WORLD HISTORY · 1997 日本語
Events of 1997Heisei 9 (Japan) · Year of the Ox
What happened in 1997?
In 1997, Japan's consumption tax rose to 5%, and Hokkaido Takushoku Bank and Yamaichi Securities collapsed one after the other. Around the world, Hong Kong was returned to China and the Asian financial crisis began.
- Birth of cloned sheep Dolly announcedEurope
- Consumption tax raised to 5%Asia
- Hong Kong returned to ChinaAsia
- Thai currency float sparks Asian financial crisisAsia
- Princess Diana dies in car crashAsia
- Hokkaido Takushoku Bank collapsesAsia
- Yamaichi Securities decides to shut downAsia
- Kyoto climate conference opensAsia
Tap an event to jump to it in the timeline below.
1997 at a glance
| Japanese era | Heisei 9 |
|---|---|
| Chinese zodiac | Year of the Ox |
| Age of people born in 1997 | Turn 29 in 2026 |
| Previous / next year | 1996 (Heisei 8) ／ 1998 (Heisei 10) |
| Events | 127 |
| AP World History | Unit 9 (Globalization) |
| AP U.S. History | Period 9 |
Famous people born in 1997
Our birthday pages list 450 people born in 1997. Here are some of them.
- Simone BilesBorn March 14 · turns 29 this year · American gymnast whose many Olympic and world championship titles make her one…
- Katie LedeckyBorn March 17 · turns 29 this year · American distance freestyle swimmer and the most decorated U.S. female Olympian…
- Fujii KazeBorn June 14 · turns 29 this year
- Takumi KitamuraBorn November 3 · turns 29 this year
- Kyōko SaitōBorn September 5 · turns 29 this year
- Kaoru MitomaBorn May 20 · turns 29 this year
- Daizen MaedaBorn October 20 · turns 29 this year
- Shoma UnoBorn December 17 · turns 29 this year
- Lars NootbaarBorn September 8 · turns 29 this year
- Jeon JungkookBorn September 1 · turns 29 this year
- Zara LarssonBorn December 16 · turns 29 this year
- Sydney SweeneyBorn September 12 · turns 29 this year
Show 28 more
- Jacob ElordiBorn June 26 · turns 29 this year
- Bruno GuimarãesBorn November 16 · turns 29 this year
- Noah KahanBorn January 1 · turns 29 this year
- Kylie JennerBorn August 10 · turns 29 this year
- Madelyn ClineBorn December 21 · turns 29 this year
- Gonzalo MontielBorn January 1 · turns 29 this year
- Keegan HipgraveBorn January 1 · turns 29 this year
- Arshad NadeemBorn January 2 · turns 29 this year
- Carlos SolerBorn January 2 · turns 29 this year
- Fodé Ballo-TouréBorn January 3 · turns 29 this year
- Jérémie BogaBorn January 3 · turns 29 this year
- Kyron McMasterBorn January 3 · turns 29 this year
- AngeliñoBorn January 4 · turns 29 this year
- Ante ŽižićBorn January 4 · turns 29 this year
- Jesús VallejoBorn January 5 · turns 29 this year
- Michel AebischerBorn January 6 · turns 29 this year
- Lamar JacksonBorn January 7 · turns 29 this year
- Ozzie AlbiesBorn January 7 · turns 29 this year
- Blake LawrieBorn January 10 · turns 29 this year
- Patrick HerbertBorn January 10 · turns 29 this year
- Cody SimpsonBorn January 11 · turns 29 this year
- Darius SlaytonBorn January 12 · turns 29 this year
- Connor McDavidBorn January 13 · turns 29 this year
- Douglas AugustoBorn January 13 · turns 29 this year
- Egan BernalBorn January 13 · turns 29 this year
- Henry EllensonBorn January 13 · turns 29 this year
- Ivan ProvorovBorn January 13 · turns 29 this year
- Luis DíazBorn January 13 · turns 29 this year
Events of 1997 (timeline · 127)
Tip: the PC view is best for studying
On a computer, each region has its own vertical line, so you can follow the flow of events and see what was happening in different parts of the world at the same time.
Comair Flight 3272 crashes in Raisinville Township in Monroe County, Michigan, killing 29 people.
Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches from the Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-81 to the Russian space station Mir, carrying astronaut Jerry M. Linenger for a four-month stay on board the station, replacing astronaut John E. Blaha.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station: A Delta II carrying the GPS IIR-1 satellite explodes 13 seconds after launch, dropping 250 tons of burning rocket remains around the launch pad.
Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city.
The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395–28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined.
Madeleine Albright becomes the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State.
En route to Lebanon, two Israeli Sikorsky CH-53 troop-transport helicopters collide in mid-air over northern Galilee, Israel, killing 73.
The Bojnurd earthquake measuring Mw 6.5 strikes Iran. With a Mercalli intensity of VIII, it kills at least 88 and damages 173 villages.
The so-called Big Three banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a $71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families.
Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
The far-right extremist Hungarian National Front introduces the day of honor, a neo-nazi and neo-fascist annual gathering in Budapest
In Roslin, Midlothian, British scientists announce that an adult sheep named Dolly has been successfully cloned.
A Turkish military memorandum results in the collapse of the coalition government in Turkey.
Comet Hale–Bopp: Observers in China, Mongolia and eastern Siberia are treated to a rare double feature as an eclipse permits Hale-Bopp to be seen during the day.
The Missionaries of Charity choose Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as their leader.
The tail of a Russian Antonov An-24 charter plane breaks off while en route to Turkey, causing the plane to crash and killing all 50 people on board.
Tara Lipinski, aged 14 years and nine months, becomes the youngest women's World Figure Skating Champion.
The Thalit massacre begins in Algeria; all but one of the 53 inhabitants of Thalit are killed by guerrillas.
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-83. However, the mission is later cut short due to a fuel cell problem.
Pai Hsiao-yen, daughter of Taiwanese artiste Pai Bing-bing, is kidnapped on her way to school, preceding her murder.
The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories.
The Labour Party wins the 1997 General Election and Tony Blair is elected as Prime Minister.
The Bank of England is given independence from political control, the most significant change in the bank's 300-year history.
China Southern Airlines Flight 3456 crashes on approach into Bao'an International Airport, killing 35 people.
The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes Iran's Khorasan Province killing 1,567 people.
Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.
The United States government acknowledges the existence of the "Secret War" in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on STS-84 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
Troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Sierra Gorda biosphere, the most ecologically diverse region in Mexico, is established as a result of grassroots efforts.
A military coup in Sierra Leone replaces President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koroma.
The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak occurs, spawning multiple tornadoes in Central Texas, including the F5 that killed 27 in Jarrell.
The Confederation Bridge opens, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick.
In Denver, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 11 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died. He was executed four years later.
Before fleeing his northern stronghold, Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot orders the killing of his defense chief Son Sen and 11 of Sen's family members.
The Uphaar Cinema Fire takes place at Green Park, Delhi, resulting in the deaths of 59 people and seriously injuring 103 others.
A jury sentences Timothy McVeigh to death for his part in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
The National Hockey League approved expansion franchises for Nashville (1998), Atlanta (1999), Columbus (2000), and Minneapolis-Saint Paul (2000).
J. K. Rowling publishes the first of her Harry Potter novel series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in the United Kingdom.
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Holyfield–Tyson II: Mike Tyson is disqualified in the third round for biting a piece off Evander Holyfield's ear.
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-94, a re-flight of the prematurely-ended STS-83 mission with the same crew.
China resumes sovereignty over the city-state of Hong Kong, ending 156 years of British colonial rule. The handover ceremony is attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Charles, Prince of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil MP A. Thangathurai is shot dead at Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College in Trincomalee.
The Troubles: In response to the Drumcree dispute, five days of mass protests, riots and gun battles begin in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland.
The Turkish Armed Forces withdraw from northern Iraq after assisting the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the Iraqi Kurdish Civil War.
An explosion aboard a Brazilian airline TAM Fokker 100 launches engineer Fernando Caldeira de Moura Campos into a 2,400 meters free fall.
In London, scientists report the findings of the DNA analysis of a Neanderthal skeleton which supports the "out of Africa theory" of human evolution, placing an "African Eve" at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.
Miguel Ángel Blanco, a member of Partido Popular (Spain), is kidnapped (and later murdered) in the Basque city of Ermua by ETA members, sparking widespread protests.
After takeoff from Husein Sastranegara International Airport, Sempati Air Flight 304 crashes into a residential neighborhood in Bandung, killing 28 people.
The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army resumes a ceasefire to end their 25-year paramilitary campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland.
The fully restored USS Constitution (a.k.a. Old Ironsides) celebrates its 200th birthday by setting sail for the first time in 116 years.
The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario.
Sky Tower in downtown Auckland, New Zealand opens after two-and-a-half years of construction, becoming the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere at the time.
Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre in Algeria: A total of 116 villagers killed, 40 in Oued El-Had and 76 in Mezouara.
