Olaf Kopvillem, Estonian-Canadian conductor and composer (b. 1926)
Olaf Kopvillem (1 November 1926 – 23 July 1997) was a prominent Estonian World War II refugee. Having settled in Canada, he engaged in the organisation of Estonian exile activities there, and is known for his numerous humorous covers of well-known songs.
Kopvillem was born in Kiviõli, Estonia. As a high school student, he joined Eesti Omakaitse and was recruited in the German army, come World War II. In 1944, he emigrated to Germany and later to Canada, where he graduated from Sir George Williams University majoring in chemistry.
Kopvillem headed Montreal Estonian female choir, and was for almost 20 years the leader of Montreal Estonian mixed choir. He also taught at Vikerlased, a folk music group.
He died in Burlington, Ontario, Canada or 23 July 1997 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, of Parkinson's disease.
1997Jul, 21
Olaf Kopvillem
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Events on 1997
- 19Jan
Hebron
Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city. - 21Jan
Newt Gingrich
The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395-28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined. - 5Feb
The Holocaust
The so-called Big Three banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a $71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families. - 2Jun
Oklahoma City bombing
In Denver, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died. He was executed four years later. - 1Jul
Tony Blair
China resumes sovereignty over the city-state of Hong Kong, ending 156 years of British colonial rule. The handover ceremony is attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.