1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday in the Gregorian calendar, the 1997th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini designations, the 997th year of the 2nd millennium, the 97th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year of the 1990s decade
| Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
|---|---|
| Centuries: | 19th century – 20th century – 21st century |
| Decades: | 1960s 1970s 1980s – 1990s – 2000s 2010s 2020s |
| Years: | 1994 1995 1996 – 1997 – 1998 1999 2000 |
Births
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January
change- January 3 – Rahul Shah, Indian cricketer
- January 17 - Adyam Tesfalem, Eritrean road racing cyclist
February
changeMarch
change- March 4 – Beatrice Vio, Italian wheelchair foil fencer
- March 8 – Sam Vanderpump, English former race kart driver, businessman and television personality
- March 21 – Martina Stoessel, Argentina actrees & singer
April
change- April 1 – Asa Butterfield, English actor
- April 15 – Maisie Williams, British actress
May
change- May 1 – Ariel Gade, American actress
June
changeJuly
change- July 18 – Maria Nikka Feliselda, Filipina Bassist
August
change- August 10 – Kylie Jenner, American television personality and founder of Kylie Cosmetics
- August 16 – Greyson Chance, American singer
September
change- September 1 – Jungkook, South Korean singer (BTS)
- September 8 – Matthew Josten, American actor
October
change- October 2 – Liezel Lopez, Philippine actress
- October 8 – Bella Throne, American actrees & singer
November
change- November 16 – Alex Polidori, Italian actress and younger sister of Gabriele Patriarca
- November 19 – McCaughey septuplets, famous American set of septuplets
December
change- December 16 – Zara Larsson, Sweden singer
Deaths
changeJanuary
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- January 8 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist (b. 1911)
- January 9 – Edward Osobka-Morawski, Polish politician (b. 1909)
- January 10 – Alexander R. Todd, Scottish chemist (b. 1907)
- January 10 – Sheldon Leonard, American producer (b. 1907)
- January 12 – Charles Brenton Huggins, Canadian cancer researcher (b. 1901)
- January 15 – Helenio Herrera, Argentine football manager (b. 1916)
- January 17 – Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer (b. 1906)
- January 18 – Paul Tsongas, American politician (b. 1941)
- January 19 – James Dickey, American poet and novelist (b. 1923)
- January 21 – Colonel Tom Parker, Dutch-born American celebrity manager (b. 1909)
- January 25 – Jeane Dixon, American psychic (b. 1904)
February
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- February 1 – Herb Caen, American newspaper columnist (b. 1916)
- February 1 – Marjorie Reynolds, American actress (b. 1917)
- February 2 – Chico Science, Brazilian musician (b. 1967)
- February 5 – Pamela Harriman, U.S. Ambassador to France (b. 1920)
- February 16 – Bozorg Alavi, Iranian writer (b. 1904)
- February 17 – Asfaw Wossen, Emperor-in-exile of Ethiopia (b. 1916)
- February 19 – Deng Xiaoping, Leader of the People's Republic of China (b. 1904)
- February 21 – Josef Posipal, German footballer (b. 1927)
March
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- March 6 – Cheddi Jagan, President of Guyana (b. 1918)
- March 6 – Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica (b. 1924)
- March 9 – The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper (b. 1972)
- March 14 – Fred Zinnemann, American director (b. 1907)
- March 19 – Willem de Kooning, Dutch artist (b. 1904)
- March 21 - Wilbert Awdry, English writer (b. 1911)
- March 31 – Lyman Spitzer, American physicist (b. 1914)
April
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- April 5 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)
- April 7 – Georgi Shonin, Soviet cosmonaut (b. 1935)
- April 7 – Tomoyuki Tanaka, Japanese movie producer (b. 1910)
- April 11 – Wang Xiaobo, Chinese writer (b. 1952)
- April 12 – George Wald, American scientist (b. 1903)
- April 17 – Chaim Herzog, President of Israel (b. 1918)
