Events:
- January 1 - Fire at a new years party in a bar in Volendam kills 13 young people and wounds 140
- January 18 - Fire at airport Schiphol leads to chaos
- January 26 - Suspect of fireworks explosion in Enschede in May 2000 arrested
- February 6 - Foreign minister Van Aartsen calls off visit to the Peoples Republic of China because of human rights
- February 8 - Eight Hell's Angels are arrested in their club house in Amsterdam
- February 11 - Rintje Ritsma world champion speed skating
- February 14 - Government Information Service declares that Queen Beatrix's second son Johan Friso is no homosexual
- February 14 - The creator of the Anna Kurnikova virus turns himself in
- March 21 - First case of foot and mouth disease discovered
- March 26 - Michael Dudok de Wit wins Academy Award (Short film / animated) for Father and Daughter
- March 30 - Engagement crown prince Willem Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta announced
- January 8 - Johan van der Keuken (1938), documentary filmer
- October 5 - Egbert van 't Oever speed skater and coach
