Events That Shaped The World-stage In 2016

Around the world scene, the year 2016 is ending not without recording some events, so remarkable as would stick longer to the memory. From terror attacks, to election results, to deaths, 2016 was by itself a stunning moment.

Below are some of the events that shaped the world in the year 2016.

1. Donald Trump Win of the US Presidency

If not the most astonishing, the victory of Donald J. Trump in the November 8 United States elections was one event that beat imagination, proving forecasters and political pundits widely wrong.

The US elections has come and gone but not without leaving surprise on the many worldwide that passionately followed the trend. The intrigues that played out made it a center point of discussion and one memorable event of 2016. The elections was hewn around war of words, blackmails and accusations of mostly Moscow's influence in the polls.

When Trump, in June of 2015 announced his presidential bid, he was not taken seriously to be given a space even among the contenders of his Republican party. He was written off, and this was basically because of his political naivety.

But as a surprise that pulled out, Donald Trump, against the choices of more two million popular majority went on to clinch the coveted post with the support of over 290 electoral college voters to defeat his strongest rival, Hillary Clinton of the Democratic party.

The president-elect, who has already hit the grounds running with the appointments of almost all the strategic positions, awaits his inauguration on January 20th, 2017.


2. The Berlin Christmas Market Attack

On 19th December, a Tunisian man of 22 years, disturbed the peace of Germany by carrying out a dastardly attack that reminded the Germans of their volatility to terror. Anis Amri, the killer had hijacked the lorry from its Polish driver, who was shot dead as he tried to fight for his life.

 The terrorist attack left 12 people dead and 56 others injured. One of the victims was the truck's original driver, Łukasz Urban, who was found shot dead in the passenger seat. Four days after the attack he was killed in a shootout with police near Milan in Italy. An initial suspect was arrested and later released due to lack of evidence.

3. The Rio Olympics

The pomp, style and pageantry of the 4yearly Olympics games was brought to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It started with the funfairs of the opening ceremony on 5th August and closed on the 21st of August after the keenly contested events that dotted it.

4. Israeli's Shimmon Perez Dies

Shimmon Perez stood as one of the founding fathers of modern day Israel. Indeed he was the last of the pillars of the new nation. As a political figure, Perez served as Israelis president from 2007 to 2014.

In 1994, he shared the Nobel Peace prize with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat for forging a peace deal between Palestine and Israel. He was awarded the US highest honor for a civilian, the Medal of Freedom, by Barack Obama in June, 2013.

Also, he served severally as prime minister. Shimmon died on September 28 at the age of 93.


5.China's Construction of Longest Bridge

On August 20, China opened the world's highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge in Zhangjiajie in China's Hunan Province.

The much-heralded "world's highest and longest" glass-bottomed bridge has opened to visitors in central China. It connects two mountain cliffs in what are known as the Avatar mountains (the film was shot here) in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province.

6.The Panama Papers Leak

One major developments of the year ending was the whistleblowing on some top government officials, celebrities and financial moguls of the world who had their money offshore purposely to avoid tax imposition.

The leaked papers, which had also names of some of the big shots in Nigerian politics and government, was first published on April 3rd.



7. Orlando Gay Club Attack

June 12 witnessed a horrendous moment in the socialite city of Orlando, Florida,  when a security guard, Mateen Omar, attacked an Orlando Pulse gay night club killing over 49 partyers in what is described as the worst mass shooting in US history.

Mateen Omar was aged 29, he died same day in a shoot out with police.


8. Cuba's Fidel Castro Dies

Fidel Castro, the strong man of Cuba, who ruled his country as an autocrat for so many years from 1959 to 2008, bowed to the pressure of death on November 25th.

After Batista's overthrow in 1959, Castro assumed military and political power as Cuba's Prime Minister. The United States came to oppose Castro's government, and unsuccessfully attempted to remove him by assassination, economic blockade, and counter-revolution.

Countering these threats, Castro formed an alliance with the Soviet Union and allowed the Soviets to place nuclear weapons on Cuba, sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis—a defining incident of the Cold War—in 1962.

9. Muhammed Ali Bows
The three times heavyweight champion and political activist, who happened to be one of the most controversial sporting figures of his time, died on June 3 at the age of 74.

Prior to his eventual death, the man who many referred to as the 'world's greatest', had suffered series of complications from thenervous disorder, Parkinson disease for more than three decades.