2000

2000 was a year in the Gregorian calendar that began on a Saturday. It was a leap year, meaning February had 29 days. The year fell at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first by standard reckoning, though many people regarded it as the start of the third millennium.

The term "Millennium" was heavily associated with 31 December 1999 and 1 January 2000. In Gregorian calendar reckoning, centuries begin in a year ending in 01, so the twenty-first century formally began on 1 January 2001. Nevertheless, major celebrations took place at the turn of 2000.

The Y2K computer problem

Before 2000, there was widespread concern known as Y2K or the "Millennium bug." Many computer systems stored years as two-digit numbers (for example, 99 for 1999). There was fear that these systems would interpret 2000 as 1900, which could cause errors in banks, airlines, and power systems. Governments and companies spent large sums updating their software. Overall, the actual errors that occurred were minor.

Politics and events

In 2000, the United States presidential election took place, with results in Florida disputed; George W. Bush was ultimately acknowledged as the winner. In Russia, Vladimir Putin was elected president. The Summer Olympics were also held in Sydney, Australia.

Somalia in 2000

In Somalia, 2000 is marked by the Charter conference held in Djibouti. The conference produced the National Transitional Assembly and a transitional government known as the Transitional National Government (TNG), with Abdiqasim Salad Hassan elected president. That government's authority was limited to parts of Mogadishu and did not receive widespread recognition from regional administrations.