Born in 1996: fun facts, prices and a free printable 30th birthday party kit
Celebrating a 30th birthday in 2026? Start with their birth year, from the Atlanta Games to Dolly the sheep, then grab the free party kit.
In 1996 Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics, with Muhammad Ali lighting the cauldron. Dolly the sheep was born, Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov in a game, Bill Clinton won a second term and Mars Pathfinder lifted off. The Yankees won the World Series and "Macarena" ruled the charts.

Anyone born in 1996 arrived in the year of the Atlanta Olympics, Dolly the sheep and the Macarena. It is also the last birth year that Pew Research Center counts as Millennial.
Below you will find what happened month by month, what groceries and gas cost, and which stars share the birth year, along with its films, songs, shows, toys and sport. Party ideas close the page, with a free 1996 trivia and games kit that signed-in visitors can print.
What’s in the free printable Born in 1996 party kit?
27 printable pages in 3 PDFs for the 30th birthday party: 12 games, a host guide with every answer, and table cards. Print it at home, hand out pens and let the stories start.
- Meet & mingle bingo
- The 1996 headline quiz
- What did it cost in 1996?
- The 1996 birthday club
- Movies & music of 1996
- Before or after 1996?
- Timeline shuffle
- The 1996 word search
- Who knows them best?
- Two truths & a tall tale
- Toasts & memory prompts
- Wishes for the next chapter
Free printable PDFs with an InviteBird account: 3 files, each in US Letter and A4.

A look inside the kit

Game 1: Meet & mingle bingo

Game 2: The 1996 headline quiz

Game 3: What did it cost in 1996?

