1997 CE

Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. In Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers overrun a military base and kill over 100 Sri Lankan troops. NATO invites the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland to join the alliance in 1999.

In the 1990s, the 20th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

7 January - John Atta Mills is sworn in as Vice President of Ghana.Ghana source
January 19 – Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years, and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city. (→ Hebron Agreement)source
January 23 – Madeleine Albright becomes the first female Secretary of State of the United States, after confirmation by the United States Senate.source
February 2 – 1997 Liechtenstein general election: The Patriotic Union remains the largest party and wins a majority of 13 seats in the Landtag.source
March 21 – In Zaire, Étienne Tshisekedi is appointed prime minister; he ejects supporters of Mobutu Sese Seko from his cabinet.source
April 29 – The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), CWC treaty enters into force.source
May 1 – Tony Blair becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as the Labour Party wins the 1997 United Kingdom general election and returns to government for the first time in 18 years.source
11 May: Burkinabe parliamentary election, 1997Burkina Faso source
May 16 – First Congo War ends when president Mobutu Sese Seko is exiled from Zaire.source
May 23 – Mohammad Khatami wins the 1997 Iranian presidential election and becomes the first Iranian Reformist president.source
28 May – The Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet was signed between Russia and Ukraine.Ukraine source
29 May – Legislative electionsIndonesia source
June 1 – Socialist Party-led Centre-left coalition won the second-round in 1997 French legislative elections, began with the third Cohabitation (1997–2002).source
June 5 – Algerian legislative elections, 1997Algeria source
June 11 – In the United Kingdom, the House of Commons votes for a total ban on handguns.source
June 26 – Bertie Ahern is appointed as the 10th Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland and Mary Harney is appointed as the 16th, and first female, Tánaiste, after their parties, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats respectively, win the 1997 General Election.source
July 1 – The United Kingdom hands sovereignty of the British colony in Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China.source
July 8 – NATO invites the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland to join the alliance in 1999.source
July 9–12: President Glafcos Clerides and his Turkish counterpart Rauf Denktaş held face-to-face talks with each other under U.N. auspices at Troutbeck, New York.Cyprus source
July 25 – K. R. Narayanan is sworn in as India's 10th president and the first member of the Dalit caste to hold this office.source
August 3–11 – Two of the three islands of the Union of the Comoros – Anjouan and Mohéli – attempt to revert to colonial rule by France. The plan fails when the French government of President Jacques Chirac refuses to recolonize them, resulting in the two islands being reintegrated into the Comoros over the next two years.source
August 26 – The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning is set up in Northern Ireland, as part of a peace process.source
September 11 – Scotland votes in favour of a devolved Parliament, forming the Scottish Parliament less than two years later.source
September 15 – The Norwegian parliamentary election is held in Norway.source
September 18 – Wales votes in favour of devolution and the formation of a National Assembly for Wales.source
November 12 – Mary McAleese is elected the eighth President of Ireland in succession to Mary Robinson, the first time in the world that one woman has succeeded another as elected head of state.source
December 3 – In Ottawa (Canada) representatives from 121 countries sign a treaty prohibiting the manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel land mines. However, the United States, the People's Republic of China, Russia, South Korea and 32 other nations do not ratify the treaty.source
December 10 – The capital of Kazakhstan is moved from Almaty to Astana.source
December 11 – The Kyoto Protocol is adopted by a United Nations committee.source
December 19 – Janet Jagan (widow of Cheddi Jagan) takes office in Guyana.source
December 25 - Hussein Mohamed Aidid and Former President Ali Mahdi Mohamed sign a power sharing pact to discuss forming Somalia's first central government for six years in the next two months.Somalia source
A revised version of the Constitution of Eritrea was introduced to the National Assembly.Eritrea source

