In the year 1997
664 Notable deaths
Diana, Princess of Wales
Member of the british royal family; first wife of prince charles (1961–1997).
Born July 1st, 1961 in Sandringham. [ref]
Died August 31st, 1997 at 36 years old in Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (car collision). [ref]
The Notorious B.I.G.
American rapper.
Born May 21st, 1972 in Brooklyn.
Died March 9th, 1997 at 24 years old in Los Angeles (ballistic trauma). [ref]
Mother Teresa
Albanian-indian catholic nun and missionary (1910–1997).
Born August 26th, 1910 in Skopje.
Died September 5th, 1997 at 87 years old in Kolkata (heart failure).
Gianni Versace
Italian fashion designer (1946–1997).
Born December 2nd, 1946 in Reggio Calabria.
Died July 15th, 1997 at 50 years old in Miami Beach.
James Stewart
American actor (1908-1997).
Born May 20th, 1908 in Indiana County. [ref]
Died July 2nd, 1997 at 89 years old in Beverly Hills (cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, thrombosis, pulmonary embolism). [ref]
Andrew Cunanan
American spree killer (1969–1997).
Born August 31st, 1969 in National City.
Died July 23rd, 1997 at 27 years old in Miami Beach Architectural District (ballistic trauma).
Chris Farley
American actor and comedian (1964–1997).
Born February 15th, 1964 in Madison.
Died December 18th, 1997 at 33 years old in Chicago (drug overdose).
John Denver
American singer (1943–1997).
Born December 31st, 1943 in Roswell. [ref]
Died October 12th, 1997 at 53 years old in Monterey (aviation accident).
Dodi Fayed
Princess diana boyfriend (1955–1997).
Born April 17th, 1955 in Alexandria. [ref]
Died August 31st, 1997 at 42 years old in pont de l'Alma (traffic collision).
Jeff Buckley
American musician (1966–1997).
Born November 17th, 1966 in Anaheim.
Died May 29th, 1997 at 30 years old in Memphis (drowning).
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Hawaiian musician (1959-1997).
Born May 20th, 1959 in Honolulu. [ref]
Died June 26th, 1997 at 38 years old in Honolulu (myocardial infarction). [ref]
Michael Hutchence
Australian singer (1960–1997).
Born January 22nd, 1960 in Sydney.
Died November 22nd, 1997 at 37 years old in Double Bay.
Colonel Tom Parker
Dutch entertainment impresario.
Born June 26th, 1909 in Breda.
Died January 21st, 1997 at 87 years old in Las Vegas (stroke).
Jeanne Calment
French supercentenarian, person with the longest confirmed lifespan (1875–1997).
Born February 21st, 1875 in Arles.
Died August 4th, 1997 at 122 years old in Arles (senility). [ref]
Amado Carrillo
Mexican drug lord (1954-1997).
Born December 17th, 1956 in Navolato.
Died July 4th, 1997 at 40 years old in Mexico City (surgical complications). [ref]
Robert Mitchum
American actor (1917-1997).
Born August 6th, 1917 in Bridgeport. [ref]
Died July 1st, 1997 at 79 years old in Santa Barbara (lung cancer). [ref]
Deng Xiaoping
Chinese politician and paramount leader from 1978 to 1989.
Born August 22nd, 1904 in Guang'an. [ref]
Died February 20th, 1997 at 92 years old in Beijing (Parkinson's disease). [ref]
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of qawwali (1948-1997).
Born October 13th, 1948 in Faisalabad.
Died August 16th, 1997 at 48 years old in London (cardiac arrest).
Burgess Meredith
American actor (1907–1997).
Born November 16th, 1907 in Cleveland.
Died September 9th, 1997 at 89 years old in Malibu (melanoma).
Allen Ginsberg
American poet and writer (1926–1997).
Born June 3rd, 1926 in Newark. [ref]
Died April 5th, 1997 at 70 years old in East Village (liver cancer). [ref]
William S. Burroughs
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914–1997).
Born February 5th, 1914 in St. Louis.
Died August 11th, 1997 at 83 years old in Lawrence (myocardial infarction).
Anton LaVerga
Founder of the church of satan, author of the satanic bible (1930-1997).
Born April 11th, 1930 in Chicago.
Died October 31st, 1997 at 67 years old in San Francisco (pulmonary edema).
Gulshan Kumar
Indian film producer.
Born May 5th, 1956 in New Delhi.
Died August 12th, 1997 at 41 years old in Mumbai.
Brian Keith
American actor (1921–1997).
Born November 14th, 1921 in Bayonne.
Died June 24th, 1997 at 75 years old in Malibu (gunshot wound).
Jacques Cousteau
French naval officer who co-invented open circuit demand scuba.
Born June 11th, 1910 in Saint-André-de-Cubzac. [ref]
Died June 25th, 1997 at 87 years old in 17th arrondissement of Paris (acute myocardial infarction). [ref]
Deaths 1 to 25 of 664
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. Washington Irving