What happened onMarch 8, 1997Saturday Week 10

Today is September12, 2026 Saturday.

March 8 is a Saturday again in 2003.

About March 8

March 8 Events On this day through the years

Born ?

March 8FamousBirthdays

In loving memoryFamous DeathsMarch 8

The World in 1997 the year Hong Kong went back to China

The first Harry Potter book came out in Britain that summer with a print run of about 500 copies. The series has sold more than 500 million copies since, a million for every book in that first batch.

Life back then

Most homes got online through a modem that tied up the phone line, and pagers buzzed in school hallways. The Spice Girls were on every radio, Beanie Babies filled toy shelves, and phones in Europe were finally small enough to slip into a pocket. Britain came to a stop for Princess Diana's funeral in September, and by Christmas theaters everywhere were packed for Titanic.

The year in 8 events

• 🐑Feb 22 Scientists in Scotland reveal Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
• 🤖May 11 The Deep Blue computer beats chess champion Garry Kasparov in New York. It is the first match a machine has won against a world champion.
• 🏛️Jul 1 Britain returns Hong Kong to China after more than 150 years.
• 💱Jul 2 Thailand lets its currency float and the baht drops fast. The Asian financial crisis spreads across the region.
• 🚀Jul 4 NASA's Pathfinder lands on Mars carrying Sojourner, the first rover to drive on another planet.
• 🕯️Aug 31 Princess Diana dies in a car crash in Paris. Millions mourn worldwide.
• 🌏Dec 11 Countries meeting in Kyoto, Japan agree on the first treaty to cut greenhouse gases.
• 🎬Dec 19 Titanic opens in US theaters. It becomes the biggest movie ever at the box office.

Who Was in Charge?

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