The Eiffel Tower was illuminated with a countdown display during Paris's 2000 New Year's Eve celebration.
Paris marked the turn of the millennium with a large public spectacle centered on the Eiffel Tower. A digital countdown was displayed on the tower, while special lighting and fireworks helped make the landmark a symbol of the transition into the year 2000.
The Eiffel Tower had already become a nighttime visual landmark through regular illumination and periodic special effects. Its iron structure, height, and position beside the Champ de Mars make it suitable for large-scale public displays visible from much of central Paris.
The millennium event is sometimes confused with the tower's later sparkling light shows or with celebrations at the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées. Those are separate Paris landmarks and events. The question concerns the tower itself and the distinctive countdown used for the 2000 transition.