- April 21 – Diosdado Macapagal, President of the Philippines (b. 1910)
May
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- May 2 – John Eccles, Australian neuropsychologist (b. 1903)
- May 4 – Wijeyananda Dahanayake, Prime Minister of Ceylon (b. 1902)
- May 16 – Giuseppe De Santis, Italian movie director (b. 1917)
- May 20 – Virgilio Barco Vargas, President of Colombia (b. 1922)
- May 22 – Alfred Hershey, American biochemist (b. 1908)
- May 29 – Jeff Buckley, American musician (b. 1966)
June
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- June 1 – Nikolai Tikhonov, Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1905)
- June 2 – Helen Jacobs, American tennis player (b. 1908)
- June 6 – Magda Gabor, American actress (b. 1914)
- June 14 – Richard Jaeckel, American actor (b. 1926)
- June 15 – Edmond Leburton, Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1915)
- June 23 – Betty Shabazz, American widow of Malcolm X (b. 1936)
- June 24 – Brian Keith, American actor (b. 1921)
- June 25 – Jacques Cousteau, French underwater explorer (b. 1910)
- June 26 – Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Hawaiian singer (b. 1959)
- June 29 – William Hickey, American actor (b. 1927)
July
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- July 1 – Robert Mitchum, American actor (b. 1917)
- July 2 – James Stewart, American actor (b. 1908)
- July 15 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer (b. 1946)
- July 18 – Eugene Shoemaker, American astronomer (b. 1928)
- July 24 – Saw Maung, Prime Minister of Myanmar (b. 1928)
- July 24 – Frank Parker, American tennis player (b. 1916)
- July 28 – Seni Pramoj, Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1905)
- July 30 – Bảo Đại, Vietnamese Emperor (b. 1913)
August
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- August 2 – William S. Burroughs, American writer (b. 1914)
- August 4 – Jeanne Calment, French supercentenarian (b. 1875)
- August 8 – Sviatoslav Richter, Ukrainian pianist (b. 1915)
- August 12 – Luther Allison, American musician (b. 1939)
- August 23 – John Kendrew, British molecular biologist (b. 1917)
- August 30 – Ernst Willimowski, Polish footballer (b. 1931)
- August 31 – Diana, Princess of Wales (b. 1961)
- August 31 – Dodi al-Fayed, Egyptian businessman (b. 1955)
September
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- September 5 – Mother Teresa, Albanian nun and missionary (b. 1910)
- September 7 – Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire (b. 1930)
- September 9 – Burgess Meredith, American actor (b. 1907)
- September 11 – Matrika Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1912)
- September 17 – Red Skelton, American entertainer (b. 1913)
- September 18 – Jimmy Witherspoon, American blues singer (b. 1920)
- September 29 – Roy Lichtenstein, American artist (b. 1923)
October
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- October 5 – Brian Pillman, American professional wrestler (b. 1962)
- October 12 – John Denver, American musician (b. 1943)
- October 16 – James A. Michener, American writer (b. 1907)
- October 16 – Audra Lindley, American actress (b. 1918)
- October 22 – Leonid Amalrik, Russian animator (b. 1905)
- October 30 – Samuel Fuller, American screenwriter and director (b. 1912)
November
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- November 8 – Mohammad-Ali Jamalzadeh, Iranian writer (b. 1892)
- November 22 – Michael Hutchence, Australian musician (b. 1960)
- November 25 – Hastings Banda, 1st President of Malawi (b. 1907)
December
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- December 1 – Stephane Grappelli, French violinist (b. 1908)
- December 7 – Billy Bremner, Scottish footballer (b. 1942)
- December 16 – Lillian Disney, American artist (b. 1899)
- December 18 – Chris Farley, American actor and comedian (b. 1964)
- December 20 – Juzo Itami, Japanese movie director (b. 1933)
- December 24 – Toshiro Mifune, Japanese actor (b. 1920)
- December 27 – Billy Wright, Northern Irish paramilitary leader (b. 1960)
Events
changeJanuary
change
- January 1 – Kofi Annan becomes Secretary-General of the UN.
