News and Events of 1997

World Events

• Hebron agreement signed; Israel gives up large part of West Bank city of Hebron (Jan. 16). Israeli government approves establishment of Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem, a setback in Middle East peace process (Feb. 26). Background: Middle East Peace Negotiations
  
  
• US, UK, and France agree to freeze Nazis' gold loot (Feb. 3).
  
  
• Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule (June 30).
  
  
• Khmer Rouge hold trial of longtime leader Pol Pot (July 25).
  
  
• Swiss plan first payment to Holocaust victims (Sept. 17).
  
  
• European Union plans to admit six nations (Dec. 13).
  
  

U.S. Events

• US shuttle joins Russian space station (Jan. 17).
  
  
• O. J. Simpson found liable in civil suit (Feb. 5).
  
  
• Heaven's Gate cult members commit mass suicide in California (March 27).
  
  
• US Appeals Court upholds California ban on affirmative action (April 8).
  
  
• Clinton exercises new line-item veto (Aug. 11).
  
  
• Timothy J. McVeigh sentenced to death for Oklahoma City bombing (Aug. 14).
  
  
• Two convicted in New York Trade Center bombing (Nov. 12).
  
  

Economics

US GDP (1998 dollars):   $8,110.90 billion
Federal spending:   $1635.33 billion
Federal debt:   $5498.9 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars):  $37,005
Consumer Price Index:   160.5
Unemployment:   4.9%
Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.32

Sports

Super Bowl

Green Bay d. New England (35-21)

World Series

Florida Marlins d. Cleveland (4-3)

NBA Championship

Chicago d. Utah (4-2)

Stanley Cup

Detroit d. Philadelphia (4-0)

Wimbledon

Women: Martina Hingis d. J. Novotna (2-6 6-3 6-3)
Men: Pete Sampras d. C. Pioline (6-4 6-2 6-4)

Kentucky Derby Champion

Silver Charm

NCAA Basketball Championship

Arizona d. Kentucky (84-79 OT)

NCAA Football Champions

Michigan (AP) (12-0) & Nebraska (ESPN/USA) (13-0)

Entertainment

Events

• The controversial television ratings system debuts on cable stations and broadcast networks. The ratings, TV-Y, TV-G, TV-Y7, TV-PG, TV-14 and TV-M, appear for 15 seconds in the upper left-hand corner of the screen at the beginning of each show, except news and sports programs, which are not rated.
• Titanic crashes into theaters. It is the most expensive film of all time, costing between $250 and $300 million to produce and market.
• Ellen DeGeneres outs herself. She becomes the first openly gay woman to have her own sitcom.
• The Prince of Pop is born to Michael Jackson and wife Debbie Rowe. The child's name is Prince Michael Junior.
• J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone is published in the U.K. It comes to U.S. in 1998 as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Movies

• As Good as It Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting, The Ice Storm, L.A. Confidential, Titanic

Books

• Don DeLillo, Underworld
• Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain
• Rick Moody, Purple America
• Philip Roth, American Pastoral
• Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
• Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Science

• A team led by Drs. Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell (UK) create the first sheep with a human gene in every cell of its body. The genetically engineered lamb is named Dolly.
• Scientists at Oregon Regional Primate Research Center (US) create the first primates —two rhesus monkeys named Neti and Ditto— from DNA taken from cells of developing monkey embryos. Background: Cloning Milestones
• Comet Hale-Bopp is the closest it will be to Earth until 4397 (March 22). Background: comets
• US spacecraft begins exploration of Mars (July 4). Background: US Unstaffed Planetary and Lunar Programs
• US company launches first commercial spy satellite (Dec. 24).

Deaths

• William S. Burroughs
  
  
• Jacques Cousteau
  
  
• Xiaoping Deng
  
  
• John Denver
  
  
• Princess Diana
  
  
• Allen Ginsberg
  
  
• Mother Theresa
  
  
• James A. Michener
  
  
• James Stewart
  
  
• Gianni Versace
  
  
• Dr. Charles B. Huggins
  
  

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