Nov 8
Donald Trump Elected President
Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the biggest political upset in modern history. He lost the popular vote by 2.9 million but won the Electoral College 304-227. America was stunned.
🇺🇸United States · 10s
The Upset
Trump wins, Harambe dies, and Beyoncé drops Lemonade.
What happened
5 milestones of 2016
Jun 12
Pulse Nightclub Shooting
A gunman killed 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando. It was the deadliest mass shooting in US history at the time. The LGBTQ community was attacked at a place of safety.
mass shooting
Apr-Dec
Standing Rock Pipeline Protests
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and thousands of allies protested the Dakota Access Pipeline. Water protectors faced militarized police. 'Water is life' echoed across Indian Country.
civil rights
Nov 2
Cubs Win the World Series
The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years, defeating the Cleveland Indians in a legendary Game 7. The curse was broken. Chicago wept.
Year-round
Deaths of Icons
David Bowie, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Leonard Cohen, and Carrie Fisher all died in 2016. The year felt like a cultural apocalypse. 'F*** 2016' became the motto.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Moonlight
Barry Jenkins — Won Best Picture (after the La La Land mix-up). A Black gay man's journey told in three acts.
La La Land
Damien Chazelle — Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone danced through LA. 14 Oscar nominations. That envelope.
Deadpool
Tim Miller — Ryan Reynolds broke the fourth wall and the R-rated superhero mold. $783 million.
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve — Amy Adams communicated with aliens. Linguistics saved the world. Smart sci-fi.
Zootopia
Byron Howard & Rich Moore — Disney's animated allegory about prejudice. Won Best Animated Feature.
What was on TV
Stranger Things
2016-present — Netflix's love letter to the '80s. Eleven, the Upside Down, and Eggo waffles.
Game of Thrones
2011-2019 — 'Battle of the Bastards.' The most epic hour of television.
The People v. O.J. Simpson
2016 — FX's true crime retelling. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sarah Paulson. Riveting.
Atlanta
2016-2022 — Donald Glover's surreal comedy about the Atlanta rap scene. Instantly iconic.
Westworld
2016-2022 — HBO's AI theme park thriller. 'These violent delights have violent ends.'
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$3.20
Gallon of gas$2.14
New house (median)$307,800
New car (average)$29,000
Loaf of bread$1.39
Movie ticket$8.65
Inflation: 1.3%
Low gas prices and low inflation. Unemployment hit 4.7%. The economy was solid — but millions felt left behind.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
2016 (USD)
$3.20
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
2016 (USD)
$2.14
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
2016 (USD)
$307,800
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
2016 (USD)
$29,000
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
2016 (USD)
$1.39
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
2016 (USD)
$8.65
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
Pokémon Go
Augmented reality gaming took over parks worldwide. People walked into traffic catching Pikachu.
Tesla Autopilot
Self-driving features went mainstream. The first fatal Autopilot crash raised questions.
TikTok (Musical.ly)
Musical.ly was growing fast. It would become TikTok in 2018.
AirPods announced
Apple killed the headphone jack and introduced AirPods. 'Courage.'
Amazon Go
Amazon unveiled a cashierless grocery store. Just walk out shopping.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Chokers comebackOff-shoulder topsDad hats
Slang
Lit— Exciting, amazing
Woke— Socially aware (entering mainstream)
Slay— To do something exceptionally well
Behavior
- Harambe became the biggest meme of the year
- Pokémon Go turned everyone into outdoor gamers for a month
- The election divided families and friendships
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