2000 Facts: Grammy Awards, Music Boom, Census & Many More!

The year 2000 turned into a new and exciting century with new energy, and a new millennium began.

As the clock struck 12 a.m. on January 1, 2000; people rejoiced, for they were just about to witness a historical event. Y2K was finally here.

Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the beginning of the 21st century and the third millennium.

It was a century leap year that fell on a Saturday of the Georgian Calendar, the 2000th year of the CE, as well as Anno Domini, the 100th and last year of the 20th century. However, it was not only the numbers that made this an interesting year.

There was so much more. From the United States census to the Grammys, the year had more to offer. So let us dive into the year when the population was out renting DVDs with great energy and much more!

It was ironically designated the year for the culture of peace and good energy because the start of the 21st century had nothing to do with peace but only computer problems and a bug that was about to end the world.

The year was the precursor of Y2K problems, which was essentially the notion that computers would not correctly shift from 1999-2000.

The Y2K bug was expected to cause global trouble. The sky was supposed to fall; the airplanes were expected to crash.

Millions feared that missiles would be fired by mistake-all because of the hypothetical resetting of dates on the computers. Today we know the internet can spread the news in a matter of seconds.

However, the year 2000 saw this culture of the mass spread of news and fearmongering for the first time. Songs like 'Y2K- The Bug Is Coming' were made by bands that added to the already existing chaotic energy.

In the end, it turned out to be a classic case of much ado about nothing.

The world went on as it was, as is evident by the fact that you are sitting here today reading this article.

Since then, the news of the planet's ending has resurfaced time and again, once in 2012 and most recently in 2020. However, as we step into the 22nd year of the 21st century, it is safe to say two things: one, we are still almost a century away from seeing flying cars.

Second, despite increased population, global warming, and half a pandemic, the earth is still going strong, and it may take a lot more than plane crashes and internet bugs to bring the world to an end.

If the following facts lead you to some excitement, you can further check out 1982 facts and 1998 facts to get holistic history knowledge.

United States Census of 2000

From the Australian Olympics to the legalization of civil unions for same-sex couples in Vermont to the dynamic drop of the Euro against the US dollar, the year 2000 saw many head-turning events. In March of 2000, the newest gaming console, the PlayStation 2, was launched in Japan.

It became the most popular gaming console in South Asia and the entire globe, selling more than 155 million units worldwide, making it one of the most popular products ever made by the company. Following this event, in terms of geographical events, a huge solar flare, known as the 'Bastille Day', occurred on July 14.

It was the largest solar flare recorded since 1989.

In addition, the solar flare triggered an S3 radiation storm and a geometric superstorm. The year also saw the first crew to live on the International Space Station.

However, one hallmark event that outshined all of the above was the United States Consensus of 2000. This was the 22nd federal census and, at that time, the largest civilly administered peacetime effort in the history of America.

A census is an official report or survey to count the number of people residing in a set area of land.

Approximately 16% of households received the long-form for their '2000 census'. This was the first census in which California recorded a population of over 30 million people.

The Census Bureau carried out the data collection. The data recorded for the new millennium showed that the US population was over 282 million.

The overall human population born across the globe increased by over 6 billion people. This census is mandated by the United States Constitution as it is carried out every 10 years.

The first census of the US was carried out to measure the population after the American Revolution in 1790.

What makes the 2000 census special is that at the beginning of it, Americans were able to mark their choice of all 'race' categories that they identified with, marking the beginning of the first decennial count of multiracial people. A breakthrough came in the black movements and other racial movements that strived for the identification of racial identities.

Bill Clinton served as President of the United States of America, and Al Gore served as Vice President.

Famous People Who Died In 2000

As stated earlier, not everything about a year can be great news. The year 2000, like any other, saw natural calamities and the demise of famous stars.

In addition, the year saw a rise in terrorism as Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists used more than 400 pounds of explosives to bomb the coast of Yemen, killing 17 American sailors and injuring seven more. It also saw a rise in cases of Mad Cow Disease across 10 countries in Europe.

The year also saw the demise of a famous 20th century Hollywood actress, Patricia Owens. Owens was a star born out of play theatre, as it was here that she was first discovered by a Fox executive, who offered her a contract to work in Hollywood.

The Warner Brothers spotted her talent in the classic 'Island in the Sun' and asked Fox if she could be loaned, and the rest is history. Nevertheless, Owens became one of the most popular actresses of her time.

