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July
The month began with the sad news that comedy legend Caroline Ahern died aged 52. Nigel Farage then quits as leader of UKIP, he claims he achieved all he wanted to in politics, as Britain voted for ‘Brexit’, a result which means the UK will leave the European Union.
Portugal were victorious in the final of Euro 2016, winning the competition for the first time defeating host nation France in extra time. France was then struck by another terrorist attack as a man in Nice drove a truck into a crowd, killing 84 and injuring hundreds more.
In the US, Donald Trump won the republican nomination to run for president, setting up a race for the White House against Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile in Turkey a military coup was foiled, mass arrests followed.
GettyAugust
As the summer came to a close, hundreds were arrested in the US following waves of protests against the shooting of African Americans by police in a tense year for the country.
In Brazil, the Rio Olympics opened while Russia launched airstrikes into Syria from Iran. The war raged on and the ensuing refugee crisis claimed more and more lives at sea as civilians desperately tried to escape the carnage.
The Olympics came to a close, and Team GB finished second in the overall medals tables. Gene Wilder, famed for his role as Willy Wonka, was the latest legend claimed by 2016, while in Italy the centre of the country was hit by a devastating earthquake.
GettySeptember
The month began with a bang as Elon Musk’s Space X rocket exploded, thankfully no-one was injured. The US and China, responsible for 40% of the world’s carbon emissions, ratified the Paris Global Climate agreement, later in the month it was announced that global C02 levels were at the highest yet recorded.
North Korea conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test to date and in ‘more important’ news Hollywood’s royal couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, announced they’ve split.
In the UK Jeremy Corbyn was re-elected as leader of the Labour party. Hurricane Matthew ripped through the US and Caribbean, the island nation of Haiti being the worst hit with over 1,000 people killed.
GettyOctober
In Colombia a historic peace deal to end the countries long running guerrilla civil war was rejected by the electorate and in celebrity news, Kim Kardashian was held at gunpoint in Paris. Thieves made off with millions of dollars worth of her jewellery.
The hotly anticpated Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was permanently discontinued amid reports of it blowing up and injuring customers. Folk hero Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature.
More news from France as authorities there began to demolish the Calais refugee camp known as ‘The Jungle’. In Iraq, allied forces began operations to liberate the city of Mosul from the so-called Islamic State, while yet another terrorist attack struck Pakistan, with dozens killed at a police training camp.
GettyNovember
A month that will live long in the memory. On the 8th, billionaire property tycoon and reality TV star Donald Trump, won the U.S. presidential election. The world was left with its mouth open after Trump had ran an outrageous campaign, surviving numerous scandals to defeat Hillary Clinton.
The football world was rocked by a sex abuse scandal in the English leagues; following the revelations over 100 clubs will be implicated.
In the last week of the month Thomas Mair was found guilty of murdering Jo Cox, the judge ruling that the murder was politically motivated. Two days later Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban revolution, died aged 90; the end of an era for the world’s revolutionary capital.
And in the final days of the month there was more tragic news in football as a plane carrying Brazilian team Chapecoense crashed killing 76 of the 81 passengers as the team travelled to the final of Copa Sudamericana.
GettyDecember
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a controversial ban on the burqa. President elect Donald Trump was named Time magazine’s person of the year, shortly after the CIA claimed that Russian hackers meddled in the election.
Russia dominated the news as it was claimed state sponsored doping undermined the London 2012 Olympics at an unprecedented level. On the home front, hundreds of police were accused of sexual abuse.
The siege of Aleppo appeared to be coming to an end, a negotiated ceasefire would allow civilians to leave the city, but the deal rapidly disintegrated amid claims of atrocities. Later thousands of refugees were finally evacuated.
Screen icon and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor died aged 99, a day later the Russian ambassador to Turkey was assassinated as he gave a televised speech at an art museum in Ankara.
The following day a truck plowed into a crowd at Berlin’s Christmas market killing at least 12 people and injuring 48. Inside the truck the registered driver was found dead in the passenger seat leading to fears that the attacker is still at large.
So there you have it, whatever you made of 2016 it was arguably the most memorable in recent history and a year which will be remembered as one of political upheaval. The fallout from Donald Trump’s victory and the Brexit referendum has only just begun and more will become clear in 2017.
Let’s hope it is also a year that will be kinder to icons of the stage and screen.
