We can all agree that some terrible things happened in 2016. From violence rooted in hatred to a heated U.S. presidential election to the deaths of beloved pop culture icons, this year hasn't exactly felt like a great one. Scrolling through Twitter, you'll see desperate hopes that 2017 will be better, as well as the very real fear that it will be worse, and the general consensus is that 2016 was one of the worst years ever on the global spectrum.
However, a lot of things happened in 2016 that beg to differ. Along with the terrible things we're all well aware of thanks to the news and social media, some really great things happened this year, too. It's important not to forget the good things and stress the bad. So, here is a list of 23 of the best things that happened in 2016, from worldwide breakthroughs to some of the most memorable and laughable moments:
1. World hunger reached its lowest point in 25 years.
2. It was announced that Harriet Tubman will be the first woman featured on U.S. currency, replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20.
3. The Ozone layer appears to be repairing itself.
4. The U.S. took home the gold in the Rio Olympics.
5. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series after 108 years.
6. Leonardo DiCaprio (finally) won an Oscar.
7. The 2016 Tony Awards did wonders for diversity in entertainment.
8. "Hamilton" became a world-wide hit, and everyone became a little more patriotic.
9. Pokémon Go gave us a fun summer.
10. "Stranger Things," "Gilmore Girls," and other Netflix shows gave us some great TV.
11. Disney's "Moana" gave us a beautiful new story and an awesome new Disney princess.
12. An ebola vaccine was created.
13. The U.S. got its first major party female presidential nominee, paving the way for future female candidates.
14. Giant pandas are no longer endangered.
15. Wild tigers are increasing in number.
16. "Finding Dory" finally came out, and it was beautiful.
17. Frank Ocean finally released a new album.
18. Some of the funniest memes of all time were born.
19. The gene responsible for ALS was found--thanks to the ice bucket challenge, believe it or not.
20. Child mortality rates have dropped worldwide.
21. Malaria was eradicated in Sri Lanka, showing the world that "malaria can be eliminated."
22. Veteran homelessness has dropped significantly in the U.S.
23. Teen graduation rates in the U.S. have reached a historic high.
Although this past year was unarguably filled with terrible news and tragedies, there were a lot of high moments, too. We got a lot of laughs, a lot of breakthroughs, and a lot of reasons not to lose hope in the world we live in. Bad things happen, and sometimes, a lot of them happen at once. But so do good ones, and it's so important to remember those, especially when it's hard to.
Bad things will probably happen in 2017, too, but so will good things. It's our job to make sure the list of good things is longer, and to keep having hope.
