When it comes to the most-read Sydney Morning Herald stories of 2016, nothing could trump Donald Trump.
The stunning political rise of the Republican billionaire captivated readers, as did our own nail-biting election that returned Pauline Hanson to Parliament.
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The stories that defined 2016
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As 2016 comes to an end, we take a look back at the year that was.
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The stories that defined 2016
As 2016 comes to an end, we take a look back at the year that was.
Also in the mix were the Brexit surprise, the demise of one of Hollywood's power couples and the case of the Facebook post that cost a NSW man $150,000.
As the year draws to a close, here we count down the top 16 most-read stories of the year:
16. RBS tells investors: 'Sell everything' - read here
In January, the Royal Bank of Scotland advised clients to brace for a "cataclysmic year" and a global deflationary crisis, warning that the major sharemarkets could fall by a fifth and oil might reach $US16 a barrel.
The bank's credit team said markets were flashing the same stress alerts as they did before the Lehman crisis in 2008.
The Royal Bank of Scotland said markets were flashing the same stress alerts as they did in 2008. Photo: AP
15. Chinese New Year 2016 - Year of the Monkey do's and don'ts - read here
Gong xi fa cai! (Or Kung hei fat choy! if you're speaking Cantonese.) This was the year of the fire monkey.
As the Chinese New Year kicked off, we compiled a list of things to do - and not to do - to ensure a lucky, prosperous year.
Year of the Monkey, 2016.
14. George Michael dies on Christmas Day - read here
The world has said goodbye to a number of high-profile celebrities this year, including David Bowie, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Leonard Cohen and Alan Rickman.
However, the death of 53-year-old George Michael was one of the most deeply-felt. On Christmas Day, as families around the world gathered to listen to his song Last Christmas, joy turned to mourning. Tributes flowed around the world, from fans and fellow performers including Elton John and Madonna.
Tributes to George Michael left outside his home on Boxing Day. Photo: Getty Images
13. Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt - read here
Not Brangelina! News that one of Hollywood's most glamorous and powerful couples were getting divorced was met with gasps around the world. Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court in September, citing irreconcilable differences with Brad Pitt.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Photo: AP
12. Apple recalls more than a decade of power adapters - read here
The first Apple story to make it into our list was the tech giant's announcement in January that it had started a massive international recall of power point adapters across its range of portable devices after a small number were found to have broken, causing risk of electric shock.
Australian wall adaptors for iPads and Macs were recalled. Photo: Tim Biggs
11. HSC results 2016: Find out how your school ranked - read here
There's nothing like a  bit of high school rivalry to get people talking. Many were eager to log onto our HSC interactive, which ranked how schools performed when the results were released this month.
10. Australia's population now 48, ABS confirms - read here
No, that's not a typo. This satirical story from our partners at The Shovel, published just after the Census online meltdown in August, really struck a chord with readers on social media.
Apparently, the preliminary data from the census confirmed that Australia had a population of just 48Â people, and that "61% of Australians now work for the ABS". No Australians had an internet connection, the "census" showed.
Down, down, the census went down. Photo: Twitter/@bedwards883
9. iPhone capacity full? This cool trick will free up space - read here
Clearly Herald readers didn't want to fork out another few hundred bucks for extra storage when buying their iPhones.
This story about how to free up space on your iPhone, without deleting any apps, photos or other important files, was our ninth most-read of the year, attracting hundreds of thousands of page views.
8. Supporters of anti-woman group to meet in Sydney - read here
A report about a planned meeting of a controversial men's advocacy online group Return of Kings - whose supporters believe rape should be legalised on private property and that women are biologically determined to follow the orders of men - was the eighth most-read story of 2016.
The group planned to meet in Sydney on February 6 but, such was the backlash, the group's leader Daryush "Roosh" Valizadeh later cancelled the event because he "could no longer guarantee the safety or privacy of the men who want to attend".
Daryush "Roosh" Valizadeh, the American founder of the Return of Kings group.Â
7. Sydney weather: State lashed by wild storms - read here
An intense storm lashed parts of the NSW coast in June, causing significant erosion at the Narrabeen-Collaroy Beach on Sydney's northern beaches and leaving some homes teetering on the brink.
An east coast low, combined with a king tide, resulted in waves of up to eight metres hitting the coast, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Widespread erosion at Narrabeen. Photo: UNSW Water Research Laboratory
6. Federal Election 2016: Australia in limbo - read here
Days after Australians had filled up on democracy sausages at polling booths around the country, we were still waiting for a victor to be declared. But one thing was clear: Pauline Hanson had staged a successful political comeback.
Pauline Hanson re-emerged as a political force in 2016. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
5. Dozens killed as truck drives into Bastille Day crowd - read here
A shocking truck attack on crowds who had gathered to mark Bastille Day in the seaside town of Nice in France killed 86 people and injured hundreds more.
The driver who rammed into the crowd was Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Tunisian citizen who was a resident of France. He was shot dead during the attack.
Authorities examine the truck that drove through Bastille Day crowds in Nice. Photo: AP
4. Brexit poll live: The UK votes in EU referendum - read here
Britain's stunning decision to leave the European Union in June sent shockwaves around the world.
By the time the BBC called the result, the pound had already plummeted to its lowest level against the dollar in decades.
United Kingdom Independence Party's Nigel Farage basks in his Brexit victory. Photo: AP
3. $150,000 Facebook post that destroyed a man's life - read here
In the age of social media, it's perhaps not surprising that a story about Facebook clinched one of the top spots on our most-read list.
The story detailed how a NSW District Court judge had forced a NSW electrician to fork out $150,000 in damages to a man about whom he had written a defamatory post on Facebook.
As a consequence of that post, the victim said he was the subject of a brutal bashing that left him in hospital for six months and his family were so scared they moved interstate.
2. This is why Finland has the best schools - read here
Top marks to Finland.Â
This first-person piece about why a parent enrolled his child in Finland's "stunningly stress-free, and stunningly good, school system" ranked as the Herald's second most-read story of the year. It gained particular traction on social media.
1. US Election 2016 Live: polls and results for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton - read here
The shock election of billionaire Republican Donald Trump as the next US president had readers on the edge of their seats, with our live blog on election day clinching the title of most-read Sydney Morning Herald article of the year.
The historic news came at 6.44pm on November 9, AEDT, with a one-sentence blog post reporting "Hillary Clinton has called Donald Trump to concede the presidential election".
"Sorry to keep you waiting, complicated business," are Trump's first words as President-elect, we reported several minutes later.
Donald Trump and the US election came in at number one on the most-read list. Photo: AP