Why 2016, the year that defined Cleveland, is going viral again
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The Republican National Convention took place in July 2016 at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. Photos: Brooks Kraft/Getty Images
Haven't you heard — 2026 is the new 2016.
Why it matters: The first major viral trend of the year is reminiscing over everything that happened a decade ago, which just so happened to be one of the biggest years in Cleveland history.
- It centered around three huge events — the Cavaliers making the NBA Finals, the Guardians hosting the World Series, and the Republican National Convention.
Flashback: The Cavs winning the NBA championship in June and the Guardians narrowly losing the World Series in November represented the highs and lows of Cleveland sports fandom.
- Sandwiched between was the RNC in July, which drew roughly 50,000 visitors to the area.
Zoom in: The RNC served as the coronation of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and represented a transformation of the GOP.
- Trump's future opponent, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, held a campaign rally at Cleveland State University a few days before the Nov. 8 election with special guests Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
- The election was a turning point for Ohio, which voted decisively for Trump after President Obama won the state in 2008 and 2012.
The big picture: Other big local stories included the deaths of Ohio native and former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, who was the first American astronaut to orbit Earth, and former Cleveland Mayor and Ohio Gov. George Voinovich.
- The city also reached a $6 million settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy killed by Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann in 2014.
- Cleveland unveiled its $50 million renovation of Public Square in July and finally completed the George V. Voinovich "Innerbelt Bridge" that fall.
What they said: "2016 has been a fairy dust year for Cleveland," David Gilbert, CEO of Destination Cleveland, told Forbes, which labeled us "America's Hottest City."