1996 CE

At the urging of Yasser Arafat, the Palestine Liberation Organization drops its clause in Palestinian National Covenant calling for the removal of Israel (→ Legitimacy of the State of Israel). The Israeli government responds by dropping a similar clause concerning the existence of Palestine. Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, is born at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland, UK. Bob Dole is nominated for President of the United States, and Jack Kemp for vice president, at the Republican National Convention in San Diego, California.

In the 1990s, the 20th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • February 5 – The Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) was founded.Burkina Fasosource
  • March 2 – 1996 Australian federal election: The Liberal/National Coalition led by John Howard defeats the Labor government led by Prime Minister Paul Keating. Howard was sworn in on March 11.source
  • March 3 – José María Aznar, leader of the Popular Party, is elected as Prime Minister of Spain, replacing Felipe González.source
  • March 6 – Mesut Yılmaz of ANAP forms the new government of Turkey (53rd government).source
  • March 22 – Sweden's Finance Minister Göran Persson becomes the new Prime Minister of Sweden.source
  • April 9 – In a common statement, the European Union officially recognises the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.source
  • April 21 – A general election in Italy proclaims a new center-left government headed by Romano Prodi, replacing Silvio Berlusconi.source
  • April 24 – At the urging of Yasser Arafat, the Palestine Liberation Organization drops its clause in Palestinian National Covenant calling for the removal of Israel (→ Legitimacy of the State of Israel). The Israeli government responds by dropping a similar clause concerning the existence of Palestine.source
  • April 26 – Shanghai Five group, predecessor of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, is created with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions in Shanghai by the heads of states of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.source
  • May 9 – South Africa's National Party pulls out of the coalition government formed two years earlier, and the African National Congress assumes full political control.source
  • 26 May – Democratic Rally won 20 of the 56 seats in the parliament following parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was 92.9%.Cyprussource
  • May 28 – Albania's general election of May 26 is declared unfair by international monitors, and the ruling Democratic Party under President Muhannad Ibrahim is charged by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe with rigging the elections. Several hundred protestors gather in Tirana to demonstrate against the election result.source
  • May 30 – The Likud Party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, wins a narrow victory in the Israeli general election.source
  • June 1–3 – The Czech Republic's first general election ends inconclusively. Prime Minister Václav Klaus and his incumbent Civic Democratic Party emerge as the winners, but are unable to form a majority government. President Václav Havel refuses to invite Klaus to form a coalition.source
  • June 28 – A new government is formed in Turkey, with Necmettin Erbakan of Refah Partisi becoming Prime Minister of the coalition government, and Deputy/Foreign Minister Tansu Çiller of the True Path Party succeeding him after two years.source
  • June 30 – Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić relinquishes power to his deputy, Biljana Plavšić.source
  • June 30 – Costas Simitis is elected president of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Greece.source
  • July 3 – Boris Yeltsin is re-elected as President of Russia after the second round of elections.source
  • July 19 – Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadžić resigns from public office in Republika Srpska after being indicted for war crimes.source
  • The Indian government officially renames the city of Madras, restoring the name Chennai.source
  • September 13 – Alija Izetbegović is elected President of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the country's first election since the Bosnian War.source
  • September 14 – 1996 Bosnian general election took place.Bosnia and Herzegovinasource
  • September 22 – The Panhellenic Socialist Movement under the leadership of Costas Simitis succeeds in the 1996 Greek legislative election.source
  • September 22: Levon Ter-Petrosyan wins the presidential elections in Armenia.Armeniasource
  • September 24 – U.S. president Bill Clinton signs the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the United Nations.source
  • October 4 – In Almaty, Kazakhstan, Russia and four other Central Asian countries adopted a declaration expressing concern regarding the conflict in Afghanistan, assessing it as a direct threat to the Commonwealth of Independent States.Afghanistansource
  • November 5 – 1996 United States presidential election: Incumbent Democratic President Bill Clinton defeats his Republican challenger, Bob Dole and Reform Party candidate Ross Perot.source
  • November 18 – 1996 Zambian general election: Frederick Chiluba is re-elected President.Zambiasource
  • December 11 – Tung Chee-hwa is appointed to become the new leader of Hong Kong after it reverts to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, at the end of a 99-year lease to the United Kingdom.source
  • December 29 – Guatemala and the leaders of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity sign a peace accord that ends the 36-year Guatemalan Civil War.source
  • 7th - Presidential and parliamentary elections held.Ghanasource
  • 15 & 29 December – Parliamentary elections were held in the country.Gabonsource

