The Biggest News Stories of 2016
This year has been a roller-coaster ride for many of us. The year has brought heartbreak and surprises, and many have been left in shock and awe. However, we can all agree that it has been a pleasure to take another trip around the sun with the people we love most. Here are the most popular stories of 2016.
The beginning of the year started out with many wishing for good health and happiness. However, millions across the country soon began to be obsessed with winning an unheard of power ball. The jackpot was set for 1.6 billion dollars, sending many into a frenzy to grab tickets. Eventually there were three separate winners who would split the prize from Florida, Tennessee, and California.
2016 also brought the beginning of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Many claim that the crisis began when elevated lead levels were discovered in children after corrosive water from the Flint River caused lead to leach from old pipes into the town’s drinking water. Aid soon arrived and people began passing out safe bottled water for people to drink.
A shooting rampage occurred in Michigan when Uber driver Jason Dalton killed 6 people in an hour’s long event. Islamic extremists also would lead an attack on Brussels airport and subway stations in March. The attack would kill 34 people and wound countless others.
In April Queen Elizabeth II would go on to celebrate the milestone of her 90th birthday. The queen is currently the oldest and longest-serving British monarch. She was born on April 21, 1926. Since then, the queen has seen several U.S. presidents take office, the end of WW2, and the fall of Soviet Russia.
The Kepler Mission, an initiative by NASA, also verified the existence of over 1,284 planets earlier this year. The discovery was the single largest to date. Egyptian Flight 804 would crash somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea off of the Greek Island of Crete, killing all sixty six passengers on board.
The Zika outbreak hit its height back in May, spreading to over 40 countries in the Americas. The virus caused a surge of babies born with microcephaly. Currently there is no cure for the Zika virus. Substantial news came out of Britain with the unanimous Brexit vote back in June. In the vote Britain decided to leave the European Union. The change sent global markets plunging.
Tragedy struck in Walt Disney World as a two year old Nebraska boy was snatched off a beach by an alligator. Many were sent to search for the boy. His body was recovered sixteen hours later. In entertainment news, the Pokémon Go app released itself upon the world back in July. The game had an estimated 15 million plus downloads within its first week, with some estimates saying there are tens of millions of daily users.
The Rio Games were held in South America. The event was a sixteen day spectacle that was full of surprises and some scandal. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed for divorce. The two cling to the claim of irreconcilable differences for the split.
Perhaps the biggest month for news, November boasted the tight-raced presidential election, ending up with the 45th president of the United States projected to be one Donald Trump. Following a particularly intense November, December brought the end of the year back on a joyous note, with celebrations of the holidays abound. While 2016 will undoubtedly be a year to remember, 2017 may just be even more interesting.
