1999 in the United States explained
Events from the year 1999 in the United States.
Incumbents
Federal government
Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) (until January 3)
Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) (starting January 6)
Events
January
- January 1 - DIY Network, a spinoff of Home and Garden Television, is launched.
- January 2 - A snowstorm leaves 14inches of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 21inches in Chicago, Illinois, killing 68.
- January 6 - Dennis Hastert becomes Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
- January 7 - The Senate trial in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton begins. He had been impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19.
- January 14–17 - The Winter X Games take place in Crested Butte.[2]
- January 21 - In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 9500lbs of cocaine aboard, headed for Houston, Texas.
- January 22 - An F3 tornado strikes downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, destroying and heavily damaging more than 500 buildings, including the historic Montgomery County Courthouse, and nationally registered Trinity Episcopal Church and Madison Street United Methodist Church.[3]
- January 31 - The adult animated sitcom Family Guy debuts on the Fox network after Super Bowl XXXIII.
February
- February 1 - The Disney Channel Preschool Block is rebranded as Playhouse Disney.
- February 2 - Noggin is launched.
- February 4
- February 12 - Impeachment of Bill Clinton: President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate.
- February 15 - Rapper Big L is shot to death.
- February 19 - President Bill Clinton issues a posthumous pardon for U.S. Army Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper.
- February 23 - White supremacist John William King is found guilty of kidnapping and murdering African American James Byrd Jr. by dragging him behind a truck for 2 miles (3 km).
- February 24 - LaGrand case: The state of Arizona executes Karl LaGrand, a German national involved in an armed robbery that led to a death. Karl's brother Walter is executed a week later, in spite of Germany's legal action in the International Court of Justice to attempt to save him.
March
- March 2 - The new Mandalay Bay hotel and casino opens on the Las Vegas Strip.
- March 3 - Walter LaGrand is executed in the gas chamber in Arizona.
- March 4 - In a military court, United States Marine Corps Captain Richard J. Ashby is acquitted of the charge of reckless flying which resulted in the deaths of 20 skiers in the Italian Alps, when his low-flying jet hit a gondola cable.
- March 8 - The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the murder convictions of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma City bombing.
- March 11 - Infosys becomes the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
- March 17 - The Roth IRA is introduced by U.S. Senator William V. Roth Jr.
- March 20 - Legoland California, the first Legoland outside of Europe, opens in Carlsbad, California.
- March 21 - The 71st Academy Awards, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, are held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, with John Madden's Shakespeare in Love winning seven awards out of 13 nominations, including Best Picture. Steven Spielberg wins his second Best Director award for Saving Private Ryan. The telecast garners over 45.5 million viewers.
- March 25 - Enron energy traders allegedly route 2,900 megawatts of electricity destined for California to the town of Silver Peak, Nevada, population 200.
- March 26 - A Michigan jury finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man.
- March 27 - Kosovo War: A U.S. F-117 Nighthawk is shot down by Serbian forces.
- March 28 - The science-fiction adult animated sitcom Futurama debuts on Fox.
- March 29 - For the first time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 10,000 mark, at 10,006.78.
- March 31 - The Matrix is released in theaters.
April
- April 1 - Air China Flight 9018, a Boeing 747, taxis onto an active runway at O'Hare International Airport during the takeoff of Korean Air Flight 36, another Boeing 747, nearly resulting in a crash. Flight 36 averted a collision by taking off early and missing the Air China aircraft by 75 feet. There were 8 people on the Air China cargo plane and 379 on the Korean Air flight.[5]
- April 5 - In Laramie, Wyoming, Russell Henderson pleads guilty to kidnapping and felony murder, in order to avoid a possible death penalty conviction for the killing of Matthew Shepard.
- April 7 - The World Trade Organization rules in favor of the United States in its long-running trade dispute with the European Union over bananas.[6]
- April 8 - Bill Gates' personal fortune exceeds US$100 billion, thanks to the increased value of Microsoft stock.
- April 12 - U.S. President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving "intentionally false statements" in a sexual harassment civil lawsuit.
- April 15 - Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz are exonerated of the rape and murder of Debbie Carter and released from prison. Both had spent 11 years in prison, with Williamson on death row, and having come within five days of execution.[7]
- April 20 - Columbine High School massacre: Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12 students and one teacher, and then themselves. It would be the deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history at the time. The shooting sparks debate on school bullying, gun control and violence in the media.
- April 23 - 1999 Major League Baseball season: Fernando Tatís of the St. Louis Cardinals hits two grand slams in one inning, becoming the first and only player in MLB history to do so.[8]
- April 28 - Bausch & Lomb announces its intent to sell Ray-Ban to the Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica.[9]
May
June
July
Mark Orrin Barton kills his family. He then goes on a murder spree at the trading firm he worked at, killing a total of 12 people in Atlanta, Georgia. He later committed suicide at a gas station when cornered by police.
- NASA intentionally crashes the Lunar Prospector spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the lunar surface.
August
September
October
November
December
- December - The unemployment rate drops to 4%, the lowest level since January 1970.
- December 3 - NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander, moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere.
