Look Back To 1997: What Happened That Year

A landslide in May, a death in August, and the best-selling single in British history.

Here's 1997 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 1997

• 'Candle in the Wind 1997' by Elton John, released after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, became the best-selling single in UK chart history.
• The Spice Girls were Christmas number one again with 'Too Much'.
• Radiohead released 'OK Computer' in June, regularly voted one of the best albums ever made.
• The Verve's 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' became the song of the summer and the subject of a long sampling dispute.
• Oasis released 'Be Here Now' to enormous sales and a rapid change of critical mind.

In the news in 1997

• Tony Blair won a landslide general election on 1 May, ending eighteen years of Conservative government.
• Diana, Princess of Wales, died in Paris on 31 August. Her funeral on 6 September drew one of the largest television audiences ever recorded in Britain.
• Hong Kong was handed back to China on 1 July.
• Scotland and Wales voted for devolution in September referendums.
• Channel 5 launched in March, requiring much of the country to retune their video recorders.
• Dolly the sheep was announced to the world in February.

On screen in 1997

• The Full Monty was the British film of the year and one of the most successful ever made here.
• Titanic was released at the end of the year and dominated 1998.
• Teletubbies began on BBC Two and caused genuine newspaper outrage.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer and South Park both began.
• The Nintendo 64 launched in the UK in March, with four controller ports as standard.

In sport in 1997

• Manchester United won the Premier League again.
• Chelsea beat Middlesbrough in the FA Cup final.
• Tiger Woods won the Masters at twenty-one by twelve strokes.
• Frankie Dettori had ridden all seven winners at Ascot the previous September, and was the biggest name in racing.
• England beat Australia at the Oval but lost the Ashes series.

Everyday life in 1997

• Tamagotchi arrived in Britain and was banned from most classrooms within a term.
• The internet was in a small but growing number of homes, on dial-up, charged by the minute.
• Cool Britannia reached its peak and immediately started to look embarrassing.
• The Spice Girls were on more products than any band before or since.
• The first Harry Potter book was published in June, in a print run of five hundred copies.

If you were born in 1997

• Anyone born in 1997 arrived the same year the first Harry Potter book was published.
• They were born the year of the largest general election landslide since the war, and of the best-selling single in British chart history.
• Anyone born in 1997 turns 30 in 2027, 40 in 2037, 50 in 2047, 60 in 2057 and 70 in 2067.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1999
• Look back to 1998
• Look back to 1996
• Look back to 1995
• Look back to 1994
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• 1990s party playlist
• 90s kids' TV shows
• 90s quiz questions
• Toys of the 80s and 90s
• Video shops and late fees
• Saturday morning TV
• Phones before mobiles
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
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• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
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• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
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• Guess the year quiz
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• Shop birthday cards
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• Photo booth prop ideas
• Sympathy and bereavement cards
• Sympathy cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What is the best-selling single in UK history?

'Candle in the Wind 1997' by Elton John, released as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, after her death in August 1997.

When did Channel 5 launch?

March 1997. Because of the frequencies it used, large numbers of video recorders across the country had to be retuned.

How old is someone born in 1997?

Subtract 1997 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2037, 50 in 2047, 60 in 2057 and 70 in 2067.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.