2000

▪️Jamie Foxx, Freddie Prinze Jr., Alan Cumming, Julianna Margulies, Ben Affleck, The Rock, Tobey Maguire, Britney Spears, Jackie Chan, Kate Hudson, Charlize Theron, Calista Flockhart, Tom Green, Val Kilmer and Lucy Liu host for the first time.

▪️Blink-182, Macy Gray, Jennifer Lopez, ‘N Sync, AC/DC, Christina Aguilera, Sisqó, Britney Spears, Kid Rock, Radiohead, U2 and Jay-Z perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Maya Rudolph joins the cast during Season 25.

▪️Tim Meadows, Cheri Oteri and Colin Quinn leave the cast at the end of Season 25.

▪️Tina Fey and Jerry Minor join the cast at the beginning of Season 26.

▪️Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey take over as the anchors of Weekend Update.

▪️The “More Cowbell” sketch makes its debut.

▪️Ana Gasteyer and Maya Rudolph parody Destiny’s Child with the music group Gemini’s Twin for the first time.

▪️Jarret’s Room makes its debut.

▪️Seasons Greetings from Saturday Night Live (Christmas Is Number One) makes its debut.

▪️Playboy model Angie Everhart appears on the show.

▪️ER star Noah Wylie appears in the episode hosted by Julianna Margulies.

▪️Paul Thomas Anderson guest directs the “Fanatic” sketch starring host Ben Affleck.

▪️Pro wrestlers Mick Foley, Triple H and The Big Show appear together with Vince McMahon in the episode hosted by The Rock.

▪️Gina Gershon appears on the show.

▪️Martial artist and stuntman Brad Allan plays a thug during host Jackie Chan’s opening monologue.

▪️2000 presidential candidate Ralph Nader appears on the show.

▪️Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra appears on the show.

▪️The Baha Men make a surprise cameo and sing “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

▪️Will Ferrell coins the word “strategery” while impersonating George W. Bush.

2001

▪️Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Lopez, Sean Hayes, Katie Holmes, Conan O’Brien, Julia Stiles, Renée Zellweger, Pierce Brosnan, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Jeter, Hugh Jackman and Ellen DeGeneres host for the first time.

▪️Nelly Furtado, Shaggy, Coldplay, Destiny’s Child, Weezer, Alicia Keyes, Sum 41 and Shakira perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Molly Shannon leaves the cast during Season 26.

▪️Jerry Minor leaves the cast at the end of Season 26.

▪️Dean Edwards, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler and Jeff Richards join the cast at the beginning of Season 27.

▪️Max Brooks and Louie C.K. are hired as writers.

▪️The Lovers (Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch) make their first appearance.

▪️Donatella Versace (Maya Rudolph) makes her first appearance.

▪️Wake Up Wakefield! makes its debut.

▪️U.S. attorney general Janet Reno appears on the show.

▪️Magician David Copperfield appears on the show during Weekend Update.

▪️Velvet Underground musician Lou Reed appears on the show during Weekend Update.

▪️Winona Ryder appears on the show.

▪️Matt Damon appears on the show.

▪️Ashton Kutcher appears on the show during host Billy Bob Thornton’s opening monologue.

▪️The New York City Fire Department appears on stage with Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the first episode after September 11th to give SNL permission to be funny.

2002

▪️Jack Black, Jenny Mosely, Jon Stewart, Ian McKellan, Kirsten Dunst, Winona Ryder, Matt Damon, Eric McCormack, Robert De Niro and Al Gore host for the first time.

▪️Pink, the Strokes, OutKast, Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Eat World, Moby, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Faith Hill, the White Stripes and Phish perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer leave the cast at the end of Season 27.

▪️Fred Armisen and Will Forte join the cast at the beginning of Season 28.

▪️Emily Spivey is hired as a writer.

▪️The episode hosted by Ian McKellan is the first episode of SNL since 1989 to win an Emmy for writing.

▪️Astronaut Jones (Tracy Morgan) makes his first appearance.

▪️Amber, the One-Legged Hypoglycemic (Amy Poehler) makes her first appearance.

▪️The Falconer (Will Forte) makes his first appearance.

▪️Alex Trebek appears on the show during a Celebrity Jeopardy! sketch.

▪️Neil Diamond appears on the show during Weekend Update.

▪️Tipper Gore appears in the episode hosted by her husband Al Gore.

▪️The West Wing stars Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, John Spencer and Richard Schiff appear together on the show.

2003

▪️Jeff Gordon, Ray Liotta, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Queen Latifah, Salma Hayek, Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, Adrien Brody, Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Halle Berry, Kelly Ripa, Andy Roddick, Al Sharpton and Elijah Wood host for the first time.

▪️Avril Lavigne, the Dixie Chicks, Good Charlotte, 50 Cent, Beyoncé and John Mayer perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Dean Edwards, Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan leave the cast at the end of Season 28.

▪️Finesse Mitchell and Kenan Thompson join the cast at the beginning of Season 29.

▪️J.B. Smoove, Jason Sudeikis and Rich Talarico are hired as writers.

▪️Abe Scheinwald (Rachel Dratch) makes his first appearance.

