2016: The year in pictures

A look back at some of the most memorable news events and newsmakers of the past year. By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan.

Pictured: President Barack Obama is seen in tears while delivering a statement on executive orders the administration instituted to reduce gun violence, in the East Room of the White House, January 5, 2016. After years of congressional inaction, Mr. Obama signed executive orders to increase background checks. 

But the Republican-led Congress buried several proposals to close loopholes in gun sales or prevent those whose names appear on terrorist watch lists from buying firearms.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, during 2016 there were more than 360 mass shootings in America (incidents in which four or more people were wounded or killed), and nearly 60,000 incidents involving firearms. More than 14,000 people were killed, and more than 29,000 injured.

The Outsider

Audience member Robin Roy (center) reacts as U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets her at a campaign rally in Lowell, Mass., January 4, 2016. 

The New York real estate magnate and reality TV host (who had flirted with a presidential run with the Reform Party in 2000) was one of 17 candidates for the Republican nomination. Lacking any government or military experience, his candidacy was considered by political and media watchers as a lark intended to burnish his brand. But Trump’s celebrity persona, America-first message and outspoken campaign appearances made him a popular choice for GOP primary voters compared to the more establishment figures. 

Five candidates dropped out of the race before the Iowa caucus in February. After Texas Senator Ted Cruz won Iowa, Trump came out on top in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. He then won 7 of the next 11 primaries (with the rest split between Cruz and Florida Senator Marco Rubio). Trump had the nomination sewn up by May.

Police Shooting

LaTisha Jones, one of the daughters of Bettie Jones, touches her mother in the casket during a visitation in Chicago, January 6, 2016.

The shooting deaths by a police officer of Jones, 55, a mother of five and grandmother of 10, and college student Quintonio LeGrier, 19, in late December 2015, increased tensions in a city that had become a hotbed of gun violence.

David Bowie

A woman wearing Ziggy Stardust-style make-up reacts as she visits a mural of David Bowie in Brixton, south London, January 11, 2016. 

The music legend who used daringly androgynous displays of sexuality and glittering costumes to frame legendary rock hits “Ziggy Stardust” and “Space Oddity” died of cancer at age 69, shortly after the release of his haunting (and eerily prescient) “Blackstar.” Sadly, he was one of many music legends who left us too early in 2016. 

Burkina Faso Terror Attack

A table on the terrace of Cappuccino restaurant after an attack on the restaurant and the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, January 18, 2016. About 30 people were killed, including Michael Riddering, a 45-year-old American missionary.

Migrants Rescued in Greece

Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, in the southeastern Agean Sea, overnight on January 16, 2016.

MOAS, a Malta-based NGO, rescued 48 migrants and refugees near Agathonisi island.

Freed Hostage

Jason Rezaian (left) is pictured with his wife Yeganeh Salehi, mother Mary Rezaian and brother Ali Rezaian in this January 18, 2016 photo taken in Landstuhl, Germany.

Rezaian, a reporter for the Washington Post, was one of four American prisoners released by Iran ahead of the lifting of international sanctions on Iran January 16, 2016 - part of a deal between major powers and Iran to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.

Burning Oil Facility

Heavy, black smoke rises from an oil facility in northern Libya’s Ras Lanouf region on January 23, 2016, after it caught fire following attacks launched by jihadists from the terror group ISIS to seize key port terminals.

Firefighters battled a blaze at an oil facility in northern Libya for a third day, an official said, after an assault by jihadists aiming to seize export terminals.

Coastal erosion

Uninhabitable apartments, in danger of collapsing into the Pacific Ocean, line Esplanade Ave. in Pacifica, California, January 26, 2016.

The city marked three apartment complexes uninhabitable as El Niño storm erosion ate away at the coastal bluff beneath them. One apartment complex was later demolished, and a house was moved further inland.

Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks as her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea, accompany her at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa January 31, 2016.

After losing the nomination in 2008, the former Secretary of State launched her 2016 bid by promoting her past experience as an advocate for women and children, and (as Donald Trump appeared headed for the GOP nomination) as someone with demonstrable experience in government and public service. And with Trump’s inflammatory comments about women, the contrast between the two front-runners could not have been more stark.

Iowa Caucuses

A young supporter wears campaign stickers on her face as the Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during a “get out to caucus” event at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on January 30, 2016.

Flint Water Scandal

Flint residents Gladyes Williamson (center) holds a bottle of contaminated water, and a clump of her hair, alongside Jessica Owens (right), holding a baby bottle full of contaminated water, during a news conference after attending a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the Flint, Michigan water crisis on Capitol Hill, February 3, 2016.

The drinking water became contaminated when, in 2014, the city (which was under state control at the time) switched from the Detroit water system and began drawing from the Flint River to save money, without properly treating the water to protect from lead leaching from aging pipes.

Congress haggled for nearly a year before finally clearing legislation in December to provide $170 million to deal with Flint’s water crisis.

By year’s end nine people have been charged in an investigation of Flint’s lead-tainted water system and an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, including eight current or former state employees and a Flint water plant employee.

