Optimism high at the end of Communism
Peace process begins in Northern Ireland in 1995
Balkan War in former Yugoslavia in 1995
United Kingdom hands sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997
President Bill Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and his impeachment in 1998 takes the entire year
Second Congo War begins in 1998 and lasts until 2002
High economic growth among many first world nations
Oil and gas discovered in former Soviet bloc countries
Adoption of western-style free market and free trade between nations
Widespread adoption of personal computers and use of the Internet
Increase practice of private investments in equity markets
Cell phones increase explode in popularity and decrease in size
Email becomes mainstream communication tool
Year 2000 problem dominates Information Technology departments in businesses around the world for the last several years of the decade
Cloning of Dolly the sheep is achieved
DNA identification of individuals finds widespread application in criminal law
Genetically engineered crops are available commercially
Massive capital flight results in GDP being halved
The Turn of the Millennium - Early to Mid 2000's
International Criminal Court opens in 2003
10 countries join the European Union in 2004
A series of non-violent revolutions known as the color revolutions overthrow authoritarian regimes in Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon between 2004-2005
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