Timeline June 1996

Events in June 1996 8

• 1917 – 1996 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (25 April 1917 -- 15 June 1996) was an American jazz vocalist widely considered the greatest female jazz singer in history. Known as the First Lady of Song, her voice combined extraordinary technical range (three octaves), perfect intonation, rhythmic precision and an improvisational gift -- particularly in scat singing -- that placed her alongside the greatest instrumental soloists in jazz. Her Songbook series for Verve Records (1956-1964) -- eight albums dedicated to the great American songwriters -- are the definitive recordings of the American popular song tradition. She won 13 Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million records.
• 1996 Fourth championship Chicago defeats the Seattle SuperSonics for Jordan's fourth NBA title and fourth Finals MVP.
• 1996 French Open 1996 Men: Yevgeny Kafelnikov · Women: Steffi Graf
• 1996 The Kinks play their last concert Quiet ending The band plays its final show and fades away without a formal split.
• 1996 Mission: Impossible #2 film of 1996 — $457m worldwide Directed by Brian De Palma, starring Tom Cruise. An American agent is accused of being a double agent and must find the real traitor.
• 1996 Ella Fitzgerald dies in Beverly Hills Ella Fitzgerald dies at her home in Beverly Hills on 15 June 1996, aged 79, from complications of diabetes. She is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. President Clinton says: 'Ella Fitzgerald was blessed with a gift that allowed her to speak to our hearts.' Tony Bennett says: 'The greatest jazz singer who ever lived.' Rosemary Clooney says: 'She was so great, she made everything look easy.' The First Lady of Song is gone. The American popular song tradition she embodied and documented in the Songbook series remains her incomparable gift to the world.
• 1996 Nintendo 64 Launches in Japan Nintendo's 64-bit console debuts, later launching worldwide Nintendo released the Nintendo 64 console in Japan, introducing 64-bit gaming and launch titles including Super Mario 64. The console popularized analog stick control and three-dimensional platforming design that influenced the industry for years afterward. It launched in North America and Europe later the same year.
• 1996 Khobar Towers Bombing Truck bomb attack kills 19 US servicemen in Saudi Arabia A truck bomb exploded outside the Khobar Towers housing complex near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 US Air Force personnel and wounding hundreds more. The attack was later linked to Saudi Hezbollah with alleged Iranian support. It prompted a major reassessment of US military force protection in the Middle East.