How do you end a millenium?

We did it with the 1990s, with a decade of advancement and the shift from garish neon to sleek monochrome.

A growing bubble rose over a valley, nourished our silicon forest, and sent the Dow skyrocketing. The lessons of networking and sharing bore new significance as the necessity of being plugged in took root. We left Wall Street and entered The Matrix.

We didn't do it easily. We watched violence mount and disenchantment grow.

White broncos and blue dresses, gloves and semantics—they sparked controversy and debate and glued us to our TVs. Tanks rolling through the desert made war look easy. Angry Americans brought the terror home; bullied youth took it to school. Racial and geopolitical differences ignited riots and a single amendment sparked deadly standoffs.

We didn't do it without doubt.

Lessons in coding brought fears of a technological apocalypse. We may not have believed in Y2K, but we stockpiled our canned food just in case. And when the world didn't end? That was OK too—it just meant we could party like it was 1999.

And at MSA/MEI, we did it with growth and innovation. We kept our values, but expanded our reach. We moved from drafting tables to networked systems. We rode the bubble to staffing highs. We closed the millenium with new ownership, new leadership, and a new identity.

Hand-drawn

• Our Company

  • It's an analog world
    At the start of the decade, nearly all operations at MSA/MEI are still manual. Most drafting is done by hand. Phone messages are hand written. The only personal computer workstations in the office belong to the accounting department and company president Rick Saito.

• Taking Stock

  • Portland population: 438,802
  • Seattle population: 516,259
  • Price of a U.S. postage stamp: 25 cents
  • Minimum Wage: $4.25/hr
  • Average cost of a new house: $150,000

• In the News

  • The Human Genome Project
    Researchers begin working toward the identification of all 30,000+ genes in human DNA, and determining the sequences of all 3 billion chemical base pairs that constitute the human genome.
  • Claiming the Dream
    Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia.
  • Long Walk to Freedom
    Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison, near Cape Town, South Africa, on February 11—after 27 years behind bars.
  • Nuclear non-proliferation
    President Bush and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production and begin destroying their nations' respective stockpiles.
  • Handi-capable
    On July 26, the Americans with Disabilities Act is signed into law, designed to protect disabled Americans from discrimination.
  • Unified front
    East Germany and West Germany reunify into a single Germany on October 3.
  • The Chunnel
    Channel Tunnel workers meet 40 metres beneath the English Channel seabed, establishing a new ground connection between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The project will take 7 years and 15,000 workers to complete.

• Local Happenings

  • At the center of success
    The Oregon Convention Center opens in Portland's Lloyd District. Designed by local firm Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, the building is known for its prominent glass spires.
  • The Goodwill Games
    Seattle hosts the Goodwill Games, a summer Olympics alternative, opening on July 20.
  • No bridge in a storm
    The under-renovation I-90 floating bridge sinks on November 25 after three days of stormy weather.
  • Rip City dreaming
    The Detroit Pistons defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in game 5 the 1990 NBA finals on June 14 to claim back-to-back NBA championships.

• Technological Breakthrough

  • The Great Observatory
    The Hubble Space Telescope goes into orbit April 25, deployed by the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery. This will finally bring to life an idea first dreamt of in the 1940s.

• Pop Culture

  • Time Warner
    Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc. merge to form a new entertainment conglomerate.
  • You want vodka with that?
    The first McDonald's in Moscow, Russia, opens.
  • Down for the count
    Relative unknown James "Buster" Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson to win the World Heavyweight Boxing crown. Before the end of the year, Evander Holyfield will take the title from Douglas.
  • At the rainbow's end
    Jim Henson dies from organ failure, brought on by pneumonia, at the age of 53 at New York Hospital on May 16.

Linking the world

• Our Company

  • Getting organized
    The company starts building a DOS-based job and work database to streamline information for the office.

