1996

1996

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

This article is about the year 1996. For other uses, see1996 (disambiguation).

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century 20th century 21st century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Years:	1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

1996 in variouscalendars

Gregorian calendar	1996 MCMXCVI
Ab urbe condita	2749
Armenian calendar	1445 ԹՎ ՌՆԽԵ
Assyrian calendar	6746
Baháʼí calendar	152–153
Balinese saka calendar	1917–1918
Bengali calendar	1403
Berber calendar	2946
British Regnal year	44Eliz. 2– 45Eliz. 2
Buddhist calendar	2540
Burmese calendar	1358
Byzantine calendar	7504–7505
Chinese calendar	Ất hợiNăm (WoodPig) 4693 or 4486 — to — Bính tử năm (FireRat) 4694 or 4487
Coptic calendar	1712–1713
Discordian calendar	3162
Ethiopian calendar	1988–1989
Hebrew calendar	5756–5757
Hindu calendars
-Vikram Samvat	2052–2053
-Shaka Samvat	1917–1918
-Kali Yuga	5096–5097
Holocene calendar	11996
Igbo calendar	996–997
Iranian calendar	1374–1375
Islamic calendar	1416–1417
Japanese calendar	Heisei8 ( bình thành ８ năm )
Javanese calendar	1928–1929
Juche calendar	85
Julian calendar	Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar	4329
Minguo calendar	ROC85 Dân quốc 85 năm
Nanakshahi calendar	528
Thai solar calendar	2539
Tibetan calendar	Âm mộc heo năm (female Wood-Pig) 2122 or 1741 or 969 — to — Dương hỏa chuột năm (male Fire-Rat) 2123 or 1742 or 970
Unix time	820454400 – 852076799

1996(MCMXCVI) was aleap year starting on Mondayof theGregorian calendar,the 1996th year of theCommon Era(CE) andAnno Domini(AD) designations, the 996th year of the2nd millennium,the 96th year of the20th century,and the 7th year of the1990sdecade.

1996 was designated as:

• International Year for the Eradication of Poverty

Events

January

• January 8– AZaireancargo planecrashes into a crowded marketin the center of the capital city of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo,Kinshasa,killing around 300 people.
• January 9–20– Serious fighting breaks out between Russian soldiers and rebel fighters inChechnya.
• January 11–Ryutaro Hashimoto,leader of theLiberal Democratic Party,becomesPrime Minister of Japan.
• January 13–Italy's Prime Minister,Lamberto Dini,resigns after the failure of all-party talks to confirm him. New talks are initiated by PresidentOscar Luigi Scalfaroto form a new government.
• January 14–Jorge Sampaiois elected President of Portugal.
• January 16– President ofSierra LeoneValentine Strasseris deposed by the chief of defence,Julius Maada Bio.Bio promises to restore power following elections scheduled for February.
• January 19
  • TheNorth Capeoil spilloccurs as an engine fire forces the tugboatScandiaashore on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown,Rhode Island.TheNorth CapeBarge is pulled along with it and leaks 820,000 gallons of home heating oil.
  • AnIndonesianferry sinks off the northern tip ofSumatra,drowning more than 100 people.
• January 20–Yasser Arafatis re-elected president of thePalestinian Authority.
• January 21– France undertakes itslast nuclear weapons test.
• January 22–Andreas Papandreou,Prime Minister of Greece,resigns due to health problems; a new government forms underCostas Simitis.
• January 24– Polish PremierJózef Oleksyresigns amid accusations that he spied forMoscow.He is replaced byWłodzimierz Cimoszewicz.
• January 27– ColonelIbrahim Baré Maïnassaradeposes the first democratically elected President ofNiger,Mahamane Ousmane,in a military coup.
• January 31
  • Colombo Central Bank bombing:an explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the Central Bank inColombo,Sri Lanka,killing at least 86 people and injuring 1,400.
  • An amateur astronomer from southern JapandiscoversComet Hyakutake;it will pass very close to the Earth in March.

