It's been 20 years since...

Twenty years ago it was 1997. Terrifying, no?

Not only were the ’90s two whole decades ago, but actually the end of the nineties was nigh – and people were looking forward to Y2K (and apparently the end of the world too).

Here are twenty things that happened back in ’97 that are guaranteed to make you feel pretty damn ancient.

Bill Clinton was President

And he hadn’t even romanced Monica Lewinsky yet.

The Spice Girls released Spice World

With hits such as Spice up your Life and Stop, this was the girl band of the decade.

Titanic was in cinemas

It’s the year that Rose wouldn’t let Jack on that damn door, even though there was totally enough room for both of them. The actors who played them were practically babies.

Princess Diana died

On August 31st, 1997 to be exact, the beloved Princess Di was killed in a car accident in Paris. The outpouring of grief from around the world was unprecedented, with her funeral watched by 1.5 billion.

Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’ was number one

The former Neighbours star released Torn and it became an international bestseller.

Mike Tyson bit that guy’s ear off

During a match with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson bites his ear, taking a chunk clean off, and is suspended from boxing.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published

The first book in the award winning series hit stands – and was a sell out.

My Best Friend’s Wedding was released

And everyone continued their love affair with Julia Roberts for years to come.

Bird Flu jumps to humans

Hong Kong killed all the chickens within its territory (1.25 million) to stop the spread of the potentially deadly influenza strain known as Avian Flu. At first it was only thought to affect birds but it jumped to humans in 1997.

Michael Hutchence from INXS dies

Australian singer and actor Michael Hutchence, most known for being the lead singer of INXS died age 37 in a hotel room in Sydney. His death was originally reported as a suicide.

Mila Jovovich was our girl crush in The Fifth Element

Her blunt, red-orange crop inspired thousands of wannabes.

We were all watching The Simpsons

Which became the longest running prime time animated series ever that year.

Bittersweet Symphony was the anthem

Britpop band The Verve released single Bittersweet Symphony, that became an anthem for a generation.

We cloned the first mammal

Dolly the sheep was the first cloned mammal ever created.

Beatrice Faumuina first New Zealander to win at World Athletics Championships

In 1997 at the Championships in Athens, Beatrice became the first Kiwi to take home a medal – winning in the Discus throw. She became one of New Zealand’s most loved and succesful athletes, retiring after two decades in sport.

Ellen DeGeneres came out as gay

At a time when being gay was still not widely accepted by many, Ellen DeGeneres came out on the Oprah Winfrey Show – to an audience of 42 million. She was later given a medal by President Obama for her work for LGBTQ rights.