Conflict & Security

January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.source
January 18 – In northwest Rwanda, Hutu militia members kill 6 Spanish aid workers and three soldiers, and seriously wound another.source
4 February - Five UN Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda (HRFOR) workers are ambushed and killed in southwest Cyangugu Province. The victims included a Briton, Cambodian, and three Rwandans, all of whom were human rights observers of the OHCHR.Rwanda source
February 10 – Sandline affair: Australian newspapers publish stories that the government of Papua New Guinea has brought mercenaries onto Bougainville Island.source
February 28 – North Hollywood shootout: Two robbers, wearing kevlar body armor, and armed with illegally modified Type 56S rifles with high-capacity magazines and other weapons, injure 20 police officers and civilians in a gun battle. The incident sparks debate on the appropriate firepower for United States patrol officers to have available in similar situations in the future.source
February 28 – 1997 Turkish military memorandum: As a result of a meeting held by the National Security Council, the Turkish Armed Forces issues a memorandum to adopt more secular criteria. Later on June 18, the Turkish government resigns because of the pressure.source
March 7 – In Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers overrun a military base and kill over 100 Sri Lankan troops.source
April 22 – A 126-day hostage crisis at the residence of the Japanese ambassador in Lima, Peru.source
April 1997: Five North Korean soldiers cross the Demilitarized Zone in Cheolwon, Gangwon-do, and fire on South Korean positions.North Korea source
13 May – The Sri Lankan Army unleashes Operation Jayasikurui, marking the beginning of a long military campaign which would last for almost 2 years.Sri Lanka source
May 15 – The United States government acknowledges existence of the "Secret War" in Laos (1953–1975) during the Vietnam War, and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans.source
May 17 – Troops of Laurent Kabila march into Kinshasa.source
May 23 – A riot in Banjarmasin, Indonesia breaks out, causing at least 137 deaths.source
May 24 - Opposition warlord Dostum is ousted from his fiefdom in northern Afghanistan by a combined assault of Taliban fighters and followers of Gen. Abdul Malik, who switched sides to the Taliban. The Taliban forces and their new allies capture Kunduz, Baghlan and Samangan provinces, now controlling 26 of the 32 provinces. Dostum flees to Turkey, vowing to continue his struggle. Malik promises a strict Islamic regime in the northern areas under his control, centred on Mazari Sharif, which was the last major city to hold out against the Taliban. On May 25 Pakistan becomes the first country to recognize the Taliban government. On May 28, however, Malik turns against the Taliban again, and the Taliban are driven out of Mazari Sharif in a bloody battle in which several thousand of them are taken captive.Afghanistan source
May 25 – A military coup in Sierra Leone replaces President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koroma.source
July 5 – The Egyptian Islamic Group announces a cessation-of-violence initiative.source
July 5 – In Cambodia, Hun Sen of the Cambodian People's Party overthrows Norodom Ranariddh in a coup.source
September 5–6 – Beni-Messous massacreAlgeria source
September 18 – Al-Qaeda carries out a terrorist attack in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.source
September 21 – The Islamic Salvation Army, the Islamic Salvation Fronts' armed wing, declares a unilateral ceasefire in Algeria.source
October 1 – Luke Woodham walks into Pearl High School in Pearl, Mississippi and opens fire, killing two girls, after killing his mother earlier that morning.source
October 3 – The President of Paraguay, Juan Carlos Wasmosy, orders the arrest of political opponent Lino Oviedo.source
11 October–19 October – The Southeast Asian Games take place in Jakarta.Indonesia source
October 17 – The remains of Che Guevara are laid to rest with full military honours in a specially built mausoleum in the city of Santa Clara, Cuba, where he had won the decisive battle of the Cuban Revolution 39 years before.source
October 29 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq says it will begin shooting down Lockheed U-2 surveillance planes being used by UNSCOM inspectors.source
14 November – Iraq expels 6 American weapon inspectors, and the UN orders inspectors from other nationalities to leave the country.Iraq source
December 1 – In the Indian state of Bihar, Ranvir Sena attacks the CPI(ML) Party Unity stronghold Lakshmanpur-Bathe, killing 63 lower caste peoplesource
December 21 – Brazil beats Australia 6–0 in the FIFA Confederations Cup final.source
Khaled Mashal assassination attemptJordan source