Conflict & Security

  • February 9 – An IRA ceasefire ends with the Docklands bombing in London's Canary Wharf District, killing two people and causing over £85,000,000 worth of damage.source
  • February 10 – Bosnian Serbs break off contact with the Bosnian government and with representatives of IFOR, the NATO localised force, in reaction to the arrest of several Bosnian Serb war criminals.source
  • February 14 – Violent clashes erupt between Filipino soldiers and Vietnamese boat people, as the Filipino government attempts to forcibly repatriate hundreds of Vietnamese asylum seekers.source
  • February 15 – Begum Khaleda Zia is re-elected as Prime Minister of Bangladesh. 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.source
  • February 24 – Cuban fighter jets shoot down two American aircraft belonging to the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Cuban officials assert that they invaded Cuban airspace.source
  • 25 February – Ashkelon bus station bombing: Killing two Israelis. Hamas claims responsibility for the bombing.Palestinesource
  • February 29 – The Bosnian government declares the end of the Siege of Sarajevo.source
  • March 1 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi forces refuse UNSCOM inspection teams access to five sites designated for inspection. The teams enter the sites only after delays of up to seventeen hours.source
  • March 3–4 – Two suicide bombs explode in Israel, killing 32 people. The Yahya Ayyash Units admit responsibility, and Palestinian president Yasser Arafat condemns the killings in a televised address. Israel warns of retaliation.source
  • March 13 – Dunblane massacre: Unemployed former shopkeeper Thomas Hamilton walks into the Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and opens fire, killing sixteen infant school pupils and one teacher before committing suicide.source
  • 18-20 March - 6th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary PartyLaossource
  • April 3 – Burundian Civil War: massacres of Hutus by Tutsis in Burundi take place with more than 450 killed within a few days.source
  • April 6 – First Liberian Civil War: fighting breaks out in Monrovia, Liberia, between various rebel factions struggling for power in the country's interrupted civil war. Several foreign nationals leave the nation.source
  • April 11 – The Israeli government launches Operation Grapes of Wrath, consisting of massive attacks on Lebanon, in retaliation for "terrorist attacks", and sparking off a violent series of retaliations.source
  • April 28 – Port Arthur massacre (Australia): Martin Bryant kills 35 people at the Port Arthur tourist site in Tasmania.source
  • April 1996: Several hundred armed North Korean troops cross repeatedly into the Demilitarized Zone.North Koreasource
  • May 10 – The Australian government introduces a nationwide ban on the private possession of both automatic and semi-automatic rifles, in response to the Port Arthur massacre.source
  • May 27 – First Chechnya War: Russian president Boris Yeltsin meets with Chechnyan rebels for the first time and negotiates a ceasefire for the dispute.source
  • July 25 – The Tutsi-led Burundian army performs a coup and reinstalls previous president Pierre Buyoya, ousting current president Sylvestre Ntibantunganya.source
  • July 27 – Indonesian government forces attacked the head office of the Indonesian Democratic Party, which was being occupied by supporters of recently ousted party leader Megawati Sukarnoputri.Indonesiasource
  • Iraq disarmament crisis: U.N. Inspector Scott Ritter attempts to conduct surprise inspections on the Republican Guard facility at the airport but is blocked by Iraqi officials.source
  • August 1 – A pro-democracy demonstration supporting Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia is broken up by riot police.source
  • August 21 – Former State President of South Africa, F. W. de Klerk, makes an official apology for crimes committed under Apartheid to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Cape Town.source
  • August 31 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi forces launch an offensive into the northern No-Fly Zone and capture Arbil.source
  • 31 August – at the request of the Kurdistan Democratic Party leadership, Iraqi troops captured the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan held city of Erbil and the Battle of Erbil took place as part of the Kurdish Civil War.Iraqsource
  • The invasive species Asian long-horned beetle is found in New York City.source
  • August - Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam, travels to Libya to receive the Gadhafi Human Rights Award.Libyasource
  • September 27 – In Afghanistan, the Taliban capture the capital city of Kabul, after driving out President Burhanuddin Rabbani and executing former leader Mohammad Najibullah.source
  • December 7 – A United Nations 10-seater Beechcraft airplane carrying Tajik opposition leader Sayid Abdulloh Nuri and seven other Tajik passengers from Mashhad, Iran to Taloqan, Afghanistan was intercepted by Taliban aircraft and forced to land in Shindand.Afghanistansource
  • December 17 – The Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement takes 72 hostages in the Japanese Embassy in Lima, Peru.source
  • December 27 – Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram Air Base, solidifying their buffer zone around Kabul, Afghanistan.source
  • 18–25 July – The LTTE initiates Operation Unceasing Waves, following a series of losses in the Jaffna Peninsula. The LTTE launches an attack on Mullaitivu. The Sri Lankan Army is defeated with 1,242 army soldiers dead, and hundreds captured and executed. It has also been reported that others were found dead with their corpses clutching onto white flags.Sri Lankasource

