Historical eventSeptember 211996

Defense of Marriage Act

The Defense of Marriage Act was passed by the United States Congress, prohibiting federal recognition of same-sex marriage, while allowing states to adopt any marital definition of their choosing.

30th anniversary in 2026

Everything on September 21Original source

In context

When
Saturday, September 21 199630 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1990s
Anniversary
30th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1996.

What happened

The Defense of Marriage Act was passed by the United States Congress, prohibiting federal recognition of same-sex marriage, while allowing states to adopt any marital definition of their choosing.

September 21 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1996Defense of Marriage Act
  2. 2001America: A Tribute to Heroes
  3. 2001Murder of Ross Parker
  4. 2003Galileo (spacecraft)
  5. 2004Green Day
  6. 2012Egyptians
  7. 2013Al-Shabaab (militant group)
  8. 2013Westgate shopping mall attack
  9. 2015AdventHealth
  10. 2018Zak Kostopoulos
  11. 20192019 Albania earthquake

Also in 1996

  • May 11ValuJet Flight 592After the aircraft's departure from Miami, a fire started by improperly handled chemical oxygen generators in the cargo hold of Atlanta-b…
  • September 16Space Shuttle AtlantisSpace Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-79 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
  • September 5Hurricane FranHurricane Fran makes landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina as a Category 3 storm with 115 mph sustained winds. Fran caused over $3 bill…
  • June 14ForeclosureAfter an 81-day standoff sparked by their refusal to be evicted from their foreclosed property in Jordan, Montana, the Christian Patriot…
  • August 14Killing of Solomos SolomouGreek Cypriot refugee Solomos Solomou is shot and killed by a Turkish security officer while trying to climb a flagpole in order to remov…
  • July 5Dolly (sheep)Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
  • November 5President of PakistanPakistani President Farooq Leghari dismisses the government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and dissolves the National Assembly.
  • November 5Bill ClintonBill Clinton is reelected President of the United States.

Everything we record for 1996 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Defense of Marriage Act”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/defense-of-marriage-act-1996-september-21, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Defense of Marriage Act happen?

September 21 1996 — 30 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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