History & Politics | Music | Television | Movies | Sports
As Blur would say, "Woohoo!" It’s 1997.
This year brought us a couple of firsts. The US appointed its first female Secretary of State, Dolly the sheep became the first cloned animal, and golf phenom Tiger Woods climbed to No. 1 faster than any of his predecessors.
Unfortunately, 1997 had a bittersweet symphony of life undertone to it. People contracted Mad Cow disease, the arrival of Hale-Bop prompted the Heaven’s Gate cult to commit suicide, and the world mourned the loss of its beloved princess when Diana Spencer is killed in a car crash while trying to flee paparazzi.
Thankfully we had the entertainment industry to cheer us up. TV gave us vampire slayers, a dancing baby and wormhole travel through a ring-shaped device called
a stargate. At the movies we went to our best friend’s wedding, discussed what we did last summer, became kings (and queens) of the world, and got our memories wiped by neuralyzers. … … … What was I saying? Oh yeah, we also witnessed the Full Monty as we boogied the nights away.
And here’s a piece of 1997 advice. … If you’ve got "MmmBob" "Tubthumping" at "3 AM," the "Karma Police" will be coming for you. Also, mo money = mo problems.
• Madeleine Albright is appointed the first ever female Secretary of State in the United States. • Dolly the sheep is introduced to the world as the first fully-cloned complex organism. • An explosion at a nuclear waste facility in Japan injures 35 workers and creates a radioactive cleanup nightmare. • 39 Heaven’s Gate cultists are found dead, having committed suicide based upon their belief that the approaching Hale-Bopp comet would transport their spirits to the afterlife. • Tony Blair is elected as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, replacing John Major. • A bridge connecting Canada’s province of Prince Edward Island to the mainland is finally opened. It measures 13 kilometers and is dubbed the Confederation Bridge. • Hong Kong is no longer ruled by the United Kingdom as China is given control of the powerful economic center. • Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, and her boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed, is killed in a car accident while fleeing paparazzi in Paris. The subsequent investigation would enthrall millions of people and her death would be mourned the world over. • 121 countries sign a treaty banning the production and use of land mines in an attempt to curb the death and casualty toll exacted by these weapons every year. • The Kyoto Protocol, an environmental agreement meant to combat global warming is negotiated in Japan. • Mad Cow Disease, otherwise known as BSE dominates headlines when it is conclusively shown that it can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of infected beef. |
Madeleine Albright appointed 1st female US Secretary of State. Dolly the sheep is cloned. Princess Di is killed in a car accident while fleeing paparazzi. |
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King of the Hill |
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
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Just Shoot Me! |
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Ally McBeal |
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The Simpsons |
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Dharma and Greg |
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The Practice |
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Stargate SG-1 |
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Titanic |
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Men In Black |
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Tomorrow Never Dies |
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Air Force One |
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As Good As It Gets |
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Liar Liar |
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The Full Monty |
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The Lost World: Jurassic Park |
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The Fifth Element |
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Amistad |
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Boogie Nights |
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Good Will Hunting |
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I Know What You Did Last Summer |
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L.A. Confidential |
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The Sweet Hereafter |
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Wag The Dog |
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The Devil’s Advocate |
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My Best Friend’s Wedding |
• Jeff Gordon wins the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship and the Daytona 500 at the tender age of 26. • The Detroit Red Wings win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years, blowing out the Philadelphia Flyers in a 4 game sweep of the final series. • Tiger Woods wins the Masters Tournament and also achieves the number 1 ranking in professional golf faster than any athlete before him. • Mike Tyson achieves even greater notoriety after he is disqualified during a heavyweight title bought with Evander Holyfield for biting off a portion of his opponent’s ear. • The Chicago Bulls do it again, defeating the Utah Jazz to take the NBA title. • The Indy 500 is won by Arie Luyendyk. • The Florida Marlins, a recent expansion team, win the World Series in a 7 game nail biter against the Cleveland Indians. • Jacques Villeneuve takes the Formula 1 driver’s championship after a hotly contested final race of the season. • Silver Charm wins the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but Touch Gold prevails in the Belmont Stakes. • Teenage sensation Martina Hingis is the story of the year in women’s tennis, winning the Australian and U.S. Opens, as well as at Wimbledon. Pete Sampras is once again the men’s Wimbledon champion. • The Green Bay Packers stun the New England Patriots 35 – 21 in Super Bowl XXXI to emerge as the best team in the NFL. |
Mike Tyson takes a bite out of Evander Holyfield’s ear. Tiger Woods wins his first Masters. |