At A Glance

31 December 1999 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1999 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun” by Westlife.
Top Film of 1999
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1999 was Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1999 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1999 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1995 The final comic of Calvin and Hobbes is published.
  • 1998 The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency.
  • 1999 The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.
  • 1999 The U.S. government hands control of the Panama Canal (as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone) to Panama. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties.
  • 2001 Rwanda adopts a new national flag and anthem.

Famous people born on 31 December

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1999 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1999 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – The Euro currency is launched, but Britain's Labour government reportedly has no plans to introduce the currency here, preferring to stick to pound sterling instead.
  • 7 May – The Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats form a coalition government in Scotland, with Donald Dewar as the First Minister of Scotland.
  • 26 May – The National Assembly for Wales is officially opened in Cardiff by Queen Elizabeth II.
More events of 1999 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1999

Prime Minister

Tony Blair

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£1.70

Loaf of Bread

70p

Average House

£80,469

Weekly Wage

£428.00

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1990s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Tom Holland1 June 1996ActorView their day →Florence Pugh3 January 1996ActressView their day →Kaya Scodelario13 March 1992ActressView their day →Ed Sheeran17 February 1991Singer-songwriterView their day →Dua Lipa22 August 1995Singer-songwriterView their day →Callum Turner15 February 1990ActorView their day →Harry Kane28 July 1993FootballerView their day →Jack Lowden2 June 1990ActorView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →