Look back: Top news stories of 2016
We all lived through quite a year during 2016. Bill Whitaker offers a look back -- month by month:
In January, Michigan declared a state of emergency in the city of Flint, following the detection of elevated levels of lead in children. A switch in the city’s water supply caused lead to leach from old pipes.
- Flint residents angry over lead-tainted water
- Flint’s water crisis started with the flip of a switch
- CDC: Flint water crisis “entirely preventable”
- 6 more Michigan public workers charged in Flint water crisis
- Water testing announced for Michigan children, as Flint still struggles
- House GOP quietly ends Flint water investigation
February saw the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at age 79. The Republican-controlled Senate declined to act on President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland as Scalia’s successor.
- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia found dead in Texas
- The Supreme Court justices’ emotional reactions to Antonin Scalia’s death
- Without Antonin Scalia, what’s next for the Supreme Court?
- In victory or dissent, Scalia a man of strong opinions
- GOP leaders continue to refuse to consider Obama’s SCOTUS nominee
In March, ISIS claimed responsibility for back-to-back bombings at the Brussels airport and subway that killed 32 people.
- Deadly explosions rock Brussels airport, subway
- New details about Brussels attackers’ suspicious behavior before bombing
- Gallery: Deadly explosions in Brussels
- Gallery: Reporter photographs “heroes” after Brussels airport terror attack
- Gallery: Brussels attacks: Tributes and solidarity
- Brussels bombing victim Sebastien Bellin’s emotional reunion with reporter who took photo
On April 21st, Queen Elizabeth II marked her 90th birthday, although the full-scale public celebration wasn’t held until June.
- As the queen hits 90, we hear about the 2 sides of “Lilibeth”
- Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday marked with huge celebration
- Complete CBSNews.com coverage: The Royals
In May, NASA announced its Kepler space telescope had discovered 1,284 new planets in distant solar systems. That brings the total number of discovered planets to more than 3,200.
June saw the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Gunman Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 others before dying in a shootout with police.
- Deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history
- Who is Orlando gunman Omar Mateen?
- ISIS claims responsibility for Orlando mass shooting
- Complete CBSNews.com coverage: Orlando nightclub massacre
- Orlando Pulse nightclub to host memorial for shooting victims
- New 911 calls reveal Pulse patron tried calming others during massacre
- Orlando shooter’s widow opens up for first time since Pulse nightclub massacre
- Gallery: World mourns Orlando shooting victims
In July, a hot-air balloon caught fire after hitting power lines and crashed in Texas, killing all 16 people on board.
- “Significant loss of life” in Texas hot air balloon crash
- Newlyweds among victims of deadly hot air balloon crash, family says
- Texas balloon accident highlights glaring gap in oversight
- Gallery: Texas hot air balloon crash
This past August checked in as the hottest August on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the average world-wide temperature was 1 2/3 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the 20th century average.
- 2016’s hellish summer weather: A “told-you-so” climate moment?
- Flying cockroaches! Heat sends pests soaring
- Earth’s hot streak continues for record 12th month
- How climate change transformed the Earth in 2016
- Complete CBSNews.com coverage: Climate change
In September, a bomb exploded on a busy New York City street, injuring 29 people. Suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami, an Afghan-born U.S. citizen, was arrested after a shoot-out with police in New Jersey.
- New York City explosion rocks Chelsea neighborhood
- NYC bombing suspect may have cased Chelsea before blast
- Sources: Video shows person planting bomb before NYC blast
- Ahmad Khan Rahami, chief suspect in the NYC, N.J. bombings, taken into custody
- The tech that went into catching the NY, NJ bomb suspect
- Gallery: Explosion rock NYC, N.J.
In October, Hurricane Matthew struck the southeastern coast from Florida to North Carolina, forcing an estimated two million evacuations and killing at least 26 people.
- Death toll from Hurricane Matthew soars in Haiti
- After Hurricane Matthew, devastation in Haiti is catastrophic
- Thousands in Florida lose power as Hurricane Matthew bears down
- Hurricane Matthew death toll rises along with floodwaters
- Weakened Matthew still gives a lashing to Southeast
November brought Donald Trump’s defeat of Hillary Clinton in the Presidential election. He won a clear victory in the Electoral College, while losing the popular vote by almost 2.9 million votes.
- In a stunner, Donald Trump wins the presidency
- Russia: “There were contacts” with Donald Trump’s campaign before election
- Trump hedges on some campaign promises in first full post-election interview with “60 Minutes”
- Hate, harassment incidents spike since Trump election
- Gallery: Anti-Trump protests
- Poll: More Americans believe popular vote should decide the president
- Few GOP electors swayed by pressure to switch their votes
- Gallery: Trump’s team
... While in December, a fire at an Oakland, Calif., warehouse filled with cluttered artists’ studios killed 36 people.
- Oakland fire body search hampered by building collapse fears as death toll hits 36
- Former tenant: Oakland warehouse was “a death trap”
- Inspectors tried to access Oakland warehouse before deadly fire
- Could authorities have prevented the tragic Oakland warehouse fire?
- Gallery: Victims of the Oakland warehouse fire
