1997 AD to 1998 AD

1997 AD

Israel hand over the city of Hebron to the Palestinians on January 17, 1997 AD. Swiss banks announce creation of a fund to aid the Holocaust victims on February 5, 1997 AD. President of Guyana Cheddi Jagan dies on March 6, 1997 AD. Julius Chan resigns due to the Sandline affair on March 26, 1997 AD. 39 members of the Heaven's Gate commit suicide on March 26, 1997 AD. Tony Blair is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on May 2, 1997 AD. IBM's Deep Blue defeats World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov on May 11, 1997 AD. President of Sierra Leone Ahmad Tejan Kabbah is overthrown by a military coup on May 25, 1997 AD. The United Kingdom transfers sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997 AD. American actor Robert Mitchum dies on July 1, 1997 AD. American actor James Stewart dies on July 2, 1997 AD. The Asian Financial Crisis begins in July 1997 AD. Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace is murdered on July 15, 1997 AD. Mohammad Khatami becomes President of Iran on August 2, 1997 AD. Lady Diana Spencer and her friend Dodi Al-Fayed are killed in a car crash on August 31, 1997 AD. American writer James A. Michener dies on October 16, 1997 AD. Mary McAleese becomes President of Ireland on November 11, 1997 AD. The Kyoto Protocol is adopted by the United Nations on December 1997 AD.

1998 AD

American signer, record producer and politician Sony Bono dies on January 5, 1998 AD. The Lewinsky scandal breaks out on January 17, 1998 AD. The 1998 Winter Olympics are held in Nagano. American actor Lloyd Bridges dies on March 10, 1998 AD. Zhu Rongji is elected Premier of the People's Republic of China on March 17, 1998 AD. The Belfast Agreement is signed on April 10, 1998 AD. The Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot dies on April 15, 1998 AD. American photographer and musician Linda McCartney dies on April 17, 1998 AD. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is opened on May 5, 1998 AD. American singer and actor Frank Sinatra dies on May 14, 1998 AD. Indonesian President Suharto is forced to resign on May 21, 1998 AD. Nigerian military ruler Sani Abacha dies on June 8, 1998 AD. The 1998 US Embassy bombings occur in Tanzania and Kenya on August 7, 1998 AD. Gerhard Schröder wins the German federal elections on September 27, 1998 AD. Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is arrested in the United Kingdom on October 17, 1998 AD. Over 10,000 people are killed in Central America by the Hurricane Mitch between October 29 and November 3, 1998 AD. Hugo Chavez wins the Venezuelan presidential elections on December 6, 1998 AD. The Operation Desert Fox (1998 bombing of Iraq) takes place from December 16 to December 19, 1998 AD. The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur are completed in 1998 AD.