Timeline July 1997

Events in July 1997 8

• 1908 – 1997 James Stewart (1908-1997) Died 2 July 1997, aged 89 James Stewart was an American actor known for films including It's a Wonderful Life, Vertigo, and Rear Window. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Philadelphia Story and received an honorary Oscar in 1985. He also served as a decorated bomber pilot during World War II.
• 1917 – 1997 Robert Mitchum (1917-1997) Died 1 July 1997, aged 79 Robert Mitchum was an American actor known for his roles in film noir classics such as Out of the Past and The Night of the Hunter. He appeared in more than 130 films over a five-decade career. He died one day before fellow screen legend James Stewart.
• 1946 – 1997 Gianni Versace (1946-1997) Died 15 July 1997, aged 50 Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer who built one of the world's leading luxury fashion houses. He was shot and killed outside his Miami Beach mansion by spree killer Andrew Cunanan, who died by suicide days later. His sister Donatella took over creative direction of the company.
• 1997 Wimbledon 1997 Men: Pete Sampras · Women: Martina Hingis Hingis won aged 16.
• 1997 Hong Kong returned to China End of 156 years of British rule — "one country, two systems" At midnight on 1 July 1997, sovereignty over Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, ending 156 years of British colonial rule. The handover was governed by the Sino-British Joint Declaration (1984), which guaranteed Hong Kong's capitalist system and civil liberties under "one country, two systems" for 50 years. In 2020, Beijing imposed a national security law that critics said effectively ended this arrangement.
• 1997 Asian financial crisis begins Thailand devalues the baht, triggering regional collapse Thailand floated the baht after depleting foreign currency reserves defending its peg to the US dollar, triggering a wave of currency devaluations across Southeast Asia. The crisis spread to Indonesia, South Korea, and other economies, wiping out billions in market value. It prompted large IMF bailout packages across the region.
• 1997 Mars Pathfinder lands on Mars First successful Mars rover mission, Sojourner NASA's Mars Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars and deployed the Sojourner rover, the first wheeled vehicle to operate on another planet. The mission returned thousands of images and analyzed Martian rocks and soil. It reestablished American interplanetary exploration after a two-decade gap since Viking.
• 1997 Steve Jobs returns to lead Apple Gil Amelio ousted as Apple CEO amid company crisis Apple's board forced out CEO Gil Amelio as the company neared bankruptcy, and cofounder Steve Jobs, who had returned to Apple earlier in the year through its acquisition of NeXT, stepped in as de facto leader. Jobs was formally named interim CEO that September. His return began Apple's turnaround into one of the world's most valuable companies.