1997 In The United States on:
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Events from the year 1997 in the United States.
*July 2 – ''Men in Black (1997 film), Men in Black'' is released in theaters.
*July 4 – NASA's Mars Pathfinder, ''Pathfinder'' space probe lands on the surface of Mars.
*July 15 – Spree killer Andrew Cunanan shoots fashion designer Gianni Versace to death outside Versace's Miami Beach, Florida, residence.
* July 16 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 63.17 to close at 8,038.88. It is the Dow's Closing milestones of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, first close above 8,000. The Dow has doubled its value in 30 months.
* July 18 – The first Speedway LLC, Speedway gas station opens in Ohio.
* July 21 – The fully restored (aka "Old Ironsides") celebrates her 200th birthday by setting sail for the first time in 116 years.
* July 23 – Digital Equipment Corporation files antitrust charges against chipmaker Intel.
* November – The unemployment rate drops to 4.6%, the lowest since October 1973.
* November 10
**Telecom companies WorldCom and MCI Communications announce a US$37 billion merger to form MCI WorldCom (the largest merger in U.S. history).
**A Fairfax, Virginia, jury finds Mir Qazi guilty of murdering two CIA employees in 1993.
* November 12 – Ramzi Yousef is found guilty of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* November 14 – Mary Kay Letourneau is sentenced to six months imprisonment in Washington (state), Washington after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape. Letourneau gave birth to her victims' child and the leniency of her sentence was widely criticized.
* November 19 – In Des Moines, Iowa, Bobbi McCaughey gives birth to McCaughey septuplets, septuplets in the second known case where all seven babies are born alive, and the first in which all survive infancy.
* 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.
* January 1 – Townes Van Zandt, American Country-folk music singer-songwriter (b. 1944 in the United States, 1944)
* January 4 – Harry Helmsley, American real estate mogul (b. 1909)
* January 5 – Burton Lane, American composer and lyricist (b. 1912)
* January 6 – Catherine Scorsese, Italian-American actress (b. 1912)
* January 8 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist (b. 1911 in the United States, 1911)
* January 9
** Jesse White (actor), Jesse White, American actor (b. 1917)
** Ellen Griffin Dunne, American actress and activist (b. 1932)
* January 10 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
* January 11 – Carol Habben, American baseball player (b. 1933)
* January 12 – Charles Brenton Huggins, Canadian-born cancer researcher (b. 1901)
* January 17 – Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer (b. 1906)
* January 18 – Paul Tsongas, American politician (b. 1941)
* January 19
** James Dickey, American poet and novelist (b. 1923)
** Adriana Caselotti, American actress (b. 1916)
* January 20 – Curt Flood, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1938 in the United States, 1938)
* January 23 – Richard Berry (musician), Richard Berry, American singer and composer (b. 1935)
* January 24 – Dr. Jerry Graham, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1921 in the United States, 1921)
* January 25 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer (b. 1904)
* January 26 – Laurence Stoddard, American rower (b. 1903)
* January 30 – Charles Hargens, American painter. (b. 1893)
* January 31 – Johnny Klein, American drummer (b. 1918)
* February 1
** Herb Caen, American newspaper columnist (b. 1916)
** Marjorie Reynolds, American actress (b. 1917)
* February 5 – Pamela Harriman, American diplomat (b. 1920)
* February 7 – Owen Aspinall, 45th Governor of American Samoa (b. 1927)
* February 8 –
* April 5 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)
* April 8 – Laura Nyro, American singer and composer (b. 1947)
* April 10 – Michael Dorris, American author (b. 1945)
* April 12 – George Wald, American scientist (b. 1906)
* April 13 – Dorothy Frooks, American author, military figure and actress. (b. 1896)
* April 15
** Don Bexley, American actor and comedian (b. 1910)
** Mildred Cleghorn, Chairwoman of the Fort Sill Apache tribe (b. 1910)
* April 16 –
* June 2 – Helen Jacobs, American tennis champion (b. 1908)
* June 3 – Dennis James, American game show host (b. 1917)
* June 6 – Magda Gabor, American actress (b. 1915)
* June 8 – Reid Shelton, American actor (b. 1924)
* June 14 – Richard Jaeckel, American actor (b. 1926)
* June 23
** Betty Shabazz, American educator and activist (b. 1936)
** William Slater Brown, American novelist, biographer and translator (b. 1896)
* June 24
** Don Hutson, American football player (b. 1913)
** Brian Keith, American actor (b. 1921)
* June 26 – Israel Kamakawiwoole, Hawaiian singer (b. 1959)
* June 29 – William Hickey (actor), William Hickey, American actor (b. 1927)
* July 1
** Robert Mitchum, American actor (b. 1917 in the United States, 1917)
** Charles Werner, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
* July 2 – James Stewart, American actor and soldier (b. 1908 in the United States, 1908)
* July 4 – Charles Kuralt, American reporter and television journalist (b. 1934)
* July 5 – Mrs. Miller, American singer (b. 1907)
* July 13 – Alexandra Danilova, Russian-American ballerina and dance instructor (b. 1903)
* July 15 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer (b. 1946)
* July 18 – Eugene Merle Shoemaker, American astronomer (b. 1928)
* July 23 – Andrew Cunanan, American serial killer (b. 1969)
* July 24
** William J. Brennan Jr., American Supreme Court Justice (b. 1906)
** Frank Parker (tennis), Frank Parker, American tennis champion (b. 1916)
* July 25 – Ben Hogan, American golf champion (b. 1912)
* July 27 – K'tut Tantri, American broadcaster and hotelier, (b. 1899)
* August 2 – William S. Burroughs, American writer and artist (b. 1914 in the United States, 1914)
