Fateful year when Titanic was released

ByNida Faraz

Active in social circles

Dated

January 7, 2023

Fateful year when Titanic was released

Nida Faraz recollects a
signature year

The angle that the Fateful year when Titanic was released was a legendary movie but also many memorable events took place at the same time. To begin with on 19 November, 1997, the now-classic movie ‘Titanic’ was released that became not only the best box office movie of the year but also won 11 Oscars out of 14 nominations. A quarter of a century later, the world still keeps ‘Titanic’ in their hearts and the after-glow of this movie still warms many hearts.

The most shocking and tragic event of 1997 was the death of Princess Diana. On 31 August, the princess and her partner, Dodi Al Fayed, passed away in a terrible car accident in Paris. Princess Diana was a style icon and that summer she had been an absolute sensation with her thigh-high bathing suits. In her short life she had become fashion trend-setter and was emulated globally. Six million British people said goodbye to her along with her children, Prince Harry and Prince William. The British singer and intimate friend of Diana became one of the protagonists of the year thanks to the song he dedicated to Diana at her funeral. The song ‘Candle in the Wind’ was originally written for Marilyn Monroe but the artist adapted it for his friend.

This year also saw the Spice Girls rule the world. In 1997, ‘Say you’ll be there’ was their most famous single. In May of that year, the sixth album of Michael Jackson, ‘Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix’ was released and sold more than 15 million copies. Films like ‘The Game’, ‘Contact’, ‘As Good as It Gets’, and ‘Good Will Hunting’ were total blockbusters. Milla Jovovich in ‘The Fifth Element’ became a cult muse. A year before becoming the famous Carrie Bradshaw in ‘Sex and the City,’ Sarah Jessica Parker made sure everyone knew she was a fashion icon. Her pink slip dress for the Vogue Fashion Awards of that year was a statement piece.

On 1 April, 1997, the first episode of one of the most famous anime series in the entire world aired in Japan. ‘Pokémon’ is still a massive phenomenon. However, the undeniable queen of all queens in the fashion industry in 1997 was Kate Moss. The model was stunning on and off the runway. It was also in the turbulent year of 1997 when the golden Hollywood couple of Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow broke up. The actress would later confess in an interview that she had not been ready for such a commitment. She was 22 and Pitt was 29.

At the beginning of the year, Bill Clinton celebrated his second inauguration as president of the United States. He had won the election against the republican candidate, Bob Dole, by 379 to 159 votes. Popular votes were actually really close: 49.2% for Clinton and 40.7% for Dole. At almost 44, Tony Blair became the youngest Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in nearly two centuries. He surpassed John Major and gave back the power to the Labour Party, after 18 years of Conservative rule. On the first of January, the Ghanaian Kofi Annan was named Secretary-General of the United Nations, replacing the Egyptian Butros Ghali.

After 155 years of being an English colony, the United Kingdom transferred the sovereignty of Hong Kong to China. It was the first of July, 1997. At 21 years old, the ‘tiger’ became the youngest golfer to win the U.S. Masters. The Fight of the Century ended in the most shameful way possible: Mike Tyson was disqualified for biting off a chunk off Evander Holyfield’s ear. The IBM supercomputer took its revenge and managed to win against chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-match chess game: 4-2. TW

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