1999

Events in 1999 71

• 1901 – 1999 Robert Bresson (1901-1999) Died 18 December 1999, aged 98 Robert Bresson was a French film director renowned for a spare, austere style that influenced generations of art-house filmmakers. His works include Diary of a Country Priest and Au Hasard Balthazar. He was widely regarded as one of cinema's most important auteurs.
• 1904 – 1999 Forrest Mars Sr. (1904-1999) Died 1 July 1999, aged 95 Forrest Mars Sr. built Mars, Incorporated into one of the world's largest privately held food and confectionery companies, creating brands including M&M's and Milky Way. He was known for an intensely private and demanding management style. He died at his home in Virginia.
• 1910 – 1999 Sylvia Sidney (1910-1999) American actress, a star of 1930s dramas for Lang and Hitchcock whose career ran to Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks!
• 1913 – 1999 Victor Mature (1913-1999) American actor, the muscular star of Samson and Delilah and The Robe.
• 1914 – 1999 Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999) Died 8 March 1999, aged 84 Joe DiMaggio was a Hall of Fame center fielder for the New York Yankees, famous for his 56-game hitting streak in 1941, a record that still stands. He was a nine-time World Series champion and one of baseball's most iconic figures. He died of lung cancer in Hollywood, Florida.
• 1916 – 1999 Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) Died 12 March 1999, aged 82 Yehudi Menuhin was an American-born violinist regarded as one of the greatest of the 20th century. He performed and recorded prolifically for eight decades and later held British citizenship, being made a life peer. He died in Berlin from complications following bronchitis.
• 1920 – 1999 DeForest Kelley (1920-1999) Died 11 June 1999, aged 79 DeForest Kelley played Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy in the original Star Trek television series and its film sequels. His character became one of the franchise's most enduring figures. He died of stomach cancer in Woodland Hills, California.
• 1920 – 1999 Amália Rodrigues Queen of Fado The singer who popularized Fado music worldwide and became a symbol of Portuguese culture.
• 1922 – 1999 Julius Nyerere (1922-1999) Died 14 October 1999, aged 77 Julius Nyerere led Tanganyika, later Tanzania, to independence and served as its first president for more than two decades. He was a prominent advocate of African socialism and Pan-Africanism, promoting the philosophy of Ujamaa. He died of leukemia in London.
• 1927 – 1999 George C. Scott (1927-1999) Died 22 September 1999, aged 71 George C. Scott was an American actor best known for his Academy Award-winning performance as General George Patton in Patton, an award he famously declined. He also starred in Dr. Strangelove. He died of an abdominal aneurysm at his home in California.
• 1928 – 1999 Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) Died 7 March 1999, aged 70 Stanley Kubrick was an American-born filmmaker who directed landmark films including 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining. He worked primarily from England for most of his career and was known for his meticulous, perfectionist approach to filmmaking. He died in his sleep days after completing Eyes Wide Shut.
• 1929 – 1999 Hassan II of Morocco (1929-1999) Died 23 July 1999, aged 70 Hassan II ruled Morocco for 38 years, surviving two assassination attempts and presiding over the annexation of Western Sahara. His reign was marked by both authoritarian repression and gradual political liberalization in its final years. He was succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI.
• 1930 – 1999 Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) Died 10 May 1999, aged 68 Shel Silverstein was an American author, poet, and cartoonist best known for children's books including The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends. He was also an accomplished songwriter, writing hits such as A Boy Named Sue. He died of a heart attack at his home in Key West, Florida.
• 1935 – 1999 King Hussein of Jordan (1935-1999) Died 7 February 1999, aged 63 King Hussein bin Talal ruled Jordan for 46 years, one of the longest reigns of any modern monarch. He played a central role in Middle East diplomacy, signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. He died of complications from lymphatic cancer at age 63.
• 1936 – 1999 Wilt Chamberlain The Big Dipper The only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game; a dominant force in rebounding.
