May 1997

Thursday 01:

HM Prison Pentridge, Melbourne, Australia is officially closed.

Friday 02:

The Labour Party's Tony Blair becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, ending 18 years of Conservative Party rule. At 44, he is the youngest prime minister for 185 years.

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".

Thursday 08:

A China Southern Airlines Boeing 737 crashes on approach into Shenzhen's Huangtian Airport, killing 35

Saturday 10:

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

Sunday 11:

IBM's Deep Blue chess-playing supercomputer defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player.

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.

Thursday 22:

Kelly Flinn, US Air Force's first female bomber pilot certified for combat, accepts a general discharge in order to avoid a court martial.

Friday 23:

Mohammad Khatami is elected as President of Iran.

Sunday 25:

Strom Thurmond becomes the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Senate, at 41 years and 10 months.

Tuesday 27:

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

Saturday 31:

Canada's Confederation Bridge opens, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick.