Gregory DeVictor is a trivia enthusiast who loves to write articles on American nostalgia.

This article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and historical events from the year 1997.

A Look Back at 1997

What are some fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1997?

Diana Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris. CBSNews.com tells us that “Diana was traveling through Paris in a limo with boyfriend Dodi Fayed, the son of an Egyptian millionaire. They were being chased by photographers, and crashed in a tunnel under the Place de l’Alma. Fayed and their driver were killed at the scene. The Princess was rushed to a local hospital, and died after two hours of emergency surgery. She was 36.” An estimated 2.5 billion people around the world watched Diana's funeral. Woolworths closed its remaining stores after more than 100 years in business, and 185,000 UPS Teamsters went on strike for 16 days. The fully restored USS Constitution (aka “Old Ironsides”) celebrated her 200th birthday, and set sail for the first time in 116 years. The U.S. Treasury introduced a redesigned $50 bill to deter counterfeiters. California Proposition 209 ended all forms of affirmative action. Westinghouse Electric Corporation changed its name to CBS and announced that it would move its headquarters from Pittsburgh to New York. Google.com was registered as a domain name. Because of torrential rains throughout the year 1997, many rivers in Europe flooded causing mass destruction to towns and villages. Countries affected were Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Luxembourg was the wealthiest country in the world with an average per capita income of $41,210. Switzerland and Japan were in second and third place respectively. In the year 1997, favorite Halloween costumes included Batman and Robin, Tiger Woods, Garth Brooks (country pop musician), and the Spice Girls. Popular baby names were Michael, Matthew, Christopher, Joshua, Emily, Jessica, Ashley, and Samantha. Fashion trends included denim on denim, chokers and camis, sheer black dresses and skirts, duster coats, leather pants, and white crop tops. Beanie Babies became the latest must-have toys for adults and children. Titanic was the most popular film, The Partner was the best-selling fiction book, and Seinfeld (NBC) was the top TV show. The English Patient won an Oscar for Best Picture, and Frasier (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. The Simpsons became the longest-running animated television series, and the TV sitcom Seinfeld was in its last season. The Green Bay Packers were the Super Bowl Champs, the Florida Marlins won the World Series, and the Detroit Red Wings clinched the Stanley Cup. Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to ever win the Masters History of Golf. Unemployment was 5.4%, inflation averaged 2.5%, and a new home cost $176,000. Median household income was $37,000, and the retail price for a gallon of gas averaged $1.22. Chicken fryers were $1.05 per pound, a gallon of milk cost $1.90, and white bread was $1.17 for a 22-ounce loaf.

Here are the five most popular TV shows from 1997-98:

Seinfeld (NBC) E.R. (NBC) Veronica's Closet (NBC) Friends (NBC) Monday Night Football (ABC)

Here are ten food and beverage trends for the year:

Cosmopolitan - A cocktail that combines vodka, triple sec, cranberry, and lime juice. Sarah Jessica Parker and Sex and the City made it popular. Dippin' Dots Dunkaroos Ellio’s Pizza Linden's Cookies Lunchables Oreo O's Ouch! Gum Red Bull Energy Drink Toaster Strudel

Whether you’re a millennial, a 50-something, or a baby boomer, this article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and history from the year 1997. Find out about popular TV shows, movies, music, famous authors and novels, cool sports facts, and other interesting pop culture trends to get the right mix of questions and answers for your 1990s-themed trivia quiz.

Table of Contents

For easier reading, I have divided this article into the following categories:

Grocery Prices in the Year 1997 History Facts From the USA International News Sports Trivia Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends Computer and Internet History Best-Selling Books Highest-Grossing Films Horror Movies From 1997 Entries Into the National Film Registry Most Popular Television Shows From 1997-98 Broadway Shows That Opened Cool Pop Music Artists Number One Music Hits for the Year Food and Beverage Trivia Famous People Who Died in 1997 America’s Largest Corporations Retailers From 1997 That No Longer Exist Companies and Brands Established

In 1997, General Motors was America’s largest corporation.

1. Grocery Prices in the Year 1997

How much you are paying for groceries in the U.S. depends a great deal on the state where you are living as well as the grocery store where you are shopping.

The most budget-friendly grocery stores in the U.S. are Aldi, Costco, and Walmart.

On the other hand, Cheatsheet.com tells us that Acme (northeast), Giant Eagle (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia), Harris-Teeter (south), Jewel-Osco (midwest), Randall’s (Texas), Shaw’s (New England), and Whole Foods (nationwide) are among the more expensive grocery store chains.

The 10 most expensive states for grocery shopping are Hawaii, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Alaska, New Hampshire, Oregon, New York, and Delaware.

The 10 least expensive states for groceries are Mississippi, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, New Mexico, Michigan, and Nebraska.

Finally, grocery prices in Washington, DC are a whopping 27.7% higher than the national average. DC also tops the country for when it comes to coupon-clipping.

These grocery facts have been made available courtesy of the Morris County Public Library in Whippany, NJ.

Apples: $0.99 per pound Bananas: $0.49 per pound Chicken fryers: $1.05 per pound Coffee: $3.70 per pound Clementines: $5.99 for five pounds Coca-Cola: Six cans for $0.99 Eggs: $1.05 per dozen Grapefruit: Four for $1.00 Ground beef: $0.89 per pound Ground chuck: $1.82 per pound Heinz Ketchup: $0.89 for a 14-ounce bottle Hot dogs: $1.39 for a one-pound package Margarine: $0.49 per pound Milk: $1.90 per gallon Onions: $0.69 for three pounds Oranges: Two dozen for $1.99 Peaches: $0.79 per pound Plums: $0.89 per pound Pork chops: $2.99 per pound Sirloin steak: $2.99 per pound Sliced bacon: $1.29 per pound Sugar: $0.99 for a five-pound bag Tomatoes: $1.31 per pound Tuna: $0.50 per can White bread: $1.17 per loaf

In 1997, the Simpsons became the longest-running prime-time animated television series.

