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 happened to be a pivotal one in Hoosier history.

• Gov. Mike Pence ended his reelection campaign to join then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump's ticket as his running mate.

Flashback: Pence's abdication just two months after winning the GOP gubernatorial primary paved the way for his successor, Gov. Eric Holcomb.

• Holcomb served two terms, leading the state through the COVID-19 pandemic. His moderate approach divided the Republican party, arguably leading to a conservative backlash that elected in 2024 Gov. Mike Braun and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.

Zoom in: Beyond providing Trump's running mate, Indiana played a key role in the 2016 presidential election.

• The state was seen as the last chance for the "Never Trump" movement. His decisive victory in the Indiana primary sealed his place as the presumptive nominee, as challengers Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropped out of the race.
• Carrier Corporation's February 2016 announcement that it would move 1,400 manufacturing jobs from Indiana to Mexico became a key talking point of the presidential election and "a centerpiece of Trump's stump speeches attacking free trade," according to the New York Times.

The big picture: Other local stories included the election of Mayor Joe Hogsett to succeed Greg Ballard, the WNBA retirement of Fever star Tamika Catchings and death of the city's longest-serving mayor, Bill Hudnut.

• After his election, Trump reached a deal with Carrier to retain some of the Indianapolis jobs.
• The state celebrated its 200th birthday and construction started on our first (and only) IKEA — though it didn't open until 2017.

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Ten years ago, Indianapolis' biggest event of every year celebrated its 100th running in grand fashion.

Why it matters: 2016 marked the first sellout in the history of the Indianapolis 500, which also meant no blackout.

• For just the third time in race history and the first time since the 1950s, the Indy 500 was broadcast live with more than 6 million people tuning in to ABC.

Flashback: Including the 350,000 fans who packed IMS for race day, Memorial Day weekend saw more than 550,000 people make their way to Speedway.

Zoom in: On the track, the weekend belonged to then 24-year-old rookie Alexander Rossi, who shocked the racing world by winning it all in his first outing after starting from the 11th position on the grid.

• He became the first rookie to win since Helio Castroneves did it in 2001.
• Rounding out the top five were Carlos Munoz, two-time winner Josef Newgarden, one-time winner Tony Kanaan and Charlie Kimball.

What he said: "The emotional rollercoaster of this race is ridiculous," Rossi said. "There were moments where I was really stoked, then moments I was heartbroken … I was like, wow, I'm going to need to see a psychiatrist after this."

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👋 Lindsey here!

In 2016, I was the "North of 96th" reporter for IBJ, meaning I covered a variety of business news in Hamilton County.

I wrote a lot about youth sports complexes — such as one in Fishers that never came to fruition and Westfield's Grand Park, which at that time wasn't making money but did keep expanding with two indoor facilities opening on the campus that year.

• I also spent a lot of time in Carmel, reporting on the suburb's continued growth in its downtown and at City Center.
• In Noblesville, I got to spend time with an innovative teacher and write about the big live music season at the venue many people still call Deer Creek.

✌🏿 Justin checking in!

2016 was a busy one. I was pulling double duty at IndyStar as both a public safety and breaking news reporter during Indianapolis' deadliest year on record; and spending lots of time in front of the camera the newsroom's go-to host.

Yes, but: Wearing all those hats often made it a year of staggering extremes.

On one hand, I covered what felt like an endless barrage of fatal crashes, multi-agency police investigations and horrific crimes against our most vulnerable Hoosiers.

On the other, I helped launch "The Drop," a daily online show that delivered some of the day's trendiest headlines with a dash of levity in two minutes or less.

• In its three-year run, The Drop produced more than 300 episodes, eclipsed 1 million views and provided a safe home to all my bad jokes.

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👋✌🏿 Hey there, it's the 2016 versions of Arika and Justin!

State of play: Arika was still living and reporting in North Carolina, hiking, camping and honing the education reporting skills that would bring her back to Indianapolis the following year.

• Justin still had hair and was enjoying life with his future wife and their two fur babies on Indy's far northwest side.

Here are some of our other favorite things from 2016:

📺 Arika's favorite TV show was probably "Stranger Things," which she appreciated even more for being set in her home state.

• Honorable mention goes to "The Crown."

🍿 Justin's favorite movie was "Zootopia" because Nick Wilde is his spirit animal, but he needs to give a shoutout to "Sing Street" and that awesome soundtrack.

🧵 Arika's favorite hobby: In addition to my full-time job at the Winston-Salem Journal, I was working part-time at a JoAnn Fabrics store (RIP) and very into sewing (apparel and quilting) that year.

• It may be a full circle moment, since 2026 seems to be the year of the "grandma hobby."

🎤 Justin's favorite concert was Kanye West kicking off his Saint Pablo Tour in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.