On December 15, 1999, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas unveils his design for a new $156 million Central Library for The Seattle Public Library. The "space age" (Times) building will have five levels held...
On December 31, 1999, Mayor Paul Schell (1937-2014) closes Seattle Center and orders a massive force of 895 police officers and 320 fire fighters on alert for possible terrorist attacks and WTO-style ...
On January 1, 2000, revelers in Washington join those throughout the world to celebrate the arrival of the twenty-first century and the start of a new millennium. Seattle officials cancel the planned ...
The 2000 U.S. Census reveals that every county in the state of Washington sees an increase in population since the previous census in 1990. Some cities and towns show dramatic population growth, while...
On January 13, 2000, at a press conference, Bill Gates (b. 1953) turns over leadership of Microsoft to Steve Ballmer (b. 1956). Gates retains his position as chairman of the board and takes the title ...
On January 24, 2000, Bill and Melinda Gates announce a gift of $5 billion in Microsoft stock to their namesake foundation. The contribution raises the total Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation endowme...
On January 29, 2000, the new Wallingford Branch, The Seattle Public Library opens at 1501 N 45th Street on the ground floor of the Fremont Public Association Resource Center. This is the second branch...
On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, bound for Seattle, plunges into the Pacific Ocean 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, off the coast of California, killing all 88 passengers and crew. T...
On February 15, 2000, members of the Suquamish Tribe dig about 2,000 pounds of Manila clams at Erland Point, on Bremerton, Kitsap County. This is the first Native American commercial clamdig on privat...
On February 17, 2000, a municipal court judge dismisses criminal charges against a man accused of violating the emergency order prohibiting the possession of "devices commonly known as gas masks" duri...
On February 29, 2000, Swedish Hospital merges with Providence Hospital and discontinues elective abortions. The decision is a dealmaker between the Catholic-run Providence Hospital and the secular Swe...
On March 5, 2000, Jerry and Sally Sinnema discover a foul odor and foamy discoloration in a stream on their Snoqualmie Valley dairy farm near Ames Lake Creek in central King County. They trace the con...
On March 6, 2000, after serving as the Puget Sound region's primary evening newspaper for more than a century, The Seattle Times shifts publication to mornings. The move to a morning edition puts it i...
On March 19, 2000, artist Carl Smool ignites 17 giant sculptures at Seattle Center as 10,000 watch. The "Hope and Dreams Fire Ceremony" was originally planned for New Year's Eve festivities on Decembe...
On March 25, 2000, the King County Library System (KCLS) holds a dedication ceremony for the Woodmont Library, 12 days after the library first opened to the public. The new library, located at the cor...
At 8:32 a.m. on March 26, 2000, Seattle's Kingdome is imploded. The Kingdome stadium's 660-foot concrete dome is the world's largest. Thousands of spectators crowd Seattle's streets, hills, sidewalks,...
On March 31, 2000, groundbreaking ceremonies are held for the Cedar River Watershed Education Center on the shores of Rattlesnake Lake in eastern King County. After opening comments from Dr. Leon Leed...
On May 7, 2000, Tacoma sells its 8 percent share in a coal-fired steam power plant in Centralia. The plant provided approximately 100 megawatts of electricity for Tacoma fueled by coal from an open-pi...
Beginning in May 2000 and continuing through the summer, federal wildlife officers collect and kill Canada geese in Seattle parks. They do so to alleviate the burgeoning populations of urban geese. Th...
On May 30, 2000, descendants of the Mukilteo's original Japanese immigrants join with town citizens to honor the community's historic example of harmonious race relations. A bronze origami crane scul...
On June 2, 2000, NARAL (the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Act League) releases a survey that shows that the vast majority of hospitals in Washington do not provide abortion services. The s...
In May 2000, a three-panel mural painted by Jacob Elshin (1892-1976) in the 1930s is discovered at West Seattle High School after being lost for more than 25 years. The murals had disappeared from vie...
On June 9, 2000, President Bill Clinton establishes the 195,000-acre Hanford Reach National Monument, protecting the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River and preserving one of the largest u...
On June 14, 2000, poet and teacher Lucilla Perillo (1958-2016) receives a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation fellowship, also known as a "genius grant," one of the nation's most prestigious awards. Perillo...