The year 1996 was a momentous year.1996 was an important year not just for politics, but sports and pop culture also became an integral part of people’s lives. As time flies people often forget the details of the past.This article will give you highlights of the year 1996. On the surface, 1996 did not have a single defining event that took over its identity, unlike 2012 when the world was supposed to end, or even 2020, when there was a global pandemic. It is on further inspection that you are reminded of the number of cultural, political, and sporting events that took place in this year.Even without any knowledge of the events that took place in 1996, the year is a bit special considering that it was the last leap year of the century. From the US presidential elections to the evergreen musical hit ‘Macarena’ and Oprah starting her famous book club, this year was truly different. Bill Clinton, an American politician, managed to beat Republican challenger Bob Dole to win a second term as the president of the United States of America.This was the effect of the federal budget crisis. Vice President Al Gore too retained his position. 1996 is a year filled with fun and interesting facts from every niche. It was in this year that the film ‘Scream’ had such a rippling impact that caller ID usage tripled in the USA. The movie, starring a British actress, was about an anonymous killer calling to warn their victim about impending doom. The writing team did a great job and the writing style of people of this era was different from that of a Greek writer.Keep on reading to learn more trivia and fun facts about 1996.Monthly Classification Of 1996 FactsThe year 1996 was no doubt, a year filled with lots of different news from various fields. From pop culture history to political history, this year has it all.In February, Ali Landry from Louisiana won the coveted title of Miss USA. She was one of the most famous fashion icons and was crowned by Shanna Moakler. Ali Landry was the third winner of the beauty pageant from Louisiana. She went on to become a famous American actress and model.In March, a man broke into a New Zealand radio station and insisted that the manager play ‘Rainbow Connection’ by Kermit the Frog on repeat. Perhaps one of the biggest and best pranks ever pulled happened on April Fool’s Day.Taco Bell, the beloved fast-food chain, published a full-page ad in leading newspapers announcing that the chain had bought Liberty Bell to ‘reduce the country’s debt’. To add insult to injury, the chain claimed that they had renamed the bell to ‘Taco Liberty Bell’. It was only revealed at noon that this elaborate advertisement campaign was an obvious hoax. Such was the impact of this pre-Internet viral prank that the award-winning ad went on to be listed among the top 10 successful marketing stunts of all time. In a year that had its ups and downs, this ad gave everyone a moment to simply chuckle.Margaux Hemingway a famous American fashion model and an American actress passed away on July 1, 1996. On September 10, 1996, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. This was a multilateral treaty that banned unregulated nuclear tests and experiments.The famous American rock band, Tool, released their second studio album titled ‘Ænima’ in September. This popular band is also planning a tour in 2022. The North American leg kicks off in the month of January.In September, ‘Rap Star Murder’, a famous American rapper was killed in Las Vegas. In the month of October, Axl Rose an American musician and the lead vocalist and lyricist of the band Guns N’ Roses confirmed that their famous guitarist, Slash, had left the band. In the month of December, famous Italian actor, Marcello Mastroianni, unfortunately, passed away at the age of 72.As for pop culture news, the Red Bull Energy Drink, which is among the most popular drinks in the world today, entered the US market. Apart from this, Dolly the Cloned Sheep, named after famous singer Dolly Parton was born.The top movies of the year 1996 included ‘The Nutty Professor’, ‘Jerry Aguire’, ‘101 Dalmations’, ‘The Rock’, ‘The Birdcage’, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘Twister’, and ‘A Time To Kill’. People loved TV shows like ‘Seinfeld’, ‘Friends’, ‘Fired Up’, ‘The Naked Truth’, ‘Suddenly Susan’, ‘Touched By An Angel’, and ‘Home Improvement’, while the most beloved characters were Phoebe Buffay from ‘Friends’, and Cosmo Kramer from ‘Seinfeld’.The most popular gifts that everyone wanted during Christmas included the Tickle Me Elmo, Pokemon, Toy Story toys, and the Beanie Babies catch on. The year 1996 also saw some foot-tapping music like ‘Macarena’ by Los Del Rio, ‘Because You Loved Me’ by Celine Dion, ‘Always Be My Baby’ by American singer Mariah Carey, ‘Give Me One Reason’ by Tracy Chapman, ‘Twisted’ by Keith Sweat, and ‘One Sweet Day’ by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, among others.In 1996, ‘The Songs of West Side Story’, a tribute album, was released by RCA Victor. This album included new versions of the songs from the famous Broadway musical.Political Events In 1996In terms of politics, 1996 was much like any other year since it was peppered with politically momentous events.Bill Clinton, an American politician, managed to beat Republican challenger Bob Dole to win a second