I think it’s safe to say that 2016 will go down in history as the year of the memes. It’s the year that white Vans made a comeback, the death of a gorilla nearly started World War III and flipping a water bottle suddenly became an impressive talent. As 2017 approaches, let’s all take a moment to revisit the biggest and most bizarre moments that came out of the year 2016.
1. Damn, Daniel!
While it feels like years since this simple but addictive video almost broke the Internet, Daniel and his white Vans went viral in February of this year. Update: The two boys responsible for the video were welcomed on The Ellen Show, where they received a lifetime supply of free Vans. The 16-year-olds decided to donate their Vans to kids in need. Aw!
2. Chance the Rapper released “Coloring Book”
In May, the rapper released an impressive third mix tape that caught the attention of fans, Hollywood and his Auntie Yoncé. The Chicago native put his name on the map with this album, inspired by Christian faith, his daughter and an imperfect past. He collaborated with artists including Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber to create one of the most iconic albums of the year.
3. R.I.P. Harambe
What began as a Facebook argument about proper parenting, turned into a national concern and arguably the most used meme of 2016. As absurd as it sounds, the nation is still mourning over the death of this gorilla 6 months later.
4. The Water Bottle Flipping Challenge
Who knew that a piece of plastic could be so entertaining? At least it’s safer than the cinnamon challenge, the saltine challenge or the chubby bunny challenge.
5. The Mannequin Challenge
Speaking of challenges, the mannequin challenge swept through social media as celebrities and fans alike took videos of themselves posing to Rae Sremmurd’s song, “Black Beatles.” The one hit wonder has redeemed himself with this ridiculous challenge that everyone can’t help but join in on.
6. The Rio Olympics
Americans killed it in last summer’s Olympic Games, where we witnessed Michael Phelps make history (again) and announce his retirement, 19-year-old Simone Biles became America’s sweetheart and Zac Efron came to support the USA Women’s Gymnastics team. Goals.
7. Beyoncé’s Lemonade
The Queen has done it again. In her latest album, Yoncé exposed her husband’s supposed cheating scandal while simultaneously promoting girl power, slaying the world with killer dance moves and proving, once again, that she is the ruler of everything.
8. The Mr. Krabs Meme
Almost 20 years since Spongebob made his television debut, the cartoon remains as relevant today as it was decades ago. We can credit 2016 with hundreds of memes, but this one is sure to be remembered for years to come.
9. Finding Dory
Ellen DeGeneres, the voice of Dory, has been joking about a sequel to Finding Nemo for years. We’ve been waiting since childhood for this moment, and it’s finally come 13 years later.
10. Brangelina Breakup
2016: The year love ceased to exist. The power couple called it quits in September after only two years of marriage. Six kids, multiple movies and ten years together, Hollywood’s it couple broke the hearts of millions with their impending divorce.
11. Fashion Trend Revived: Chokers
The 90’s choker trend has made a comeback this year. Improving from the plastic stretchy necklaces we used to rock in elementary school, chokers have grown to be a fashion necessity to almost every outfit. The trend is so much in style that one girl tied a Nike shoelace around her neck and received indefinite praise.
12. Celebrity Goodbyes
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the incredible talent that was lost this year, including music legends David Bowie and Prince, Harry Potter actor Alan Rickman, “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee and boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
13. Pokemon Go
The free-to-play, location based app took the world by storm this past summer. During its fifteen minutes of fame, the game managed to get more kids to play outside than Michelle Obama’s eight-year efforts did. (Sorry, First Lady.)
14. The Birth of Bitmoji
Technically Bitmoji was created in 2015, but the public didn’t get on board with the personalized emojis until recently. Since Apple is slacking (no pancakes emoji, seriously?) Bitmoji creates an entirely new library of stickers to bother your friends with.
15. The First Ever CoverBoy
The makeup brand CoverGirl made industry history by naming 17-year-old makeup artist James Charles as their first ever CoverBoy. Breaking gender norms left and right!
16. The Presidential Election
And last but certainly not least, 2016 is the year we elected a new POTUS. Farewell Obama family, you will be missed. The nation will officially welcome Donald Trump into presidency in January of 2017…