December 1996 in History

Events in History

Election of Interest

Dec 13 Kofi Annan is elected Secretary-General of the United Nations

Dec 18 During a press conference, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Maleki states that Iran supports the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, but reserves the option of closing off the shipping route if it is threatened
Dec 18 The Oakland, California school board passes a resolution officially declaring "Ebonics" a language or dialect.
Dec 18 US TV industry execs agree to adopt a ratings system
Dec 20 First part of the new building for the National Library of France inaugurated in Paris, designed by Dominique Perrault [1]
Dec 21 Pakistan all out 67 to lose to Tasmania by an inning

Event of Interest

Dec 21 Taiwanese-American AIDS researcher David Ho is named Time Magazine's Man of the Year

Dec 23 Four women ordained priests in Jamaica, 1st in 330-year Anglican history
Dec 25 1,500 year anniversary of Catholicism in France commemorating the baptism of Clovis I in Rheims
Dec 26 Start of the largest strike in South Korean history.
Dec 26 The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification goes into force
Dec 27 Carquest Bowl 7: Miami beats Virginia, 31-21
Dec 27 Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul.

Event of Interest

Dec 30 Proposed budget cuts by Benjamin Netanyahu spark protests from 250,000 workers who shut down services across Israel.

Dec 30 United Nations announces that a total of 21 contracts have been approved for the limited Iraqi oil sales under Resolution 986

Birthdays in History

Dec 19 Paige Speakman, British preemie baby, born 19 days before her twin sister in Swindon, Wiltshire, England

Weddings in History

Dec 7 Former Tennessee Republican Senator Howard Baker (71) weds retired Kansas GOP Senator Nancy Kassebaum (64) in Washington, D.C.

Deaths in History

Dec 1 Babrak Karmal, Afghan politician (General Secretary 1979-86), dies at 67
Dec 3 Babrak Karmal, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1980-81), dies
Dec 3 Det Glynn, teacher/anti-apartheid activist, dies at 84
Dec 3 George Duby, French medieval historian (The Three Orders: Feudal Society Imagined), dies at 77
Dec 4 Basil Nield, British judge and politician (Conservative Party), dies at 83
Dec 6 Bryan Clieve Roberts, English lawyer and colonial administrator (instrumental in Malawi transition to independence), dies at 83
Dec 7 Eugene Izzi, mystery writer, hangs himself at 43
Dec 7 Jose Donoso, Chilean writer (The Place Without Limits), dies at 72
Dec 8 Marin Sorescu, Romanian poet, playwright and artist (Iona, House under surveillance), dies of a heart attack at 60
Dec 9 Alain Poher, French politician and President of the European Parliament (1966-69), dies at 87
Dec 9 Anne Bolt, photo-journalist and trade unionist, dies at 84
Dec 9 Heinrich Schmidt-Barrien, German author (Moorkeerl), dies at 94
Dec 9 Ivor Roberts-Jones, British sculptor (known for sculpted heads of Yehudi Menuhin and George Thomas), dies at 83
Dec 9 Mary Leakey, British archaeologist and anthropologist, discovered earliest human footprints (3.6 million years old), dies at 83
Dec 9 Raphael Samuel, British Marxist historian, dies at 61
Dec 11 Herbert Sally Frankel, South African born economist, dies at 93

Dec 11 Robert Bromston Thesiger Daniell, English soldier, dies at 95
Dec 11 W. G. G. Duncan-Smith, British WWII fighter pilot, dies at 82
Dec 12 Gerald Ian Lacey, architect/town planner, dies at 70
Dec 12 Jack Perry, English businessman and the 1st Western business person to visit Communist China, dies at 81
Dec 12 Jean-Pierre Guerlain, French cosmetics pioneer, dies at 91
Dec 12 Vance Packard, American journalist and writer (The Hidden Persuaders), dies at 82
Dec 13 Cao Yu, Chinese dramatist (Peking Man), dies at 86
Dec 13 Charles Edwin Molnar, computer pioneer, dies at 61
Dec 15 Gerald Moverley, first Bishop of the Diocese of Hallam in Yorkshire, dies at 74
Dec 15 Guiseppe Dossetti, Italian politician (drafted Italian constitution) and priest, dies at 83
Dec 15 Harry Kemelman, American detective author (rabbi-omnibus), dies at 88
Dec 16 Jean-Pierre Levy, French resistance leader during WWII, dies at 85
Dec 16 Joe Coral [Joseph Kagarlitski], British bookmaker (Gala Coral Group), dies at 92
Dec 16 Laurens Jan van der Post, South African writer, explorer and conservationist, dies at 90
Dec 16 Quentin Bell, artist author/teacher, dies at 86
Dec 17 Elizabeth Hill, Russian-English teacher of Salvonic languages, dies at 96
Dec 17 Stanko Todorov, Bulgarian communist politician, Prime Minister of Bulgaria (1971-81), dies at 76
Dec 19 Yuli Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist and "chief nuclear weapon designer" for the Soviet Union, dies at 92
Dec 20 Amata Kabua, President of Marshall Islands (1979-96), dies

Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

Dec 20 American scientist, astronomer and author (Broca's Brain, Cosmos, Contact) known for his research on extraterrestrial life, dies of pneumonia after suffering from myelodysplasia at 62

Dec 20 Roger Peacock, English writer (Thursday is missing, dies at 76
Dec 21 Barry Gray [Bernard Yaroslaw], American radio personality and interviewer (started call-in radio), dies at 80
Dec 21 Margaret E Rey, author of children's books, dies at 90
Dec 21 Olga Maria Nicolis di Robilant, Portuguese patron of the arts, dies at 96
Dec 22 Hetta Empson, South African-British artist, dies at 81
Dec 24 Edward Leadbitter, politician, dies at 77
Dec 24 Nguyen Huu Tho, President of Vietnam (1980-81), dies
Dec 24 Peter Dormer, arts writer, dies at 47
Dec 25 Rupert John, gov-gen of Grenadines (1970-76), dies
Dec 29 Alma Birk, journalist/politician, dies at 77
Dec 29 Daniel Mayer, French journalist and resistance fighter, dies at 87
Dec 29 Oswald Szemerényi, Hungarian linguist, dies at 83
Dec 29 Peggy (Margaret McCrorie) Herbison, politician, dies at 89
Dec 29 Pennar Davies, Welsh poet, author and theologian, dies at 85
Dec 29 Robert Morris, American lawyer, dies at 81
Dec 30 Robert Grant Ferris, British politician, dies at 89
Dec 31 61 law enforcement officers, killed by felons in US this year
Dec 31 Ann Susan Hills, freelance journalist, dies at 55
Dec 31 Michael Roberts, English historian ("The Military Revolution: 1560-1660"), dies at 88
Dec 31 Philip Manson-Bahr, English zoologist and specialist in tropical medicine, dies at 85