Exploration & Expansion

  • August 16 – Brookfield Zoo, Chicago. After a 3-year-old boy falls into the 20 ft deep gorilla enclosure, Binti Jua, a female lowland gorilla sits with the injured boy until his rescue.source
  • 3 September – The third phase of the Tampines Expressway opens. More roads are planned for upgrading and widening, including on stretches of the Pan Island Expressway and East Coast Parkway, the PIE/TPE flyover and Upper Bukit Timah Road. The ERP system is still being tested.Singaporesource
  • 23 September - The section of the A1 motorway between Irrgarten and Kirchberg opens, completing the motorway and also the south-eastern bypass of Luxembourg City.Luxembourgsource
  • December 3 – In Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the local Department for Promoting the Good and Suppressing the Bad issued a directive prohibiting taxi drivers from giving rides to women wearing chadors.Afghanistansource
  • 10 December – The Oil-for-Food Programme implementation begins with the first Iraqi oil export.Iraqsource
  • 15 December – The opening of the Representative Office in Taipei for the Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission on Economic and Cultural Cooperation in Taipei.Taiwansource
  • December 15 – The Zambia Open golf tournament becomes part of the Sunshine Tour for the first time. It is won by Desvonde Botes of South Africa.Zambiasource
  • Banco Caboverdiano de Negocios established in PraiaCape Verdesource
  • 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualificationJordansource

Religion & Belief

  • April 3 – About 1,000 Muslim clergymen elect Taliban leader Mohammed Omar as amir al-momineen (commander of the faithful), denouncing Rabbani as unfit to lead the Islamic nation.Afghanistansource
  • July 22 – The first Gethsemani Encounter takes place at the abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani. This event, hosted by the DIMMID, is the first intermonastic dialogue between Buddhist and Christian monks and is attended by the Dalai Lama and Bishop Joseph John Gerry.source
  • 5 November – Saintly wins the Melbourne Cup giving Bart Cummings his 10th win as a trainer.Australiasource
  • 1 December – The establishment of the Council of Aboriginal Affairs.Taiwansource
  • 6 December – A series of events are held marking the 500th anniversary of the expulsion of Jews from Portugal by Manuel I. Speaking in the National Assembly, President Jorge Sampaio describes the 1496 expulsion as "iniquitous act with deep and disastrous consequences", and joins Dan Tichon, the Speaker of the Knesset in Israel, and leaders of the Portuguese Catholic Church in a session of prayers at the Lisbon Synagogue.Portugalsource
  • Trillium Book Award French: Nancy Vickers (Canadian writer), Le Pied de Sappho and Alain Bernard Marchand, Tintin au pays de la ferveurCanadasource
  • The founding of the West Bank settlement of Modi'in Illit.Israelsource
  • Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tunku Naquiyuddin (Regent)Malaysiasource
  • Best Male Vocalist: Jon Toogood – ShihadNew Zealandsource