• In the News

  • The Gulf War
    Operation Desert Storm begins on January 16 with air strikes against Iraq. On February 26, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait.
  • Airlines fold
    Eastern Air Lines and Pan American World Airways both shut down due to financial difficulties.
  • Dr. Death
    A Michigan court bars Dr. Jack Kevorkian from assisting in suicides.
  • Excessive force
    Four Los Angeles, California, police officers are indicted for the videotaped March 3 beating of motorist Rodney King during an arrest following a lengthy high-speed chase.
  • Back from the USSR
    Soviet republics Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan declare independence from the Soviet Union in August, following the government's declaration of bankruptcy. In December, Russia is officially internationally recognized as the USSR's legal successor state.
  • Questioning a Justice
    The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews both Supreme Court candidate Clarence Thomas and former aide Anita Hill, who alleges that Thomas sexually harassed her. Thomas will be sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice on October 23.
  • The Perfect Storm
    On October 28, a storm strikes the northeastern United States, causing over $200 million of damage and resulting in 12 direct fatalities.

• Local Happenings

  • Madame Governor
    Barbara Roberts is elected as Oregon’s first (and to date, only) woman governor.
  • SAM opens
    A new downtown building for the Seattle Art Museum, designed by Robert Venturi, is completed. In 2004, it will begin an addition in partnership with Washington Mutual.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • Surf's up
    The World Wide Web becomes available to the general public. Specifications for HTML, URLs, and HTTP launch a new era for content distribution.
  • Optical amplifiers
    Scientists demonstrate optical amplifiers built into the fiber-optic cable itself; this all-optic system can carry 100 times more information than cable with electronic amplifiers.

• Pop Culture

  • Super Mario Brothers
    The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or "Super NES") is released in the United States.
  • The Truth About Earvin
    In November, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson announces that he has HIV, effectively ending his NBA career. Fans will vote Johnson into the All-Star Game the following February, despite his retirement. He also will be selected as a member of the Dream Team for the 1992 Olympics.
  • "Who Wants to Live Forever?"
    Freddie Mercury of the British band Queen dies on November 24.

Getting efficient

• Our Company

  • Design development
    Architect and designer Dick Spies joins the firm. A fixture in the Portland design community, Dick's past projects include Lloyd Cinemas and Timberline's Wyeast Day Lodge.
  • Operator?
    The company buys a new multi-line Panasonic phone system, subsequently retiring the unwieldy front desk switchboard.

• In the News

  • "Can't We All Just Get Along?"
    In Simi Valley, California, on April 29, a jury acquits four LAPD police officers accused of excessive force in the videotaped beating of motorist Rodney King, causing the 1992 Los Angeles riots—leading to 53 deaths and $1 billion in damage.
  • You say p-o-t-a-t-o, I say p-o-t-a-t-o-e
    During a spelling bee at a Trenton, New Jersey, elementary school, U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle erroneously corrects a student's spelling of the word "potato."
  • Miami heat
    In Miami, Florida, former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega is sentenced to 40 years in prison for drug and racketeering violations.
  • Ruby Ridge
    Tragic events in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, are sparked by a Federal Marshal surveillance team, resulting in the death of a Marshal, Sam Weaver, and his dog, followed by the wounding of Randy Weaver, the death of his wife, Vicki, and the wounding of Kevin Harris.
  • "Fight the real enemy"
    On October 3, after performing a song protesting alleged child abuse by the Catholic Church, Sinéad O'Connor rips up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live—sparking controversy.
  • From red to blue
    Bill Clinton and running mate Al Gore defeat incumbent U.S. President George H. W. Bush and businessman H. Ross Perot on November 3.

• Local Happenings

  • Reducing demand
    A Portland water shortage prompts curtailment and enhanced conservation education. Demand drops 34 percent. The City Water Bureau installs seasonal push buttons on Benson bubblers.
  • Albina Community Plan
    Portland City Council adopts a comprehensive community effort to address community policing, incentives for infill housing, and major initiatives to raise the level of economic and educational achievement of area residents.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • The new PDA
    Apple chairman John Sculley coins the term “personal digital assistant” to refer to handheld computers. One of the first is Apple’s Newton, operated with a small stylus.