term as the president of the United States of America. This was the effect of the federal budget crisis. Vice President Al Gore too retained his position. Just a month into his presidency, Bill Clinton signed the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments. In a historic first, Bill Clinton appointed Madeleine Albright as the first female US Secretary of State.Despite this, it was not a year marked solely by progressive steps forward. The Defense of Marriages Act was also signed by Bill Clinton this year, which prevented same-sex married couples from receiving the same benefits that could be availed by other married couples under state law. The support for this bill was almost unanimous in both houses. It is important to note that Bill Clinton called this law ‘divisive and unnecessary’, but still signed it into law.This didn’t mark the end of the turmoil in American politics that year. The United States federal government was put on hold multiple times from 1995-1996 due to conflicts over funding for education, public health, and the environment between the two parties. This shutdown impacted the election results too.It is said that Bob Dole (then-Senate majority leader) was eager to end the crisis to be able to tend to his presidential campaign. According to the then-Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, the shutdowns helped push for balanced budgets in 1997 and years after that. On the contrary, a report published by the Congressional Research Service in 2010 stated that these shutdowns negatively impacted all sectors of the economy.The Taiwan Strait Crisis took place in 1996. This was referred to as the effect of the several missile tests that were conducted by the People’s Republic of China. This took place in the waters which surrounded Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait. The first set of missiles was fired in 1995 whereas the second set was fired in 1996.France agreed to put an end to its nuclear testing which pushed the need for nuclear disarmament. The Khasavyrut accord was signed by Maskhadov, the chief of staff of Chechen separatist forces, and Alexander Lebed, a Russian General, on August 30. Britain and the world witnessed the outbreak of the mad cow disease, in 1996.In Australia, 31 people were killed and many injured in a shooting spree that took place on April 28 by Martin Bryant.National Awards Given In 1996The year was a great one for cinema, thanks to the release of several evergreen classics, such as ‘Scream’, ‘Independence Day’, ‘Fargo’, ‘Trainspotting’, and, of course, the endearing ‘Space Jam’.The entries to the National Film Registry, which is the United States National Film Preservation Board’s collection of films that have been selected for preservation, included famous movies like ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ (1976), ‘The Life And Times Of Rosie The Riveter’ (1980), ‘Frank Film’ (1973), ‘Shock Corridor’ (1963), ‘Pull My Daisy’ (1959). The National Society of Film Critics Award was given to Nicolas Cage, a famous American actor for Best Actor, Elisabeth Shue, an American actor for Best Actress, and Mike Figgis for Best Director.One of the tragedies of the year was the death of famed actress Margaux Hemmingway by suicide. The most infamous homicide of 1996 was the drive-by shooting of rap legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas on September 13.Sports Events Held In 1996For all the Cowboys fans out there, 1996 was quite the year to remember. The Dallas Cowboys won their latest Superbowl (NFL finals) by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers with a final score of 27-17.Meanwhile, in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to a record-breaking 72-10 regular season. With a star-studded team that included the likes of Pippen and Rodman, it was no surprise that the team won the NBA championship beating the Seatle SuperSonics in six games.The UEFA European Football Championship was also held this year. It took place in England during the month of June. Germany was victorious and beat the Czech Republic in the finals. The 1996 Euro Championship was not a good year for Italy. Italian footballer Fabrizo Ravanelli was a legend back then, along with his peers, Enrico Chiesa and Gianfranco Zola.1996 also set up the future of the league with the NBA 1996 draft starring future Hall of Famers such as Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, and Steven Nash among others. As for baseball, the New York Yankees were the World Series Champions. Pete Sampras retained his title at the US Open by defeating Michael Chang.The biggest sporting event in the world, the Olympics, was held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. This edition marked the centennial anniversary of the 1896 summer Olympics which was the inaugural edition of the modern Olympics. The United States managed to top the medal tally with 44 gold medals (101 total medals) followed by Russia and Germany bagging 26 and 20 gold medals respectively. The games were not all smooth show though. On July 27 a pipe bomb was detonated at the Olympic Park which unfortunately killed two people and injured over 100.All in all, 1996 was a great year on all fronts, from the US presidential election to the Olympics.
The year 1996 was a momentous year.
