Only 6 1/2 Years but a World Away

The stock market went back to the future Tuesday when the Dow Jones industrial average surpassed a near seven-year record and closed at an all-time high of 11,727.34.

Anticipation of the 30-stock index reaching a new milestone had been building for a week as it danced several days in a row near its former closing peak of 11,722.98 set on Jan. 14, 2000.

The last time the Dow stood at this mark, people were still breathing a sigh of relief that 2K Millennium went off without a hitch. NASDAQ was nearing its peak at 5,049.
The dollar and the euro were close to a one-to-one valuation. Enron was still a good stock market investment and the 11th biggest campaign donor of George Bush. Arthur Andersen was still a respected and mighty accounting firm.

Monica Lewinsky made the cover of more magazines than Scarlett Johansson. The St. Louis Rams were on their way to the Super Bowl Championship. The New York Yankees were in the middle of a three-year reign as World Series champs and two towers still stood proudly on south Manhattan.