Back To The Future

Forget New York and Times Square, forget Paris and the Eiffel Tower, forget London and its Millennium Dome. THE place to be as 1999 came to an end was Midway Island - where you could watch a century end twice in the same day.

Just 150 miles from the International Dateline, the 150 residents of this remote Pacific island - the last U.S. territory to greet the new millennium - were in fact the first to see in the next 1,000 years.

They accomplished this by crisscrossing the International Dateline aboard a Boeing 727. In one direction they left Dec. 31 for Jan. 1, and then returned to the past.

The plane flew most of the residents out to see in the new millennium, and then took them straight back.

On the island, residents were the last to join the global New Year party as they finally celebrated their midnight and the dawn of the millennium.

The island, which has no capital to speak of, hosted two millennium parties, one for 150 people and the other for another 50 -- the population having being swelled by tourists.

Paul Menard, of the Phoenix Corporation, which manages the island for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said celebrations were low key but fun. No fireworks: because the tiny island is a nature reserve.

"It's quiet compared to most places," he said, noting that Midway offers great views of the ocean but is also somewhat isolated. The nearest major city is Honolulu, some 1,200 miles away.

But there was the bonus of skipping between centuries.

"We're in between parties, so to speak. We've seen the millennium once and we're going to see it again. It's a unique experience," said Gautreaux, speaking before midnight on the island.