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 'Y2K go bye-bye' |
World Greets Year 2000 Safely"This is the biggest nonevent ever" |
As midnight arrived in country after country, there were no terrorist attacks, no Y2K meltdowns and no reports of mass suicides among doomsday cults. Instead, seven continents stepped joyously into the 21st century.
Computers guiding air traffic, electrical power grids and military operations slid smoothly into the year 2000. Billions of dollars spent on preventing computer bugs either paid off or were simply unnecessary.
Hawaii became the last state to enter the new century at 5 a.m. EST, with a laser light show on the slopes of Diamond Head obscured by fireworks smoke. An hour later, the new millennium completed its advent, reaching French Polynesia, the Midway Islands, Nuku Hiva and Samoa.
The first sunrise of the millennium hit the easternmost United States just after 7:04 a.m. EST. The towns of Lubec and Bar Harbor in Maine claimed first-light bragging rights, but an observatory on Nantucket said the sun hit the southeast tip of the Massachusetts island moments earlier.
While the vast majority of the globe's celebrations went off without a hitch, scores were injured in Paris and a man was killed in Las Vegas after he fell off a lightpole. In Sierra Leone, scarred by years of civil war, residents spent the night confined to their homes by a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
A bomb threat in Anchorage, Alaska, forced the evacuation of 20,000 people late Friday from the central square and adjacent Performing Arts Center, though police found nothing. And in Los Angeles, an 11-year-old boy was wounded by a bullet apparently falling out of the sky as the new year arrived.
But at the most visible of the nation's celebrations, in New York's Times Square, a 1,070-pound Waterford crystal ball dropped as more than a million revelers danced, kissed and sang "Auld Lang Syne."
Police officers watched over the crowd and linked arms, breaking into wide grins as TV cameras sent their images to millions of TV viewers.
Like a string of polished pearls, each country beamed with hope for a new year, a new century and a new millennium.
Joined by satellite television, the world's nearly 200 countries, which cover 24 time zones, became a disparate choir. South Pacific islanders sang Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus. Buddhist monks in Japan prayed for peace. A German choir performed in Israel.
There were fireworks everywhere, including Italy, where Pope John Paul II gave thanks for humanity's triumphs and asked forgiveness for its sins.
"What suffering, what dramatic events!" the frail 79-year-old pontiff said of the 1900s. "But, also, what incredible achievements."
The celebrations were loud. They were big. They were weird. But there were other millions who simply stayed home, quietly celebrating with family.
In the small town of Ellattsville, Ind., councilman Jerry Pittsford went to his sister's house, accompanied by his wife, whom he wanted to keep close by.
"That big first kiss of the new year," he said, "it's still a big deal after all these years."
In the Western world, where an incredibly big deal was made of possible computer meltdowns and widespread terrorism, many seemed just plain tired of all the hype.
In Fargo, N.D., city operations director Dennis Walaker was bored. "This is the biggest nonevent ever," he said, sitting in the city engineer's office Friday night, just in case of an emergency.
In Minnesota, state clerical worker Linda Ostermann volunteered to answer special telephone lines established for Y2K problems. Five hours after sitting down, she had received four calls. All from pranksters.
"I didn't expect it to be quite this quiet," Ostermann said.
State employees ushered reporters into the room, proudly displaying their emergency center. The journalists surrounded a phone. Five minutes later, it rang. The person on the line complained their caller ID wasn't working.
The official centerpiece of Los Angeles' celebration was the Hollywood sign. Or rather, illuminating the famed 50-foot letters with pulsing lights of red, yellow, turquoise and blue.
"It's totally appropriate," said Yves Lelevier, who can see the sign through his dining room window. "It's Hollywood, it should be neon every night."
Mayor Richard Riordan and talk-show host Jay Leno switched on the sign lights at midnight.
"It doesn't get any cheesier than that," Leno said.
Jimmy Diaz was watching the proceedings on a large-screen television at a city-sponsored party. "I'm so disappointed," he said. Diaz, 23, brought his wife and 5-year-old son. "I guess I just expected so much more."
"It's lame," the family said in unison.
Under the category of Things You Don't See Everyday, the governor of Wisconsin served beer during a public party at his mansion, while funk group Phat Phunktion blasted away.
In Washington, President Clinton led the nation in splashy celebrations and predicted the world would rise above bigotry, oppression and poverty.
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