• In the Industry

  • US Energy Policy Act
    Among other things, the U.S. Energy Policy Act mandates minimum energy efficiency standards for commercial buildings, using research and standards developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers.

• Pop Culture

  • Under African skies
    Singer Paul Simon is the first major artist to tour South Africa after the end of the cultural boycott.
  • Disneyland Paris
    The Euro Disney Resort officially opens in April, with its theme park Euro Disneyland. The resort and park's name later will be changed to Disneyland Paris.
  • "We Will Rock You"
    The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at Wembley Stadium on April 20, is televised live to more than 1 billion people and raises millions of dollars for AIDS research.
  • A very heartfelt goodnight
    After 30 years, Johnny Carson retires as host of NBC's Tonight Show in May, and is succeeded by Jay Leno.

Three-peat

• Our Company

  • Homecoming
    After several years in California, proud Oregon State graduate Mark Hettum joins the company as head of structural engineering. He will become a principal in the company and VP of operations.
  • Untethering
    Encouraged by clients, the company invests in its first cell phones for employees' business use.

• In the News

  • The harder they fall
    IBM announces a $4.97 billion loss for 1992, the largest single-year corporate loss in United States history to date.
  • "Janet Reno's Dance Party"
    Janet Reno is confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in on March 12, becoming the first female attorney general of the United States.
  • World Trade Center bombing
    In New York City on February 26, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing 6 and injuring over 1,000.
  • ATF vs. Koresh
    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with a warrant to arrest leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and five Davidians die in the raid; a 51-day standoff ensues.
  • Snow in springtime
    The Great Blizzard of 1993 strikes the eastern United Statese in March, bringing record snowfall and other severe weather all the way from Cuba to Quebec.
  • Don't ask, don't tell
    U.S. President Bill Clinton announces his controversial "Don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gays in the American military on July 19.
  • Umm, guys?
    Canadian software specialist Peter de Jager publishes in Computerworld, a U.S. weekly magazine, an article “Doomsday 2000”—the first known reference to Y2K, or “the 2000 Year” problem.
  • Crash test dummies
    General Motors Corporation sues NBC, alleging that Dateline NBC rigged two crashes showing that some GM pickups can easily catch fire if hit in certain places. NBC settles the lawsuit the following day.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • Browse away
    The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) develops an easy-to-use graphical interface for the World Wide Web—the “browser.” The technology becomes the basis for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The team at NCSA rewrite the browser and change its name to Netscape.
  • Intel inside
    The Intel Corporation ships the first P5 Pentium chips.

• In the Industry

  • The Glenn Anderson Freeway/Transitway
    A new section of I-105 opens in Los Angeles, featuring a light rail train that runs in the median. Sensors buried in the pavement monitor traffic flow, and closed-circuit cameras alert officials to accidents.

• Pop Culture

  • Super Bowl XXVII
    The Buffalo Bills become the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls as they are defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, 52–17.
  • Seles stabbed
    Tennis star Monica Seles is stabbed in the back by an obsessed fan of rival Steffi Graf at a tournament in Hamburg, Germany.
  • To save one life...
    Director Steven Spielberg presents the horror and the hope of the holocaust with Schindler's List. The film will go on to capture seven Oscars the following spring.
  • Bulls Three-peat
    The Chicago Bulls secure a 99–98 win over the Phoenix Suns in game 6 of the NBA finals, and win their third consecutive NBA championship.
  • From the big bang to black holes
    Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time becomes the longest-running book on the bestseller list of The Sunday Times.

A new era

• Our Company

  • Konnichiwa
    Architect Tamio Fukuyama joins the company, quickly taking the lead on many of the firm's most complex projects. A native of Japan, Tamio's command of the language and cultural understanding prove critical in working with the firm's many new Japanese clients.
  • Into the light
    The firm transitions from using AutoTroll to AutoCAD, a computer-aided-drafting program offering greater flexibility with reduced hardware demands.

