It’s been ages since we had a walk back in time on Mamamia – check out the links to see what we were doing in 1999 and 2002 and then dust off the cobwebs and cast your mind back to 1997.
It was a big one.
John Howard was in his first full year as Prime Minister. Bill Clinton was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States and Tony Blair was elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, ending the Tory party’s 18-year reign.
Yasser Arrafat returned to Hebron after a 30 year absence to join celebrations of the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city.
Hong Kong was handed back to Chinese authorities after more than 150 years of British rule. South-East Asia and Japan faced a financial crisis, set off by the collapse of the Thai baht.
Divorce became legal in the Republic of Ireland and homosexuality was decriminalised in Tasmania, the final Australian state to do so.
A colour photograph appeared on the front page of The New York Times for the very first time. Madonna won a Golden Globe for her performance in Evita while Ellen Degeneres came out.
The first Harry Potter book written by JK Rowling was published. James Cameron released The Titanic and closer to home, an icon was born when The Castle arrived in Australian cinemas.
Who did we mourn?
1997 had its share of tragedies.
Update:How could we forget to mention that 1997 was the year that Michael Hutchence died? We did and we apologise
In July 18 people were killed in the Thredbo landslide. Stuart Diver was the lone survivor.
Days later a car accident killed Diana Princess of Wales and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed in a Paris tunnel. Two billion people around the world watched her funeral at Westminster Abbey where Elton John performed a Candle in the Wind, which became the second highest rating single of the year.
The world then stopped to mourn the loss of Mother Teresa.
The world also bid farewell to rapper Notorious B.I.G, musician Jeff Buckley, the French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Gianni Versace who was murdered on his doorstep.
Who did we love?
Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mel Gibson, Goldie Hawn, Johnny Depp, Renee Zellweger, Bill Clinton and Princess Diana were among the famous faces to grace the coveted cover spot on Vanity Fair magazine.
Time Magazine ranked Tiger Woods, John McCain, Harvey Weinstein, Dilbert, Colin Powell and Rosie O’Donnell among its list of the 25 most influential Americans.
Winona Ryder topped People magazine’s Top 50 Most Beautiful list, which also featured The Spice Girls, Brad Pitt, Clare Danes, Cube Gooding Jnr and Juliette Binoche.
Who was with who?
Will Smith married Jada Pinkett, Brad Pitt was engaged to Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon was dating Winona Ryder and Victoria Adam (aka Posh) started seeing David Beckham.
Sarah Jessica Parker married Matthew Broderick, Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon started their romance while Tom and Nicole were still in the midst of their marriage. Andrew Upton married Cate Blanchett and John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn got engaged.
What did we listen to?
The Top 5 singles from 1997 were
- Puff Daddy & Faith Evans with I’ll Be Missing You
- Elton John’s Candle in the Wind ’97
- Aqua with Barbie Girl
- No Doubt with Don’t Speak
- Hanson with Mmmbop
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What did we watch on the small screen?
South Park, The View and Ally McBeal all premiered on television in 1997. The Crocodile Hunter debuted on Animal Planet. But it was the final year for both long running sitcoms Roseanne and Married…with children.
Harold and Madge renewed their vows, Billy and Anne finally united while Neighbours’ longest-serving resident, Helen Daniels, died. The 2000th episode of Home and Away is aired in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Blue Heelers had the highest average viewers of all television programs aired in 1997.
What did we watch at the movies?
Top 10 Grossing Films
- 1. Titanic
- 2. Men In Black
- 3. The Lost World
- 4. Liar Liar
- 5. Air Force One
- 6. As Good As It Gets
- 7. Good Will Hunting
- 8. Best Friend’s Wedding
- 9. Tomorrow Never Dies
10. Face/Off
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And a final piece of random trivia. 1997 bore witness to the second largest cash robbery in US history when $US17.3 million (mostly in small bills) was stolen from a North Carolina office of Wells Fargo.
Where were you and what were you doing?
Click through the gallery below for more images from 1997…
Top Comments
I started out 97 unhappily engaged to one guy and ended the year pregnant to another. That sounds really bad doesn't it!!
Thredbo was surreal. I remember standing in my street in Canberra watching the helicopter carrying Stuart Diver fly over on the way to the hospital. We all stood there in silence on that cold night.
Princess Diana's death hit me hard. I was 27, on the brink of ending my 6 year relationship and this woman who had meant so much to so many had died needlessly because she got into car with a drunk driver and didn't put her seatbelt on. I cried my eyes out watching her funeral.
When Michael Hutchence died all I could think of was how sad it was because Tigerlily would never know her father and an absOlute rock god was gone. I met him once and he was a quiet and deep and sexy as hell!!
Just a footnote, my baby boy was born in Sept 98 and his father and I are still together (nearly 15 years) and we have gone on to have 2 more beautiful boys!!
I turned 13 and started high school that year. Was into Hanson (I had a MASSIVE crush on Taylor), the Spice Girls, Savage Garden, Meredith Brooks, The Wallflowers and Silverchair. I loved watching Home & Away, Blue Heelers and Hey Hey It's Saturday. I had the hots for Johnny Depp. I spent every Saturday at my grandparents' house, and I watched Stuart Diver being rescued after the Thredbo landslide on TV at their place. And I was sitting in the backseat of my mum's car driving down to pick my brother up from a mate's place when we heard about Princess Diana.
15 years later, I'm 28. I'm still a Hanson fan (and will be seeing them live when they come to Australia in September - I can't wait), I still think Johnny Depp is a looker, but just about everything else is different. I'm older, I'm taller, my tastes in music and TV are almost drastically different, and my crush on Taylor Hanson has been toned down quite a bit, though he's still my favourite member of Hanson (and probably always will be). His wife would probably give me the evil eye if I tried to jump him now :p