1997 in history
Here are some light-hearted facts about 1997, designed to serve as a prep sheet for a radio feature on 1997.
I created this page because when I needed some notes to create a few talking points about 1997 in Ireland I couldn't find any suitable sources, so I thought I'd share what I did find. It applies to 1997 in Britain too.
You can also look at years other than 1997:
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1997
George Clooney, the star of ER, and chosen as People's Sexiest Man Alive.
The Spice Girls were at the height of their popularity and played a gig organised by Nelson Mandela’s Charity - good for audio. At the Brits, Geri Halliwell wore her famous union flag dress. It was a last-minute idea based on her sister's tea towel. It was later sold for £41,320.
The Tamagotchi - the virtual pet toy - became popular in this year.
Mike Tyson was suspended from boxing after biting Evander Holyfield's ear during a match.
Scotland voted to create its own Parliament, after 290 years of union with England.
British Rail ran their last service, as privatisation took over.
This was the year of the death of Princess Diana, and all the controversy that followed. 2.5 billion people watched her funeral: it went into the Guinness World Record as the biggest TV audience for a live broadcast.
Elton John sang Diana's version of Candle in the Wind.
US President Bill Clinton visited London. His late-running motorcade was delayed and reached Tower Bridge at the same time that a ship was scheduled to pass. Under British law, ship traffic takes priority, so the motorcade was interrupted and the President had to wait for the bridge to be raised. He later thanked London for arranging this spectacle.
Tony Blair was elected Prime Minister of the UK with a landslide election result. The media had been obsessed with the idea of a "Mondeo man": the type of voter they believed would be critical to Blair securing a victory.
This election was also famous for Michael Portillo losing his Enfield Southgate seat at 3am; a shock result that was forever known as 'a Portillo moment'.
The morning after, we saw the famous video of a dishevelled Cherie Blair opening the door and seeing the cameras.
1997 Launches
WebMD went online in this year.
Nintendo released the N64 gaming system in the UK and Ireland [NB: some sources say 1996 - that was in the US]
The Toyota Prius – for a long time the most popular hybrid car – was first sold.
The first Gran Turismo racing game was a huge success, selling 11 million copies on PlayStation.
The first Grand Theft Auto was released on Windows. It was a 2D game set in different American cities. The game enjoyed a hugely controversial launch period, with the House of Lords considering banning it.
The Lion King Musical on Broadway debuted.
The first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published.
Netflix launched as a mail-order service.
Wifi as we know it was invented in this year. Wifi doesn't actually stand for anything - it's a pun on hi-fi.
The first YO! Sushi opened in London.
1997 in Film
Men In Black was the biggest film of the year.
Other big films include Gran Turismo, Liar Liar, Air Force One, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, My Best Friend's Wedding, Face/Off, Batman & Robin, George of the Jungle, Con Air and Hercules.
Saving Private Ryan was released this year, with scenes filmed in Wexford.
Daniel Day-Lewis starred in The Boxer.
King of the Hill, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting, and SpiceWorld were also in cinemas.
Titanic was released in Britain [NB: not in Ireland].
1997 in TV
Big TV shows of the year (not premiers): Heartbeat, Touch of Frost, Casualty, Men Behaving Badly, Before They Were Famous, It'll Be Alright On The Night and ER.
Teletubbies came to play as the show was created in this year. Their children's toys went on to become some of the most popular Christmas presents.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica's Closet, Cold Feet, Ground Force, South Park, Jonathan Creek, I'm Alan Partridge, Light Lunch and Ally McBeal were shown for the first time.
Children's shows 50/50 and Arthur were launched.
Channel 5 was launched, with The Spice Girls singing the theme tune.
The final episode of children's cartoon The Woody Woodpecker Show was broadcast in this year.
The Eurovision Song Contest came from The Point Theatre in Dublin, presented by Carrie Crowley and Ronan Keating. It was won by Katrina and the Waves for the UK with Love Shine A Light. Boyzone were the interval act.
1997 in Ireland
Bertie Ahern replaced John Bruton as an Taoiseach.
Mary McAleese was elected the eighth President of Ireland, after Mary Robinson resigned.
Quinnsworth began to close down as Tesco was introduced to Ireland.
'Pint baby' went viral: a toddler was filmed sipping Guiness.
Shelbourne FC faced Derry City FC in Tolka Park, in the first ever League of Ireland match to be broadcast on Network 2.
- The first divorce in Ireland was granted after divorce became legal.
While these facts about 1997 have been checked against third-party sources (and have been used on air before!), they are provided in good faith to inspire your research and no guarantee is made about their accuracy or their uniqueness. You can use the facts however you wish: most people just take a couple of points they remember and talk around then.
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