- January 8 – Mister Rogers receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- January 9 – Yachtsman Tony Bullimore is found alive five days after his boat capsized in the Southern Ocean.
- January 18 – In north west Rwanda, Hutu militia members kill 3 Spanish aid workers, 3 soldiers and seriously wound 1 other.
- January 19 – Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city.
- January 20 – Bill Clinton starts his second term as President of the United States.
- January 21 – Newt Gingrich becomes the first leader of the United States House of Representatives to be internally disciplined for ethical misconduct.
- January 22 – Madeleine Albright becomes the first female secretary of state after confirmation by the United States Senate.
- January 23 – Mir Aimal Kasi receives the death sentence for a 1993 assault rifle attack outside CIA headquarters that killed 2 and wounded 3 others.
- January 27 – It is revealed that French museums had nearly 2,000 pieces of art that were stolen by Nazis.
- January 28 – Clive Davis receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
February
change- February 22 – Scientists in Scotland announce the cloning of Dolly, born on July 5, 1996.
- February 23 – A small fire occurs on the Mir space station.
- February 27 – Divorce becomes legal in the Republic of Ireland.
March
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- March 6 – Guyana's President Cheddi Jagan dies in office.
- March 22 – At age 14, Tara Lipinski becomes the youngest figure skating world champion.
- March 24 – The movie The English Patient wins an Academy Award for best picture.
April
changeMay
change- May 1 – Tony Blair of the Labour Party is elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in a landslide victory over the Conservatives, who lose all of their seats in Scotland and Wales, and lose power after 18 years in Government.
- May 3 – Katrina and the Waves win the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom.
- May 10 – An earthquake in northeastern Iran kills 2400 people.
- May 16 – Mobutu Sese Seko leaves Zaire.
- May 17 – Laurent Kabila's troops enter Kinshasa, as Zaire changes its name to Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- May 23 – Mohammad Khatami is elected President of Iran.
June
change- June 13 – Timothy McVeigh is sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing.
- June 25 – The town of Plymouth on the Caribbean island of Montserrat is evacuated as the Soufriere Hills volcano erupts.
- June 26 – Bertie Ahern becomes Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland.
July
change- July 1 – The United Kingdom hands control of Hong Kong back to the People's Republic of China.
- July 15 – Fashion designer Gianni Versace is shot dead in Florida by spree killer Andrew Cunanan.
- July 25 – K. R. Narayanan becomes President of India.
August
change- August 4 – Jeanne Calment dies after a record human lifespan of 122 years and 164 days.
- August 6 – Korean Air Flight 801 crash lands on the island of Guam, killing 228 people.
- August 13 – South Park debuts on Comedy Central.
- August 31 – Diana, Princess of Wales, Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul are killed in a car crash in Paris.
September
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- September 5 – The 2004 Summer Olympics are awarded to Athens, Greece.
- September 6 – The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales takes place at Westminster Abbey in London. It is watched by over 2 billion people worldwide.
- September 11 – Voters in Scotland approve the creation of their own regional parliament in a referendum.
- September 18 – Voters in Wales approve the creation of their own Assembly in a referendum.
- September 26 – The regions of Umbria and Marche in Italy are hit by a strong earthquake.
- September 26 - An Airbus A300 of Garuda Indonesia Airlines crashes in Medan, Sumatra, killing all 234 people on board.
October
change- October 15 – NASA launches the Cassini-Huygens probe to Saturn.
- October 16 – The New York Times' first colour photographs appear.
- October 26 – The Florida Marlins win the 1997 World Series, defeating the Cleveland Indians in seven games. This is their first championship in franchise history.
November
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- November 11 – Mary McAleese is chosen to succeed Mary Robinson as President of the Republic of Ireland, marking the first-ever woman to woman Presidential transfer.