Economy & Finance

  • January 31 – Colombo Central Bank bombing: an explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the Central Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing at least 86 people and injuring 1,400.source
  • 2 February – The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is formed from a merger between the Marine Department (under the then Ministry of Communications), National Maritime Board and the Regulatory departments of the former Port of Singapore Authority (PSA). This helps to streamline maritime operations.Singaporesource
  • February 9 – Disney formally finalizes its $19 billion acquisition of the ABC parent, Capital Cities/ABC Inc.source
  • March 15 – Fokker, a major manufacturer of small size aircraft, goes bankrupt in Netherlands.source
  • March 26 – The International Monetary Fund approves a $10.2 billion loan to Russia for economic reform.source
  • 30 May: The airline Baires Fly is established.Argentinasource
  • August - The United States announced sanctions on companies with greater than $40 million (USD) annual investments in Libya or Iran, despite objections from Germany, France, Canada, and the European Union.Libyasource
  • 16 September over 25,000 residents of Facatativá, Cundinamarca protest over after many received increased energy bills, with rate increases as high as 300%.Colombiasource
  • 28 October – The Eritrean Investment and Development Bank (EIDB) was established.Eritreasource
  • 5 November – Starting with a base of 350 points, the share price index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange rose as high as 3,648.75 points. The following day it started falling and it came down to 462 points in May 1999. The crash left millions of investors penniless.Bangladeshsource
  • December 3 – Ehsanullah Ehsan, the chairman of the Taliban's Central Bank, declared most Afghani notes in circulation to be worthless and cancelled the contract with the Russian firm that had been printing the currency since 1992. Ehsan accused the firm of sending new shipments of Afghani notes to ousted president Burhanuddin Rabbani in northern Takhar Province.Afghanistansource
  • December 10 – The Supreme Court rejects a petition from the Presidential Commission on Good Government to keep five individuals appointed to the 15-member board of directors of the San Miguel Corporation, allowing former Marcos crony Danding Cojuangco to regain his shares, including the company, which were sequestered by the government after the 1986 ouster of president Ferdinand Marcos.Philippinessource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • 1 January – The inauguration of the new Penghu Great Bridge in Penghu County.Taiwansource
  • April 1 – The Halifax Regional Municipality encompassing the City of Halifax, the City of Dartmouth, the Town of Bedford, and the Municipality of the County of Halifax is formed in Nova Scotia, Canada.source
  • 17 April – President Ion Iliescu and prime minister of Canada Jean Chretien inaugurate the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant.Romaniasource
  • July 5 – Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, is born at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland, UK.source
  • 3 August – A widespread power outage in Peninsular Malaysia began at 5:17pm. The states of Peninsular Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya, Johor, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan lost power for several hours. A transmission line near Sultan Ismail Power Station in Paka, Terengganu tripped at 5:17pm causing all power stations in Peninsular Malaysia to collapse resulting in a massive power failure. Supply was back to normal by 11:00pm. After this blackout, utility giant Tenaga Nasional's stock fell considerably.Malaysiasource
  • August 21 – In the UK, Queen Elizabeth II issues letters patent on divorced former wives of British princes, taking away from the ex-wives the attribute and style of Royal Highness. With that Sarah, Duchess of York as well as Diana, Princess of Wales legally cease to be Royals, but they remain as non-royal Duchess and Princess.source
  • August 28 – Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are formally divorced at the High Court of Justice in London. Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales is restyled Diana, Princess of Wales, due to the Queen's letters patent issued a week earlier.source
  • 24 September – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorize the opening of an exit in the Arab Quarter of Jerusalem for the Western Wall Tunnel, which prior Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres had instructed to be put on hold for the sake of peace. This sparked violent riots throughout the West Bank and northern Gaza Strip. Over the subsequent three days, 16 Israeli soldiers and about 60 Palestinians were killed in the riots.Palestinesource
  • 1 October - Radio station Belfast CityBeat begins broadcasting.Northern Irelandsource
  • 2 December – The Government announced the building of Terminal 3 in Changi Airport to handle more passengers, with completion initially targeted by 2004. However, several crises have delayed the project, which started operating on 9 January 2008. An airport hotel is also considered for travellers, which is ultimately built as Crowne Plaza Changi Airport.Singaporesource
  • December 4 – In Kabul, Afghanistan, Radio Shariat (Radio Islamic Law) announced that women should be covered from head to foot.Afghanistansource
  • The Eritrean Telecommunication Services Corporation was founded.Eritreasource

