UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
17 December 1996 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 December 1996 was a Tuesday.
- ARIA No. 1
- The ARIA No. 1 was “Wannabe” by Spice Girls.
- Top Film of 1996
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1996 was Independence Day.
- Best-Selling Vehicle of 1996
- Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 1996 was the Holden Commodore.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 17 December is Sagittarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 December 1996 fell in the Year of the Rat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 December 1996 was First Quarter.
On this day: 17 December
- 1989 Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years.
- 2002 Second Congo War: The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord which makes provision for transitional governance and legislative and presidential elections within two years.
- 2003 SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, makes its first powered and first supersonic flight.
- 2005 Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicates the throne as King of Bhutan.
- 2010 Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire. This act became the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the wider Arab Spring.
Famous people born on 17 December
- Sarah Paulson, American actress (born 1974)
- Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (born 1975)
- Bill Pullman, American actor (born 1953)
- Pope Francis, Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church (1936–2025)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1996 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '1996 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 3 February – Liberal Frank Tanti wins the 1996 Mundingburra state by-election causing Labor to lose its Parliamentary majority in Queensland.
- 24 February – A state election is held in Tasmania. The Liberal Party government of Ray Groom is re-elected; however, Groom's promise to only govern in a majority saw him resign.
- 2 March – A federal election is held. The Liberal/National coalition defeats the Labor government of Paul Keating with a landslide two-party preferred vote of 53.9% and a 45-seat majority, one of the biggest wins since World War II.
Life in Australia in 1996
Prime Minister
John Howard
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Petrol (per litre)
$0.70
Loaf of Bread
$1.85
Average House
$146,000
Weekly Wage
$710.00
Or
Browse by Year
Famous Faces Born in the 1990s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Jacob Elordi26 June 1997ActorView their day →Samara Weaving23 February 1992Actress & modelView their day →Margot Robbie2 July 1990ActressView their day →Liam Hemsworth13 January 1990ActorView their day →Elizabeth Debicki24 August 1990ActressView their day →Troye Sivan5 June 1995Singer-songwriter & actorView their day →Ben Simmons20 July 1996Basketball playerView their day →Leila George20 March 1992ActressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
About The Day You Were Born
Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.
About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →