2016

Millennium:	3rd millennium
Centuries:	20th century – 21st century – 22nd century
Decades:	1980s  1990s  2000s  – 2010s –  2020s  2030s  2040s
Years:	2013 2014 2015 – 2016 – 2017 2018 2019

2016 (MMXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2016th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 16th year of the 3rd millennium, the 16th year of the 21st century, and the 7th year of the 2010s decade.

The year was designated as the International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Events

January

• January 3 – Following the fallout caused by the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, Saudi Arabia ends its diplomatic relations with Iran.
• January 8 – Joaquín Guzmán, widely regarded as the world's most powerful drug trafficker, is recaptured following his escape from a maximum security prison.
• January 16 – The International Atomic Energy Agency announces that Iran has adequately dismantled its nuclear weapons program, allowing the United Nations to lift sanctions immediately.
• January 28 - WHO announces an outbreak of the Zika Virus.

March

• March 22 - 34 people are killed in bombings in Brussels.

June

• June 22 - The majority of United Kingdom residents vote to leave the European Union.

July

• July 10 – Brum released after 1991, 1994, 2001 and 2002.
• July 15 – BabyBus released on YouTube.

August

• August 5 – August 21 – 2016 Summer Olympics are held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

November

• November 8 – Donald Trump wins the United States Presidential election while Republicans retain control of Congress.

December

• December 31 – The last United States troops withdrew from Afghanistan, bringing the War in Afghanistan to an end.

Predicted events

• April 4 – Square root day.
• May 9 – Transit of Mercury
• June 11 – July 3 – 2016 European Football Championship (Host scheduled to be picked in May 2010)
• June 29 – Analog shut-off in Brazil

Unknown dates

• European Capital Of Culture 2016 – European Union choose two European cities, from Poland and from Spain to become the European Capitals Of Culture in this year.
• The right for the U.S. forces to use Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands as a military base will end at this year, but there will be a provision for an automatic extension for another 20 years for the US forces to remain stationed on the island.
• Start of unmanned test flights of Altair for future U.S. lunar landings.
• ITER, an international scientific experiment (2nd largest worldwide ever) into developing nuclear fusion as an energy source will boot up for the first time.
• Files concerning Rudolf Hess made open to the public
• The Centralia, Pennsylvania time capsule will open
• NASA Juno, Jupiter orbiter
• The world's largest suspension bridge will be completed, connecting Sicily and main land Italy.

Deaths

Main article: Deaths in 2016

In fiction

Computer and video games

• Games set in 2016:
  • Body Harvest (1998)
  • Metal Gear Acid (2004)
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2005)
  • Terminator Salvation (video game) (2009)
  • Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
  • Ace Combat 6 (2008)

Movies

• Ghostbusters II (1989): According to a guest on Peter Venkman's talk show, the end of the world will occur on February 14.

Television series

• Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996): The controversial completion of the top-secret Human Instrumentality Project brings about the apocalyptic Third Impact, merging all human individuals into a single consummate being.
• In an episode of Phil of the Future, Phil states that chores were banned in the year 2016.
• The Vampire Dairies Elena/ Nina Dobrev will come back!

Preceded by 2015

Years 2016

Succeeded by 2017

Other websites

Media related to 2016 at Wikimedia Commons