1999

Events

January

• January 7: Greek boat Aera (Nikos Lykiardopoulos, Panagiotis Papadeas, Michalis Benakis, etc) ranks first at the Sydney-Hobart sailing race. Extreme weather conditions made the race very difficult. Four sailors drowned when their boat capsized.

February

• February 15: Kurdish rebel leader, Abdullah Ocalan, leaves the Greek Embassy in Kenya and is arrested by Kenyan officials who hand him over to the Turks. The event sparks reactions in Greece that lead to the resignation of three government ministers.
• February 17: Nikos Polychronopoulos wins the gold medal at the European Juniors Billiard Championship in Murcia, Spain.
• February 28: Proodeftiki's defeat Iraklis for the first time in 31 years. PAOK's chalk up their first away win over Panathinaikos in 15 years.
• February 28: The Greek rhythmic team (featuring Irini Aindili, Eva Christodoulou, Hara Karyami, Anna Pollatou, Maria Georgatou and Kleoniki Georgakopoulou) wins the first gold medal (38.767 points) in its history at the Madera International Tournament.

March

• March 27: Coach Anghel Iordanescu quits after Greece lose to Norway 2-0 at OAKA Stadium. The defeat was the Greek side's first home loss in 8 years.

April

• April 7: AEK play against Partizan Belgrade, despite the NATO bombardments, to show solidarity with the Serbian people.

May

• May 12: For the first time in Greek basketball history a team (Aris) loses a game because two of its players (Angelidis, Muursep) fail to pass the anti-doping control.
• May 17: The Revolutionary Organisation 17 November launch a rocket attack on the German Ambassador's residence in retaliation for the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
• May 23: Paniliakos striker Giorgos Papandreou became the second outfield player in Greek football history (after Theofilos Vernezis of AEK in the 60s) who had to play an entire match as goalkeeper in a game against Aris Salonica.
• May 30: The European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship closes in Budapest. Greece (featuring Aindili, Christodoulou, Karyami, Polatou, Georgatou) won the gold medal with 39.799 points.
• May 30: Vassilis Polymeros and Panagiotis Miliotis take first place at the World Rowing Championship in Belgium.
• May 30: Led by coach Dusan Bajevic, Olympiakos win their third consecutive Greek league title. Ethnikos become the sole team in Greek first division history not to win a single game.

June

• June 5: Voula Tsiamita sets new Greek record in triple jump with 14.94m at Bruno Zauli European Cup, held in OAKA.

July

• July 4: Greek-American Pete Sampras wins his 6th Wimbledon title by defeating Andre Agassi 3-0 sets.
• July 6: Nikos Machlas transfers from Vitesse Arhnem to Ajax Amsterdam for 5.5 billion drachmas.
• July 8: Brazilian footballer Giovanni transfers to Olympiakos for 4 billion drachmas.
• July 9: Nikos Kaklamanakis wins the silver medal at the World Mistral Championship in Belgium.
• July 13: Olympiakos sign Slovenian midfielder Zlatko Zahovic for nearly 5 billion drachmas.
• July 29: Basketball player Panagiotis Fasoulas announces his retirement.

August

• August 7: Stavros Fryganas, first unofficial Greek chess champion in 1930, dies in Malaga aged 90. He was the man who introduced chess clocks to Greece for the first official championship in 1947.
• August 17: A powerful earthquake (6.6 on the Richter scale) causes extensive damage to Izmit (Nicomedia) Turkey. Greek rescue units will be among the first on the scene. A political rapprochement between the countries will follow.
• August 23: Anastasia Kelesidou wins the silver medal in discus (66.05m) at the Sevilla World Championships.
• August 28: Mirella Maniani-Tzelili wins the gold medal in the javelin (67.09m) at the Sevilla World Championships.

September

• September 2: A friendly match is held between PAOK and Galatasaray at Toumba Stadium to raise money for the people struck by earthquake in Turkey.
• September 7: A powerful earthquake (5.9 on the Richter scale) causes extensive damages and 86 fatalities in Attica. Turkish rescue units are among the first on the scene.
• September 11: Kostas Gatsioudis breaks the Greek record in the javelin with a throw of 89.84m
• September 14: Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Kranidiotis and his entourage are killed in an air accident in Romania.

October

• October 16: Demosthenes Tampakos wins bronze in the men's rings at the 34th Gymnastics World Championships of China.

November

• November 19: US President, Bill Clinton, visits Greece.
• November 27: Kakhi Kakhiasvili wins 3 gold metals at 94 kg the World Weightlifting Championship games held in Athens.

December

• December 29: Vasilis Chatzipanagis receives a 1 million drachmas cheque from EPAE for his contribution to greek football and announces the foundation of a football academy in the year 2000
• December 31: It is the last day white balls are used in the Greek volleyball championship. From 2000, balls will bear yellow and blue stripes.

Deaths

March

• March 1: Giorgos Venetoulias, journalist, president of Ethnikos Piraeus FC

April

• April 20: Nikos Rizos, actor

May

• May 11: Petros Vouzounerakis, footballer

June

• June 27: George Papadopoulos, Junta strongman

July

• July 17: Phaedon Gizikis, Junta-appointed President of Greece.

October

• October 7: Dimitrios Tsafendas, assassin
• October 17: Mema Stathopoulou, actress
• October 20: Loukas Barlos, former President of AEK FC.