▪️Rialto Grande makes its debut.

▪️The Barry Gibb Talk Show makes its debut.

▪️Justin Timberlake appears in the Mascots sketch for the first time.

▪️After Predator stars Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully run for governor of Minnesota and governor of California, Carl Weathers appears on the show to announce his candidacy as governor of any state.

▪️Pro tennis player John McEnroe appears in the episode hosted by Andy Roddick.

▪️Paris Hilton appears on the show during Weekend Update.

2004

▪️Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, Megan Mullally, Christina Aguilera, Colin Firth, Donald Trump, Janet Jackson, Lindsay Lohan, Snoop Dogg, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Liam Neeson, Luke Wilson and Colin Farrell host for the first time.

▪️The Black Eyed Peas, Clay Aiken, Kelis, Maroon 5, Usher, Queen Latifah, Ashlee Simpson, Modest Mouse and Scissor Sisters perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Jeff Richards leaves the cast during Season 29.

▪️Jimmy Fallon leaves the cast at the end of Season 29.

▪️Rob Riggle joins the cast at the beginning of Season 30.

▪️Amy Poehler takes over as Tina Fey’s co-anchor on Weekend Update.

▪️Debbie Downer (Rachel Dratch) makes her first appearance.

▪️Kaitlin (Amy Poehler) and Rick (Horatio Sanz) make their first appearance.

▪️Appalachian Emergency Room makes its debut.

▪️The Prince Show makes its debut.

▪️¡Show Biz Grande Explosion! makes its debut.

▪️Bear City makes its debut.

▪️Nick Offerman appears in the episode hosted by Megan Mullally.

▪️Carolyn Kepcher and George H. Ross from NBC reality show The Apprentice appear in the episode hosted by Donald Trump.

▪️Simon Cowell appears on the show.

▪️James Gandolfini appears on the show during Weekend Update.

▪️Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon appears on the show during Weekend Update.

▪️Ice hockey player Brett Hull appears on the show during Weekend Update.

▪️Kermit the Frog, Fozzie, Gonzo and Animal appear together in the episode hosted by Robert De Niro.

2005

▪️Topher Grace, Paul Giamatti, Paris Hilton, Jason Bateman, Hilary Swank, Tom Brady, Johnny Knoxville, Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Jon Heder, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lance Armstrong, Jason Lee, Eva Longoria and Dane Cook host for the first time.

▪️The Killers, Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Kanye West, Franz Ferdinand and Korn perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Jason Sudeikis joins the cast during Season 30.

▪️Rob Riggle leaves the cast at the end of Season 30.

▪️Bill Hader and Andy Samberg join the cast at the beginning of Season 31. Kristen Wiig joins the cast a few episodes later.

▪️At the same time Andy Samberg joins the cast, fellow Lonely Island members Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are hired as writers.

▪️Colin Jost is hired as a writer.

▪️SNL transitions to high definition at the beginning of Season 31.

▪️Target Lady (Kristen Wiig) makes her first appearance.

▪️The Two A-Holes (Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig) make their first appearance.

▪️Deep House Dish makes its debut.

▪️Vincent Price’s Holiday Special makes its debut.

▪️”Christmastime for the Jews” makes its Saturday TV Funhouse debut with vocals by Darlene Love.

▪️Martin Short makes an appearance as Jiminy Glick during Weekend Update.

▪️Chicago White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik appears on the show during Weekend Update.

2006

▪️Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Antonio Banderas, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jaime Pressly, John C. Reilly, Hugh Laurie, Ludacris, Matthew Fox and Annette Bening host for the first time.

▪️Death Cab for Cutie, Prince, Fall Out Boy, Arctic Monkeys, My Chemical Romance, Tenacious D and Akon perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Finesse Mitchell, Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz leave the cast at the end of Season 31.

▪️Seth Meyers takes over as Amy Poehler’s co-anchor on Weekend Update.

▪️Blizzard Man (Andy Samberg) makes his first appearance.

▪️Aunt Linda (Kristen Wiig) makes her first appearance.

▪️Dick in a Box makes its debut.

▪️Natalie Portman raps on the show for the first time.

▪️NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and MTV News correspondent Gideon Yago appear in an SNL Digital Short alongside Scarlett Johansson and Conan O’Brien.

▪️Dennis Haysbert appears on the show.

▪️Sacha Baron Cohen and Ken Davitian appear on the show in character as Borat and Azamat.

▪️Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi appears on the show.

2007

▪️Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Piven, Forest Whitaker, Rainn Wilson, Peyton Manning, Shia LaBeouf, Molly Shannon, Zach Braff, LeBron James, Seth Rogen, Jon Bon Jovi and Brian Williams host for the first time.

▪️Arcade Fire, Carrie Underwood and Linkin Park perform as musical guests for the first time.

▪️Maya Rudolph leaves the cast during Season 33.

▪️Simon Rich is hired as a writer.

▪️Really?!? with Seth and Amy makes its Weekend Update debut.

▪️MacGruber (Will Forte) makes his first appearance.

▪️Penelope (Kristen Wiig) makes her first appearance.

▪️Political comedian Nicholas Fehn (Fred Armisen) makes his first appearance.