Culture: The Year That Was– 2016

Well we have come to the end of 2016 and what a year it has been – it will certainly make the history books for a variety of reasons.

Celebrity Deaths 

It has probably been the worse year for Celebrity deaths – starting off with Pat Harrington (actor) on 6 January and ending with Debbie Reynolds on 29 December (actress) – 72 in total. What a year.

There are too many for me to list so here is list of those who made an important impact on people’s lives in one way or another:

• David Bowie – Musician & Actor  - January 10
• Alan Rickman – Actor – January 14
• Glenn Frey – Musician  (The Eagles) – January 18
• Maurice White – Musician  (Earth, Wind & Fire)– February 3
• Nancy Reagan – Former First Lady of the United States – March 6
• Garry Shandling – Comedian & Actor – March 24
• David Gest  - Entertainer & Producer – April 12
• Prince – Musician – April 21
• Nick Menzie – Musician (Megadeth) – May 21
• Muhammed Ali – Boxer  - June 3
• Jo Cox – Minister of Parliament  - June 16
• Michael Cimino – Director (The Deer Hunter)  - July 2
• Garry Marshall – Director (Happy Days & Mork + Mindy) – July 19
• David Huddleston  - Actor  (Santa Clause the Movie) – August 2
• Kenny Baker – Actor (R2 D2) – August 13
• Gene Wilder  - Actor – August 29
• Arnold Palmer – Golfer – September 25
• Leonard Cohen – Musician – November 7
• Robert Vaughan – Actor – November 11
• Fidel Castro  - Former Prime Minister of Cuba & Revolutionary  - November 25
• John Glenn – Astronaut & first American to circle the Earth – December 8
• Alan Thicke – Actor (Growing Pains) - December 13
• Liz Smith – Actress – December 24
• George Michael  - Musician – December 25
• Carrie Fisher – Actress-  December 27th
• Debbie Reynolds – Actress – December 29^th

British News

BREXIT – the UK voted to leave the European Union in June which led to David Cameron resigning as Prime Minister and leading the way for the second female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – Theresa May and a new cabinet including Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary!

The BREXIT Campaign was unravelled to be full of lies and even though he got what he wanted ( to make Great Britain Great again), Nigel Farage quit as leader of UKIP – for a second time!!

Sadiq Khan was voted Mayor of London, making him the first Muslim Mayor of a major western city.

World News

America voted Donald Trump to be the 45th  President of the United States of America!! 

ISIS struck again and again:

• Bombing at Brussels Airport & Maalbeek metro station  on 22 March killing  35 people and injuring 300 
• Bombing at Ataturk Airport, Istanbul  on 28 June killing 45 people and injuring 230
• 19 tonne cargo truck driven into Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France on Bastille Day 14 July  killing 86 people and injuring 434 
• A truck ran into a Christmas Market in Berlin, Germany on 19 December killing 12 people and inuring 48
• And many bombs in Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia 
• Also knife & machete attacks in France, Germany, United States and Belgium

The continuing war in Syria

Zika Virus Outbreak leaving a lot of pregnant women worried

Barack Obama visited Cuba making him the first President of the United States to visit the country since 1928 

Egypt Air Flight M8804 went missing over the Mediterranean en route Paris to Cairo

Plane crashed in Colombia killing 71 footballer players from the Brazilian Chapecoense team

Battle of Mosul in Iraq 

Ceasefire agreement signed between Colombian Government and FARC rebels ending more than 50 years of conflict in Colombia

Commemoration of the Battle of the Somme  - 100 years

Commemoration of the Easter Rising in 1916 (Ireland) - 100 years  

Sporting Triumphs

Andy Murray won Wimbledon for the second time

Leicester City won the Premiership - the underdogs did good

Team GB did very well in Rio 2016 Olympics winning

• 27 Gold
• 23 Silver
• 17 Bronze 

A total of 67 medals for Team GB

And not forgetting the Paralympics where Team GB won 147 medals

• 64 Gold
• 39 Silver
• 44 Bronze  

Ireland Rugby Team beat the All Blacks 40 - 29  - the first time the Irish have ever beaten the world leaders in Rugby - New Zealand.

Northern Ireland Football Team made it to Euro 2016 - the first time they have ever been in the European tournament.  They made it to the last 16.  

All in all a very varied year - not a good one for celebrities and a couple of political upsets and the continuation of terrorism - what will 2017 hold for us all?