I think we can all agree to the fact that 2016 has been quite the struggle. The strife began on Jan. 3 when Nimr al-Nimr was executed, causing Saudi Arabia to end diplomatic relations with Iran. Soon to follow, on Jan. 8, the manhunt for Joaquin Guzman, also known as "El Chapo", came to a conclusion and he was placed in maximum security prison. Guzman, the world's largest drug trafickker, originally escaped from a Mexican prison on July 11, 2015. Jan. 10 marks the day that the beloved David Bowie passed away, going to find life on Mars. Four days later, Alan Rickman followed. He will always be remembered as the beloved Professor Snape. That all occurred in January alone. Who would have guessed that from there, it would get progressively worse?

Well, on Feb. 1, the Zika Virus was declared as an outbreak from the World Health Organization, leaving everyone to scramble. On Feb.7, North Korea decided to launch a long-range rocket into space, violating many treaties and frightening the world. Then on March 22, there were three bombings in Brussels, Belgium, killing at least 30 people and injuring many more. The 5'2" Prince also passed away on April 21, leaving everyone saddened. On May 28, Harambe, one of the last silverback gorillas, was shot after a boy fell into his enclosure. This occurence would soon cause a wildly popular meme. On June 14, a truck drove through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in France, killing at least 84 people and injuring many more.

To continue the cycle, on June 23, the United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union, leaving everyone to pick a side. Trump becomes the Republican nominee on July 19 and soon to follow, Clinton becomes the Democratic nominee on July 26. Gene Wilder, the man behind the golden tickets, also passed away on August 29. On Sept. 17 a pressure cooker bomb went off in Chelsea, NY. This was followed by the discovery of a backpack containing explosives in Elizabeth, NJ. Both explosives were planted by Ahmad Khan Rahami. On Sept. 30, Hurricane Matthew becomes a Category 5 hurricane at record low latitude. It made landfall on Oct. 4 in Haiti, killing hundreds in its wake.

After terrorist attacks, political turmoil, tragic deaths, natural disasters, and gorilla disasters, one can only hope that 2017 will be the calm after the storm.