Science & Discovery

  • 1 January – The old laminated NRICs are no longer valid for identification in Singapore.Singaporesource
  • January 31 – An amateur astronomer from southern Japan discovers Comet Hyakutake; it will pass very close to the Earth in March.source
  • February 9 – The element copernicium is created by fusing a 208 Pb nucleus with a 70 Zn nucleus, forming 278 Cn. Given the placeholder name "ununbium", the element is not named until 2010.source
  • February 15 – The UK government publishes the Scott Report.source
  • 8 April – SES launches its sixth satellite, Astra 1F.Luxembourgsource
  • June 3/14 – Habitat II (conference)Turkeysource
  • June 4 – The space rocket Ariane 5 explodes forty seconds in its maiden flight, after takeoff in French Guiana. The project costs European governments $7,500,000,000 over eleven years.source
  • July 1 – German orthography reform of 1996 agreed internationally.source
  • 2 July – A new version of Malaysian Ringgit RM 2 notes was introduced.Malaysiasource
  • August 1 – Sarah Balabagan returns to the Philippines.source
  • August 1 – Mabuhay, moves to its new orbital slot. Mabuhay satellite, previously named Palapa B-2P, was acquired by Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corporation on an earlier date this year. Mabuhay became one to be owned by a Filipino entity.Philippinessource
  • August 6 – NASA announces that the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite, thought to originate from Mars, may contain evidence of primitive lifeforms; further tests are inconclusive.source
  • August 13 – Data sent back by the Galileo space probe indicates there may be water on one of Jupiter's moons.source
  • 2 September – President Samper announces that Ecopetrol has discovered oil in Medina, Cundinamarca.Colombiasource
  • November 7 – NASA launches the Mars Global Surveyor.source
  • 7 November – The opening of Taipei Astronomical Museum in Shilin District, Taipei City.Taiwansource
  • November 19 – Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) established.source
  • November 19 – STS-80: Space Shuttle Columbia conducts the longest mission of the Space Shuttle program.source
  • Alternative rock group Plastilina Mosh is founded.Mexicosource

Health & Medicine

  • January 22 – Andreas Papandreou, Prime Minister of Greece, resigns due to health problems; a new government is formed under Costas Simitis.source
  • 30 January – President Samper calls a special Congress into session and admits that money tied to drug trafficking aided his 1994 election campaign, but insists he was deceived. He demands that Congress investigate the situation and himself to determine responsibility.Colombiasource
  • February 27 – Pokémon Red & Green Versions release in Japan for the Game Boy.source
  • 5 March – The Singapore Gamma Knife Centre is officially opened. The centre, a privately owned facility, uses gamma knife for brain surgeries, resulting in less pain than conventional brain surgery, as well as a much safer alternative.Singaporesource
  • 10 May – Prime Minister John Howard announces new gun control measures, which involve the banning of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, self-loading rifles, shotguns and pump-action shotguns, as well as tightening of other gun laws. A nationwide register will be established, along with requirements for a genuine reason for owning, possessing or using a firearm, minimum standards for storage and mail order sales controls.Australiasource
  • July 1 – The Northern Territory in Australia legalises voluntary euthanasia.source
  • July 16 – An outbreak of E. coli food poisoning in Japan results in 6,000 children being ill, including two deaths, after a group of school children eat contaminated lunches.source
  • July 16 – An outbreak of E. coli food poisoning in Sakai City resulted in 6309 schoolchildren and 92 school staff members from 62 municipal elementary schools falling ill.Japansource
  • August 7 – Heavy rains kill more than 80 campers near Huesca, Spain.source
  • The first three-parent baby is conceived in New Jersey through mitochondrial donation.source
  • October 22 – A fire at La Planta prison in southwest Caracas, Venezuela, kills thirty prisoners.source
  • November 17 – A bomb explodes in Kaspiysk, Russia, killing 32 people.source
  • The national government bans José Ramos-Horta of Indonesia, a Timorese independence leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, from entering the country. It is the second time he has been banned since 1994.Philippinessource
  • Municipality of São Miguel established from part of the municipality of Tarrafal on the island of SantiagoCape Verdesource
  • Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996Indiasource
  • Best Songwriter: Mark Tierney / Paul Casserly / Anthony Ioasa - Sweet Disorder (Strawpeople)New Zealandsource