2. History Facts From the USA

In 1997, Bill Clinton was President of the United States and Al Gore was Vice President. The U.S. unemployment rate averaged 5.4%. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased [in 1997] by more than 3 million workers and the unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in the fourth quarter, the lowest level in nearly 28 years. During this sixth year of job market expansion, earnings growth accelerated and real average hourly earnings of private production or nonsupervisory workers posted their largest increases in 21 years.” The rate of inflation was 2.29%. According to the BLS Consumer Price Index, “Purchasing power decreased by 2.29% in 1997 compared to 1996. On average, you would have to spend 2.29% more money in 1997 than in 1996 for the same item. In other words, $1 in 1996 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.02 in 1997.” In 1997, Heinz Catsup cost 89 cents for a 14-ounce bottle, eggs were $1.05 per dozen, and one pound of ground beef cost 89 cents. Chicken fryers were $1.05 per pound, a gallon of milk cost $1.90, and white bread was $1.17 for a 22-ounce loaf. Here were the sticker prices for two best-selling 1997 cars: a Chrysler Concorde cost $17,495.00, and a Plymouth Neon was $11,395.00. The average cost of new car was $16,900. The price for a gallon of gas averaged $1.22. A movie ticket cost $4.59. Median household income was $37,000, and the cost of a new home was $176,000. The average monthly rent was $576.00. The prime rate was 8.5% on March 27, and an ounce of gold cost $287.05. The U.S. population was 267,743,595. The Dow Jones high for the year was 8,250 and the low was 6,300. Federal spending was $1,635.33 billion and the federal debt was $5,498.9 billion. The average inflation rate between 1997 and 2018 was 2.14%. However, college tuition increased at a rate of 5.07% per year during the same period, which was 2.369 times the average inflation rate. In other words, college tuition costing $10,000 in 1997 would cost $28,257.60 in 2018, a difference of $18,257.60. On January 22, Madeleine Albright became the first woman to serve as the U.S. Secretary of State. On January 22, the space shuttle Atlantis safely returned to Earth. Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the first person to be struck by re-entering space debris. On January 22, 1997, Williams was walking through a park when she saw what looked like a shooting star. A little while later, she felt a tap on her shoulder that turned out to be a small piece of burned mesh. Further analysis revealed that the mesh was part of a returning Delta II rocket. On February 28, new FDA rules went into effect for tobacco purchases. According to Corporate.FindLaw.com, “new FDA rules prohibited retailers from selling cigarettes, loose cigarette tobacco, and smokeless tobacco to anyone under age 18, and required retailers to verify by means of photo identification the age of anyone under age 27 who wishes to purchase these products.” On April 8, Microsoft released the beta version of Internet Explorer 4. On July 17, Woolworths closed its remaining stores after more than 100 years in retail. In the late 1950s, the five-and-dime giant “was the largest retailer in the world, with over 5,000 shops across the globe.” On July 21, the fully restored USS Constitution (aka “Old Ironsides”) celebrated her 200th birthday, and set sail for the first time in 116 years. On August 4, 185,000 UPS Teamsters went on strike for 16 days. NewPol.org points out that “The UPS workers’ sixteen-day strike was seen by the public as a fight between ordinary working people and a gigantic multinational, multibillion dollar company greedily demanding concessions from its workers. Millions of ordinary people identified with the strikers, and partly because of that broad if amorphous support, the workers won.” On September 15, Google.com was registered as a domain name. On September 15, Fen-Phen, the weight loss drug, was pulled from the market because of problems relating to heart disease and pulmonary hypertension. On October 20, the Department of Justice announced that Microsoft was in contempt of a 1994 consent decree. Money.CNN.com explains that the DOJ’s antitrust division “charged [that] the nation's largest software company violated the consent decree by trying to use its leverage to require PC manufacturers to license and distribute Microsoft's Internet browser, Internet Explorer along with the company's new operating system Windows 95.” On October 27, a redesigned $50 bill to deter counterfeiters was introduced. AcademicKids.com explains that the new design included “an enlarged and off-center portrait, an enlarged and updated view of the U.S. Capitol on the back, a security thread which glows yellow under ultraviolet light, a numeric ‘50’ which shifts color from black to green when tilted, and a watermark. For those with vision limitations, it includes a large dark ‘50’ on a light background on the reverse of the note.” On November 3, California Proposition 209 ended all forms of affirmative action. The law stated that “The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” On December 1, Westinghouse Electric Corporation changed its name to CBS and announced that it would move its headquarters from Pittsburgh to New York. The LATimes tells us that “The company, founded 111 years ago as a maker of air brakes for trains, is assuming the name of the broadcast TV network it bought two years ago for $5.4 billion. Since then, Westinghouse has moved deeper into radio and TV, spending more than $9 billion to acquire stations.” Alaska had an “insanely” warm December and saw more ground ice melting than usual.

3. International News

On February 5, Japan's Ministry of Finance announced plans “to cut import tariffs on crude oil and most petroleum products.” On January 18, Boerge Ousland of Norway completed the first solo crossing of Antarctica. APNews.com reveals that Boerge “walked and skied alone across interminable ice fields, towing a 400-pound sled. The wind whipped at his back and then slapped him in the face. The temperatures plunged to minus 55. The only human voices he heard came during infrequent two-way radio conversations. That’s the way it was for 1,675 miles and 64 days.” On February 13, Joseph Stiglitz became the Chief Economist of the World Bank. On March 11, Beatle Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. On May 1, Tony Blair was elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and became the UK’s youngest Prime Minister of the 20th century. On July 1, Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule after ceding the island to the British in 1841. History.com explains that “At midnight on July 1, 1997, Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese rule in a ceremony attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. A few thousand Hong Kongers protested the turnover, which was otherwise celebratory and peaceful.” In the early morning hours of August 31, Diana Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi. Cydney Adams of CBSNews.com tells us that “Diana . . . was traveling through Paris in a limo with boyfriend Dodi Fayed, the son of an Egyptian millionaire. They were being chased by photographers, and crashed in a tunnel under the Place de l’Alma. Fayed and their driver . . . were killed at the scene. The Princess was rushed to a local hospital, and died after two hours of emergency surgery. She was 36.” An estimated 2.5 billion people around the world watched Diana's funeral. On September 5, Mother Teresa died in Calcutta at the age of 87. Because of torrential rains throughout 1997, many rivers in Europe flooded causing mass destruction to towns and villages. Countries affected were Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. In 1997, Luxembourg was the wealthiest country in the world with an average per capita income of $41,210. Switzerland and Japan were in second and third place respectively.

