Millennium celebrations
The millennium celebrations were a worldwide, coordinated series of events celebrating the end of 1999 and the start of the year 2000 in the Gregorian calendar. The celebrations were held as marking the end of the 1000s millennium and the beginning of the 2000s millennium.
Countries around the globe held official festivities in the weeks and months leading up to the date, such as those organised in the United States by the White House Millennium Council, and most major cities produced firework displays at midnight. Equally, many private venues, cultural and religious centres held events and a diverse range of memorabilia was created – such as souvenir postage stamps.
As with every New Year's Eve, many events were timed with the stroke of midnight in the time zone of the location. There were also many events associated with the dawn on 1 January. An international television broadcast called 2000 Today was produced by a consortium of 60 broadcasters, while an alternative program Millennium Live was cancelled two days before the event.
Several countries in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and hence close to the International Date Line made arguments they were the first to enter the new millennium. Variously, the Chatham Islands, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and Kiribati all laid claims to the status – by moving the dateline itself, the temporary institution of daylight saving time, and claiming "first territory", "first land", "first inhabited land" or "first city" to see the new year.
Events
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The US Navy submarine Topeka positioned itself underwater, straddling both the International date line and the equator.At Caroline Island, renamed as "Millennium Island" in the mid-Pacific, the republic of Kiribati claimed the first land to see the new millennium.
On the Chatham Islands there was a Maori blessing. "As they faced the Pacific Ocean, a beacon was lit and school children sang."
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In Auckland, a fireworks display on the Harbour made New Zealand the first industrial nation to celebrate the year 2000, being just west of the International date line.UTC+12
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, the host city of the 2000 Summer Olympics, held a large fireworks display centering on the Harbour Bridge, with the locally famous graffito Eternity being recreated. For the first time in its history, the Sydney Opera House precinct was almost completely cordoned off from the public. Instead, tickets costing as much as each were being sold for Opera House parties. However, public transport and access was available to view the fireworks on the Bridge, which included the "waterfall" effect.UTC+10
's celebrations were at their Central Business District with a special presentation before the countdown and lots of fireworks as the new millennium begins. Adelaide was on during daylight saving time.Brisbane's celebrations were broadcast live on ABC and all across the world in BBC's 2000 Today.
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In Tokyo, there were a series of concerts and a fireworks display. At midnight, temple bells across Japan were rung 108 times to "dispel the evils of mankind".UTC+8
In Beijing, the traditional Chinese New Year hasn't started till February 5 of that year, celebrations gathered alongside fireworks and dragon dances, Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin lit an "eternal flame" and "pledging China would restore its lost glory".In the Philippines, Millennium Parties simultaneously began in different parts of the country. President Joseph Estrada and top Government Officials joined the celebrations at the Rizal Park while in the Ayala Millennium Center, Regine Velasquez sang the Philippine Millennium Theme Song, "Written in the Sand" at the top of the Peninsula Manila at about ten minutes to Philippine Midnight as part of the Philippine presentation in the 2000 Today.
In Singapore, a pop trio consisting of Fann Wong, Tanya Chua and Elsa Lin performed the millennium song for Singapore, Moments of Magic.
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In India, many Indians use the Hindu calendar, but the start of year 2000 was still celebrated. On New Year’s Eve, fireworks were seen in the capital New Delhi. This was overshadowed by return of the passengers and crew of Indian Airlines Flight 814 who arrived home from Afghanistan after they had held hostage for a week.UTC+5
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's government and its national government had sponsored parties across the city. They all celebrated at the Spasskaya Tower to ring in the new millennium.UTC+2
South Africa's Nelson Mandela lit a candle in his former cell at Robben Island at the stroke of midnight.Athens held a fireworks display over the Acropolis and a televised choir sang the Olympic anthem, a Byzantine anthem and the Greek national anthem.
In Jerusalem, and particularly at the Mount of Olives, fears that doomsday fanatics "...could try to trigger an apocalypse prompted one of Israel's biggest peacetime police operations."
In Giza, a concert called The Twelve Dreams of the Sun with music by Jean-Michel Jarre was held on the Pyramids. Most Egyptians were observed with the coincidence of Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
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was the focal point of celebrations in France where searchlights and 20,000 strobe lights for the event were installed on the Eiffel Tower. They remained in operation until June 2003, when they were replaced by another installation.In Vatican City, Pope John Paul II led a traditional Te Deum service at St. Peter's Basilica.
In Madrid, the Star-Shaped balloons appeared on top of the Casa de Correos building in Puerta del Sol Square.
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In London, attention focused around Big Ben, the Millennium Dome and a huge fireworks display, called the "River of Fire" went along several kilometers of the River Thames.The Irish national television channel RTÉ produced a marathon 19-hour broadcast called , while the BBC in the United Kingdom hosted a 28-hour event known as 2000 Today.
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held a special party led by Gal Costa at minutes to midnight. South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands became the first place in the Americas to celebrate the millennium but with no people on it, all of the British inhabitants chose to spend the midnight celebrations back at GMT time.UTC–3
Argentina's celebration was centered in Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world with a tango performance by Julio Bocca and Eleonora Cassano, broadcast on ARTEAR 's El Dia del Milenio and worldwide through the BBC-led 2000 Today.UTC–4
In Newfoundland, a concert was held that was broadcast to thousands of Canadians as the small island celebrated being the first place in North America to welcome the 21st century. Meanwhile, in Bermuda celebrations were marked as the first Caribbean nation to crossover to the new millennium reached its highest at midnight.UTC–5
In Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien presided over celebrations on Parliament Hill, which included artistic performances and a midnight fireworks display launched from the Peace Tower.Fireworks were launched from the CN Tower in Toronto.
In New York City's Times Square, a new Times Square Ball made of Waterford Crystal was commissioned and organizers expected a total attendance exceeding two million spectators. It was broadcast live during ABC 2000 Today with Peter Jennings and Dick Clark in the United States, and worldwide via 2000 Today.
A Millennium Celebration was held at the Walt Disney World theme park in Florida, primarily at Epcot.
U.S. President Bill Clinton watched with thousands of spectators in Washington, D.C. as the Washington Monument lit up at midnight. Washington was also the world's largest Y2K command center despite GMT being the coordinated time zone.