February

• February 3– The 6.6 M_w earthquake near Li gian gin South-west China kills up to 322 people, injures 17,000, and leaves 300,000 homeless.
• February 6–Birgenair Flight 301,on a charter flight from theCaribbeantoGermany,crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of theDominican Republic,killing all 189 passengers and crew.
• February 7–René PrévalsucceedsJean-Bertrand Aristideas President ofHaitiin the first peaceful handover of power since the nation achieved independence 192 years earlier, in 1804.
• February 9
  • The elementcoperniciumis created by fusing a²⁰⁸Pbnucleus with a⁷⁰Znnucleus, forming²⁷⁸Cn. Given the placeholder name "ununbium", the element is not named until 2010.
  • AnIRAceasefire ends with theDocklands bombingin London'sCanary Wharf District,killing two people and causing over £85,000,000 worth of damage.
  • Disneyformally finalizes its $19 billion acquisition of theABCparent,Capital Cities/ABC Inc.
• February 10–Bosnian Serbsbreak off contact with theBosniangovernment and with representatives of Ifor, theNATOlocalised force, in reaction to the arrest of several Bosnian Serb war criminals.
• February 14– Violent clashes erupt betweenFilipinosoldiers andVietnamese boat people,as the Filipino government attempts to forciblyrepatriatehundreds of Vietnameseasylum seekers.
• February 15
  • The American Embassy inAthens,Greece,comes under mortar fire.
  • BegumKhaleda Ziais re-elected as Prime Minister ofBangladesh.The country's second democratic election is marred by low voter turnout, due to several boycotts and pre-election violence, which has resulted in at least thirteen deaths.
  • The UK government publishes theScott Report.
• February 17– The 8.2 M_w Biak earthquakestrikes thePapuaprovince of easternIndonesiawith a maximumMercalli intensityof VIII (Severe). A large tsunami followed, leaving 166 people dead or missing and 423 injured.
• February 24–Cubanfighter jetsshoot down two American aircraftbelonging to the Cuban exile groupBrothers to the Rescue.Cuban officials assert that they invaded Cuban airspace.
• February 25– Two suicide bombs inIsraelkill 25 and injure 80;Hamasclaims responsibility.
• February 29
  • Faucett Perú Flight 251en route fromLimato Rodriguez Ballon airport crashes into a mountain nearArequipa;all 123 people on board are killed.
  • At least 81 people drown when a boat capsizes 120 kilometres east ofKampala,Uganda.
  • TheBosnian governmentdeclares the end of theSiege of Sarajevo.
• February:
  • The Cuban government recognises theConcilio Cubanopro-democracy group.

March

• March 1–Iraq disarmament crisis:Iraqi forces refuseUNSCOMinspection teams access to five sites designated for inspection. The teams enter the sites only after delays of up to seventeen hours.
• March 2–1996 Australian federal election:TheLiberal/NationalCoalitionled byJohn Howarddefeats theLaborgovernmentled byPrime MinisterPaul Keating.Howard was sworn in on March 11.
• March 3–José María Aznar,leader of thePopular Party,is elected asPrime Minister of Spain,replacingFelipe González.
• March 3–4– Two suicide bombs explode inIsrael,killing 32 people. TheYahya Ayyash Unitsadmit responsibility, andPalestinianpresidentYasser Arafatcondemns the killings in a televised address. Israel warns of retaliation.
• March 6
  • Mesut YılmazofANAPforms the new government ofTurkey(53rd government).
  • A boat carrying market traders capsizes outsideFreetownharbour inSierra Leone,killing at least 86 people.
  • Chechenrebels attack the Russian government headquarters inGrozny;70 Russian soldiers and policemen and 130 Chechen fighters are killed.
• March 8–Third Taiwan Strait Crisis:Chinabeginssurface-to-surface missiletesting and military exercises offTaiwanesecoastal areas. TheUnited Statesgovernment condemns the act as provocation, and theTaiwanesegovernment warns of retaliation.
• March 9–Jorge Sampaiobecomes the new Portuguese president.
• March 13–Dunblane massacre:Unemployed former shopkeeperThomas Hamiltonwalks into the Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and opens fire, killing sixteen infant school pupils and one teacher before committing suicide.

Summit of the Peacemakers in Sharm el-Sheikh

• March 14– An international peace summit is held inEgyptin response to escalating terrorist attacks in the Middle East.
• March 15–Fokker,a major manufacturer of small sizeaircraft,goesbankruptinNetherlands.
• March 16–Robert Mugabeis re-elected as President ofZimbabwe,although only 32% of the electorate actually voted.
• March 17–Sri Lankawins the Cricket World Cup by beatingAustraliain thefinal.
• March 18– TheOzone Disco Club fireinQuezon City,Philippines,kills 163 people.
• March 22–Sweden's Finance MinisterGöran Perssonbecomes the newPrime Minister of Sweden.
• March 23–Taiwan(Republic of China) holds its first direct elections for president;Lee Teng-huiis re-elected.
• March 24– TheMarcopper mining disasteron the island ofMarinduque,Philippinestakes place.
• March 25– The68th Academy Awards,hosted byWhoopi Goldberg,are held at theDorothy Chandler PavilioninLos AngeleswithBraveheartwinningBest Picture.
• March 26– TheInternational Monetary Fundapproves a $10.2 billion loan toRussiafor economic reform.

