1997
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1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday in the Gregorian calendar.
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Births
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January
- January 3 – Rahul Shah, Indian cricketer
- January 17 - Adyam Tesfalem, Eritrean road racing cyclist
February
March
- 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
- April 1 – Asa Butterfield, English actor
- April 15 – Maisie Williams, British actress
May
- May 1 – Ariel Gade, American actress
June
July
- July 18 – Maria Nikka Feliselda, Filipina Bassist
August
- August 10 – Kylie Jenner, American television personality and founder of Kylie Cosmetics
- August 16 – Greyson Chance, American singer
September
- September 1 – Jungkook, South Korean singer (BTS)
- September 8 – Matthew Josten, American actor
October
November
- November 16 – Alex Polidori, Italian actress and younger sister of Gabriele Patriarca
- November 19 – McCaughey septuplets, famous American set of septuplets
December
- December 16 – Zara Larsson, Sweden singer
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Deaths
January
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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)
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Events
January
- 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
- 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
April
May
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Algerian Civil War: Hundreds of people are killed in massacres throughout the year.
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Nobel Prizes
- 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
- 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
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New books
- 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
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Hit songs
- 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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