* August 10 – Conlon Nancarrow, American-born composer (b. 1912)
* August 12 – Luther Allison, American musician (b. 1939)
* August 18
** Harry R. Wellman, American university president (b. 1899)
** Jimmy Witherspoon, American musician (b. 1920)
* August 25 – Carl Richard Jacobi, American journalist and author (b. 1908)
* August 27
** Sally Blane, American actress (b. 1910)
** Brandon Tartikoff, American television executive (b. 1949)
* September 2 – Rudolf Bing, Austrian-born British opera manager (b. 1902)
* September 7 – Elisabeth Brooks, Canadian actress (b. 1951)
* September 8 – Helen Shaw (actress), Helen Shaw, American actress (b. 1897)
* September 9
** Richie Ashburn, American baseball player and broadcaster (b. 1927)
** Burgess Meredith, American actor (b. 1907 in the United States, 1907)
* September 13 – Victor Szebehely, Hungarian-American astronomer (b. 1921)
* September 17 – Red Skelton, American comedian (b. 1913)
* September 18 – Jimmy Witherspoon, American blues singer (b. 1920)
* September 19 – Rich Mullins, American Christian musician (b. 1955)
* September 23
** Shirley Clarke, American filmmaker (b. 1919)
** Wilbur R. Ingalls, Jr., American architect (b. 1923)
* September 26 – Dorothy Kingsley, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1909)
* September 27 – Adriana Marines, American murder victim (b. 1991 in the United States, 1991)
* September 29 – Roy Lichtenstein, American artist (b. 1923)
* October 1 – Jerome H. Lemelson, American inventor (b. 1923)
* October 5
** Brian Pillman, American professional wrestler (b. 1962)
** Arthur Tracy, American singer (b. 1899)
* October 6 – Johnny Vander Meer, American baseball player (b. 1914)
* October 9 – Arch Johnson, American actor (b. 1922)
* October 12 – John Denver, American musician (b. 1943)
* October 14 – Harold Robbins, American writer (b. 1916)
* October 16
** Audra Lindley, American actress (b. 1918)
** James A. Michener, American writer (b. 1907)
* October 19 – Glen Buxton, American guitarist (b. 1947)
* October 21 – Dolph Camilli, American baseball player (b. 1907)
* October 23 – Claire Falkenstein, American sculptor, painter, printmaker, jewelry designer and teacher (b. 1908)
* October 24 – Don Messick, American voice actor (b. 1926)
* October 28 – Paul Jarrico, American screenwriter (b. 1915)
* October 29
** Andreas Gerasimos Michalitsianos, American astrophysicist (b. 1947)
** Anton Szandor LaVey, American author and Satanist (b. 1930)
* October 30 – Samuel Fuller, American screenwriter and director (b. 1912)
* November 1 – Victor Mills, American chemical engineer (b. 1897)
* November 11 – Rod Milburn, American athlete (b. 1950)
* November 13 – Dawud M. Mu'Min, murderer (b. 1953 in the United States, 1953)
* November 22 – Joanna Moore, American actress (b. 1934)
* November 23 – Hulda Crooks, American mountaineer (b. 1896)
* November 30 – Kathy Acker, American author (b. 1947)
* December 2 – Michael Hedges, American composer and guitarist (b. 1953)
* December 14 – Stubby Kaye, American actor (b. 1918)
* December 16
** Lillian Disney, American artist (b. 1899)
** Nicolette Larson, American pop singer (b. 1952)
** Thomas J. Parmley, American academic (b. 1897)
* December 18 – Chris Farley, American actor and comedian (b. 1964)
* December 19
** David Schramm (astrophysicist), David Schramm, American astrophysicist (b. 1945)
** Jimmy Rogers, American musician (b. 1924)
* December 20 – Denise Levertov, English-born American poet (b. 1923)
* December 21 – Amie Comeaux, American country singer (b. 1976)
* December 23 – Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (b. 1908)
* December 25 – Denver Pyle, American actor (b. 1920)
* December 31
** Billie Dove, American actress (b. 1903)
** Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, American socialite (b. 1958)
Incumbents
Federal government
*President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
: Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
( D-Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
)
* Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
: Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
( D-Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
)
* Chief Justice: William Rehnquist
William Hubbs Rehnquist ( ; October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American attorney and jurist who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for 33 years, first as an associate justice from 1972 to 1986 and then as the 16th chief justice from ...
(Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
)
* Speaker of the House of Representatives: Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...
( R-Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
)
* Senate Majority Leader
The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as the chief spokespersons for their respective political parties holding t ...
: Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott Sr. (born October 9, 1941) is an American lawyer, author, and politician. A former United States Senator from Mississippi, Lott served in numerous leadership positions in both the United States House of Representatives and the ...
( R-Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
)
* Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
: 104th (until January 3), 105th (starting January 3)
Events
January
* January 17 – ADelta II
Delta II was an expendable launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. Delta II vehicles included the Delta 6000, and the two later Delta 7000 va ...
rocket carrying a military GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
payload explodes shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral
, image = cape canaveral.jpg
, image_size = 300
, caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991
, map = Florida#USA
, map_width = 300
, type =Cape
, map_caption = Location in Florida
, location ...
