Governor
Appointed Governor of the Falkland Islands
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1996 in Great Britain
Explore 154 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1996.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1996
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 154 unique records.
154Unique records
1 of 4Page
34Named events on this page
20Named people on this page
6Places on this page
January
Beta Pictoris Disk Warp
Burrows leads Hubble observations showing a warp in the Beta Pictoris dust disk consistent with gravitational influence from an unseen planet.
Single Girl
Single Girl reaches the UK Top Thirty as Lush move toward the brighter pop sound of Lovelife.
February
Slight Return Number Two
Slight Return reaches number two on the UK singles chart and becomes The Bluetones' signature hit.
Sweet Catatonia Chart Entry
Catatonia enter the UK singles chart with Sweet Catatonia as the Welsh band's national profile begins to grow.
The Riverboat Song
The Riverboat Song reaches the UK Top Twenty and begins Ocean Colour Scene's major 1996 breakthrough.
Bombing of London
Three people are feared dead & eight have been hurt after a bomb exploded on a double decker bus in the heart of London's West End. The explosion comes just nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire with a bombing in the Docklands area of London, which killed two people
Ceasefire
The explosion comes just nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire with a bombing in the Docklands area of London, which killed two people
IRA
The explosion comes just nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire with a bombing in the Docklands area of London, which killed two people
IRA - Bombing of London
Government record concerning the IRA: Three people are feared dead & eight have been hurt after a bomb exploded on a double decker bus in the heart of London's West End. The explosion comes just nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire with a bombing in the Docklands area of London, which killed two people
IRA - Bombing of London
Historical IRA record under Conservative Party Government: Three people are feared dead & eight have been hurt after a bomb exploded on a double decker bus in the heart of London's West End. The explosion comes just nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire with a bombing in the Docklands area of London, which killed two people
IRA - Bombing of London
IRA context for John Roy Major: Three people are feared dead & eight have been hurt after a bomb exploded on a double decker bus in the heart of London's West End. The explosion comes just nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire with a bombing in the Docklands area of London, which killed two people
Brit Awards Stage Protest
Interrupts Michael Jackson's Earth Song performance at the Brit Awards in a widely reported stage protest.
Bombing of Docklands
The IRA bombing of the Docklands ends their ceasefire
Ceasefire
The IRA bombing of the Docklands ends their ceasefire
IRA
The IRA bombing of the Docklands ends their ceasefire
IRA - Bombing of Docklands
Government record concerning the IRA: The IRA bombing of the Docklands ends their ceasefire
IRA - Bombing of Docklands
Historical IRA record under Conservative Party Government: The IRA bombing of the Docklands ends their ceasefire
IRA - Bombing of Docklands
IRA context for John Roy Major: The IRA bombing of the Docklands ends their ceasefire
March
Ladykillers
Ladykillers reaches the UK Top Thirty and becomes one of Lush's most prominent Britpop-era singles.
Real Love
"Real Love," a 1979 John Lennon demo finished in 1995 by the other Beatles, becomes the second new Beatles single to chart in less than three months. It is released as part of The Beatles Anthology recordings and TV special
Fifth League Cup Victory
Little manages Villa to a 3-0 League Cup final victory over Leeds United.
Departure
Leaves Genesis to focus on solo work, film music and other projects.
Lovelife Top Ten Album
Lush's Lovelife reaches number eight on the UK albums chart.
Walkaway Top Ten
Walkaway reaches number nine on the UK singles chart, giving Cast a major Britpop-era hit.
Declaration of BSE
A statement in the Commons suggests BSE in cattle could be dangerous to human health
April
Stone Roses
Band infighting and rumoured cocaine abuse led to his departure from The Stone Roses on April Fools Day 1996
One EP
Mansun's One EP enters the UK Top Forty during the band's breakthrough year.
You've Got It Bad Top Ten
You've Got It Bad becomes a UK Top Ten single during Ocean Colour Scene's breakthrough year.
Election
Labour wins the Staffs South East byelection reducing the Government majority to 3
Moseley Shoals Number Two
Moseley Shoals enters the UK albums chart and peaks at number two.
Something Changed UK Top Ten
Pulp's Something Changed reaches number ten on the UK singles chart.
May
Grateful When You're Dead
Kula Shaker enter the UK Top Forty with Grateful When You're Dead during their rapid 1996 breakthrough.
Lost Cat Single
Catatonia's Lost Cat reaches the UK singles chart during the band's early breakthrough period.
Sale of the Century Top Ten
Sale of the Century reaches number ten on the UK singles chart, giving Sleeper a Top Ten hit.
Play Off Final Extra Time Winner
Claridge strikes the decisive goal near the end of extra time against Crystal Palace to win the 1996 First Division play-off final for Leicester City.
Golden Boot Premier League
Leads the Premier League scoring standings with 31 goals for Blackburn Rovers. His contribution stands out for his sustained scoring despite Blackburn losing their championship crown.
June
The Day We Caught the Train
The Day We Caught the Train reaches number four on the UK singles chart.
Two EP
Mansun's Two EP reaches the UK Top Forty as the Chester band builds a national following.
Free Peace Sweet Top Ten
Dodgy's Free Peace Sweet reaches number seven on the UK albums chart.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.