Martin Shkreli

Martin Shkreli, then CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals LLC, arrives before a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing on prescription drug pricing on Capitol Hill, February 4, 2016.

Shkreli became the face of rampant profiteering when his company bought the patent on life-saving drug Daraprim and raised the price about 5,000 percent. Dubbed the “Pharma Bro,” Shkreli became a punching bag on social media, so much so that in September Shkreli announced he was raffling off an opportunity for someone to punch him in the face.

Volcanic Lightning

Volcanic lightning is seen at an eruption of Mount Sakurajima, in this photo taken from Tarumizu city, Kagoshima prefecture, southwestern Japan, February 5, 2016.

The volcano is located about 30 miles from a nuclear power plant.

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a copy of a U.N. ruling as he makes a speech from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London, February 5, 2016. The Embassy has been Assange’s home for the past four years as he continues to fight extradition to Sweden to face rape charges.

WikiLeaks was in the news again in 2016 as it published emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee by Russian-affiliated hackers, in an effort to embarrass presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Taiwan Earthquake

Rescue personnel work at the site of a collapsed building in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on February 6, 2016 following a strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake. Nearly 120 people were killed. 

Super Bowl Entertainment

Beyonce, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and Bruno Mars perform during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., February 7, 2016. Nearly 112 million people watched the broadcast.

Republican Challenger

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks with the media on board his charter plane bound for South Carolina, February 10, 2016.

Rubio didn’t fare well in the debate leading up to the New Hampshire primary, losing momentum and finishing fifth in the nation’s first primary. He would win only three primaries before bowing out in March, after losing his home state. 

Gravitational Waves

The collision of two black holes - a tremendously powerful event detected for the first time ever by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) - is illustrated in this still image from a computer simulation released in Washington on February 11, 2016. Scientists for the first time detected gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by Albert Einstein a century ago, in a landmark discovery that opens a new window for studying the cosmos. 

Greek Protester

A handicapped protester and his dog face a riot police cordon outside the Agriculture Ministry following clashes between Greek farmers from the region of Crete and police during a protest against planned pension reforms, in Athens, Greece, February 12, 2016.

Justice Antonin Scalia's Funeral

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s widow, Maureen McCarthy Scalia, walks behind the casket as it is carried out of church following the funeral Mass for Scalia at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., February 20, 2016. 

During his three decades on the Supreme Court, Justice Scalia, who died on February 13 at age 79, employed his keen intellect with a missionary-like zeal to move the court farther to the right and to get it to embrace his “originalist” view of constitutional law.

Syrian Airstrike Victim

Civil defense members rescue a girl from under the rubble after airstrikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel-held al-Qaterji neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, February 14, 2016.

Bernie Sanders

U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders celebrates on stage at a campaign rally in Henderson, Nevada, February 19, 2016. The Independent senator from Vermont, running for the Democratic Party nomination, told supporters, “What this campaign is essentially about, is whether they have a political system ... controlled by a handful of billionaires ... or whether we have an economic and political system that is controlled by ordinary Americans.”

Unlike the other primary opponents of Hillary Clinton who quickly bowed out, Sanders persevered throughout the campaign, winning 23 state primaries and caucuses, and forcing Clinton to embrace more fully his populist messages regarding Wall Street reform, student loans and college tuition.

Bernie Baby

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders greets Susan Lomas and her son Oliver, dressed up as Sanders, at a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, February 14, 2016.

Oliver, known on social media  as “Bernie Baby,” reportedly died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in late February 2016. 

Erin Andrews

Sportscaster and TV host Erin Andrews broke into tears on the witness stand in a Nashville courtroom March 1, 2016, as she recalled the moment she realized nude videos of her, taken surreptitiously at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt, had been posted on the Internet. 

A jury awarded Andrews $55 million, splitting the blame between Michael David Barrett, the stalker who admitted making the secret recordings of her in 2008 in order to sell them (and who served 2½ years in federal prison), and the manager and owner of the hotel. 

Lady Gaga at the Oscars

Lady Gaga sings her Academy Award-nominated song, “Til It Happens to You,” accompanied by victims of abuse, at the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood on February 28, 2016. The song was from the documentary “The Hunting Ground,” about sexual assault on college campuses. 

A Year in Space

Ground personnel carry International Space Station crew member Scott Kelly after his landing in Kazakhstan on March 2, 2016. Kelly returned to Earth after spending almost a year in space in a ground-breaking experiment. 

Soldier's Funeral

Widow Alexandra McClintock holds an American flag with her son, Declan, during burial of her husband. U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Matthew McClintock, at Arlington National Cemetery on March 7, 2016. Sgt. McLintock was killed in a firefight while serving alongside Afghan commandos in the city of Marjah, Afghanstan.  

As of mid-December, this year 31 American service members were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Trump Rally Violence

Confrontations between Trump supporters and protesters became familiar sights at the Republican candidate’s campaign rallies across the country. 

