STORY:
Paris Puts on Spectacular Party

The Eiffel Tower erupted in an awesome fiery display

(Everything2000) The oohs and aahs could be heard around the world as the Eiffel Tower's fireworks display lit up the Paris sky. In the minutes before midnight the tower sparked with white lights and at midnight erupted into an elaborate show of color and pyrotechnics.

The Eiffel Tower's light display could be seen for miles around and was broadcast to television viewers around the world. The firework show went off without a hitch, even with no official countdown clock.

The clock on the Eiffel tower has been counting down the minutes to midnight for 1,000 days. That's more than three years. As fate would have it, just five hours before the year 2000 the clock shut down. It stopped ticking and wasn't started again in time for the New Year Party. Don't blame a Y2K bug, organizers think its a simple technical problem, they just couldn't get it fixed in time.

That wasn't the only hitch in the festivities, Mother Nature wasn't too kind. It was gray and drizzling in every part of town and most of l the celebrations were outdoors. Just a few days ago killer winds tore out trees around Paris, rivers flooded their banks and many plans for dinner cruises were washed away.

By today Paris had recovered and the world's most famous avenue the Champs-Elysees was filled with people and dressed up for an ultimate block party. A laser show marked midnight and at the same time eleven Ferris wheels lit up the sky and acrobats, dancers and musicians began performing.

Source: Associated Press

DATE: 12/31/99

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