What Happened in December 2000

Historical Events

  • Dec 2 5th Big 12 Championship Game: #1 Oklahoma beats #8 Kansas State, 27-24
  • Dec 2 9th SEC Championship Game: #7 Florida beats #18 Auburn, 28-6
  • Dec 2 England holds off a determined comeback by South Africa to notch up their 3rd Southern Hemisphere rugby scalp of the autumn with a 25-17 win at Twickenham; previously beat Australia, 22-19 and Argentina, 19-0

Gustavo Kuerten

Dec 3 French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil wins the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup for the only time; beats Andre Agassi 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 in the final in Lisbon, Portugal

  • Dec 5 "O Brother, Where Art Thou" soundtrack to the film of the same name released

British Museum's Great Court

Dec 6 Great Court of the British Museum redesigned with the largest covered courtyard in Europe by Foster & Partners opened by Queen Elizabeth II [1]

  • Dec 9 Tottenham defender Ledley King scores fastest goal in English Premier League history when he nets after 9.82 seconds in 3-3 draw at Bradford City
  • Dec 10 89th Davis Cup: Spain beats Australia in Barcelona (3-1)
  • Dec 11 66th Heisman Trophy Award: Chris Weinke, Florida State (QB)

Bush v. Gore Decision

Dec 12 US Supreme Court releases its 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore, settling the recount dispute in Florida's 2000 presidential election in George W. Bush's favor and thus handing him the presidency over Al Gore

Gore's Concession Speech

Dec 13 American Vice President Al Gore delivers his concession speech effectively ending his hopes of becoming the 43rd President of the United States.

  • Dec 13 The "Texas 7" escape from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas later going on a crime spree and killing police officer Aubrey Hawkins

Ballon d'Or

Dec 19 Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid's Portuguese midfielder Luís Figo is named best football player in Europe ahead of Juventus midfielder Zinedine Zidane and Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko

  • Dec 19 The Leninist Guerrilla Units wing of the Communist Labour Party of Turkey/Leninist attack a Nationalist Movement Party office in Istanbul, killing one person and injuring three.
  • Dec 22 On This Day launched as HistoryOrb.com
  • Dec 23 Cricket Women's World Cup: New Zealand defeats Australia by 4 runs
  • Dec 24 The Texas 7 hold up a sports store in Irving, Texas. Police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot during the robbery

Lemieux's Return

Dec 27 Pittsburgh Penguins center and part-owner Mario Lemieux scores a goal and 2 assists in his return to the NHL after more than 3 years out with injury problems and lingering cancer issues; Penguins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-0

  • Dec 28 U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announces it is going out of business after 128 years.
  • Dec 30 Rizal Day Bombings: A series of bombs explode in various places in Metro Manila, Philippines within a span of a few hours, killing 22 and injuring about a hundred.
2000 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Dec 1 Truitt Battin, American soccer player, born in Chicago, Illinois
  • Dec 6 Pablo Nicolás Urdangarín y de Borbón, Spanish royal, born in Barcelona
  • Dec 18 Jayden Daniels, American football quarterback (Heisman Trophy 2023; LSU), born in San Bernardino, California
  • Dec 22 Joshua Bassett, American actor and singer (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), born in Oceanside, California
Born in 2000

Famous Weddings

Thalía

Dec 2 American record company executive Tommy Mottola (51) weds third wife, Mexican 'Queen of Latin Pop' Thalia (29) at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City

Todd Martin

Dec 16 Tennis player Todd Martin (30) weds Amy Martin in New Jersey

Madonna

Dec 22 Pop singer Madonna (42) weds film director Guy Ritchie (32) at Skibo Castle in Scotland

Kate Hudson

Dec 31 Actress Kate Hudson (21) weds Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson (34) in Aspen, Colorado


Famous Deaths

  • Dec 2 Chris Antley, American Racing Hall of Fame jockey (Kentucky Derby 1991, 1999; Preakness 1999), dies of a drug overdose at 34
  • Dec 2 Gail Fisher, American Emmy Award-winning actress (Mannix - "Peggy"), dies of kidney failure at 65
  • Dec 3 Gwendolyn Brooks, American poet (Bean Eaters, Annie Allen, Pulitzer 1950), dies at 83
  • Dec 3 Hoyt Curtin, American composer (Hanna-Barbera cartoon theme songs), dies at 78

Colin Cowdrey (1932-2000)

Dec 4 England cricket batsman (114 Tests, 7,624 runs @ 44.06), dies of a heart attack at 67