Crime & Justice

  • March 27 - Egyptian hijackers commandeer an Egyptian passenger flight in Luxor and land it in Martubah, Libya, demanding a meeting with world leaders. The hijackers released the 152 passengers unharmed and surrendered to the Libyan military.Libyasource
  • 20 April - Robert Dunlop, after an accident in 1994, returns to race in the Cookstown 100, taking ninth place in the 125cc race won by brother, Joey Dunlop.Northern Irelandsource
  • June 2 – 1996 Spanish Grand PrixSpainsource
  • 9 June – Italy's Alberto Elli wins the 1996 Tour de Luxembourg.Luxembourgsource
  • July 11 – Arrest warrants are issued for Bosnian Serb war criminals Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić by the Russell Tribunal in The Hague.source
  • August 13 – Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, an Indonesian journalist, was attacked at his house by two unidentified assailants. He died three days later.Indonesiasource
  • August 16–25: Five athletes from Armenia competed at the 1996 Summer Paralympics.Armeniasource
  • August 26 – David Dellinger, Bradford Lyttle, and nine others are arrested by the Federal Protective Service while protesting in a demonstration at the Kluczynski Federal Building in downtown Chicago during that year's Democratic National Convention.source
  • 30 August – Around 500 guerrillas belonging to the Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC) attack Las Delicias military base in Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo. During the attack, 27 National Army soldiers die, 60 are kidnapped, and 16 are wounded. 12 FARC members are also killed and 25 are injured.Colombiasource
  • 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 in Tasmania earlier this year.source
  • Kuwaiti general election, 1996Kuwaitsource

Disasters & Accidents

  • 4 February – LAC Colombia Flight 028: A flight from Líneas Aéreas del Caribe (LAC), a Colombian airline, crashes near a soccer field in Mariano Roque Alonso, Paraguay, killing 4 people on board and 18 people on the ground, mostly children.Colombiasource
  • February 6 – Birgenair Flight 301, on a charter flight from the Caribbean to Germany, crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Dominican Republic, killing all 189 passengers and crew.source
  • 8 February – BirgenAir accident 189 deathsTurkeysource
  • February 29 – At least 81 people drown when a boat capsizes 120 kilometres east of Kampala, Uganda.source
  • 4 March – Dizengoff Center suicide bombing: A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a bomb outside the Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv's largest shopping mall, killing 20 and wounding 75 others, including children celebrating the Jewish Purim holiday.Israelsource
  • March 6 – A boat carrying market traders capsizes outside Freetown harbour in Sierra Leone, killing at least 86 people.source
  • March 18 – The Ozone Disco Club fire in Quezon City, Philippines, kills 163 people.source
  • March 24 – The Marcopper mining disaster on the island of Marinduque, Philippines takes place.source
  • April 3 – A Boeing 737 military jet crashes into a mountain north of Dubrovnik, Croatia. All 35 people on board are killed, including United States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown.source
  • April 28 – Bhai Pheru bus bombing: A bomb explodes in Bhai Pheru, Punjab, Pakistan, killing more than 60 people.source
  • May 10 – 1996 Everest disaster: A sudden storm engulfs Mount Everest with 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.source
  • May 11 – After takeoff from Miami, a fire started by improperly handled oxygen canisters in the cargo hold of Atlanta-bound ValuJet Flight 592 causes the Douglas DC-9 to crash in the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board.source
  • May 21 – The MV Bukoba sinks in Tanzanian waters in Lake Victoria, killing nearly 1,000 people in one of Africa's worst maritime disasters.source
  • June 15 – In Manchester, UK, an IRA bomb injures over 200 people and devastates a large part of the city centre.source
  • June 29 – An explosion in a firecrackers factory in Sichuan Province, China kills at least 52 people and injures 83 others.source
  • 15 July – The 1996 Belgian Air Force Hercules accident at Eindhoven Airport resulted in the death of 34 passengers.Netherlandssource
  • 16 July – A bus ferrying a group of factory workers and their families on a holiday excursion plunged into a 120m-deep ravine at km 1 of the Genting Sempah–Genting Highlands Highway near the Genting Highlands Resort, killing 17. Six were children.Malaysiasource
  • July 17 – Paris- and Rome-bound TWA Flight 800 (Boeing 747) explodes off the coast of Long Island, New York, killing all 230 people on board.source
  • 24 July – A train is bombed in Dehiwala, killing 42 and wounding 400. The LTTE was claimed responsible for the attack, placing suitcase bombs in four carriages on a commuter train.Sri Lankasource
  • August 14 – A rocket ignited during a fireworks display in Arequipa, Peru knocks down a high-tension power cable into a dense crowd, electrocuting 35 people.source
  • August 29 – A Russian Tupolev Tu-154 jetliner crashes into a mountain as it approaches the airport at Spitsbergen, Norway, killing all 141 people on board.source
  • October 2 – Aeroperú Flight 603 crashes into the Pacific Ocean when the instruments fail just after takeoff from Lima Airport, killing all 70 people on board.source
  • November 8 – All 144 people on board a Nigerian-owned Boeing 727 die after the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while approaching Lagos airport.source
  • November 12 – Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 collides in mid-air with Kazakhstan Airlines Il-76 in New Delhi, India, resulting in the loss of 349 lives.source
  • November 20 – The 1996 Garley Building fire occurred in Hong Kong, resulting in 41 deaths and 81 injuries.source
  • November 21 – A propane explosion at the Humberto Vidal shoe store and office building in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 33 people.source
  • November 23 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is hijacked, then crashes into the Indian Ocean off the coast of Comoros after running out of fuel, killing 125.source
  • November 25 – An ice storm strikes the U.S. killing 26 directly and hundreds more from accidents. A powerful windstorm blasts Florida with winds gusts up to 90 mph.source
  • December 3 – A fire, considered the largest in Lipa, Batangas, hits an entire purok, caused by an explosion in a public market and resulting to massive damages.Philippinessource
  • December 6 – A Russian military airplane transported the body of former Afghan President Babrak Karmal to Mazari Sharif to be buried.Afghanistansource
  • December 25 – At least 283 migrants drown in the sinking of F174 near Capo Passero (Sicily).source
  • December 30 – In the Indian state of Assam, a passenger train is bombed by Bodo separatists, killing 26.source

