Pg… 9 What Happened to 1997: Yada yada yada: The birth of beanie babies, the death of Joe Camel and the frenzy over Marv Albert's back–biting

Pg… 24 The Big Picture: What a Year! A robot car on Mars, floods on earth, a computer chess champ and a new way to make sheep.

Pg… 68 Where Have All the Babies Gone? A journey to places where young mothers have done the unthinkable photography by Jan Staller essay by Barbara Ehrenreich

Pg… 80 Strong Women: Celebrating a new breed of warriors, photography by Joe McNally.

Pg… 90 Spaceman of the Year: In a LIFE exclusive, the American astronaut who survived more than four months on Mir recounts his space odyssey – and his family's trials on earth

Pg… 100 Tribute: all of them inspire us – someone loved, others with awe. To each, we bid a fond farewell: James Stewart, Mother Teresa, Jacques Cousteau, Allen Ginsberg, Willem de Kooning, Gianni Versace, Charles Kuralt, Betty Shabazz, Ben Hogan, Princess Diana and more… : Cover: photography by Terence Donovan/Camera Press/Retna