Exploration & Expansion

20 March – The first shipment of food and other commodities is delivered to Iraq as part of phase 1of the Oil-for-Food Programme.Iraq source
21 April – The 47th Vuelta a Colombia begins in Bucaramanga, Santander.Colombia source
April - A flight delivering 105 Muslim pilgrims from Libya to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia causes diplomatic backlash, as it violates a ban on international Libyan flights in place since 1992.Libya source
16 May – Yaşar Kemal won Peace Prize of the German Book TradeTurkey source
23 May – M. Magendran (11.55 am) and N. Mohanadas (12.10 pm) were the first Malaysians to reach the peak of Mount Everest.Malaysia source
17 November – The Ayer Rajah Expressway extension to Tuas is officially opened, formed by the expansion of Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim into an expressway. The route will cater for the opening of the Second Link in 1998.Singapore source
26 November – Pakistan's first motorway linking Islamabad to Lahore is opened.Pakistan source
The Bangladesh national cricket team toured New Zealand in November and December 1997 and played four first-class and four List A matches against teams representing the northern, central and southern regions of New Zealand. Bangladesh had been playing List A matches since 1986, but the four first-class matches on this tour were the first first-class matches played by any Bangladeshi team. However, Bangladesh team was not competitive in the longer version of the game against the stronger NZ regional teams.Bangladesh source

Religion & Belief

March 13 – India's Missionaries of Charity chooses Sister Nirmala, to succeed Mother Teresa as its leader.source
April 23 – Thirty-one branches of Monte de Piedad, the Asia's oldest thrift bank formerly owned by the Archdiocese of Manila, go on "bank holiday" after being declared insolvent by the BSP. Church officials, including Cardinal and archbishop Sin, have been accused of causing the collapse of the bank. The bank reopens on May 8 under the Singaporean conglomerate Keppel Group.Philippines source
8 June – Queen Jadwiga of Poland was canonized by Pope John Paul II in Kraków.Poland source
1 July – Luxembourg assumes the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the following six months.Luxembourg source
September 6 – The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, takes place at Westminster Abbey, London, UK, watched by over two billion people worldwide.source
October 26 - The Taliban change the name of the country to Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, underlining the importance of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who is known as amir al-momineen (Leader of the Faithful), although his constitutional position remains unclear. Although controlling about two-thirds of the country, the Taliban have only been recognized by three countries - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates - as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. Afghanistan's seat in the UN is occupied by representatives of the administration of Burhanuddin Rabbani that has been ousted from Kabul 13 months ago, while the Organization of the Islamic Conference declared Afghanistan's seat vacant.Afghanistan source
Muktijoddha Sangsad KC won 1997–98 Dhaka Premier Division League title while Mohammedan SC became runner-up.Bangladesh source
The Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, the third-largest mosque in Latin America, completes construction in Maicao, La Guajira.Colombia source
The Synod of the Evangelical Church of Gabon was formed.Gabon source
The Al-Aqsa Islamic Bank was established.Palestine source

Economy & Finance

March 4 – U.S. President Bill Clinton bans federal funding for any research on human cloning.source
17 May – The Compagnie Grand-Ducale d'Électricité du Luxembourg is renamed 'Cegedel'.Luxembourg source
May 26 and June 4 – President Ramos declares a state of calamity in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal and Zambales due to the impact of Tropical Depression Bining.Philippines source
July 2 – The Bank of Thailand floats the baht, triggering the Asian financial crisis.source
2 July – the Bank of Thailand floats the baht, leading to rapid devaluationThailand source
July 17 – The F. W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years in business.source
21 July – Economic crisis in Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) Composite Index fell below 200 points.Malaysia source
date unknown - La Voz del Interior, the leading daily newspaper of Córdoba, is acquired by the Clarín Group.Argentina source
8 December – ST Engineering was created from a merger of four companies, namely ST Aerospace, ST Electronics, ST Kinetics and ST Marine. The merger was announced earlier on 28 August.Singapore source
December 19 – James Cameron's Titanic is released in theaters in the United States. It will become the fourth highest-grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation).source
Bangladesh participated in 1997 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup held in Nepal, where they exited in the group stage.Bangladesh source
Convergence was founded as a "national political grouping".Mexico source