At a March 10 rally at Fayetteville, N.C., Rakeem Jones told the Associated Press that he and others who went to the event were targeted for abuse by the crowd. As they were being escorted out by police, 78-year-old John Franklin McGraw sucker-punched Jones in the face. After the rally, McGraw told “Inside Edition,” “He deserved it. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him. We don’t know who he is. He might be with a terrorist organization.”

The police did not intervene at first, but later identified McGraw and charged him with assault and disorderly conduct.

In December the two met in court. McGraw pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges, and apologized to Jones for his actions. The two men shook hands and hugged. “It just felt good being able to shake his hand … and face him,” Jones told CBS affiliate WNCN.

Brussels Terror Attacks

Injured people are seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2016. 

A cell of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attacks, at the airport and a Brussels subway station, that killed 32 people and injured as many as 300. The blasts came less than six months after the deadly attacks in Paris.

Argentine Diplomacy

President Barack Obama dances tango during a state dinner hosted by Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri, at the Centro Cultural Kirchner, in Buenos Aires, March 23, 2016. It was part of President Obama’s two-day visit to Argentina.

The Rolling Stones Play Havana

Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is seen on a giant screen as he performs during a free outdoor concert at Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex in Havana, Cuba, March 25, 2016. 

Joaquin Ortiz, a 62-year-old night watchman, said he’s been a huge rock fan since he was a teenager in the 1960s, when Cuba’s communist government frowned on U.S. and British bands and he had to hide his Beatles and Stones albums in covers borrowed from albums of appropriately revolutionary Cuban groups. “This is like my last wish, seeing the Rolling Stones,” he told the Associated Press. “After today I can die.”

The concert came two days after another historic event: President Obama’s visit to Cuba, the first by an American president in nearly 90 years.

High-Rise Fire

Fire engulfs a residential tower in Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates, March 28, 2016. The fire erupted at the building and spread to at least one other tower.

Congress Blocks the Court

President Barack Obama stands next to Judge Merrick Garland of the United States Court of Appeals, his nominee for the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, at the White House Rose Garden, March 16, 2016.

Despite praise for Garland from jurists across the spectrum, Senate Republicans refused to hold hearings, leaving the court with an eight-person bench for the remainder of Mr. Obama’s term. To justify his opposition, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed that the president did not have the authority to name a replacement during his last year in office, a statement the Washington Post called “patently ridiculous.”

Texas Floods

Storms dumped more than a foot of rain in the Houston area on April 18, 2016, flooding dozens of neighborhoods and forcing the closure of city offices and the suspension of public transit. 

Pictured: Alberto Lopez helps his wife Glenda wade through floodwaters as they evacuate their flooded apartment complex in Houston. 

William Shakespeare

Wearing masks of the Bard of Avon, members of the public prepare for a parade marking 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, in Stratford-upon-Avon in central England on April 23, 2016. Shakespeare’s hometown led the global celebrations of the writer’s legacy, with star-studded plays, concerts and parades.

But all was not celebratory for Shakespeare enthusiasts this year: In October, Oxford University Press announced that its new edition of Shakespeare’s works would co-credit Christopher Marlowe on the three “Henry VI” plays, after a team of scholars using modern analytical methods suggested that experts had underestimated the extent to which Shakespeare collaborated with others.

Climate Change Pact

Actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio speaks at United Nations headquarters in New York in support of the Paris Agreement on climate change, April 22, 2016. “Climate change is happening faster than even the most pessimistic of scientists warned us decades ago,” DiCaprio said. “It has become a runaway freight train bringing with it an impending disaster for all living things.”

The pact, signed last year, went into effect in November, committing nations to take action to reduce emissions and slow rising global temperatures. President Obama called the agreement “a turning point for our planet.”

Boston Marathon Wnner

Lemi Berhanu Hayle, of Ethiopia, celebrates after winning the 120th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, 2016. 

Prince George Meets the Obamas

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama meet Prince George, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watch, at Kensington Palace in London, April 22, 2016.

Ivory Burning

A Kenya Wildlife Services ranger stands guard around illegal stockpiles of burning elephant tusks, ivory figurines and rhinoceros horns at the Nairobi National Park on April 30, 2016.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta set the world’s biggest ivory bonfire, after demanding a total ban on trade in tusks and horns to end “murderous” trafficking and prevent the extinction of elephants in the wild. 

Elephants Exit the Big Top

One of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ performing elephants enters the arena for its final show in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, May 1, 2016. The pachyderms will retire to a 200-acre conservation center in Florida.

Kenneth Feld, chairman of the parent company that owns Ringling Brothers, called the decision to retire the elephants (which have been the subject of YouTube videos from activists citing animal abuse) “bittersweet,” but added, “It is the best thing. And we felt this was the right time to do it.”

This year SeaWorld also phased out its killer whale shows at its amusement parks.

North Carolina Bathroom Law

A sign protesting a recent North Carolina law restricting transgender bathroom access is seen in the bathroom stalls at the 21C Museum Hotel in Durham, North Carolina May 3, 2016.

