball player and manager (b. )
 * -, football player (b. )
 * -, American singer (b. )
 * -, Russian linguist and epigrapher (b. )

April

 * -, English actor, singer and songwriter (b. )
 * -, American professional wrestler (b. )
 * -, Columbine High School shooter (b. )
 * -, Columbine High School shooter (b. )
 * -, Irish journalist and president of the International Olympic Committee (b. )
 * -, American screenwriter and producer (b. )
 * -, British journalist and television presenter (murdered) (b. )
 * -, American physicist, laureate (b. )
 * -, England World Cup winning football manager (b. )

May

 * -, English actor (b. )
 * -, Canadian hockey player (b. )
 * - Sir, English actor (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, American author and poeist(b. )
 * -, Romanian-born cartoonist (b. )
 * -, American athlete (b. )
 * -, American rapper (murdered) (b. )
 * -, Canadian professional wrestler (b. )
 * -, Swiss conductor (b. )

June

 * -, Australian actress ( in ) (b. )
 * -, Mexican TV anchor (b. )
 * -, British bookshop owner (b. )
 * -, French composer (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, English political personality (suicide) (b. )
 * -, Japanese drummer (b. )
 * -, military ruler of Greece (b. )

July

 * -, American author (b. )
 * -, American musician and artist (heart attack) (b. )
 * -, American politician (b. )
 * -, Spanish composer (b. )
 * -, astronaut (motorcycle crash) (b. )
 * -, American jazz singer (b. )
 * -, English actor (b. )
 * -, American publisher (airplane crash) (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * - King (b. )
 * -, Norwegian economist, laureate (b. )
 * -, American singer (b. )
 * -, Indian film actor, producer and director (b. )

August

 * -, Bengali writer (b. )
 * -, American musician (b. )
 * -, Colombian journalist and comedian (murdered) (b. )
 * -, American union leader (b. )
 * -, Irish writer (b. )

September

 * -, American television personality (b. )
 * -, Spanish tenor (b. )
 * -, Uruguyan race car driver (b. )
 * -, Soviet first lady (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Australian screenwriter (b. )
 * -, murder victim (b. )

October

 * -, Latin American voice actress (b. )
 * -, American professional wrestler and announcer (b. )
 * -, American basketball coach (b. )
 * -, Pakistani pioneer in and  (b. )
 * -, Director of the Iraqi Intelligence Service (b. )
 * -, American basketball player (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, Scottish entertainer (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, Dutch composer and musician (b. )
 * -, American politician (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, American politician (b. )
 * -, American golfer (plane crash) (b. )
 * -, German singer (suicide) (b. )
 * -, American physicist (b. )
 * -, Canadian race car driver (b. )

November

 * -, American football player (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, American television writer, producer, and director (b. )
 * -, American microbiologist, recipient of the (b. )
 * -, American novelist (b. )
 * -, American musician (b. )
 * -, of  from  until his death.
 * -, American television personality (b. )

December

 * -, American musician (b. )
 * -, Salvation Army general (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, Hungarian author (b. )
 * -, Canadian musician (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, American novelist (b. )
 * -, American saxophonist (b. )
 * -, Welsh actor (b. )
 * -, Canadian musician (b. )
 * -, American diplomat (b. )
 * -, Mexican singer and film actor (b. )
 * -, American musician and composer (b. )
 * -, American television network executive (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, German structural engineer (b. )
 * -, Among ever (b. )

Unknown dates

 * (none)

Fictional
The year 1999 in fiction and popular culture:
 * Computer/video games:
 * ' (' series, 2003): is finally able to defeat  for good and seal away his Castle.
 *  (1995): The apocalyptic takes place.
 *  (1990) is set in 1999.
 * The Extraterrestrial Combat Unit, known as  is founded following a meeting on December 11th 1998, going fully operational on January 1st 1999. This sets the stage for the events depicted in UFO: Enemy Unknown.
 * Film:
 * Released after 1999 and set in the historical year:
 *  (2006)
 *  (2006)
 * Released in 1999 and stated to take place in that year:
 *  (1999): The film takes place during the week leading up to December 31.
 *  (1999): The film involves 's plot to conquer the earth on of '99
 *  (1999): The year within the Matrix is said to be 1999.
 * Released before 1999 and set in the "future" year:


 *  (1995): The film takes place leading up to New Year's Eve, 1999.
 *  (1994)
 *  (1991)
 *  (1990)
 *  (1974)
 *  (1968)
 * Music:
 * 's song "" is about "party[ing] like it's 1999."
 * Television:
 *  ("," 1999): is ally frozen at 11:59 P.M.,.
 *  (1975-1977): A huge explosion sends the hurtling out of Earth's orbit on
 *  (1982-1983): A huge spaceship appears high above Earth and crashes into an island in the Pacific, triggering a world war.
 * Three Super Sentai series &mdash; ' (1991-1992), ' (1995-1996), and  (1999-2000) &mdash; take place in 1999.
 * (TV Anime Series)(1999-2001) Gon Freecs, a young boy, is aiming to become a Hunter to search for his father. He meets some new friends during the Exam, and the struggles he must face on his quest will be beyond anything he's ever imagined.
 * In (2006-2007), 1999 is the year in which a meteor struck the city of shibuya and also spawned the Worm, an alien race that forms the main antagonist in the series. In the movie based on the show, the meteor was much bigger and also dried up the oceans, resulting in a post-apocalyptic world.