UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
5 January 1997 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 5 January 1997 was a Sunday.
- Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
- The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Un-Break My Heart” by Toni Braxton.
- 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 5 January is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 5 January 1997 fell in the Year of the Rat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for January is Garnet.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 5 January 1997 was Waning Crescent.
On this day: 5 January
- 1991 Georgian forces enter Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, Georgia, opening the 1991–92 South Ossetia War.
- 1991 Somali Civil War: The United States Embassy to Somalia in Mogadishu is evacuated by helicopter airlift days after the outbreak of violence in Mogadishu.
- 1993 The oil tanker MV Braer runs aground on the coast of the Shetland Islands, spilling 84,700 tons of crude oil.
- 2005 The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, later motivating the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time.
- 2014 A launch of the communication satellite GSAT-14 aboard the GSLV MK.II D5 marks the first successful flight of an Indian cryogenic engine.
Famous people born on January 5
- Suki Waterhouse, English actress, singer-songwriter, and model (born 1992)
- Vinnie Jones, British footballer and actor (born 1965)
- Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman (1946–2025)
- Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer (born 1975)
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.
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
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 →