Historical eventMay 171997

Laurent-Désiré Kabila

Troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In context

When
Saturday, May 17 199729 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1990s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1997.

Type: human.

What happened

Troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.

May 17 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 19951995 San Diego tank rampage
  2. 1997First Congo War
  3. 1997Laurent-Désiré Kabila
  4. 20002000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence
  5. 2000Arsenal F.C.
  6. 2004Massachusetts
  7. 2004Same-sex marriage
  8. 2006USS Oriskany
  9. 2007North Korea
  10. 2010Pamir Airways Flight 112
  11. 20142014 Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force An-74 crash

Also in 1997

  • May 11Deep Blue (chess computer)Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in six games to become the first chess computer to win a match against a world champion.
  • September 11NASANASA's Mars Global Surveyor reaches Mars.
  • September 11Kurkse tragedyKurkse tragedy: Fourteen Estonian soldiers of the Baltic Battalion are drowned or die of hypothermia during a training exercise in the Ku…
  • September 111997 Scottish devolution referendumAfter a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom.
  • September 13German Air ForceA German Air Force Tupolev Tu-154 and a United States Air Force Lockheed C-141 Starlifter collide in mid-air near Namibia, killing 33.
  • September 14Howrah–Ahmedabad Superfast ExpressEighty-one killed as five bogies of the Ahmedabad–Howrah Express plunge into a river in Bilaspur district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
  • September 18Ted TurnerUnited States media magnate Ted Turner donates US$1 billion to the United Nations.
  • September 18Ottawa TreatyThe Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is adopted.

Everything we record for 1997 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Laurent-Désiré Kabila”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/laurent-desire-kabila-1997-may-17, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Laurent-Désiré Kabila happen?

May 17 1997 — 29 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.