Climate & Environment

  • 6 January – A landslide blocked the North–South Expressway (NSE) near Gua Tempurung, Perak.Malaysiasource
  • January 8 – Mapenduma hostage crisis: The Free Papua Movement took 26 members of a World Wildlife Fund research mission captive at Mapenduma, Jayawijaya in Irian Jaya (now Papua Province), Indonesia.Indonesiasource
  • February 3 – The 6.6 Mw earthquake near Lijiang in South-west China kills up to 322 people, injures 17,000, and leaves 300,000 homeless.source
  • February 3 – 1996 Lijiang earthquake hit Lijiang City and left at least 322 killed, 3,925 serious injuries, and 13,000 injuries.Chinasource
  • February 17 – The 8.2 Mw Biak earthquake strikes the Papua province of eastern Indonesia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A large tsunami followed, leaving 166 people dead or missing and 423 injured.source
  • March 8 – Third Taiwan Strait Crisis: China begins surface-to-surface missile testing and military exercises off Taiwanese coastal areas. The United States government condemns the act as provocation, and the Taiwanese government warns of retaliation.source
  • May 9 – Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni wins a landslide victory in the country's first direct presidential elections, securing 75% of the vote.source
  • May 13 – Severe thunderstorms and a tornado in Bangladesh kill 600 people.source
  • May 26 – The Alaska Milkmen defeats the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, 93-92 in overtime to win the 1996 PBA All-Filipino Cup finals.Philippinessource
  • July 21 – The Saguenay Flood, one of Canada's most costly natural disasters, is caused by flooding on the Saguenay River in Quebec.source
  • September 30 – October 4: Hurricane HernanMexicosource
  • November 7 – A category 4 cyclone strikes Andhra Pradesh, India, killing at least 1,000 people.source
  • 7 November – A devastating Category 4 Cyclone strikes Andhra Pradesh, India. The storm surge sweeps fishing villages out to sea, over 2,000 people die. 95% of the crops are completely destroyed.Indiasource
  • December 6 - Gamahara Swamp Landslide disaster, A landslide recurs, during restoration work for landslide by heaviest rain hit in July 1995, borders between Nagano Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture, according to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed report, 14 workers lost their lives and 9 were wounded.Japansource
  • The Fort Canning Aquarium closes.Singaporesource

