The year 2000 was a leap year and according to the Chinese calendar, it was the Year of the Dragon.

It is considered (by most people) to be the first year of the 21st Century (and the third millenium). However, if you want to get technical, the 21st century does not start until 2001, because on the Gregorian calendar there is no year zero. (In other words, Jesus is considered to be born December 25th, year 1BC. The first year of Jesus’ life is in the year 1, so starting from January 1st, 1AD, add 100 years, which means that the first century ends December 31st, 100AD).

As far as we are concerned, the 21st century begins on January 1st, 2000, since this is accepted (and was celebrated) by most people.

When the year 2000 began, Bill Clinton was still the President of the United States, and it turns out that the The Y2K problem wasn’t a big problem after all (whether this was due to efforts of computer programmers or not is hotly debated)

The following events took place in 2000:

• AOL decides to buy Time Warner. The deal is closed the following year (and is later considered a huge mistake)
• Bill Clinton gives the State of the Union address on January 27th
• Charles Schulz passes away in February and his final original Peanuts comic strip is published
• Microsoft releases Windows 2000, based on their NT operating system. It is much better than Windows Me, released later in the year.
• Vladimir Putin is elected President of Russia in March
• The dot-com bubble reaches its peak in mid March, and then the bursting begins. Many dot-com businesses shut down in 2000 and 2001. The NASDAQ, which peaked at 5,132.52 on March 10th, declined to half its value within a year, and finally found a bear market bottom at its intra-day low of 1,108.49 on October 10, 2002.
• In April, Elián González is taken from relatives in Miami (via a raid) and flown to his father in D.C. The custody battle over Elián was a massive media event, and brought to the surface existing hostilities between the United States and Cuba
  
  González would return to Cuba with his father the following June
• In May, after 22 years, Israel withdrew their IDF forces from southern Lebanon
• In July, Vicente Fox is elected President of Mexico
• Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde SST aircraft, crashes into a Hotel in France, killing all passengers and crew, as well as 4 in the hotel. It was the only crash during the Concorde’s entire service (1969 - 2003)
• In July, Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez is reelected
• In August, The Russian submarine K-141 Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea, resulting in the deaths of all 118 men on board
• Microsoft releases Windows Me (Millenium Edition) in September. In 2006, PCWorld would declare Windows Me the fourth “Worst Tech Product of All Time”
  
  Windows Me … A Total Nightmare
• On September 28, Ariel Sharon visits the Temple Mount. Palestinian riots erupt, leading into a full-fledged armed uprising
• On October 12, the USS Cole is attacked in Yemen by suicide bombers. 17 crew members are killed.
  
  Damage to the USS Cole … and an unfortunate omen of things to come
• The New York Yankees defeat the New York Mets in the 2000 World Series to win their 26th World Series title. This was the first “Subway Series” matchup.
• In the November U.S. presidential election, Republican candidate George W. Bush defeats Democrat Vice President Al Gore (the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida.) It is one of the closest and most controversial elections in U.S. history
• Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first First Lady of the United States to win public office.
• On December 13, the U.S. Supreme Court stops the Florida presidential recount, effectively giving the state, and the Presidency, to George W. Bush. Due to the election controversy, the term “hanging chad” is introduced
  
  2000 U.S. Presidential Election Recount
• The Rizal Day Bombings occur on December 30th - a series of bombs explode in various places in Metro Manila, Philippines, within a span of a few hours, killing 22 and injuring about 100.