• In the News

  • NAFTA
    The North American Free Trade Agreement is established.
  • Northridge Quake
    An earthquake (magnitude 6.7) strikes the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles at 4:31 a.m. on January 17, killing 72 and leaving more than 20,000 homeless.
  • Bundle up
    Record cold temperatures hit the eastern United States. The coldest temperature ever measured in state history, -36°F (-38°C), is recorded in New Whiteland, Indiana.
  • President Mandela
    South Africa holds its first fully multiracial elections on April 27, marking the final end of apartheid. Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president on May 10.
  • And blue to red
    Republicans take a majority of seats in both houses of the U.S. Congress after midterm congressional elections, for the first time in 40 years.
  • Whitewater
    An investigation into the real estate investments of President Clinton and the first lady, begins in Washington, DC.

• Local Happenings

  • Heads up!
    Four 26-pound ceiling tiles fall from the roof of the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington, just hours before a scheduled Mariners game.
  • "Why me?"
    Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant while training in Detroit. Portland native Tonya eventually pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for trying to cover up the planned attack on her skating rival. She is fined $100,000 and banned from the sport.
  • "All Apologies"
    Kurt Cobain, of the band Nirvana, dies in his home in Seattle, the victim of what is officially ruled a suicide.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • Take a bite
    Apple Computer, Inc., releases the first Macintosh computers to use the new PowerPC Microprocessors.
  • GPS in the field
    Ushering in the new "precision agriculture", farmers begin using Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to record precise locations on their farms to determine which areas need particular quantities of water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

• Pop Culture

  • No hitter
    The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike is called on August 12, ending the Major League Baseball Season
  • Back to the garden
    Woodstock '94 Music Festival takes place in Saugerties, New York, commemorating the 25-year anniversary of Woodstock in 1969. An estimated 350,000 people attend.
  • Old Man Foreman
    George Foreman wins the WBA and IBF World Heavyweight Championships by KO'ing Michael Moorer, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in history.
  • Regaining the fever
    Director Quentin Tarantino resurrects John Travolta's career and jumpstarts Uma Thurman's with his cult classic Pulp Fiction.

Terror at home

• Our Company

  • Digitizing
    Hand drafting continues to phase out of the office as the industry moves toward AutoCAD.
  • Getting served
    A 300MB file server is established for the office.
  • "You have one new message"
    Retiring the message slips, the firm finally adopts an automated voicemail system.

• In the News

  • Contract on America
    House Republicans celebrate passage of most of the Contract With America. The bill focused on several policy changes that affect the way Congress is run.
  • Oklahoma City bombing
    168 people, including 8 Federal Marshals, are killed at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19. Timothy McVeigh and one of his accomplices, Terry Nichols, are later convicted of setting off the bomb.
  • Mad bomber
    The Washington Post and The New York Times publish the Unabomber's manifesto, after he had targeted more than 25 people over nearly 20 years.
  • "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit"
    After a highly controversial and publicized trial, O. J. Simpson is found not guilty of double murder for the deaths of former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
  • Million Man March
    The Million Man March is held in Washington, D.C. in October. The event was conceived by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
  • National buffoons?
    On November 14, a budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans in Congress forces the federal government to temporarily close national parks and museums, and run most government offices with skeleton staff.
  • Bull market
    The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 40.46 to close at 5,023.55 on November 21, its first close above 5,000. This makes 1995 the first year in which the Dow surpasses two millennium marks in a single year.
  • Superman down
    In Culpeper, Virginia, actor Christopher Reeve is paralyzed from the neck down after falling from his horse. He will devote the rest of his life to funding research in spinal cord injuries and stem cell research.

• Local Happenings

  • Blazers' new home
    The Rose Garden Arena opens in Portland. Construction on the $262 million facility had begun in 1993.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • Home movies revolutionized
    The Digital Video Disc, or DVD—an optical disc computer storage media format—is announced and will soon be available for sale to the public.

