Major Events of July 1996: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from July 1996 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of July 1996: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Jul 1996 Northern Territory Legalizes Voluntary Euthanasia: The Northern Territory in Australia became the first jurisdiction in the world to legalize voluntary euthanasia, marking a significant milestone in medical ethics and end-of-life legislation.
02 Jul 1996 Major North American Power Outage: A record-breaking heatwave caused a significant infrastructure disruption, knocking out electricity and phone services for millions of customers across a vast region stretching from Canada to the Southwestern United States. The widespread power failure highlighted the vulnerability of electrical grids during extreme weather conditions.
03 Jul 1996 Russian Presidential Election: Boris Yeltsin was re-elected as President of Russia after a competitive second round of elections, solidifying his political leadership during a critical period of post-Soviet transformation.
04 Jul 1996 Hotmail Launch: Free Web-Based Email Revolution: Hotmail, one of the first widely accessible free web-based email services, was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith. The service revolutionized personal communication by allowing users to access their emails from any internet-connected computer, breaking the traditional model of email tied to specific desktop clients or internet service providers.
05 Jul 1996 Dolly the Sheep: A Scientific Breakthrough in Cloning: On July 5, 1996, Dolly the sheep was born at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, marking a groundbreaking moment in scientific history. She was the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult somatic cell, a revolutionary achievement that challenged previous understanding of cellular potential and genetic replication. The cloning process, led by scientists Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell, involved transferring the nucleus of an adult sheep's mammary gland cell into an unfertilized egg cell, which was then implanted into a surrogate mother. Dolly's creation demonstrated that a fully differentiated adult cell could be reprogrammed to generate an entire organism, opening new possibilities in genetic research, medicine, and biotechnology.
06 Jul 1996 103rd Wimbledon Women's Tennis Final: In a thrilling match at the 103rd Wimbledon Championships, Steffi Graf defeated Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, showcasing her exceptional tennis skills and further cementing her legacy as one of the greatest female tennis players of her era.
07 Jul 1996 Nelson Mandela Steps Down as President of South Africa: Nelson Mandela, a pivotal figure in the anti-apartheid movement and South Africa's first democratically elected president, voluntarily steps down from the presidency at age 78, marking a significant moment in the nation's political transition.
08 Jul 1996 Spice Girls Launch Debut Single *Wannabe*: On July 8, 1996, the Spice Girls released their groundbreaking debut single *Wannabe*, which would become a global pop culture phenomenon. The song catapulted the British girl group to international stardom, embodying the 'Girl Power' movement and becoming one of the most iconic pop songs of the 1990s.
09 Jul 1996 US Senate Minimum Wage Increase: The United States Senate approved a significant 90-cent increase to the federal minimum wage, raising it to $4.25, which represented an important economic policy decision for workers' compensation.
10 Jul 1996 Cassini-Huygens Mission Milestone: The European Space Agency achieved a significant milestone in space exploration when the Huygens probe successfully separated from the Cassini spacecraft during its complex mission to Saturn and its moon Titan. This separation was a critical step in one of the most ambitious interplanetary missions of the 1990s, designed to study the Saturnian system in unprecedented detail.
11 Jul 1996 War Crimes Arrest Warrants Issued for Bosnian Serb Leaders: The International Criminal Tribunal at The Hague issued arrest warrants for two prominent Bosnian Serb war criminals, Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić, who were key figures in the ethnic violence during the Bosnian War. These warrants represented a significant step towards international justice for war crimes committed during the conflict.
12 Jul 1996 Michael Jordan's NBA Contract: Michael Jordan signed a one-year NBA contract worth $25 million, further solidifying his status as the highest-paid athlete of his time and demonstrating his immense value to professional basketball.
13 Jul 1996 Republican Sinn Féin Bombing in Enniskillen: A terrorist bombing by Republican Sinn Féin occurred outside a hotel in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, targeting a wedding reception. The attack resulted in seventeen people being injured, highlighting the ongoing sectarian tensions during the late stages of the Troubles.
14 Jul 1996 DUPE: Yankees Complete Season Sweep Against Orioles: The New York Yankees achieved a significant milestone by sweeping their entire season series against the Baltimore Orioles for the first time, highlighting their dominance in the 1996 baseball season.
