As 2016 has ended, it seems fitting to look back on the events that occurred during the past year. Here are just some of the events that shaped 2016.
Jan. 6:
According to BBC, North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a thermonuclear weapon, their fourth successful attempt and first claimed to be a hydrogen bomb, despite worldwide opposition. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) in Germany estimated its power to be about ten kilotons.
Jan. 8:
According to the New York Times, drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was recaptured in Mexico after escaping from prison six months earlier.
Feb. 1:
Google’s parent company Alphabet surpassed Apple as the most valuable company in the world during after-hours trading, CNBC reports. Alphabet’s after-hours market cap reached approximately $570 billion with Apple trailing at $535 billion.
The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency regarding the rapidly spreading Zika virus outbreak.
Burma’s first parliament to be elected by a free election in 50 years had its opening session, according to BBC.
Feb. 4:
According to CNN, Morocco turned on the world’s largest solar plant, which is planned to power over one million homes by its completion in 2018.
Feb. 9:
The 50th Super Bowl was held at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. According to ESPN, the game ended with the Denver Broncos beating the Carolina Panthers 24 to 10.
Feb. 11:
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, often referred to simply as LIGO, and the Virgo Interferometer Project announced their discovery of gravitational waves, roughly 100 years after Albert Einstein presented the theory in his General Theory of Relativity. The discovery was made in September 2015 but the organizations waited for confirmation to announce the discovery.
Feb. 17:
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced the company would reject an FBI order to unlock the phone of one of the San Bernardino gunmen. Cook, in a statement regarding the FBI order, stated, “The
United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.”
Feb. 28:
According to their website, the 88th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, awarded Best Picture to “Spotlight,” Best Director to Alejandro G. Iñárritu for “The Revenant,” Best Actress to Brie Larson for “Room” and Best Actor to Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Revenant.”
March 20:
According to BBC, President Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba in almost 90 years.
March 22:
Three suicide bombers connected to ISIS attack Brussel’s Zaventem Airport and Maelbeek Metro Station, NPR reported, with a total of 32 dead and over 300 injured. This attack came just days after the arrest of a suspect behind the November 2015 Paris attacks.
April 3:
The first reports and documents related to the Panama Papers were released on Document Cloud, a project used by investigative reporters and editors. According to BBC, the documents, originating from foreign law firm Mossack Fonseca, showed widespread fraud and tax evasion among many corporations, sanctioned individuals, heads of state and members of the elite. The release led to the resignation of multiple politicians, including Iceland’s prime minister.
April 22:
The Paris Agreement, ratified by 119 countries, was signed into effect by the UN. The agreement set forth regulations to limit climate change and reduce carbon emission.
May 4:
According to CNN, Obama visited Flint, Michigan, to view firsthand the ongoing water crisis. He used his visit to encourage the people of Flint to channel their anger and not let the crisis overcome them.
May 19:
EgyptAir flight 804 disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea during a routine flight between Paris and Cairo, the New York Times reported. Debris was later found during search efforts.
May 28:
According to CBS, a western lowland gorilla named Harambe was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo. Zookeepers made the decision to shoot after a three-year-old boy fell into the enclosure and Harambe dragged him around. Public outrage rose, claiming there were other, less lethal options rather than killing the gorilla.
May 30:
According to the New York Times, former Chad dictator Hissène Habré was convicted of crimes against humanity which occurred during his 8 year reign between 1982 and 1990.
June 12:
According to CNN, a gunman connected to ISIS killed 49 and injured 53 at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Groups have condemned the shooting as a hate crime because Pulse labels itself as a gay club.
June 20:
According to CNN, Rome elected Virginia Raggi as its mayor, its youngest and first female mayor.
June 23:
After a historic referendum, citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the New York Times reported.
June 24:
According to CNN, a ceasefire between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) marked an end to over 50 years of conflict in the country.
June 30:
According to CNN, Defense Secretary Ash Carter lifted the ban on transgender people serving as active military personnel.
July 4:
After a five-year journey, NASA reported its Juno spacecraft successfully entered Jupiter’s orbit. The spacecraft will transmit data to Earth about Jupiter’s atmosphere, including its magnetic field.
After a long and controversial investigation regarding the Secretary of State’s private email server, the FBI reported that although Hillary Clinton’s use of the server was “extremely careless,” no formal charges were to be made.
July 14:
According to BBC, a man connected to ISIS drove a truck into a crowd of people in Nice, France who were celebrating Bastille Day. Eighty-six people were killed and approximately 303 were injured.
July 15:
A coup d’état in Turkey begins as a faction of military soldiers block bridges and begin to capture key points in the country, CNN reports.
July 28:
Hillary Clinton accepts her nomination as Democratic nominee for president, running with Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her vice president running mate. Clinton’s nomination made her the first woman to be nominated by a major party in the U.S. for the position of president.
August 5:
The 31st Olympic Games began in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to the official Olympics website, despite safety concerns involving Zika, 306 events in 28 different sports occurred. Rugby and golf returnedto the Olympic games. During the games, the United States won its 1,000th gold medal, and Michael Phelps, the world’s most decorated Olympian with 23 gold medals, ended his Olympic career, according to the official Team USA website.
August 24:
A 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes the center of Italy just northeast of Rome. CNN reported the death of at least 247 people, with hundreds more injured.
Sept. 4:
According to CNN, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa, the Nobel Peace Prize winning Albanian missionary, which is the final step towards sainthood.
Sept. 9:
According to CNN, North Korea claimed to have successfully detonated its second nuclear bomb in 2016. Multiple organizations believe it is almost twice as powerful as its January. test, and North Korea claims it is now capable of fitting a nuclear warhead onto a missile.
Oct. 7:
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the conflict between the FARC rebels and the Colombian government.
Oct. 30:
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake strikes the center of Italy, just 30 miles from the epicenter of the August earthquake, ABC News reported. The earthquake was the strongest the country has seen in over 30 years.
Nov. 8: Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States, despite opponent Hillary Clinton receiving over 2.9 million more votes in the popular vote, according to the Chicago Tribune. Trump will become the first man not to have held political office or a military position prior to being elected president.
Nov. 28:
According to CNN, a plane carrying the Brazilian Chapecoense soccer team crashed in Colombia, killing 71 journalists and team members. Only six people survived the crash, including three members of the team.
Dec. 4:
After months of protests, the Department of the Army released a statement saying it would seek an alternate route for the Dakota Access Pipeline that did not interfere with Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
Dec. 15:
White supremacist Dylann Roof was found guilty on all charges relating to his shooting of the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the New York Times reported.
Dec. 19:
A man connected to ISIS drpve a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 and injuring 48, according to CNN.
Dec. 25:
CNN reported that a Russian military plane crashed in the Black Sea. The plane was carrying 92 people, including a Russian military choir that was traveling to perform in Syria. The Russian Defense Ministry stated there are no survivors.
