| Breaking 1996 down into the biggest news, sports | | | | home support, the 'Three Lions' made it all the way |
| and entertainment events; here's what happened... | | | | to the semi-finals, the nation going football crazy as it |
| Two tragedies hit the hearts of Britons in 1996, the | | | | looked as if England were really going to win a major |
| nation's sympathies going out to the people of | | | | tournament for the first time since '66, then, as really |
| Dunblane and Manchester. In Dunblane, a crazed | | | | should have been expected, they lost on penalties to |
| gunman went on a shooting spree in at a local infant | | | | Germany. |
| school, killing an entire class and their teacher. Later in | | | | Entertainment wise, carrot topped Chris Evans |
| the year, as a direct response to those ill-fated | | | | re-invented the chat show format with his hit show |
| events, the Government announced that it would be | | | | 'TFI Friday'.Presenting celebrity gossip, the hippest |
| outlawing almost all handguns in the UK. | | | | bands and lad friendly guests, this unscripted, chaotic |
| In Manchester, a huge bomb devastated its busy | | | | program briefly made Evans the most sought after |
| central shopping area just as it was filling up with | | | | man on TV. Over on the BBC, a group of |
| eager Saturday shoppers. Police managed to start an | | | | thirty-something lawyers were gaining huge ratings; |
| evacuation before it blew up but scores of people | | | | 'This Life' being a bit like the American 'Friends' but |
| were still killed or injured in the blast. Such was the | | | | with much more 'bad' behaviour and saucy goings on. |
| damage caused, that the episode led to a total | | | | The big screen was blessed with one of the jewels |
| regeneration of Manchester city centre. | | | | of the British film-making crown, 'Trainspotting'. |
| Also hitting the news in '96 was the introduction of | | | | Despite featuring heroin, needles, vomit and |
| the first genetically modified (or GM) food to go on | | | | disgusting toilet bowls, this was the coolest thing of |
| sale in British supermarkets. Modified tomato puree | | | | the year and took Ewan McGregor from nowhere to |
| was the cause of all the fuss with some critics | | | | 'Star Wars'. The more family friendly film of 1996 |
| dubbing it a "Frankenstein food". | | | | was 'Toy Story'; it being the first feature length |
| The world of sport was dominated by England's | | | | movie ever to be animated entirely by computer. |
| hosting of the European football championships (Euro | | | | The results were quite stunning and people flocked |
| '96). The England v Scotland group stage match drew | | | | to see 'Woody' (a pull-string cowboy) and 'Buzz |
| much attention with Gazza's wonder goal eventually | | | | Lightyear' (a high-tech space ranger) battle it out to |
| stealing the win for the home team. Cheered on by | | | | become little Andy's favourite toy. |
