2007 — The Year Ethiopia Celebrated 2000

On September 11, 2007, Ethiopia rang in the year 2000 — seven years after the rest of the world — because it follows its own ancient 13-month calendar, rooted in the Coptic Orthodox tradition. The centerpiece was a massive celebration at the newly built Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, headlined by the American group Black Eyed Peas performing for dignitaries.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told crowds the millennium should mark "the beginning of the Ethiopian renaissance" and the end of the country's age of poverty. Street parties, concerts, and fireworks filled Addis Ababa, with tens of thousands of diaspora Ethiopians flying home for the once-in-a-millennium party.