Game 4: The 1996 birthday club

Game 5: Movies & music of 1996

Game 7: Timeline shuffle

The host guide: every answer, explained

Table cards: the 1996 history card, welcome sign and place cards
How do you play the 30th birthday party games in the kit?
Here is what each game asks of your guests, how to play it and why it lands, so you can pick the ones that suit your crowd before you print.
Meet & mingle bingo
Find a guest for every square. The perfect icebreaker.
You need
- One card per guest
- Pens
How to play
- Hand everyone a card and a pen as they arrive.
- Mingle! When a guest fits a square, ask them to sign their name in it.
- Each guest can sign your card only once. The guest of honor may sign twice.
- First to fill a row, column or diagonal calls "Bingo!" and the host checks the names.
Why it’s fun: Strangers become friends in minutes, and everyone ends up swapping stories about the guest of honor.
The 1996 headline quiz
Ten questions about the year it all began.
You need
- One sheet per team
- Pens
How to play
- Split into teams and pick a team name.
- Read each question aloud, or let teams work through the sheet at their own pace.
- Fill in one bubble per question. Changed your mind? Cross it out clearly.
- Swap sheets to mark them: one point per right answer. Answers are in the host guide.
Why it’s fun: Big moments from 1996, with answers that spark "I remember that!" stories.
What did it cost in 1996?
Everyday prices from 1996: guess what they cost.
You need
- One sheet per team
- Pens
How to play
- Every price is a real 1996 figure; the host guide says where each one comes from.
- Write your best guess in dollars and cents on each tag.
- The host reveals the real prices one at a time, for maximum gasps.
- The closest guess on each tag wins a point. For extra drama, play closest without going over.
Why it’s fun: Everyone has an opinion about prices, and the real 1996 numbers always get a reaction.
The 1996 birthday club
Eight of these stars were born in 1996. Can you spot them?
You need
- One sheet per team
- Pens
How to play
- Read each famous name.
- Decide whether they were born before 1996, in 1996, or after 1996.
- Fill in one bubble for each person.
- One point per right answer. Watch out for the close calls!
Why it’s fun: Quick to play and full of surprises: it is hard to believe some of these stars share the guest of honor's birth year.
Movies & music of 1996
Match the films to their stars and the hits to their singers.
You need
- One sheet per team
- Pens
How to play
- Match each film to a famous name from the box, writing the letter beside it.
- Do the same for each 1996 hit song and its artist.
- Each letter is used once per side.
- One point per match, plus a bonus point for naming the song that was No. 1 on Billboard's 1996 Year-End Hot 100.
Why it’s fun: It turns into a sing-along. Play the songs as you reveal the answers.
Before or after 1996?
Toys, games and gadgets: did each arrive before or after 1996?
You need
- One sheet per team
- Pens
How to play
- Read each milestone.
- Fill in the bubble on the left for before 1996, or on the right for after 1996.
- None of these happened in 1996 itself.
- One point per right answer. Some of them are very close calls!
Why it’s fun: Everyone has a memory of these, and the close calls start friendly arguments.
Timeline shuffle
Put eight milestones in order around the 1996 card.
You need
- One sheet per team
- Scissors
- A table to lay the cards on
How to play
- Before the party, cut out one set of cards per team along the dashed lines.
- Each team lays the 1996 card in the middle of their table.
- Place the other eight cards in order from earliest to latest, around the 1996 card.
- The host reads out the right order: one point for each card in the right spot.
Why it’s fun: Hands-on and loud: teams debate, shuffle and change their minds right up to the reveal.
The 1996 word search
Fifteen words from 1996 are hidden in the grid.
You need
- One sheet per player
- Pens or pencils
How to play
- Find each word from the list in the grid.
- Words run across, down or diagonally, and some run backwards.