Technology & Infrastructure

January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.source
15 January – The proceeds of the first Iraqi sale of oil are deposited at a special UN account as part of the Oil-for-Food Programme.Iraq source
1 February – The Poznań Fast Tram was opened.Poland source
May 11 – IBM's Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, the first time a computer beats a chess World champion in a match.source
May 21 – Radiohead releases OK Computersource
May 31 – The 13-kilometer Confederation Bridge, the world's longest bridge spanning ice-covered waters, opens between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, Canada.source
May: National television channel TCV was establishedCape Verde source
August 13 – Trey Parker and Matt Stone's animated television comedy series, South Park, started broadcasting with the first episode, Cartman Gets an Anal Probe, on Comedy Central.source
August 29 – Netflix, Inc. is founded as a DVD-by-mail rental service.source
October 16 – The first color photograph appears on the front page of The New York Times.source
1 November – Thai Sky TV Station Broadcasting ceased at 6:00 AM.Thailand source
November 9 – BBC News 24 has launched a new channel at 5:30pm, after the final closedown with the last national anthem of God Save the Queen, which occurred at approximately 2:57am for BBC One, following the death of Lady Diana Spencer.source
November 11 – Telecom companies WorldCom and MCI Communications announce a US$37 billion merger to form MCI WorldCom, the largest merger in U.S. history.source
1 December – The Palestinian Information Center news website is established in Arabic.Palestine source
30 December – The Antonio Escobar Camargo bridge between Zambrano, Bolívar and Plato, Magdalena, the longest viaduct in the country, opens.Colombia source
Abahani Ltd. won the title of Bangladesh Federation Cup while Arambagh KS became runner-up.Bangladesh source
Ukrainian Processing Center is founded.Ukraine source

Science & Discovery

January 17 – A Delta II rocket carrying a military GPS payload explodes, shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral.source
February 13 – STS-82: Tune-up and repair work on the Hubble Space Telescope is started by astronauts from the Space Shuttle Discovery.source
March 22 – The Comet Hale–Bopp makes its closest approach to Earth.source
April 21 – A Pegasus rocket carries the remains of 24 people into earth orbit, in the first space burial by Celestis company.source
June 25 – An uncrewed spacecraft Progress M-34 collides with the Russian space station Mir.source
July 4 – NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.source
July 10 – In London, scientists report their DNA analysis findings from a Neanderthal skeleton, which support the out of Africa theory of human evolution, placing an "African Eve" at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.source
15 September – Singapore Airlines launches KrisWorld, the world's first airline to have an inflight system.Singapore source
9 October – Luxair places an order for two Embraer ERJ 145 regional jets following the airline's decision to create an all-jet fleet.Luxembourg source
October 15 – NASA launches the Cassini–Huygens probe to Saturn.source
October 15 – Andy Green sets the first supersonic land speed record for the ThrustSSC team, led by Richard Noble of the UK. ThrustSSC goes through the flying mile course at Black Rock Desert, Nevada at an average speed of 1,227.985 km/h (763.035 mph).source
November 27 – NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is launched, the start of the satellite component of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System.source
December – An episode of Batibot, a production being aired over GMA-7, on "Child of Labor: Sugarcane Workers" wins the UNICEF Prize from the 24th Japan Prize International Educational Program Contest; the prize is received at awarding ceremonies held in Tokyo.Philippines source
The third and final SAARC Quadrangular was held in Dhaka in February 1997. The Pakistan 'A' team, led by Asif Mujtaba, won the trophy after beating India 'A' in a rain affected final. Bangladesh could not win any matches in this tournament.Bangladesh source
China at the 1997 East Asian GamesChina source
Lorentz National Park established.Indonesia source
Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth (1997)Mexico source
Viagem ao Principio do Mundo (Voyage to the Beginning of the World) by Manoel de Oliveira.Portugal source