.
* January 20 – President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
and Vice President Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
begin their second term.
* January 26 – Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
: The Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
win the NFL Championship
Throughout its history, the National Football League (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national c ...
for the first time since 1967, defeating the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
35–21 at the Louisiana Superdome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
in New Orleans
New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
.
February
* February 4 –State of the Union Address
The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current conditio ...
.
* February 5 – A Santa Monica jury finds former football legend O. J. Simpson liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown
Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the ex-wife of the former professional American football player, O. J. Simpson, to whom she was married from 1985 to 1992. She was the mother of their two children, Sydney a ...
and Ron Goldman
Ronald Lyle Goldman (July 2, 1968 – June 12, 1994) was an American restaurant waiter and a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of the American football player O.J. Simpson. He was murdered, along with Brown, at her home in Los Angele ...
.
* February 8 – Motorcycle stunt rider Corey Scott
Corey L. Scott (December 28, 1968 – February 8, 1997) was an American stunt performer and professional motorcycle stunt rider. Scott died during a live stunt in front of a crowd of around 30,000 spectators at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, ...
is killed in front of a crowd of around 30,000 spectators at the Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
stadium in Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, after a stunt goes terribly wrong.
* February 10 – The United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
suspends Gene C. McKinney, Sergeant Major of the Army
The Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) is a unique non-commissioned rank and position of office in the United States Army. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior enlisted soldier in the Army, unless an enlisted soldier is servin ...
, its top-ranking enlisted soldier
An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States mi ...
, after hearing allegations of sexual misconduct.
* February 13
**The Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity inde ...
closes above 7,000 for the first time, gaining 60.81 to 7,022.44.
**STS-82
STS-82 was the 22nd flight of the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' and the 82nd mission of the Space Shuttle program. It was NASA's second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, during which ''Discovery's'' crew repaired and upgraded the tel ...
: Astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
s from Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' begin tune-up and repair work on the Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versa ...
.
* February 23 – 1997 Empire State Building shooting: A gunman kills one person and wounds six others before taking his own life on the observation deck of the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
* February 28
**FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
agent Earl Edwin Pitts
:''This article describes Earl Pitts, the American spy. For the radio character, see Earl Pitts (radio character).''
Earl Edwin Pitts (born September 23, 1953) is a former FBI special agent who was convicted of espionage for selling information ...
pleads guilty to selling secrets to Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
**North Hollywood shootout
The North Hollywood shootout was a confrontation between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu, and members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Ang ...
: Two heavily armed bank robbers conflict with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
in a mass shootout.
March
* March 4 – U.S. PresidentBill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
bars federal funding for any research on human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy (or clone) of a human. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning, which is the reproduction of human cells and tissue. It does not refer to the natural concepti ...
.
* March 9 – 24-year-old Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...
is killed in a drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...
shortly after leaving a ''Vibe'' magazine party at the Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest automotive museums, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organization specializin ...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
before the release of his second album ''Life After Death
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
''. The album is released on March 25.
* March 13 – The Phoenix Lights
The Phoenix Lights (sometimes called the "Lights Over Phoenix") were a series of widely sighted unidentified flying objects observed in the skies over the southwestern states of Arizona and Nevada on March 13, 1997.
Lights of varying descript ...
are seen over Phoenix, Arizona.
* March 14 – A famous study of gender reassignment of a twin boy who lost his penis to a botched circumcision is refuted. The supposedly successful outcome for "Joan" had been widely cited as proof that gender was determined by nurture, yet the patient, David Reimer
David Reimer (born Bruce Peter Reimer; 22 August 1965 – 4 May 2004) was a Canadian man born male but raised as a girl following medical advice and intervention after his penis was severely injured during a botched circumcision in infancy. ...
, was deeply unhappy and had returned to his original gender by the age of 15, thus indicating the exact opposite thesis.
* March 24 – The 69th Academy Awards
The 69th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 24, 1997, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremo ...
, hosted by Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...
, are held at Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, and ...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, with Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella, (6 January 195418 March 2008) was a British film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was chairman of the board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007.
He won the Academy Award for Best Directo ...
's ''The English Patient
''The English Patient'' is a 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje. The book follows four dissimilar people brought together at an Italian villa during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. The four main characters are: an unrecognisably burne ...
'' winning nine awards out of 12 nominations, including Best Picture
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
and Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
. The telecast garners nearly 40.1 million viewers.
* March 26 – In San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
, 39 Heaven's Gate cultists commit mass suicide at their compound.
April
* April 16 –Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
socialite Doris Angleton
Doris Elizabeth Angleton (''née'' McGown; (also Beck) April 11, 1951 – April 16, 1997) was an American socialite and murder victim. Her husband, Robert Angleton, had been accused of planning the crime. His brother, Roger Nicholas Angleton, wa ...
is murdered, drawing suspicion to her estranged husband, Robert. His brother Roger confesses to the crime and the investigation reveals that Robert had amassed a fortune through illegal betting.
* April 18 – The Red River of the North
The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...
breaks through dikes and floods
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
and East Grand Forks, Minnesota
East Grand Forks (also known as EGF) is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,176 at the 2020 Census, making it the largest community in Polk County.
