Some historical events that happened before 1997 are the holocaust the depression princess diana died you could really choose anything like the revolutionary war and the civil war the two world war. Pompeii the first person to climb mt everest and the women's soccer League getting its start. Anything that you are in to like basket ball type in things that happened before 1997 or any date in basketball history and there is a 100% chance that something will come up that interests you.