- November 17 – 62 people are killed by Islamist terrorists in Luxor, Egypt.
December
change- December 11 – The Kyoto protocol is approved by a UN committee.
- December 19 – Janet Jagan becomes President of Guyana, succeeding her deceased husband, Cheddi Jagan.
- December 19 – James Cameron's movie Titanic is released in the US.
Other significant events
change- Algerian Civil War: Hundreds of people are killed in massacres throughout the year.
Nobel Prizes
change- Chemistry: Paul D. Boyer, John E. Walker, Jens C. Skou
- Economics: Robert C. Merton, Myron C. Scholes
- Literature: Dario Fo
- Nobel Peace Prize: International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Jody Williams
- Physics: Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, William D. Phillips
- Medicine: Stanley B. Prusiner
Movies Released
change- Air Force One
- Amistad
- As Good as It Gets
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
- Batman & Robin
- Breakdown
- Cop Land
- Con Air
- Contact
- Face/Off
- Fire Down Below
- Gattaca
- Good Will Hunting
- Hercules
- Home Alone 3
- Into Thin Air
- L.A. Confidential
- Liar Liar
- Men in Black
- Mononoke Hime
- My Best Friend's Wedding
- Suicide Kings
- The Fifth Element
- The Full Monty
- The Ice Storm
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- The Rainmaker
- The Sweet Hereafter
- Titanic
- Tomorrow Never Dies
- U Turn
- Power Rangers Turbo: The Movie
- Volcano
New books
change- American Pastoral – Philip Roth
- Are You Experienced? – William Sutcliffe
- Barney's Version – Mordecai Richler
- The Best Laid Plans – Sidney Sheldon
- The Bible Code – Michael Drosnin
- Budgie: The Little Helicopter – Sarah Ferguson
- Cat & Mouse – James Patterson
- Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier
- Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs – Dave Barry
- Deja Dead – Kathy Reichs
- Diana: Her True Story – Andrew Morton
- Everyday Wicca – Gerina Dunwich
- Fall On Your Knees – Ann-Marie MacDonald
- The Ghost – Danielle Steel
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – J. K. Rowling
- Hornet's Nest – Patricia Cornwell
- I Am the Most Interesting Book of All (translation) – Marie Bashkirtseff
- Instruments of Darkness – Nancy Huston
- Jingo – Terry Pratchett
- Larry's Party – Carol Shields
- Last Standing Woman – Winona LaDuke
- Moab Is My Washpot – Stephen Fry (autobiography)
- Morisson of Peking – Cyril Pearl
- Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet – Karen Armstrong
- Night Train – Martin Amis
- The Partner – John Grisham
- Pretend You Don't See Her – Mary Higgins Clark
- The Ranch – Danielle Steel
- The Red Tent – Anita Diamant
- Special Delivery – Danielle Steel
- The Subtle Knife – Philip Pullman
- Timequake – Kurt Vonnegut
- Toulouse-Lautrec: The Soul of Montmartre – Reinhold Heller
- Tuesdays With Morrie – Mitch Albom
- Unnatural Exposure – Patricia Cornwell
- A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson
- A Wiccan's Guide to Prophecy and Divination – Gerina Dunwich
Hit songs
change- Candle in the Wind 1997 – Elton John
- "MMMBop" – Hanson
- "My Heart Will Go On" – Céline Dion
- "Wannabe" – The Spice Girls
- "A Long December" – Counting Crows
- "All By Myself" – Céline Dion
- "Bitch" – Meredith Brooks
- "Don't Speak" – No Doubt
- "Forty Six & 2" – Tool
- "Longneck Bottle" – Garth Brooks
- "Magdalene" – Lenny Kravitz
- "Silver Springs" – Fleetwood Mac
- "The Difference" – The Wallflowers
- "Volcano" – Presidents of the United States of America
- "You Were Meant For Me" – Jewel
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