April

• April 3
  • ABoeing 737military jet crashes into a mountain north of Dubrovnik, Croatia.All 35 people on board are killed, includingUnited States Secretary of CommerceRon Brown.
  • Burundian Civil War:massacres ofHutusbyTutsisinBurunditake place with more than 450 killed within a few days.
• April 6
  • First Liberian Civil War:fighting breaks out inMonrovia,Liberia,between various rebel factions struggling for power in the country's interrupted civil war. Several foreign nationals leave the nation.
  • Turkishauthorities beginoperation Hawk,a military offensive against rebels from theKurdistan Workers' Partyin south-east Turkey.
• April 9– In a common statement, theEuropean Unionofficially recognises theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia.
• April 11– TheIsraeligovernment launchesOperation Grapes of Wrath,consisting of massive attacks onLebanon,in retaliation for "terrorist attacks", and sparking off a violent series of retaliations.
• April 18–Qana massacre:Over 100Lebanesecivilians are killed after Israel shells theUnited Nationscompound inQana.In reaction, anIslamistgroup inEgyptopens fire on a hotel, killing eighteen Greek tourists and injuring seventeen others.
• April 21– Ageneral electionin Italy proclaims a new center-left government headed byRomano Prodi,replacingSilvio Berlusconi.
• April 24– At the urging ofYasser Arafat,thePalestine Liberation Organizationdrops its clause inPalestinian National Covenantcalling for the removal ofIsrael(→Legitimacy of the State of Israel). The Israeli government responds by dropping a similar clause concerning the existence ofPalestine.
• April 26– Shanghai Five group, predecessor of theShanghai Cooperation Organisation,is created with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions inShanghaiby the heads of states of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
• April 28
  • Port Arthur massacre (Australia):Martin Bryantkills 35 people at thePort Arthurtourist site inTasmania.
  • Bhai Pheru bus bombing:A bomb explodes inBhai Pheru,Punjab,Pakistan,killing more than 60 people.

May

• May –Iraq disarmament crisis:UNSCOM supervises the destruction ofAl-Hakam,Iraq's main production facility of biological warfare agents.
• May 9
  • South Africa'sNational Partypulls out of the coalition government formed two years earlier, and theAfrican National Congressassumes full political control.
  • UgandanpresidentYoweri Museveniwins a landslide victory in the country's first direct presidential elections, securing 75% of the vote.
• May 10
  • 1996 Everest disaster:A sudden storm engulfsMount Everestwith several climbing teams high on the mountain, leaving eight people dead. By the end of the month, at least four other climbers die in the worst season of fatalities on the mountain to date.
  • The Australian government introduces a nationwide ban on the private possession of bothautomaticandsemi-automatic rifles,in response to thePort Arthur massacre.
• May 11– After takeoff fromMiami,a fire started by improperly handledoxygencanisters in the cargo hold ofAtlanta-boundValuJet Flight 592causes theDouglas DC-9to crash in theFlorida Everglades,killing all 110 people on board.
• May 13– Severethunderstormsand atornadoinBangladeshkill 600 people.
• May 17–28–Atal Bihari Vajpayee,leader of theBharatiya Janata Party,is elected asPrime Minister of India,replacingP. V. Narasimha Raoof theIndian National Congress.However, the party does not receive an overall majority and Vajpayee resigns thirteen days later rather than face a no confidence vote and is replaced by theUnited Frontleader,Deve Gowda.
• May 18– TheX Prize Foundationlaunches the $10,000,000Ansari X Prize.
• May 21
  • TheMV Bukobasinks inTanzanianwaters inLake Victoria,killing nearly 1,000 people in one of Africa's worst maritime disasters.
  • SevenTrappistmonks from themonastery of Thibirinearekilledby members of theArmed Islamic GroupinAlgeriaafter talks with French government concerning the imprisonment of several GIA sympathisers break down.
• May 27–First Chechnya War:Russian PresidentBoris Yeltsinmeets withChechnyanrebels for the first time and negotiates a ceasefire for the dispute.
• May 28–Albania'sgeneral electionofMay 26is declared unfair by international monitors, and the rulingDemocratic Partyunder President Muhannad Ibrahim is charged by theOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europewith rigging the elections. Several hundred protestors gather inTiranato demonstrate against the election result.
• May 30– TheLikud Party,led byBenjamin Netanyahu,wins a narrow victory in theIsraeli general election.

June

• June –Iraq disarmament crisis:As Iraq continues to refuse inspectors access to a number of sites, the United States fails in its attempt to build support for military action against Iraq in the UN Security Council.
• June 1–3– The Czech Republic'sfirst general electionends inconclusively. Prime MinisterVáclav Klausand his incumbentCivic Democratic Partyemerge as the winners, but are unable to form a majority government. PresidentVáclav Havelrefuses to invite Klaus to form a coalition.
• June 4– The spacerocketAriane 5explodes forty seconds inits maiden flight,after takeoff inFrench Guiana.The project costs European governments $7,500,000,000 over eleven years.
• June 6–Leighton W. Smith, Jr.resigns asNATOcommander in the face of increasing criticism.
• June 8–30–Englandhosts theUEFA Euro 1996football tournament, which is won byGermany.
• June 11
  • An explosion in aSão Paulosuburban shopping centre kills 44 people and injures more than 100.
  • A peace convoy carryingChechenseparatist leaders and international diplomats is targeted by a series of remotely controlled land mines; eight people are killed.
• June 15– InManchester,UK, anIRA bomb injures over 200 peopleand devastates a large part of the city centre.
• June 28
  • A new government is formed inTurkey,withNecmettin ErbakanofRefah Partisibecoming Prime Minister of the coalition government, and Deputy/Foreign MinisterTansu Çillerof theTrue Path Partysucceeding him after two years.
  • TheConstitution of Ukraineis signed into law.
• June 29
  • The Prince's Trustconcert is held inHyde Park, London,and is attended by 150,000 people.The Whoheadlines the event in their first performance since 1989.
  • An explosion in a firecrackers factory inSichuan Province,China kills at least 52 people and injures 83 others.
• June 30
  • Costas Simitisis elected president of thePanhellenic Socialist Movementof Greece.
  • Bosnian SerbleaderRadovan Karadžićrelinquishes power to his deputy,Biljana Plavšić.