• 1938 – 1999 Oliver Reed (1938-1999) Died 2 May 1999, aged 61 Oliver Reed was an English actor known for films including Oliver!, The Three Musketeers, and Gladiator, his final role. He died of a heart attack in a bar in Valletta, Malta, while filming Gladiator. The film was completed using body doubles and digital effects and was dedicated to his memory.
• 1939 – 1999 Dusty Springfield (1939-1999) Died 2 March 1999, aged 59 Dusty Springfield was an English pop singer known for hits including Son of a Preacher Man and the album Dusty in Memphis. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shortly before her death. She died of breast cancer in Henley-on-Thames, England.
• 1942 – 1999 Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999) Died 26 December 1999, aged 57 Curtis Mayfield was an American soul and funk musician known for his work with The Impressions and his solo album Super Fly. He continued recording after being paralyzed in a 1990 stage accident. He died of complications from diabetes in Roswell, Georgia.
• 1942 – 1999 Madeline Kahn (1942-1999) Died 3 December 1999, aged 57 Madeline Kahn was an American actress and comedian celebrated for her roles in Mel Brooks films including Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. She received two Academy Award nominations during her career. She died of ovarian cancer in New York City.
• 1943 – 1999 Rick Danko (1943-1999) Died 10 December 1999, aged 55 Rick Danko was a Canadian musician and founding member of The Band, playing bass and contributing vocals on albums such as Music from Big Pink. The group was highly influential in shaping American roots rock. He died in his sleep at his home in New York.
• 1946 – 1999 Gene Siskel (1946-1999) Died 20 February 1999, aged 53 Gene Siskel was a Chicago film critic who co-hosted the influential television review show Siskel & Ebert with Roger Ebert. Their thumbs up/down format became a standard reference in film criticism. He died following complications from surgery for a brain tumor.
• 1957 – 1999 Payne Stewart (1957-1999) Died 25 October 1999, aged 42 Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three major championships, including the 1999 U.S. Open just months before his death. He died along with five others when their private jet lost cabin pressure and crashed in South Dakota after flying on autopilot for hours. The incident received wide coverage as jets scrambled to track the unresponsive plane.
• 1960 – 1999 John F. Kennedy Jr. (1960-1999) Died 16 July 1999, aged 38 John F. Kennedy Jr., son of President John F. Kennedy, died when the small plane he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard. His wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren also died in the crash. The loss received extensive international media coverage.
• 1968 – 1999 The Band Canadian-American roots rock group Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson — Dylan's backing band who blended country, soul and folk into a new American music.
• 1974 – 1999 Big L (1974-1999) Died 15 February 1999, aged 24 Lamont Coleman, known as Big L, was a Harlem rapper regarded as an influential figure in 1990s hip-hop lyricism. He was shot and killed near his childhood home in Harlem, New York, in an unsolved murder. His posthumous reputation grew substantially in the following decades.
• 1990 – 1999 Reunions for Cliff Richard anniversary tours 1990s Despite the formal split, the band periodically reunited for Cliff Richard anniversary concerts and tours throughout the 1990s, including all-star concerts marking landmark anniversaries of Cliff's career.
• 1993 – 1999 Karpov FIDE World Champion reign Champion in the split era After Kasparov broke away from FIDE in 1993, Karpov was crowned FIDE World Champion. He held this title until 1999 when he withdrew from FIDE's new knockout format.
• 1999 1999 Pan Pacific Championships -- world records At the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships, Thorpe sets world records in the 200m and 400m freestyle individually and anchors a relay team to another world record in the 4×200m freestyle. He wins four gold medals overall. The accumulation of world records -- he has now broken ten in two years -- raises eyebrows in some quarters, and rumours of drug use circulate, though no evidence is ever produced. The scrutiny is a foretaste of the media pressure that will shadow his entire career. He is 16-17 during this period, living at home with his parents, eating (by his own account) 99% of his meals there.
