January 16
January 16
Bill Cosby’s son murdered along California interstate
On January 16, 1997, comedian and TV star Bill Cosby’s 27‑year‑old son Ennis Cosby is murdered after he stops to fix a flat tire along California’s Interstate 405 in Los…
A Year In History: 1997
This Year in History:
1997
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 17
January 17
Ireland grants a divorce for the first time in the country’s history
The Republic of Ireland legally grants a divorce for the first time following a 1995 referendum. The first divorce in Ireland, granted to a terminally ill man who wished to…
January 23
January 23
Madeleine Albright becomes first female secretary of state
The day after her unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Madeleine Albright is sworn in as America’s first female secretary of state by Vice President Al Gore at the White…
January 28
January 28
Afrikaner police admit to killing Stephen Biko
On January 28, 1997 in South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission announces the confessions of four apartheid‑era police officers to the killing two decades earlier of Stephen Biko, a…
February 16
February 16
Jeff Gordon becomes youngest Daytona winner
On February 16, 1997, 25‑year‑old Jeff Gordon claims his first Daytona 500 victory, becoming the youngest winner in the history of the 200‑lap, 500‑mile National Association for Stock Car Auto…
February 20
February 20
Kramer on “Seinfeld” adopts a highway
An episode of the hit TV sitcom “Seinfeld” titled “The Pothole” airs for the first time on February 20, 1997; it includes a story line in which the character Kramer…
February 23
February 23
Schindler’s List shown uncut on network television
On this day in 1997, an estimated 65 million people tune in to watch all or part of Steven Spielberg’s Oscar‑winning Holocaust drama Schindler’s List on the NBC television network.…
March 9
March 9
Rapper Notorious B.I.G. is killed in Los Angeles
Christopher Wallace, a.k.a Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G., is shot to death at a stoplight in Los Angeles. The murder was thought to be the culmination of an ongoing…
March 9
March 9
Christopher Wallace—a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.—is killed in Los Angeles
If all publicity is good publicity, then New York‑based Bad Boy Entertainment and Los Angeles‑based Death Row Records got better publicity than they ever could have purchased as a result…
March 10
March 10
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” premieres on the WB
On March 10, 1997, the fledgling Warner Brothers (WB) television network airs the inaugural episode of what will become its first bonafide hit show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy‘s creator, Joss…
March 11
March 11
Paul McCartney knighted
On March 11, 1997, Paul McCartney, a former member of the most successful rock band in history, The Beatles, is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his “services to music.”…
March 14
March 14
President Clinton expresses desire to return to golf course
On this day in 1997, President Bill Clinton undergoes surgery to repair the quadriceps tendon of his right knee at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Clinton, an avid…
March 26
March 26
Heaven’s Gate cult members found dead
Following an anonymous tip, police enter a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, an exclusive suburb of San Diego, California, and discover 39 victims of a mass suicide. The deceased—21 women…
April 13
April 13
This Day in History Video: What Happened on April 13
Tiger Woods became the first African American to win a major, and the youngest to wear the green jacket when he aced his first Masters Golf Tournament on April 13th.…
April 13
April 13
Tiger Woods wins his first Masters
Tiger Woods, whose father is African‑American and mother is Thai, becomes the first person of color to win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, which admitted its first black…
April 13
April 13
Tiger Woods wins the Masters Tournament for the first time
On April 13, 1997, 21‑year‑old Tiger Woods wins the prestigious Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes in Augusta, Georgia. It was Woods’ first victory in one of golf’s four…
April 15
April 15
MLB retires Jackie Robinson’s number
On April 15, 1997, the 50 anniversary of his first Major League Baseball game, the league retires Jackie Robinson’s number, 42. Robinson, whose breaking of the “color barrier” in 1947…
April 22
April 22
Peruvian President Fujimori orders assault on Japanese ambassador’s home
In Lima, Peru, Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori orders a commando assault on the Japanese ambassador’s home, hoping to free 72 hostages held for more than four months by armed members…
April 27
April 27
Andrew Cunanan begins his killing spree
Andrew Cunanan kills Jeffrey Trail by beating him to death with a claw hammer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Trail’s murder set Cunanan off on a nationwide killing spree that ended in…
April 30
April 30
Controversial “coming out” episode of “Ellen” airs
On April 30, 1997, in a widely publicized episode of the ABC sitcom “Ellen,” TV character Ellen Morgan (played by Ellen DeGeneres) announces that she is gay. DeGeneres, a former…
