BREXIT The result of the Brexit vote is in and the United Kingdom is officially set to leave the European Union, a decision that is sure to shake the world's economy.

In a 52% win, the voters of Britain decided on June 23, 2016, that it would be better to leave the union which was formed after WWII.

Prime Minister David Cameron resigns, pledging to leave office in three months. Scotland and Northern Ireland are upset by the results, desiring to stay in the EU.

TERROR AT INSTANBUL AIRPORT

Three terrorists storm into the Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Turkey on June 28, 2016. The terrorists, armed with explosives and guns, open fire before detonating the explosives. More than 40 are killed, and hundreds more wounded. Those who survive the attack are led out of the airport by police, through a terrifying path of blood and shattered glass.

ISIS-Inspired Attacks on the Rise

Three major attacks in Middle Eastern cities were ISIS inspired—proof that the radical

extremist group is actively and successfully recruiting members from a variety of

backgrounds throughout many countries.

The first attack happened on July 2, 2016, in Dhaka, Bangladesh involving five wealthy

young men who storm the scene armed with knives and guns. They first exchange

gunfire with officers, killing two. Then the group seizes a restaurant, where they kill 20

hostages. The boys had gone missing six months before, but the families' attempts to

find them failed.

ISIS claims responsibility.

The second attack also occurs on July 2. As people were out celebrating the end of Ramadan, a truck packed with explosives detonates in a crowded

shopping center in Baghdad, Iraq. The death toll stands at 137 killed, 200 wounded, and 37 still missing. ISIS claims responsibility.

In a third attack, a suicide bomber targets the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia. The city is particularly holy because it is where the Prophet Mohammed

is buried. The suicide bomber kills 4 people, and injures another. ISIS has yet to claim responsibility but analysts suspect that the Islamic State is behind

this act of terror.

POKEMON GO CRAZE

Nintendo releases its augmented reality game, Pokémon Go, for Android and IOS devices on July 6, 2016.

The game allows users to create an avatar and walk around in the real world to catch virtual Pokémon that appear on the game screen.

Using Google Maps technology, the avatar within the game moves as the real person moves, so exercise is a bonus—getting users off the couch and walking around.

POLICE SHOOTINGS IN THE U.S.

On July 5, 2016, Alton Sterling, a black man, is fatally shot by two white police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The incident, caught on video, triggers an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department the very next day. Governor John Bel Edwards and other officials are asking the city to remain patient and calm as the investigation takes place; they are hoping to avoid further racial violence amidst a tense national atmosphere.

On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile is stopped by a police officer while driving

because of a broken taillight in St. Paul, Minnesota. According to his girlfriend,

Castile tells the officer he has a concealed weapon and carries a permit. When

he reaches for his wallet, the officer proceeded to shoot Castile four times.

His girlfriend starts streaming the incident live and the video goes viral. In the

video the woman starts to pray to God, and then starts begging the officer as

she realizes her boyfriend is not going to make it. The incident has sparked

outrage nationwide.

POLICE OFFICERS SHOT IN DALLAS

DURING PROTEST

On July 7, 2016, Micah Xavier Johnson shoots and kills five police officers at what was a peaceful protest in Dallas, Texas. The officers were there to keep watch over the protest of Alton Sterling's and Philando Castile's deaths. Johnson, a 25-year-old African American Afghanistan veteran stated that his goal was to take down as many white officers as he could. When negotiations with Johnson fail, a bomb-equipped robot is sent in and detonates, killing the shooter. Officials believe Johnson had been planning an even larger-scale attack, but was pushed into action because of the shootings in Minnesota and Baton Rouge.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Portugal defeats France in a 1–0 win during the 2016 European Championship on July 10, 2016 final match, at the Stade de France. This is Portugal's first win in a major soccer tournament. The win came as a surprise to many because Portugal lost its best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, only 24 minutes into the game after suffering from an injury. Pepe, a Portuguese defender, told the New York Times, "We said we would win it for him, and we just managed to win it for him."

TRAIN CRASH IN ITALY

On July 12, 2016, two passenger trains in the Puglia region of southern Italy crashes, leaving at least 25 dead and dozens more injured. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi orders an immediate investigation into the stretch of track that runs between the towns of Andria and Ruvo di Puglia. So far, the cause of the collision is unclear. Local officials ask the public for blood donations for the 55 critically injured.

