Every Sh*tty Thing That Happened in 2016
May 28th: Harambe the gorilla is shot and killed in Cincinnati Zoo after a child falls into his pit.
May
Over in the Philippines, political extremist Rodrigo Duterte wins the country's presidency. His campaign was strongly fueled by his bloodthirsty war on drugs. In the following months, tens of thousands of drug dealers, drug users, as well as innocent people will become victims of his and his vigilantes’ bloodbath. In late May, several boats in the Mediterranean carrying immigrants and refugees sunk in a three day span, resulting in over 700 drownings. EgyptAir Flight 804 also crashed in the Mediterranean on May 19th. 66 passengers died in the crash. May also saw the controversial shooting of Harambe, a Cincinnati Zoo gorilla. Perhaps one of 2016’s most surprising headlines and notable deaths, Harambe’s shooting evoked a polarizing reaction from the country, being talked about for months following his death.
June 23: The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.
June On June 12th, a gunman open fires in a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 in what was the deadliest mass shooting in American history. 53 more were injured. June 14th saw the first mammal extinction as a result of man-made climate change, a rodent known as the Bramble Cay melomys. On June 23rd, the most controversial vote of the year (at the time) takes place in the United Kingdom. The referendum, more globally known as Brexit, passes and the United Kingdom becomes the first country to vote to leave the European Union. British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns the following day. Tensions were starting to reach their boiling points in Turkey. In Istanbul, terrorist attacks targeting Ataturk Airport kill 42 people while injuring more than 200. The sporting world also saw the losses of coach Pat Summitt, hockey player Gordie Howe, fighter Kimbo Slice, and most notably, famed boxer Muhammad Ali in June 2016. Muhammad Ali was known for his philanthropy and activism along with his legendary boxing career. |
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