UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
17 May 1997 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 May 1997 was a Saturday.
- ARIA No. 1
- The ARIA No. 1 was “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden.
- Top Film of 1997
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1997 was Titanic.
- Best-Selling Vehicle of 1997
- Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 1997 was the Holden Commodore.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 17 May is Taurus.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 May 1997 fell in the Year of the Ox.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for May is Emerald.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 May 1997 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 17 May
- 1990 The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases.
- 1994 Malawi holds its first multi-party elections.
- 1995 Shawn Nelson steals an M60 tank from the California Army National Guard Armory in San Diego and proceeds to go on a rampage.
- 1997 Troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 2004 The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. are performed in the state of Massachusetts.
Famous people born on 17 May
- Josh Homme, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1973)
- Bill Paxton, American actor and director (1955–2017)
- Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (1936–2010)
- Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host (1956–2022)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1997 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '1997 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 1 January – The Tri-Nation ODI cricket match at the SCG between Australia and Pakistan is marred by poor crowd behaviour.
- 4 February – Prime Minister John Howard wins Parliamentary support for a constitutional convention on the republic.
- 6 March – In Cairns, Paul Streeton is sentenced to life imprisonment for setting fire to school boy Tjandamurra O'Shane.
Life in Australia in 1997
Prime Minister
John Howard
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Petrol (per litre)
$0.68
Loaf of Bread
$1.90
Average House
$150,000
Weekly Wage
$735.00
Or
Browse by Year
Famous Faces Born in the 1990s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Jacob Elordi26 June 1997ActorView their day →Samara Weaving23 February 1992Actress & modelView their day →Margot Robbie2 July 1990ActressView their day →Liam Hemsworth13 January 1990ActorView their day →Elizabeth Debicki24 August 1990ActressView their day →Troye Sivan5 June 1995Singer-songwriter & actorView their day →Ben Simmons20 July 1996Basketball playerView their day →Leila George20 March 1992ActressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
About The Day You Were Born
Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.
About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →