In what seems like a blink of an eye, we’ve come to the end 2016. So much has happened over the last 365 days in the world of celebrities, politics, and the Internet. To usher in the dawn of a brand new year, we recap the 30 most memorable moments of the year. Follow us as we journey back over the last twelve months here:
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2016 didn’t start off too brightly with the death of rock superstar David Bowie on January 10, aged just 69. He kept his fight against cancer so tightly guarded that many were unaware he was battling the disease.
We also said goodbye to…
- Prince, musician, died April 21, aged 57
- Alan Rickman, actor, died January 14, aged 69
After years of getting Grammy after Grammy, Lady Gaga nabbed her first Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Limited Series for her work on American Horror Story: Hotel. The decorated star fought back tears as she accepted her statue and likened herself to another singer-turned-actress, Cher.
After what seemed like forever, Leonardo DiCaprio can finally add Oscar-winning actor to his resume. What’s a guy gotta do to get that golden statue? Only fight a bear, eat raw bison and almost lose his toes to frostbite. No big deal!
If there was one colourful hair trend that stood out this year, it was definitely the rainbow-hued dye job. Everyone from the starriest celebrities to your teenage cousin experimented with rainbow hair colours this year. While some liked it bold, others opted for more subtle pastels or the office-appropriate hidden rainbow, which hides a burst of colours behind a curtain of a more natural shade.
Every calendar year sees a pervasive trend that catches on and doesn’t let go. For 2016, ugly fashion stomped all over the competition. Vetements did it with their DHL T-shirt, Christopher Kane followed suit by sending models down a catwalk wearing Crocs and Balenciaga put the icing on the cake with their accessory of the season – the cheap laundry bag lookalike.
Songs that celebrated women we couldn’t stop listening to…
- Formation – Beyoncé
- The Greatest – Sia feat. Kendrick Lamar
- Rise – Katy Perry
- That’s My Girl – Fifth Harmony (pictured)
- Hey Girl – Lady Gaga
Britain’s royal toddler, Prince George, showed US President Barack Obama who’s the boss when he graced the world leader in a bathrobe. George stayed up 15 minutes past his bedtime to say hello to President Obama and his wife, Michelle, whom his parents were hosting at Kensington Palace. He also went giddy-up when he happily took to riding the rocking horse that the Obamas gifted him with as his parents looked on.
Scientists took a “very positive step” towards creating a universal vaccine against cancer. It works by persuading the body’s very own immune system to attack cancer tumours as if they were a virus. While more research is needed, the discovery is a significant breakthrough in the fight against cancer.
Alicia Key made headlines in May when she decided to stop wearing makeup completely this year. Other celebrities like Adele, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid have all posted #nomakeup selfies on social media to make a statement about the restrictive nature of modern beauty ideals.
The social media stars went viral this year…
Chewbacca Fan: Candace Payne put a smile on everyone’s faces when she donned a Chewbacca mask in her car and couldn’t stop laughing. Let’s just say the video was pretty infectious.
Harambe: The gorilla that spawned a million memes. No one knew just how iconic Harambe would be when he was shot and killed in Cincinnati zoo after a child fell into his enclosure.
Wine mum: A mom + a glass of wine + ice cream = viral video rant of epic proportions. Kristina Kuzmic shot to fame when she posted a YouTube video explaining why parents shouldn’t be buddies with their kids.
Britain moved one step closer to leaving the European Union after more than 30 million people voted to exit the economic and political bloc in a narrowly contested referendum. The result saw a new UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, take the reins from David Cameron who resigned from his position one day after the vote. The initial shock over the news saw the pound plummet to a 30-year low and Britain lose its AAA rating.
One year older and a whole lot bolder. Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest reigning monarch, celebrated her 90th birthday in style by donning a lime green suit on her special day. In grand celebrations to mark the milestone, it was impossible to miss the monarch in her daring outfit.
Whether made of velvet, metal, rhinestones or leather, the choker was one of the biggest trends of the season. Seen on the necks of runway models, street-style stars and even toddlers, the 90s resurgence had us all wrapped up.
The magic of Hogwarts showed no signs of abating with the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – a play set 19 years from where the seventh book left off. Although not written by J.K. Rowling it received her blessing and left readers spell-bound following its debut.
Donald Trump’s wife made waves at the Republic National Convention for all the wrong reasons. Initially well-received, Melania Trump’s speech faced some major backlash when it was revealed that parts of it were lifted verbatim from Michelle Obama’s very own address to democratic party delegates in 2008. While no one was fired over the gaffe, the blame largely landed on her writers and not Melania herself.
Pokémon Go finally hit Singaporean shores in August and quickly caused chaos with throngs of people trying to catch the pocket monsters. Hordes congregated in places like Hougang and Toa Payoh as late as one in the morning in the hopes of getting their hands on a Bulbasaur, Ivysaur or Charmander.
Netflix is cementing its reputation as a major TV powerhouse, thanks to its breakout hit series: Stranger Things. Season 1 received such critical acclaim that it made overnight stars of its child actors who are all 12 years old and below.
After a 10 year absence, the National Day Parade returned to the newly revamped National Stadium to celebrate Singapore’s 51st birthday. And what it celebration it was! Filled with pomp and circumstance, this year’s NDP was a sight to behold.
Singapore bid farewell to a well-loved icon, the enigmatic S R Nathan. He died at the age of 92 some three weeks after suffering from a stroke. Mr Nathan was the Republic sixth and longest-serving President who had a storied career spanning some four decades. In the days following his death, social media outlets lit up with messages of condolence and also memories of those who had the honour of interacting with one of the nation’s most beloved politicians.
Singaporeans were sent into a tizzy after the first locally transmitted case of Zika infection was reported at the end of August. The rapid rise in the number of infections and identification of known clusters added to the tension, and the outbreak saw many mosquito patches and repellents fly off the shelves as people scrambled to protect themselves against the virus.
US President Barack Obama hosted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching to a rare state dinner, cementing the strong ties that Singapore has with America. It was a diplomatic coup for the little red dot in that President Obama has only thrown 11 state dinners since he took office. Singapore was also the first Southeast Asian country to have a political leader honoured with a US state dinner, and only the fifth Asian nation after India, China, Japan and South Korea.
Ho Ching held her own against her formidable husband with her fashion flair showcasing Singaporean designers but perhaps taking the spotlight was her handbag choice for the US visit. Her clutch, featuring a dinosaur print, quickly became the talk of the town when reporters discovered that it was designed by an autistic student at the Pathlight School.
For some people, the Olympic Games are a chance to celebrate the greatest heights of athletic achievement. For Singaporeans, it was all about Joseph Schooling and his feats in the swimming pool. He wasn’t the only one who made waves though. Here were our favourite swimmers in Rio:
Yip Pin Xiu: Singapore’s golden girl made history by winning several golds and doing Singapore proud at the Rio paralympics.
Michael Phelps: The most decorated Olympian in the history of the games with a total medal count of 28.
Yusra Mardini: Olympic Syrian refugee who swam for three hours in sea to push sinking boat carrying 20 to safety.
Canada’s Prime Minister sure is a charmer. Just take a look at who he’s buttered up during his time in office:
- Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel
- French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal
- Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton (pictured)
But there’s one person immune to his wily ways and that’s Prince George. The little royal refused to high-five Justin when he accompanied his parents on a trip to Canada, leaving Justin pretty dejected.
Game of Thrones fever continued in its sixth season with even more sex, gore, war and twists than ever. Even the Emmy Awards went gaga for the epic fantasy drama, handing out a record 12 awards to the HBO series this year, which takes its overall haul to 38 statuettes – the most out of any TV show.
Korean popstar, Psy, better watch out! There’s a new contender in town for catchiest tune in the form of a Japanese comedian Piko-Taro with the song Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen. The hilarious song and its accompanying video quickly went viral but has yet to beat Gangnam Style’s 2 billion views on YouTube.
The reality TV star is no stranger to drama but even by her standards the year hasn’t been kind. Here are the five craziest antics that went down for Kim:
Paris Robbery: Kim was left traumatised after being held at gunpoint in a terrifying robbery during Paris fashion week.
Taylor-Kanye Feud: Things came to a head when Kim posted the now-infamous “Famous” call between Kanye West and Taylor Swift.
Blac Chyna Returns: These two were once pretty close before Kylie, started dating Blac Chyna’s ex, Tyga. They made up when Rob Kardashian announced he and Chyna were engaged with a baby on the way.
Nude Attitude: Getting naked is Kim’s speciality but she drew some online ire from her fellow celebs when she put on a nude snap on her Instagram feed.
Amber Alert: Kanye’s ex, Amber Rose, and Kim decided to play nice and mend their broken ties in a very public photo opportunity after the rapper made some derogatory remarks against her.
Superhero flicks had a moment in 2016 so we picked our favourite actors who dared to don latex:
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr Strange
- Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman (pictured)
- Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (pictured)
- Ben Affleck as Batman
- Tom Holland as Spiderman (pictured)
Nathan Hartono made Singapore proud when he finished second in reality competition Sing! China. The 25 year old made it all the way to the finals, which in itself was a record-breaking feat because that’s the farthest a foreign singer has ever gotten in the history of the show.
It’s been a storied US election race this year between two candidates with a history of firsts. Don’t believe us? Check out the table:
Hillary Clinton
1st female democratic candidate
1st former first lady to run for president
1st candidate to be accused of leaking state secrets
1st candidate to survived a marriage scandal in the White House
1st candidate to own multiple multi-coloured pant suits
Donald Trump
1st candidate who has never held elective office
1st reality TV show star to run for president
1st candidate to make controversial comments on women and minority races
1st candidate to have been married three times
1st candidate to appear to have a permanent orange tan