In the same year, Hedy Lamarr, the American actress and inventor, also died. Lamarr was known as the world's most beautiful woman and was an Austrian-born American film actress by profession.

Throughout the 30s and 40s, she was known for her smoldering performances on the screen. In fact, she is known to be the inspiration behind two of Disney's immortal cartoon beauties, Snow White and Cat Woman.

But, ironically, her greatest achievement was not on the silver screen and not for her looks, but in the field of science. Apart from her mesmerizing beauty, Lamarr possessed a very intelligent brain, which you should thank for your WiFi connection.

Lamarr made her breakthrough in the early years of World War II. She came up with the system of guiding torpedoes to their targets with her frequency-hopping technology—a widely used system in WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

Hedy Lamarr died of heart disease at the age of 85. In 2014, a memorial in her name was unveiled in Vienna's Central Cemetery to pay respect to her contribution to the arena of science.

Another famous celebrity death in 2000 was that of Bart the Bear. Yes, you read that right!

Bart the Bear was one of remarkable animal Hollywood stars. Born in 1977, the Bear was brought up by Utah animal trainer Doug Sues.

When he was eight, Bart started training for acting and worked with legendary actors like John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Steven Seagal, and Anthony Hopkins. He starred in 'The Great Outdoors' and 'The Edge'. Unfortunately, at the age of 23, he died of cancer while shooting for Nat Geo's 'Growing Up Grizzly'.

Growth Of Medical Industry

Away from the notions of popularity and entertainment, science too saw its own developments in the year 2000. It is almost every day that scientists make new discoveries and inventions that, in spite of their importance, are not able to spark public interest.

Others become historical events. The discovery of the drug, Penicillin, in 1928 and the first polio vaccine trial in the 1950s are examples of such historical breakthroughs that transformed the future of medicine forever, especially in the USA.

The year 2000, too, had something of similar magnitude in-store. The PT/CT scanner was named as the medical invention of the year by 'Time Magazine'.

Today, it is impossible to make a complex medical diagnosis without CT scans.

It was reported in 2011 that 90% of PT/CT scans are used to diagnose and monitor different types of cancer, as they give doctors a clearer picture of the diseased organ or tumor. The rise of digitization and computerization also helped the healthcare infrastructure.

Better infrastructure is a necessity to provide better healthcare. The digitization of health infrastructure was the first step towards the healthcare we know today.

The same year, scientists with the Human Genome Project released a rough draft of the human genome to the public on the web. For the first time in history, anybody across the globe could download and read the entire sequence of the human genome.

The Human Genome Project was, indeed, a government-funded project and started in 1990. By the end of the decade, the Human Genome Project also had a rival, Celera Genomics, a private competitor.

The company made use of different 'shot-gun' sequencing techniques and spent around $100 million to develop the sequence of the human genome. Both parties announced their human genome drafts on January 26, 2000.

It was finally in 2003 when researchers released the last draft. However, updates were made to the sequence well until 2007.

The discovery by the Human Genome Project further opened new possibilities for RNA interference. This was the revolutionary ability to study the function of both an individual and a cluster of genes.

This raised the potential for a whole new class of therapeutics, opening avenues for finding cures for millions of genetic disorders. In the same year, the Pew Research Center started measuring the internet adoption capability in America.

The research was concluded in 2015. The Pew Research Center conducted a total of 97 adult surveys to come up with the result.

The research by the Pew Research Center documented how the internet had become an integral part of everyday life across various sections of society. However, different populations exist across economic strata, classes, and ages. The older population showed the least amount.

The Pew Research Center has been one of the leading thinkers in America. The Pew Research Center is located in Washington, DC.

The final report by the Pew Research Center concluded that while youngsters are the most likely to use the internet, the senior population also showed a faster rate of adoption in the coming years. The adult population with a college degree showed the most recorded internet usage time.

The year also witnessed a breakthrough in stem cell culture research, alongside advancements in drug therapies for life-threatening diseases like cancer and AIDS.

Grammy Award Winners

2000 was the year of pop culture. All of us have certainly heard stories about the shift of culture from radio and clock radio to renting DVDs and CDs.

The year 2000 was a hallmark of this change. It saw many popular artists breaking records with their new albums.

At the top of these albums was 'Destiny's child'. Today, Beyoncé is notably the most popular star, but back then, she was known for her part in the R&B/pop group 'Destiney's Child'.

