1999 felt like a countdown year, with the world staring at the calendar and wondering what the next millennium would bring.
Big headlines hit hard, from NATO’s air campaign during the Kosovo conflict to the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, which shocked Americans and changed national conversations about school safety.
Around the globe, East Timor voted for independence in a UN-supervised referendum, while Turkey was rocked by the devastating İzmit earthquake, reminders that history can shift fast and without warning.
Meanwhile, pop culture was on fire with “The Matrix” blowing minds, “Star Wars Episode I” packing theaters, “SpongeBob” arriving on Nickelodeon, and plenty of nervous jokes about the Y2K computer problem as the calendar crept toward 2000.
By December, 1999 had balanced turn-of-the-century hype with real-world shocks, leaving a jittery, electric snapshot of a world on the edge of something new.
Continue reading to immerse yourself in the highlights of 1999, including key events, music sensations, memorable quotes, and the lives we mourned.
Historical Events
Prepare to be amazed as we unveil the most unforgettable happenings that took place during the extraordinary year of 1999.
Jan 3
The Mars Polar Lander was launched.
This 640 pound (290 kg) robotic spacecraft lander was launched to study the soil and climate of Planum Australe, a region near the South Pole on Mars.
February 1999
Feb 23
Eminem’s album The Slim Shady LP went on sale.
This was his first major album, and he recorded it at Studio 8 in Ferndale, Michigan, USA.
Feb 23
Silent Hill, the first installment in the Silent Hill series, was released for the PlayStation.
Many early reviewers of Silent Hill criticized it for being a clone of Resident Evil, but the only thing they really have in common is that they're both horror games. Most importantly, Silent Hill created a truly disturbing atmosphere for its players, more in line with psychological horror than the more classic visually disturbing horror games.
March 1999
Mar 12
The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland formally joined NATO.
It was said that the entry of the three former members of the Eastern Bloc into NATO signified the beginning of a unified Europe. With their admission, they were finally given a level of military and political security that had been severely lacking in the region for much of the 20th Century.
Mar 23
Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” was released.
This was his biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart and selling over 8 million copies.
Mar 24
A truck carrying margarine and flour caught fire inside the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
Fire crews were unable to reach the transport truck as vehicles traveling through the tunnel became trapped. Thirty-nine people were killed. Significant changes were made to the tunnel to improve its safety after this.
Mar 31
Romantic comedy “10 Things I hate About You” was released.
The movie was an adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew," written in the late 16th Century.
April 1999
Apr 14
NATO accidentally bombed a refugee convoy in Kosovo, killing seventy-three.
NATO claimed that the bombing was a mistake, and they believed the convoy to be a military convoy.
May 3
An F5 tornado hit Oklahoma City, where the highest global wind speeds were recorded.
An F5 tornado is the highest-ranking on the intensity scale, meaning it has the potential to cause the most damage.
May 7
The Mummy, directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, premiered in the US.
May 21
All My Children star Susan Lucci, at last, won a Daytime Emmy after being nominated 19 times, the longest period of unsuccessful nominations in television history.
May 28
Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” was returned to display in Milan after 22 years of restoration.
May 29
The Space Shuttle Discovery completed the first docking with the International Space Station.
June 1999
July 1999
Jul 23
Eileen Collins became the first female space shuttle commander with the launch of mission STS-93.
Jul 25
Lance Armstrong won Tour de France for the 7th consecutive run.
However, on October 22, 2012, he was disqualified from his wins by the Anti-Doping Agency. He was also banned for life from competitive cycling.
Jul 27
Tony Hawk landed the first “900” on a skateboard at the 5th annual X Games in San Francisco.
The "900" is a dangerous two-and-a-half revolution spin of a vertical ramp.
Jul 31
NASA’s Lunar Prospector spacecraft was deliberately crashed into the Moon’s south pole.
Launched aboard an Athena II rocket on January 7, 1998, the Lunar Prospector's primary goal was to map the moon's polar regions and analyze the surface's composition. It was thought that there might be hydrogen deposits at the Lunar south pole. Once the mission came to its end, the Lunar Prospector was crashlanded there in the hopes that its impact would shoot out a plume of the theorized hydrogen, confirming its existence. The crashlanding was a success, but unfortunately, no plume was visible, and the theory was ultimately rejected.
August 1999
Aug 11
The last total solar eclipse of the 20th century occurred and was visible from Europe and Asia.
September 1999
Oct 29
India was hit by the Odisha super cyclone, India’s strongest storm.