It is located in the Red River Valley region along the easte ...
, causing US$2 billion in damage.
May
* May – For the first time since December 1973, unemployment falls below 5%. It would remain below 5% until September 2001, during theearly 2000s recession
The early 2000s recession was a decline in economic activity which mainly occurred in developed countries. The recession affected the European Union during 2000 and 2001 and the United States from March to November 2001. The UK, Canada and Aus ...
.
* May 2 – The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington D.C., dedicated to the memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, and to the era he represents. The memorial is the second of two ...
is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
*May 15 – The United States government acknowledges existence of the "Secret War" in Laos, and dedicates the Laos Memorial
The Hmong and Lao Memorial, or Lao Veterans of America Monument, is a granite monument, bronze plaque and living memorial (that includes an Atlas Cedar tree) in Arlington National Cemetery in the US. Dedicated in May 1997, it is located in Sectio ...
in honor of Hmong
Hmong may refer to:
* Hmong people, an ethnic group living mainly in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand
* Hmong cuisine
* Hmong customs and culture
** Hmong music
** Hmong textile art
* Hmong language, a continuum of closely related ton ...
and other "Secret War" veterans.
*May 16 – U.S. President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
issues a formal apology to the surviving victims of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male
The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male (informally referred to as the Tuskegee Experiment or Tuskegee Syphilis Study) was a study conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and the Cente ...
and their families.
*May 22 – Kelly Flinn
Kelly Flinn (whose surname was sometimes misspelled as Flynn; born December 23, 1970) is a former B-52 pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF). She was the first female pilot to serve in that capacity.
She was discharged from the U.S. Air ...
, the U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
's first female bomber pilot certified for combat, accepts a general discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...
in order to avoid a court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
.
*May 25 – Strom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Prior to his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Caro ...
becomes the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
(41 years and 10 months).
*May 27 – The second-deadliest tornado of the 1990s hits in Jarrell, Texas
Jarrell is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. It was incorporated as a city in 2001. The total population is 1,753 according to the 2020 census.
History
Founded in 1909 by real estate developer O.D. Jarrell, along with E. C. Ha ...
, killing 27 people.
June
*June 2 – InDenver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was an American domestic terrorist responsible for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, 19 of whom were children, injured more than 680 others, and destroyed one-third o ...
is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-government extremists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry N ...
.
*June 6 – In Lacey Township, New Jersey
Lacey Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey and is considered part of the Jersey Shore and South Jersey regions. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 27,644, reflecting an increase of 2,298 (+9.1%) fro ...
, high school senior Melissa Drexler gives birth in a toilet and leaves the newborn for dead in the trash.
*June 7
**A computer user known as "_eci" publishes his C source code on a Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. The first operating system in the 9x family, it is the successor to Windows 3.1x, and was released to manufacturin ...
and Windows NT
Windows NT is a proprietary graphical operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems sc ...
exploit, which later becomes WinNuke In computer security, WinNuke is an example of a Nuke remote denial-of-service attack (DoS) that affected the Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft Windows 3.1x computer operating systems. The exploit sent a string of out-of-b ...
. The source code gets wide distribution across the internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
, and Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
is forced to release a security patch.
**The Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
win their first Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
championship in 42 years, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
4 games to 0. Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon is awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy (french: Trophée Conn Smythe) is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general man ...
as playoff MVP.
*June 8 – A United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
helicopter crashes near Humboldt Bay (United States), Humboldt Bay, California; all four crew members perish.
*June 12 – The United States Department of the Treasury unveils a new United States dollar, $50 bill, meant to be more difficult to counterfeit.
*June 13 – A jury sentences Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was an American domestic terrorist responsible for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, 19 of whom were children, injured more than 680 others, and destroyed one-third o ...
to capital punishment, death for his part in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
*June 19 – The fast food chain McDonald's wins a partial victory in its libel trial, known as the "McLibel case", against two environmental campaigners. The judge agrees that McDonald's targeted its advertising at children, who pestered their parents into visiting the company's restaurants.
*June 25 – The NHL announces the addition of four new franchises to be added to the league by the 2000-01 NHL season.
*June 27 – Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures' 35th feature film, ''Hercules (1997 film), Hercules'', loosely based on the legendary mythological hero Hercules, of the same name, is released to positive reviews but underperforms at the box office in comparison to its most recent predecessors.
*June 28 – During the Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II boxing match in Las Vegas, Mike Tyson bites off part of Evander Holyfield's ear.
July
*July 2 – ''Men in Black (1997 film), Men in Black'' is released in theaters.
*July 4 – NASA's Mars Pathfinder, ''Pathfinder'' space probe lands on the surface of Mars.
*July 15 – Spree killer Andrew Cunanan shoots fashion designer Gianni Versace to death outside Versace's Miami Beach, Florida, residence.
* July 16 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 63.17 to close at 8,038.88. It is the Dow's Closing milestones of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, first close above 8,000. The Dow has doubled its value in 30 months.
* July 18 – The first Speedway LLC, Speedway gas station opens in Ohio.
* July 21 – The fully restored (aka "Old Ironsides") celebrates her 200th birthday by setting sail for the first time in 116 years.
* July 23 – Digital Equipment Corporation files antitrust charges against chipmaker Intel.
August
* August 1 – Steve Jobs returns to Apple Computer, Inc at Macworld in Boston. * August 6 –Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
buys a $150 million share of financially troubled Apple Computer.