- December 7 - The Recording Industry Association of America files a lawsuit against the Napster file-sharing client, alleging copyright infringement.
- December 16 - Walt Disney Pictures' 38th feature film, Fantasia 2000, a sequel to 1940's Fantasia, premieres at Carnegie Hall, with an IMAX release on New Years Day 2000 and a general theatrical release later in June.
- December 18 - NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform, carrying 5 Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT.
- December 31 - The U.S. turns over complete administration of the Panama Canal to the Panamanian government, as stipulated in the Torrijos–Carter Treaties of 1977.
Ongoing
Births
January
February
March
April
- April 2 - Sophie Reynolds, actress
- April 6 - Kwesi Boakye, actor
- April 8 - Ty Panitz, actor
- April 9 - Lil Nas X, rapper, singer and songwriter
- April 18 - Mallory Beach, notable victim (died 2019)
- April 20 - Carly Rose Sonenclar, actress, singer and songwriter
- April 23 - Claud, singer-songwriter
- April 29 - Morgan Turner, actress
May
- May 1 - YNW Melly, American rapper
- May 3 - Rory Staunton, notable victim (d. 2012)
- May 4 - Tyler Senerchia, professional wrestler
- May 5
- May 10 – Michael Gandolfini, actor
- May 11
- May 18 - Teo Halm, actor
- May 22 - Camren Bicondova, actress
- May 23
- May 24
- May 25 - Brec Bassinger, actress
- May 27 - Lily-Rose Depp, actress and model
- May 28 - Cameron Boyce, actor (d. 2019)
- May 29 - Ella Emhoff, fashion designer
- May 30 - Sean Giambrone, actor and voice actor
- May 31 - Emily Evan Rae, actress
June
July
August
- August 4 - Kelly Gould, actress
- August 7 - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, hurdler and sprinter, Olympic champion (2020)
- August 9 - Ariana Guido, actress
- August 10 - Ja Morant, basketball player
- August 11 - Khyree Jackson, American football player (d. 2024)[15]
- August 12 - Dream, Minecraft-themed YouTuber
- August 13 - Eli Brown, actor
- August 16 - Karen Chen, figure skater
- August 19
- August 21 - Maxim Knight, actor
- August 22 - Ricardo Hurtado, actor and singer[16]
- August 25 - Sophie Cates, singer-songwriter
September
October
November
December
Full date unknown
Deaths
January
February
- February 1 – Paul Mellon, American philanthropist (b. 1907)
- February 6 – Jimmy Roberts, American singer (b. 1924)
- February 7 – Bobby Troup, American actor, jazz pianist, singer and songwriter (b. 1918)
- February 11 – Jaki Byard, American jazz musician (b. 1922)
- February 14
- February 15
- February 16 – Michael Larson, Press Your Luck contestant (b. 1949)
- February 18
- February 20 – Gene Siskel, American film critic (b. 1946)
- February 21 – Gertrude B. Elion, American biochemist and pharmacologist (b. 1918)
- February 22 – William Bronk, American poet (b. 1918)
- February 23 – The Renegade, American wrestler (b. 1965)
- February 24
- February 25 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist (b. 1912)
- February 28 – Bill Talbert, American tennis player (b. 1918)
March
- March 1 – Ann Corio, American dancer and actress (b. 1909)
- March 3 – Jackson C. Frank, American folk musician (b. 1943)
- March 4
- March 5 – Richard Kiley, American actor (b. 1922)
- March 7
- March 8
- March 12 – Yehudi Menuhin, American violinist (b. 1916)
- March 13
- March 17 – Ernest Gold, Austrian-born American composer (b. 1921)
- March 22 – David Strickland, American actor (b. 1969)
- March 25 – Cal Ripken Sr., baseball coach and manager (b. 1935)
- March 26 – David Holliday, American actor (b. 1937)
- March 29 – Joe Williams, American singer (b. 1918)
- March 30 – Terry Wilson, American actor (b. 1923)
April
May
- May 8 – Dana Plato, American actress (b. 1964)
- May 10 – Shel Silverstein, American poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books (b. 1930)
- May 13 – Gene Sarazen, American golfer (b. 1902)
- May 17 – Henry Jones, American actor (b. 1912)
- May 18 – Betty Robinson, American athlete (b. 1911)
- May 19 – Candy Candido, American voice actor (b. 1913)
- May 23
- May 26 – Waldo Semon, American inventor (b. 1898)
- May 31 – Charles Pierce, American impressionist (b. 1926)
June
July
- July 1
- July 2 – Mario Puzo, American author (b. 1920)
- July 3 – Mark Sandman, American rock musician and artist (b. 1952)
- July 7 – Julie Campbell Tatham, American writer (b. 1908)
- July 8 – Pete Conrad, American astronaut, naval aviator, and aeronautical engineer (b. 1930)
- July 9 – James Farmer, American civil rights leader (b. 1920)
- July 11 – Helen Forrest, American jazz singer (b. 1917)
- July 16
- July 20 – Sandra Gould, American actress (b. 1916)
- July 22 – Gar Samuelson, American drummer (b. 1958)
- July 29 – Anita Carter, American singer (b. 1933)
August
September
October
- October 1 – Glen Foster, American Olympic sailor (b. 1930)
- October 2