  • Dec 4 H. C. Artmann, Austrian writer, dies at 79
  • Dec 6 Werner Klemperer, German-American Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actor (Judgment at Nuremberg; Hogan's Heroes - "Col. Klink"), dies of cancer at 80
  • Dec 7 Vladimir Gotovac, Croatian poet and politician (b. 1930)
  • Dec 8 Marvin Leath, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 11th district), dies at 69
  • Dec 10 Marie Windsor [Emily Marie Bertelson], American actress (The Bounty Hunter, Double Deal), dies of congestive heart failure at 80
  • Dec 11 David Lewis, American actor (Edward Quartermaine-General Hospital), dies at 84
  • Dec 11 Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, Pakistani politician, diplomat and author (b. 1915)
  • Dec 12 George Montgomery, American actor (b. 1916)
  • Dec 14 George Sholty, American harness driver (2,934 career wins; $20 million+ purse money), dies at 68
  • Dec 14 Ralph Louis Wain, British agricultural scientist, dies at 89
  • Dec 15 Charles Dearnley, English church organist (Salisbury Cathedral; St Paul's Cathedral), and educator, dies at 70
  • Dec 17 Erich Schmid, Swiss composer and conductor, dies at 93
  • Dec 17 Gérard Blain, French director and actor (The Friends, Hatari), dies at 70
  • Dec 18 James Mitchell, American session baritone saxophonist (The Memphis Horns; Stax Records), dies at 69
  • Dec 18 Kirsty MacColl, English singer and songwriter (Electric Landlady), dies when run over by a power boat in the National Marine Park of Cozumel at 41
  • Dec 18 Randolph Apperson Hearst, American newspaper publisher (Hearst Newspapers), dies at 85
  • Dec 18 Stan Fox, American race car driver (b. 1952)
  • Dec 19 (Roebuck) "Pops" Staples, American gospel singer (The Staple Singers), dies at 85
  • Dec 19 John Lindsay, American politician (Mayor of New York 1966-73, Rep-D-NY 1959-65), dies at 79
  • Dec 19 Milt Hinton, American jazz bassist (Cab Calloway) and session musician, dies at 90
  • Dec 19 Rob Buck, American musician (10,000 Maniacs), dies at 42
  • Dec 20 Adrian Henri, British poet and founder of poetry-rock group (Liverpool Scene), dies at 68
  • Dec 20 Mirza Ghulam Hafiz, Bangladesh statesman, politician, and philanthropist (b. 1920)

Al Gross (1918-2000)

Dec 21 American inventor (invented the walkie-talkie), dies at 82

  • Dec 21 Edward Miller, British historian and Master (Fitzwilliam College Cambridge), dies at 85
  • Dec 23 Billy Barty [William John Bertanzetti,], American actor (Under the Rainbow, Foul Play), dies of heart failure at 76
  • Dec 23 Noor Jehan [Allah Rakhi Wasai], Pakistani singer and actress (Mela; Chann Way), dies at 74

Victor Borge (1909-2000)

Dec 23 Danish-American comedian and pianist, dies at 91

  • Dec 24 John Cooper, English race car designer (Cooper Car Company; developed the "Mini Cooper"), dies at 77
  • Dec 24 Nick Massi [Macioci], American bass vocalist, vocal arranger, and bassist (The Four Seasons, 1960-65 - "Sherry"; "Rag Doll"), dies of cancer at 65
  • Dec 25 Neil Hawke, Australian cricket fast bowler (27 Tests, 91 wickets; South Australia CA), dies at 61
  • Dec 25 Willard Van Orman Quine, American philosopher and logician in the analytic tradition, dies at 92
  • Dec 26 Jack Jacob, British senior master (British Supreme Court), dies at 92
  • Dec 26 Jason Robards, American actor (A Thousand Clowns, Any Wednesday), dies at 78
  • Dec 26 Leo Gordon, American actor (Maverick, Circus Boy, Enos, Winds of War), dies of cardiac failure at 78
  • Dec 26 Paul Kont, Austrian composer, dies at 80
  • Dec 27 Jack McVea, American swing jazz, and R&B clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader, dies at 86
  • Dec 29 Herbert Ashworth, English building society industry leader (Nationwide Building Society), dies at 90 [1]
  • Dec 30 Julius J. Epstein, American screenwriter (Casablanca), dies at 91
  • Dec 30 Lionel Hebert, American golfer (PGA Championship 1957), dies at 72
  • Dec 31 Alan Cranston, American politician (US Senator from California, 1969-93), dies at 86
  • Dec 31 Eddy Shaver, American country-rock guitarist and songwriter, dies of a heroin overdose at 38
  • Dec 31 José Greco, Italian-born American flamenco dancer and choreographer, dies of heart failure at 82