The Justice Department filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against North Carolina over the state law restricting the use of public restrooms by transgender people. The law, known as House Bill 2, forces transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender on their birth certificate, rather than the one with which they identify. It also prevents cities from passing their own ordinances to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

By September the state had lost nearly $400 million in business, including conventions, concerts and sporting events that were cancelled in protest of the law.

The state’s Attorney General, Democrat Roy Cooper, a vocal critic of the law, defeated Governor Pat McCrory at the polls in November. But an agreement by GOP lawmakers to put a repeal of the law up for a vote fell through in December.

Alberta Wildfire

Drivers wait for clearance to take firefighting supplies into town on May 5, 2016 outside of Fort McMurray, Alberta. 

The wildfire (nicknamed “The Beast”)  burned about 620 square miles and forced the evacuation of nearly 90,000 residents from the town. About 1,920 structures were destroyed in Fort McMurray, which is in the heartland of Canada’s oil sands industry.

Run for the Roses

Mario Gutierrez celebrates atop Nyquist after crossing the finish line to win the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Invictus Games

Wounded warrior Michael Yule celebrates after winning the Lightweight Power Lifting gold during the Invictus Games, an international competition for wounded veterans, in Orlando, May 9, 2016. 

EgyptAir Disaster

A photo posted Saturday, May 21, 2016, on Facebook by an Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman shows part of a plane chair from EgyptAir flight 804. Search crews found floating human remains, luggage and seats from the doomed jetliner. Sixty-six people died in the crash. 

Though the cause of the crash remains unclear, Egyptian Civil Aviation Moninstry officials said in December that traces of explosives had been found on some of the victims. 

Migrants

Migrants are seen on a capsizing boat before a rescue operation by Italian navy ships Bettica and Bergamini off the coast of Libya on May 25, 2016.

Paris Flood

The river Seine burst its banks near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, June 2, 2016. Officials were putting up emergency flood barriers along the river after days of torrential rain.

California Fire

A helicopter flies above glowing embers as it makes a water drop run at the Old Fire, which burned in Calabasas, California, June 4, 2016. 

Muhammad Ali Memorial

Fans of Muhammad Ali sign a large banner at the I AM ALI event to celebrate his life at the Kentucky Center of the Performing Arts in Louisville, Kentucky, June 8, 2016. The three-time world heavyweight boxing champion, who became a cultural icon, died on June 4 at age 74. 

Pulse Nightclub Shooting

On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed by a heavily-armed gunman at Pulse, a popular gay bar in Orlando, Fla. It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

The suspect, Omar Mateen, who was killed in the police assault, reportedly declared his allegiance to ISIS on Facebook and in a phone call to 911. Born in the U.S. of Afghan immigrant parents, he was a former security guard who had been investigated by the FBI previously. He had a clean record when, a few days before the shooting, he legally purchased two firearms, including an assault-style semiautomatic rifle.

Pictured: A Kevlar helmet worn by an Orlando Police Officer. Officials say the helmet saved his life.

Orlando Vigil

People participate in a candlelight memorial service the day after the mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, June 13, 2016. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda accepts the Tony Award for Best Original Score for his revolutionary musical “Hamilton,” in New York, June 12, 2016. 

In response to the Orlando mass shooting earlier that day, Miranda recited a sonnet which went, in part:  

“When senseless acts of tragedy remind us
That nothing here is promised, not one day,
This show is proof that history remembers.
We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger.
We rise and fall and light from dying embers,
Remembrances that hope and love lasts long
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love
Cannot be killed or swept aside. ...
Now fill the world with music, love and pride.”

Oscar Pistorius

Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius walks across the courtroom without his prosthetic legs during the third day of the resentencing hearing for the 2013 murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, at Pretoria High Court, South Africa, June 15, 2016. South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal had upgraded his original manslaughter verdict to one of murder. 

On July 6, a judge sentenced Pistorius to six years in prison.

Sit-In Against Gun Violence

A group of about 60 Democrats in Congress (including Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a veteran of civil rights demonstrations), staged a sit-in on the House floor to call for a vote on gun legislation, June 22, 2016. The protest came days after four pieces of gun control legislation were blocked in the Senate. 

“We have been too quiet for too long,” Lewis said. “There comes a time when you have to say something. You have to make a little noise. You have to move your feet. This is the time.”

When the Republican majority ordered C-SPAN’s cameras turned off, the protesters live-streamed their sit-in on social media. 

North Korea Missile

A suspected nose cone from a North Korean rocket that washed up on a Japanese beach is shown to the media at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, June 23, 2016.

Brexit

People wrapped in Union Jacks walk across Westminster Bridge towards Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in central London on June 26, 2016.

British Prime Minister David Cameron brought a referendum before voters on whether Britain should leave the European Union, in what became known colloquially as “Brexit.” After a hard-fought debate, the “Remain” camp was expected to win. However, voters opted to leave, shocking political prognosticators. (According to Google Trends, U.K. searches for “What is the EU?” climbed after polls closed and the results became apparent). 

