Timeline Tuesday 1 July 1997

Events on Tuesday 1 July 1997 2

• 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.
• 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.