You began a new generation today. Of the countless number of people who preceded you on this earth and the countless who will follow, you are a unique person unlike any other person who has ever lived. Like you, your birthdate is also unlike any other day in the history of the world. To commemorate this day, here is a record of what America and the world were like and some of the many events that happened on the special day when you began your adventure in life.

Wednesday, May 7, 1997, the U.S. is 220 years old, a union of fifty states… Democrat Bill Clinton is the President… The economy continues to expand with both inflation and unemployment low, and stocks are on one of the longest bull runs in history… Use of improper campaign financing in the 1996 Presidential election overshadow the GOP Congress and President's effort to solve the nation's problems of education, balancing the budget, and saving Medicare… Trial for the Oklahoma City bombing is now underway…

FBI chief Louis Freeh says he has urged Attorney General Janet Reno to seek an independent counsel to investigate Democratic fund-raising abuses in 1996 presidential race… Prosecutors laid the groundwork to prove their claim that Timothy McVeigh used a telephone calling card under a false name to shop for materials to make the bomb that destroyed Oklahoma City federal building… Regulators approve a landmark overhaul of domestic telephone charges that they said will lower costs for residential and business customers who make plenty of long-distance calls…

Stocks retreat from recent record highs as the Dow Jones industrial average plunges 139.67 points to close at 7,085.65…

Both NBA and NHL playoffs are underway… In baseball, Baltimore Orioles have best record in AL at 21-9… Atlanta Braves have the best record in NL at 23-9…

Encouraging trends include lower divorce rate; elderly living longer; importance of religion increasing; and two-parent families are on the rise… First class postage is 32 cents… Median price for home is $115,200… Population is 266 million and is increasing by 2.3 million yearly…

A tenuous peace between Israelis and Palestinians has erupted into violence due to Israeli decision to build Jewish settlements in the city of Jerusalem… Russia, once the center of world power Soviet Union, is now in the process of trying to re-invent itself as a democracy… Riots in Albania threaten to turn into anarchy… More civil war in Zaire…

President Clinton's Middle East peacemaker arrives in Israel to launch a new bid to revive peace talks paralyzed by nearly two months of crisis… Hundreds of civilians and soldiers were reported killed as Zairian rebels pushed ever closer to Kinshasa… U.S. President Clinton called for an expansion of free trade across the Americas, saying the United States' NAFTA partnership with Mexico and Canada had been a big success… U.S. and South Korea say they do not plan to give large-scale food aid to famine-hit North Korea until the Communist government agrees to open peace talks…

World population in 5.6 billion and is increasing by 90 million yearly…

FDA approves the Nicotrol Inhaler, a nicotine inhalation system for people trying to quit smoking who want an alternative to nicotine and chewing gum… Research shows that elderly people given six times the recommended daily requirement of vitamin E bolstered immune systems without adverse effects…

Notables born on this date include Johannes Brahms, 1833, German composer, and Edwin Land, 1909, inventor of the Polaroid camera… On this day in history in 1847, the American Medical Association is founded in Philadelphia, and in 1915, the Lusitania is torpedoed by a German submarine, killing 139 Americans, and bringing the U.S. and Germany close to war…

National and International: Peace between Palestinians and Israelis breaks down… An animal is cloned for first time… O.J. Simpson found guilty in civil suit… Sports: Colorado Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup… Atlanta hosts XXVI Summer Olympics… Chicago Bulls win 4th NBA title in six years… Florida is the top team in college football and Arizona wins the NCAA title… Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XXXI… New York Yankees win 1996 World Series…

The nonfiction best sellers: Kids are Punny: Jokes Sent by Kids to The Rosie O'Donnell Show by Rosie O'Donnell, Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt, and Underboss by Peter Mass… Fiction: The Partner by John Grisham, The Ranch by Danielle Steel, and Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark…

Adult Contemporary Single: "For The First Time" by Kenny Loggins… "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G. Heads Rap, R&B and Hot 100 charts… Top country hit is "One Night At A Time" by George Strait… The top rock track is "One Away" by The Offspring…

Broadway: Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Grease, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Rent, Victor/Victoria, Beauty and the Beast… Top movies: "Breakdown," "Liar, Liar," "Austin Powers International Man of Mystery," "Volcano," "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion…"

ABC: "Grace Under Fire," "Ellen," "Coach," "PrimeTime Live," "Drew Carey Show…" NBC: "Law & Order," "Wings," "NewsRadio," "Men Behaving Badly," "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno… CBS: "The Nanny," "Dave's World," a movie, "Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac," "Late Show" with David Letterman… Fox: "Pacific Palisades" and "Beverly Hills 90210…"

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