Culture & Society

  • March 17 – Sri Lanka wins the Cricket World Cup by beating Australia in the final.source
  • 17 March – Sri Lanka wins the 1996 Cricket World Cup, beating Australia by 7 wickets, making this Sri Lanka's first ever World Cup victory.Sri Lankasource
  • March 25 – The 68th Academy Awards, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles with Braveheart winning Best Picture.source
  • May 18 – The X Prize Foundation launches the $10,000,000 Ansari X Prize.source
  • June 8–30 – England hosts the UEFA Euro 1996 football tournament, which is won by Germany.source
  • June 28 - first celebration of Constitution Day (Ukraine)Ukrainesource
  • June 29 – The Prince's Trust concert is held in Hyde Park, London, and is attended by 150,000 people. The Who headlines the event in their first performance since 1989.source
  • July 19 – The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, begin.source
  • 19 July – 4 August – The country competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, with runner Frankie Fredericks winning 2 silver medals.Namibiasource
  • July 27 – The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the United States kills one person and injures 111.source
  • 1st - Republic day celebrations held across the country.Ghanasource
  • August 4 – The 1996 Summer Olympics conclude.source
  • August 15 – Bob Dole is nominated for President of the United States, and Jack Kemp for vice president, at the Republican National Convention in San Diego, California.source
  • August 29 – U.S. president Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore are re-nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.source
  • September 21: A military parade in honour of the 5th anniversary of Armenia's independence was held on the Republic Square.Armeniasource
  • November 8 – The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) visits Almaty during his royal tour of Central Asia.Kazakhstansource
  • 25-26 November - His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej welcomes U.S. President Bill Clinton for a State Visit.Thailandsource
  • United Arab Emirates at the 1996 Summer OlympicsUnited Arab Emiratessource

Births

Deaths

  • January 8 – François Mitterrand, 79, French statesman and President of France, prostate cancer.source
  • January 22 - Petro Shelest, politicianUkrainesource
  • February 23 – William Bonin, 49, American serial killer and sex offender known as the Freeway Killer, execution by lethal injection.source
  • February 29 – Faucett Perú Flight 251 en route from Lima to Rodriguez Ballon airport crashes into a mountain near Arequipa; all 123 people on board are killed.source
  • March 26 – Edmund Muskie, 81, American statesman, political leader, and U.S. Secretary of State, heart failure.source
  • April 18 – Qana massacre: Over 100 Lebanese civilians are killed after Israel shells the United Nations compound in Qana.source
  • May 21 – Seven Trappist monks from the monastery of Thibirine are killed by members of the Armed Islamic Group in Algeria after talks with French government concerning the imprisonment of several GIA sympathisers break down.source
  • May 23 – Kapambwe Mulenga, footballer, 33Zambiasource
  • May 31 – Timothy Leary, 75, American psychologist and writer, prostate cancer.source
  • June 11 – A peace convoy carrying Chechen separatist leaders and international diplomats is targeted by a series of remotely controlled land mines; eight people are killed.source
  • June 23 – Andreas Papandreou, 77, Greek politician, cardiovascular disease.source
  • 23 June – Andreas Papandreou, Prime Minister of Greece (born 1919)Greecesource
  • August 16 – Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, Indonesian journalist (born 1963)Indonesiasource
  • September 13 – Tupac Shakur, 25, American rapper ("California Love", "Dear Mama") and actor (Poetic Justice), shot.source
  • September 17 – Spiro Agnew, 77, American politician, 39th Vice President of the United States, leukemia.source
  • September 20 – Leader of Pakistani opposition party Pakistan Peoples Party Murtaza Bhutto is killed during a gunfight with police.source
  • November 15 – Alger Hiss, 92, American State Department official and alleged spy.source
  • December 20 – Carl Sagan, 62, American astronomer, astrophysicist, and author (Cosmos, Contact), pneumonia.source