By the Numbers in 1997
World Population
—
UK Life Expectancy
58.7 years
US Life Expectancy
59.1 years
Gold Price (per oz)
$304.78
Dow Jones Index
8,377
US National Debt
—
Sovereign Nations
187
How Much Did Things Cost in 1997?
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £68,000 | $124,000 |
| Average salary | £17,800 | $36,000 |
| Pint of milk | 32p | $0.63 |
| Loaf of bread | 62p | $0.80 |
| Dozen eggs | £1.16 | $1.17 |
| Pint of beer | £1.55 | $2.70 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | £2.60 | $1.23 |
| Cinema ticket | £3.50 | $4.59 |
Technology and Inventions in 1997
The internet was now mainstream, with millions going online via dial-up. Nokia's 6110 became the must-have mobile phone, complete with Snake. Deep Blue defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov. WiFi standards were being developed, though years from consumer use.
- ● IBM's Deep Blue defeats world chess champion Garry Kasparov
- ● Netflix founded as a DVD-by-mail service
- ● AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) launched
- ● Nokia 6110 released, popularising Snake
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