* August 6 – Korean Air Flight 801 crashes while attempting to land in the U.S. territory of Guam, killing 229.
September
* September 4 – In Lorain, Ohio, the last Ford Thunderbird for three years rolls off the assembly line. * September 15 – www.google.com is registered by Google. * September 29 – The Forced Abortion Condemnation Act is introduced in the U.S. Congress. * September 30 – Facing increasing shifts to the use ofGPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
, the Omega (navigation system), Omega radio navigation system is deactivated.
October
* 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. * October 4 **One million men gather for Promise Keepers' "Stand in the Gap" event in Washington, DC. **Loomis Fargo Bank Robbery: The second largest cash robbery in U.S. history ($17.3 million, mostly in small bills) occurs at the Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Wells Fargo. AnFBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
investigation eventually results in 24 convictions and the recovery of approximately 95% of the stolen cash.
* October 15
**Andy Green (RAF officer), 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 .
**NASA launches the ''Cassini-Huygens'' probe to Saturn.
* October 16 – The first color photograph appears on the front page of ''The New York Times''.
* October 26 – 1997 World Series: The Florida Marlins defeat the Cleveland Indians.
* October 27 – Stock markets around the world October 27, 1997, mini-crash, crash due to a global world economy, economic crisis scare. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity inde ...
follows suit and plummets 554.26, or 7.18%, to 7,161.15. The points loss exceeds the loss from Black Monday (1987), Black Monday. Officials at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time invoke the "circuit breaker" rule to stop trading.
* October 28 – In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average gains a record 337.17 points, closing at 7,498.32. One billion shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time ever.
* October 30 – In Newton, Massachusetts, British au pair Louise Woodward is found guilty of the baby-shaking death of 8-month-old Matthew Eappen.
November
* November – The unemployment rate drops to 4.6%, the lowest since October 1973.
* November 10
**Telecom companies WorldCom and MCI Communications announce a US$37 billion merger to form MCI WorldCom (the largest merger in U.S. history).
**A Fairfax, Virginia, jury finds Mir Qazi guilty of murdering two CIA employees in 1993.
* November 12 – Ramzi Yousef is found guilty of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* November 14 – Mary Kay Letourneau is sentenced to six months imprisonment in Washington (state), Washington after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape. Letourneau gave birth to her victims' child and the leniency of her sentence was widely criticized.
* November 19 – In Des Moines, Iowa, Bobbi McCaughey gives birth to McCaughey septuplets, septuplets in the second known case where all seven babies are born alive, and the first in which all survive infancy.
* 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.
December
* December 1 – Michael Carneal opens fire on a prayer group at Heath High School (Kentucky), Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, killing three and injuring five. * December 3 – In Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, 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, and Russia do not sign the treaty. * December 19 – James Cameron's ''Titanic (1997 film), Titanic'', the highest-grossing film of all time until ''Avatar (2009 film), Avatar'' (2009), premieres in the U.S.Ongoing
* Iraqi no-fly zones (1991–2003) * Dot-com bubble (c. 1995–c. 2000)Births
January
* January 8 – Jack Andraka, inventor * January 13 – Jimmy Wopo, rapper (d. 2018 in the United States, 2018) * January 14 – Joey Luthman, actor * January 17 ** Lamar Jackson, American football player ** Shea Patterson, American football player ** Jake Paul, American actor ** Kyle Tucker, American baseball outfielder * January 20 – Blueface, rapper * January 21 – Jeremy Shada, actor and singer * January 23 ** Lexie Priessman, gymnast * January 24 ** Jonah Bobo, actor ** Dylan Riley Snyder, actor, singer, dancer * January 25 – Noah Hanifin, ice hockey player * January 26 – Gedion Zelalem, footballer * January 27 – Peyton Ernst, artistic gymnast * January 29 – Jack Roslovic, ice hockey playerFebruary
* February 6 – Mitch Hyatt, American football player * February 7 **Saquon Barkley, American football player **Matthew Gumley, actor * February 8 – Kathryn Newton, actress * February 9 – Jaire Alexander, American football player * February 10 ** Josh Jackson (basketball), Josh Jackson, basketball player ** Lilly King, swimmer ** Chloë Grace Moretz, actress ** Josh Rosen, American football player * February 11 ** Damien Harris, American football player ** Mike Hughes (American football), Mike Hughes, American football player * February 12 – Shane Baumel, actor * February 13 – Deondre Francois, American football player * February 14 – Madison Iseman, actress * February 15 ** Myles Gaskin, American football player ** Derrick Jones Jr., American basketball player * February 20 – Mitchie Brusco, skateboarder * February 21 – Ben Rhodes (racing driver), Ben Rhodes, stock car racing driver * February 25 ** Brock Boeser, ice hockey player ** Isabelle Fuhrman, actress * February 26 – Aidan Gould, actorMarch
* March 2 ** Becky G, American singer ** Lizzy LeDuc, American-born Filipino artistic gymnast * March 3 **Camila Cabello, Cuban American singer **Ty Walker (snowboarder), Ty Walker, American snowboarder * March 9 – Jessica Rogers, wheelchair athlete * March 10 – Uriah Shelton, actor and singer * March 14 – Simone Biles, artistic gymnast * March 16 – Tyrel Jackson Williams, actor * March 17 – Katie Ledecky, swimmer * March 18 – Ciara Bravo, actress and singer * March 26 – Cameron Smith (American football), Cameron Smith, football player * March 29 – Josh Sweat, football player * March 30 – Gideon Adlon, actressApril
