2016 Facts for Kids

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 was a special year because it was a leap year starting on Friday in the Gregorian calendar. This means it had an extra day, February 29th, making it 366 days long instead of the usual 365. It was the 2016th year since the start of the Common Era (also known as Anno Domini). It was also the 16th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century. The United Nations decided that 2016 would be known as the International Year of Pulses, which are foods like beans, lentils, and peas.

Important Events of 2016
- January
- March
- June
- August
- November
Things Expected to Happen in 2016
- Special Dates
- Future Projects and Discoveries
Images for kids
See also

Important Events of 2016

January

January 3 – A big disagreement happened between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia ended its diplomatic relations with Iran. This means they stopped talking to each other officially.
January 16 – The International Atomic Energy Agency announced that Iran had followed rules about its nuclear program. Because of this, the United Nations lifted some economic punishments, called sanctions, against Iran.
January 28 – The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a serious outbreak of the Zika virus. This virus is spread by mosquitoes and can cause health problems.

March

March 22 – Sadly, 34 people lost their lives in bombings that happened in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium.

June

June 22 – People in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. This big decision is often called "Brexit."

August

August 5 – August 21 – The exciting 2016 Summer Olympics took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Athletes from all over the world competed in many sports.

November

November 8 – Donald Trump won the United States Presidential election. The Republicans also kept control of the Congress.

Things Expected to Happen in 2016

Special Dates

April 4 – This day was a fun one for math fans, known as Square root day.
May 9 – People could watch a rare event called the Transit of Mercury. This is when the planet Mercury passes directly in front of the Sun.
June 11 – July 3 – Football fans enjoyed the 2016 European Football Championship. Teams from across Europe played against each other.

Future Projects and Discoveries

ITER, a huge international science project, was expected to start up for the first time. It aims to develop nuclear fusion as a clean energy source.
NASA's Juno spacecraft was planned to reach Jupiter. It would orbit the giant planet to study its atmosphere and origins.
The world's largest suspension bridge was expected to be finished. It would connect Sicily to mainland Italy.