Ah, 1999: Napster launched, Jon Stewart replaced Craig Kilborn as host of “The Daily Show” and this writer graduated high school. (Shout-out Howell Rebels!) And in the summer, ABC released a ...

On Aug. 16, 1999, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” debuted in ABC primetime to a 3.71 rating among adults 18-49 and 10 million total viewers.

In summer 1999, I had just started writing for Time magazine. A network publicist sent me a tape—we had tapes back then, kids, and a hamburger cost a nickel—for a British game show that ABC ...