- October 3 – Paul Burris, American baseball player (b. 1923)
- October 4 – Art Farmer, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1928)
- October 5 – Alex Lowe, American mountaineer (b. 1958)
- October 6 – Gorilla Monsoon, American professional wrestler and announcer (b. 1937)
- October 7
- October 8 – John McLendon, American basketball coach (b. 1915)
- October 9 – Milt Jackson, American musician (b. 1923)
- October 10 – George Forrest, American writer (b. 1915)
- October 12 – Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player (b. 1936)
- October 16 – Jean Shepherd, writer and personality (b. 1921)
- October 19 – James C. Murray, American politician (b. 1917)
- October 24 – John Chafee, American politician (b. 1922)
- October 25 – Payne Stewart, American golfer (b. 1957)
- October 26
- October 27
- October 29 – Tom Dickinson, American football player (b. 1897)
November
- November 1
- November 4 – Daisy Bates, American civil rights activist, publisher, journalist, and lecturer (b. 1914)
- November 9 – Mabel King, American actress and singer (b. 1932)
- November 11 – Mary Kay Bergman, American voice actress (b. 1961)
- November 15 – Gene Levitt, American television writer, producer, and director (b. 1920)
- November 16 – Daniel Nathans, American microbiologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1928)
- November 18
- November 21 – Ralph Foody, American actor (b. 1928)
- November 29 – Gene Rayburn, American television personality (b. 1917)
December
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: William Rehnquist Biography. biography.com. A&E Television Networks. 28 February 2016.
- Book: Bell . Daniel . Encyclopedia of International Games . 17 March 2016 . McFarland . 978-1-4766-1527-1 . 512 . en.
- News: Remembering the 1999 Clarksville tornado: 'It looked like a bomb exploded' . Clarksville Leaf Chronicle . January 18, 2019.
- https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/26/nyregion/diallo-verdict-overview-4-officers-diallo-shooting-are-acquitted-all-charges.html "The Diallo Verdict: The Overview; 4 Officers in Diallo Shooting Are Acquitted of All Charges"
- NTSB Animation Runway Incursion Korean Air flight 36 and Air China 9018 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/mY2576xOeww . 2021-12-20 . live. YouTube . August 6, 2009 . July 4, 2013.
- News: Europe will "comply" with banana ruling . BBC News . April 7, 1999.
- Web site: Profiles - Ron Williamson Burden of Innocence FRONTLINE PBS. .
- Web site: Retrosheet Boxscore: St. Louis Cardinals 12, Los Angeles Dodgers 5. April 23, 1999. Dodger Stadium. Retrosheet. retrosheet.org. January 12, 2019.
- Web site: Ray-Bans net cool $640 million in Luxottica sale - Apr. 28, 1999 . 2023-08-30 . money.cnn.com.
- Web site: Schmidt . Sean . 2018-05-01 . 19 Years Ago Today, Spongebob Aired }} First Episode; Feel Old Yet?! ]. 2023-08-30 . River Beats Dance . en-US.
- Web site: Brett . Jennifer . Women's History Month: Nancy Mace, the first woman to graduate from The Citadel . 2023-08-30 . Celebrity Buzz (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . English.
- Newman, Andy (August 31, 1999) "Disturbed Man Wielding A Hammer Is Killed By Police In Brooklyn", The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- Book: Zenko . Micah . Between Threats and War: U.S. Discrete Military Operations in the Post-Cold War World . 3 August 2010 . Stanford University Press . 978-0-8047-7190-0 . 29 . en.
- Web site: Weber . Bruce . Shannon Tavarez, Nala in "Lion King", Dies at 11 . The New York Times . 8 April 2020 . 3 November 2010.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/articles/cnd0w35w212o Vikings rookie Jackson dies in car crash
- 'Happy Birthday, Ricardo Hurtado!' Official Tribute Music Video ft. 'We Run This Show' Nick. Aug 22, 2017. Nickelodeon. YouTube video.
- Web site: USA Gymnastics Laura Zeng . usagym.org . 7 December 2020.
- News: Todisco . Eric . Jon Hamm Attends Mad Men Daughter Kiernan Shipka's 20th Birthday Bash: 'Dad Showed Up!' . April 30, 2022 . People . November 11, 2019 . en.
- Web site: Obituary: Peggy Cass . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-peggy-cass-1080192.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . The Independent . 17 February 2020 . en . 13 March 1999.
- Web site: Joe DiMaggio Biography & Facts . Encyclopedia Britannica . 17 February 2020 . en.
- Web site: DeForest Kelley American actor . Encyclopedia Britannica . 10 August 2019 . en.
- News: Marion O'Dell McKinney, Jr. . Marion O'Dell McKinney Jr. died on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 1999, at Hampton General Hospital after a short illness. . . August 5, 1999 . 2012-11-20 . 2017-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013452/http://articles.dailypress.com/1999-08-05/news/9908050170_1_youth-challenge-mr-mckinney-successful-development . dead .
