1999: European Union Launches New Single Currency, the Euro

Archives consist of articles that originally appeared in Collier's Year Book (for events of 1997 and earlier) or as monthly updates in Encarta Yearbook (for events of 1998 and later). Because they were published shortly after events occurred, they reflect the information available at that time. Cross references refer to Archive articles of the same year.

On January 1, 1999, 11 European nations officially launched the euro, the European Union's (EU's) new single currency. The event, which marked one of the most far-reaching changes in the world's monetary system since World War II (1939-1945), was widely hailed as a major step toward Europe's... ...