* April 8 – Roquan Smith, American football player * April 10 – Claire Wineland, activist and author (died 2018 in the United States, 2018) * April 12 ** Jacob Clemente, actor and dancer ** Katelyn Ohashi, artistic gymnast * April 15 – Donavan Brazier, middle-distance runner * April 18 – Caleb Swanigan, basketball player (died 2022 in the United States, 2022) * April 26 – Amber Midthunder, actressMay
* May 1 – Ariel Gade, actress * May 2 – Perla Haney-Jardine, Brazilian-born actress * May 3 – Dwayne Haskins, American football quarterback (died 2022 in the United States, 2022) * May 9 – Zane Huett, actor * May 12 – Odeya Rush, Israeli-born actress * May 14 – Riley Griffiths, actor * May 15 – Precious Doe, murder victim (died 2001 in the United States, 2001) * May 21 – Kevin Quinn (actor), Kevin Quinn, actor and singer * May 23 – Coy Craft, American footballer * May 30 ** Peter Lenz, amateur motorcycle racer (died 2010 in the United States, 2010) ** Jake Short, actorJune
* June 11 – John Hunter Nemechek, stock car racing driver * June 15 – Madison Kocian, artistic gymnast * June 20 – Maria Lark, Russian-born actress * June 21 – Rebecca Black, singerJuly
* July 13 – Leo Howard, actor * July 20 – Billi Bruno, actress * July 22 – Field Cate, actor * July 23 – Faresa Kapisi, track and field athleteAugust
* August 2 – Christina Robinson (actress), Christina Robinson, actress * August 5 ** Adam Irigoyen, actor ** Olivia Holt, actress * August 8 – Corpse Husband, internet personality * August 10 – Kylie Jenner, model * August 12 – Jordan Brown case, Jordan Brown * August 16 – Greyson Chance, singer * August 19 – Joseph Castanon, actor and singer * August 25 – Madison Desch, artistic gymnastSeptember
* September 3 – Shavar McIntosh, actor * September 10 – Leah Keiser, figure skater * September 16 – Elena Kampouris, actress * September 27 – Jaiden Animations, animatorOctober
* October 4 – Brenden Foster, cancer patient (died 2008 in the United States, 2008) * October 6 – Michael J. Woodard, singer, voice actor * October 7 – Kira Kosarin, actress * October 8 – Bella Thorne, actress, dancer, singer, and model * October 10 ** DDG (rapper), DDG, rapper ** Grace Rolek, actress and singer * October 13 ** Aaron Refvem, actor * October 15 – Adora Svitak, prodigy and author * October 23 ** Nick Bosa, American football player ** Zach Callison, actor * October 25 – Tyler Alvarez, actor * October 27 – Lonzo Ball, basketball player * October 28 **Joy-Anna Forsyth, television personality **Taylor Fritz, tennis player **Sierra McCormick, actress * October 31 – Sydney Park (actress), Sydney Park, actressNovember
* November 1 ** Max Burkholder, actor ** Alex Wolff, actor and musician * November 6 – Riley Pint, baseball pitcher * November 9 – Alex Kirilloff, baseball outfielder * November 12 – Dexter Lawrence, American football player * November 13 – Brent and Shane Kinsman, twin actors * November 17 – Zach Bonner, philanthropist and founder of the non-profit organization, non-profit charitable organization, charity Little Red Wagon Foundation * November 19 ** Zach Collins, basketball player ** The McCaughey septuplets ** Rachel Parsons (figure skater), Rachel Parsons, ice dancer *November 20 – Michael Reeves (Internet personality), Michael Reeves, online personality * November 26 – Aubrey Joseph, actor * November 29 – William Byron (racing driver), William Byron, racing driverDecember
* December 3 – Rashan Gary, American football player * December 11 ** Alexis Beucler, artistic gymnast ** Ben Cook (actor), Ben Cook, actor * December 12 ** Christian Saulsberry, American football player (died 2022 in the United States, 2022) ** Jacob Wohl, far-right conspiracy theorist, fraudster, and internet troll * December 14 – DK Metcalf, American football wide receiver * December 15 ** Stefania LaVie Owen, actress ** Maude Apatow, actress * December 20 – De'Aaron Fox, basketball player * December 28 – Nash Grier, Internet personality * December 31 – Cameron Carter-Vickers, soccer playerFull date unknown
* Milivi Adams (died 2002 in the United States, 2002) * Amanda Balon, actress, vocalist and dancer * Lexi Peters, first female ice hockey player to appear in an EA Sports NHL Hockey video gameDeaths
January
* January 1 – Townes Van Zandt, American Country-folk music singer-songwriter (b. 1944 in the United States, 1944)
* January 4 – Harry Helmsley, American real estate mogul (b. 1909)
* January 5 – Burton Lane, American composer and lyricist (b. 1912)
* January 6 – Catherine Scorsese, Italian-American actress (b. 1912)
* January 8 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist (b. 1911 in the United States, 1911)
* January 9
** Jesse White (actor), Jesse White, American actor (b. 1917)
** Ellen Griffin Dunne, American actress and activist (b. 1932)
* January 10 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
* January 11 – Carol Habben, American baseball player (b. 1933)
* January 12 – Charles Brenton Huggins, Canadian-born cancer researcher (b. 1901)
* January 17 – Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer (b. 1906)
* January 18 – Paul Tsongas, American politician (b. 1941)
* January 19
** James Dickey, American poet and novelist (b. 1923)
** Adriana Caselotti, American actress (b. 1916)
* January 20 – Curt Flood, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1938 in the United States, 1938)
* January 23 – Richard Berry (musician), Richard Berry, American singer and composer (b. 1935)
* January 24 – Dr. Jerry Graham, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1921 in the United States, 1921)
* January 25 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer (b. 1904)
* January 26 – Laurence Stoddard, American rower (b. 1903)
* January 30 – Charles Hargens, American painter. (b. 1893)
* January 31 – Johnny Klein, American drummer (b. 1918)
February
* February 1
** Herb Caen, American newspaper columnist (b. 1916)
** Marjorie Reynolds, American actress (b. 1917)
* February 5 – Pamela Harriman, American diplomat (b. 1920)
* February 7 – Owen Aspinall, 45th Governor of American Samoa (b. 1927)
* February 8 – Corey Scott
Corey L. Scott (December 28, 1968 – February 8, 1997) was an American stunt performer and professional motorcycle stunt rider. Scott died during a live stunt in front of a crowd of around 30,000 spectators at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, ...
