Would you look at that? We have officially entered 2017. A new chapter for so many of us with a myriad of new experiences and exciting adventures waiting around the corner. While 2017 unfolds and manifests all it has in store for us, let’s look back on six of the most viral internet trends that made 2016 as memorable as we remember it.

Harambe the Gorilla

Oh, Harambe; we miss you so much. Harambe was a 17-year-old silverback gorilla who was shot and killed by zookeepers at the Cincinnati Zoo on May 28^th, 2016 when a 4-year-old boy fell into the enclosure. Fearing that Harambe could injury or possibly kill the child, a zookeeper was forced to shoot Harambe. His death received widespread international attention and he has since been the talk of social media as Harambe-related memes, hashtags and jokes flooded our timelines.

The Mannequin Challenge

You know a challenge is good when Michele Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, and Adele get on board. The Mannequin Challenge involved people imitating mannequins while a camera focuses on the frozen individuals. Quite an ingenious challenge and to say it was popular would be an understatement as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook are full of these hilarious videos.

The Water Bottle Flip Challenge

To put it forth in the most charitable manner, this challenge was amusingly odd yet so satisfying to watch. The Water Bottle Flip Challenge created a storm on social media when a teenager named Mike Senatore decided to do a water bottle flip for his high school talent show and it landed upright. This threw social media into a frenzy with people attempting this challenge in all possible permutations; making it a very entertaining to watch and try oneself.

Pen Pineapple Apple Pen (DJ Piko Taro)

Two questions. How? and Why? A bizarre combination of seemingly irrelevant words, whimsical moves and an overall lack of logic characterize PPAP. Despite this, PPAP by DJ Piko Taro became insanely popular on social media with memes, hashtags and parodies and whatnot. I am still unable to comprehend how PPAP became impossible to shake off and I think its best if we leave it at that

Damn Daniel!

Daniel Lara of California became an overnight celebrity when his friend Josh started taking short videos of him yelling “Damn Daniel”. Focusing on Daniel’s good looks and striking style, “Damn Daniel” became a massive hit amongst teenagers and young adults on social media with friends imitating the signature phrase to complement one another. Daniel and Josh were also invited on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Talk about lucky.

PokemonGo

I would have never forgiven myself if I forgot to mention Pokémon Go. Pokémon Go is a location-based reality game developed by Niantic for Apple and Android devices wherein players use their phone’s GPS to locate, capture and train Pokémon. Pokemon Go was an international sensation when it was released in July as millennials saw it as the ultimate trainer experience. I feel guilty now as I never really caught on with Pokemon Go but nothing can beat the old school emulators.

And there we have it! Leave us a comment below and tell us about a viral trend of 2016 we may have missed. Thank you so much for being with us through 2016 and we hope for a fantastic, successful, blessed and healthy year ahead.