- Circle each word in the grid and tick it off the list.
- First to find all fifteen wins. The solution is in the host guide.
Why it’s fun: A calm game for anyone who wants a break from the crowd, including the youngest guests.
Who knows them best?
How well do you really know the guest of honor?
You need
- One sheet per team
- Pens
- The guest of honor's answers
How to play
- Before the party, ask the guest of honor to answer the questions privately.
- Teams write down what they think the guest of honor said.
- The guest of honor reveals each answer, with the story behind it.
- One point per match. The host decides on close answers.
Why it’s fun: The reveals are the best part: every answer comes with a story.
Two truths & a tall tale
Two true stories and one invention. Spot the tall tale.
You need
- One slip per guest (two per sheet)
- Pens
How to play
- Write three short statements about yourself: two true, one made up.
- Fill in the bubble for your tall tale, then fold that corner over to hide it.
- Take turns reading your three statements aloud.
- Everyone guesses the tall tale. Fool the room and you win a point.
Why it’s fun: Guests learn surprising things about each other, and the guest of honor's turn is always a highlight.
Toasts & memory prompts
Twelve prompts that turn shy guests into storytellers.
You need
- One sheet, cut into cards
- A bowl or hat
How to play
- Cut the cards apart along the dashed lines and put them in a bowl.
- When it is time for toasts, pass the bowl around.
- Draw a card and finish the sentence, out loud, to the guest of honor.
- Raise a glass after each one. No points, just good stories.
Why it’s fun: Nobody has to prepare a speech, yet everyone ends up saying something lovely.
Wishes for the next chapter
A keepsake card for every guest to fill in.
You need
- One card per guest (two per sheet)
- Pens
- A box or envelope to collect them
How to play
- Cut each sheet in half along the dashed line.
- Put the cards out on a table with pens, or hand them out at the start.
- Guests write a wish, a memory and their name.
- Collect them in a box for the guest of honor to read later.
Why it’s fun: The one thing from the party the guest of honor will keep for years.
How do you run the kit at a 30th birthday party?
Example: a 90-minute 30th birthday party for 16 guests, born-in-1996 style, in four teams of four. Swap games in or out to suit your crowd; the host guide has every answer.
Before the party, print
- 16 bingo cards, one per guest
- 4 copies each of the headline quiz, the price game, the birthday club, Movies & music and Before or after
- 4 timeline sheets, cut into cards
- 8 two-truths sheets and 8 wish-card sheets (two per sheet)
- The toast prompts, the scorecard and the host guide
- The table cards: the 1996 history card, the welcome sign and four sheets of place cards
- 0:00Guests arrive: Meet & mingle bingo
Hand each guest a bingo card and a pen at the door, so the mingling starts before the coats are off.
- 0:15Welcome and teams
Say a few words about the guest of honor, then split the room into four teams of four, mixing generations.
- 0:20Round one: The 1996 headline quiz and What did it cost in 1996?
Read the quiz aloud, then reveal the real prices one at a time and let the gasps do the work.
- 0:40Round two: The 1996 birthday club and Movies & music of 1996
Play a few seconds of each song while teams match the hits to their singers.
- 0:55Cake break: The 1996 word search and Wishes for the next chapter
Leave the word search and the wish cards on the tables while everyone eats.
- 1:05Round three: Before or after 1996? and Timeline shuffle
Hand each team its set of timeline cards and give them five minutes to argue.
- 1:20All about them: Who knows them best? and Two truths & a tall tale
Reveal the guest of honor's private answers, then let them read their two truths last.
- 1:30Toasts and winners: Toasts & memory prompts
Pass the bowl of toast prompts, add up the scorecard and crown the winning team.
What happened in 1996?
The biggest events of 1996, each with the source it comes from.

