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5 moments from 2016 that define why we’re all so desperate to relive it

5 moments from 2016 that define why we’re all so desperate to relive it
Getty/Netflix

Amid rising political tensions across the globe and the ending of shows like Stranger Things which illustrated our teenagers-to-adults transition, there's one thing everyone's craving right now: nostalgia.

It could explain why your Instagram is littered with 2016 comparisons, dedicated to the year synonymous with being the last sun orbit before things went to s*** - and never really recovered.

Put it this way, by 2017, Donald Trump had become US president for the first time, the #MeToo movement shone a light on the dark side of Hollywood, and the world was rocked by several terrorism incidents.

Before that, things were simpler for many people; Anastasia Beverly Hills was in its prime, none of our favourite influencers had been cancelled yet, and Adele headlined Glastonbury.

So, as it's the 10-year anniversary of the greatest year we never expected, everyone's yearning for bomber jackets and an iPhone 5C has prompted them to throw any embarrassment out the window, and post the photos we never expected to see the light of day again.

Think Rio de Janeiro filter turned up to the max, The Chainsmokers in our ears on repeat.

Getting goosebumps? Us too. Here are 5 defining moments from 2016 that make total sense as to why everyone wants to go back...

Stranger Things debuted

Netflix

On 15 July 2016, when we first settled in to watch the debut season of 80s fantasy show, Stranger Things, we never could've forecast that it would've become the global sensation that it is now.

When the show first aired, Millie Bobby Brown (now 21 years old), was just 12, and has since gone on to land starring roles in other major productions including Enola Holmes and Damsel.

It seems rather apt that 10 years on, we're saying goodbye to the Stranger Things franchise as we know it.

Beyoncé dropped Lemonade

HBO

There are few internet-breaking moments that will stay front and centre of our minds until we're old and grey - and Beyoncé's surprise album, Lemonade, is certainly up there.

It sparked a #BlackGirlMagic movement through its 60-minute film and of course, rage anthem 'Sorry' - dedicated to "Becky with the good hair". Did we ever find out who she was?

The album went on to be nominated for a whopping nine Grammys the following year.

Pokémon Go went global

Pokémon Go

While we're all now on a mission to reduce our screen time, you have to start somewhere - and that somewhere involved walking around our local area in search of fictional characters.

Pokémon Go was an AR version of the classic game, allowing users to catch and collect Pokémon, battle in gyms, and visit PokéStops, quite literally bringing it all to life.

It became a phenomenon and its peak saw 230 million players active in a single month back in 2016.

Instagram Stories were invented

Pexels

What did we do before we had photos that weren't strong enough for the grid but too good to be left in our camera rolls? Most of us probably don't remember life before Instagram Stories were a thing, but back in 2016, they were a bit of an alien concept, and equally accused of being a Snapchat knock-off.

Clearly the introduction paid off, as it's now thought that 500 million people are using Instagram Stories every day.

Kylie Jenner dubs 2016 the year of "realizing stuff"

@mazee471

Inspirational truly #kyliejenner #kardashians #kardshianjenner #kardashianclips #2016makeup #2016throwback #tumblraesthetic #fyp

Kylie Jenner: Reality star, business mogul, and...psychic? The now-28-year-old went viral in 2016 for an interview where she dubbed 2016 the year of "realizing stuff", but couldn't actually explain what that meant.

"Everyone around me, we're all just like realizing things", she continued. "2016, looking good."

Given that she later found success as a billionaire, you could say she was onto something with that one.

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