Shortly after 10:30 a.m. on June 15, 2000, on Lake Washington, Enumclaw native Russ Wicks (b. 1966) drives the Miss Freei (U-25) hydroplane to a world speed record for a propeller driven boat. The 205...
On June 21, 2000, President Bill Clinton (b. 1946) presents 22 World War II heroes, including Seattleite William Kenzo Nakamura (d. 1944), the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor. Naka...
On June 23, 2000, the Experience Music Project opens at Seattle Center. The museum and education center occupies a flowing polychrome pavilion designed by Frank O. Gehry and inspired by Seattle-born r...
On July 31, 2000, The Seattle City Council approves Amendment 113304 by a vote of seven to one. This Council bill, sponsored by members Heidi Wills and Richard Conlin, renamed the Elevated Transportat...
On August 30, 2000, editorial cartoonist Milt Priggee (b. 1953) publishes his last cartoon at Spokane's oldest newspaper, the Spokesman-Review. His work delights the city's liberals but irritates the ...
On September 13, 2000, King County elections superintendent Julianne Kempf concedes that Initiative 53 has enough petition signatures to be allowed on the November general election ballot. Initiative-...
On September 18, 2000, at precisely 6:20 a.m., the first Sound Transit "Sounder" commuter train departs Tacoma for Seattle's King Street Station via the Kent Valley. The modern diesel train and its 33...
On September 20, 2000, the SuperSonics, in desperate need of the center they haven't had since Jack Sikma, acquire aging New York Knicks superstar Patrick Ewing in a four-team, 12-player deal. Seattle...
On September 25, 2000, the permanent home of the University of Washington Bothell Branch opens for classes with 1,300, upper-division students. The new Cascadia Community College also opens on the sam...
On October 30, 2000, Seattle Korean community leader Youngsu "Rocky" Kim was found shot to death at his West Seattle gas station and minimart. He was one of the Korean American community's brightest l...
On November 3, 2000, at 4:48 a.m., a 235-pound girl was born to Chai, an Asian elephant, at Woodland Park Zoo, after a typical 22-month elephant pregnancy. The birth was historic and not only for the ...
On November 7, 2000, Democrat Maria Cantwell (b. 1958) narrowly defeats Republican Senator Slade Gorton (b. 1928) and joins Senator Patty Murray (b. 1950) to make Washington the third state with two w...
On November 21, 2000, more than 1,000 members of Local 82 of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild strike The Seattle Times and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer after rejecting a final contract offer. T...
On November 27, 2000, the SuperSonics fire head coach Paul Westphal and promote assistant coach and former SuperSonics player Nate McMillan to guide the team. McMillan has been a coach with the team s...
On November 30, 2000, opponents of the World Trade Organization (WTO) commemorate 1999 protests in Seattle with several marches downtown. The marchers tie up traffic, occupy the Westlake Mall area for...
On December 11, 2000, Seattle Mariner shortstop and superstar hitter Alex Rodriguez signs with the Texas Rangers for $252 million over 10 years. Rodriguez exercises his rights as a free agent to leave...
On the night of December 23, 2000, a chartered Amtrak train smashes through a house that had stalled on the tracks during transport through Auburn. The freak accident occurs at 11:15 p.m. on a Burling...
On the morning of January 1, 2001, Magnuson Park visitors discover a metalic monolith atop Kite Hill. The oblong object measures approximately three feet wide by nine feet tall and appears to be hollo...
On January 1, 2001, the University of Washington Huskies defeat the Purdue Boilermakers 34-24 in the annual Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl pits a football team from the PAC-10 c...
On January 8, 2001, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a federal agency based in Seattle, implements sweeping regulations intended to protect Puget Sound's dwindling chinook runs. The new "...
On January 11, 2001, Barry Ackerley, owner of the Seattle SuperSonics NBA franchise, reaches an agreement to sell the team to an investment group led by Starbucks Corporation founder Howard Schultz. T...
On January 15, 2001, the historic iron and glass pergola at Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle collapses when a truck strikes it around 5:45 a.m. The pergola and the nearby Tlingit totem pole (which i...
On January 19, 2001, the Duwamish Tribe wins federal recognition. However, fewer than 48 hours later, the tribe learns that President George W. Bush has suspended a batch of President Clinton's 11th-h...
On January 21, 2001, just after midnight, historic Franz H. Coe Elementary School on Queen Anne Hill burns to the ground. The three-story wood building dating from 1907 is being heavily remodeled when...