• 1999 Alibaba Group Founded Jack Ma launches e-commerce company in Hangzhou Jack Ma and seventeen co-founders launched Alibaba in an apartment in Hangzhou, China, in 1999, initially as a business-to-business trading website. The company grew into one of the world's largest e-commerce and technology conglomerates. Its 2014 initial public offering later became one of the largest in history.
• 1999 – present Avril Lavigne The Pop-Punk Queen The face of the early 2000s pop-punk wave for female artists.
• 1999 Eighth-seeded Knicks reach NBA Finals New York becomes the first eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals, falling to the San Antonio Spurs in five games — Ewing's final Finals appearance.
• 1999 Euro introduced Euro introduced The euro was introduced on 1 January 1999 as an accounting currency in eleven member states, with exchange rates between the national currencies irrevocably fixed. Notes and coins followed on 1 January 2002. It now serves twenty countries and is the second most-held reserve currency after the dollar.
• 1999 Kasparov reaches peak rating 2851 Highest FIDE rating ever at the time In 1999 Kasparov reached a FIDE rating of 2851, the highest ever recorded at the time. He held the world number one ranking continuously for 20 years, from 1984 until his retirement.
• 1999 Euro launched Single European currency The euro was introduced on January 1, 1999, with coins and notes following in 2002, unifying economies across the continent.
• 1999 The Sopranos Premieres HBO series redefines television drama The Sopranos, created by David Chase, premiered on HBO on January 10, 1999. The show followed New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano and is widely credited with ushering in the modern era of prestige television. It ran for six seasons and won numerous Emmy and Golden Globe awards.
• 1999 Hugo Chavez Inaugurated as President of Venezuela Begins presidency that reshapes Venezuelan politics Hugo Chavez was sworn in as President of Venezuela on February 2, 1999, after winning the December 1998 election. His government pursued a program of Bolivarian socialism that dramatically reshaped Venezuela's economy and politics. He remained in power until his death in 2013.
• 1999 Killing of Amadou Diallo Unarmed immigrant shot by NYPD officers Amadou Diallo, an unarmed 23-year-old immigrant from Guinea, was shot 41 times by four New York City police officers outside his Bronx apartment. The killing sparked widespread protests against police brutality and racial profiling. All four officers were later acquitted of criminal charges.
• 1999 – present Luka Doncic Luka Magic Global superstar known for his elite triple-double capability and IQ.
• 1999 NATO Admits Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic First post-Cold War eastward expansion of NATO Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic formally joined NATO on March 12, 1999, marking the alliance's first expansion into former Warsaw Pact territory. The accession was a significant milestone in post-Cold War European security realignment. It set a precedent for further NATO enlargement in the following decades.
• 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia Air campaign over the Kosovo War NATO conducted a 78-day bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to halt the ethnic cleansing of Kosovar Albanians. The operation was the alliance's first sustained combat action without UN Security Council authorization. It ended when Yugoslav forces withdrew from Kosovo and a peacekeeping force was deployed.
• 1999 The Matrix Sci-fi landmark of 1999 — $463m worldwide Directed by the Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves. A hacker discovers that reality is a simulation and joins a rebellion against the machines.
• 1999 First Multi-Planet System Found Around a Sun-like Star Upsilon Andromedae confirmed to host three planets Astronomers announced in April 1999 that the star Upsilon Andromedae hosts at least three planets, making it the first known multi-planet system orbiting a Sun-like star other than our own. The discovery supported the idea that planetary systems are common in the galaxy. It was based on radial velocity measurements gathered over several years.
• 1999 Nunavut Becomes Canada's Third Territory New territory carved from the Northwest Territories Nunavut was formally established as a separate Canadian territory on April 1, 1999, following a land claims agreement with the Inuit. It is Canada's largest territory by area and has a majority Inuit population. The creation of Nunavut was the largest change to Canada's map since 1949.
• 1999 1999 World Snooker Championship Hendry’s Seventh Stephen Hendry wins a record-breaking seventh title. Winner: Stephen Hendry; Runner-up: Mark Williams. Score: 18–11.
