January 1, 1998, marked the beginning of a new year and was significant as it was the first day of the 21st century in the Gregorian calendar. This date followed the New Year's Eve celebrations that took place on December 31, 1997, where people around the world welcomed the new year with festivities. On this day, many countries were preparing for the upcoming changes in technology and global politics. The Euro was set to be introduced later that year, which would impact economies across Europe. Additionally, the Internet was rapidly growing, changing how people communicated and accessed information.