On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 1997, the world population was approximately 5,924,787,816 people[†]
1997John Collins, American basketball player[†]
John Martin Collins III is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Collins was selected with the 19th pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2017 NBA draft.
1997Natalie Savage Carlson, American author (born 1906)[†]
Natalie Savage Carlson was an American writer of children's books. For her lifetime contribution as a children's writer, she was United States nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1966.
Portrait 1080 × 1920 PNG · created on your device
Clyde Haberman NYC column contends that Rev Al Sharpton's legal attempts to have judge declare runoff against Ruth W Messinger in his bid for Democratic nomination for Mayor is proving that he does not have unity of his party as his main goal (M)
Plans to build minor-league baseball stadium in popular waterfront park in Newark were scrapped last week, but community groups that fought proposal are pressing on with efforts to have park named a state historic landmark (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)
Newark Teachers Union files follow-up complaint with Federal Department of Education, accusing Newark school district of continuing to violate Federal laws barring discrimination against handicapped students (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)
Gina Kolata on rise and fall of the 'miracle' weight-loss drugs fenfluramine and phentermine, a drug combination that became wildy popular drug after study of only 121 patients and had to be withdrawn from market because of indications that it might cause heart valve damage; case raises question of limitations of current methods of evaluating drug safety and speaks to willingness of some doctors, who see a quick flow of ready cash free from constraints of managed care, to lure patients who will do almost anything to lose weight; case also raises questions about Food and Drug Administration's standards for approving diet drugs as well as about way that drugs are monitored after they are on market (M)
Dow Jones industrial average gains 79.56 points, or 1 percent, to 7,996.83, as technology issues continue to rise; Nasdaq composite index is up 9.09 points, to record 1,689.45; technology companies have skyrocked, largely because of robust sales of personal computers, sharply higher profit margins and steady stream of news suggesting technology will rule stock market roost for some time to come; Pacific Stock Exchange Technology Index gains 1.6 percent, while Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rises 2.7 percent; graphs (L)
Pres Clinton says he is confident that neither he nor his campaign broke 'letter of the law' in fund-raising during 1996 campaign, and defends legality of his actions and those of Vice Pres Al Gore; vows to cooperate fully with Justice Department; Sen Fred Thompson, chairman of Senate Governmental Affairs Committee investigating illegal campaign financing, says disclosures point to need for independent counsel; says purview of independent counsel would almost certainly be wider than narrow legal issue of whether fund-raising calls made by either Clinton or Gore violated Federal law barring solicitation on Federal property (M)
Renaissance cathedral in Turin, Italy, housing the Shroud of Turin, one of Roman Catholicism's most revered and controversial relics, is to reopen in November after being damaged in a fire last April; Lahti Symphony Orchestra in Finland records two previously unrecorded works by Jean Sibelius on eve of 40th anniversary of his death; recording is part of orchestra's project to record all of Sibelius's work (M)
Barbara Bailey Kennelly announces she will leave Congress after 18 years to try to unseat Connecticut Gov John G Rowland; Kennelly, who as vice chairwoman of House Democratic Caucus, is fourth-ranking Democrat in House of Representatives; photo (M)
Growing number of scientists contends that Sun's fickleness might rival human pollution as a factor in climatic change; note that in last decade or so various kinds of solar variations, such as sunspots, flares and seasons of storms, have begun to be tied to climate shifts on Earth; some research suggests that Sun's variability could account for virtually all of global warming measured to date; other experts dismiss possibility of such an influence; drawings; graph (L)
When Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani's re-election campaign was fined $220,000 last week for accepting excessive contributions, left unscathed were those who gave money; while it is illegal for candidates to accept contributions that exceed limit, it is perfectly legal for people to make them, even if sums are vastly more than law allows (M)
AT THE MET -- Placido Domingo and, in the title role, Denyce Graves performed in ''Carmen'' last night before an audience at the Metropolitan Opera that included President and Mrs. Clinton. B6. TENSIONS REVISITED -- Residents of the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn said the arrests of three white teen-agers in the beating of black man rekindled memories of racial tensions that once split Red Hook and Carroll Gardens. B3.
Burlington County man Louis Albert Campbell strangles his wife Jackie while their two young daughters are home, delivers children to a relative and later commits suicide by shooting himself in head (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)