UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
21 December 1996 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 21 December 1996 was a Saturday.
- Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
- The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Un-Break My Heart” by Toni Braxton.
- Top Film of 1996
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1996 was Independence Day.
- Bestselling Novel of 1996
- “The Runaway Jury” by John Grisham was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1996.
- Top-Rated TV Show
- “ER” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1996–97 season.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 21 December is Sagittarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 21 December 1996 fell in the Year of the Rat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 21 December 1996 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 21 December
- 1979 Lancaster House Agreement: An independence agreement for Rhodesia is signed in London by Lord Carrington, Sir Ian Gilmour, Robert Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, Bishop Abel Muzorewa and S.C. Mundawarara.
- 1991 Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The leaders of 11 now effectively autonomous Soviet republics sign the Alma-Ata Protocol establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States in place of the collapsing Soviet Union.
- 1995 The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.
- 1999 The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid, Spain.
- 2012 2012 phenomenon: Festivities are held in parts of Mesoamerica to commemorate the conclusion of b'ak'tun 13, a roughly 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar whose passing many New Age spiritualists had earlier held to portend a variety of cataclysmic or transformative events.
Famous people born on December 21
- Jane Fonda, American actress and activist (born 1937)
- Madelyn Cline, American actress and model (born 1997)
- Samuel L. Jackson, American actor and producer (born 1948)
- Emmanuel Macron, French politician, 25th President of France (born 1977)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1996 in the United States
A selection from Wikipedia's '1996 in the United States'. Not a complete list.
- April 6 – Major League Soccer begins its inaugural season with a match between the San Jose Clash and D.C. United in San Jose, California.
- April 29 – The Broadway hit musical Rent opens at the Nederlander Theatre.
- June 21 – Walt Disney Pictures' 34th feature film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, considered to be one of the studio's darkest animated films, is released to positive reviews and commercial success.
Life in the US in 1996
President
Bill Clinton
Gas (per gallon)
$1.22
Loaf of Bread
$0.97
Average House
$140,000
Weekly Wage
$490
Or
Browse by Year
Famous Faces Born in the 1990s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Zendaya1 September 1996Actress & singerView their day →Sydney Sweeney12 September 1997ActressView their day →Charlie Kirk14 October 1993Political activistView their day →Shailene Woodley15 November 1991ActressView their day →Miley Cyrus23 November 1992Singer & actressView their day →Enes Kanter Freedom20 May 1992Basketball playerView their day →Kate Upton10 June 1992Model & actressView their day →Phoebe Bridgers17 August 1994MusicianView 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 →