The New Year is coming upon us, and I've already seen the "Please, 2017 don't be as bad as 2016" memes, but this time, I agree. This year has been crazy, and it seems like it's been 2016 forever! I will admit 2016 has had some great moments, but once I started thinking about all of the events that took place this year, I questioned several times, "That happened this year?!" Yes, yes, it did. It's been a long year, but I hope you find The List of 2016 interesting.
1. "Back at it again with the white vans!"
In early 2016, a Viner and his friend quickly became internet famous. It all started with a guy named Josh who would film his friend in admiration of his white vans. The line "Back at it again with the white vans" quickly was coined by several other Viners, and the rest is history. Since then, both Josh (the filmer) and his friend Daniel, have seen their fame come and go in the blink of an eye. However, even though their fame didn't last very long, they did get a lifetime supply of vans because of their viral vine, and they were featured on Ellen. You go, Josh and Daniel!
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2. Lonely Grandpa
Also in the beginning of 2016, the 'Lonely Grandpa' meme struck the hearts of everyone. It all began when a twitter user from Oklahoma, Kelsey Harmon, tweeted this photo of her grandpa with the caption: "Dinner with papaw tonight... he made 12 burgers for all 6 grandkids and I'm the only one who showed. Love him." After posting the picture, Kelsey received over 40,000 retweets within one day. It became viral. In fact, it became scary. After receiving such wide-spread publicity, many twitter users began to express their anger towards the other five grandkids. They began to send death threats to the family for not accompanying their grandpa for dinner, while other users expressed their thankfulness that Kelsey showed up. The meme continued to circulate the internet for months, and Kelsey did make a status regarding the entire ordeal basically saying that everything was fine and that all of the grandkids would soon be gathering for a meal all together. Since the story became viral, the grandpa decided to host a cookout in their home town for anyone who wanted to join, even the thousands of people who retweeted saying, "I'll eat your burgers, grandpa." 
3. Harambe
Harambe probably became the biggest internet meme of 2016. In May of 2016, a three-year-old child was visiting the Cincinnati Zoo when he climbed into the gorilla enclosure. After being in the enclosure for several minutes and the zoo keepers trying to save both the little boy and the gorillas, the zoo made the decision to kill the gorilla with a single gunshot. According to witnesses and the filmed video, Harambe became upset and uncomfortable with the screams of bystanders who watched as he dragged the child through the habitat's moat. And if we've learned anything in 2016, it's that everything will become a meme. And with that being said, Harambe became the biggest meme. Not only did it break the internet with people truly concerned with the matter and discussing its controversy, but it became a viral meme. For example:
4. Presidential Election
Again, just another reason why 2016 has been a joke. If there was ANYTHING this year that caused the most controversy not just in America but everywhere, it was the 2016 presidential election. With all the people that we could have picked, these two were our choices:
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5. Chewbacca Mom
One bright thing that did occur in 2016 was the Chewbacca Mom. In a video that she posted to Facebook, a mom, Candace Payne, joyfully shares her new Chewbacca mask that she bought at the store. As she tries on the mask, she cannot help but laugh at herself, and the fact that she loves her new purchase. The video became viral within days, and since the video Payne has made thousands of dollars from her four-minute film. She will also be having to online shows with TLC.
6. Phelp's Face
During the 2016 Olympics, a shot of Michael Phelps's game face caught the attention of everyone at the Olympics and those watching it. Throughout one event Phelps had what he called his "game face" on. He says he did not intentionally mean to give anyone a mean look. He sincerely was "in the zone." But it soon became the PhelpsFace meme. Here's one of my favorites:
7. Mannequin Challenge
Throughout the past few years, 'challenges' have stormed social media. Over the years we've seen everything from the Cinnamon challenge to the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, but this is one of the biggest challenges to add to the list. A group of high schoolers filmed a small video of them freezing in random positions. Once they posted it with '#mannequinchallenge RT' several users began to retweet but also do their own version of the challenge. It seems the more outlandish the frozen positions the cooler the challenge. The challenge became so wide-spread that several football teams began to catch on and do it themselves.
8. Celebrity Deaths
This year took a hit in the world of celebrities. Many well-known actors/actresses and singers met their end this year, which was followed by many fans mournings and commemorations. Take a look at the small list of celebrities that passed this year:
- David Bowie
After secretly battling cancer for several months, Bowie died two days after his 69th birthday from liver cancer in his apartment in New York. His death was followed by many commemorations, and he was known for his legacy in the world of music.
- Prince
Prince had been ill several times throughout the early beginnings of 2016. In early April, Prince struggled with illness off and on, and because of it, cancelled several shows to rest. After becoming unresponsive at his home, Prince died on April 26th. Because of his legacy in music, many people mourned over the celeb's death including President Barack Obama.
- Florence Henderson
According to sources, Henderson's death was a shock. Henderson was hospitalized the day before her death, but she had not been ill previous to her hospitalization. She died at the age of 84 from heart failure. Her dedication to acting and her legacy has been remembered by many of her fans since her death.
Although we have lost many great ones this year, we will always remember their attribute to the many great things they accomplished. Their legacy will live on forever.
9. Finding Dory
And we can't forget the best sequel that came out in the summer of 2016. Finding Dory made over 1 billion dollars making for a successful movie, and it also has great reviews on all of the top movie rating sites including IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. It was easily one of the top movies of this year.
10. Pokémon Go
In July of 2016, Pokémon Go came to the App Store, and it overtook the world. From left to right, people were on their phones trying to "catch 'em all." It also became the feature of several new memes and vines.
11. Bottle Flipping
Yes, bottle flipping. It overtook the internet, and it became a new challenge for everyone around the world. Now, to be honest, I don't understand this one. The internet exploded when a senior, Mike Senatore, entered his school's talent show to do one thing: flip a bottle. Yep, this high school senior flipped a water bottle, and it created a widespread hit when his friend posted the video online. In just days, the world would soon begin to flip bottles in extreme ways.
