January 16
January 16
Bill Cosby’s son murdered along CA interstate
On January 16, 1997, disgraced comedian and TV star Bill Cosby’s 27‑year‑old son Ennis Cosby is murdered after he stops to fix a flat tire along California’s Interstate 405 in…
A Year In History: 1997
This Year in History:
1997
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 17
January 17
Ireland grants a divorce for the first time in the country’s history
The Republic of Ireland legally grants a divorce for the first time following a 1995 referendum. The first divorce in Ireland, granted to a terminally ill man who wished to…
January 23
January 23
Madeleine Albright becomes first female secretary of state
The day after her unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Madeleine Albright is sworn in as America’s first female secretary of state by Vice President Al Gore at the White…
January 28
January 28
Afrikaner police admit to killing Stephen Biko
In South Africa, four apartheid‑era police officers, appearing before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, admit to the 1977 killing of Stephen Biko, a leader of the South African “Black consciousness”…
February 20
February 20
Kramer on “Seinfeld” adopts a highway
An episode of the hit TV sitcom “Seinfeld” titled “The Pothole” airs for the first time on February 20, 1997; it includes a story line in which the character Kramer…
March 9
March 9
Rapper Notorious B.I.G. is killed in Los Angeles
Christopher Wallace, a.k.a Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G., is shot to death at a stoplight in Los Angeles. The murder was thought to be the culmination of an ongoing…
March 10
March 10
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” premieres on the WB
On March 10, 1997, the fledgling Warner Brothers (WB) television network airs the inaugural episode of what will become its first bona‑fide hit show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy‘s creator, Joss…
March 11
March 11
Paul McCartney knighted
On March 11, 1997, Paul McCartney, a former member of the most successful rock band in history, The Beatles, is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his “services to music.”…
March 26
March 26
Heaven’s Gate cult members found dead
Following an anonymous tip, police enter a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, an exclusive suburb of San Diego, California, and discover 39 victims of a mass suicide. The deceased—21 women…
April 13
April 13
Tiger Woods wins the Masters Tournament for the first time
On April 13, 1997, 21‑year‑old Tiger Woods wins the prestigious Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes in Augusta, Georgia. It was Woods’ first victory in one of golf’s four…
April 15
April 15
MLB retires Jackie Robinson’s number
On April 15, 1997, the 50 anniversary of his first Major League Baseball game, the league retires Jackie Robinson’s number, 42. Robinson, whose breaking of the “color barrier” in 1947…
April 22
April 22
Peruvian President Fujimori orders assault on Japanese ambassador’s home
In Lima, Peru, Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori orders a commando assault on the Japanese ambassador’s home, hoping to free 72 hostages held for more than four months by armed members…
April 27
April 27
Andrew Cunanan begins his killing spree
Andrew Cunanan kills Jeffrey Trail by beating him to death with a claw hammer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Trail’s murder set Cunanan off on a nationwide killing spree that ended in…
April 30
April 30
Controversial “coming out” episode of “Ellen” airs
On April 30, 1997, in a widely publicized episode of the ABC sitcom Ellen, TV character Ellen Morgan (played by Ellen DeGeneres) announces that she is gay. DeGeneres, a former…
April 30
April 30
Big Ben clock stops at 12:11 pm for 54 minutes
On April 30, 1997, at exactly 12:11 pm, London’s iconic Big Ben clock stops ticking. For 54 minutes, the most famous clock in the world failed to keep time. Completed…
May 1
May 1
Labour Party returns to power in Britain
After 18 years of Conservative rule, British voters give the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair, a landslide victory in British parliamentary elections. In the poorest Conservative Party showing since…
May 9
May 9
Andrew Cunanan continues murder spree
The body of William Reese, 45, a cemetery caretaker, is found in rural Pennsville, New Jersey, on May 9, 1997. He had been shot in the head with a Golden…
May 11
May 11
Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess match
On May 11, 1997, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov resigns after 19 moves in a game against Deep Blue, a chess‑playing computer developed by scientists at IBM. This was the sixth…
May 19
May 19
Avian flu kills young boy
A three‑year‑old boy dies of avian influenza in Hong Kong on May 19, 1997. By the time the outbreak was controlled, six people were dead and 1.6 million domestic fowl…
May 30
May 30
Jonathan Levin is tortured and killed by his former student
Jonathan Levin, a popular 31‑year‑old English teacher, is stabbed and shot to death in his Upper West Side apartment in New York City. The son of Time Warner chairman Gerald…
