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Year in Review
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One year contains a great deal of history, and time will judge the importance of events. Reviewing the year is a worthwhile reminder of who and where we are. Here's our look back at 1996. Discuss your best memories with Post ombudsman Geneva Overholser.


1996 1996

National: TWA Crash, Kaczynski 		Across the U.S., a Year of Terrorism and Trial
It was a year of unsolved mysteries: plane crashes, a bomb explosion during the Olympics, the Simpson civil trial. It was also a year of hope: a Unabomber suspect was apprehended, and AIDS patients got a new lease on life.
TWA Flight 800 Special Report
 From the Post: Unabomber Suspect Captured
 Read more in the National News Roundup



Politics: Clinton and Dole		 Clinton Returns; GOP Holds Congress
Even a 96-hour marathon wasn't enough to win the election for former Senator Robert Dole, and Bill Clinton became the first Democrat to win the presidency twice since Franklin Roosevelt. Republicans held control of the House and Senate, where they had defined some of the year's hottest political topics.
Political Yearbook from PoliticsNow
Clinton Wins Second Term



Sports: USA Gymnast		 Women Win Laurels at Atlanta Olympics
Like tightly-coiled springs released on the world, the U.S. women's gymnastics team bounced, somersaulted and vaulted their way to their first team gold medal in the sports event of the year. Locally, the Ravens brought professional football back to Baltimore and construction began for two new Washington sports venues.
Read the 1996 Sports Roundup



Local: Blizzard of '96		 Blizzard, Face-off on the Home Front
The Washington area spent much of January and February under several feet of snow. It eventually melted, flooding the Potomac and trapping motorists eager to return to work. Then D.C. sank deeper into financial crisis and a Congressionally-appointed Control Board faced off with Mayor Marion Barry.
Winter Blizzard Shuts D.C.
 Redskins Building New Stadium
Control Board Governs City
 Read more in the 1996 Local News Roundup



Style: The Macarena		 In Style: The Macarena, Dating and Divorce
The Macarena, having dominated hit charts and dance floors, finally seems to be grinding to a halt, making it a certifiable 1996 phenomenon. Not so the new single girls' bible, "The Rules," which is still topping the book lists. The ever-observed British royal family traded dignity for divorce, then announced it was considering reforming the entire royal system.
Mourning Tupac Shakur
 Joe Klein "Anonymous" No More
 Read more in the Entertainment Roundup



Business: Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan		 Strong U.S. Economy Spreads Cheer
Alan Greenspan had a good year and was the herald of a healthy economy: the Dow hit new highs, the deficit dropped and unemployment is near a seven-year low. Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and Netscape chairman Jim Barksdale are going head-to-head in a battle to capture your desktop computer.
Microsoft, Netscape Face Off
 Read more in the Business News Roundup



International: Rwanda: The Human Highway		 Beyond Our Borders, War and Uncertainty
A modern-day Trail of Tears in reverse, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans left camps in Tanzania and Zaire and made the long trek home after more than two years in exile. In Russia, Boris Yeltsin's illness has left uncertainty as that nation enters the new year.
Read more in the International News Roundup



WashingtonPost.com Site in Review		 The Web: Post.com Opens Its Doors
The nation embraced the Internet as a new method of communicating, and The Washington Post began publishing on the Web in June with the launch of WashingtonPost.com. We asked you to ".com and get it," and you do, to the tune of a half-million page views a day. Stick around — there’s more to come in 1997.



Geneva Overholser, Washington Post Ombudsman		 Talk About Your 1996 Memories
Geneva Overholser, Ombudsman at The Washington Post, joined us during the first week of 1997 to discuss the year in review. Find out how she and other users summarized the major events of 1996.
PRODUCED BY SARA CORMENY • DEVELOPED BY CHRIS JOHNSON • DESIGNED BY COLLEEN KAISER

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