Feature Year: 1996 – 6pm ET

This edition of Feature Year – 1996.
January 15 – Les Baxter, American musician and composer (b. 1922) Died
January 20 – Gerry Mulligan, American musician (b. 1927) Died
January 25 – Jonathan Larson, American composer and playwright (b. 1960) Died
February 9 – The element Copernicium is discovered.
February 16 – Brownie McGhee, American musician (b. 1915) Died
February 21 – Morton Gould, American musician and composer (b. 1913) Died
February 28 – Canadian singer Alanis Morissette wins the top honor, Album of the Year award, at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. She is the youngest person to ever win this award, a record she held until 2010.
March 15 – Olga Rudge, American violinist (b. 1895) Died
March 31 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American musician (b. 1958) Died
April 4 – Larry LaPrise, American songwriter (b. 1912) Died
May 17 – Kevin Gilbert, American musician, composer, and record producer (b. 1966) Died
May 21 – Paul Delph, American musician and producer (b. 1957) Died
May 24 – Jacob Druckman, American composer (b. 1928) Died
May 25 – Brad Nowell, American musician (b. 1968) Died
June 13 – An 81-day standoff between the Montana Freemen and FBI agents ends with their surrender in Montana.
June 15 – Ella Fitzgerald, American singer (b. 1917) Died
June 23 – The Nintendo 64 video game system is released in Japan.
July 2 – Lyle and Erik Menendez are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
July 12 – Jonathan Melvoin, American musician (b. 1961) Died
July 16 – John Panozzo, American drummer (b. 1948) Died
July 27 – The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics kills 1 and injures 111.
July 29 – Jason Thirsk, American bass player (b. 1967) Died
August 6 – The American punk rock band The Ramones play their last show.
August 11 – The British rock band Oasis plays the biggest free-standing concert in UK history at Knebworth, Hertfordshire.
August 13 – David Tudor, American pianist and composer (b. 1926) Died
August 20 – Rio Reiser, German rock musician and singer (b. 1950) Died
August 23 – Osama bin Laden writes “The Declaration of Jihad on the Americans Occupying the Country of the Two Sacred Places,” a call for the removal of American military forces from Saudi Arabia.
September 9 – Bill Monroe, American “father of bluegrass” music (b. 1911) Died
September 13 – Tupac Shakur, American rapper and actor also known as “2Pac” (b. 1971) Died
September 17 – Spiro Agnew, American politician, 39th Vice President of the United States (b. 1918) Died
November 5 – Eddie Harris, American Jazz musician (b. 1934) Died
November 30 – Tiny Tim, American musician (b. 1932) Died
December 10 – Faron Young, American singer (b. 1932) Died
December 20 – Steve Jobs’ company NeXT is bought by Apple Computer, the company co-founded by Jobs.