Nothing puts a damper on summer like seeing “Back to School Sale” and “Backpack Essentials” plastered around every major retail store in America. As unwelcomed as the beginning of school was, it came nonetheless. Now that the first week of school is complete and there are only 35 weeks left (yes, the countdown has already begun), let’s reminisce about the summer a bit.

Summer 2016 truly was the best of times and the worst of times. While people were soaking up rays at the beach or sitting down to read their AP summer work, the world was spinning, both literally and metaphorically. On a national level, the U.S. faced two major shootings and a few twists in the presidential race, bringing additional heat to the record-breakingly hot summer. On a global scale, Nintendo launched the latest sensation, Pokémon GO, as the Summer Olympics made a splash in Rio, Brazil.

“Pray for Orlando” (6/12)

Florida tends to be a popular retreat for summer vacations, but it was also the target of the U.S.’s deadliest mass shooting this past June. At the hand of shooter Omar Mateen, 49 people died and 53 were left wounded at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. According to CNN, authorities state that this was the “nation’s worst terror attack since 9/11.”

Mateen claimed to be in connection with ISIS, targeting the gay community in this “act of terror and act of hate” as President Barack Obama said. Close relatives to Mateen, including his ex-wife and parents, observed signs of bipolar disorder, anger towards homosexuality, and steroid use. None, however, believed he had any relations with ISIS until the attack occurred. Mateen had no legal restrictions and was not under any specific watch prior to the shooting. He legally purchased two weapons during the weeks prior to his attack on Pulse.

According to witnesses and victims, once the gunfire began, it was constant and seemingly unending. Club attendee Andy Moss told CNN reporters that initially the shooting “sounded like it was part of the show because there was an event going on and we were all having a good time,” he said. Other individuals witnessed people falling to the ground as they were wounded, others running for any form of shelter in sight. This attack on the LGBT community and citizens of Orlando prompted support from around the nation, several turning to social media platforms to express support with the hashtag #PrayforOrlando.

Dallas Police Shooting (7/7)

On July 7, gunman Micah Xavier Johnson shot 12 police officers and killed five in Dallas, Texas. Authorities said Johnson was angered and “wanted to kill white people,” firing on the officers who were watching members participating in a protest march. According to Fox News, this was a “vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement” as President Barack Obama said.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown relayed the pain and suffering that the police force was undergoing to reporters, stating “all I know is this must stop, this divisiveness between our police and our citizens,” he said. The protest, originally advocating anti-police brutality, took a sharp and violent turn as it became a symbol of brutality on the police.

Police forces sent in a robot packed with explosives, which killed Johnson, following an encounter that ended in stalemate negotiations. This day marked the deadliest officer killing since the 9/11 attack that killed 72 officers.

National Party Conventions

Republican National Convention (7/18-21)

The Republican Party held its national convention in Cleveland, Ohio, during the third week of July. Donald Trump was officially selected as the Republican nominee for the Presidential General Election in November. The party united with the message to “Make America One Again,” a slight variation of Trump’s original “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. Guest speakers included a sheriff, pastor, and other political figureheads including Ivanka Trump and GOP Chairman Reince Priebus. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence also formally accepted the nomination to be Trump’s running mate.

Democratic National Convention (7/25-28)

The Democratic Party held its national convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the fourth week of July. Former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, accepted the Democratic nomination, making history for both her party and United States politics. Clinton is the first female to be nominated as a national party’s candidate for the presidential election. She previously vied for the nomination back in 2008 against President Barack Obama. Clinton selected Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate on the Democratic ticket.

Pokémon GO (7/6-present)

What team are you on? This question is the new icebreaker for strangers these days, and the answers include the following: Valor (red), Mystic (blue) or Instinct (yellow). You may be asking “what in the world are you talking about?” But that is extremely unlikely. It’s Pokémon GO. The international sensation that took the world by storm. Nintendo changed the world of video games, creating the latest exercise craze that combines the virtual world with everyday reality.

The first Pokémon game was released back in the late 1990’s, and thanks to Nintendo’s latest development, the sensation lives on today. Players download the game on mobile devices, work up to Level 5 and train their characters in Pokémon “gyms,” which are located around the world and in practically every community. According to the New York Times and a few local Peachtree City sightings, businesses are also taking advantage of the craze to boost revenue, offering discounts and promotions to players who belong to certain teams or reach specific levels.

Nintendo is utilizing a new branch of technology known as augmented reality, “which fuses digital technology with the physical world” as the New York Times describes it. This real-life video game covers vast areas of the world, attracting players from innumerable countries and even inspiring some of the most dedicated to travel and capture rare characters. The game, however, comes with some backlash such as criminal activity and vehicle accidents. Based on Pokémon GO’s continued popularity, these incidents have made very little impact on Nintendo’s success.

To learn more about Pokémon GO and its latest updates, visit http://www.pokemongo.com/.

Rio Summer Olympics (8/5-current)

The 2016 Summer Olympics made a splash in Rio on Aug. 5 with its opening ceremony. This iconic event marks a first in Olympic history. Brazil is the first South American host country of an Olympic Game.

CNN took note of some of the unique aspects of the Rio games, including the fact that Rio’s budget for the opening ceremony was a mere tenth of London’s 2016 ceremony cost. A total of 10,500 athletes will compete at Rio, participating in 42 different sports. CNN also reports that a total of 206 countries are represented in the summer games, one more than the London Olympics hosted.

There is a lot of backlash surrounding the location of the summer games, however. As U.S. News reports, Rio de Janeiro faces severe violence and crime, an addition to the spreading Zika virus scare. Some athletes who refused to make an appearance at the games included cyclist Tejay van Garderen and seven of the world’s top golfers. Several claim that the health risks and potential danger that their families could be in offset any appeal to go for the gold.

Upon arriving at the games, several of the Olympic Village rooms were still unfinished. U.S. News stated that the housing areas had both electrical and plumbing issues and that teams such as Australia’s “700-member team and staff would not move into rooms at Rio de Janeiro Olympics for at least two days.” Team leader Kitty Chiller told reporters that she has “never experienced a village in this state- or lack of state- of readiness at this point in time,” she said.

The following is the current Top 5 country medal count (8/15):