July

• July
  • Iraq disarmament crisis:U.N. InspectorScott Ritterattempts to conduct surprise inspections on the Republican Guard facility at the airport but is blocked byIraqiofficials.
  • TheIndiangovernment officially renames the city of Madras, restoring the nameChennai.
• July 1
  • TheNorthern Territoryin Australia legalises voluntaryeuthanasia.
  • German orthography reform of 1996agreed internationally.
• July 3–Boris Yeltsinisre-electedasPresident of Russiaafter the second round of elections.
• July 5–Dolly the sheep,the firstmammalto be successfullyclonedfrom an adultcell,is born at theRoslin InstituteinMidlothian,Scotland,UK.
• July 11– Arrest warrants are issued forBosnian Serbwar criminalsRadovan KaradžićandRatko Mladićby theRussell TribunalinThe Hague.
• July 12–Hurricane Bertha:made landfall inNorth Carolinaas a Category 2 storm, causing $270 million in damage ($525 million in present-day terms) to the United States and its possessions and many indirect deaths.
• July 16– An outbreak ofE. colifood poisoningin Japan results in 6,000 children being ill, including two deaths, after a group of school children eat contaminated lunches.
• July 17
  • TheCommunity of Portuguese Language Countries(Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa) is constituted.
  • Paris- and Rome-boundTWA Flight 800(Boeing 747) explodes off the coast ofLong Island, New York,killing all 230 people on board.
• July 19
  • The1996 Summer OlympicsinAtlanta,United States, begin.
  • Bosnian SerbPresidentRadovan Karadžićresigns from public office inRepublika Srpskaafter being indicted forwar crimes.
• July 21– TheSaguenay Flood,one of Canada's most costlynatural disasters,is caused by flooding on theSaguenay RiverinQuebec.
• July 22– The firstGethsemani Encountertakes place at theabbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani.This event, hosted by theDIMMID,is the first intermonastic dialogue between Buddhist and Christian monks and is attended by theDalai Lamaand BishopJoseph John Gerry.
• July 24– TheDehiwala train bombingkills 56 commuters outsideColombo.
• July 25– TheTutsi-ledBurundianarmy performs acoupand reinstalls previous presidentPierre Buyoya,ousting current presidentSylvestre Ntibantunganya.
• July 27– TheCentennial Olympic Park bombingat the1996 Summer Olympicsin the United States kills one person and injures 111.

August

The electron microscope reveals chain structures in meteorite fragmentALH84001.

• August
  • The first three-parent baby is conceived in New Jersey throughmitochondrial donation.
  • Theinvasive speciesAsian long-horned beetleis found in New York City.
• August 1
  • Sarah Balabaganreturns to thePhilippines.
  • A pro-democracy demonstration supportingMegawati SukarnoputriinIndonesiais broken up by riot police.
• August 4– The1996 Summer Olympicsconclude.
• August 6–NASAannounces that theAllan Hills 84001meteorite, thought to originate fromMars,may contain evidence of primitive lifeforms; further tests are inconclusive.
• August 7– Heavy rains kill more than 80 campers nearHuesca,Spain.
• August 9–Boris Yeltsinis sworn in at theKremlinfor a second term asPresident of Russia.
• August 13– Data sent back by theGalileospace probeindicates there may bewateron one ofJupiter's moons.
• August 14– A rocket ignited during afireworksdisplay inArequipa,Peruknocks down a high-tension power cable into a dense crowd, electrocuting 35 people.
• August 15–Bob Doleis nominated forPresident of the United States,andJack Kempfor vice president, at theRepublican National ConventioninSan Diego,California.
• August 16–Brookfield Zoo,Chicago.After a 3-year-old boy falls into the 20-foot (6.1 m) deep gorilla enclosure,Binti Jua,a female lowlandgorillasits with the injured boy until his rescue.
• August 21
  • Former State President of South Africa,F. W. de Klerk,makes an official apology for crimes committed underApartheidto theTruth and Reconciliation CommissioninCape Town.
  • In the UK, QueenElizabeth IIissuesletters patenton divorced former wives of British princes, taking away from the ex-wives the attribute and style ofRoyal Highness.With thatSarah, Duchess of Yorkas well asDiana, Princess of Waleslegally cease to be Royals, but they remain as non-royal Duchess and Princess.
• August 23–Osama bin Ladenwrites "The Declaration of Jihad on the Americans Occupying the Country of the Two Sacred Places," a call for the removal of American military forces from Saudi Arabia.
• August 26–David Dellinger,Bradford Lyttle,and nine others are arrested by theFederal Protective Servicewhile protesting in a demonstration at theKluczynski Federal Buildingin downtown Chicago duringthat year's Democratic National Convention.
• August 28– Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are formally divorced at theHigh Court of Justicein London. Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales is restyledDiana, Princess of Wales,due to the Queen'sletters patentissued a week earlier.
• August 29
  • U.S. PresidentBill Clintonand Vice PresidentAl Goreare re-nominated at theDemocratic National ConventioninChicago.
  • A RussianTupolev154 jetlinercrashesinto a mountain as it approaches the airport atSpitsbergen,Norway, killing all 141 people on board.
• August 31–Iraq disarmament crisis:Iraqi forces launch an offensive into the northernNo-Fly Zoneand capture Arbil.

