In the most disputed Presidential election in history, Republican George W. Bush wins the electoral vote after the vote count in Florida is resolved, while Vice President Al Gore wins the popular vote. The outcome of the election remained in doubt for more than a month, as the results in Florida are disputed well into December. Lawsuits and counter suits raise the possibility that Congress will have to decide the victor, but a 5-4 decision from the Supreme Court limits the actions Gore can take, and he finally concedes the election to Bush. Elsewhere that year:

• The American art world is stunned by the revelation that the two leading auction houses, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, conspired for years to fix fees.

• The end of an era and the end to the antics of the cartoon characters Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang comes with the death Peanuts creator Charles Schultz, who stipulated that no one else may draw his characters.

• Popular entertainment spreads to the Internet with the explosive growth of a Web site called Napster, which offers users the opportunity to freely exchange music at no cost. Music-industry companies sue Napster, charging it with copyright violation.

• The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirms Miranda v Arizona, protecting people against self-incrimination. The Court also rules that a Nebraskan law banning late-term abortion is unconstitutional, thereby invalidating such laws in 30 states.

• A new type of television show, “reality-based” programming that seeks to capture real-life, tension-filled situations, beings with Survivor, which generates outstanding ratings and several similar programs.

• The Y2K problem, a fear that society will be disrupted by the failure of computer systems that did not recognize the changeover to a new century, does not materialize. Problems are minor and generally scattered.