4. Sports Trivia

This information has been made available courtesy of Pop-Culture.us. Generally suitable for all age groups, sports questions and answers are a welcome addition to any trivia quiz.

World Series Champions: Florida Marlins NFL Champions: Green Bay Packers NBA Champions: Chicago Bulls Stanley Cup Champs: Detroit Red Wings NCAA Basketball Champions: Arizona U.S. Open Golf: Ernie Ells U.S. Tennis (men/women): Patrick Rafter/Martina Hingis Wimbledon (men/women): Pete Sampras/Martina Hingis Kentucky Derby: Golden Charm

In 1997, flavored vodka became increasingly popular in the United States.

5. Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends

PBS.org explains that pop culture is that loose blend of books, music, fashion and other daily ephemera that contributes to the identity of a society at a particular point in time. In the 1990s, radio, film, television, books, and the internet defined the essence of American pop culture.

In 1997, popular baby names were Michael, Matthew, Christopher, Joshua, Emily, Jessica, Ashley, and Samantha. The average life expectancy at birth was 76.43 years. According to the USDA, 10.7% of a family’s income went to food. The cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad was $1,200,000. Popular Halloween costumes included Batman and Robin, Tiger Woods, Garth Brooks (country pop musician), and the Spice Girls. Fashion trends in 1997 were denim on denim, chokers and camis, sheer black dresses and skirts, duster coats, leather pants, white crop tops, dresses that doubled as nightgowns, and short sleeves over long sleeves. Favorite Christmas gifts included Nintendo 64, Tamagotchi, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Spiceworld by Spice Girls, Spider-Man Web Blaster, Ride-On Batmobile, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Sony PlayStation, Ella Enchanted, and Disney's Hercules. Beanie Babies became the latest must-have toys for adults and children, and people bought armfuls of the $5.00 bean-bag animals. CNN reports that the demand for Hippity, Hoppity, Floppity, Wrinkles, Radar, and Spooky far exceeded supply. Plus, there were more than six dozen different bean-bag animals to collect. The new Barbie doll had a larger waistline, smaller breasts, and more modest clothing. Heartthrobs and fashion icons in 1997 were Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Aniston, Tyra Banks, Drew Barrymore, Victoria Beckham, Sandra Bullock, Melanie Chisholm, Cindy Crawford, Cameron Diaz, Carmen Electra, Geri Halliwell, Elizabeth Hurley, Nicole Kidman, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Elle Macpherson, Princess Diana, Meg Ryan, Claudia Schiffer, and Liv Tyler. Tara Holland of Overland Park, Kansas was crowned Miss America. The Miss USA title was shared between Brook Mahealani Lee of Hawaii and Brandi Sherwood of Idaho. Time Magazine’s "Man of the Year" was Andrew Grove, a Hungarian-American who was a pioneer in the semiconductor industry. At the age of 14, LeAnn Rimes became the youngest person to ever win a Grammy. Back in 1997, the Spice Girls were the biggest pop music phenomenon in the world. HotPress.com confirms that their debut album, released in 1996, was number one on the charts in 19 countries and sold over 24 million copies worldwide. Elton John’s rewritten version of his 1973 single Candle in the Wind sold over 33 million copies. Top-grossing Broadway shows included Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Rent, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Titanic, The King and I, and Cats. At the 69th Academy Awards, which honored the best films of 1996, The English Patient won an Oscar for Best Picture, Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) won an Oscar for Best Director, Geoffrey Rush (Shine) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Frances McDormand (Fargo) won an Oscar for Best Actress. James Cameron’s Titanic, released on December 19, 1997, was the second-highest-grossing film of all time. It won 11 Oscars in 1998. At the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards, Frasier (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Law & Order (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Likewise, John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun) won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and Helen Hunt (Mad About You) won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The cost of a new PC from Compaq and Hewlett-Packard dropped below $1,000 for the first time. At 21 years of age, Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to ever win the Masters History of Golf. TV ads for prescription drugs started showing up everywhere. Who.int explains that "Direct-to-consumer advertising of drugs has been legal in the USA since 1985, but only really took off in 1997 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) eased up on a rule obliging companies to offer a detailed list of side-effects in their infomercials (long format television commercials)." NPR.org adds that "Today, drug companies spend $4 billion a year on ads to consumers. The Nielsen Co. estimates that there's an average of 80 drug ads every hour of every day on American television." The statin drug Lipitor first appeared in the marketplace. Drugs.com tells us that "Lipitor is used to treat high cholesterol, and to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications in people with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or other risk factors such as genetically high cholesterol." ToyFare Magazine, AllRecipes.com, and Maxim all began publishing. WebMD.com came online. On January 3, Bryant Gumbel co-hosted his final Today show on NBC. On January 10, the 4000th episode of Entertainment Tonight was broadcast. On February 9, the 167th episode of The Simpsons aired on Fox, making it the longest-running animated television series. On February 23, an uncensored Schindler’s List was broadcast on NBC to 65 million viewers. On April 15, AOL launched a Japanese version of its Internet online service. On June 26, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book in J.K. Rowling's best-selling series, was published. On August 3, country music singer and songwriter Garth Brooks gave a free concert in New York’s Central Park that was broadcast live on HBO. It was the largest concert ever held in the park, with an estimated audience of one million. On September 25, the ninth and final season of Seinfeld began. In 1997, DVD players, digital cameras, and flavored vodka appeared in the marketplace for the first time.

