Timeline December 1999

Events in December 1999 24

• 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.
• 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.
• 1991 – 1999 Campaign Work and Covers Fronted campaigns for major fashion houses and appeared on over 200 magazine covers worldwide. Despite her success, she was known for being quieter and more private than her supermodel peers.
• 1991 – 1999 Continued Modelling Career Continued to be one of the most sought-after models of the 1990s, working with photographers including Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon and Patrick Demarchelier.
• 1991 – 1999 Yeltsin presidency First President of Russia — 1991 to 1999 Yeltsin was elected President of Russia on July 10, 1991 and resigned on December 31, 1999, handing power to Putin. His presidency saw the chaotic privatisation of state assets, two Chechen Wars, a constitutional crisis in 1993 and Russia's first democratic elections.
• 1998 – 1999 Global Expansion Accelerated Toyota's overseas expansion, opening new manufacturing plants in Europe and the United States while navigating concerns about anti-Japanese sentiment as Toyota's growth threatened the dominance of America's Big Three automakers.
• 1999 1999: Mika Häkkinen McLaren Häkkinen won his second consecutive title, helped by Schumacher's leg-breaking crash at Silverstone that sidelined him for six races.
• 1999 Became Chairman Stepped up to chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, continuing to shape the company's strategic direction while a new president handled day-to-day operations.
• 1999 Country Music Hall of Fame Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the highest honour in country music.
• 1999 Ordained as a Priest Was ordained as a priest in the breakaway Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, taking the name Mother Bernadette Mary.
• 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 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 Named "Athlete of the Century" ESPN names Jordan the Athlete of the Century, recognising his impact on sport in the 20th century.
• 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 The Band's Rick Danko dies End of The Band The bassist dies in his sleep — the group does not continue.
• 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 Curtis Mayfield dies Roswell, Georgia Dies aged 57.
• 1999 George Harrison attacked at home Friar Park Survives a knife attack by an intruder.
• 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 Person of the Century Time names him ahead of Roosevelt and Gandhi Time magazine chose Einstein for the century-closing issue, arguing that the age would be remembered above all for its science. His face had by then become the standard shorthand for genius, used to sell everything from computers to insurance. He had actively disliked the celebrity in life.
• 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.