In a world fraught with fears about a potential Y2K bug inside every computer on Earth, the United Nations introduced the official day the 6th billionth person would be born. And in the wee morning hours of October 12, 1999, it happened.

The Six Billionth Person Was Born

Adnan Mević was born two minutes after midnight on October 12 in Sarajevo, Bosnia. He was the first son of Fatima and Jasminko Mević and weighed 7.7 pounds. Mević was photographed and seen as an important mile marker for all of mankind. His birthday will always be associated with the Day of Six Billion.

Why was the Day of Six Billion so impressive? Because experts believed it was not feasible. The U.N. started paying attention to the world population because famine increases the mortality rate in some parts of the world. Increasing population numbers indicate the planet might run out of ways to feed and shelter people.

Unfortunately, the case was true for the Mevićs. The press interviewed him and his family in 2011 and discovered they were barely getting by.

A Look At The Billions

Here is a brief look at the world population growth.

• 1 Billion: Experts estimate the world population passed the one billion mark around 1800, just 30 years into America’s history.
• 2 Billion: 1927
• 3 Billion: 1960
• 4 Billion: 1974
• 5 Billion: 1987
• 6 Billion: 1999
• 7 Billion: 2011

What’s Next?

An overpopulated planet is a global problem, and the years between billion markers are getting smaller. The U.N. projects the 8th billionth person will be born on November 15, 2022. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was created to continue monitoring this issue.