Major Events
- Apr 29 Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 comes into force; agreement outlaws production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons among its signatories
- Jun 30 British lease on the New Territories in Hong Kong, established by the Second Convention of Peking, expires
- Jul 1 United Kingdom returns Hong Kong and the New Territories to the People's Republic of China
- Jul 25 Scientists announce the first human stem cells to be cultured in a laboratory using tissue taken from aborted human embryos
- Aug 31 Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash in a road tunnel in Paris
- Sep 16 Apple Computer Inc names co-founder Steve Jobs interim CEO
- Dec 11 Delegates from 150 industrial nations attending a UN climate conference in Kyoto, Japan, reach agreement to control heat-trapping greenhouse gases
- Dec 29 Hong Kong begins slaughtering all its chickens to prevent bird flu
- More 1997 Events
1997 in Film & TV
- Mar 10 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" created by Joss Whedon and starring Sarah Michelle Geller premieres on WB Television Network
- Nov 1 "Titanic" directed by James Cameron, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet premieres at the Tokyo International Film Festival (Academy Awards Best Picture 1998)
1997 in Music
- Aug 9 "Just to See You Smile" single released by Tim McGraw (Billboard Song of the Year 1998)
Did You Know?
Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland announce they have cloned an adult mammal, producing Dolly the sheep - born 5 July 1996 (d. 2003)
Malala Yousafzai
Jake Paul
Chloë Grace Moretz
Maisie Williams
Kylie Jenner
Bella Thorne
Cody Simpson
Camila Cabello
Lalisa
Jungkook
Zara Larsson
Lamar Jackson
Simone Biles
Alexander Zverev
Lydia Ko
Max Verstappen
Naomi OsakaMore People Born in 1997
Deng Xiaoping
Jacques Cousteau
Bảo Đại
Diana Spencer
Mother Teresa
Mobutu Sese Seko
James Stewart
Burgess Meredith
Michael Hutchence
Chris Farley
Toshiro Mifune
The Notorious B.I.G.
Fela Kuti
John Denver
Curt Flood
Helen Jacobs
Don Hutson
Ben Hogan
Richie Ashburn
Eddie ArcaroMore 1997 Deaths
Famous Weddings in 1997
- Jan 4 "Smothers Brothers" actor-singer Dick Smothers (58) weds third wife Denby Franklin (47) in Las Vegas, Nevada; divorce in 2006
- Jan 4 Czech Republic's first president Vaclav Havel (60) weds Czech actress Dagmar Havlova (43) in Prague, Czech Republic
- Feb 1 Retired MLB player Johnny Bench (49) weds stockbroker Elizabeth Benton
Famous Divorces in 1997
- Jan 27 "Wall Street" actor Charlie Sheen (31) divorces model Donna Peele after nearly 5 months of marriage
- May 2 Donald Trump and Marla Maples announce they are separating
- Jun 24 Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry (30) divorces MLB outfielder David Justice (31) after more than 4 years of marriage
More 1997 Weddings
Andrew Grove
Celine Dion
Helen Hunt
Jack Nicholson
Bill Clinton
Boris Yeltsin
Helmut Kohl
Jiang Zemin
Tony Blair