1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1999th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 999th year of the 2nd millennium, the 99th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1990s decade.
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
January 1 – The euro currency is established, and the European Central Bank assumes full powers.
January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launched by NASA.
January 10 – American crime drama series The Sopranos premieres on HBO, beginning what many commentators describe as the second “Golden Age of Television”.
January 25 – The 6.2 Mw Colombia earthquake strikes western Colombia, killing at least 1,900 people.
February 7 – Abdullah II inherits the throne of Jordan, following the death of his father, King Hussein.
February 11 – Pluto moves along its eccentric orbit further from the Sun than Neptune. It had been nearer than Neptune since 1979, and will become again in 2231.
February 12 – U.S. President Bill Clinton is acquitted in impeachment proceedings in the United States Senate.
In Uzbekistan, an apparent assassination attempt against President Islam Karimov takes place at government headquarters.
Across Europe, Kurdish protestors take over embassies and hold hostages after Turkey arrests one of their rebel leaders, Abdullah Öcalan.
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey.
1999 Galtür avalanche: An avalanche destroys the village of Galtür, Austria, killing 31.
February 27 – While trying to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after being aloft for 233 hours and 55 minutes.
One of four bombs detonated in Lusaka, Zambia, which destroys the Angolan Embassy.
Rwandan Hutu rebels kill and dismember eight foreign tourists at the Buhoma homestead, Uganda.
The Ottawa Treaty comes into force.
March 12 – Former Warsaw Pact members Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic join NATO.