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 £21.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from £21.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from £21.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from £21.50
Front Page: United Kingdom 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 · United Kingdom
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?
The Fugees bring The Score forward
The Fugees released The Score in 1996, blending rap, singing and layered samples into a widely heard hip-hop album.
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.
Eurostar adds Ashford to its route
Eurostar began calling at Ashford on January 8, 1996, adding its second British station.
Ashford Borough Council · Japan Railway and Transport Review
A lander and rover begin their journey to Mars.
NASA launched Mars Pathfinder on December 4, 1996, carrying the Sojourner rover toward Mars.
Firsts and new ideas
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.
Nintendo 64 Brings Three-Dimensional Worlds Home
Nintendo launched the Nintendo 64 in Japan on June 23, 1996, introducing its next home console to a generation of players.
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
United Kingdom figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Average weekly earnings per person in the United Kingdom (Bank of England series) | £265.40 per week | GBP per week Bank of England (series republished by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED) |
| sugar (annual average) | 76p | perkg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| flour (annual average) | 59p | per1.5kg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| bread (annual average) | 55.0p | 800g source-table loaf Office for National Statistics |
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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