09/02/2026
With 2024 marking the momentous occasion where the 1990s officially achieve classic status (comfortably 25 years in the rearview mirror), let’s take a look back at the milestones that made 1997 a cornerstone in the automotive and cultural timeline.
* After 34 years of using air-cooled engines, Porsche takes the bold step of introducing the first water-cooled engines in its fifth generation 911, the 996.
* J.K. Rowling publishes her debut novel, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone (or if you lived in the UK, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone).
* Steve Jobs is named “interim” CEO of Apple. He resigned as CEO in 2011. Long temp job!
* Diana, Princess of Wales is killed in a car crash in Paris. She was 36 years old.
* An updated version of Candle in the Wind is released, written by Elton John as a tribute to his friend, Princess Diana.
* Google.com is registered as a domain name. Can you even remember a time when “google” wasn’t yet a verb?
* Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II officially becoming Sir Paul McCartney.
* The Toyota Camry is officially the best-selling car of the 1997, beating out Ford Ta**us and Honda Accord.
* Beloved nun Mother Teresa dies of a heart attack at the age of 87. Tens of thousands of mourners pay their respects outside the Mother House, where she lived and worked.
* Titanic premieres at the Tokyo Film Festival, sinking their cinematic competition and staying afloat at the top of the box office charts for the next 12 years.
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