1996 Year in Review

 Highlights:

• Trips out of Athens (See also Blog Athens 1994-97)

• Home Leave in the U.S. beginning February 26, 1996.

• Attended the Indian Wells ATP/WTA Tennis Tournament March 8-17 including some tennis lessons from a pro.  Michael Chang won the men's singles and Steffi Graff the women's.  I remember driving back direct to San Francisco in 12 hours.  

• Boy scout camping trips  and Pinewood Derby with Patrick.

• Tennis tournament May 11, 1996.

• ODELS Bereuter, Naa and Roth May/June 1996.

• Jeffrey graduates from elementary school.

• Patrick's field trip to Olympus.

U.S. Events

·         US budget crisis in fourth month (Jan 3).

·         Clinton approves resumption of many government operations (Jan. 6).

·         Bob Dole sweeps primaries (March 5).

·         F.B.I. arrests suspected Unabomber (April 3).

·         Clinton signs line-item veto bill (April 9).

·         President blocks ban on late-term abortions (April 10).

·         ValuJet crashes in Everglades; all 110 aboard killed (May 11).

·         747 airliner crashes in Atlantic off Long Island, N.Y.; all 230 aboard perish (July 17).

·         Congress passes welfare reform bill (Aug. 2); approved by Clinton Aug. 22.

·         Republican convention nominates Bob Dole and Jack Kemp (Aug. 14); Democratic convention   nominates incumbents Clinton and Gore, who win the national election (Nov. 5).

·         Clinton appoints Madeleine Albright as first female US secretary of state (Dec. 5               

World Events:

·         Chechens capture 2,000 Russians (Jan. 9). Chechnya peace treaty signed (May 27).

·         France agrees to end nuclear testing (Jan. 29). Background: nuclear disarmament

·         Britain alarmed by an outbreak of "mad cow" disease (March 20 et seq.).

·         UN tribunal charges war crimes by Bosnian Muslims and Croats (March 22). Nations pledge $1.23 billion in aid to rebuild Bosnia (April 22).

·         South Africa gets new constitution (May 8).

·         Israel elects Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister (May 31).

·         Militant Taliban leaders seize Afghan capital of Kabul (Sept. 27).

·         Iraqis strike at Kurdish enclave (Aug. 31); after warning, US attacks Iraq's southern air defenses (Sept. 2–3).

·         Ethnic violence breaks out in Zairian refugee camps (Oct. 13); Clinton approves plan for UN-   backed relief mission for 1.2 million Hutu refugees starving in eastern Zaire (Nov. 13).

•  Hundreds of thousands return to Rwanda (Nov. 15–18).

Movies:

Best Picture "Braveheart"; Best Actor Nicolas Cage "Leaving Las Vegas"; Best actress Susan Sarandan "Dead Man Walking";  Best supporting actor was Kevin Spacey "The Usual Suspects"; Best supporting actress Mira Sorvino "Mighty Aphrodite".  Director Mel Gibson "Braveheart"

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl XXX was between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Cowboys defeated the Steelers by the score of 27–17.  Both teams entered the game trying to tie the San Francisco 49ers for the record for most Super Bowl wins by a franchise (5). The Cowboys, who posted a 12–4 regular season record, were making their eighth Super Bowl appearance, while the Steelers, who recorded an 11–5 regular season record, were making their fifth appearance. This game was also the fifth rematch between Super Bowl teams. Moreover, it was the third meeting between the two longtime rivals in a Super Bowl (after Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII), the most between any two NFL teams.  Dallas became the first team to win three Super Bowls in four years, while Pittsburgh's defeat was their first Super Bowl loss in team history.   Dallas' Larry Brown, a 12th-round draft pick, became the first cornerback to be named Super Bowl MVP by recording two interceptions in the second half, which the Cowboys converted into two touchdowns to prevent a Steelers comeback.  The NBC television broadcast broke the then-record for most watched sporting event ever on American television, and the second-most watched program of all time, trailing only the final episode of M*A*S*H.  The half time show featured Diana Ross who arrived in a helicopter.

World Series:

The 1996 World Series had the Yankees defeat the Braves four games to two.  Yankees relief pitcher John Wetteland was named the World Series Most Valuable Player for saving all four Yankee wins.  The Yankees lost the first two games at home, being outscored by the Braves, 16–1. However, they rebounded to win the next four games, the last three in close fashion, including a dramatic comeback win in Game 4 to tie the series. They became the third team to win a World Series after losing Games 1 and 2 at their home stadium, following the Kansas City Royals in 1985 and the New York Mets in 1986. They also became the first team since the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 to win four consecutive games in a World Series after losing the first two.  Game 5 was the final game to be played at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, as the Braves moved into Turner Field the following season. Atlanta became the only city to host the World Series and the Olympics in the same year and Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium became the only stadium to host baseball in an Olympics and the World Series in the same year.