It's a new year. A clean slate lays before us and who knows what's to come.

Sure 2015 had its moments but 2016 already looks to be a high-profile year for us, and no doubt has many surprises in store.

We're only a week into January and the new year has shown us that change is coming our way.

Here are 5 events occurring in 2016 that are going to dominate the year:

2016 Presidential Election: Nov. 8

Who is going to be the next POTUS?

This year’s presidential election has already become a high-profile media frenzy. Current polls have Clinton, Sanders and Trump as the frontrunners in this election.

Hilary Clinton isn’t the first woman to run for office. However, she is the first woman to make it this far in the game. Even after thBenghazi trials, Hilary still has a huge following behind her.

The only competition that Clinton may have to deal with in primaries is Bernie Sanders. The Vermont Senator has produced a large following of millennials. Though polls show that he has been slowing down in momentum in recent weeks, I don’t think the race is over yet for Sanders.

Donald Trump has definitely made a splash in media while on his run to become President. Even with a large amount of the American population disagreeing with Trump’s platform, the majority of polls still have him coming out on top.

While voter turnout among millennials has been low in recent years, it's our chance to change that and show everyone that we are willing to take a stance to the way our government is run.

Don’t forget to vote in your primaries this year, they are every bit as important as the general election. Check out when your state holds theirs here.

Rio Summer Olympics: August 5 - August 21

For centuries, the Olympic games have been an global event for the people of the world to unite under. Watching these near inhuman feats athletes can accomplish will cease to amaze me.

Some of the most popular sports will be played during the summer Olympics; athletics, beach volleyball, diving and let’s not forget my personal favorite, synchronized swimming.

We’ll be able to see extremely talented athletes like Usain Bolt strive to achieve their personal bests this year and check out young up-and-coming athletes.

The Olympics provide many of us the opportunity to learn about the various cultures that are out there, to reconnect with the rest of the world. Rio, a city full of rich culture, has the potential to be an exciting location for the 2016 Olympics.

Inadvertently, the Olympics have brought to our attention many of the problems occurring in Brazil.

The first and biggest issue being the water pollution in Rio. If you were to google Rio water, you would get a page full of dirty, foul looking waterways.

The city has had issues in recent years with maintaining clear waterways, but even after millions of dollars spent on clean-ups they continue to be under scrutiny.

El Niño

With snow and hail in the SouthWest and near summery temperatures on christmas in the East, we can thank the El Niño for the whacky weather we’ve experienced this year.

While we have been feeling the effects from the El Niño all across the country, scientists are saying we haven’t even seen the worst of it yet.

According to the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration, the El Niño is strengthening and has an 80 percent chance of lasting into early spring.

This kind of weather hasn't been seen since the disastrous El Niño that took place during 1997 and there have been several debates about whether global warming has anything to do with that.

This isn't going to just mean that spring break might not be the warm, sunny vacation we’re all hoping it will be. Several locations are already reeling from severe flooding and droughts thanks to the El Niño and more areas are being threatened by these extreme weather conditions.

Bill Cosby Trial

For any who haven’t been following the news this week, Bill Cosby was arrested Dec. 30 and charged with three counts sexual assault.

This is a long-time coming after countless women have accused Cosby throughout the past decade. Cosby has been involved in several charges and lawsuits in recent years regarding these accusations but this is the first time Cosby has been formally arrested.

According to Cosby’s lawyers, he is standing by his claim that he is innocent. Several of Cosby’s colleagues have come to his defense in recent months while nearly 60 women have come forward claiming that Cosby sexually assaulted them.

While no date has been set yet, this will no doubt be an extremely charged case as it progresses.

This case will not only provide a spotlight on how society handles sexual assault but it will show the stigma that comes when a woman comes forward after being assaulted or raped.

Here's a timeline of this decade long story.

Paris Agreement

195 countries signed an agreement this past December that aims to reduce pollution and limit global temperature rise, and 2016 will be the year to see if these countries will stick to their game plan.

While these countries don't need to have these agreements implemented until 2020, now is the time for them to mobilize their resources and make the right policy changesto help get this jump-started.

Activists have been questioning how countries will be held accountable if they don't follow the Paris Agreement and how poverty-stricken countries will be able to meet up with the demands being made by the wealthier western countries.

This makes 2016 all the more important for each country to show it's people that they are willing to step up.

If these countries are able to demonstrate that they are willing to aid in cleaning up the planet, this will be a huge step for climate change activists.

The UN provided a link for anyone who has questions about the agreement and they simplified the jargon to make it more understandable for everyday people.

It's important to remember that the things that happen in 2016 will have lasting effects for years to come. All of these events have the power to mold and shape our country.