Look Back To 2000: What Happened That Year

The Millennium Dome, the fuel protests and Big Brother arriving from nowhere.

Here's 2000 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 2000

• 'Can We Fix It?' by Bob the Builder was the Christmas number one.
• Westlife, Britney Spears and Eminem dominated the singles chart.
• Robbie Williams's 'Rock DJ' and Madonna's 'Music' were the summer's records.

In the news in 2000

• The Millennium Dome opened on 1 January and struggled with visitor numbers all year.
• Fuel protests in September brought petrol stations close to empty within days.
• The Millennium Bridge opened in June and shut again within days because of its sway.

On screen in 2000

• Big Brother launched on Channel 4 in July, and Craig Phillips won the first series.
• Gladiator was the film of the year.
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was at its peak.

In sport in 2000

• Britain had its best Olympics in decades at Sydney, with Steve Redgrave winning a fifth consecutive gold.
• Wembley Stadium closed for rebuilding in October.
• Manchester United won the league by eighteen points.

Everyday life in 2000

• The Nokia 3310 went on sale and became the most indestructible phone ever made.
• Pay-as-you-go mobiles put a phone in almost every teenager's pocket.
• The pound coin, the Dome and the millennium bug were the three things everyone had an opinion on.

If you were born in 2000

• Anyone born in 2000 has an easy age to work out, which they will be reminded of for life.
• They were born the year Big Brother and the Millennium Dome started.
• Anyone born in 2000 turns 30 in 2030, 40 in 2040, 50 in 2050, 60 in 2060 and 70 in 2070.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 2003
• Look back to 2002
• Look back to 2001
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• 2000s party playlist
• 00s quiz questions
• Dial-up, MSN and MySpace
• Adverts we can still recite
• Decade music round questions
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the Christmas number one in 2000?

'Can We Fix It?' by Bob the Builder.

What happened at the Sydney Olympics for Britain?

Britain won eleven golds, including Steve Redgrave's fifth consecutive Olympic title in rowing.

How old is someone born in 2000?

Subtract 2000 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2040, 50 in 2050, 60 in 2060 and 70 in 2070.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.