• Pop Culture

  • Yahoo!
    Yahoo! is founded in Santa Clara, California.
  • Toy Story
    Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictureshe first-ever full-length computer animated feature film.
  • "It's A Magical World"
    The final original Calvin and Hobbes comic strip is published in newspapers on December 31.

"Group"ing together

• Our Company

  • @grpmack.com
    Employees are given individual company email addresses.
  • What's in a name?
    Mackenzie/Saito & Associates and Mackenzie Engineering, Inc., officially adopt Group Mackenzie as a singular name for the firm. The new name reflects the full range of integrated design services and heralds a change in company ownership—moving toward a shareholder system in which employees are vested in the firm's success.
  • Going public
    Future director of architecture Jeff Humphreys joins the company as a promising job captain.

• In the News

  • Mad cow
    On March 20, The British government announces that bovine spongiform encephalopathy has likely been transmitted to people.
  • Unabomber captured
    Theodore Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, is arrested at his Montana cabin in April.
  • Yeltsin chosen
    On June 19, Boris Yeltsin emerges as the winner in Russia's first round of presidential elections.
  • Celebration of the century
    The Centennial Summer Olympics are held in Atlanta, Georgia. On July 27, a bomb detonates in Centennial Olympic Park, claiming the life of one spectator and injuring 111 more.
  • On the dotted line
    In September, U.S. President Bill Clinton signs the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the United Nations. Less than a month later, President Clinton will sign into law the amendments to the Electronic Freedom of Information Act.

• Local Happenings

  • Nary a drop to drink
    The worst flood in 30 years hits Portland. From February 8-15, the Water Bureau turns off the Bull Run conduits and relies on groundwater from the Columbia South Shore wellfield.
  • A Sound decision
    Sound Transit is approved by voters in Seattle. The agency begins planning and operation of commuter rail trains and express bus service.
  • Wyden for Senate
    Ron Wyden wins a close race to become Oregon’s first Democratic U.S. senator in 30 years, replacing Bob Packwood.
  • Save the trees
    The Clinton Administration and 15 timber companies strike a deal to protect old-growth forest in Oregon and Washington. The companies will log substitute groves less critical to fish and wildlife.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • Shrinking the brick
    Motorola introduces the Motorola StarTAC Wearable Cellular Telephone, the world's smallest and lightest mobile phone at that time.
  • Hello, Dolly
    The first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell—a sheep named Dolly—is born at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland.
  • TPC-5
    An all-optic fiber cable that is the first to use optical amplifiers is laid in a loop across the Pacific Ocean, connecting California, Guam, Hawaii, Japan, and the Oregon coast; it is capable of handling 320,000 simultaneous telephone calls.
  • UV Waterworks
    A scientist in California invents an effective and inexpensive device for purifying water. The device uses ultraviolet light to render viruses and bacteria harmless.

• Pop Culture

  • Deep Blue
    A chess computer defeats world chess champion Garry Kasparov for the first time in February. Kasparov will come back to defeat the computer in a rematch one week later.
  • "Isn't it Ironic?"
    Canadian singer Alanis Morissette wins Album of the Year at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. She is the youngest person to ever win this award, a record she will hold until 2010.
  • Steffi endures
    Steffi Graf defeats Arantxa Sánchez Vicario on June 8, in the longest-ever women's final at the French Open to claim her 19th Grand Slam title.
  • Contact
    Astronomer and writer Carl Sagan dies in Seattle in December, at age 62.

Across the pond

• Our Company

  • Out of the Bay
    Civil engineer Matt Butts, future associate principal and director of civil engineering, joins the company.
  • Riding the bubble
    There is a notable shift toward projects for high-tech clients who develop computer and internet technology, such as Novellus Systems, RadiSys, Oki Semiconductor, and MCI.

• In the News

  • A different kind of secretary
    Madeleine Albright becomes the first female Secretary of State, after confirmation by the United States Senate.
  • Centenarian segregationist
    Strom Thurmond becomes the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Senate (41 years and 10 months).
  • Dieting to death
    The Mayo Clinic researchers warn that the popular dieting drug "fen-phen" can cause severe heart and lung damage.
  • Kismet?
    Steve Jobs returns to Apple Computer, Inc., at Macworld in Boston. One week later, Microsoft buys a $150 million share of the financially troubled company.
  • "Candle in the Wind"
    Diana, Princess of Wales, dies from injuries sustained in a car accident in Paris. Her funeral takes place at Westminster Abbey, and is watched by over 2 billion people worldwide.
  • Trading up
    One billion shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time ever.
  • African "Eve"
    In London, scientists report their DNA analysis findings from a Neanderthal skeleton, which support the "Out of Africa" theory of human evolution, placing an "African Eve" at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.

• Local Happenings

  • Hillsdale Town Center Plan
    Residents and businesses in Hillsdale create the first town center plan in the City of Portland.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • Breaking the sound barrier
    Andy Green sets the first supersonic land speed record on October 15. The ThrustSSC goes through the flying mile course at Black Rock Desert, Nevada at an average speed of 763.035 mph.
  • Copper connection
    IBM develops a technology that uses copper wires to connect transistors in chips. The chip offers faster performance, requires less electricity, runs at lower temperatures, and allows up to 200 million transistors to be placed on a single chip.

• Pop Culture

  • Hogwarts, Year 1
    JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is published in the United Kingdom and the United States to critical acclaim. The book’s long-standing success will prompt The New York Times to split its Bestseller List into children’s and adult sections.
  • The death of fashion
    Spree killer Andrew Cunanan shoots fashion designer Gianni Versace to death outside Versace's Miami, Florida, residence.
  • Saintly passing
    Mother Theresa, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, dies on September 5, at the age of 87.

On leadership

• Our Company

  • Taking office
    Leadership in the company transfers from Rick Saito to Jeff Reaves. Jeff will officially transition into the position of Group Mackenzie president over the next two years.
  • Hitting the web
    Group Mackenzie launches its first web page.

• In the News

  • Little blue dress
    Tapes of conversations detailing the relationship between 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky and President Bill Clinton come to light. In a televised statement in January, President Clinton denies the pair had "sexual relations." On July 26, Lewinsky receives immunity for perjury in exchange for her grand jury testimony concerning their relationship. On his 52nd birthday, President Clinton admits in taped testimony an "improper physical relationship", and that he "misled people." The U.S. House of Representatives impeaches Clinton on December 19. After a 21-day Senate hearing, he is acquitted of any wrongdoing.
  • Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
    The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are of the same sex.
  • Keeping up with the Joneses
    The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.
  • United States v. Microsoft
    The United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states file an antitrust case against Microsoft.
  • 01134?
    On May 19, The Galaxy IV communications satellite fails, leaving 80–90% of the world's pagers without service.
  • Stalled
    A strike begins at the General Motors Corporation parts factory in Flint, Michigan, in June, quickly spreading to five other assembly plants and lasting seven weeks.
  • Just Google it
    Stanford University Ph.D. candidates Larry Page and Sergey Brin found Google, Inc., in Menlo Park, California.
  • Governor "Body"
    Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, is elected Governor of Minnesota on November 3.
  • NASDAQ price fixing
    In the largest civil settlement in United States history, a federal judge approves a $1.03 billion settlement requiring dozens of brokerage houses to pay investors who claim they were cheated in a widespread price-fixing scheme on the NASDAQ.

• Local Happenings

  • Safe to drink
    The Portland Water Bureau completes the removal of all known lead piping in the water distribution system.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • XML-rated
    The first Extensible Markup Language (XML) specification is released on February 10. The rules emphasize simplicity, enabling greater usability over the Internet across world languages.
  • Radio Frequency Identification
    On August 24, the first RFID human implantation is tested in the United Kingdom.
  • Plastic transistors developed
    A team of Bell Labs researchers present their latest findings on the first fully "printed" plastic transistor. Potential uses for plastic transistors include flexible computer screens and "smart" cards, virtually indestructible and full of vital statistics and buying power.