, American motorcycle stunt rider (b. 1968)
* February 11 – Don Porter, American actor (b. 1912)
* February 13 – John R. Bartels, American judge (b. 1897)
* February 16 – Ethel Owen, American actress (b. 1893)
* February 23 – Tony Williams (drummer), Tony Williams, American musician (b. 1945)
* February 24 – Isabelle Lucas, Canadian-born British actress (b. 1927)
* February 26 – David Doyle (actor), David Doyle, American actor (b. 1929)
March
* March 2 – Judi Bari, American environmental activist (b. 1949) * March 4 ** Robert H. Dicke, American experimental physicist (b. 1916) ** Carey Loftin, American actor and stuntman (b. 1914 in the United States, 1914) * March 7 – Edward Mills Purcell, American physicist (b. 1912) * March 9 –The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...
, American rapper (b. 1972 in the United States, 1972)
* March 10 – LaVern Baker, American singer (b. 1929)
* March 15 – Gail Davis, American actress (b. 1925)
* March 17 – Jermaine Stewart, American singer (b. 1957)
* March 20 – Tony Zale, American boxer (b. 1913)
* March 21 – John Nemechek, American race car driver (b. 1970)
April
* April 5 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)
* April 8 – Laura Nyro, American singer and composer (b. 1947)
* April 10 – Michael Dorris, American author (b. 1945)
* April 12 – George Wald, American scientist (b. 1906)
* April 13 – Dorothy Frooks, American author, military figure and actress. (b. 1896)
* April 15
** Don Bexley, American actor and comedian (b. 1910)
** Mildred Cleghorn, Chairwoman of the Fort Sill Apache tribe (b. 1910)
* April 16 – Doris Angleton
Doris Elizabeth Angleton (''née'' McGown; (also Beck) April 11, 1951 – April 16, 1997) was an American socialite and murder victim. Her husband, Robert Angleton, had been accused of planning the crime. His brother, Roger Nicholas Angleton, wa ...
, American socialite (b. 1951)
* April 20
** Jean Louis, American costume designer (b. 1907)
** Henry Mucci, American army ranger (b. 1909)
* April 21 – Thomas H. D. Mahoney, American professor and politician (b. 1913 in the United States, 1913)
* April 24 – Pat Paulsen, American comedian (b. 1927)
* April 26 – John Beal (actor), John Beal, American actor (b. 1909)
* April 30 – Henry Picard, American golfer (b. 1906)
May
* May 4 ** Alvy Moore, American actor (b. 1921) ** Lee Miglin, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1924) * May 11 – Howard Morton, American actor (b. 1925) * May 14 ** Harry Blackstone Jr., American magician (b. 1934) ** Thelma Carpenter, American singer and actress (b. 1922) * May 18 – Bridgette Andersen, American actress (b. 1975) * May 22 – Alfred Hershey, American biochemist (b. 1908) * May 23 – James Lee Byars, American artist (b. 1932) * May 29 – Jeff Buckley, American musician (b. 1966) * May 31 – James Bennett Griffin, American archaeologist (b. 1905)June
* June 2 – Helen Jacobs, American tennis champion (b. 1908)
* June 3 – Dennis James, American game show host (b. 1917)
* June 6 – Magda Gabor, American actress (b. 1915)
* June 8 – Reid Shelton, American actor (b. 1924)
* June 14 – Richard Jaeckel, American actor (b. 1926)
* June 23
** Betty Shabazz, American educator and activist (b. 1936)
** William Slater Brown, American novelist, biographer and translator (b. 1896)
* June 24
** Don Hutson, American football player (b. 1913)
** Brian Keith, American actor (b. 1921)
* June 26 – Israel Kamakawiwoole, Hawaiian singer (b. 1959)
* June 29 – William Hickey (actor), William Hickey, American actor (b. 1927)
July
* July 1
** Robert Mitchum, American actor (b. 1917 in the United States, 1917)
** Charles Werner, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
* July 2 – James Stewart, American actor and soldier (b. 1908 in the United States, 1908)
* July 4 – Charles Kuralt, American reporter and television journalist (b. 1934)
* July 5 – Mrs. Miller, American singer (b. 1907)
* July 13 – Alexandra Danilova, Russian-American ballerina and dance instructor (b. 1903)
* July 15 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer (b. 1946)
* July 18 – Eugene Merle Shoemaker, American astronomer (b. 1928)
* July 23 – Andrew Cunanan, American serial killer (b. 1969)
* July 24
** William J. Brennan Jr., American Supreme Court Justice (b. 1906)
** Frank Parker (tennis), Frank Parker, American tennis champion (b. 1916)
* July 25 – Ben Hogan, American golf champion (b. 1912)
