1. Friends wrapped up its second season with "The One With Barry and Mindy's Wedding":
2. Bob Barker was still the host of The Price is Right — which celebrated its 25th anniversary with a big primetime special:
3. Watching Nick at Nite meant Block Party Summer and Lucy Tuesdays:
4. The Rosie O'Donnell Show made its debut and became an instant hit:
5. Also making its debut that summer was The Daily Show, which was hosted by Craig Kilborn...
6. ...and Kenan & Kel:
7. If you had the internet, you were most likely using AOL — and, of course, it was dial-up:
8. And, of course, a movie night at home usually meant going down to Blockbuster and renting a movie:
9. The Nintendo 64 was released in Japan — but it wouldn't be released in the US until September:
10. Mariah Carey had one of the biggest songs of the summer with "Always Be My Baby":
11. As did the Fugees with their cover of "Killing Me Softly With His Song":
12. The Fugees' album The Score was also one of the biggest-selling albums that summer, as was Nas's It Was Written:
13. Primitive Radio Gods had the biggest alt-rock song with "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand":
14. And a little group called the Spice Girls released a new song in July called "Wannabe":
15. The 1996 Summer Olympics were in full swing down in Atlanta...
16. ...and Kerri Strug and the Magnificent Seven took home the gold in gymnastics:
17. The Chicago Bulls beat the Seattle SuperSonics during Game 6 to win the NBA Finals — with Michael Jordan being named MVP:
18. Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially divorced after being separated for nearly four years:
19. Tom Cruise had one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer with Mission: Impossible...
20. ...and he was also still married to Nicole Kidman:
21. While Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow were Hollywood's it couple:
23. Denzel Washington was named People's Sexiest Man Alive:
24. The Nutty Professor was also one of the biggest movies of that summer:
25. While Independence Day was the biggest film of the summer — establishing Will Smith as a blockbuster star:
26. Speaking of Will, his show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, aired its final episode:
27. MTV 2 launched and promised to only show music videos:
28. Tickle Me Elmo hit the shelves in July, and we had NO idea just what we were in for:
29. And finally, if you attended a wedding, quinceañera, bar/bat mitzvah, sleepover, birthday, and/or backyard party that summer, then you probably danced the "Macarena."