September

The first flag ofAfghanistan under the Taliban controluntil 1997

• September 2– A permanent peace agreement is signed atMalacañang Palacebetween theGovernment of the Philippinesand theMoro National Liberation Front.
• September 3– The United States launchesOperation Desert StrikeagainstIraqin reaction to the attack on Arbil.
• September 4– TheRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombiaattack a military base inGuaviare, Colombia,starting three weeks ofguerrilla warfarethat will claim the lives of at least 130Colombians.
• September 5–Hurricane Franmakes landfall nearCape Fear,North Carolinaas aCategory 3storm with 115 mph (185 km/h) sustained winds. Fran caused over $3 billion in damages ($5.83 billion in present-day terms) and killed 27 people, mainly in North Carolina. The name "Fran" was retired due to the extensive damage.
• September 10–Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty(CTBT) signed (it will be ratified 180 days after ratification by 44 Annex 2 countries).
• September 13–Alija Izetbegovićis elected President ofBosnia and Herzegovinain the country'sfirst electionsince theBosnian War.
• September 20– Leader ofPakistaniopposition partyPakistan Peoples PartyMurtaza Bhuttois killed during a gunfight with police.
• September 22– ThePanhellenic Socialist Movementunder the leadership ofCostas Simitissucceeds in the1996 Greek legislative election.
• September 24– U.S. President Bill Clinton signs theComprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treatyat theUnited Nations.
• September 27– InAfghanistan,theTalibancapture the capital cityofKabul,after driving out PresidentBurhanuddin Rabbaniand executing former leaderMohammad Najibullah.

October

• October 2–Aeroperú Flight 603crashes into the Pacific Ocean when the instruments fail just after takeoff fromLimaAirport, killing all 70 people on board.
• October 6– The government ofNew Zealandagrees to pay $130 million worth of compensation for the loss of land suffered by theMāoripopulation between the years of 1844 and 1864.
• October 22– A fire at La Planta prison in southwestCaracas,Venezuela,kills thirty prisoners.
• October 31–TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402crashes into a densely populated area ofSão Paulo,killing all 96 people on board.

November

• November–Iraq disarmament crisis:UNSCOM inspectors uncover buried prohibited missile parts. Iraq refuses to allow UNSCOM teams to remove remnants of missile engines for analysis outside of the country.
• November 3–Petar Stoyanoviselectedas President ofBulgaria.
• November 5–1996 United States presidential election:IncumbentDemocraticPresidentBill Clintondefeats hisRepublicanchallenger,Bob DoleandReform PartycandidateRoss Perot.
• November 7
  • Acategory 4cyclonestrikesAndhra Pradesh,India, killing at least 1,000 people.
  • NASAlaunches theMars Global Surveyor.
• November 8– All 144 people on board aNigerian-ownedBoeing 727die after the aircraftcrashedinto the Atlantic Ocean while approachingLagosairport.
• November 12–Saudi Arabian AirlinesBoeing 747collides in mid-airwithKazakhstan AirlinesIl-76 in New Delhi, India, resulting in the loss of 349 lives.
• November 17
  • Abomb explodesinKaspiysk,Russia, killing 32 people.
  • Emil Constantinescuiselectedas President ofRomania.
• November 18–Frederick Chilubaisre-electedas President ofZambia.
• November 19
  • Martin Bryant is sentenced to 35 consecutive sentences of life imprisonment plus 1,035 years without parole for murdering 35 people in a shooting spree inTasmaniaearlier this year.
  • Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Organization (CTBTO) established.
  • STS-80:Space Shuttle Columbiaconducts the longest mission of theSpace Shuttle program.
• November 20– The1996 Garley Building fireoccurred inHong Kong,resulting in 41 deaths and 81 injuries.
• November 21– Apropaneexplosion at the Humberto Vidal shoe store and office buildinginSan Juan, Puerto Ricokills 33 people.
• November 23
  • TheRepublic of Angolaofficially joins theWorld Trade OrganizationasAngola.
  • Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961is hijacked, then crashes into the Indian Ocean off the coast ofComorosafter running out of fuel, killing 125.
• November 25– Anice stormstrikes the U.S. killing 26 directly and hundreds more from accidents. A powerful windstorm blastsFloridawith winds gusts up to 90 mph.

