It's not uncommon for a handful of major events to shape an entire year. Having a look at Twitter's Top 10 Global Conversations of 2016, I suspect most will dismiss this year as one of the worst in recent memory. Others - perhaps the less connected among us or those focused on their own goals - likely won't understand what all the fuss is about.

The list starts out innocently enough with #GameOfThrones before diving right into the deep waters with #RIP. Indeed, 2016 saw the death of several famous faces include Muhammad Ali, Gene Wilder and David Bowie, just to name a few. Eighth place belongs to #Trump followed by #BlackLivesMatter, topics that no doubt topped countless headlines over the past 11 months.

#Brexit checks in at number six, a more recent occurrence that - at least, at this stage of the game for those in the US - seems a bit exaggerated. At positions five, four and three are #Oscars, #Euro2016 and #PokémonGo, respectively. The Pokémon Go craze was short-lived yet at its peak, things were pretty crazy.

The silver medal belongs to #Election2016, such a hotly-debated subject that it took up two spots on Twitter's list. And last but not least is #Rio2016, referring of course to this year's Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Even this topic wasn't without controversy as many felt the city wouldn't be able to provide adequate accommodations and proper security for visiting athletes while others were concerned about contracting the Zika virus.

For millions, however, 2016 will be remembered for the positive things it brought such as weddings, welcoming your first child into the world, hitting financial goals, landing a new job, finding a new hobby, marking off items on your bucket list, reaching retirement and so many others.

With a few rare exceptions, any given year is only as good or as bad as you make it.

Lead image courtesy Brazil Photo Press