2016 has been the year of massive upsets

A supporter of US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton reacts at her election night rally in ManhattanThomson Reuters

Leicester City won the Premiership. The Carolina Panthers lost the Super Bowl. The Golden State Warriors lost the NBA Finals. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series.

The Leave camp won the Brexit referendum. The far right rose in Europe. Russia usurped the US as the dominant power in the Middle East. Finally, Donald Trump won the US general election.

Without making a single value judgment on any of these events, it’s safe to say that 2016 may be the year of the upset.

As Nate Silver said while he was misjudging the GOP primary: “Unprecedented events can occur with some regularity.”