December

• December 9–Jerry Rawlingsisre-electedas President ofGhana.
• December 11–Tung Chee-hwais appointed to become the new leader ofHong Kongafter it reverts to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, at the end of a99-year leaseto theUnited Kingdom.
• December 13– Ghanaian diplomatKofi Annanis elected by theUnited Nations Security Councilthe nextSecretary-General of the United Nations.
• December 17– TheTúpac Amaru Revolutionary Movementtakes72 hostages in the Japanese EmbassyinLima,Peru.
• December 25– At least 283 migrants drown in thesinking ofF174nearCapo Passero(Sicily).
• December 27–Talibanforces retake the strategicBagram Air Base,solidifying their buffer zone aroundKabul,Afghanistan.
• December 29–Guatemalaand the leaders of theGuatemalan National Revolutionary Unitysign apeace accordthat ends the 36-yearGuatemalan Civil War.
• December 30– In the Indian state ofAssam,a passenger train is bombed byBodoseparatists, killing 26.

Births

Main page:Category:1996 births

January

Florence Pugh

Helly Shah

Jennie

Marco Asensio

• January 3–Florence Pugh,English actress
• January 6
  • Soufiane El Bakkali,Moroccan steeplechase runner
  • Courtney Eaton,Australian actress
  • Harmanpreet Singh,Indian hockey player
• January 7–Helly Shah,Indian actress
• January 12–Ella Henderson,English singer
• January 15–Dove Cameron,American actress and singer
• January 16
  • Anastasia Grishina,Russian artistic gymnast
  • Jennie,South Korean singer and rapper
• January 17–Nile Wilson,British artistic gymnast
• January 21–Marco Asensio,Spanish footballer
• January 24–Patrik Schick,Czech footballer
• January 31–Joel Courtney,American actor

February

Kelli Berglund

Lucas Hernandez

Sasha Pieterse

Sophie Turner

• February 1–Ahmad Abughaush,Jordanian taekwondo athlete
• February 2–Harry Winks,English footballer
• February 7
  • Aaron Ekblad,Canadian ice hockey player
  • Mai Hagiwara,Japanese singer
• February 9
  • Jimmy Bennett,American actor
  • Kelli Berglund,American actress
  • Chungha,South Korean singer and dancer
• February 11–Lucas Torreira,Uruguayan footballer
• February 13–Muhammad Rian Ardianto,Indonesian badminton player
• February 14
  • Lucas Hernandez,French footballer
  • Viktor Kovalenko,Ukrainian footballer
• February 15–Toshikazu Yamanishi,Japanese race walker
• February 17–Sasha Pieterse,South African-born American actress
• February 20–Mabel,English singer
• February 21
  • Noah Rubin,American tennis player
  • Sophie Turner,English actress
• February 23–D'Angelo Russell,American basketball player
• February 25–Emel Dereli,Turkish shot putter
• February 28–Shi Yuqi,Chinese badminton player

March

Timo Werner

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Myles Turner

• March 1–Ye Shiwen,Chinese swimmer
• March 5–Emmanuel Mudiay,Congolese professional basketball player
• March 6
  • Christian Coleman,American sprinter
  • Timo Werner,German footballer
  • Yan Han,Chinese figure skater
• March 9–Giorgio Minisini,Italian synchronized swimmer
• March 15–Maxwell Jacob Friedman,American professional wrestler
• March 23–Alexander Albon,Thai racing driver
• March 24
  • Valentino Lazaro,Austrian footballer
  • Myles Turner,American basketball player
• March 26–Kathryn Bernardo,Filipina actress
• March 27–Rosabell Laurenti Sellers,Italian-American actress
• March 28
  • Benjamin Pavard,French footballer
  • Xie Siyi,Chinese diver
• March 31–Kira Hagi,Romanian actress

April

Loïc Nottet

Abigail Breslin

Anya Taylor-Joy

Katherine Langford

• April 2
  • Polina Agafonova,Russian figure skater
  • Matheus Santana,Brazilian swimmer
• April 3–Sarah Jeffery,Canadian actress
• April 4–Austin Mahone,American singer-songwriter and actor
• April 9–Giovani Lo Celso,Argentinian footballer
• April 10
  • Andreas Christensen,Danish footballer
  • Thanasi Kokkinakis,Australian tennis player
  • Loïc Nottet,Belgian singer
• April 11
  • Dele Alli,English footballer
  • Summer Walker,American singer
• April 12–Matteo Berrettini,Italian tennis player
• April 14–Abigail Breslin,American actress
• April 15–Edimilson Fernandes,Swiss footballer
• April 16–Anya Taylor-Joy,actress
• April 17–Dee Dee Davis,American actress
• April 22–Wendy Sulca,Peruvian singer
• April 23–Álex Márquez,Spanish motorcycle racer
• April 24–Ashleigh Barty,Australian tennis player
• April 25
  • Mack Horton,Australian swimmer
  • Allisyn Snyder,American actress
• April 28–Tony Revolori,American actor
• April 29–Katherine Langford,Australian actress

