The 2016 presidential election season has been unprecedented in many ways. First and foremost, it marks the first time in U.S. history when a woman has been a major party’s candidate. It is also the first election to be heavily influenced by social media, and early voting has seen record-setting turnout. Below, we take a look at some of the major milestones along the way of this exciting, and often contentious, election.
This combination of photos shows supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Tempe, Ariz., on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, and supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Baton Rouge, La., on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. Ross D. Franklin, Gerald Herbert/AP Images. www.apimages.com
This combination of photos shows supporters of Hillary Clinton in Tempe, Ariz., on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, and supporters of Donald Trump in Baton Rouge, La., on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016.
The 2016 Election: A Look Back
- March 2, 2015
Reports surface of Hillary Clinton using a private email server to handle her communications while serving as Secretary of State–an issue which will continue to haunt her throughout her campaign.
- April 12, 2015
Hillary Clinton announces her candidacy for president.
- June 16, 2015
Donald Trump announces his presidential bid. At the time, he is one of 16 potential Republican candidates.
- October 22, 2015
Hillary Clinton testifies for nearly 11 hours before the U.S. House of Representatives select committee on Benghazi.
- December 7, 2015
Donald Trump calls for a “Muslim Ban”.
- July 5, 2016
The Justice Department closes its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, having found no evidence of wrongdoing.
- July 15, 2016
Donald Trump announces Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate.
- July 18-21, 2016
The Republican National Convention is held in Cleveland, Ohio. During the Convention, Melania Trump plagiarizes a speech given by Michelle Obama in 2008. Donald Trump accepts the Republican presidential nomination.
- July 22, 2016
Hillary Clinton announces Virginia senator Tim Kaine as her running mate.
- July 25-28
The Democratic National Convention is held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first female nominee from a major political party in U.S. history.
- September 26, 2016
The first presidential debate takes place at Hofstra University in New York. Donald Trump admits to using a tax loophole to avoid paying federal income taxes. Hillary Clinton wins the debate and takes the lead in public polls.
- October 7, 2016
WikiLeaks releases hacked emails from the Clinton campaign. The same day, the Washington Post releases a 2005 video of Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women. Trump takes a major hit in the polls.
- October 9, 2016
The second presidential debate is held at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Donald Trump threatens to jail Hillary Clinton. Clinton wins the debate by a narrow margin.
- October 19, 2016
The third presidential debate is held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Donald Trump refuses to commit to accepting the outcome of the upcoming election. Clinton wins the debate and widens her lead in the polls.
- October 28, 2016
Just eleven days before the election, the FBI announces that it is reopening its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. Clinton’s lead drops substantially.
- November 6, 2016
The FBI declares that no new evidence was found in the emails and that Hillary Clinton will not be prosecuted, though this revelation may come too late to reverse the damage done to her campaign.
- November 8, 2016
Election Day!
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