At A Glance

17 October 1997 at a glance

Day of the week
17 October 1997 was a Friday.
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 17 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 October 1997 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 October 1997 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 17 October

  • 1979 Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • 1979 The Department of Education Organization Act creates the U.S. Department of Education.
  • 1980 As part of the Holy See–United Kingdom relations a British monarch makes the first state visit to the Vatican.
  • 1989 The East German Politburo votes to remove Erich Honecker from his role as General Secretary.
  • 2004 A fire that lasted over 15 hours destroyed almost one third of the East Tower of the Parque Central Urban Complex in Caracas, Venezuela.

Famous people born on 17 October

  • Eminem, American rapper, producer, and actor (born 1972)
  • Norm Macdonald, Canadian actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter (1959–2021)
  • Rita Hayworth, American actress, singer and dancer (1918–1987)
  • Matthew Macfadyen, English actor (born 1974)

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.
More events of 1997 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Ireland in 1997

Taoiseach

Bertie Ahern

Petrol (per litre)

£1.75/gal

Loaf of Bread

£0.80

Average House

£68,000

Weekly Wage

£130

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1990s

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

Saoirse Ronan12 April 1994ActressView their day →Ian Machado Garry17 November 1997Mixed martial arts fighterView their day →Paul Mescal2 February 1996ActorView their day →Barry Keoghan18 October 1992ActorView their day →Eve Hewson7 July 1991ActressView their day →Jack Gleeson20 May 1992ActorView their day →Mark English18 March 1993Middle-distance runnerView their day →Grian Chatten19 July 1995SingerView 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 →