• In the Industry

  • Big In Japan
    The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge linking Shikoku with Honsh—and costing about $3.8 billion dollars—opens to traffic. It is the largest suspension bridge in the world.
  • Don't look down
    The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are completed. They will stand as the world’s tallest building until 2004.

• Pop Culture

  • Successful intimidation
    Dale Earnhardt wins the Daytona 500 on his 20th attempt.
  • "I'm King of the World!"
    The 70th Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, are held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Titanic wins a record 11 Oscars. The movie becomes the highest grossing film of all time—a record it will hold until director James Cameron's next epic blockbuster, Avatar, is released in 2009.
  • "From my cold, dead hands"
    Actor Charlton Heston becomes president of the National Rifle Association.

Closing high

• Our Company

  • Looking at the economics
    After more than a decade with the Portland Development Commission, Mark Clemons joins Group Mackenzie as director of project development.
  • Plugged in
    At the close of the decade, there is now a computer on every desk, each connected to the office network.

• In the News

  • Common currency
    The European Union establishes the euro as a standard currency for member nations on January 1.
  • Unstoppable
    For the first time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 10,000 mark on March 29. In less than two months it will gain another 1,000 points, closing at 11,014.70 on May 3.
  • The euthanasia debate
    A Michigan jury finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man.
  • The Laramie Project
    In Laramie, Wyoming, Russell Henderson pleads guilty to kidnapping and felony murder for the apparent hate crime killing of homosexual college student Matthew Shepard.
  • In the money
    Bill Gates' personal fortune exceeds $100 billion dollars, due to the increased value of Microsoft stock.
  • Columbine massacre
    On April 20, Two Littleton, Colorado, teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, open fire on their teachers and classmates at Columbine High School, killing 12 students, one teacher, and then themselves
  • Camelot tragedy
    On July 16, off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, a plane piloted by John F. Kennedy, Jr. crashes, killing Kennedy; his wife, Carolyn; and her sister Lauren Bessette.
  • 6,000,000,000
    The world population reaches 6 billion people, as the 6 billionth person (according to the United Nations) is born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Local Happenings

  • SAFECO on base
    SAFECO Field, the new home of the Seattle Mariners, hosts its first game on July 15.
  • WTO riots
    On November 30, riot police in Seattle struggle with at least 40,000 protestors who force the World Trade Organization to cancel the opening session of a three-day, 135-nation trade summit meeting. Mayor Paul Schell declares a state of emergency and a night curfew; Gov. Gary Locke calls in 200 unarmed National Guard soldiers.
  • Coastal threat
    On the Oregon coast, the New Carissa cargo ship is set on fire with explosives to burn off some 400,000 gallons of fuel oil to prevent its spillage.

• Technological Breakthroughs

  • Palm VII
    Responding to a more mobile workforce, Palm releases the Palm VII connected organizer, a computer with a port for a wireless phone. The computer costs about $600, weighs 6.7 ounces, and operates for up to 3 weeks on two AAA batteries.
  • Pirates of the Internet
    Napster, a revolutionary music downloading service that involves file sharing across Internet connections, debuts.
  • Introducing the iBook
    Apple Computer releases the first iBook, and later the Power Macintosh G4.

• In the Industry

  • Home for Hendrix
    The Frank Gehry-designed, and Hoffman Construction-built Experience Music Project building takes shape in Seattle. The design fosters detractors, with Forbes magazine declaring it one of the world's ugliest buildings.

• Pop Culture

  • The Force is with it
    Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace enters theaters, where lines of eager theatergoers wind through lobbies and wrap around buildings. The movie quickly becomes the highest grossing Star Wars film.
  • "There is no spoon"
    The Wachowski brothers dazzle viewers with never-before-seen special effects in the reality bending movie The Matrix.