In Pictures: These 50 Photos Sum Up 2016, a Year That's Finally Over

Happy last day of 2016.

At the end of every year, news agencies like Reuters and AFP, along with photo agencies like Getty Images, pick their photographs of the year to look back on the twelve months just past. Compared with earlier years, you may well feel that 2016 was a more unsettled one. The pictures these outlets chose reflect the events that weighed heaviest on people: the migrant crisis, terrorist attacks, Brexit, the US election, and the deaths of many public figures.

But alongside the grim news photography, some outlets also publish collections such as "Animal Photos of the Year" and "Fun Photos of the Year" — reminders not to forget the good moments in life.

As we keep saying, we don't think the world's importance comes in some fixed order of rank; what matters is seeing more and exploring more. Over the past year we published 220 "In Pictures" posts in all. Drawing on the year-end selections of several news agencies, we've picked 50 photographs of the year to share with you.

Here is what you need to know about the year just past:

David Bowie dies

London, UK, January 11 local time. Fans mourn the legendary rock star David Bowie.

The 88th Academy Awards

Los Angeles, California, US, February 28 local time. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio arrives at the 88th Academy Awards. He won Best Actor that night for his performance in The Revenant.

Brussels terrorist attacks

Brussels, Belgium, March 24 local time. A man draped in the national flag holds a candle at a memorial. Two days earlier, coordinated bombings hit Brussels' airport and a metro station, killing 31 people and injuring 300 more.

Kobe Bryant's farewell game

Los Angeles, California, US, April 13 local time. In the last game of the 2015-16 NBA regular season, the Lakers beat the Jazz 101-96, with Kobe Bryant scoring 60 points in a perfect send-off.

Kumamoto earthquake, Japan

Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, April 15 local time. Residents clear debris in front of the ruins. From the night of the 14th into the early hours of the 15th, Kumamoto Prefecture was hit by a series of powerful earthquakes, the largest measuring magnitude 6.5. The prefectural government estimates that the quakes badly damaged 13 nationally designated Important Cultural Properties, and that repairs will take 20 years and cost 63.4 billion yen.

The Paris Agreement

New York, US, April 22 local time. US Secretary of State John Kerry holds his granddaughter while signing the Paris Agreement, which commits its signatories to holding the rise in global temperatures below 2°C.

France's labor law reform

Lyon, France, May 26 local time. A man holding a smoke flare and a bunch of flowers joins a protest against labor reform, facing a line of riot police. Over the previous three months, the French government's plan — which critics said would make it easier for companies to hire and fire workers — had set off protests and strikes across the country.

Muhammad Ali dies

Louisville, Kentucky, US, June 10 local time. The funeral of the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali is held in his hometown, with thousands lining the streets to see the hearse pass. His casket was then taken to a cemetery in Louisville, where family and friends held a private burial.

Orlando shooting, US

Orlando, Florida, US, June 12 local time. People mourn the victims of the shooting. A local nightclub was attacked in the early hours of that day, leaving at least 50 people dead and 53 injured.

The Brexit referendum

London, UK, June 23 local time. "Leave" supporters cheer as the result comes in. The referendum settled Britain's departure from the European Union by 52% to 48%; Prime Minister David Cameron then announced he would step down in October.

Long March 7 rocket's maiden flight

June 25. At a public viewing point beside the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, crowds watch China's new-generation carrier rocket, the Long March 7, ignite and lift off. It was the first launch mission from the Wenchang site.

Flooding across southern China

June 27. In Lianhua Village, Xubu Town, Duchang County, Jiangxi Province, the villager Tan Huochu has spent two straight weeks ferrying his granddaughters to school in a wooden tub and bringing them home the same way. Heavy rain kept Poyang Lake at a high level, which left Xinmiao Lake — separated from it by a single dike — unable to drain. Its water rose sharply, flooding several townships around the lake and submerging large stretches of farmland and some village roads.

Terrorist attack at Atatürk International Airport, Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey, June 28 local time. Travelers embrace and comfort one another outside Atatürk Airport. Turkey's largest airport was hit by a suicide attack that day, killing at least 36 people and halting all flights.

Racial tensions in the US

Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, US, July 9 local time. Local residents march to protest the police killing of a Black man, Alton Sterling. Two officers in body armor arrest a young woman whose calm expression stands in sharp contrast to the armored, faintly hurried police around her. The picture became the most widely shared image of the protests; one commenter called it a "legendary photo that will be collected in history and art books".

Euro 2016

Saint-Denis, France, July 10 local time. Portugal beat France 1-0 in the Euro 2016 final. Portuguese players celebrate with the trophy at the presentation.