TRUCK ATTACK IN NICE

Tragedy strikes France on Thursday, July 14, 2016. The country is in full party mode, celebrating its most important holiday, Bastille Day, when a large truck is driven through a crowd in the southern city of Nice, France.

The truck barrels through the crowds, fatally crushing 84 people and injuring more than 200, children included. The driver is a Frenchman of Tunisian origin, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who is shot and killed by police officers responding to the attack. Many ISIS-related websites applaud the attack, but the terrorist group has yet to officially claim responsibility.

ATTEMPTED COUP IN TURKEY FAILS

On July 15, 2016, Turkey experiences an attempted coup by a group of soldiers within the country's military. Gunfire and explosions are seen throughout two majors cities of Turkey: Istanbul and Ankara, as the government, the military faction, and the people of Turkey clash in the streets. Around 60 people are reportedly dead and more than 300 were arrested for their participation in the coup. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that the people involved in the coup "will pay a heavy price for their treason to Turkey."

U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

The Democratic National Convention starts Monday July 25, 2016. The conventions opens without the chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who resigns after email leaks reveal that the DNC favored Clinton over Sanders during the run for the nomination.

Hillary Clinton makes history as the first female presidential nominee of a major party. She brings along newly announced running mate Tim Kaine, U.S. Senator from Virginia.

During the convention, Michelle Obama gives a moving speech about voting for a woman president and the need to vote against Donald Trump.

SCIENTISTS CREATE ARTIFICIAL NEURON

On August 3, 2016, IBM Scientists in Zurich, Switzerland publish a paper in Nature Nanotechnology revealing the creation of a technological neuron out of germanium antimony telluride to replicate biological neurons. What does this mean? It could be the first step in creating an artificial brain. The team, led by Dr. Eleftheriou, put the germanium antimony telluride material between two electrodes and fired synapses to see what would happen. The germanium antimony telluride is special because it is a phase-change material, meaning it is unpredictable and will not always produce the same response, similar to human body neurons which rely on the action potential. In software technology, predictability and unpredictability has to be programed in, with the germanium antimony telluride material unpredictably simply happens.

ISIS ANNOUNCES DEATH OF SECOND-IN-

COMMAND MOHAMMAD AL-ADNANI

On August 31, 2016, ISIS announces the killing of the second-in-command of the jihadist group, Mohammad al-Adnani. This is the highest-profile killing yet of an ISIS member and while the group does not reveal the cause of death, it does release a statement pledging revenge.

Al-Adnani was the spokesman for ISIS, but his role in the jihadist group was much more meaningful; he is believed to have masterminded large-scale terrorist attacks against countries who were allies of the United States, including France, as well as overseeing international and lone wolf attacks.

OLYMPIC GAMES

The 2016 Summer Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 August to 21 August 2016. Rio was the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics. These were the first games to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country, the first to be held entirely in the host country's winter and the first since 1968 to be held in Latin America.

More than 11,000 athletes from 207 Countries, including first time entrants Kosovo, South Sudan, and the Refugee Olympic Team, took part.

The lead-up to these Games was marked by controversies, including the instability of the country's federal government; health and safety concerns surrounding the Zika virus and significant pollution in the Guanabara Bay; and a doping scandal involving Russia, which has affected the participation of its athletes in the Games.

The United States won the most golds (46) and most medals overall (121). Great Britain finished second and became the first country in the history of the modern Olympics to increase its tally of medals in the subsequent games after being the host nation. China finished third.

EARTHQUAKE ROCKS ITALY

In the early morning of Wednesday, August 24, 2016, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Italy. The death toll rises steadily, nearing 300 within three days. Buildings are destroyed, people are killed in their sleep, and the historic town of Amatrice—once made up of 17 hamlets and over 2,000 residents—is mostly destroyed.

Rescue efforts are intense; hearing the screams of the people below the stones, residents attempt to rescue victims themselves with their bare hands before emergency services arrive. Italians from all over the country travel to the area to help. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi calls for national unity and the mayor of Amatrice, Sergio Pirozzi, aims to save as many lives as possible as there are still voices under the rubble.