1997 - What happened in 1997 ?

January 1997

Wednesday 01:

The Republic of Zaïre officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Zaïre.

Thursday 16:

Ennis Cosby, the only son of actor Bill Cosby, is killed by a gunman while changing a flat tire in Los Angeles, California.

Thursday 23:

Madeleine Albright becomes the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State.

Sunday 26:

Super Bowl XXXI: The Green Bay Packers defeat the New England Patriots, 35-21.

Tuesday 28:

Arista Records founder Clive Davis receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

February 1997

Tuesday 04:

After at first contesting the results, Serbian President Slobodan Milo?evi? recognizes opposition victories in the November 1996 elections.

Wednesday 05:

Morgan Stanley and Dean Witter investment banks announce a $10 billion merger.

Monday 10:

The United States Army suspends Sgt. Major Gene C. McKinney, its top-ranking enlisted soldier, after hearing allegations of sexual misconduct.

Thursday 13:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 7,000 for the first time closing at 7,022.44.

Sunday 23:

A large fire occurs in the Russian Space station, Mir.

March 1997

Tuesday 04:

United States President Bill Clinton bars federal funding for any research on human cloning.

Thursday 06:

Picasso's Tete de Femme is stolen from a London gallery, and is recovered a week later.

Friday 14:

The Chinese city of Chongqing (formerly Chunking) is upgraded to a centrally administered municipality

Tuesday 18:

The tail of a Russian An-24 charter plane breaks off while en-route to Turkey causing the plane to crash and killing all 50 on board. This leads to the grounding of all An-24s.

Wednesday 26:

Thirty-nine bodies found in the Heaven's Gate cult suicides.

April 1997

Thursday 03:

Thalit massacre begins in Algeria; all but 1 of the 53 inhabitants of Thalit are killed by guerrillas.

Tuesday 22:

A 126-day hostage crisis at the residence of the Japanese ambassador in Lima, Peru ends after government commandos storm and capture the building, rescuing 71 hostages. One hostage dies of a heart attack, two soldiers are killed from rebel fire, and all 14 rebels are slain.

Monday 28:

The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention goes into effect. Russia, Iraq and North Korea were notable nations who had not ratified the treaty.

Tuesday 29:

The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons among its signatories.

Wednesday 30:

Ellen DeGeneres's character comes out of the closet on the sitcom Ellen.

May 1997

Saturday 03:

In Dublin, Ireland, Katrina and the Waves win the forty-second Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom singing "Love Shine a Light".

Saturday 10:

An earthquake near Ardekul in northeastern Iran kills at least 2,400 people.

Monday 12:

1997 - In the 7th inning of a baseball game between the Anaheim Angels, and the Chicago White Sox,the Angels score 13 runs.

Friday 23:

Mohammad Khatami is elected as President of Iran.

Tuesday 27:

The F5-strength Jarrell Tornado slams into the small town of Jarrell, Texas, killing 27 people.

June 1997

Tuesday 10:

Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot orders the killing of his defense chief Son Sen and 11 of Sen's family members before Pol Pot flees his northern stronghold.

Thursday 12:

The United States Department of the Treasury unveils a new $50 bill meant to be more counterfeit-resistant. http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/rr1746.htm

Friday 13:

A jury sentences Timothy McVeigh to the death penalty for his part in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Monday 16:

Dairat Labguer massacre in Algeria; some 50 people killed.

Wednesday 25:

An unmanned Progress spacecraft collided with the Russian Space station, Mir.

July 1997

Tuesday 08:

NATO invites the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland to join the alliance in 1999.

Wednesday 09:

Mike Tyson's boxing license is suspended for at least a year and he is fined $3 million for biting Evander Holyfield's ear in a televised match.

Wednesday 16:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 63.17 to close at 8,038.88, closing above 8,000 for the first time.

Tuesday 22:

The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario.

Monday 28:

Guatemala becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.

August 1997

Sunday 03:

Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre in Algeria; 40-76 villagers killed.

Monday 04:

185,000 Teamsters union United Parcel Service drivers walk off the job.

Thursday 07:

Fine Air Flight 101, a cargo flight from Miami to Santo Domingo crashes onto NW 72nd Ave near Miami International Airport, killing five people.

Wednesday 20:

Souhane massacre in Algeria; over 60 people killed, 15 kidnapped.

Tuesday 26:

Beni-Ali massacre in Algeria; 60-100 people killed.

September 1997

Friday 05:

1997 - The IOC picks Athens to be the host city for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Sunday 07:

The first test flight of the F/A-22 Raptor takes place.

Thursday 11:

Scotland votes to re-establish its own Parliament on the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Stirling Bridge, after 290 years of union with England.

Friday 19:

Guelb El-Kebir massacre in Algeria; 53 killed.

Monday 22:

Bentalha massacre in Algeria; over 200 villagers killed.

October 1997

Friday 10:

An Austral Airlines DC-9-32 crashes and explodes near Nuevo Berlin, Uruguay, killing 74.

Wednesday 15:

The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.

Tuesday 21:

The government of Singapore announces in a widely-publicized "toilet alert" that the drive for toilet cleanliness is a great success; five toilets were selected by citizens as toilet role models.

Sunday 26:

Basketball player Charles Barkley is charged with aggravated battery and resisting arrest after throwing Jorge Lugo through a plate glass window in a dance club in Orlando, Florida.

Tuesday 28:

The bulls come running back as the Dow Jones Industrial Average gains a record 337.17 points to close at 7,498.32. The massive rally comes a day after a 554 point drop. One billion shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time ever.

November 1997

Tuesday 11:

Marianne Biancuzzo is charged for drowning her newborn baby in a toilet and hiding the remains in a coffee can in Tucson, Arizona.

Sunday 16:

After nearly 18 years of incarceration, the People's Republic of China releases Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons.

Tuesday 18:

Gary Glitter is arrested in the United Kingdom on child porn charges.

Wednesday 19:

In Carlisle, Iowa, Bobbi McCaughey gives birth to septuplets in the second known case where all seven babies were born alive.

Thursday 27:

Second Souhane massacre in Algeria; 25 killed.

December 1997

Saturday 06:

A Russian Antonov AN-124 transport cargo plane crashes into an apartment complex near Irkutsk, Siberia, killing 67

Tuesday 16:

Super Typhoon Paka makes landfall on the island of Guam with 150 mph winds.

Thursday 18:

HTML 4.0 is released by the World Wide Web Consortium

Wednesday 24:

The Dominican Republic becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.

Monday 29:

Hong Kong begins to kill all the nation's chickens (1.25 million) to stop the spread of a potentially deadly influenza strain.