2016 is finally coming to a close, and it's been quite a year. A lot of really tremendous things have happened in the past twelve months, and it is likely that we will talk about this monumental year for decades to come. So before the clock strikes midnight on 2016, let's look back on some of the things that occurred
1. It was a leap year.
Let's start real simple. All of those babies born on 12/29 got to have a real birthday instead of celebrating on 12/28 like they do every three out of four years.
2. Beyoncé released Lemonade.
Filled with motivational lyrics about female empowerment and Black Lives Matter (and some marital scandal), this album was all anyone could talk about for months.
3. Queen Elizabeth turned 90.
Granted, she's very well taken care of, but it's still pretty impressive that this woman is the reigning monarch of England at such a heightened age.
4. Pulse was attacked.
After a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, 49 people lost their lives and 53 others were injured. It was a tragedy that shook the nation.
5. Harambe was shot.
The nation mourned a dead gorilla for months, making him a very popular Halloween costume, a million memes, and evening earning him 10,000 votes for president.
6. Pokémon Go was released.
Everyone immediately downloaded this glitchy game and hit the streets with a vengeance, catching Pigey's and Rattata's on every corner. Once they started to realize how much effort it took to get anything good, many quickly lost interest.
7. The Democrats selected their first female Presidential nominee.
Hilary Clinton was the first female to ever become a major party candidate for President, which was especially significant because her husband Bill Clinton had also been a president. Women who were alive back when women couldn't even vote celebrated this tremendous occasion.
8. Los Angeles got their football team back.
The Rams have returned to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and Southern California finally has a home team again.
9. It was a Summer Olympics year.
People from all of the world gathered in Rio or headed to the local bar to watch another year of the Olympics from August 5th to August 21st.
10. Trump was elected.
I'm not sure I can even talk about how the nation elected an unqualified, misogynistic racist to be the leader of our country anymore.
11. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter returned to theaters.
With the release of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," J.K. Rowling also announced there would be four more movies to follow. The fans of Harry Potter rejoiced that their favorite magical world is back.
12. The Dakota access pipeline once again put Native Americas under siege.
Protests, violence, and government brutality once again took center stage on Thanksgiving (the irony) and many other weeks this year.
13. We lost Vine.
Remember all those "Vine stars" from a few years ago when the app made its debut? Yeah, neither does anyone else
14. Starbucks returned Christmas to the red cups.
I'm not sure why anyone cares about this, but it seems people don't have better things to worry about than this first world issue.
15. Obama banned Arctic drilling.
In order to prevent Trump from overturning climate protection, Obama placed a ban on oil drilling in large portions of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
16. Truly revered celebrities died.
People all over mourned when celebrities such David Bowie, Prince, Alan Rickman, Alan Thicke, Gene Wilder, and Arnold Palmer passed away.
These are just some of the events that occurred in the past 365 days, with so many more to name. Let's hope that 2017 is a little less eventful, and a little better for everyone.