- February 10-17
Deep Blue takes a game off Kasparov
At the Convention Center in Philadelphia, IBM's chess computer Deep Blue won Game 1 against world champion Garry Kasparov on February 10. Kasparov took the six-game match 4-2, with three wins, two draws and one loss.
Source: ChessBase: 25 years ago, Deep Blue beats Kasparov - June 16
Bulls win the NBA Finals
Chicago beat Seattle 87-75 at the United Center in Game 6 to take the NBA Finals 4-2.
Source: Basketball-Reference: Seattle at Chicago, June 16, 1996 (1996 NBA Finals, Game 6) - July 5
Dolly the sheep is born
Dolly was born at the Roslin Institute, part of Edinburgh University. Her cell came from an adult ewe's mammary gland, and she was named after the singer Dolly Parton. The world heard about her in February 1997.
Source: University of Edinburgh, Our History: Cloning of Dolly the Sheep, 1996 - July 19-August 4
The Atlanta Olympics
Atlanta hosted 10,318 athletes from 197 National Olympic Committees across 271 events. Muhammad Ali lit the cauldron, and President Bill Clinton officially opened the Games.
Source: Canadian Olympic Committee: Atlanta 1996 - July 23
Kerri Strug vaults to team gold
At the Georgia Dome, Kerri Strug hurt her ankle on her first vault, then landed a second one. The "Magnificent Seven" won the first US women's team gymnastics gold.
Source: Sports Illustrated: Kerri Strug's gold-medal winning vault during 1996 Olympics - August 7
NASA reports possible life in a Mars meteorite
NASA and Stanford scientists announced "strong circumstantial evidence" of past microscopic life in a meteorite thought to come from Mars. Their findings appeared in Science on August 16.
Source: NASA Science: APOD, August 7, 1996, Early Microscopic Life on Mars? - September 26
Shannon Lucid comes home from Mir
Astronaut Shannon Lucid returned to Earth aboard space shuttle Atlantis after a 188-day mission on the Russian space station Mir. It was a record for a woman and for an American.
Source: NASA: Shannon Lucid's record-setting mission aboard Mir - October 1
The minimum wage rises to $4.75
The federal minimum wage went from $4.25 to $4.75 an hour. It rose again to $5.15 on September 1, 1997.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor: History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates, 1938-2009 - October 26
The Yankees win the World Series
New York beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in Game 6 to win the Series 4-2, after losing the first two games. Closer John Wetteland was named World Series MVP.
Source: Baseball-Reference: 1996 World Series - November 5
Bill Clinton is re-elected
Clinton won a second term with 49 percent of the vote, ahead of Senator Bob Dole at 41 percent. He was the first Democratic president since Franklin Roosevelt to win a second term.
Source: Miller Center (University of Virginia): Bill Clinton, Key Events - November 7
Mars Global Surveyor launches
NASA's orbiter left Earth on a Delta rocket. It entered orbit around Mars on September 12, 1997, and mapped the planet for about a decade.
Source: NASA Science: Mars Global Surveyor - December 4
Mars Pathfinder lifts off
A Delta II rocket launched Pathfinder from Cape Canaveral. Its lander reached Mars on July 4, 1997, and released the small rover Sojourner.
Source: NASA Science: Mars Pathfinder
How much did things cost in 1996?
A snapshot of the cost of living in 1996, from a stamp to a pound of coffee. Every price is a US figure from a government source.

