It was October 25, 2000 at exactly this time (11:30 PM Central as I write this). I was 12 years old, waiting in line at the Software Etc. at the Manhattan, Kansas mall (Manhattan Town Center) with my mom to get my PlayStation 2. It was a Wednesday, and I luckily had the next two days of school off, giving me a four-day weekend to play my new console. Before the employees knew this, they joked that I should put a penny under my tongue to fool a thermometer into thinking I had a fever so I could miss school that way. A couple of games were available to buy before the PS2 actually released, meaning I had days to constantly read the manuals for my copies of SSX and Smuggler's Run. I would pick up a copy of X-Squad on launch night, which I would return within a few days in exchange for Summoner (the right decision!).
I went on eBay recently and got the launch titles I originally had, along with a copy of Silent Scope, a launch title I never bothered with because the arcade game was far superior due to the physical sniper rifle you get to maneuver.
You can read more about mine and other people's experiences getting the PlayStation 2 at my ResetEra thread here.