World financial markets plunged, the British pound plummeted, and Cameron stepped down as prime minister. Nationalists in Scotland and Northern Ireland (where residents voted decisively to remain in the EU) called for separation from the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Independence Party leader Nigel Farage (who pushed for “Leave”) admitted afterwards he would not stand by his pledge to devote £350 million of promised savings from European Union payments to the National Health Service, angering supporters.

Istanbul Airport Attack

Officials walk inside Ataturk Airport in Istanbul following a terror attack, June 28, 2016. 

Terrorists armed with automatic weapons and explosive belts killed 45 and wounded more than 230 at the airport. Turkish officials blamed the massacre on three militants from Russia and Central Asia with suspected ties to ISIS, who came to Turkey via Syria.

Philando Castile Shooting

On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile, who was with his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter, was pulled over by police in Falcon Heights, Minn. After informing the officer that he had a gun permit and was armed, he reached for his ID whereupon, according to Reynolds, he was shot seven times. Reynolds streamed the aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook and, with a methodical narration, described the haunting scene as Castile lay dying. In November, St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez was charged with second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm.

The viral video of Castile’s death, coming just a day after the deadly police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, further inflamed anti-police sentiment and stirred protests in St. Paul that resulted in about 50 arrests, and injuries to more than 20 officers.

Dallas Police Shooting

On July 7, 2016, the day after Philando Castile’s death, a lone gunman ambushed police in Dallas, Texas, who were guarding a peaceful demonstration. Five officers were killed.

In this photo, a Dallas police officer hugs a child who came to pay respects at a makeshift memorial at Dallas Police Headquarters on July 9, 2016.

After Police Chief David Brown invited Dallas residents to “Become a part of the solution, serve your communities. Don’t be part of the problem,” 467 signed up to apply for the force.

Solar Plane

Solar Impulse 2, the solar-powered plane piloted by Swiss pioneer Andre Borschberg, is seen during the flyover of the pyramids of Giza on July 13, 2016 prior to landing in Cairo. 

It became the first solar-powered plane to complete a round-the-world journey.

Jupiter's Closeup

During its approach to Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this image of the giant planet’s north polar region and Great Red Spot.

Alton Sterling Funeral

The Rev. Jesse Jackson consoles Cameron Sterling after the funeral of his father, Alton Sterling, on July 15, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling, 37, was fatally shot while pinned to the ground by two Baton Rouge police officers in front of a convenience store on July 5, a death captured by cellphone cameras, dashcam and bodycams, and surveillance cameras. It led the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation.

Ted Cruz

While parts of the Republican Party establishment did not accept Donald Trump as a true conservative or chafed at his character, the #NeverTrump movement never took hold. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, whose wife and father had been attacked by Trump during the campaign, refused to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention, and in a speech on the convention floor urged Americans to vote their conscience. “We deserve leaders who stand for principle,” he said, eliciting boos from the crowd.

Cruz (who received 475 delegates to Trump’s 1,725) would eventually make phone calls asking voters to support Trump.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump speaks as he accepts the Republican Party’s nomination for president during the final session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 21, 2016. “I have made billions of dollars in business making deals - now I’m going to make our country rich again,” he said.

California Fire

Flames from the Sand Fire are reflected in a backyard swimming pool on July 23, 2016 near Santa Clarita, California. Fueled by temperatures reaching about 108 degrees Fahrenheit, the wildfire grew to about 41,000 acres. The blaze destroyed 18 homes and killed a man, and prompted the evacuation of an estimated 20,000 people. The fire also destroyed a Western town set on the Sable Ranch, a well-known filming location.

Philippine drug war

A woman cradles the body of her husband, who according to police was killed on the street by a vigilante group, in a spate of drug-related killings in Pasay city, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 23, 2016. A sign on cardboard found near the body reads: “Pusher Ako” (“I am a drug pusher”). 

In June newly-elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte urged citizens with guns to shoot and kill drug dealers who resist arrest. Since Duterte took office, more than 3,000 people - alleged drug users and dealers - have been killed by police and vigilantes. Duterte later compared his war against drug dealers and users to Hitler’s genocide against the Jews, saying he would be “happy to slaughter” three million addicts.

It was not new talk for the Philippine president. In September a former militiaman testified that, when he was a mayor of Davao City, Duterte ordered him and other members of a liquidation squad to kill criminals and political opponents in gangland-style assaults that left about 1,000 dead.

Pokemon Go

People play the Pokemon Go game at a park at Tin Shui Wai on July 26, 2016 in Hong Kong. Pokemon Go, which has been a smash-hit across the globe was launched in Hong Kong on July 25.

Gold Star Family

Khizr Khan, whose son, Humayun, was killed in 2011 while serving in the U.S. Army, challenges GOP nominee Donald Trump to read his copy of the U.S. Constitution, at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 28, 2016. Khan criticized Trump for “consistently smearing the character of Muslims.” He addressed Trump directly, stating, “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”

Trump responded in interviews and tweets by insulting the Khans, suggesting that Ghazala Khan had been prevented from speaking by her husband. He also refuted Khan’s assertion on having sacrificed nothing, saying that hiring “thousands and thousands” of employees counted as a sacrifice on his part.