In 2000, the trio saw a line-up change, with LeToya Luckett and Lataiva Roberson exiting the group, and Michelle Williams joining Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland to complete the trio.

With 'Independent Women Part 1' from Charlie Angel's track, the trio topped the UK singles chart. The group would continue to conquer the charts in the years that followed.

The year also saw the comeback of iconic pop star Kylie Minogue. Ever since the late '80s, Minogue has been a household name. However, the 2000s marked a sudden exponentiality in her popularity.

Her increased success could be attributed to her return to a more pop-centric sound after investing several years in alternative music. In 2000, Kylie released a trio of her biggest hits: 'Spinning Around', 'On A Night Like This', and 'Robbie William Duet Kids'. 'Spinning Around' featured her famous gold pants, later made for Glasgow Museums.

The year also saw dance hits cross over into the mainstream. The rage was led by none other than Sonique. In 2000, the DJ vocalist attained the number one position with her single 'It Feels So Good'.

However, on a similar note, you can't really talk about a specific year and miss the Grammys, can you? It was the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards and was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The most accomplished artist of the evening was Santana, with a total of eight Grammys. It was tied between Santana's album 'Supernatural' and the legend, Michal Jackson's record for the most awards won in the category. The year also saw Britney Spears as a nominee for the Best New Artist award.

The 2000s are recognized by Eminem songs, and the year 2000 marked the rise of the rap god. He was, undoubtedly, as most would agree, one of the most famous artists of the year.

In the year 2000, he received his first two Grammy Awards. The awards were for the categories of Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album and were won by 'My Name Is' and 'The Slim Shady LP', respectively.

To date, he remains the undisputed rap god. He also has his name listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for ten consecutive number one albums, the fastest rap, and the biggest chart leap.

In the same year, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys, the Juno Awards, were also held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A new design for the Juno Awards statuettes was created by artist Shirley Elford and introduced in the middle of the award function.

Away from the world of music, gaming also saw a new rise in popularity. Nintendo became a household name and sold its 100 millionth GameBoy. The console that got people across age groups hooked on collecting Pokémon and the sentence, 'I found a Squirtle in my backyard', somehow seems mundane!

From digital gaming to physical gaming, 2000 had to offer something in every category, and let's be honest, one can't talk about 2000 and not mention the Sydney Olympics.

The 2000 Summer Olympics were a multi-sport event that commenced on September 15 and ended on November 1. A total of close to 200 countries took part in the event, which was the first to hold at least 300 events in the official sports category.

Bill Bryson of 'TIMES' called the Sydney Games one of the most successful events on the world stage.

Overall, the turn of the new millennium had a lot of exciting potential to offer. A year that was marked by its own very different music, fashion, and entertainment that was followed and sworn by at least for the next decade.

As Y2K fashion makes yet another comeback to our wardrobes, one can't help but feel an utter sense of nostalgia for the old 2000s charm.

The year was 2000, a time when coolness and fashion were measured by how many rubber bracelets and butterfly clips you wore. Phone games were as easy as the iconic 'Snakes', but just as addictive.

Did you know?

The year also saw the last issue of the famous cartoon 'Peanuts' as its cartoonist, Charles M. Schulz, died on February 12, 2000. The 'Peanuts' were a syndicated Sunday comic strip.

With 17,897 strips published in all, it is one of the longest stories ever told by a human. Peanuts focused entirely on the social circle and play of young children. The main character is Charlie Brown, a timid, nervous boy.

The comic mostly revolves around his life and his dog, Snoopy. The adults were never seen in the comics, though they were heard of.

All types of foods were the buzz in 2000-especially Chinese foods. Even fried foods were in on the craze.

An event of an astronomical dream for the United States-the mission was called 'Expedition 1' and was the first long-term stay of 136 days in total. The crew was then replaced by a second crew on a different mission.

The International Space Station has remained occupied by astronauts ever since. The year had started with computer news.

However, ironically, it also witnessed Bill Gates, the man who made computers and Microsoft a household name, step down from his CEO position. However, like any other year, not everything was positive about this year either. It also saw the infamous Concorde Crash.

The Concorde Air France 4590 crashed just after takeoff from Paris, killing all 109 on board and five on the ground. It was one of the most unfortunate crashes reported in the country.

Camera phones were invented in 2000!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 2000 facts, then why not take a look at 1975 facts or 1981 facts.