As 2016 was winding down, many people were repeating the same collective wisdom that it was a really bad year, and discussing ways to make 2017 better. Other people have also been celebrating 2016 as a year when things finally started to work in their favor. Whether you liked 2016 or hated it, one thing is fairly certain: 2016 was a game changer. It was one of the most eventful years we’ve had in a while, and there’s going to be a lot of historical focus on it in the coming years and possibly even decades.

Of course, when most people think of the past year, the first thing that comes to mind is the election. Particularly the election outcome. The idea of Donald Trump being the President of the United States was a punchline a year ago. Now it’s a reality. Regardless of how you feel about Donald Trump personally, its undeniable that he changed the political landscape in America. His election demonstrated a rise of populism and a rejection of establishment politics. In addition to the rise of Donald Trump, 2016 also saw the rise of a similar populist political movement in England, being Brexit, the British vote to leave the European Union.

Of course another, more solemn characteristic of 2016 was the seemingly endless parade of celebrities passing away. This year saw the end of celebrities such as Doris Roberts, Gene Wilder, Mohammed Ali, Prince, and most recently, Carrie Fisher. In addition to celebrities, various famous political figures died this year, such as Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, former First Lady Nancy Reagan, and one of the most important political figures of the 20^th century, Fidel Castro. All of these deceased individuals had a profound effect on the 20^th century, whether culturally or politically. Carrie Fisher was iconic in her role as Princess Leia, as well as being a well-known feminist icon. Fidel Castro directly and indirectly influenced many political events pertaining to the Cold War, and was the subject of much controversy, as well as being the target of multiple assassination attempts. Nancy Reagan was beloved by the political right, and Antonin Scalia was arguably the most controversial Justice on the Supreme Court, and largely responsible for deciding the Supreme Court case Bush v Gore, which allowed George W. Bush to become President.

In a way, all of these deaths underscore the defining characteristic of 2016, being that it was a game changer. All of these famous influential people of the past like Mohammed Ali passing away, combined with Brexit and the election of Donald Trump makes 2016 feel like it is the end of an era. The rejection of political establishments like the EU and the DNC along with saying farewell to some of the biggest names of the last century creates the feeling that 2017 is going to be the beginning of something new. Maybe this upcoming year will be good. It might be really bad. One thing however is certain, and that is that 2017 is going to be very different. The world in general is going to be different.