by Dean Tan ’18, News Editor
- June 12: Orlando Nightclub Shooting
At around 2 AM on June 12, 29-year old Omar Mateen stormed the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Using an assault rifle and pistol he left 50 dead and 53 wounded in the worst mass shooting in US history. Following a 3-hour standoff and hostage crisis, Mr. Mateen was shot and killed in a shootout involving over a dozen police officers as well as a SWAT team.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting.html?emc=eta1
2. June 23: Brexit Referendum Decided Upon
On June 23, the UK held a referendum to decide whether it should remain in the EU, with a voter turnout of over thirty million. The vote to leave won 52% to 48% – since the referendum, former home secretary Theresa May has taken over for Prime Minister David Cameron, and will orchestrate the actual severing of ties with the EU.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887
3. July 5: Shooting of Alton Sterling
On July 5, a 37-year old black man named Alton Sterling was fatally shot outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, after an encounter with two police officers responding to a 911 call reporting a man with a gun. Mr. Sterling’s death was recorded on video and extensively shared across social media, sparking protests and gaining nationwide attention.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/07/us/baton-rouge-alton-sterling-shooting/index.html
4. July 6: Shooting of Philando Castile
On July 6, 32-year old Philando Castile, a school cafeteria supervisor, was stopped by a police officer in St. Paul for a broken taillight. He informed officer Jeronimo Yanez that he was licensed to carry a handgun and was reportedly reaching for his wallet when Officer Yanez fired several shots at him. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, live streamed the encounter to Facebook while she and her daughter were in the car.
5. July 6: Pokémon Go Released in US
On July 6, free smartphone game Pokémon Go, created by game developers Nintendo and Niantic and based on the Pokemon franchise formed in 1995, was released in the United States. The game utilized augmented reality, allowing players to travel the real world while following a digital map. It has since become an international phenomenon and holds a record as the biggest mobile game in US history, boasting 21 million daily users.
6. July 7: Dallas Police Attack
On the night of Thursday, July 7, police stationed at a demonstration protesting officer shootings were ambushed by sniper fire. The attack left five officers dead and six others wounded. The gunman, Micah Johnson, joined the Army Reserve in 2009 and was honorably discharged after several years of service. He was purportedly inspired by the police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile earlier that week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/us/dallas-police-shooting.html
7. July 14: Truck attack in Nice
On July 14, Tunisian-born French resident and delivery truck driver Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, drove a 19-ton rented truck into a crowd of Bastille Day celebrants in Nice, France, killing 84 people and injuring 300 more. After driving over a mile through dense crowds and exchanging gunfire with police, Bouhlel was shot and killed. Several automatic weapons, as well as Bouhlel’s mobile phone, were recovered from the truck.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/world/europe/nice-france-truck-attack-what-we-know.html?_r=0
8. July 22: Munich Shooting
On July 22, 18-year old German-Iranian Ali David Sonboly went on a shooting spree at a shopping center and McDonald’s in Munich, targeting youth of Turkish and Arab origin. Sonboly killed nine people in the attack before shooting himself half a mile from the scene. Police investigations revealed extremist materials belonging to Sonboly, including documents on school shootings and the 2011 Norway attacks in which Anders Breivik left 77 dead.
9. August 10: ISIS Stronghold in Libya Reclaimed
On August 10, pro-government Libyan militias reclaimed the port city of Surt with support from United States airstrikes. For the past year, Surt was one of the Islamic State’s most important overseas provinces. The successful operation eliminated the last ISIS stronghold in Libya and is just one of several territorial losses for the terrorist organization in recent months.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/world/middleeast/isis-libya-surt.html?_r=0
10. September 7: Apple Unveils the iPhone 7
On September 7, Apple executives showcased their upcoming product, the iPhone 7, set for release on September 16. The latest version of the immensely popular iPhone will not have a headphone jack; instead, Apple is selling wireless AirPods to accompany the iPhone. Alongside these products is the iPhone 7 Plus, which features dual rear cameras.
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