The super cyclonic storm reached wind speeds of 160 miles per hour and killed nearly 10,000 people.
Oct 31
Medal of Honor was released for PlayStation, instantly becoming the best shooter to date.
The story for this iconic WWII game was written and directed by Steven Spielberg, who was inspired to create a game based on the war after watching his son play Goldeneye 007. He wrote the story for Medal of Honor at the same time he was working on Saving Private Ryan.
November 1999
Nov 19
The People’s Republic of China launched Shenzhou 1, the first uncrewed Shenzhou spacecraft.
Nov 22
American country singer Toby Keith released his single “How Do You Like Me Now?!”
It was Billboard's Song of the Year for 2000.
Nov 30
Following a ban on exporting beef products from the UK, the government announced that the ban on beef on the bone would be lifted.
In 1996 the European Union placed a ban on exports of British beef. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more widely known as Mad Cow Disease, was detected in British beef. BSE had been linked with the human brain disease vCJD, so exports were banned.
December 1999
Dec 3
NASA lost radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before the spacecraft entered the Martian atmosphere.
Dec 31
Boris Yeltsin resigned as the President of Russia, which left Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as acting President.
Famous Births
Here's a look at a few amazing individuals whose story began in 1999.
Age
26 years old
Born IN
Pennsylvania, USA
Age
26 years old
Born IN
New Jersey, USA
Age
27 years old
Born IN
Washington, USA
Age
26 years old
Born IN
New York, USA
Age
26 years old
Born IN
Utah, USA
Died On
Jul 6, 2019 (Age 20)
Born IN
California, USA
Quotes
Take a look at a few unforgettable quotes from 1999.
Oct 26
“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
Nelson Mandela
(South African President)
Nov 18
“The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.”
Eric Schmidt
(American Executive)
1999 in Music
In 1999, the music scene exploded with a mix of sensational tracks that became the soundtrack of our lives!
From the infectious pop sound of “Livin’ la Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin to the mesmerizing beats of “Smooth” by Santana, these songs defined the year and had us dancing our hearts out.
These music moments from 1999 should be on your must-listen list.
Album of the Year
Lauryn Hill’s soulful and empowering album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” resonated deeply with listeners in 1999, winning her the coveted Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Song of the Year
Celine Dion’s iconic ballad “My Heart Will Go On” became a timeless classic and won her the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1999.
Best New Artist
Lauryn Hill’s powerful vocals and insightful lyrics won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1999, solidifying her as a dynamic force in hip-hop and R&B.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
In 1999, the 44th Eurovision Song Contest took place in Jerusalem, Israel, marking the final edition of the millennium.
Charlotte Nilsson, a captivating singer from Sweden, triumphed with her mesmerizing performance of “Take Me to Your Heaven,” claiming Sweden’s fourth Eurovision victory.
1999 In Numbers
Ready to uncover some cool and unexpected number facts? In Roman numerals, the year 1999 is written as MCMXCIX. When converted to binary, 1999 is represented as 11111001111, a sequence of 1s and 0s that signifies its place in the binary number system.
Did you know that a length of 1999 inches is approximately equal to 787 centimeters?
1999 is an extra special year too, as it’s a prime number! That means it can only be divided evenly by 1 and itself.
Deficient Number
Also, 1999 is referred to as a deficient number, which means that when you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into it, the total sum is less than the number itself.
So, when you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into 1999 (1), they add up to 1, which is less than 1999.
Chinese Zodiac 1999
According to the Chinese zodiac tradition, 1999 was officially recognized as The Year of the Rabbit, an occurrence that takes place once every twelve years.
However, there are also five elements in the Chinese zodiac. These elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. This makes 1999 the Year of the Earth Rabbit, which only comes along once every sixty years.
Did you know that the Chinese calendar operates on a lunar cycle? That’s why the Year of the Earth Rabbit actually started on February 16th, and lasted until February 4, 2000.
People born in the Year of the Rabbit tend to be gentle, compassionate, and artistic. They possess a harmonious nature, valuing peace and tranquility while showcasing their creativity and sensitivity.
The Years of the Rabbit gave us remarkable personalities like Tom Felton and Zac Efron, who have left their mark on the world!
1999 Trivia
Did you know that in 1999, Napster launched and kicked off the first truly mainstream wave of online peer-to-peer music sharing?
Napster was designed to make it incredibly easy for people to find and swap tunes, and it spread rapidly, gaining over a million users by the end of the year.
Its rise triggered landmark copyright battles and helped push the music industry toward the digital era that eventually led to today’s legal downloads and streaming services.
