At A Glance

2 May 1996 at a glance

Day of the week
2 May 1996 was a Thursday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Fastlove” by George Michael.
Top Film of 1996
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1996 was Independence Day.
Star sign
The star sign for 2 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 May 1996 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 May 1996 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 2 May

  • 1989 Cold War: Hungary begins dismantling its border fence with Austria, which allows a number of East Germans to defect.
  • 1998 The European Central Bank is founded in Brussels in order to define and execute the European Union's monetary policy.
  • 1999 Panamanian general election: Mireya Moscoso becomes the first woman to be elected President of Panama.
  • 2000 President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
  • 2008 Chaitén Volcano begins erupting in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people.

Famous people born on 2 May

  • Dwayne Johnson, American actor and wrestler (born 1972)
  • Pat McAfee, American sports analyst and football player (born 1987)
  • David Beckham, English footballer, coach, and model (born 1975)
  • Catherine the Great (1729–1796)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1996 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1996 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 13 January – National Union of Mineworkers' leader Arthur Scargill announces that he is defecting from the Labour Party to set up his own Socialist Labour Party.
  • 4 February – The first two passenger train operating companies begin operation of their service franchises as part of the privatisation of British Rail: South West Trains (part of the Stagecoach Group) and Great Western Trains (management buyout).
  • 17 March – Legoland Windsor opens its doors for the public. It becomes the second Legoland in Europe.

Life in 1996

Prime Minister

John Major

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£1.50

Loaf of Bread

65p

Average House

£60,750

Weekly Wage

£365.00

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 →