I'm always fascinated whenever I learn something came out in my birth year. I learn about it and then I'm like,'that is as old as I am!' Weather its movies, TV shows, video games, etc., I will never cease to feel a sense of happiness every time I learn something new. Allow me to share with you what came out in the year 1996:

Movies

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Seen it, loved it, and thoroughly enjoyed the singing in it. Worth re-watching!

2. Space Jam

I was a fan of Loony Toons before I got around to seeing this, and I thought that it was really cool. (No sure how I feel about this getting a remake...)

3. Matilda

A little girl fit for the X-Men. I really enjoyed this movie, and was able to relate to Matilda because, like me, she loved to read.

4. 101 Dalmatians

From what I remember about this, it was slightly different from the animated feature of the same name, but definitely still worth watching again.

5. Harriet the Spy

I have not actually seen this one, but would love to given the chance. (This also tells you that Nickelodeon has been around for a really long time)

Other notable movies include Fargo, Happy Gilmore, Mission: Impossible, Mars Attacks!, Fly Away Home, The Nutty Professor, and Independence Day

Video Games

There's an article on the website Gamespot that says 1996 was the best year in gaming, and here's why:

1. Resident Evil

While I've never played any of the RE games (and never will), the first one redefined the survival-horror genre (if only they could have written better dialogue, right?).

2. Crash Bandicoot

This game, at the time, had a unique depth of field and was highly praised for its graphics and smooth animations. It also was the first major game from Naughty Dog, and that company has continued to produce a lot of awesome games since.

3. Tomb Raider

The game that started Lara Croft's path to becoming a household name. It's cinematic approach to storytelling was groundbreaking for its time and almost every 3D action adventure game after it copied many of its elements that made it great. (As successful as it has been, remember that this series had to be rebooted twice. Twice.)

4. Super Mario 64

This was one of the first 3D platform games and was the first in the Mario series to be (almost) open-world. And apparently its 360-degree camera was revolutionary.

5. Diablo

This one barely makes the list as it was released on the last day of 1996, but it was an amazing game with almost unending things to do. Plus there was an extensive amount of spells, items, monsters, and quests coupled with other features that has made it one of the most highly acclaimed online gaming experiences in history.

Other notable video games: Duke Nukem 3D, The Neverhood, and NiGHTS into Dreams

TV Shows

(I would love to say Friends and even The Tick, but they actually started two years before.)

1. Beast Wars: Transformers

I may be a huge fan of anything Transformers, but I'm not sure I would ever watch this. I'm sure the animation for this series was phenomenal at the time, but now it's a little hard on the eyes. Watch the opening theme for it, you'll understand.

2. Superman: The Animated Series

A lighter-ish spin-off of Batman: The Animated Series, this delightful show saw Superman fight many colorful villains (sometimes literally) and introduced (correct me if I'm wrong) the first animated Supergirl, who's original design would later be reused in the Justice League cartoon.

3. The Incredible Hulk

Usually at the beginning we see Bruce Banner become the Hulk, but in this series, he was already the Hulk from the get-go and on the run from military people. Fun fact, Lou Ferrigno (who was the Hulk in the 1978 live-action series) voiced the animated Hulk. This show also introduced She-Hulk on animated TV for the first time (correct me if I'm wrong).

4. Mighty Ducks

SEVERELY UNDERRATED SHOW. I cannot say that enough. Catchy theme song, awesome plot, and two female ducks who know how to fight and use their heads. So very disappointed that this show didn't last long. Reruns should be aired or a reboot should happen, because this show was perfect.

5. Hey Arnold!

Hard to believe that this show focused on fourth graders with all the issues it brought up. Missing parents, urban legends, unrequited love, bullying, societal expectations, and other problems were discussed on this show, and its emotional appeal is one of the reasons why it was so popular. It reached a milestone of 100 episodes and even got a movie. It's popularity transcended its run time, as a made-for-TV movie is currently being made, titled Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie. Hopefully it will answer the big question: what happened to Arnold's parents?

Other notable shows: Dexter's Laboratory, Arthur, Blue's Clues, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and Big Bad BeetleBorgs

What came out in your birth year? Comment and share below!