From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
1996 is a year in the 20th century. It is a leap year.
[change] The most important events
- Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Bill Clinton wins re-election as President of the United States, beating Republican Bob Dole.
- January 16 - Jamaican authorities open fire on Jimmy Buffett's seaplane, mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono was also on the plane, but neither singer was injured.
- January 18 - Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson.
- January 29 - Garth Brooks refuses to accept his American Music Award for "Favorite Overall Artist". Brooks says that Hootie and the Blowfish had done more for music that year than he did.
- February 4 - Former Milli-Vanilli member Rob Pilatus is hospitalized when a man hits him over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood, California. Pilatus was attempting to steal the man's car.
- February 14 - The Artist Formerly Known As Prince marries backup singer Mayte Garcia.
- February 20 - Snoop Doggy Dogg and his bodyguard acquitted of first degree murder. The jury deadlocks on voluntary manslaughter charges and a mistrial is declared.
- March 4 - The Beatles' second reunion song is released, as part of their first reuinion since the band's breakup 26 years earlier. The song is simply a finished version of a John Lennon demo from 1980; a song called Real Love.
- March 13 - Ramones fans riot in Buenos Aires, Argentina after waiting all night for concert tickets only to find out that the show had been sold out.
- March 16 - Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men ends its 16th consecutive week at No. 1 with "One Sweet Day". It is the longest consecutive week stay at No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history.
- March 18 - The Sex Pistols announce that they are reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour.
- March 28 - Phil Collins announces that he is leaving Genesis to focus on his solo career.
- April 3 - M.C. Hammer files for bankruptcy.
- April 4 - The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia's widow, Deborah, scatter part of Garcia's ashes in the Ganges River in India.
- April 15 - The remaining part of Jerry Garcia's ashes are scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.
- April 24 - This Train, Rick Elias, Jimmy A, Phil Keaggy, Carolyn Arends, Third Day & Ashley Cleveland perform a tribute concert for Rich Mullins at Nashville's Cafe Milano. Speakers included Reunion Records executive Terry Hemmings, record producer Reed Arvin, disc jockey Jon Rivers, & author Brennan Manning.
- May 8 - In Los Angeles, California, a judge rules against Tommy Lee and wife actress Pamela Anderson Lee in their attempt to keep Penthouse magazine from publishing still photos taken from an X-rated home movie which was stolen from their home.
- July - The Smashing Pumpkins drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, is arrested for possession of a controlled substance. The other band members fire him because they said his "insidious battle with drugs and alcohol" had nearly ruined everything for the band.
- August 6 - The Ramones play their last ever show at Lollapalooza.
- September 7 - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot 4 times in Las Vegas, Nevada while leaving the MGM Grand hotel, after seeing the Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon boxing match, in what is apparently a drive-by shooting.
- September 12 - Controversy follows The Eagles when the band dedicates "Peaceful Easy Feeling" to Saddam Hussein at a United States Democratic Party fundraiser held in Los Angeles.
- September 13 - Tupac Shakur died in hospital after his wounds from the Las Vegas, Nevada MGM Grand shooting.
- November 7 - A category 4 cyclone hits Andhra Pradesh, India. Over 2000 people were killed and 95% of the crops were destroyed.
- November 8 - After having first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film Hype!, a documentary on the Seattle grunge scene, opens to general audiences
- Larry Ewing creates Tux, the Linux mascot.
- Sildenafil patented.
- January 18 - N. T. Rama Rao, Indiam actor, director and politician (b. 1923)
- February 2 - Gene Kelly, American actor, dancer and singer (b. 1912)
- February 14 - McLean Stevenson, American actor (b. 1929)
- May 20 - Jon Pertwee, English actor (b. 1919)
- July 30 - Claudette Colbert, French-born American actress (b. 1903)
- September 13 - Tupac Shakur, American rap singer/songwriter, actor (b. 1971)
- November 30 - Tiny Tim, American musician and singer (b. 1932)
- December 20 - Carl Sagan, American astronomer (b. 1934)
[change] Films released