Health & Medicine

January 3 – The Bureau of Immigration adopts a policy against foreigners with unauthorized stay in the country, by virtue of the Alien Social Integration Act.Philippines source
January 26 – VJTI changes its name from Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute to Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute in Mumbai.source
11 February – 800,000 workers, many in the public sector, participate in a walk out over President Ernesto Samper's economic policies of austerity and privatization.Colombia source
15 February – The Toa Payoh Hospital and Changi Hospital are closed and merged into New Changi Hospital.Singapore source
March 24 – The 69th Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, are held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, with The English Patient winning Best Picture. During the event, the DVD format is launched in the United States.source
May 8 – The Japanese Diet passes the Ainu Culture Law and repeals the Ainu Protection Act.Japan source
May 16 – U.S. President Bill Clinton issues a formal apology to the surviving victims of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male and their families.source
3 August – A state of emergency was imposed in Kuching, Sarawak after the Air Pollution Index reached "extreme".Malaysia source
September 1 – Dublin Regulation on treatment of applications for right of asylum under European Union law first comes into force.source
September 29 - The Taliban arrest European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Emma Bonino, EU delegates, and journalists for taking pictures in a women's hospital in Kabul. They are released the same day.Afghanistan source
October 2 – British scientists Moira Bruce and John Collinge, with their colleagues, independently show that the new variant form of the Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease is the same disease as Bovine spongiform encephalopathy.source
16 October – The Iraqi national census is conducted, estimating the population of Iraq at 22,046,000.Iraq source
November 2 – Severe Tropical Storm Linda devastates southern Vietnam and Thailand, killing 3,275 people.source
November 19 – In Des Moines, Iowa, Bobbi McCaughey gives birth to septuplets in the second known case where all seven babies are born alive, and the first in which all survive infancy.source
December 15 – Microsoft releases Windows 98 Beta 3.source
December 16 – In Japan, over 700 children suffer photosensitive epilepsy attacks after watching an episode of the Pokémon anime.source
December 22 - After the floods, aid agencies in Somalia get concerned over the risk of cholera.Somalia source
December 29 – Hong Kong begins to kill all the chickens within its territory (1.25 million) to stop the spread of a potentially deadly Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 strain.source

Crime & Justice

January 16 – Murder of Ennis Cosby: Near Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, Bill Cosby's son Ennis is shot in the head in a failed robbery attempt.source
January–August - At least 6,000 people, most of whom civilians and returnees from the Great Lakes refugee crisis, are reported to have been killed by militants across the country.Rwanda source
March 16 – Sandline affair: On Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea, soldiers of commander Jerry Singirok arrest Tim Spicer and his mercenaries of the Sandline International.source
April 14 – Former SS Captain Erich Priebke is retried; on July 22 he is sentenced to fifteen years in prison.source
29 May – Dedi Omar Hamdun, a businessman and politician from United Development Party, and husband of Eva Arnaz, was kidnapped during legislative elections along with his driver, Noval Alkatiri and business colleague, Ismail.Indonesia source
June 2 – In Denver, Colorado, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.source
June 10 – Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot orders the killing of his defense chief, Son Sen, and 11 of Sen's family members, before Pol Pot flees his northern stronghold.source
June 13 – A jury sentences Timothy McVeigh to death for his part in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.source
June 14 – 60 soldiers kidnapped by the Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC-EP) in the 1996 attack on Las Delicias military nine months earlier are released through the Colombian Red Cross and the Catholic Church Cartagena del Chairá, Caquetá.Colombia source
July 13 – The remains of Che Guevara are returned to Cuba for burial, alongside some of his comrades. Guevara and his comrades were executed on October 9 1967 in Bolivia.source
July 15 – Spree killer Andrew Cunanan shoots fashion designer Gianni Versace dead outside Versace's Miami Beach residence.source
September 20 - Over 70 aid workers and dependants evacuate Mazari Sharif after their premises are ransacked and looted.Afghanistan source
3 October - Ghana Bar Association (GBA) re-elects Mr. Sam Okudzeto as its national president at a conference in Ho in the Volta region.Ghana source
October 22 – Danish escaped criminal Steen Christensen robs the Hotel Palace in Helsinki, Finland, killing two police officers while evading capture.source
November 13 – Ramzi Yousef is found guilty of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.source
13 November – Nawaz Sharif promises US president Bill Clinton he will find those responsible for the killing of four US businessmen and their Pakistani driver.Pakistan source
An ancient Greek statuette of Terpsichore is discovered during illegal excavations in Dodona, which is then later smuggled out of the country.Greece source
Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari was in the 1997 Arab Club Champions Cup.Palestine source

