The Global Chaos of Y2K

Because early programmers saved space by using only two digits for years, computers could not tell 2000 from 1900. This tiny shortcut threatened to crash global infrastructure as the clock struck midnight.

During the early days of computing, memory was incredibly expensive, leading engineers to drop the first two digits of the year to save space. When the millennium approached, fears mounted that banking systems, power grids, and air traffic control would malfunction. Governments and companies spent hundreds of billions of dollars frantically updating code. The world held its breath on New Year's Eve, ultimately seeing only minor glitches rather than the predicted collapse.