Timeline Friday 3 December 1999

Events on Friday 3 December 1999 3

• 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.
• 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 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.