At A Glance

31 January 1996 at a glance

Day of the week
31 January 1996 was a Wednesday.
ARIA No. 1
The ARIA No. 1 was “Jesus to a Child” by George Michael.
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 31 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 January 1996 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 January 1996 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 31 January

  • 1978 The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) goes on public display after being returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II.
  • 1988 Doug Williams becomes the first African American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl and leads the Washington Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII.
  • 2003 The Waterfall rail accident occurs near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia.
  • 2007 Emergency officials in Boston mistakenly identify battery-powered LED placards depicting characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force as Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), causing a panic.
  • 2019 Abdullah of Pahang is sworn in as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

Famous people born on 31 January

  • Julián Alvarez, Argentine footballer (born 2000)
  • Justin Timberlake, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor (born 1981)
  • Minnie Driver, English singer-songwriter and actress (born 1970)
  • Jackie Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster (1919–1972)

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

Paul Keating

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.

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 →