Editing 1996 (section)

===February===
* [[February 3]] &ndash; The 6.6 {{M|w}} [[1996 Lijiang earthquake|earthquake near Lijiang]] in South-west China kills up to 322 people, injures 17,000, and leaves 300,000 homeless.
* [[February 6]] &ndash; [[Birgenair Flight 301]], on a charter flight from the [[Caribbean]] to [[Germany]], crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the [[Dominican Republic]], killing all 189 passengers and crew.
* [[February 7]] &ndash; [[René Préval]] succeeds [[Jean-Bertrand Aristide]] as President of [[Haiti]] in the first peaceful handover of power since the nation achieved independence 192 years earlier, in 1804.
* [[February 9]] 
** The element [[copernicium]] is created by fusing a [[Isotopes of lead|<sup>208</sup>Pb]] nucleus with a [[Isotopes of zinc|<sup>70</sup>Zn]] nucleus, forming <sup>278</sup>Cn. Given the placeholder name "ununbium", the element is not named until 2010.
** An [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]] ceasefire ends with the [[1996 Docklands bombing|Docklands bombing]] in London's [[Canary Wharf|Canary Wharf District]], killing two people and causing over £85,000,000 worth of damage.
** [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] formally finalizes its $19&nbsp;billion acquisition of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] parent, [[Capital Cities/ABC Inc.]]
* [[February 10]] &ndash; [[Bosnian Serb]]s break off contact with the [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian]] government and with representatives of [[IFOR]], the [[NATO]] localised force, in reaction to the arrest of several Bosnian Serb war criminals. 
* [[February 14]] &ndash; Violent clashes erupt between [[Philippines|Filipino]] soldiers and [[Vietnamese boat people]], as the Filipino government attempts to forcibly [[repatriate]] hundreds of Vietnamese [[asylum seeker]]s.
* [[February 15]]
** The American Embassy in [[Athens]], [[Greece]], comes under mortar fire.
** Begum [[Khaleda Zia]] is re-elected as Prime Minister of [[Bangladesh]]. The country's second democratic election is marred by low voter turnout, due to several boycotts and pre-election violence, which has resulted in at least thirteen deaths.
** The UK government publishes the [[Scott Report]].
* [[February 17]] &ndash; The 8.2 {{M|w}} [[1996 Biak earthquake|Biak earthquake]] strikes the [[Papua (province)|Papua]] province of eastern [[Indonesia]] with a maximum [[Mercalli intensity scale|Mercalli intensity]] of VIII (''Severe''). A large tsunami followed, leaving 166 people dead or missing and 423 injured.
* [[February 24]] &ndash; [[Cuba]]n fighter jets [[1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft|shoot down two American aircraft]] belonging to the Cuban exile group [[Brothers to the Rescue]]. Cuban officials assert that they invaded Cuban airspace.
* [[February 25]] &ndash; Two suicide bombs in [[Israel]] kill 25 and injure 80; [[Hamas]] claims responsibility.
* [[February 27]] &ndash; ''[[Pokémon Red and Green]]'' releases on the [[Game Boy]] in [[Japan]], launching the ''[[Pokémon]]'' multimedia franchise.
* [[February 29]]
** [[Faucett Perú Flight 251]] en route from [[Lima]] to Rodriguez Ballon airport crashes into a mountain near [[Arequipa]]; all 123 people on board are killed.
** At least 81 people drown when a boat capsizes 120 kilometres east of [[Kampala]], [[Uganda]].
** The [[Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian government]] declares the end of the [[Siege of Sarajevo]].
* February:
** The Cuban government recognises the [[Concilio Cubano]] pro-democracy group.<ref>{{cite book|title=Democracy delayed: the case of Castro's Cuba|author=Juan José López|page=34}}</ref>