Historical Events
Music Premiere
Revival of Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer's musical comedy "Once Upon a Mattress", starring Sarah Jessica Parker, opens at Broadhurst Theatre, NYC; runs for 188 performances
Famous Birthdays
- Paige Speakman, British preemie baby, born 19 days before her twin sister in Swindon, Wiltshire, England
Famous Deaths
- Marcello Mastroianni, Italian actor (8½; La Dolce Vita; Dark Eyes; The Pizza Triangle), dies of pancreatic cancer at 72
- Ronald Howard, British actor (Naked Edge; Come September; Murder She Said), dies at 78
- Yuli Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist and "chief nuclear weapon designer" for the Soviet Union, dies at 92
1996 Highlights
About December 19, 1996
Day of the Week: Thursday
How Long Ago? 26 years, 5 months and 11 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Millennial
Chinese Zodiac: Rat
Star Sign: Sagittarius
Music Charts
#1 Song: Un-Break My Heart - Toni Braxton
#1 Song: Knockin' On Heaven's Door/Throw These Guns Away - Dunblane
