At A Glance

20 March 1997 at a glance

Day of the week
20 March 1997 was a Thursday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Wannabe” by Spice Girls.
Top Film of 1997
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1997 was Titanic.
Bestselling Novel of 1997
“The Partner” by John Grisham was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1997.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Seinfeld” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1997–98 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 March 1997 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 March 1997 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 20 March

  • 1987 The Food and Drug Administration approves the anti-AIDS drug, AZT.
  • 1988 Eritrean War of Independence: Having defeated the Nadew Command, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front enters the town of Afabet, victoriously concluding the Battle of Afabet.
  • 1990 Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering.
  • 1999 Legoland California, the first Legoland outside of Europe, opens in Carlsbad, California, US.
  • 2003 Iraq War: The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland begin an invasion of Iraq.

Famous people born on March 20

  • Chester Bennington, American singer and songwriter (1976–2017)
  • Ruby Rose, Australian actress and model (born 1986)
  • Fred Rogers, American television host and author (born 1928)
  • William Hurt, American actor (1950–2022)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1997 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1997 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 28 – North Hollywood shootout: Two heavily armed bank robbers conflict with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department in a mass shootout.
  • March 21 – Liar Liar is released in theaters nationwide, later going on to rank as the 7th highest grossing film of the year.
  • March 24 – The 69th Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, are held at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, with Anthony Minghella's The English Patient winning nine awards out of 12 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. The telecast garners nearly 40.1 million viewers.
More events of 1997 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1997

President

Bill Clinton

Gas (per gallon)

$1.23

Loaf of Bread

$1.00

Average House

$146,000

Weekly Wage

$507

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.

Zendaya1 September 1996Actress & singerView their day →Sydney Sweeney12 September 1997ActressView their day →Charlie Kirk14 October 1993Political activistView their day →Shailene Woodley15 November 1991ActressView their day →Miley Cyrus23 November 1992Singer & actressView their day →Enes Kanter Freedom20 May 1992Basketball playerView their day →Kate Upton10 June 1992Model & actressView their day →Phoebe Bridgers17 August 1994MusicianView 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 →