Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s

early and ad-free on Amazon music included with Prime. Nearly two million revelers stood

shoulder to shoulder waiting to witness history. They were surrounded by a sea of red balloons

and gold streamers, while overhead stars sparkled in a clear night sky.

The overwhelming feeling was jubilation,

and for some just a little bit of anxiety

as the clock tick closer to midnight.

And then finally, it began,

the countdown everyone had been waiting for.

Six, five, four, three, two, one. Happy 2000!

As the iconic crystal ball dropped in Times Square and Dick Clark welcomed the new millennium,

over 3,000 pounds of confetti was fired

from cannons into the ecstatic crowd. Every New Year's Eve celebration in New York is epic,

because of the crowds, the celebrities, and the performers. But this particular year was extra

special because of what didn't happen.

The world didn't end.

I'm Kathy Kinsora, and this is History of the 90s, a podcast about a decade that changed the world.

In this episode, we're looking back at the countdown to Y2K.

In the 90s, it may have felt like the Y2K problem came out of nowhere.

But in fact, it was something that computer programmers had always been aware of.

And some had been working to correct the issue since at least the 1980s.

There was even a front page article in the New York Times in May

...