Democratic National Convention

A supporter of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders wears tape across her mouth in protest at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 25, 2016. While the Vermont Senator did not engage in a floor fight over delegates, many of his passionate supporters objected to the votes of “superdelegates,” and to the attitudes of DNC officials who, as indicated in leaked emails, had worked against Sanders in the final days of the campaign. Hillary Clinton rounded up 2,838 delegates versus Sanders’ 1,843.

Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gives a thumbs-up on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 28, 2016, as she became the first female presidential nominee by a major party in U.S. history.

“Every generation of Americans has come together to make our country freer, fairer, and stronger,” she said. “None of us can do it alone. I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us apart, it can be hard to imagine how we’ll ever pull together again.

“But I’m here to tell you tonight - progress is possible. I know because I’ve seen it in the lives of people across America who get knocked down and get right back up. And I know it from my own life. More than a few times, I’ve had to pick myself up and get back in the game.”

Pope Francis at Auschwitz

Pope Francis passes through the main entrance of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, whose signs reads “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Sets You Free), on July 29, 2016 in Oswiecim, Poland, as part of his visit for the World Youth Days. 

Bull's Eye!

Skydiver Luke Aikins lands safely after jumping 25,000 feet from an airplane without a parachute or wing suit, July 30, 2016 in Simi Valley, California.

Pikachu

Performers dressed as Pikachu, a character from Pokemon, ride an elevator during the Pikachu Outbreak event, August 7, 2016 in Yokohama, Japan. A total of 1,000 Pikachus appeared at the city’s landmarks.

Yankee Stadium

Threatening storm clouds roll over Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Friday, August 12, 2016 - the very night that Alex Rodriguez made his final appearance in pinstripes. Photo posted on Twitter by @theballisorange.

Michael Phelps

While waiting to compete in the men’s 200-meter butterfly semifinal at the Rio Olympics on August 8, 2016, American swimmer Michael Phelps wore headphones while getting into the zone. But getting into his space was a rival from South Africa, Chad le Clos, shadow-boxing just feet away - trying, perhaps too brazenly, to psyche out the world’s greatest swimmer.

Phelps’ expression launched a thousand Internet memes, but he claimed later not to have paid attention to Le Clos. “I was trying not to really even look at him,” he said. “He does his thing and I do my thing.”

Whatever. Phelps came in second, ahead of Le Clos in third place, and in the final the next day, Phelps won the gold - one of five gold medals he picked up in Rio.

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt of Jamaica competes in the Men’s 100-meter semifinal on Day 9 of the 2016 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. 

Bolt won three gold medals at the Games, for the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4 x 100 meter relay. 

Simone Biles

Simone Biles of the United States competes on the balance beam during the women’s individual all-around final on Day 6 of the 2016 Olympics at Rio Olympic Arena on Aug. 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. Biles won four gold medals and one bronze at the Games.

The Tragedy of Aleppo

A still image taken on August 17, 2016, shows a boy with a bloodied face sitting in an ambulance in Aleppo, Syria. The dazed 5-year-old, Omran Daqneesh, was rescued from a building hit by an air strike. The image, from a video posted on YouTube by the Aleppo Media Center, stirred headlines around the world about the inhumane violence of the ongoing Syrian crisis.

Italy Earthquake

A man walks amidst collapsed buildings following an earthquake in Pescara del Tronto, central Italy, August 24, 2016. Three towns in central Italy were reduced to rubble, killing more than 240 people. 

Residents who survived the magnitude 6.2 temblor emerged from their crumbled homes to find what they described as apocalyptic scenes “like Dante’s Inferno,” with entire blocks of buildings turned into piles of sand and rock, thick dust choking the air and a putrid smell of gas.

Bienvenido

Ground crew hold U.S. and Cuban flags near a just-landed JetBlue airplane, the first commercially-scheduled flight between the United States and Cuba in more than 50 years, at Abel Santamaria International Airport in Santa Clara, Cuba, August 31, 2016.

Colin Kaepernick

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem before the team’s NFL preseason football game against the San Diego Chargers, Sept. 1, 2016, in San Diego. 

Kaepernick refused to stand for the anthem in protest of police brutality and racial oppression in the United States. He was later joined by other professional and student athletes across the U.S., but also criticized by other players and fans.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell played both sides of the field: “I support our players when they want to see change in society, and we don’t live in a perfect society,” he said, adding, “On the other hand, we believe very strongly in patriotism in the NFL. I personally believe very strongly in that.”

Hurricane Hermine

A woman runs around the base of a downed tree in the aftermath of Hurricane Hermine, in Tallahassee, Florida on September 2, 2016. Weakening to a tropical storm, Hermine knocked out power to hundreds of thousands as it worked it way up the East Coast. Two people were killed, in Florida and North Carolina. 

U.S. Open

Angelique Kerber of Germany reacts after defeating Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic during their 2016 US Open Women’s Singles final match, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 10, 2016.

Chelsea Bomber

A view of a mangled dumpster at the site of an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York, September 18, 2016. Twenty-nine people were injured when an explosive device went off on the previous evening. A similar device was found four blocks away. 

