Flashback 1997

What the world looked like the year we graduated. Every item below comes from the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

Top songs of 1997

Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1997, top 10.

1. "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" — Elton John
2. "You Were Meant for Me" / "Foolish Games" — Jewel
3. "I'll Be Missing You" — Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112
4. "Un-Break My Heart" — Toni Braxton
5. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" — Puff Daddy featuring Mase
6. "I Believe I Can Fly" — R. Kelly
7. "Don't Let Go (Love)" — En Vogue
8. "Return of the Mack" — Mark Morrison
9. "How Do I Live" — LeAnn Rimes
10. "Wannabe" — Spice Girls

Top 10 films released in 1997 by worldwide gross (Box Office Mojo, via Wikipedia).

Nielsen's highest-rated prime-time series of the 1996–97 season (rank / rating).

1. ER (21.2)
2. Seinfeld (20.5)
3. Suddenly Susan (17.0)
4. Friends (16.8, tie)
4. The Naked Truth (16.8, tie)
6. Fired Up (16.5)
7. Monday Night Football (16.0)
8. The Single Guy (14.1)
9. Home Improvement (14.0)
10. Touched by an Angel (13.6)

Events from 1997 in the United States.

Jan 26 — Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots 35–21 in Super Bowl XXXI.
Apr 15 — Jackie Robinson's number 42 is retired across all of Major League Baseball.
May 27 — A tornado hits Jarrell, Texas, killing 27 people.
Jun 28 — Mike Tyson bites part of Evander Holyfield's ear during their rematch in Las Vegas.
Jul 4 — NASA's Pathfinder probe lands on Mars.
Jul 16 — The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 8,000 for the first time.
Aug 13 — South Park airs its first episode on Comedy Central.
Aug 29 — Netflix is founded as a DVD-by-mail rental business.
Sep 15 — The domain google.com is registered.
Oct 26 — The Florida Marlins defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.
Dec 19 — Titanic premieres in U.S. theaters.

Official U.S. figures for 1997.

First-class stamp: 32¢ (rate in effect January 1, 1995 – January 9, 1999) — USPS
Federal minimum wage: $4.75/hour, rising to $5.15 on September 1, 1997 — U.S. Department of Labor
Regular gasoline: $1.20/gallon U.S. average for 1997 ($1.199) — U.S. Energy Information Administration