News of the Day: 1997

Friday, June 1, 2001 | 9:29 a.m.

March 12: Hale-Bopp best show of all

Story: The last time Comet Hale-Bopp swung past Earth, Babylonian astronomers were charting the course of the five then-known planets. Now Hale-Bopp is back, billed as the celestial event of the century.

March 27: Victims were part of computer company likened to a cult

Story: The mysterious Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., computer cult who members died in a mass suicide left videotapes announcing their plans, and may have timed their deaths to the approach of the Hale-Bopp comet.

July 4: Pathfinder lands safely on Mars

Story: The Pathfinder, carrying a robot explorer to inaugurate a new era in the search for life on Mars, landed on the red planet today.

July 15: Designer shot near villa

Story: Fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot to death today outside his mansion on South Beach's trendy Ocean Drive in Miami.

Sept. 2: Mourners pay respects to Princess Diana

Story: Mourners for Pricess Diana stood 10 deep in London today while French prosecutors began court proceedings against photographers accused of pursuing her car, then reaching for their cameras rather than lending a hand after it crashed.

Sept. 5: Mother Teresa dies at age 87

Story: Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun whose very name became synonymous with charity for her work with "the poorest of the poor," has died.