Police identified, and later apprehended, Ahmad Khan Rahami, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan, who lived with family in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Investigators said Rahami was also connected to a bombing in Seaside Park, N.J., and to a backpack of explosive devices found near a train station in Elizabeth. 

Charlotte Protests

Police and protesters carry a critically-wounded demonstrator at the site of a march protesting the lack of charges against the police officer responsible for the death of Keith Lamont Scott, September 21, 2016 in Charlotte, South Carolina. Scott, who was black, was shot and killed at an apartment complex near UNC Charlotte by a police officer (also black). Law enforcement officers said they warned Scott to drop a gun he was allegedly holding.

Smile!

Members of the crowd takes selfies of themselves with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Orlando, September 26, 2016. 

Zika

In this Sept. 27, 2016 photo, Solange Ferreira holds her son, Jose Wesley Campos, as family friend holds his nasogastric feeding tube during his one-year birthday party at his home in Bonito, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Learning how to feed is Jose’s latest struggle, as medical problems mount for him and many other infants born with small heads, a birth defect known as microcephaly, to mothers infected with the Zika virus in Brazil.

Van Gogh Discoveries

Italian Guardia di Finanza officers stand next to paintings by the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh at a news conference in Naples, Sept. 30, 2016. Italian police found the paintings, stolen from an Amsterdam museum in 2002, hidden in a farmhouse near an organized crime syndicate’s Naples-area stronghold. The paintings, recovered without their frames, are in “relatively good condition,” the Van Gogh Museum said in a statement. The two are the 1882 work “Seascape at Scheveningen,” and a later painting, “Congregation leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen.”

Hurricane Matthew

People walk on a street among the ruins of houses destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Jeremie, Haiti, October 6, 2016. 

The storm killed more than 1,000 people in Haiti, and at least 36 in the U.S. - more than half of those in North Carolina.

Clinton-Trump Debate

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks as Republican nominee Donald Trump looks on during the town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 9, 2016.

Remembering Prince

Stevie Wonder joins performers on stage as “Purple Rain” plays to close out a tribute celebration of the life and music of Prince, at Xcel Energy Center on October 13, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Prince died on April 21, as the result of an opioid overdose.

Trump Accuser

Attorney Gloria Allred (left) holds a press conference on October 14, 2016 with Summer Zervos, a former candidate on “season five of ”The Apprentice”,” who  accused Donald Trump of inappropriate sexual conduct. It was the first time the accuser spoke publicly about the alleged incident. She joined a growing list of women with similar allegations going back years against the Republican presidential nominee. 

Trump denied the allegations, and threatened to sue the women after the election. 

Displaced Iraqis

Iraqis who fled from the city of Mosul, the last stronghold in Iraq held by ISIS militants, are reunited with relatives who came two years ago to the refugee camp in the Khazir area, near the Kurdish checkpoint of Aksi Kalak, October 26, 2016. 

Stephane Dujarric of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told reporters that almost 9,000 people are internally displaced as a result of the Mosul military operation in Iraq. Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said the military operations to retake Mosul could spark the largest humanitarian crisis in 2016 as the security situation in the area restrains aid agencies’ ability to deliver help. 

Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

Demonstrators against the Dakota Access Pipeline engage in a stand-off with police near the town of Cannon Ball, North Dakota, October 27, 2016. 

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others, including veterans and environmentalists, wanted changes made to the route of the pipeline, which is largely complete except for a short segment underneath a Missouri River reservoir. They said the pipeline could pollute drinking water, and threatens sacred sites.

After months of standoffs and skirmishes between demonstrators and law enforcement, the Army Corps of Engineers announced in December it would not grant a permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Missouri River next to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

Oakland Warehouse Fire

On December 2, 2016, a fire at an Oakland warehouse known as the “Ghost Ship” spread rapidly, trapping dozens of people attending a dance party on the second floor. Thirty-six people were killed. Oakland’s mayor confirmed there were multiple complaints filed against the structure, which had been converted to artists’ studios and illegal living spaces. Former residents said it was a death trap of piled wood, furniture, snaking electrical cords, and only two exits.

Wildlife?

In an effort to address reports of a mountain lion in Gardner, Kansas (about 30 miles southwest of Kansas City), two motion-activated cameras were set up in Celebration Park. While no pictures of mountain lions were taken, the cameras did capture some other rare sights: skunks, coyotes, a senior citizen with a walker, and pranksters dressed as gorillas, monsters and Santa Claus. 

“We would like to sincerely thank the persons responsible as it made our day when we pulled up what we expected to be hundreds of pictures of coyotes, foxes and raccoons,” the police department wrote on Facebook. “Thank you to the citizens who noticed the cameras. Your effort and sense of humor are greatly appreciated.”

Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead celebrations, which traditionally consisted of quiet family gatherings at the graves of departed loved ones, have turned into a spectacle, thanks in part to Hollywood. Mexico City held its first Day of the Dead parade Saturday, October 29, 2016, complete with floats, giant skeleton marionettes, and more than 1,000 actors, dancers and acrobats in costumes.

