1996 World History Ella Fitzgerald (1918–1996) Archive Photos Madeleine Albright (1937– ) U.S. State Department Kofi Annan (1938– ) United Nations 1996 U.S. budget crisis in fourth month(Jan. 3).Clinton approves resumption of many government operations(Jan. 6).Senate ratifies major arms reduction treaty(Jan. 26). Franceannounces end to nuclear tests(Jan. 29).At least 73 dead in Sri Lankan suicide bombing(Feb. 1).Suicide bombers kill 59 in Israel(March 4).Bob Dole sweeps Republican primaries(March 5).Britain alarmed by deadly cow disease (March 20et seq.). UN tribunal charges war crimes by Bosnian Muslims and Croats(March 22).Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown killed in plane crash(April 3).FBI 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). Chechnyapeace treaty signed(May 27).Israel elects Benjamin Netanyahuas prime minister(May 31). Chinaagrees to world ban on atomic testing(June 6).Leaders in Balkans sign accord on arms limits(June 14).Jazz great Ella Fitzgeralddies(June 15).Truck bomb kills 19 at U.S. base in Saudi Arabia(June 25). Boris Yeltsinis reelected in Russian election(July 3).Prince Charlesand Princess Dianaagree on divorce(July 12).747 airliner crashesin Atlantic off Long Island; all 230 aboard perish(July 17).Bomb mars Summer Olympic games in Atlanta(July 25).Clinton signs bill to raise minimum wage(Aug. 2).Congress passes welfare reform bill(Aug. 2);approved by Clinton(Aug. 22).Republican convention opens in San Diego(Aug. 12);Bob Dole and Jack Kemp nominated(Aug. 14).Democrats convene in Chicago(Aug. 26).Iraqis strike at Kurdish enclave(Aug. 31);after warning, U.S. attacks Iraq's southern air defenses(Sept. 2–3);Iraq halts attacks on U.S. planes enforcing flight exclusion zones in north and south(Sept. 13).Violence flares in Jerusalem over Israel opening tourist tunnel(Sept. 24).Taliban Muslim fundamentalists capture Afghancapital(Sept. 27).Ethnic violence breaks out in Zairian refugee camps(Oct. 13);thousands of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi abandon camps(Oct. 21).Clinton-Gore ticket wins national election; Republicans retain control of Congress(Nov. 5).Mid-air collision in India kills 342(Nov. 12).Texaco settles racial bias suit(Nov. 15).Hundreds of thousands of Hutu refugees return to Rwanda(Nov. 15–18).Clinton appoints Madeleine Albrightas first female U.S. secretary of state(Dec. 5). Kofi Annannamed UN secretary-general(Dec. 13).FBI agent charged with spying for Moscow(Dec. 18).Thousands march in Belgrade in continuing protest against president's annulment of election results(Dec. 26).