• 1999 Columbine High School Massacre School shooting in Colorado kills thirteen Two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killed twelve students and one teacher before killing themselves. The attack became a defining reference point for school shootings and gun control debates in the United States. It prompted widespread changes to school security policy nationwide.
• 1999 Kargil War India and Pakistan clash in the Kashmir mountains Pakistani forces and militants infiltrated Indian-administered Kashmir near Kargil, triggering an undeclared war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Indian forces recaptured the strategic heights after months of high-altitude fighting. International pressure, particularly from the United States, contributed to Pakistan's withdrawal.
• 1999 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace #1 film of 1999 — $1.03bn worldwide Directed by George Lucas. The first of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, depicting the early life of Anakin Skywalker.
• 1999 – 2019 Cameron Boyce (1999-2019) Died 6 July 2019, aged 20 Cameron Boyce was an American actor best known for his roles in Disney Channel productions including Jessie and the Descendants film franchise. He died in his sleep at home due to a seizure related to an underlying epilepsy condition. His family later founded a foundation to raise epilepsy awareness in his name.
• 1999 Napster Launches Peer-to-peer file sharing service upends the music industry Shawn Fanning launched Napster in mid-1999, creating one of the first widely used peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. The service let users freely trade MP3 music files and rapidly gained tens of millions of users. It was shut down by court order in 2001 after lawsuits from record labels, but permanently altered the music industry's relationship with digital distribution.
• 1999 Thabo Mbeki Succeeds Nelson Mandela as South African President Peaceful transition after ANC election victory Thabo Mbeki was inaugurated as President of South Africa on June 16, 1999, succeeding Nelson Mandela after the African National Congress won a decisive election victory. The transition marked South Africa's first change of leadership under full democracy. Mbeki continued the post-apartheid reconstruction program while shifting focus toward economic policy.
• 1999 Woodstock '99 Anniversary music festival marred by violence and fires Woodstock '99 was a large music festival held in Rome, New York, intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original 1969 event. The festival descended into vandalism, fires, and reported assaults amid poor conditions and high temperatures. It became infamous as a symbol of festival mismanagement.
• 1999 US Open 1999 Men: Andre Agassi · Women: Serena Williams Serena Williams won her first Grand Slam.
• 1999 Izmit Earthquake Magnitude 7.6 quake devastates northwestern Turkey A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Izmit region of northwestern Turkey, killing more than 17,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. It was one of the deadliest earthquakes of the decade and exposed widespread construction failures. The disaster prompted major reforms to Turkish building codes.
• 1999 Second Chechen War Begins Russian forces invade Chechnya after Dagestan incursion Russia launched a military campaign against the separatist republic of Chechnya following an armed incursion into neighboring Dagestan by Chechen-based militants and a series of apartment bombings blamed on Chechen terrorists. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin oversaw the offensive, which boosted his political standing ahead of becoming president. The war continued for years and resulted in the capture of Grozny.
• 1999 East Timor Independence Referendum and Violence Vote for independence triggers militia violence East Timorese voters overwhelmingly chose independence from Indonesia in a UN-supervised referendum on August 30, 1999. Pro-Indonesian militias responded with a violent campaign that killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands. An Australian-led international peacekeeping force, INTERFET, was deployed in September to restore order.
• 1999 Russian Apartment Bombings Series of blasts kill nearly 300 across Russia A series of apartment building bombings in Moscow, Buynaksk, and Volgodonsk killed almost 300 people over several weeks in September 1999. The attacks were blamed on Chechen militants and were used to justify the launch of the Second Chechen War. Allegations that Russian security services were involved remain disputed.
• 1999 American Beauty Released Suburban drama wins critical acclaim American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes and starring Kevin Spacey, opened in theaters in September 1999. The film's dark satire of suburban American life won five Academy Awards including Best Picture. It became one of the most discussed films of the year.
• 1999 Jiji Earthquake Magnitude 7.6 quake strikes central Taiwan A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck central Taiwan on September 21, 1999, killing more than 2,400 people and causing extensive damage across the island. It was the deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history. The disaster led to major reforms in building codes and disaster preparedness.
