Born in 1997
Turns 29 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1997
1997 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $30.00Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $30.00
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $30.00
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $30.00
Front Page: United States edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1997 · United States
A little history to go with their gift.
Nations adopted the Kyoto Protocol, Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke opened in Japan, and The English Patient won nine Academy Awards. These records place environmental diplomacy alongside Japanese animation and a major film awards season in 1997.
What happened in 1997?
Nations agree the Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Japan on 11 December 1997, creating the first major international framework for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change · U.S. Department of State
Deep Blue wins its rematch with Kasparov.
IBM’s Deep Blue defeated reigning chess champion Garry Kasparov 3½–2½ in their six-game rematch in New York. The win was the first time a computer system had beaten a reigning world champion under standard tournament time controls.
Cassini begins its journey to Saturn.
Cassini and the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe left Cape Canaveral on October 15, 1997, aboard a Titan IVB/Centaur rocket. The spacecraft began a seven-year journey to Saturn.
Pathfinder lands on Mars and deploys a rover
NASA's Mars Pathfinder landed in Ares Vallis on July 4, 1997, carrying the small Sojourner rover.
Firsts and new ideas
The WNBA opens with a game in Inglewood.
The league began play on June 21, 1997, with New York defeating Los Angeles 67–57 at the Great Western Forum. The inaugural game opened the WNBA’s first season, which included 28 regular-season games per team.
Florida wins its first World Series title.
Florida beat Cleveland 3–2 in the 11th inning of Game 7 on October 26, 1997. Edgar Renteria’s single scored Craig Counsell, giving the Marlins their first World Series title in their fifth season.
Number ones and music in 1997
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Elton John's Diana tribute debuts at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Billboard's October 11 Hot 100 placed Elton John's double-sided single at No. 1 on its debut.
Billboard (issue preserved by World Radio History) · uDiscover Music / Universal Music Group
Toni Braxton’s reign reaches nine weeks
In its February 1, 1997, issue, Billboard reported that Un-Break My Heart collected a ninth week at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Prices and everyday money in 1997
United States figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| White pan bread | $0.87 | pound U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; Official Data Foundation / Alioth LLC |
| Whole milk | $2.61 | gallon U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; Basket Report — Grocery Price Index |
| First-class letter postage | 32¢ | one-ounce letter U.S. Postal Service; The Washington Post |
| Federal minimum wage | $5.15 | hour U.S. Department of Labor; The Washington Post / Reuters |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1997 turns 29 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
See milestone birthdays this year