What was popular in 1996?

Movies
- Independence Day
The alien-invasion blockbuster was the top US box-office film of 1996 at about $306 million, ahead of Twister at about $242 million.
Source: Box Office Mojo: 1996 domestic yearly box office - Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible took third place at the 1996 US box office with about $181 million. The Rock came fourth and The Nutty Professor fifth.
Source: Box Office Mojo: 1996 domestic yearly box office - The English Patient
The film won Best Picture at the Oscars on March 24, 1997. Anthony Minghella won Best Director and Juliette Binoche won Best Supporting Actress.
Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 69th Academy Awards (1997), honoring 1996 films - Fargo
Frances McDormand won Best Actress for Fargo, and Joel and Ethan Coen won Best Original Screenplay. It was also a Best Picture nominee.
Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 69th Academy Awards (1997), honoring 1996 films - Jerry Maguire
Cuba Gooding Jr. won Best Supporting Actor, and Tom Cruise was nominated for Best Actor. The film was a Best Picture nominee.
Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 69th Academy Awards (1997), honoring 1996 films
Music
- "Macarena" by Los del Río
The Bayside Boys mix reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1996 and stayed there for 14 weeks.
Source: Recording Academy (GRAMMY.com): Remember When? Los Del Río, "Macarena" Take Over The U.S. - The year-end Hot 100
Billboard ranked "Macarena" first for 1996, ahead of "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men and Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me." "Nobody Knows" and "Always Be My Baby" finished fourth and fifth.
Source: Deseret News (AP), December 27, 1996: Macarena heads '96 singles charts (Billboard year-end Top Singles) - Alanis Morissette at the Grammys
Jagged Little Pill won Album of the Year at the 38th Grammy Awards in 1996. Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" took Record and Song of the Year.
Source: Recording Academy: 38th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Falling Into You
At the 1997 Grammys, Celine Dion's Falling Into You won Album of the Year and Eric Clapton's "Change the World" won Record of the Year. LeAnn Rimes was named Best New Artist.
Source: Recording Academy: 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards
TV shows
- 3rd Rock from the Sun
NBC's sitcom about aliens posing as a family premiered on January 9, 1996, with John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Source: Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: 3rd Rock from the Sun - Everybody Loves Raymond
CBS premiered it on September 13, 1996. Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett and Doris Roberts led a run that lasted until 2005.
Source: Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: Everybody Loves Raymond - Seinfeld
Still on NBC in 1996, in a run that lasted from May 1990 to May 1998. Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards starred.
Source: Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: Seinfeld - Friends
The NBC sitcom began on September 22, 1994, and ran until May 6, 2004. The six friends were already a fixture in 1996.
Source: Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: Friends
Toys & games
- Tickle Me Elmo
The plush Elmo that laughed and shook when tickled was the must-have toy of the 1996 holiday season.
Source: The Strong National Museum of Play: Tickle Me Elmo - Nintendo 64
The console launched in the US on September 29, 1996, with Super Mario 64.
Source: Nintendo: Our history - Pokémon Red and Green
The first Pokémon games arrived in Japan in February 1996 for the Game Boy.
Source: The Pokémon Company: History
Tech
- The Palm Pilot
Palm introduced its first devices, the Palm 1000 and 5000, in 1996. They used a handwriting-style input called Graffiti.
Source: Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1996 - BackRub
Larry Page and Sergey Brin built a search engine at Stanford that ranked web pages by their links and called it BackRub. It was soon renamed Google.
Source: Google: Our story - 36 million web users
By the end of 1996 about 36 million people used the Web, passing the roughly 30 million users of France's Minitel.
Source: Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1996
Sport
- The 72-10 Bulls
The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls went 72-10 in the regular season and 15-3 in the playoffs. They beat Miami, New York and Orlando before Seattle in the Finals.
Source: Basketball-Reference: 1995-96 Chicago Bulls - A Yankees comeback
New York lost Games 1 and 2 to Atlanta by 12-1 and 4-0, then won four straight to take the World Series.
Source: Baseball-Reference: 1996 World Series - Donovan Bailey's 9.84
Canada's Donovan Bailey won the Olympic 100 meters in a world-record 9.84 seconds, then anchored Canada's 4x100m relay to gold.
Source: Canadian Olympic Committee: Atlanta 1996
Which famous people were born in 1996?
A few familiar faces who share the birth year, all born in 1996.
- April 16, 1996Anya Taylor-JoyActor: Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit, a Golden Globe winner, and Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.Source: Biography.com: Anya Taylor-Joy
