Moments that Changed the World in 2016

It was a victory that shocked the world and one that changed the face of American politics forever. His unorthodox campaign stretched the limits of what was acceptable; he messed with the political establishment, exploited social media and rode a populist wave to victory. Although we have yet to see what Trump will do when he's in office, becoming "the leader of the free world" will undeniably mean he has the power to shape it. He's already hinted at shaking up NATO, thawing frosty ties with Russia, revamping climate change initiatives and scrapping a number of free trade agreements.

After Britain voted to leave the EU back in June, the ramifications of the historic result were felt almost instantly with David Cameron resigning his position as Prime Minister. Although the exiting process will take years to achieve, the future of Europe is already on a new Britain-less path. If more referendums are called in other countries it could spark the end of the European Union and subsequently change the face of European politics. The UK will see inevitable changes in areas such as trade and immigration and could even break up if Scotland and/or Northern Ireland vote to leave.

It was an historic agreement, a worldwide pact to battle global warming with promises of reductions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. It was the first-ever deal to legally bind all the world's nations together to limit further global temperature rises. “Humanity will look back on 4 November 2016 as the day that countries of the world shut the door on inevitable climate disaster ...The Paris agreement is undoubtedly a turning point in the history of common human endeavour," declared Patricia Espinosa (UN climate chief) and Salaheddine Mezouar (Moroccan Foreign Minister) in a joint statement. With 2016 on course to be the hottest year on record, the implications of this agreement couldn't be more important for the future of our world.

2016 was plagued by terror attacks and bore witness to some gruesome atrocities across Europe and the Middle East, the majority of which were carried out by the group calling itself Islamic State (IS). IS claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in Iraq this year, taking the lives of well over 500 people. Europe did not go unscathed; IS was linked to more than 200 deaths after attacks in Brussels, Istanbul and Nice. In response, France extended its state of emergency whilst elsewhere Germany took a tougher approach towards asylum seekers. The sheer scale of the atrocities carried out in 2016 have forced Europeans to now accept acts of terror as part of their daily life.

Over the course of this five year conflict, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have lost their lives, with millions more being forced from their homes. It is the deadliest conflict of the 21st century and one that continues to fuel an already escalating humanitarian crisis in Syria. The world has been shocked by horrific images taken from the conflict, none more so than those depicting the desperate flight of the many Syrian refugees and the suffering of children during the siege of Aleppo. The crisis continues to have a significant influence on global politics, with some stating it’s been the catalyst of a new Cold War.