15 Jul 1996 Royal Divorce: Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially sign divorce papers, ending their tumultuous marriage and marking a significant moment in British royal history.
16 Jul 1996 TWA Flight 800 Disaster: On July 16, 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747 en route to Paris and Rome, catastrophically exploded off the coast of Long Island, New York, resulting in the tragic loss of all 230 passengers and crew members. The incident shocked the nation and led to extensive investigations into the cause of the mid-air explosion.
17 Jul 1996 TWA Flight 800 Disaster: A Paris-bound Boeing 747, TWA Flight 800, tragically exploded off the coast of Long Island, New York, resulting in the complete loss of all 230 passengers and crew members. This catastrophic event shocked the nation and led to extensive investigations into the cause of the mid-air explosion.
18 Jul 1996 1996 Summer Olympics Begin in Atlanta: The 1996 Summer Olympic Games officially commenced in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. This global sporting event brought together athletes from around the world to compete in various disciplines.
19 Jul 1996 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta: The Games of the XXVI Olympiad were held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from July 19 to August 4, 1996. This was a significant international sporting event that brought together athletes from around the world to compete in various disciplines.
20 Jul 1996 ETA Terrorist Attack at Reus Airport: On July 20, 1996, a terrorist bombing by the Basque separatist group ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) occurred at Reus Airport in Spain, resulting in 53 people being injured. This attack was part of ETA's violent campaign for Basque independence, which caused significant harm and disruption in Spain during the late 20th century.
21 Jul 1996 Saguenay River Flood: On July 21, 1996, severe storms triggered catastrophic flooding along the Saguenay River in Quebec, Canada. This natural disaster became one of the most expensive environmental events in Canadian history, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, homes, and local communities. The unprecedented rainfall led to massive river overflow, resulting in significant economic and environmental consequences.
22 Jul 1996 First Gethsemani Encounter: Buddhist-Christian Monastic Dialogue: On July 22, 1996, a groundbreaking interfaith dialogue occurred at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky, marking the first significant intermonastic encounter between Buddhist and Christian monks. The event was organized by the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (DIMMID) and featured prominent spiritual leaders, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Bishop Joseph John Gerry. This historic meeting represented a pivotal moment in interfaith understanding, fostering mutual respect and exploring shared contemplative traditions between two distinct religious traditions.
23 Jul 1996 Uneventful Day in Global History: While no specific major historical events were documented for July 23, 1996, this does not mean the day was entirely without significance. Many routine governmental, business, and personal activities continued worldwide, representing the ongoing fabric of daily human experience.
24 Jul 1996 Dehiwala Train Bombing in Sri Lanka: A devastating terrorist attack occurred on a train near Colombo, Sri Lanka, resulting in the tragic death of 56 commuters. The bombing was a significant act of violence during the ongoing Sri Lankan Civil War, highlighting the brutal conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
25 Jul 1996 Military Coup in Burundi: In a significant political upheaval, Pierre Buyoya led a military coup, deposing President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya. The Tutsi-led Burundian army seized power, dramatically changing the country's political leadership.
26 Jul 1996 Centennial Olympic Park Bombing: During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, a devastating terrorist attack occurred when a pipe bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park. The explosion killed one person and injured 111 others, creating widespread panic and shock during the international sporting event. The bombing was later attributed to Eric Rudolph, a domestic terrorist who was eventually captured in 2003 after years on the run.
27 Jul 1996 The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics kills one person and injures 111.
28 Jul 1996 Discovery of Kennewick Man: The remains of a prehistoric man, later known as the Kennewick Man, were discovered near Kennewick, Washington. This archaeological find would become significant in understanding early human migration and Native American prehistory.
29 Jul 1996 Pro-Democracy Demonstration Suppressed in Indonesia: Riot police forcibly dispersed a pro-democracy demonstration supporting Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia, highlighting the ongoing political tensions and challenges to democratic expression during this period.
30 Jul 1996 Tommy Lasoda retires as LA Dodger manager
31 Jul 1996 Military Standard 1750A Decommissioned: The United States Department of Defense officially declared the MIL-STD-1750A computer architecture standard inactive for use in new design projects. This 16-bit microprocessor standard, which had been widely used in military and aerospace applications since its introduction in the 1980s, was being phased out in favor of more advanced computing architectures.