What Happened on January 1, 1996

• 62nd Orange Bowl: #6 Florida State beats #8 Notre Dame, 31-26
• 82nd Rose Bowl: #17 Southern California beats #3 Northwestern, 41-32
• After 27 years, Betty Rubble debuts as a Flintstone vitamin

• Curacao gains limited form of self rule (Status Aparte)

• Arleigh Burke, American admiral (WW II, Solomon Islands, Navy Cross), dies at 94
• Arthur Rudolph, German rocket engineer, dies at 89
• Hamish Imlach, Scottish folk-comic singer-songwriter ("Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice"), dies at 55
• Orapin Chaiyakan, first Thai woman elected to the Parliament of Thailand, dies at 91

Holidays: New Year's Day (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States)

• #1 Song: One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
• #1 Song: Earth Song - Michael Jackson