It’s the year of the upset and the latest is Donald Trump.
The businessman staged a stunning victory and will now become the 45th President of the United States.
It was one of the biggest upsets in modern US politics, with polls consistently showing him lagging behind Hillary Clinton in the days leading up to the election.
Here are other events that caught the world by surprise.
Brexit
The first big political shock of 2016: Brexit.
To the surprise of many Brits — and pollsters — the UK voted to leave the EU in this summer’s referendum.
The result was close, with 51.89% voting for leave, and revealed a deep divide in the country.
It led to the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron and hit the pound hard although the economic impact hasn’t been as bad as expected.
Trump’s response? The US is next.
Columbia peace deal crumbles
In September, an historic peace deal was signed by the Colombian government and the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebel group, ended the long war that had killed 220,000 people.
It was such a seminal moment that the country’s President, Juan Manuel Santos, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Except it didn’t go through — the deal was stalled after Colombian voters rejected it by a narrow margin in a public referendum.
Sports surprises
After 108 years of heartache, a curse at the hands of a goat and a guy named Steve Bartman the Cubs finally won a World Series.
And boy, did they do it in dramatic fashion. Down 3-1, the North Siders stormed back to force a decisive Game 7 against the Cleveland Indians, who themselves haven’t won a title since 1948.
The game was an instant classic, a nail-biter that went extra innings.
Disclaimer — the Cubs were a favorite to win it all when the season started. But being the favorite doesn’t always mean you get the job done.
Despite the heartbreaking World Series loss, Cleveland still had a good year in sports.
The Cavaliers, down themselves 3-1 in the NBA Finals, came back to win the city’s first professional sports championship in 52 years.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for LeBron James, the hometown star who left the Cavs in 2010 in an acrimonious fashion but returned in 2014 with the goal of finally bringing a title to Cleveland
And back in the UK, Leicester City triumphed in last season’s Premier League, overcoming 5,000-1 odds to win it all. Bookmakers were giving better odds on Kim Kardashian becoming president of the US by 2020 and Hugh Hefner confessing to being a virgin.
Poet, Musician, Nobel Prize winner
Bob Dylan took home the Nobel Prize for Literature this year for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”
People were surprised by the choice, as Dylan isn’t necessarily considered an author in the traditional sense.
Brangelina
Arguably the biggest power couple in Hollywood called it quits after a decade together.
And the internet responded with the amount of shock you’d expect.
Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from husband Brad Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences in September. Custody of their six children still remains in dispute.
