United States in 1997
You were born in 1997 — Tamagotchis were forbidden at school, Cartoon Network was golden, Titanic wrecked every emotion, and Candle in the Wind made the whole world cry.
💰 How much things cost in 1997
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1.23 USD/gallon | verified (U.S. EIA) |
| Cinema ticket | ~4.59 USD | estimate |
| Coffee | ~0.95 USD | estimate |
| Ice cream | ~1.10 USD (scoop) | estimate |
Currency: USD
🎵 The music of 1997
The song of the year: Elton John – Candle in the Wind 1997 (Billboard Year-End Hot 100 #1)
Other songs people listened to in 1997:
- Meredith Brooks – Bitch
- Jewel – You Were Meant for Me
- Hanson – MMMBop
- Puff Daddy & Faith Evans – I'll Be Missing You
- Notorious B.I.G. – Mo Money Mo Problems
- Matchbox 20 – 3 AM
- Sarah McLachlan – Building a Mystery
- Fiona Apple – Criminal
- Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
📺 TV, cinema and pop culture
Cartoons: Johnny Bravo / Dexter's Lab / Hey Arnold! / Rugrats (on Cartoon Network / Nickelodeon). Cartoon Network was in full golden age. Nickelodeon was equally powerful. The great cartoon wars were at peak.
TV series: Seinfeld S8 / Friends S4 — Thursday nights on NBC were untouchable.
At the cinema: Titanic — 'I'm the king of the world!' 3 hours 14 minutes. Nobody left early.
Person of the moment: Jack Dawson (DiCaprio) — every girl wanted him, every boy wanted to be him
The cult toy: Tamagotchi (US launch May 1997) / Nintendo 64. Tamagotchi arrived in the US and immediately got banned from schools. A small egg that died if you ignored it. Peak 90s.
👗 Fashion and snacks
Fashion: Spice Girls aesthetic: platform sneakers, crop tops, colorful everything. Girl Power.
Snacks: Surge, Gushers, Dunkaroos, Ring Pops, Lunchables, Fruit by the Foot
📰 What happened in 1997
Event of the year: Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash. Hong Kong returned to China. Tiger Woods wins Masters at 21.
Sport: Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers beat New England Patriots 35-21. Desmond Howard returns kick for TD.
💻 Technology and everyday life
Tech news: Netflix founded (DVD-by-mail). DVD launches in US. Deep Blue (IBM) defeats Kasparov at chess.
The gadget to have: Tamagotchi (US launch 1997) / Nintendo 64 peak / DVD players
How people communicated: Princess Diana died August 31. Elton John's tribute song broke all sales records.
How people listened to music: Titanic hit theaters in December 1997 and Celine Dion owned the world.
The weekend: Titanic. Men in Black. Air Force One. Good Will Hunting. The Full Monty. Outstanding year.
📵 What didn't exist yet in 1997
- Google (Sept 1998)
- cell phones for teens widely
- YouTube (2005)
- Facebook (2004)
- Spotify (2008)
🎯 Guess the year — Every day a new mystery year from United States. You have 5 guesses: every miss reveals another clue.
More years from the 1990s
Main sources: EIA, Billboard, NATO