On this day
Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
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Clinton Presidential campaign dominates news media following first Presidential election debate with Bob Dole, using phalanx of surrogates for spin control; photos (M)
Justice Gerald Sheindlin acquits Police Officer Francis X Livotti in choking death of Anthony Ramon Baez in the Bronx in 1994, even as he assails officer's behavior for failing sworn responsibility to be peacemaker as well as peacekeeper; says that he did not find defendant innocent, but that evidence failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt; verdict touches off angry protests by relatives and friends of Baez, forcing phalanx of court officers to escort judge, defendant and lawyers from courtroom; photos (M)
Corruption in South Africa ''Sarafina 2,'' a costly sequel to the Broadway musical, closed quickly in South Africa, and opened questions about how the Government handles charges of corruption. Page A6. Blasts Shake Ulster Base Two explosions on a British Army base in Northern Ireland wounded 20 soldiers and 3 civilians, and further damaged flagging peace efforts in the British province. Page A10. Chinese Fervor in Hong Kong A dispute over rocky outcrops in the East China Sea has fomented more Chinese nationalism in Hong Kong than in China, where any protests make leaders nervous. Page A3. A Threat to the Trout In the western Catskills, conservation groups worry that repair efforts after January's floods have disturbed trout habitats. Page B1. Missing Clues to Air Crash Only 5 percent of the wreckage from T.W.A. Flight 800 is missing, but investigators say those pieces, which could lead to a cause of the crash, may never be recovered. Page B1.
Clyde Haberman contends that President Clinton and his Republican challenger Bob Dole havevirtually ignored New York City in their campaigns (M)
Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole, with first debate behind him, campaigns by bus throughout New Jersey (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)
Music on My Birthday
The Top 50 albums for the chart week of October 2, 1996, covering October 8, 1996.
Celine Dion
New Edition
R.E.M.
Alanis Morissette
Blackstreet
1996Devontae Cacok, American basketball player[†]
Devontae Calvin Cacok is an American professional basketball player who last played for Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the UNC Wilmington Seahawks, where in the 2017–18 season he led the nation in rebounding.
1996Timo Meier, Swiss ice hockey player[†]
Timo Meier is a Swiss professional ice hockey player for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2015 NHL entry draft, Meier became the third Swiss player in franchise history to be drafted by the team.
1996Sara Sorribes Tormo, Spanish tennis player[†]
Sara Sorribes Tormo is a Spanish professional tennis player. She achieved her career-high singles ranking of world No. 32 on 7 February 2022 and No. 17 in doubles on 6 May 2024. She has won two singles titles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as one doubles title on the WTA Challenger Tour. On the ITF Circuit, she has won ten singles and five doubles titles. She is a bronze medalist in women's doubles at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
1996Sara Takanashi, Japanese ski jumper[†]
Sara Takanashi is a Japanese ski jumper. She is one of the most successful female ski jumpers to date, as well as one of the most successful athletes in the history of the sport, having won four World Cup overall titles, seven World Championship medals, and a Winter Olympic medal. As of June 2025, Takanashi holds the record for the most individual World Cup wins, male or female, with 63. She also has three Guinness World Records certificates for the most podium finishes in the Ski Jumping World Cup, the most individual victories by a female in the Ski Jumping World Cup, and the most Ski Jumping World Cup individual victories in a career (overall).
In 1996, the world population was approximately 5,842,055,734 people[†]