Top Ten Events of the Year 2016

I have compiled the top ten events of the year 2016 below. I believe the following ten events are the ten most significant events of the year.

10. The Death of Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia

The death of one of the stalwarts of the conservative group of judges created a vacuum that has still not been resolved. The Republican Congress has refused to confirm President Obama’s choice. Scalia’s death may have led to the wave of people who voted for Donald Trump as President later in the year.

9. Bob Dylan and the Nobel Prize in Literature

I have to admit that I was very pleased to discover that Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. This was the first time that the Nobel Committee awarded a prize in literature for music. That makes it worth listing as a top ten event in 2016.

8. Orlando Massacre

Although terrorist attacks occurred in various hotspots throughout the world, including Israel, Syria, Belgium, and Iraq, the attack that killed 50 people at a gay night club in Orlando on 8 June received much attention. The attack reminded people that terrorism can strike anywhere.

7. Michael Phelps and the Olympics

Michael Phelps dominated the news coverage of the Olympics. He has won a total of 23 gold medals throughout his career, five of them in 2016. He was selected as captain of the American team as well as the flag-bearer. His skill and accomplishments were amazing to watch.

6. Syrian Migrant Crisis

After 42 people, (including 17 children) died off the coast of Turkey on 22 January, the Syrian Migrant Crisis became a headline event throughout the entire year worldwide. This crisis affected the upcoming Brexit vote, a wave of change in political leadership throughout Europe, as well as the United States election.

5. Pokémon Go

I can not believe the number of people who would drive to a certain location and try to see someone who isn’t there. This popular game spread like wildfire throughout the summer and then quickly died out by October. Pokémon Go, Gone, Went…

4. Word of the Year: Post-Truth

This word was listed as the Word of the Year. The Washington Post gave a concise explanation of the significance. I have to agree with this assessment. In the present postmodern culture, it was just a matter of time before we would start to read about post-truth. From the Oxford Dictionary :

“The concept of post-truth has been in existence for the past decade, but Oxford Dictionaries has seen a spike in frequency this year in the context of the EU referendum in the United Kingdom and the presidential election in the United States. It has also become associated with a particular noun, in the phrase post-truth politics.”

In an era of fake news, this word was bound to enter the English language. It speaks volumes about the way we process truth in our culture today.

3. Hackers and Interference of the United States Election

Meddling in the election of a United States president was to be expected. However, the Russians clearly influenced the election. The Wikileaks of DNC documents and Hillary Clinton’s emails along with Russian interference tipped the scales in favor of Donald Trump.

2. Brexit

I predicted this would happen after the “Grexit” in 2015. I don’t think anyone really believed the referendum would actually pass. It did, and Brexit showed that 2016 was not going to be a typical year.

1. Election of Donald Trump as President

The 8 November election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has to be on the top of this list. He was named Time’s Person of the Year. He has dominated the presidential election and defied all kinds of odds to become President. Even though many people were encouraged to “vote their conscience”  in defiance of Donald Trump, he still won. The night of the election was interesting, to say the least. We will have to wait and see how 2017 turns out for this new President.