Turkish coup attempt

Istanbul, Turkey, July 16 local time. Turkish soldiers stand in Taksim Square. Some officers of the Turkish Armed Forces' general staff attempted a coup that day. Turkish media reported that ambulances massed near the general staff compound in central Ankara, that every police officer in the city was called to duty, and that fighter jets and helicopters patrolled overhead. Civilians blocked some army tanks at intersections near parliament and the general staff headquarters.

Nice terrorist attack, France

Nice, France, July 17 local time. A man looks at a bench piled with memorial flowers. Three days earlier, a Tunisian man drove a truck into a crowd watching the Bastille Day fireworks, killing 84 people. The extremist group Islamic State claimed responsibility on the 16th.

Rio Olympics

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 5 local time. Fireworks light up the night sky over Maracanã Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 14 local time. At the medal ceremony for the women's 3m springboard, Qin Kai proposes to He Zi. Viewers abroad joked that "China took home not just the gold and the silver, but a diamond too!"

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 14 local time. Usain Bolt wins the Olympic men's 100m semifinal at a canter.

Candlelight rally at Ewha Womans University, South Korea

Seoul, South Korea, August 10 local time. Students at Ewha Womans University gather in the campus square for a rally demanding the president's resignation. Student groups had occupied the administration building for days, protesting the university's decision — taken without student approval — to set up a short-term school, which they feared would become a "degree shop" selling diplomas for cash.

The boy from Aleppo

August 17 local time. After an airstrike on Aleppo, Syria, a boy named Omran, caked in blood, sits alone in an ambulance after being pulled out. Once the photo appeared online it moved countless people around the world. Reports said the apartment block where Omran lived with his parents and three siblings, aged 1 to 11, was hit in the strike; rescuers dug the family out of the rubble, and their injuries fortunately were not serious — Omran was treated and released from hospital.

Europe's refugee crisis

August 18 local time. A rescue ship run by a Spanish NGO picks up refugees in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya. Housaida, a Syrian refugee girl, rests on board.

Central Italy earthquake

Amatrice, Italy, August 24 local time. The town lies in ruins. In the early hours of that day a magnitude-6.2 earthquake struck central Italy at a depth of 10 kilometers. A magnitude-5.5 aftershock followed hours later, and the shaking was felt strongly in Rome. The roads in and out of Amatrice were cut. Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said on live television that "people are trapped under the rubble, half the town is gone," and appealed for help.

G20 Hangzhou Summit

September 2. Inside Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the People's Liberation Army's tri-service honor guard straightens uniforms before welcoming the foreign guests arriving for the G20 Hangzhou Summit.

Student protests in South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa, October 4 local time. A student from the University of the Witwatersrand hands flowers to riot police. To protest a tuition increase, the university, like many others in South Africa, had closed for at least two weeks. As the authorities tried to reopen the campus, police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at student protesters, and violent clashes followed.

US presidential election

St. Louis, US, October 9 local time. At the second televised presidential debate, held at Washington University in St. Louis, the Republican candidate Donald Trump listens to Hillary Clinton speak. The questions in this debate came from the audience or were gathered online by the moderators.

US Election Day

Seattle, US, November 8 local time. Supporters of the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton gather in front of a television, anxiously waiting for the results.

Battle of Mosul

Qayyarah, Iraq, November 21 local time. Refugees who fled Mosul wait for a food handout. In the early hours of October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on state television that the operation to retake Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, had formally begun. Backed by Kurdish forces and the US military, the Iraqi government took control of 20 villages in the first 24 hours.

Plane crash kills players from the Brazilian club Chapecoense

Chapecó, Brazil, November 30 local time. A young Chapecoense fan sits outside Arena Condá after a memorial service. The crash, in Colombia, killed 19 of the club's players.

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro dies

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, December 3 local time. The motorcade carrying the ashes of the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro arrives, and people line the road to say goodbye. Between November 30 and December 3, the motorcade traveled east along the route of the victorious 1959 revolution, passing through 13 Cuban provinces before reaching Santiago de Cuba.

Thailand's King Bhumibol dies

Bangkok, Thailand, December 5 local time. Mourners hold up portraits of the late King Bhumibol on the Bhumibol Bridge. Rama IX, King Bhumibol, was born on December 5, 1927, and took the throne in 1946 as the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty. Thailand's constitutional monarchy limits the king's power, but in the eyes of most Thais he held a sacred place.

South Korea's National Assembly impeaches President Park Geun-hye

Seoul, South Korea, December 9 local time. South Korea's National Assembly votes on the motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye and passes it, 234 to 56, as protesters outside the building celebrate. It was the second time the assembly has passed a presidential impeachment motion, after the one against former President Roh Moo-hyun.

