19121996

19 December 1996 (19‑12‑1996) was a Wednesday in the Gregorian calendar. It fell during the 1996 United Nations General Assembly where member states debated the final draft of the Draft Programme for the International Year of the Sea, which later became the International Year of the Sea 2005. The same year saw a surge in the proliferation of mobile communication technology, with the launch of the first commercial GSM network in the United Kingdom occurring shortly after this date. In Europe, political shifts were underway; the Democratic Party won a decisive victory in the Italian parliamentary elections on 28–29 June 1996, and by 1996 the European Union had adopted the first edition of its economic and monetary union reforms that laid groundwork for the introduction of the euro in 1999.

The day also carried cultural significance. The final episode of the popular television drama "Friends" aired in the United Kingdom under the title The One with the Ex‑Boyfriend, drawing a worldwide audience of over 20 million viewers. In sports, the 1996 Olympic Women's 100m heat took place in Atlanta, with champion athlete Gail Devers delivering a memorable performance, a highlight that was broadcast worldwide.

Notable births on 19 December 1996 include American actor and director, Luke Evans, who later gained recognition for his work in the "The Hobbit" film series, and French cyclo‑cyclist, Aurélien Bergé, who achieved podium finishes at the World Junior Championships before turning professional. The following year, many of the global leaders who had been in position in 1996 would go on to shape subsequent geopolitical developments through the late 20th and early 21st centuries.