History of the Year 2000
As we live through time, each moment and each incident makes an impact on our lives, from daily life to world events. But what will be remembered as the most important events from the year 2000? Defining history in a year so recent is as difficult as an archivist choosing what documents to save for posterity. Here are a few events that I thought might go down in history; what events would you choose?
Unclear Winner in U.S. Presidential Election
Though some thought the election between Vice President Al Gore (Democrat) and Texas Governor George W. Bush (Republican) would be close, no one imagined that it would be this close. On the night of the U.S. election (Nov. 7-8), news stations waffled over the outcome, calling the election for Gore, then too close to call, then for Bush. By the morning, many were shocked that the election was again considered too close to call. The election results hinged on a difference of just a few hundred votes in Florida, which focused worldwide attention on the deficiencies of the voting system. As the country waited for a leader, the public learned a lot about the U.S. election process, especially that the president is elected by the Electoral College and not by a popular vote.Elian Gonzalez Goes Home
In November 1999, Elian Gonzalez, a 5-year-old Cuban boy, and his mother boarded a boat in an attempt to flee Communist Cuba and illegally enter the United States. On the way, the boat capsized, killing 11 people on board including Elian's mother. On November 25, Elian was found floating in an inner tube in the Atlantic Ocean. Though the INS initially gave Elian to relatives living in Miami, Florida, his father, who was still living in Cuba, wanted him back. Thus began a heated and emotional battle for custody between Elian's relatives in the U.S. and his father in Cuba. The U.S. was torn between believing Elian to be a political refugee in danger of his life if he returned to Cuba and believing Elian's natural parent should have custody of the child. After many debates and court battles, armed U.S. federal agents entered the relatives' home on April 22, 2000 and snatched the boy away at gunpoint. On June 28, 2000, Elian went back to Cuba with his father.USS Cole Bombed
The USS Cole, a U.S. guided missile destroyer, was traveling through the Red Sea to a port in Bahrain when it stopped in Aden, Yemen on October 12 to refuel. At 12:15 p.m. (9:15 GMT), a small craft that was helping with the mooring lines sidled up to the destroyer and exploded. The explosion ripped a 20 by 40 foot hole in the Cole, killing 17 members of the crew and injuring another 39. The two people aboard the small craft were also killed in the explosion during what appears to have been a suicide mission. Though the explosion caused the Cole to list four degrees, it did not sink it. The Blue Marlin carried the USS Cole back to the U.S. for repairs.Firestone Recalls Tires
Amid investigations that many Firestone tires on sport utility vehicles (SUV) were "peeling like a banana" causing at least 88 deaths, the Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. issued a voluntary recall of 6.5 million of their tires on August 9.Y2K: The Millennium Bug
While many were ready to party "like it was 1999," many others predicted catastrophe from a small assumption made long ago when computers were first being programmed. The Y2K (Year 2000) problem existed because most dates in computers were programmed to automatically assume the date began with "19" as in "1977" and "1988." But when the date was to turn from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000, it was prophesied that computers would be so confused that they would shut down completely. Considering how much of our everyday lives were run by computers by the end of 1999, the new year was expected to bring serious computer repercussions. As computer programmers madly dashed to update computers with new information, many in the public prepared themselves by storing extra cash and food supplies. Because of so much preparation and updated programming, the catastrophe was quelled and only a few, relatively minor millennium bug problems occurred."ILOVEYOU" Virus Hits Thousands of Computers
Though the 1999 "Melissa" virus warned us not to open attachments, we were still unprepared for the "ILOVEYOU" virus that hit on May 4, 2000. It came from our friends, families, and co-workers. It fed our ego; we all like to be loved. Just one click of the button and the virus, really a worm, downloaded itself into your computer, wiped out all of your MP3s (music clips) and your JPGs (photographs) and then instantaneously emailed a copy of itself to everyone in your address book, spreading itself faster than any other virus to that date. The virus was especially damaging to networks since it just took one person to click on the attachment in their email to send the virus through an entire business in seconds. In just a few days, damage from the virus was estimated to be over $15 billion (U.S.).Human Genome Mapped
On June 26, two rival teams of scientists announced a scientific accomplishment that will greatly affect the future. Dr. J. Craig Venter, head of Celera Genomics (a private company in Rockville, MD), and Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Human Genome Research Institute, have a first draft of the human genome. The genome is the genetic material of an organism. The human genome is DNA. Thus, the mapping of the human genome means that scientists have unravelled human DNA, the blueprint for human beings, and discovered the order of the nucleotides. Having human DNA mapped is expected to speed the discovery of which genes are responsible for hereditary cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.Microsoft Ordered to Split
Microsoft was the creator of the world's most popular operating system, Windows. What drew the attention of the government was when Microsoft began to bundle their browser, Internet Explorer, into the Windows platform, which they had given certain incentives to computer manufacturers to pre-install onto their computers. By doing this, Microsoft quickly gained a large market of the world's Internet browsers. To the U.S. government, Microsoft's hold on the computer business for operating systems, software, and browsers looked like a monopoly. After a long legal battle, federal Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson issued his Final Judgment on June 7 ordering Microsoft to split into two separate and competing companies. Microsoft appealed the decision and was told by the Supreme Court on September 26 that a lower court would first hear the appeal. Appeals were still being heard by the end of 2000.Russian Submarine Sunk in Barents Sea
On August 12, the Russian Oscar-II class nuclear submarine, the Kursk, sank in the Barents Sea during naval exercises. The world watched and waited to find out if any of the 118 crew were still alive. Though many countries offered to help with rescue attempts, the Russians refused until several days later. Though the reports came out that some of the crew was alive there were just as many contradictory reports saying that the crew was likely already dead. When the submarine was finally opened, a few bodies were found with notes in their pockets; thus at least a few of the crew had survived the impact but not survived for long on the bottom of the sea. Though there were many theories, it is still uncertain what caused the submarine to sink.South and North Korea Agree to Work Toward Unification
It was the first time leaders of both North Korea and South Korea had met face-to-face since the two countries were formed in 1948. South Korean President Kim Dae Jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il met for a summit at Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, from June 13 to 15. Though the countries still have many disputes, the two leaders signed an agreement at 11:20 p.m. on June 14 vowing to ease the frictions between the two countries and work toward unification. Though the wording and promises of the agreement were vague, the symbol of the agreement was strong.