In 1997, the top three computer companies were Dell, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard.

6. Computer and Internet History

In 1997, the most popular web browsers were Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. NetHistory.com tells us that back in 1997, “Netscape still held 72% of the browser market. But in October 1997, Internet Explorer 4.0 was released and changed the tides of the browser wars. It was faster and it adopted the W3C's published specifications more faithfully than Netscape Navigator 4.0.” There were only about 100,000 websites. The most popular ones were AOL, Yahoo!, Netscape, Microsoft, Geocities, Excite, Infoseek, Lycos, MSN, Digital, Switchboard, ZDNet, Tripod, Webcrawler, Simplenet, Disney, Four11, Real, Prodigy, and Compuserve. Until 1997, most people used dial-up Internet connections “with mighty speeds ranging from 28.8Kbps to 33.6Kbps.” More sophisticated 56k modems didn’t arrive until 1997. You had to disconnect from the Internet so that your mom, dad, cat, mother-in-law, or Uncle Fred could make a phone call. Search engines in 1997 included Yahoo!, WebCrawler, AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, Infoseek, Inktomi, and Ask Jeeves. (No, the venerable Google wasn’t around yet.) In 1997, people began switching from 640×480 to 800×600 screen resolutions. Yahoo Mail was introduced. Macromedia launched Dreamweaver, “a software program for designing web pages,” that featured “a more fully featured HTML web and programming editor.” The video game Constructor was released. Microsoft introduced Office 97. The tech news website Slashdot was launched. On April 8, Microsoft released the beta version of Internet Explorer 4. On March 28, Facebook.com came online. In September, Microsoft released Internet Explorer 4.0. On September 15, Google.com was registered as a domain name. On September 24, Craigslist.com came online. On November 10, Netflix.com came online. In December, Microsoft acquired Hotmail, a free email provider.

7. Best-Selling Books

This book trivia has been made available courtesy of PublishersWeekly.com.

Fiction:

1. The Partner by John Grisham

2. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

3. The Ghost by Danielle Steel

4. The Ranch by Danielle Steel

5. Special Delivery by Danielle Steel

6. Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell

7. The Best Laid Plans by Sidney Sheldon

8. Pretend You Don’t See Her by Mary Higgins Clark

9. Cat & Mouse by James Patterson

10. Hornet’s Nest by Patricia Cornwell

Nonfiction:

1. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

2. Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

4. The Royals by Kitty Kelley

5. Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer

6. Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton

7. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

8. Conversations with God, Book 1 by Neale Donald Walsch

9. Men are From Mars, Women Are from Venus by John Gray

10. Eight Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil, M.D.

In 1997, molten chocolate cake was a crowd-pleaser.