The idea was born out of last year’s James Bond movie, “Spectre.” In the film, whose opening scenes were shot in Mexico City, Bond chases a villain through crowds of revelers in what resembled a parade of people in skeleton outfits and floats. Lourdes Berho, CEO of the government’s Mexico Tourism Board said, “When this movie hit the big screen and was seen by millions and millions of people in 67 countries ... we knew that this was going to generate a desire on the part of people here, among Mexicans and among tourists, to come and participate in a celebration, a big parade.”

Halloween

A remote-controlled plane in the form of a witch flies over a neighborhood as the sun sets during Halloween in Encinitas, California, October 31, 2016.

Chicago Cubs Celebrate

The curse was over. After 108 years without a world championship, and generation after generation of dejected fans, the Chicago Cubs pulled off a miracle by winning the World Series. 

Pictured: Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (left) and shortstop Addison Russell celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Indians in Game Seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, November 2, 2016.

Supermoon

The moon rises over the village of Marbach am Neckar near Ludwigsburg, southwestern Germany, on November 14, 2016, during the closest approach of a full moon to Earth since 1948.

Trump Supporters

Supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in battleground states, including Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, defied pollsters who had predicted a Clinton victory. Trump handily surpassed the 270 threshold of Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, even though Clinton led the popular vote nationwide.

Pictured: Trump supporters rally in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., November 9, 2016. 

Clinton Supporters

Supporters of the Democratic nominee at an election night rally in New York City absorb the loss of key battleground states without which an Electoral College victory was impossible. 

Although Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2.9 million votes nationwide, her loss of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin by a combined total of 81,000 ballots threw those states’ 46 electoral votes - and the presidency - to Donald Trump.

Hate Crimes

The Southern Poverty Law Center noted that in the nearly two weeks following Election Day, there were more than 700 reports of hate crimes across the country - vandalism, physical and verbal assaults, harassment, and destruction of property, directed against Muslims, African Americans, Asians, immigrants, women and gays. In many cases the perpetrators alluded to the Republican President-elect Donald Trump, whose campaign was often criticized as playing to white nationalist prejudices.

Among the reports, the Southern Poverty Law Center also noted 27 incidents were directed at Trump supporters, including a motorist attacked in Chicago.

Pictured: On Nov. 12, 2016, the Episcopal Church of Our Savior In Silver Spring, Md., which has a large immigrant population, was vandalized with a message that read, “Trump Nation, Whites Only.”

Clinton Hike

Upset over the election results, Westchester County, N.Y., resident Margot Gerster went for a hike in Chappaqua with her daughter when she got a surprise: running into Hillary Clinton on the trail. Gerster’s Facebook posting proved to be one of many sightings of Clinton in and around Chappaqua in the days following the election, and led to a “Saturday Night Live” skit about reality TV figures hoping to capture photographic proof of Clinton “in the wild.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, November 22, 2016. 

Holding Court

Mitt Romney dines with President-elect Donald Trump at Jean Georges restaurant in New York, November 29, 2016, amid talk of his being named the next administration’s Secretary of State. The former Massachusetts governor and 2012 GOP presidential nominee had been an outspoken critic of Trump during the campaign. After several meetings while his name was being floated, Romney was passed over as the president-elect ended up choosing ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson.

Qaraqosh, Iraq

Policemen look through a hole in a house from the clashes in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, Iraq, December 9, 2016. 

Aleppo Evacuation

A still image from video taken December 15, 2016 over eastern Aleppo shows a string of buses evacuating thousands of people from Aleppo, Syria. 

About 25,000 civilians (including small children), as well as rebel fighters, were evacuated from former rebel strongholds, paving the way for President Bashar Assad to assume full control of Syria’s largest city after years of fighting. It marked the most significant victory for Assad since the uprising against his family’s four-decade rule swept the country in 2011.

Pie in Space

In advance of the World Pie Eating Championship, a meat-and-potato pie was launched by a balloon from outside the Fifteens at the Fox pub in Wigan, England, Dec. 16, 2016, for a two-hour flight into the stratosphere - ostensibly to test whether high-altitude conditions would make it less edible.

Fireworks Disaster

The city of Tultepec, Mexico, issued a statement on December 12, 2016, calling the fireworks market at San Pablito  - where 100 tons of fireworks were expected to be sold through the end of the year - “the safest market in Latin America.” But that proved tragically wrong.

On December 20, at least six large explosions ripped through the market, killing at least 33 people. Another 12 people were listed as missing.

Carrie Fisher

Candles and flowers are placed on a makeshift star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in memory of actress and writer Carrie Fisher, who died at age 60 on December 27, 2016, after suffering an apparent heart attack aboard a London-to-L.A. flight. Fisher, who played Princess Leia in “Star Wars,” was also a best-selling author who was outspoken about her experiences with mental illness and substance abuse.

The following day, Fisher’s mother, screen legend Debbie Reynolds, also died.

To many, 2016 could not be over soon enough.       

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan.