At A Glance

12 May 1997 at a glance

Day of the week
12 May 1997 was a Monday.
Irish Chart Song in 1997
The Irish chart song for 1997 was “Barbie Girl” by Aqua.
Top Film of 1997
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1997 was Titanic.
Star sign
The star sign for 12 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 12 May 1997 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 12 May 1997 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 12 May

  • 1978 In Zaire, rebels occupy the city of Kolwezi, the mining center of the province of Shaba (now known as Katanga); the local government asks the US, France and Belgium to restore order.
  • 1982 During a procession outside the shrine of the Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal, security guards overpower Juan María Fernández y Krohn before he can attack Pope John Paul II with a bayonet.
  • 2002 Former US President Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro, becoming the first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since the Cuban Revolution.
  • 2008 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts the largest-ever raid of a workplace in Postville, Iowa, arresting nearly 400 immigrants for identity theft and document fraud.
  • 2017 The WannaCry ransomware attack impacts over 400,000 computers worldwide, targeting computers of the United Kingdom's National Health Services and Telefónica computers.

Famous people born on 12 May

  • Rhea Seehorn, American actress (born 1972)
  • Rami Malek, American actor (born 1981)
  • Domhnall Gleeson, Irish actor (born 1983)
  • Emilio Estevez, American actor (born 1962)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1997 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1997 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 8 January – Russia sought to widen its ban on the importation of Irish beef due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
  • 27 February – A new law providing for divorce came into effect.
  • 17 March – The new national independent radio station, Radio Ireland, went on the air.

Life in Ireland in 1997

Taoiseach

John Bruton

Petrol (per litre)

£1.75/gal

Loaf of Bread

£0.80

Average House

£68,000

Weekly Wage

£130

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1990s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

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 →