* July 27 – K'tut Tantri, American broadcaster and hotelier, (b. 1899)
August
* August 2 – William S. Burroughs, American writer and artist (b. 1914 in the United States, 1914)
* August 10 – Conlon Nancarrow, American-born composer (b. 1912)
* August 12 – Luther Allison, American musician (b. 1939)
* August 18
** Harry R. Wellman, American university president (b. 1899)
** Jimmy Witherspoon, American musician (b. 1920)
* August 25 – Carl Richard Jacobi, American journalist and author (b. 1908)
* August 27
** Sally Blane, American actress (b. 1910)
** Brandon Tartikoff, American television executive (b. 1949)
September
* September 2 – Rudolf Bing, Austrian-born British opera manager (b. 1902)
* September 7 – Elisabeth Brooks, Canadian actress (b. 1951)
* September 8 – Helen Shaw (actress), Helen Shaw, American actress (b. 1897)
* September 9
** Richie Ashburn, American baseball player and broadcaster (b. 1927)
** Burgess Meredith, American actor (b. 1907 in the United States, 1907)
* September 13 – Victor Szebehely, Hungarian-American astronomer (b. 1921)
* September 17 – Red Skelton, American comedian (b. 1913)
* September 18 – Jimmy Witherspoon, American blues singer (b. 1920)
* September 19 – Rich Mullins, American Christian musician (b. 1955)
* September 23
** Shirley Clarke, American filmmaker (b. 1919)
** Wilbur R. Ingalls, Jr., American architect (b. 1923)
* September 26 – Dorothy Kingsley, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1909)
* September 27 – Adriana Marines, American murder victim (b. 1991 in the United States, 1991)
* September 29 – Roy Lichtenstein, American artist (b. 1923)
October
* October 1 – Jerome H. Lemelson, American inventor (b. 1923)
* October 5
** Brian Pillman, American professional wrestler (b. 1962)
** Arthur Tracy, American singer (b. 1899)
* October 6 – Johnny Vander Meer, American baseball player (b. 1914)
* October 9 – Arch Johnson, American actor (b. 1922)
* October 12 – John Denver, American musician (b. 1943)
* October 14 – Harold Robbins, American writer (b. 1916)
* October 16
** Audra Lindley, American actress (b. 1918)
** James A. Michener, American writer (b. 1907)
* October 19 – Glen Buxton, American guitarist (b. 1947)
* October 21 – Dolph Camilli, American baseball player (b. 1907)
* October 23 – Claire Falkenstein, American sculptor, painter, printmaker, jewelry designer and teacher (b. 1908)
* October 24 – Don Messick, American voice actor (b. 1926)
* October 28 – Paul Jarrico, American screenwriter (b. 1915)
* October 29
** Andreas Gerasimos Michalitsianos, American astrophysicist (b. 1947)
** Anton Szandor LaVey, American author and Satanist (b. 1930)
* October 30 – Samuel Fuller, American screenwriter and director (b. 1912)
November
* November 1 – Victor Mills, American chemical engineer (b. 1897)
* November 11 – Rod Milburn, American athlete (b. 1950)
* November 13 – Dawud M. Mu'Min, murderer (b. 1953 in the United States, 1953)
* November 22 – Joanna Moore, American actress (b. 1934)
* November 23 – Hulda Crooks, American mountaineer (b. 1896)
* November 30 – Kathy Acker, American author (b. 1947)
December
* December 2 – Michael Hedges, American composer and guitarist (b. 1953)
* December 14 – Stubby Kaye, American actor (b. 1918)
* December 16
** Lillian Disney, American artist (b. 1899)
** Nicolette Larson, American pop singer (b. 1952)
** Thomas J. Parmley, American academic (b. 1897)
* December 18 – Chris Farley, American actor and comedian (b. 1964)
* December 19
** David Schramm (astrophysicist), David Schramm, American astrophysicist (b. 1945)
** Jimmy Rogers, American musician (b. 1924)
* December 20 – Denise Levertov, English-born American poet (b. 1923)
* December 21 – Amie Comeaux, American country singer (b. 1976)
* December 23 – Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (b. 1908)
* December 25 – Denver Pyle, American actor (b. 1920)
* December 31
** Billie Dove, American actress (b. 1903)
** Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, American socialite (b. 1958)
See also
* 1997 in American soccer * 1997 in American television * List of American films of 1997 * Timeline of United States history (1990–2009)References
External links
* {{Year in North America, 1997 1997 in the United States, 1990s in the United States 1997 by country, United States 1997 in North America, United States Years of the 20th century in the United States