What happened in September 1996?
The top front-page story of each day in September 1996, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Sep 1🚢 Titanic Expedition Fails – A commercial attempt to raise a section of the Titanic ended in failure when lifting lines snapped, dropping the piece back to the ocean floor.
- Sep 2🏆 Woods Impresses Crowd – Tiger Woods, at 20, makes a stunning debut as a pro at the Greater Milwaukee Open, impressing fans with a hole-in-one.
- Sep 3⚾ Sensational Comeback for Cone – David Cone returned to the Yankees after surgery, no-hitting the Oakland Athletics in a remarkable seven-inning performance.
- Sep 4🏒 N.H.L. Goes High-Tech – The NHL and IBM announced a partnership to enhance how hockey data, audio, video, and photos are utilized online for fans and professionals.
- Sep 5🔬 Galaxy Birth Observed – The Hubble Space Telescope captured images of star clusters 11 billion light-years away, offering insights into galaxy formation.
- Sep 6🌪️ Hurricane Fran Strikes – Hurricane Fran slammed into the Carolina coast, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain, causing significant damage in the region.
- Sep 7🌪️ Hurricane Fran Damage – Hurricane Fran's damage in the Carolinas and neighboring states is estimated to exceed $1 billion, marking it as a significant disaster.
- Sep 8🌍 Yeltsin Admits Heart Condition – Boris N. Yeltsin revealed he suffers from a serious heart condition and will undergo bypass surgery later this month.
- Sep 9🏆 Sampras Wins US Open – Pete Sampras secures his fourth US Open title, reaffirming his dominance in tennis after a challenging year.
- Sep 10🔬 Scientists Grow Livers – Researchers at MIT are developing methods to grow human livers in hopes of improving transplant success rates.
- Sep 11🌪️ Hurricane Slams Puerto Rico – A hurricane struck Puerto Rico, causing heavy rainfall of up to 18 inches, resulting in eight deaths and four missing.
- Sep 12🌍 Puerto Rico Seeks Aid – Puerto Rico requests U.S. federal aid to recover from Hurricane Hortense, with damage estimates exceeding $200 million.
- Sep 13🏛️ Israeli Court Ruling – Israel's Supreme Court ruled that a woman can have her estranged husband's frozen embryos implanted in a surrogate against his wishes.
- Sep 14🎻 All-American Debut – Leonard Slatkin began his first season as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra with a standing ovation at the Kennedy Center.
- Sep 15🏒 U.S. Wins Hockey World Cup – The United States won the World Cup of Hockey, defeating Canada 5-2 with four goals in the final minutes, marking a historic victory.
- Sep 16🏛️ Edison's Labs Restoration – A $60 million effort begins to restore Thomas Edison's crumbling laboratories, with a $1 million donation kickstarting the project.
- Sep 17🚀 Shuttle Launched Successfully – The space shuttle Atlantis launched to retrieve astronaut Dr. Shannon W. Lucid, delayed by repairs and a hurricane.
- Sep 18🎨 Dance Festival Celebrates Culture – The Lyons Dance Biennial featured 550 Brazilian dancers, attracting over 100,000 locals to celebrate with music and dance.
- Sep 19🚀 Shuttle Links with Mir – The shuttle Atlantis successfully docked with the Russian space station Mir, marking a significant collaboration in space exploration.
- Sep 20🏦 ARCO Expands Partnership – ARCO expands its partnership with Russia's Lukoil, signing a $5 billion venture to develop projects in the former Soviet Union.
- Sep 21🌊 T.W.A. Search Resumes – Efforts to recover wreckage from Trans World Airlines Flight 800 resumed after delays due to rough seas, with Navy officials optimistic about conditions.
- Sep 22🏟️ Florida Stuns Tennessee – Florida Gators scored 35 points in under 20 minutes, defeating Tennessee 35-29 in front of 107,608 fans, marking a historic college football game.
- Sep 23🌍 Peace in Guatemala – Guatemala's government and guerrillas signed an accord on security and justice, marking a significant step towards peace.
- Sep 24🖼️ Oldest Rock Art Discovered – Archaeologists announced the discovery of what appears to be the oldest rock art in the world, sparking significant interest in early human history.
- Sep 25🎾 Mother Teresa Discharged – Mother Teresa is discharged from the Woodlands Nursing Home in Calcutta after being hospitalized due to a fall.
- Sep 26🔬 New Brain Illness Test – A new spinal fluid test can detect Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, potentially indicating mad-cow disease, scientists report.
- Sep 27🚀 NASA Astronaut Returns – Shannon W. Lucid walked out of the space shuttle Atlantis, feeling gravity for the first time in over six months after her mission.
- Sep 28🗳️ Japan Calls Elections – Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto dissolved Parliament, paving the way for national elections that may reshape Japanese politics.
- Sep 29🔬 At Last, Test Ban Treaty – The world's five nuclear powers signed a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons testing, marking a significant step in global disarmament efforts.
- Sep 30🕊️ Mideast Diplomacy Talks – Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat head to Washington for peace talks amid rising tensions.
Happy Birthday! 1996 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1996 in real headlines. See the 1996 book →
Born in September? Pick the day
Every birthday in September has its own On This Day in Headlines book: