2000

OK for some reason, yesterday I was thinking about Elian Gonzales. The boy who was the center of a custody battle between the United States and Cuba, between the time period of November 1999-April 22, 2000. For some reason this was a big deal for me when all this was going on. Maybe because his mother was trying to give her son a better life and in the process she lost her life and in the end, the boy had to go back to Cuba.

So as I was thinking about it, I decided to do a review of things that happened in the year of 2000. (Note to Jon [my cousin], I know you did this with the year of 1997, but I don't think you will mind if I take one out of your book.) As I said, this is stuff that happened in 2000 that I remember or things that I think are interesting that happened that year.

January 1 - Y2K comes and goes.

February 13 - The final original Peanuts comic strip is published.

April 22 - Federal agents seize six year old Elian Gonzalez from relatives' home in Miami.

May 24 - 50 Cent is shot 9 times in front of his grandmother's house.

June 10 - The New Jersey Devils defeat the defending champion Dallas Stars, in game 6 to win their 2nd Stanley Cup.

June 28 - Elian Gonzalez returns to Cuba.

September 15-October 1 - 2000 Summer Olympics held in Sydney, Australia.

October 11 - 250 million gallons of coal sludge spill in Martin County, Kentucky.

October 26 - New York Yankees defeat New York Mets in Game 5 of the 2000 World Series.

November 7 - George W. Bush is tentatively declared winner over Democrat Vice President Al Gore.

December 13 - The Texas 7 escape from their prison unit in Kenedy, Texas and start a crime spree.

Deaths of 2000

February 7 - Big Pun (Rapper)

February 10 - Jim Varney (Actor noted character Ernest P. Worrell)

February 12 - Charles M. Schulz (Comic strip artist [Peanuts])

May 12 - Adam Petty (Nascar Driver)

May 27 - Maurice Richard (Canadian Hockey Player)

May 31 - John Coolidge (son of President Calvin Coolidge)

July 1 - Walter Matthau (Actor)

July 7 - Kenny Irwin (Nascar Driver)

October 13 - Tony Roper (Nascar Driver)

October 22 - Rodney Anoa'i (Wrestler known as Yokozuna)

October 30 - Steve Allen (Comedian, composer, talk show host and author)