- June 1, 1996Tom HollandEnglish actor who plays Spider-Man in the Marvel films and began on stage as Billy Elliot in London.Source: Biography.com: Tom Holland
- July 20, 1996Ben SimmonsBasketball player picked first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, a Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star.Source: NBA.com: Ben Simmons
- August 16, 1996Caeleb DresselAmerican swimmer with nine Olympic gold medals, from the Rio, Tokyo and Paris Games.Source: Olympedia: Caeleb Dressel
- September 1, 1996ZendayaActor and Disney Channel alum: Rue in Euphoria (two Emmys), MJ in the Spider-Man films and Chani in Dune.Source: Biography.com: Zendaya
- October 24, 1996Jaylen BrownNBA guard taken third overall in 2016, a five-time All-Star, NBA champion and Finals MVP.Source: NBA.com: Jaylen Brown
- October 30, 1996Devin BookerPhoenix Suns guard, taken 13th overall in 2015, a five-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist.Source: NBA.com: Devin Booker
- December 11, 1996Hailee SteinfeldActor and singer: an Oscar nomination for True Grit, Kate Bishop in Hawkeye and the hit "Starving."Source: Biography.com: Hailee Steinfeld
What are some fun facts about 1996?
Deep Blue's Game 1 win in Philadelphia was the first time a computer beat a reigning world chess champion under regular time controls.
Source: IBM: Deep BlueDolly was the only live lamb to come out of 277 attempts to clone from an adult cell.
Source: University of Edinburgh, Our History: Cloning of Dolly the Sheep, 1996Tickle Me Elmo was invented by Greg Hyman and Ron Dubren and made by Tyco Preschool Toys. The Strong museum in Rochester keeps an original.
Source: Google Arts & Culture (The Strong National Museum of Play): Tickle Me ElmoIn Atlanta, Canada's team had more women than men for the first time: 154 women to 153 men.
Source: Canadian Olympic Committee: Atlanta 1996Shannon Lucid received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in December 1996, the tenth recipient and the first woman.
Source: NASA: Shannon Lucid's record-setting mission aboard MirPathfinder's Sojourner rover weighed about 23 pounds and was named after civil-rights activist Sojourner Truth. Its lander was called the Carl Sagan Memorial Station.
Source: NASA Science: Mars PathfinderThe Computer History Museum records that the Web's 36 million users at the end of 1996 passed the 30 million or so on France's Minitel, then the biggest online community.
Source: Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1996Palm called its first devices a "connected organizer" rather than a PDA.
Source: Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1996Google's founders first called their search engine BackRub and built it from their Stanford dorm rooms.
Source: Google: Our storyKasparov went on to lose the 1997 rematch: Deep Blue won the match on May 11 with two wins, one loss and three draws.
Source: Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1997
Can you answer these 1996 trivia questions?
Tap a question to see the answer. The party kit has a full round of 1996 trivia ready to print.
Which city hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics?
Answer: Atlanta, from July 19 to August 4. Source: Canadian Olympic Committee: Atlanta 1996
Who lit the cauldron at the Atlanta Olympics?
Answer: Muhammad Ali. Source: Canadian Olympic Committee: Atlanta 1996
Dolly the cloned sheep was named after which singer?
Answer: Dolly Parton. Source: University of Edinburgh, Our History: Cloning of Dolly the Sheep, 1996
Which IBM computer won a game against Garry Kasparov in February 1996?
Answer: Deep Blue. Kasparov still won the match 4-2. Source: ChessBase: 25 years ago, Deep Blue beats Kasparov
Who won the US presidential election in November 1996?
Answer: Bill Clinton, with 379 electoral votes to Bob Dole's 159. Source: National Archives: 1996 Electoral College results
Which film won Best Picture at the Oscars held on March 24, 1997?
Answer: The English Patient. Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 69th Academy Awards (1997), honoring 1996 films
Which song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1996 and stayed there for 14 weeks?
Answer: "Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix) by Los del Río. Source: Recording Academy (GRAMMY.com): Remember When? Los Del Río, "Macarena" Take Over The U.S.
What was the top US box-office film of 1996?
Answer: Independence Day, at about $306 million. Source: Box Office Mojo: 1996 domestic yearly box office
Which team won the 1996 NBA Finals after a 72-10 season?
Answer: The Chicago Bulls, 4-2 over the Seattle SuperSonics. Source: Basketball-Reference: 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
Which team won the 1996 World Series?
Answer: The New York Yankees, 4-2 over the Atlanta Braves. Source: Baseball-Reference: 1996 World Series
What was the name of the rover carried by Mars Pathfinder, launched in December 1996?
Answer: Sojourner. Source: NASA Science: Mars Pathfinder
How long was Shannon Lucid's stay aboard Mir?
Answer: 188 days. Source: NASA: Shannon Lucid's record-setting mission aboard Mir
How do you throw a 1996-themed 30th birthday party?

Play the hits of 1996
Pull songs from Billboard's 1996 year-end Hot 100 for the speakers: "Macarena," "One Sweet Day," "Because You Loved Me," "Give Me One Reason" and "Tha Crossroads." "Ironic" and "Change the World" make good singalongs.
A Macarena dance-off
Clear a patch of floor and play the Bayside Boys mix. The last person still on the beat wins a paper trophy.
Backyard Atlanta Games
Make paper medals and a cardboard cauldron, then run relay races, a long-jump line and a gymnastics-style freeze pose. Whoever lights the "flame" first is the Ali of the day.
A 1990s snack table
Set out nostalgic party food: pizza bites, mini corn dogs, soft pretzels, a bagel bar and a bowl of popcorn. Offer a sparkling punch and a bright-colored soda so everyone has something to toast with.
Dress code: 1996
Invite everyone to dress as a movie or moment from the year: a flannel shirt, a Bulls jersey, a pilot's flight jacket from Independence Day or a baggy denim jacket.
Movie night, 1996 style
Pick one film from the year's list, such as Independence Day, Twister or Jerry Maguire. Hand out paper movie tickets and award your own Oscars for best costume.
Then-and-now photo wall
Tape baby pictures from 1996 next to that year's headlines, such as the Olympic flame, Dolly the sheep and Pathfinder's launch. Mix in recent snapshots to show the journey since.
Guess the 1996 price
Set out a loaf of bread, a carton of eggs and a stamp, then let guests write down what each cost in 1996. Check them against the figures in the prices table.
Which invitations and cards fit a 30th birthday?
Born in 1996 means turning 30 in 2026. These designs follow the calendar: next year this page shows 31st birthday picks instead.
30th birthday invitations
All 46 30th birthday invitationsWhat else do people ask about 1996?
How old is someone born in 1996?
A person born in 1996 reaches 30 in 2026. Before the birthday itself, they are still a year short of that.
What generation is someone born in 1996?
Millennial. Pew Research Center defines Millennials as people born from 1981 through 1996, so 1996 is the last Millennial birth year. Generation Z starts in 1997.
What is the Chinese zodiac sign for 1996?
The Rat (Fire Rat). The lunar new year began on February 19, 1996, so babies born January 1 through February 18 belong to the Ox.
What happened in 1996?
Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics, Dolly the sheep was born, Deep Blue won a game against Kasparov and Bill Clinton was re-elected. NASA launched Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Pathfinder, and the Yankees won the World Series.
What was the No. 1 song of 1996?
"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" by Los del Río, according to Billboard's 1996 year-end Hot 100. Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" placed second.
How much did things cost in 1996?
Mailing a letter took a 32-cent stamp. The federal minimum wage climbed to $4.75 an hour on October 1, unleaded regular gas averaged $1.23 a gallon, and eggs were $1.31 a dozen in December.
Which famous people were born in 1996?
Anya Taylor-Joy, Tom Holland, Ben Simmons, Caeleb Dressel, Zendaya, Jaylen Brown, Devin Booker and Hailee Steinfeld were all born in 1996.
What movies came out in 1996?
Independence Day, Twister, Mission: Impossible, The Rock, Jerry Maguire, Fargo and The English Patient all date from 1996. The English Patient took Best Picture at the Oscars.
What games can you play at a 1996 birthday party?
Twelve printable games are in the free kit, among them Meet & mingle bingo, a 1996 headline quiz, What did it cost in 1996? and a word search. It also includes a host guide with all the answers and table cards. If you are signed in, you can download everything on this page.
Where do these facts come from?
- ChessBase: 25 years ago, Deep Blue beats Kasparov
- Basketball-Reference: Seattle at Chicago, June 16, 1996 (1996 NBA Finals, Game 6)
- University of Edinburgh, Our History: Cloning of Dolly the Sheep, 1996
- Canadian Olympic Committee: Atlanta 1996
- Sports Illustrated: Kerri Strug's gold-medal winning vault during 1996 Olympics
- NASA Science: APOD, August 7, 1996, Early Microscopic Life on Mars?
- NASA: Shannon Lucid's record-setting mission aboard Mir
- U.S. Department of Labor: History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates, 1938-2009
- Baseball-Reference: 1996 World Series
- Miller Center (University of Virginia): Bill Clinton, Key Events
- NASA Science: Mars Global Surveyor
- NASA Science: Mars Pathfinder
- USPS Postal History: Domestic Letter Rates Since 1863
- EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 5.24: Retail Motor Gasoline and On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices
- US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1998, Table 787: Food, retail prices of selected items (BLS data)
- US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1998, Table 1202: Median Sales Price of New Privately Owned One-Family Houses Sold
- Biography.com: Anya Taylor-Joy
- Biography.com: Tom Holland
- NBA.com: Ben Simmons
- Olympedia: Caeleb Dressel
- Biography.com: Zendaya
- NBA.com: Jaylen Brown
- NBA.com: Devin Booker
- Biography.com: Hailee Steinfeld
- Box Office Mojo: 1996 domestic yearly box office
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 69th Academy Awards (1997), honoring 1996 films
- Recording Academy (GRAMMY.com): Remember When? Los Del Río, "Macarena" Take Over The U.S.
- Deseret News (AP), December 27, 1996: Macarena heads '96 singles charts (Billboard year-end Top Singles)
- Recording Academy: 38th Annual GRAMMY Awards
- Recording Academy: 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards
- Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: 3rd Rock from the Sun
- Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: Everybody Loves Raymond
- Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: Seinfeld
- Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews: Friends
- The Strong National Museum of Play: Tickle Me Elmo
- Nintendo: Our history
- The Pokémon Company: History
- Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1996
- Google: Our story
- Basketball-Reference: 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
- IBM: Deep Blue
- Google Arts & Culture (The Strong National Museum of Play): Tickle Me Elmo
- Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1997
- National Archives: 1996 Electoral College results
The party kit lists the sources behind its games and answers at the back of its host guide.
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