1999
Euro introduced
Eleven European nations adopted a common currency for electronic transactions, the culmination of decades of economic integration…
East Timor votes for independence
East Timorese voters overwhelmingly chose independence from Indonesia in a UN-supervised referendum after twenty-four years of brutal occupation.
Y2K and the millennium
As the last midnight of the century rolled around the time zones, engineers held their breath over the Y2K computer bug.
Napster upends music
A nineteen-year-old Northeastern University student named Shawn Fanning wrote a program that let users share MP3 files of music directly…
Macau returned to China
At midnight four centuries of Portuguese rule over the Pearl River estuary enclave of Macau ended and the territory became a special administrative region…
NATO bombs Yugoslavia
Over seventy-eight days, NATO planes bombed Serbian targets without UN authorization, trying to stop the expulsion of Albanians from Kosovo.
Columbine High School shooting
Two teenagers walked into their Colorado high school with shotguns, rifles, and pipe bombs and killed thirteen classmates and teachers before shooting…
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1999?
Saeculum lists 8 events from 1999. The most significant is Euro introduced: Eleven European nations adopted a common currency for electronic transactions, the culmination of decades of economic integration.
What era was 1999 part of?
1999 falls within the Modern Era (1901-2000). World wars, cold war, and the splitting of the atom.
Which regions saw notable events in 1999?
The events from 1999 span Europe, Southeast Asia, Oceania, North America and East Asia.