• 1999 Pervez Musharraf Seizes Power in Pakistan Bloodless military coup ousts Prime Minister Sharif General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup that overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The coup followed Sharif's attempt to dismiss Musharraf as army chief while he was out of the country. Musharraf ruled Pakistan for nearly a decade afterward.
• 1999 Fight Club Released David Fincher film becomes a cult classic Fight Club, directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, was released in October 1999. Its bleak, twist-laden critique of consumerism was polarizing on release but grew into one of the most influential cult films of its era. It was based on the 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk.
• 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone Catastrophic cyclone strikes eastern India A powerful tropical cyclone struck the state of Odisha in eastern India in late October 1999, killing an estimated 10,000 people. It remains one of the deadliest cyclones ever to hit the Indian subcontinent. The disaster prompted India to develop improved cyclone warning and shelter systems.
• 1999 Toy Story 2 #2 film of 1999 — $497m worldwide Directed by John Lasseter at Pixar. Woody is stolen by a toy collector and Buzz Lightyear leads the other toys on a rescue mission.
• 1999 Australian Republic Referendum Voters reject proposal to remove the monarchy Australians voted in a national referendum on whether to replace the British monarch with a president, ultimately rejecting the proposal by a majority. Disagreement over the method of selecting a president contributed to the defeat. The result kept Australia a constitutional monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1999 – present Lando Norris The Twitch Driver McLaren’s leading man; became a race winner in 2024 and a regular podium contender.
• 1999 The World Is Not Enough — Pierce Brosnan Bond investigates an oil heiress whose father has been assassinated, uncovering a plot involving a terrorist immune to pain. Judi Dench's M has a more prominent role. Denise Richards as nuclear physicist Christmas Jones is widely regarded as the weakest casting in the franchise's history. Budget: $135 million. Box office: $361.7 million.
• 1999 WTO Ministerial Protests in Seattle Mass demonstrations disrupt world trade talks Tens of thousands of protesters disrupted the World Trade Organization's ministerial conference in Seattle, opposing globalization's effects on labor and the environment. Clashes with police and property damage led to a curfew and the deployment of the National Guard. The 'Battle of Seattle' became a landmark moment for the global anti-globalization movement.
• 1999 Mars Polar Lander Lost NASA probe disappears during descent to Mars NASA's Mars Polar Lander lost contact with Earth during its descent to the Martian surface on December 3, 1999. The failure came months after the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter and triggered a major review of NASA's low-cost exploration strategy. No wreckage was confirmed until images were identified years later.
• 1999 Macau Handed Over to China End of Portuguese colonial rule in Asia Portugal transferred sovereignty over Macau to China on December 20, 1999, ending more than four centuries of Portuguese colonial administration. Macau became a Special Administrative Region under a 'one country, two systems' framework similar to Hong Kong. It was the last European colonial territory in Asia.
• 1999 Boris Yeltsin Resigns, Putin Becomes Acting President Surprise New Year's Eve resignation reshapes Russian politics Boris Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned as President of Russia on December 31, 1999, naming Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as acting president. Putin won the presidential election the following March and went on to dominate Russian politics for decades. The transition marked the end of the turbulent Yeltsin era.
• 1999 Panama Canal Handed Over to Panama United States cedes control after 85 years The United States formally transferred control of the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999, fulfilling the terms of the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties. The handover ended more than eight decades of American administration of the waterway. Panama has operated the canal since, including a major expansion completed in 2016.
• 1999 Y2K Bug Reaches Its Climax World braces for possible computer failures at the millennium Governments and businesses worldwide spent billions of dollars in 1999 preparing computer systems for the Y2K bug, a flaw that risked misreading the year 2000 as 1900. Widespread feared failures in power grids, banking, and infrastructure largely failed to materialize when the date rolled over. The scare nonetheless prompted a major, lasting overhaul of legacy computer systems.