8. Highest-Grossing Films

These fun facts have been made available courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo.com

Titanic Men In Black The Lost World: Jurassic Park Liar Liar Air Force One As Good As It Gets Good Will Hunting Star Wars (special edition) My Best Friend's Wedding Tomorrow Never Dies

9. Horror Movies From 1997

Horror films for the year included Event Horizon, Mimic, Scream 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Relic, Wishmaster, The Night Flier, The Ugly, Campfire Tales, Anaconda, An American Werewolf in Paris, Nightwatch, Alien: Resurrection, Cube, Quicksilver Highway, Bleeders, Cure, The Devil’s Advocate, The Wax Mask, Jack Frost, Hideous!, Trucks, Aberration, The Creeps, Snow White: A Tale of Terror, Office Killer, Troublesome Night, American Vampire, Spawn, and The Eighteenth Angel.

10. Entries Into the National Film Registry

This film trivia has been made available courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Ben-Hur (1925) Cops (1922) Czechoslovakia 1968 (1969) Grass (1925) Harold and Maude (1972) Hindenburg Disaster Newsreel Footage (1937) How the West Was Won (1962) Knute Rockne, All American (1940) Little Fugitive (1953) Mean Streets (1973) Motion Painting No. 1 (1947) Rear Window (1954) Republic Steel Strike Riot Newsreel Footage (1937) Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980) The Big Sleep (1946) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) The Great Dictator (1940) The Hustler (1961) The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra (1927) The Music Box (1932) The Naked Spur (1953) The Thin Man (1934) Tulips Shall Grow (1942) West Side Story (1961) Wings (1927)

James Cameron’s “Titanic,” released on December 19, 1997, was the second-highest-grossing film of all time.

11. Most Popular Television Shows From 1997-98

Seinfeld (NBC) E.R. (NBC) Veronica's Closet (NBC) Friends (NBC) Monday Night Football (ABC) Touched By An Angel (CBS) 60 Minutes (CBS) Union Square (NBC) CBS Sunday Movie (CBS) Frasier (NBC)

12. Broadway Shows That Opened

This information has been made available courtesy of BroadwayWorld.com.

1776, A Doll's House, A View From the Bridge, An American Daughter, Annie, Barrymore, Candide, Dream, Eugene Onegin, Forever Tango, Into the Woods, Ivanov, Jackie, Jekyll & Hyde, King David, London Assurance, Men are from Mars, Women are From Venus, Proposals, Side Show, Stanley, Steel Pier, Street Corner Symphony, The Cherry Orchard, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Gin Game, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Life, The Lion King, The Little Foxes, The Old Neighborhood, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Sunshine Boys, The Three Sisters, The Young Man from Atlanta, Titanic, and Triumph of Love.

13. Cool Pop Music Artists

This music trivia has been made available courtesy of Pop-Culture.us.

Aaliyah, Erykah Badu, Blackstreet, Boyz II Men, Destiny's Child, Dru Hill, Elton John, En Vogue, Faith Evans, Foxy Brown, Hanson, Jagged Edge, Jewel, Keith Sweat, LeAnn Rimes, Lil Kim, Lonestar, Mase, Mariah Carey, Martina McBride, Mase, Matchbox Twenty, MC Lite, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, R. Kelly, Savage Garden, Sheryl Crow, Spice Girls, Sugar Ray, Third Eye Blind, The Wallflowers, Will Smith, Whitney Houston, and Jean Wyclef

14. Number One Music Hits for the Year

These fun facts have been made available courtesy of Pop-Culture.us. Generally suitable for all age groups, music questions are always a welcome addition to any trivia quiz.

December 7, 1996 - February 21, 1997: Toni Braxton, Un-Break My Heart

February 22, 1997 - March 21, 1997: Spice Girls, Wannabe

March 22, 1997 - May 2, 1997: Puff Daddy featuring Mase, Can't Nobody Hold Me Down

May 3, 1997 - May 23, 1997: The Notorious B.I.G., Hypnotize

May 24, 1997 - June 13, 1997: Hanson, MMMBop

June 14, 1997 - August 29, 1997: Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112, I'll Be Missing You

August 30, 1997 - September 12, 1997: The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Mase, Mo Money Mo Problems

September 13, 1997 - October 3, 1997: Mariah Carey, Honey

October 4, 1997 - October 10, 1997: Boyz II Men, 4 Seasons of Loneliness

October 11, 1997 - January 16, 1998: Elton John, Candle in the Wind '97

In 1997, Friends was a popular television sitcom.