May

6ix9ine

Birdy

Normani

• May 2–Julian Brandt,German footballer
• May 3–Alex Iwobi,Nigerian footballer
• May 4
  • Arielle Gold,American snowboarder
  • Pelayo Roza,Spanish sprint canoeist.
• May 8–6ix9ine,American rapper
• May 9
  • Noah Centineo,American actor
  • Mary Mouser,American actress
• May 10–Tyus Jones,American basketball player
• May 11–Andrés Cubas,Argentinian footballer
• May 14–Martin Garrix,Dutch DJ and producer
• May 15
  • Birdy,English singer and songwriter
  • Ilias Ennahachi,Dutch-MoroccanMuay Thaikickboxerand formerONE Flyweight Kickbo xing World Champion
• May 19
  • Chung Hyeon,South Korean tennis player
  • Lakshmi Menon,Indian film actress
• May 18–Yuki Kadono,Japanese snowboarder
• May 23–Katharina Althaus,German ski jumper
• May 30
  • Aleksandr Golovin,Russian footballer
  • Erik Jones,American racing driver
• May 31–Normani,American singer

June

Tom Holland

Rodri

• June 1–Tom Holland,English actor
• June 3–Han Tianyu,Chinese short track speed skater
• June 10–Wen Junhui,Chinese singer and actor
• June 12–Davinson Sánchez,Colombian footballer
• June 13
  • Kingsley Coman,French footballer
  • Kodi Smit-McPhee,Australian actor
• June 15–Aurora,Norwegian singer
• June 16–Lily Zhang,American table tennis player
• June 17–Godfred Donsah,Ghanese footballer
• June 18
  • Alen Halilović,Croatian footballer
  • Ayaka Miyoshi,Japanese actress and model
• June 19–Larisa Iordache,Romanian artistic gymnast
• June 22
  • Hugo Calderano,Brazilian table tennis player
  • Kong Sang-jeong,South Korean short track speed skater
  • Rodri,Spanish footballer
• June 24–Harris Dickinson,English actor, writer, and director
• June 27–Lauren Jauregui,American singer
• June 28
  • Milot Rashica,Kosovar footballer
  • Donna Vekić,Croatian tennis player

July

Adelina Sotnikova

Kendji Girac

Alessia Cara

• July 1–Adelina Sotnikova,Russian figure skater
• July 3–Kendji Girac,French singer
• July 4–Ryoya Kurihara,Japanese baseball player
• July 5–Risa Shōji,Japanese figure skater
• July 7–Mikey Musumeci,AmericanBJJ practitionerand currentONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion
• July 8–Angela Lee,Singaporean-Americanmixed martial artist and formerONE Women's Atomweight World Champion
• July 10–Moon Ga-young,South Korean actress
• July 11
  • Alessia Cara,Canadian singer-songwriter
  • Andrija Živković,Serbian footballer
• July 18–Yung Lean,Swedish rapper and record producer
• July 20–Ben Simmons,Australian basketball player

August

• August 1
  • Arisa Higashino,Japanese badminton player
  • Cymphonique Miller,American actress and singer
• August 2–Simone Manuel,American swimmer
• August 5
  • Francesca Deagostini,Italian artistic gymnast
  • Mai Murakami,Japanese artistic gymnast
• August 10–Jacob Latimore,American actor and singer
• August 12–Arthur,Brazilian footballer
• August 14–Brianna Hildebrand,American actress
• August 16–Caeleb Dressel,American swimmer
• August 18–Jonathan Di Bella,Italian-Canadiankickboxerand currentONE Strawweight Kickbo xing World Champion
• August 19
  • Almoez Ali,Sudanese-Qatari footballer
  • Laura Tesoro,Belgian singer and actress
• August 21–Jasmine Camacho-Quinn,Puerto Rican hurdler
• August 24–Kenzō Shirai,Japanese gymnast
• August 27
  • Femke Van den Driessche,Belgian cyclist found guilty of mechanical doping
  • Ebru Topçu,Turkish footballer
• August 28–Kim Se-jeong,South Korean singer and actress
• August 30
  • Gabriel Barbosa,Brazilian footballer
  • Chen Dequan,Chinese short track speed skater

