random retro-spective
Did you visit it? The Millennium Dome at Greenwich
The contents of the Dome were unveiled in 1998 and the Dome was a tourist attraction throughout 2000.
the retro hour: 1996
We've been through the archive and compiled everything we think you need to know about the year. To make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, everything is organised into categories.
the top stories
The worst multiple murder in modern British history brought horror and
grief to the Scottish town of Dunblane. Thomas Hamilton, shot dead sixteen
children and a teacher in the local primary school, before turning the
gun on himself.
The Princess of Wales agreed to a request from Prince Charles for a divorce,
meanwhile The Duke and Duchess of York were granted a "quickie"
divorce at the High Court in London.
A Boeing 747 jumbo jet exploded at 8:45pm on July 17th, just minutes after
taking off from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. There were no survivors.
Bill Clinton won a second term in The White House - the first Democrat
since Franklin D. Roosevelt to do so. Clinton took 49% of the vote.
France's former President Francois Mitterand died in Paris, aged 79
on the chart
Madonna announced she was pregnant
Michael Jackson announced he was to marry nurse Debbie Rowe. His marriage
to Lisa Marie Presley collapsed earlier in the year.
The First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, died aged 79
Take That announced that they were to split
Annie Lennox won the Brit for Best Female. Paul Weller was named Best
Male. Meanwhile, Jarvis Cocker entertained the crowds during Michael Jackson's
performance at the Brits.
The Eurovision Song Contest was won by Eimear Quinn from Ireland with
The Voice
on the tv and at the cinema
The twenty-something drama This Life made its debut
The biggest audience of the year was recorded for the England against
Germany football match.
Gene Kelly, star of Singin' In The Rain, died at the age of 83 in Beverly
Hills
The movie "Evita", featuring Madonna, was the Christmas Box
Office hit
Buzz Lightyear dolls were the most popular
toys for Christmas, building on the success of Toy Story
Emma Thompson became the first person to win Oscars for both acting and
writing
The Oscar for Best Picture went to Braveheart
Other films making it big were Trainspotting, Independence Day, Brassed
Off, Mission Impossible, Seven and Goldeneye
sports achievements and milestones
The Olympic Games in Atlanta were spoilt by a crude bomb which killed
two people in Centennial Park
Alan Shearer was transferred to Newcastle United for a record fee of £15
million.
England were defeated on penalties by Germany in the semi-finals of the
European Football Championships. The Germans went on to win the competition.
Eric Cantona was voted Footballer Of The Year as Manchester United won
the Premiership and the FA Cup.
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 in Superbowl XXX
held in Tempe, Phoenix - their third Superbowl win in four years
Damon Hill was voted Sports Personality Of The Year
Tim Henman became the first Brit to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon
for 23 years. The title was won by Richard Kraijeck... Steffi Graf won
the Ladies' singles.
Damon Hill was the Formula 1 champion
The Grand National was won by Rough Quest
and finally
The National Lottery had a jackpot of £42 million for the draw
on January 6th
New words included cyberspace and quality time
The second Severn Bridge opened
Alcopops and G-Shock watches were launched