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1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty.
1996 was also the Chinese New Year of the Fire Rat, a year traditionally feared for natural disasters.
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Events
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January
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January 7 - One of the worst blizzards in American history hits the eastern states, killing more than 100.
January 8 - A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital Kinshasa - 350 dead.
Mid-January- A major ice storm hits Ottawa and the surrounding areas, leaving thousands of people without electricity.
January 31 - An explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the Central Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing at least 86 and injuring 1,400.
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February
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February 27 - The first game in the video game series Pokémon is released. It has grossed several billion dollars, and has spawned a television series, movies, a card game, and more.
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March
March 1 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi forces refuse UNSCOM inspection teams access to 5 sites designated for inspection. The teams enter the sites only after delays of up to 17 hours.
March 2 - Establishment of Ranabima Royal College, Sri Lanka
March 7 - Volkswagen is renamed the 'New Beetle' from 'The Concept 1' at the Geneva Motor Show.
March 28 - Fire breaks out at the Pasar Anyar shopping centre in Bogor, West Java. The first death toll estimate is 78 until rescuers notice that 68 of them are mannequins.
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April
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May
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May - Iraq disarmament crisis: UNSCOM supervises the destruction of Al-Hakam, Iraq's main production facility of biological warfare agents.
May - The Onion launches its satirical news publication on the Internet.
May 10 - A sudden storm engulfs Mount Everest with several climbing teams high on the mountain, leaving 8 dead. By the end of the month, at least 4 other climbers die in the worst season of fatalities on the mountain to date.
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June
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June - Iraq disarmament crisis: As Iraq continues to refuse inspectors access to a number of sites, the U.S. fails in its attempt to build support for military action against Iraq in the UN Security Council.
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July
July - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.N. Inspector Ritter attempts to conduct surprise inspections on the Republican Guard facility at the airport, but is blocked by Iraqi officials.
July 18 - Howard Hughes is sentenced to life imprisonment at Chester Crown Court for the rape and murder of 7-year-old Sophie Hook at Llandudno 12 months previously. The trial judge recommends that Hughes, 31, should never be released.
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August
The Detroit of India and port city Madras is renamed Chennai.
August 6 - NASA announces that the ALH 84001 meteorite thought to originate from Mars, contains evidence of primitive life-forms.
August 11 - The British rock band Oasis plays the biggest free-standing concert in UK history at Knebworth, Hertfordshire.
August 13 - Data sent back by the Galileo space probe indicates there may be water on one of Jupiter's moons.
August 23 - Osama bin Laden writes "The Declaration of Jihad on the Americans Occupying the Country of the Two Sacred Places," his first open call for war.
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September
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September 11 - Aubrey Berryhill and Ashton Cayado win the Nobel prize.
September 19 - The US$127.5 million dollar scoreboard at Buffalo's HSBC Arena falls to the ice just hours before a NHL hockey game; no one is injured.
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October
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October 31 - The Katzenreich is founded, also the birthday of the first Katzen queen, Milo I (Saint Milo).
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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 12 - Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 has a mid-air collision with Kazastan Airlines Il-76, resulting in the loss of 349 lives.
November 18 - World-renowned bird expert Tony Silva is sentenced to 7 years in prison without parole for leading an illegal parrot smuggling ring.
November 18 - Martyn Bryant is sentenced to life imprisonment, 2 weeks after confessing to murdering 35 people in Tasmania earlier this year.
November 25 - An ice storm strikes the U.S., killing 26 directly, hundreds more from accidents. A powerful windstorm blasts Florida; winds gust to 90 mph.
It gains 10 days in a row during the month.
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December
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Environmental change
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Unknown date
General Motors EV1 launched. The EV1 is the first electric car to go into mass production.
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Births
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
av:1996
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