September

Zendaya

Lili Reinhart

• September 1–Zendaya,American actress and singer
• September 3–Joy,South Korean singer and actress
• September 5–Sigrid,Norwegian singer
• September 9–Jaïro Riedewald,Dutch footballer
• September 12
  • Joshua Cheptegei,Ugandan long-distance runner
  • Colin Ford,American actor
• September 13–Lili Reinhart,American actress
• September 17
  • Duje Ćaleta-Car,Croatian footballer
  • Esteban Ocon,French racing driver
  • Ella Purnell,English actress
  • Slayyyter,American singer-songwriter
• September 19–Steve Wijler,Dutch archer
• September 23
  • Lee Hi,South Korean singer-songwriter
  • Evgeny Rylov,Russian swimmer
• September 25–Mie Nielsen,Danish swimmer
• September 27–Maxwel Cornet,French-Ivorian footballer
• September 28–Michael Ronda,Mexican actor and singer

October

Lewis Capaldi

Bella Hadid

Ella Balinska

• October 3–Kelechi Iheanacho,Nigerian footballer
• October 4–Ella Balinska,English actress
• October 7–Lewis Capaldi,Scottish singer-songwriter
• October 8–Sara Takanashi,Japanese ski jumper
• October 9
  • Jacob Batalon,American-Filipino actor
  • Bella Hadid,American model
• October 10–Oscar Zia,Swedish singer and songwriter
• October 12–Vitória Strada,Brazilian actress
• October 13
  • Joshua Wong,Hong Kong student activist and politician
  • Đỗ Mỹ Linh,Vietnamese model
• October 15–Zelo,Korean singer
• October 17–Cansu Özbay,Turkish volleyball player
• October 20–Anthony Sinisuka Ginting,Indonesian badminton player
• October 24
  • Jaylen Brown,American basketball player
  • Kyla Ross,American gymnast
• October 28–Lee June-hyoung,South Korean figure skater
• October 30–Devin Booker,American basketball player

November

Lil Peep

Lorde

• November 1
  • Sean Gelael,Indonesian racing driver
  • Lil Peep,American rapper (d.2017)
  • Daniela Melchior,Portuguese actress
  • Jeongyeon,South Korean singer
• November 4–Michael Christian Martinez,Filipino figure skater
• November 7
  • André Horta,Portuguese footballer
  • Lorde,New Zealand singer-songwriter
• November 9
  • Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên,Vietnamese swimmer
  • Momo Hirai,Japanese singer and dancer
• November 11
  • Adam Ounas,French-born Algerian footballer
  • Tye Sheridan,American actor
• November 14–Borna Ćorić,Croatian tennis player
• November 16
  • Brendan Murray,Irish singer
  • Jan Zieliński,Polish tennis player
• November 17–Ruth Jebet,Bahraini long-distance runner
• November 18
  • Akram Afif,Qatari footballer
  • Noah Ringer,American actor
  • Sorn,South Korean-based singer
• November 19
  • Liliána Szilágyi,Hungarian swimmer
  • Krystsina Tsimanouskaya,Belarusian sprinter
• November 20–Denis Zakaria,Swiss footballer
• November 21–Gina Lückenkemper,German sprinter
• November 22–Hailey Bieber,American model and socialite
• November 23
  • James Maddison,English footballer
  • Anna Yanovskaya,Russian ice dancer
• November 26–Louane Emera,French singer and actress
• November 29–Gonçalo Guedes,Portuguese footballer

December

Wilfred Ndidi

Kaitlyn Dever

Hailee Steinfeld

• December 4–Daria Svatkovskaya,Russian artistic gymnast
• December 6–Stefanie Scott,American actress and singer
• December 7–Gabrielle Thomas,American sprinter
• December 10
  • Joe Burrow,American football player
  • Kang Daniel,South Korean singer
  • Ayano Sato,Japanese speed skater
  • Jonas Vingegaard,Danish cyclist
• December 11
  • Eliza McCartney,New Zealand track and field athlete
  • Hailee Steinfeld,American actress, model and singer
• December 14–Li Zijun,Chinese figure skater
• December 15–Oleksandr Zinchenko,Ukrainian footballer
• December 16–Wilfred Ndidi,Nigerian footballer
• December 17–Elizaveta Tuktamysheva,Russian figure skater
• December 19–Franck Kessié,Ivorian footballer
• December 21–Kaitlyn Dever,American actress
• December 28–Alfred Kipketer,Kenyan middle-distance runner
• December 29
  • Dylan Minnette,American actor, singer and musician
  • Sana,Japanese singer

Deaths

Main article:Deaths in 1996

Nobel Prizes

• Physics–David M. Lee,Douglas D. Osheroff,Robert C. Richardson
• Chemistry–Robert Curl,Sir Harold Kroto,Richard Smalley
• Medicine–Peter C. Doherty,Rolf M. Zinkernagel
• Literature–Wisława Szymborska
• Peace–Carlos Filipe Ximenes BeloandJosé Ramos-Horta
• Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel–James Mirrlees,William Vickrey

Right Livelihood Award

• Herman Daly,TheCommittee of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia,Kerala Sasthra Sahithya ParishadandGeorge Vithoulkas

External links

• 1996 Year in Review–CNN