Disasters & Accidents

February 4 – On their way to Lebanon, two Israeli troop-transport helicopters collide, killing all 73 on board.source
4 February – 1997 Israeli helicopter disaster: Two IAF troop-transport CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters collide in darkness near the remote She'ar Yashuv kibbutz, in northern Israel, killing 77 IDF soldiers.Israel source
March 18 – The tail of a Russian An-24 charter plane breaks off while en route to Turkey, causing the plane to crash, killing all 50 on board, and resulting in the grounding of all An-24s.source
March 24–26 – In San Diego, 39 Heaven's Gate cultists commit mass suicide at their compound.source
April 14 – Fire breaks out in a pilgrim camp on the Plain of Mena, 11 km from Mecca; 343 die.source
July 11 – Royal Jomtien Resort Hotel fire at Pattaya, Thailand's worst hotel fire, kills 90.source
August 6 – Korean Air Flight 801 crash lands west of Guam International Airport, resulting in the deaths of 228 people.source
13 September – A German Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M observation aircraft and a United States Air Force C-141B Starlifter transport aircraft were destroyed in a mid-air collision off the coast of the country.Namibia source
September 21 – St. Olaf's Church, a stone church from the 16th century in Tyrvää, Finland, is burnt down.source
September 22 – Two overloaded PNR Metro trains collide, causing a train coach to hit into a squatter area in Muntinlupa, killing nine people and injuring more than 200 in one of the country's worst railway accidents. —"Philippines: 6 reported dead after 2 commuter trains crash" AP Archive. 09-22-1997. Retrieved 02-18-2022.Philippines source
September 26 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 crashes while on approach to Medan, North Sumatra, during the 1997 Southeast Asian haze, killing all 234 people on board. This becomes the deadliest aviation accident in Indonesian history.source
27 September – Twenty-nine crewmen were missing, some people trapped in an Indian Vikraman cargo ship when it ship collided with a Caribbean Mount 1 supertanker in the Strait of Malacca near Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.Malaysia source
8 October - Ghana marks World Disaster Day.Ghana source
October 10 – Uruguay's worst air disaster occurs when Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 2553 crashes near Nuevo Berlín, killing all 74 on board.source
25 October – Bus accident in Konya Province 49 deathsTurkey source
December 19 – SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into the Musi River, near Palembang in Indonesia, killing 104.source
19 December – SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into the Musi River near Palembang in South Sumatra killing all 104 people on board.Indonesia source
19 December – SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into Musi River near Palembang, Sumatra, killing all 104 people on board.Singapore source

Climate & Environment

February 4 – A magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes North Khorasan province, Iran, killing 88 people and injuring 1,948.source
April 18 – The Red River of the North breaks through dikes and floods Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, causing US$2 billion in damage.source
May 10 – The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes eastern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). At least 1,567 were killed and 2,300 were injured.source
May 12 – An F1-rated tornado strikes downtown Miami, causing $525,000 in damages. Pictures and videos of this tornado made news headlines around the world.source
May 27 – The fourth-deadliest tornado of the 1990s hits in Jarrell, Texas, killing 27 people and causing extreme damage in the Double Creek Estates.source
June 1–7: Tropical Storm Andres (1997)Mexico source
June 25 – A massive eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat leads to evacuation and eventual abandonment of the capital, Plymouth.source
6 July – 1997 Central European flood: Flooding began in Poland in the towns of Głuchołazy and Prudnik.Poland source
July – The 1997 Central European flood occurs across Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.source
18 September – The haze came to Singapore, which caused the Pollutant Standards Index to reach a record of 226 then (since surpassed by 401 during the June 2013 haze).Singapore source
September 26 – An earthquake strikes the Italian regions of Umbria and Marche, causing part of the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi to collapse.source
September – Forest fires break out due to a prolonged drought and last into 1998.Indonesia source
November 5 - The Red Cross aids the victims of the Somali flood.Somalia source
Late November – President Ramos declares a state of calamity over Metro Manila and Bulacan due to water shortage caused by the El Niño; and approves the imposition of water rationing in these areas, along with Cavite and Rizal, effective December 1.Philippines source
Sultan of Kelantan: Sultan Ismail PetraMalaysia source
26–27 February – A warm spell causes temperatures to rise to record levels, with weather stations in Aveiro and Viana do Castelo each observing a high 25°C on 26 and 27 February respectively, Portugal's highest ever winter temperatures.Portugal source

