January 8
January 8
Music City Miracle
On January 8, 2000, in an American Football Conference (AFC) wild card match‑up at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee, the Tennessee Titans stage a last‑second come‑from‑behind victory to beat the…
A Year In History: 2000
This Year in History:
2000
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 10
January 10
AOL‑Time Warner merger announced
On January 10, 2000, in one of the biggest media mergers in history, America Online Inc. announces plans to acquire Time Warner Inc. for some $182 billion in stock and…
January 30
January 30
Plane crashes off Ivory Coast
A Kenya Airways Airbus A‑310 crashes after takeoff into the Atlantic Ocean off the Ivory Coast on this day in 2000. Because the passengers did not have enough time to…
February 4
February 4
“The Sims” launches
On February 4, 2000, the revolutionary computer game The Sims debuts in North America. Electronic Arts does not have particularly high hopes for its new sandbox game, the brainchild of…
February 14
February 14
Tornadoes sweep through southern Georgia
On this day in 2000, a series of tornadoes moves through southern Georgia, wreaking havoc and killing 18 people. The storm system that swept across the southeastern United States on…
February 17
February 17
Dave Eggers’ Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius debuts
On this day in 2000, “A Heartbreaking World of Staggering Genius,” 29‑year‑old Dave Eggers’ best‑selling memoir about his experiences raising his younger brother following the cancer‑related deaths of their parents,…
March 17
March 17
Julia Roberts collects $20 million for “Erin Brockovich”
With Erin Brockovich, released on March 17, 2000, Julia Roberts becomes the first actress ever to command $20 million per movie. Born in Smyrna, Georgia, on October 28, 1967, Roberts…
March 26
March 26
American Beauty tops Academy Awards
On this day in 2000, Billy Crystal hosts the 72nd annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. An Oscar crisis had been narrowly averted a week…
April 5
April 5
NASCAR legend Lee Petty dies
On April 5, 2000, Lee Petty, an early star of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and the patriarch of a racing dynasty that includes his son,…
May 11
May 11
George Clooney makes surprise return appearance on “ER”
On this day in 2000, in a sixth season episode of the NBC television drama ER entitled “Such Sweet Sorrow,” Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) watches one of her patients,…
May 12
May 12
Fourth‑generation NASCAR driver Adam Petty dies in crash
On this day in 2000, 19‑year‑old Adam Petty, son of Winston Cup driver Kyle Petty and grandson of National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) icon Richard Petty, is…
May 17
May 17
Final episode of “Beverly Hills, 90210” airs
Donna Martin (Tori Spelling) and David Silver (Brian Austin Green) finally say their vows, and on‑and‑off couple Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) and Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) reunite, as the curtain…
May 21
May 21
Former president James Garfield’s spine put on display for final day
On May 21, 2000, the bones of President James Garfield’s spine are on display for a final day at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, D.C. The…
July 7
July 7
Stock car driver Kenny Irwin Jr. dies in crash
On this day in 2000–eight weeks to the day after the fourth‑generation NASCAR driver Adam Petty was killed during practice at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire–the…
July 8
July 8
Venus Williams wins Wimbledon for the first time
On July 8, 2000, Venus Williams wins at Wimbledon for the first time. Her victory over defending champion, Lindsay Davenport, made Williams the first Black female Wimbledon champion since Althea Gibson won…
July 25
July 25
Concorde jet crashes, killing everyone onboard
An Air France Concorde jet crashes upon takeoff in Paris on July 25, 2000, killing 109 passengers and crew onboard as well as four people on the ground. The Concorde,…
July 29
July 29
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston wed
On July 29, 2000, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, one of Hollywood’s highest‑profile couples, marry at the Malibu, California, estate of the producer Marcy Carsey (The Cosby Show). The two…
August 9
August 9
Bridgestone/Firestone announces massive tire recall
On August 9, 2000, tire manufacturer Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announces that it is recalling 6.5 million of its model ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires; the move comes two days…
August 12
August 12
Russian sub, the “Kursk,” sinks with 118 onboard
A Russian nuclear submarine sinks to the bottom of the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000; all 118 crew members are later found dead. The exact cause of the disaster…
August 23
August 23
First “Survivor” finale airs
On August 23, 2000, Richard Hatch, a 39‑year‑old corporate trainer from Rhode Island, wins the season‑one finale of the reality television show “Survivor” and takes home the promised $1 million…
