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Last updated on Friday, December 30, 2016
(UNDATED) - As we wrap up 2016 and look forward to next year, we wanted to take a look back at the biggest stories of 2016 - 2016 has been quite the year.
From the U.S. presidential election upset to Brexit, 2016 was full of surprises and Graphiq was here to cover it all.
As we approach 2017 and prepare to meet its challenges, we look back at some of the biggest stories of 2016, by the numbers.
Thanks to blog.graphiq.com for comprising the following stories - https://blog.graphiq.com/graphiq-news-desks-2016-year-in-review-493a167f984d#.s3ms2tq8j
January 10 - Death of David Bowie
On January 10, 2016 David Bowie died. Bowie -- a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, creator of the Ziggy Stardust persona, and idol to an entire generation -- was just the first to pass in a string of notable deaths. Among those lost were musical innovator Prince, Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, and the autocrat Fidel Castro. David Bowie and Prince ended up being two of the most searched queries on Google this year (shown below with other top queries for reference).
February 1 - Zika virus declared a global health emergency
On February 1, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects such as microcephaly, to be an international health emergency.
April - Panama Papers reveal inter-workings of worldwide offshore tax havens
In early April, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) broke the news that they had acquired millions of leaked confidential documents from Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama, which exposed how some of the world's most powerful people may have used offshore bank accounts and shell companies to hide their wealth or avoid taxes.
June 12 - Orlando Pulse nightclub massacre
Forty-nine people were killed and 53 injured when Omar Mateen opened fire inside a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12. The Orlando nightclub shooting was both the deadliest mass shooting by a single shooter, and the deadliest incident of violence against the LGBT community in United States history.
June 23 - United Kingdom votes in favor of leaving the EU
The beginning of 2016 was dominated by the question of whether or not the United Kingdom would vote to leave the European Union. These concerns were mostly calmed by polling that forecasted a consistent, if narrow, victory for those hoping to remain in the EU. To the world's surprise, on June 23, 2016, 52% of the UK voted to leave the European Union.
Early July - Racial tension reaches boiling point
Over 1,000 people were killed by police in 2016. One of them was Alton Sterling, a black man who was pinned down by two police officers and shot repeatedly at close range on July 5.
The shooting led to a series of protests in the summer of 2016 that started in Baton Rouge and spread throughout the country. On July 7, at one of these protests, a black man named Micah Xavier Johnson killed five police officers and injured nine more. These premeditated killings led to backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement, adding more tension between the black community and police.
July 14 - ISIS-inspired terror attacks are on the rise
One of the most deadly terror attacks of 2016 occurred in Nice, France, on July 14 when a 19-ton cargo truck drove into crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day. As with many other terrorist attacks in 2016, the attacker claimed he was inspired by ISIS.
August - US shines in the Rio Olympic Games
After a summer of terrorist attacks and shootings, the Olympics in Rio came as a welcome distraction. Although there were some controversies -- the spread of the Zika virus, Russia's doping scandal, Ryan Lochte dying his hair blue and lying about being held at gunpoint -- the United States came out on top with 46 gold medals.
November 8 - Trump wins presidential election in historic upset
Without a doubt, the largest topic of discussion in 2016 was the presidential election contest between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The campaign was brutal and divisive, filled with a massive amount of mudslinging from both sides. On November 8, despite nearly all pollsters predicting a Clinton win, Trump won the presidency with 306 electoral college votes to Clinton's 232.
November 14 - 2016 likely to top 2015 as hottest year on record
The average temperature of 2016 currently stands at 1.03 degrees Celsius above the norm, an upward trend that climate change experts say will have disastrous effects for our environment.
November 22 - Markets aim high heading into 2017
Despite a tumultuous start, the stock market recovered steadily over the first half of 2016 and has climbed rapidly in response to the election decision. On November 22, the Dow Jones industrial average passed 19,000 for the first time; as of December 20, it stood at 19,974.60.
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