Korean Air Flight 801 crashed at Nimitz Hill, Guam, killing 229 of the 254 people on board.
Space Shuttle Program: The Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-85 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Fine Air Flight 101 crashes after takeoff from Miami International Airport, killing five people.
Sixteen people are killed when Formosa Airlines Flight 7601 crashes near Beigan Airport in the Matsu Islands of Taiwan.
Egon Krenz, the former East German leader, is convicted of a shoot-to-kill policy at the Berlin Wall.
At least 98 villagers are killed by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria GIA in the Rais massacre, Algeria.
Diana, Princess of Wales, her partner, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris.
Vietnam Airlines Flight 815 (Tupolev Tu-134) crashes on approach into Phnom Penh airport, killing 64.
Royal Brunei Airlines Flight 839 crashes in the Lambir Hills National Park while on approach to Miri Airport in Malaysia, killing 10.
The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales takes place in London. Well over a million people line the streets and 21⁄2 billion watch around the world on television.
Kurkse tragedy: Fourteen Estonian soldiers of the Baltic Battalion are drowned or die of hypothermia during a training exercise in the Kurkse Strait.
After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom.
A German Air Force Tupolev Tu-154 and a United States Air Force Lockheed C-141 Starlifter collide in mid-air near Namibia, killing 33.
Eighty-one killed as five bogies of the Ahmedabad–Howrah Express plunge into a river in Bilaspur district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
St. Olaf's Church, a stone church from the 16th century in Tyrvää, Finland, is burnt down by a burglar.
An earthquake strikes the Italian regions of Umbria and the Marche, causing part of the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi to collapse.
Danish fugitive Steen Christensen kills two police officers, Chief Constable Eero Holsti and Senior Constable Antero Palo, in Ullanlinna, Helsinki, Finland during his prison escape.
After a civil war, Denis Sassou Nguesso proclaims himself President of the Republic of the Congo.
The 1997 Asian financial crisis causes a crash in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Titanic premieres publicly at Tokyo festival, launching a global blockbuster career.
Tropical Storm Linda makes landfall in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, causing more than 3,000 deaths.
The United States imposes economic sanctions against Sudan in response to its human rights abuses of its own citizens and its material and political assistance to Islamic extremist groups across the Middle East and East Africa.
WorldCom and MCI Communications announce a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).
Ramzi Yousef is found guilty of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
After nearly 18 years of incarceration, China releases Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons.
In Luxor, Egypt, 62 people are killed by six Islamic militants outside the Temple of Hatshepsut, known as Luxor massacre.
In the Indian state of Bihar, Ranvir Sena attacks the CPI (ML) Party Unity stronghold Lakshmanpur-Bathe, killing 63 lower caste people.
Fourteen-year-old Michael Carneal opens fire at a group of students in Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, killing three and injuring five.
In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, representatives from 121 countries sign the Ottawa Treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. The United States, People's Republic of China, and Russia do not sign the treaty, however.
The Kyoto Protocol, an agreement committing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opens for signature.
Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183 crashes in the desert near Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, killing 85.
Dennō Senshi Porygon: Over 600 kids in Japan suffer photosensitive epileptic seizures after watching an episode of the Pokémon anime.
Aerosvit Flight 241: A Yakovlev Yak-42 crashes into the Pierian Mountains near Thessaloniki Airport in Thessaloniki, Greece, killing all 70 people on board.
Peruvian internal conflict: Fourteen members of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement provoke a hostage crisis by taking over the Japanese embassy in Lima.
SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into the Musi River, near Palembang in Indonesia, killing 104.
Acteal massacre: Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces.
Somali Civil War: Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes the disputed title of President of Somalia by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first major step towards reconciliation in Somalia since 1991.
Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
In the worst incident in Algeria's insurgency, the Wilaya of Relizane massacres, 400 people from four villages are killed.
Source: Wikipedia date pages ("January 1" … "December 31") / CC BY-SA 4.0. Regions are assigned by the site editors.
FAQ
What year was 1997 in the Japanese calendar?
1997 was Heisei 9 in the Japanese era system.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1997?
1997 is the Year of the Ox.
How old is someone born in 1997?
They turn 29 on their birthday in 2026.
What happened in 1997?
In 1997, Japan's consumption tax rose to 5%, and Hokkaido Takushoku Bank and Yamaichi Securities collapsed one after the other. Around the world, Hong Kong was returned to China and the Asian financial crisis began.
Dates and events are based on Wikipedia and other references. Summaries and regions are written by the site editors.