Brazilian civil servants protest austerity

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 12 local time. Civil servants demonstrate against austerity, one riot police officer joining them with a white flower pinned to his uniform. The Brazilian government plans 20 years of fiscal austerity to cut public spending. Police, firefighters, teachers and other public employees have protested, arguing the plan will cut public-sector jobs, reduce allowances and delay wages, putting their livelihoods at risk.

Russia's ambassador to Turkey assassinated

Moscow, Russia, December 22 local time. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the farewell ceremony held by the Foreign Ministry for Andrei Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Turkey. On December 19 local time, Karlov was shot dead while attending the opening of an art exhibition in Ankara. The gunman was a security officer assigned to the event and may have had ties to al-Qaeda. Putin called the killing another "vile act" by terrorists and a provocation meant to wreck normal Russian-Turkish relations and the Syrian peace process.

And these are worth a look too:

Campaign rally

Lowell, US, January 4 local time. At a campaign rally, an attendee, Robin Roy, is overcome when the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets her.

Diving in Antarctica

Antarctica, February local time. Six British explorers become the first Britons to freedive in Antarctica. Will Glendinning, 40, his friend Dave Crump and four other team members went under without any breathing gear, holding their breath for a few minutes at a time. Freediving is an extreme sport anywhere; in these Antarctic waters it is more dangerous still, since icebergs can collapse at any moment and kill a diver.

Preparing for the session

March 9, Beijing. Ahead of the second plenary meeting of the Fourth Session of the 12th National People's Congress, staff make preparations inside the Great Hall of the People.

Street graffiti

Vilnius, Lithuania, May 13 local time. Pedestrians pass the outside wall of a restaurant, painted with graffiti of the US presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin kissing.

An elephant's outing

Berlin, Germany, July 1 local time. Maja, a 40-year-old elephant, pokes her trunk into a bakery where a customer is buying a newspaper. Maja performs in a circus, and its staff take her out nearby to walk and graze. The Berlin authorities support these outings, and federal rules reportedly encourage them as a way to stimulate an animal's awareness.

Green algae wash ashore

July 20, Shilingzi Beach, Qingdao, Shandong Province. A young visitor stands on a fishing boat watching the green algae driven ashore by the waves. The layer is expected to pile up more than a meter thick.

Fireworks festival

Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, August 11 local time. At the Miyajima Water Fireworks Festival, the torii gate of the World Heritage-listed Itsukushima Shrine stands in silhouette against the fireworks.

Runway show

New York, US, September 8 local time. Reshma Quereshi, an Indian survivor of an acid attack, gets ready to walk the runway. On a sightseeing trip in northern India she was attacked by a group who threw acid at her; she lost an eye and her face was badly disfigured. Quereshi did not lose her appetite for life — her beauty tutorials on social media have taught other disfigured women how to face life bravely and beautifully. When the Indian designer Archana Kochhar showed her collection at New York Fashion Week, she invited Quereshi to model.

Thin ice

The Arctic, September 13 local time. A polar bear gingerly tests the strength of the sea ice. A University of Washington study found that at all 19 polar bear habitats the sea ice is tending to melt earlier in spring and freeze later in autumn.

Life jackets

London, UK, September 19 local time. 2,500 life jackets once worn by refugees are laid out in Parliament Square, in solidarity with refugees and in response to the United Nations summit on refugees and migrants.

Two sides of a salt lake

September 25, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province. Split by a causeway, the salt lake shows red water on one side and green on the other. A salt-loving green microalga called Dunaliella salina grows in the reddish half; under certain conditions it produces a red pigment that turns the algae red, which is said to account for the difference in color.

Human towers

Tarragona, Spain, October 2 local time. The 26th human tower (castell) competition is held in the city. The practice dates from the late 18th century and is one of the most distinctive folk traditions of Catalonia.

Painting season

October 31, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. Workers with ropes around their waists repaint the Potala Palace. Rain loosens the earth in the palace walls, and its timbers are prone to insects and rot, so every year, once the October rainy season ends, the city holds its annual "painting season." People bring milk, honey, brown sugar, rock sugar, white sugar and other ingredients and donate them free of charge for mixing the plaster, or volunteer to help haul materials and paint.

Loy Krathong festival

Chiang Mai, Thailand, November 14 local time. People release sky lanterns at the annual Loy Krathong festival. In mourning for the late King Bhumibol, the Thai government canceled the festival's fireworks and allowed quieter forms of celebration such as the lanterns. Because the lanterns could endanger flights, Thai Airways canceled some round trips between Bangkok and Chiang Mai during the festival.

Buckingham Palace diplomatic reception

London, UK, December 8 local time. Three generations of the British royal family attend the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace. The annual reception is an important part of the family's diplomatic work, and this year 1,000 dignitaries from around the world were invited. Because it was also the Queen's 90th birthday year, the palace made an exception and released a group photograph from the evening.