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Fans celebrate the World Series champion Chicago Cubs during parade and a rally in Grant Park in Chicago on Friday, Nov. 4, 2016.
Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune
Fans celebrate the World Series champion Chicago Cubs during parade and a rally in Grant Park in Chicago on Friday, Nov. 4, 2016.
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We can all agree that 2016 has been an emotionally exhausting year. Among the many notable deaths and the seemingly never-ending election, political turmoil abroad and racial tension closer to home, it seemed like 2016 was a constant barrage of bad news. It can’t get worse, right? Wrong.

Between all the horrible headlines, though, there were uplifting stories of triumph and progress. Issues of inclusion were addressed in the entertainment industry as more movies and TV shows featured more diverse casts and perspectives. Feminism and gender equality remained a constant topic of conversation in the year that Hillary Clinton became the first female presidential nominee for a major political party. Hometown hero Chance the Rapper made history as his “Coloring Book” became the first streaming-only album to receive a Grammy nomination. Chicago’s newest restaurants and bars helped add to its reputation as a world-class dining destination. And, of course, the Cubs ended the longest title drought in sports history when they finally won the World Series.

We’re honored to kick off RedEye’s Year in Review, a weeklong series of looking back at 2016. This issue tackles the news and social media drama that made 2016 memorable, but look out for our issues on the best of sports, movies & TV, music and eat & drink (in that order) for the rest of the week.

Elise De Los Santos, RedEye executive editor
and Michelle Lopez, RedEye digital editor

Best three

1. Cubs celebration

5 million: The guesstimated (and disputed) number of people who attended the Cubs World Series parade and rally in Chicago.

Though the dayslong celebration that followed after the Cubs won the World Series wasn’t completely free of incidents, they went off without a serious hitch, and the city turned out to celebrate in a style befitting the end of a 108-year-old drought.

2. Feminism

“And to all the little girls watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.”
—Hillary Clinton, in her concession speech

The conversation of feminism evolved into questions of political representation—the so-called “tampon tax” imposed on female hygiene products and the possibility of the first female president. Though gender parity in elected office is still far away, the newly elected Senate will have the most women ever at 21.

3. LGBT rights, recognition

1: The number of national monuments to LGBT rights.

In June, President Obama designated the Stonewall Inn in New York City, the site of the 1969 Stonewall uprising, which launched the gay rights movement.

Worst three

Worst three

1. Presidential debates

84 million: The number of people who watched the first presidential debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump, making it the most-watched debate ever.

The three presidential debates between Clinton and Trump included the candidates often interrupting each other, disregarding the moderators and attacking one another politically and personally.

2. Homicides in Chicago

750+: The number of homicides in Chicago this year so far, a significant rise from last year’s total of 492 homicides.

The number of homicides spiked in the city this year, reaching levels not seen since the 1990s. The number of shooting victims surpassed 4,000 this year as well, a marked increase from 2015’s 2,989 victims. The grim milestones made headlines across the country and became soundbites during the presidential debates.

3. Fake news

While we have taken steps over the years to try to combat abuse and harassment, we haven’t moved as quickly as we would have liked or we haven’t always done as much as we would have have liked.”
—Del Harvey, Twitter’s head of safety

The reluctance of the biggest social media platforms to take responsibility in filtering out fake news and hate speech allowed for the ugliest forms of cyberbullying and spreading of false information that some say influenced the outcome of the U.S. election.

@elisekdelo | ekdelossantos@redeyechicago.com

@michelleglopez | mglopez@redeyechicago.com