Born in 1996
Turns 30 in 2026 · 30th birthday gifts
30th birthday gifts for someone born in 1996
1996 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $51.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $51.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $51.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $51.50
Front Page: New Zealand edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1996 · New Zealand
A little history to go with their gift.
The Fugees released The Score, Independence Day made an imagined alien invasion a summer cinema event, and New Zealand held its first election under mixed-member proportional representation. Music, film and a new voting system all feature in 1996.
What happened in 1996?
New Zealand holds its first MMP election
Voters elected 120 MPs through electorate seats and party lists. No party won a majority; after negotiations, National and New Zealand First formed a coalition.
Kahurangi becomes New Zealand’s 13th national park
Kahurangi became New Zealand’s 13th national park, protecting a large area of north-west Nelson’s mountain and forest landscape.
A lander and rover begin their journey to Mars.
NASA launched Mars Pathfinder on December 4, 1996, carrying the Sojourner rover toward Mars.
Johnson ran 19.32 seconds in Atlanta.
Michael Johnson won the Olympic 200-meter final in Atlanta on August 1, 1996, in a world-record 19.32 seconds. USA Track & Field and World Athletics record the result.
Firsts and new ideas
Bone Thugs N Harmony reaches No. 1 in New Zealand with ‘Tha Crossroads’
Tha Crossroads by Bone Thugs N Harmony ranked first on New Zealand’s Official Top 40 Singles for 28 June–04 July 1996.
Dolly The Sheep Shows What Adult Cells Can Do
Dolly was born at Scotland’s Roslin Institute on July 5, 1996, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
Number ones and music in 1996
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Spice Girls launch a pop phenomenon
The Spice Girls released Wannabe in the United Kingdom on July 8, 1996, launching a pop group whose song soon reached listeners around the world.
Macarena makes dancing a group project
Los del Rio's Macarena became a worldwide dance hit in 1996 after the Bayside Boys remix opened a new route for the Spanish-language song.
Prices and everyday money in 1996
New Zealand figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol (annual avg.) | $0.90 | litre MBIE via Figure.NZ |
| Average weekly earnings, total (males and females combined) | $610.65 | NZ dollars per week Statistics New Zealand / Stats NZ |
| Postage stamp, 40-cent denomination | NZ$0.40 face value (40 cents) | one New Zealand Post postage stamp; face denomination NZ Post Collectables (New Zealand Post) |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1996 turns 30 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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