15. Food and Beverage Trivia

Here are some foods and beverages that were popular in 1997:

Cosmopolitan - A cocktail that combines vodka, triple sec, cranberry, and lime juice. Sarah Jessica Parker and Sex and the City made it popular. Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal Dippin' Dots Dunkaroos Ellio’s Pizza Fla-Vor-Ice French Toast Crunch Fudge Stripes Gummy Hamburgers Gushers/Fruit Roll-Ups/Fruit By The Foot Handi-Snacks Jell-O Pudding Bites Kudos Linden's Cookies Lunchables Molten chocolate cake - Paula Kashtan tells us that “Known for its warm, runny center, this dessert started popping up on restaurant menus all over the country throughout the '90s, but in 1997 it made its first appearance in the all-time classic Joy of Cooking.” Oreo O's Ouch! Gum Red Bull Energy Drink - A caffeinated soft drink that came to the USA from Europe in 1997. Rice Krispies Treats Cereal Scooby Doo Fruit Snacks Sprinkl'ins Yogurt Toaster Strudel Uncrustables Wonder Balls

16. Famous People Who Died in 1997

Richard Berry composed Louie Louie, a rhythm and blues song. Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered the planet Pluto in 1930. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was an ocean explorer, marine biologist, and co-inventor of the aqualung. Victor Mills was a chemical engineer who improved Duncan Hines cake mixes. Karl August Folkers was a biochemist who was the first to isolate vitamin B12. James Stewart: Actor Robert Mitchum: Actor Chris Farley: Actor Brian Keith: Actor Joanna Moore: Actress Burgess Meredith: Actor Marjorie Reynolds: Actress Toshiro Mifune: Actor Richard Jaeckel: Actor Denver Pyle: Actor Sheldon Leonard: Producer Red Skelton: Writer

In 1997, Beanie Babies were the toy craze of the year.

17. America’s Largest Corporations

General Motors Ford Motor Exxon Walmart General Electric IBM AT&T Mobil Chrysler Altria Group

18. Retailers From 1997 That No Longer Exist

Discovery Channel Store: 1996–2007 Discovery Zone: 1989–1999 Gadzooks: 1983–2005 Imaginarium: ?-1999 KB Toys: 1922–2009 Media Play: 1992–2006 Natural Wonders: 1986–2004 Noodle Kidoodle: 1931–2001 Sam Goody: 1951–2006 Sharper Image: 1977–2008 Steve & Barry's: 1985–2009 Waldenbooks: 1933–2011 Warner Bros. Studio Store: 1991–2001 Zany Brainy: 1991–2001

19. Companies and Brands Established

Startups included Avalon International Breads, Baldacci Family Vineyards, BBC News Online, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Dotdash, Eagle Family Foods Group, EDiets.com, EToys.com, FirstEnergy, MarketWatch, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, Netflix, Overstock.com, Priceline.com, Rakuten, Seattle Public Utilities, Slashdot, Sony Pictures Digital, Swift Air, The Trump Network, United Rentals, Viking Cruises, and Yum! Brands, Inc.

In 1997, Internet Explorer version 4.0 was released.

References

Questions & Answers

Question: How much did houses cost 1997?

Answer: According to Census.gov, in January 1997, the median price of a home in the United States was $145,000. By April 1997, the price had increased to $150,000. In December, the median price had fallen to $145,900.

The “median price” of a home for the month tells us that half the home prices are above the median and half are below. In January 1997, half the home prices were above $145,000 and half were below.

According to Census.gov, in January 1997, the average price of a home in the United States was $171,900. By April 1997, the price had increased to $179,500. In December, the average price had fallen to $175,800.

The “average price” of a home for the month is calculated by adding up the prices of every home in the U.S. and dividing the sum by the total number of homes. For example, suppose there were 100 homes in the U.S. during January 1997. To calculate the average price, you would add up the prices of all 100 homes and divide the sum by 100.

Please note that the price differences are due in part to seasonal adjustments.

© 2018 Gregory DeVictor