Culture & Society

6 March - 40th independence anniversary held.Ghana source
March 18: Cesária Évora's album Cabo Verde releasedCape Verde source
23 May – Manusela National Park establishedIndonesia source
June 21 – The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) plays its first game at The Great Western Forum in Los Angeles.source
June 26 – Publication of J. K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in London by Bloomsbury Publishing, in an edition of 500 copies.source
June – Inder Kumar Gujral, Prime Minister of India visits Nepal.Nepal source
September 5 – The International Olympic Committee picks Athens, Greece, to be the host city for the 2004 Summer Olympics.source
September 5 – The International Olympic Committee awards the 2004 Summer Olympics to the birthplace Athens (Greece). Athens beating Rome in the fifth and final round of votes 66 to 41.Greece source
September 27 – The sports-fused entertainment TV program SASUKE started on TBS in Japan.source
Television series, Melangkah di Atas Awan was aired by Indonesian private television station, Indosiar. It was a final TV series of Ryan Hidayat, who died on 8 February 1997, before the TV series was broadcast.source
November 18 - Metallica released the album Reload internationally.source
15 December – The Monument to the Heroes of Warsaw was placed on a new pedestal in Warsaw.Poland source
1997 Jordanian general electionJordan source
6 to 14 September – The 1997 Men's European Volleyball Championship was held in the Netherlands, in the two cities of Den Bosch and Eindhoven.Netherlands source

Births

23 February: Márcio Rosa, footballerCape Verde source
3 June – Mutiara Baswedan, lawyer, educator, and modelIndonesia source
27 July – Alaa Abbas Abdulnabi, Iraqi footballerIraq source
September 19 – Zoi Kontogianni, rhythmic gymnastGreece source

Deaths

17 January - Susanna Al-Hassan, politician and writer, Ghana's first female parliamentary minister (born 1927)Ghana source
February 19 – Deng Xiaoping, 92, Chinese politician leader of the People's Republic of China, complications of lung infections.source
March 9 – American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. is murdered in Los Angeles.source
April 5 – Allen Ginsberg, 70, American poet and writer, liver cancer.source
July 1 – Robert Mitchum, 79, American actor (The Story of G.I. Joe, Cape Fear, The Night of the Hunter), complications from lung cancer and emphysema.source
July 2 – James Stewart, 89, American actor (It's a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Vertigo), Oscar winner (1941), heart attack as a result of pulmonary embolism.source
July 25 – Ben Hogan, 84, American golf champion.source
August 4 – Jeanne Calment, the verified oldest person to have ever lived, dies at 122 years and 164 days.source
August 31 – Death of Diana, Princess of Wales: Diana, Princess of Wales, is taken to a hospital after a car accident shortly after midnight, in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris. She is pronounced dead at 4:00 am.source
August 31 – Diana, Princess of Wales, 36, British royal and ex-wife of future King Charles III, and activist.source
September 5 – Mother Teresa, 87, Albanian missionary and humanitarian, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, heart failure.source
September 7 – Mobutu Sese Seko, 66, Congolese politician and president of Zaire, prostate cancer.source
11 September – Matrika Prasad KoiralaNepal source
September 17 – Red Skelton, 84, American comedian (The Red Skelton Show), pneumonia.source
November 14 - Another 125 people are reported to have died during the Somali flood.Somalia source
November 17 – In Luxor, Egypt, 62 people are killed by 6 Islamic militants outside the Temple of Hatshepsut.source
December 27 – Ulster loyalist paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated inside Long Kesh prison in Northern Ireland.source
Oksana Ivanenko, children's writer and translator (17 December)Ukraine source