1996 World History

Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
(1918–1996)
Archive Photos
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
(1937– )
U.S. State Department
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
(1938– )
United Nations

 

1996
U.S. budget crisis in fourth month (Jan. 3). Clinton approves resumption of many government operations (Jan. 6). Senate ratifies major arms reduction treaty (Jan. 26). France announces end to nuclear tests (Jan. 29). At least 73 dead in Sri Lankan suicide bombing (Feb. 1). Suicide bombers kill 59 in Israel (March 4). Bob Dole sweeps Republican primaries (March 5). Britain alarmed by deadly cow disease (March 20 et seq.). UN tribunal charges war crimes by Bosnian Muslims and Croats (March 22). Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown killed in plane crash (April 3). FBI arrests suspected Unabomber (April 3). Clinton signs line-item veto bill (April 9). President blocks ban on late-term abortions (April 10). ValuJet crashes in Everglades; all 110 aboard killed (May 11). Chechnya peace treaty signed (May 27). Israel elects Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister (May 31). China agrees to world ban on atomic testing (June 6). Leaders in Balkans sign accord on arms limits (June 14). Jazz great Ella Fitzgerald dies (June 15). Truck bomb kills 19 at U.S. base in Saudi Arabia (June 25). Boris Yeltsin is reelected in Russian election (July 3). Prince Charles and Princess Diana agree on divorce (July 12). 747 airliner crashes in Atlantic off Long Island; all 230 aboard perish (July 17). Bomb mars Summer Olympic games in Atlanta (July 25). Clinton signs bill to raise minimum wage (Aug. 2). Congress passes welfare reform bill (Aug. 2); approved by Clinton (Aug. 22). Republican convention opens in San Diego (Aug. 12); Bob Dole and Jack Kemp nominated (Aug. 14). Democrats convene in Chicago (Aug. 26). Iraqis strike at Kurdish enclave (Aug. 31); after warning, U.S. attacks Iraq's southern air defenses (Sept. 2–3); Iraq halts attacks on U.S. planes enforcing flight exclusion zones in north and south (Sept. 13). Violence flares in Jerusalem over Israel opening tourist tunnel (Sept. 24). Taliban Muslim fundamentalists capture Afghan capital (Sept. 27). Ethnic violence breaks out in Zairian refugee camps (Oct. 13); thousands of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi abandon camps (Oct. 21). Clinton-Gore ticket wins national election; Republicans retain control of Congress (Nov. 5). Mid-air collision in India kills 342 (Nov. 12). Texaco settles racial bias suit (Nov. 15). Hundreds of thousands of Hutu refugees return to Rwanda (Nov. 15–18). Clinton appoints Madeleine Albright as first female U.S. secretary of state (Dec. 5). Kofi Annan named UN secretary-general (Dec. 13). FBI agent charged with spying for Moscow (Dec. 18). Thousands march in Belgrade in continuing protest against president's annulment of election results (Dec. 26).