The Top 10 Viral Moments of 2016

A girl dressed as a hot dog and a kid named Daniel lit up social media and brightened our lives
By Tom Gilatto
Updated December 19, 2016 11:23 AM
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CHEWBACCA MOM

Credit: Jared and Katie in the Morning 107.5 KZL

On May 19, Candace Payne bought herself a Chewbacca mask and—for the benefit of whoever might be watching on Facebook Live—put it on and shrieked with laughter. Within a week the video had been viewed nearly 150 million times. Candace Payne, you made this a better galaxy.

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#HOTDOGPRINCESS

When Ainsley Turner wore a hot-dog costume to her dance school's Princess Week, she became a trending hashtag as well as the year's sweetest symbol of empowerment.

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JENNIFER HUDSON

Credit: Frank Micelotta/Sipa USA

She wowed YouTube with tributes to Prince, first on Broadway with the cast of The Color Purple, then at the BET Awards.

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KENNETH BONE

Credit: Source: CNN

During yet another tense Clinton-Trump debate, an audience member in a red Izod sweater asked a thoughtful question about energy policy—and was instantly all over social media. Maybe he was just the right Kenneth in the right place at the right time.

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MELISSA MCCARTHY VS. JIMMY FALLON

Credit: Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Their lip-sync battle on The Tonight Show was epic, and, yes, she won. You try doing "Colors of the Wind" while having stuffed animals thrown at you.

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METEOROLOGIST TOM HIDDLESTON

He popped up on a Chicago TV station for a weather forecast: "It's gonna rain a hell of a lot."

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ADAM DRIVER ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

The second half of 2016 was about politics. But the year started with a gem of a sketch: Undercover Boss featuring Star Wars' Kylo Ren.

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WILL & GRACE

Reunited for a viral clip, the cast of the classic NBC sitcom fired off zingers about Ryan Lochte, Brad and Angelina, Fifty Shades of Grey—and, while they were at it, stumped for HRC. That meant putting a gay spin on the slogan "I'm with her."

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BILLY, JON AND YOU 

Billy on the Street host Billy Eichner runs around the street with Jon Hamm, asking passersby if they'd join them in a ménage à trois. The times are not that progressive.

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DAMN, DANIEL

Credit: Josh Holz and Daniel Lara

Like many great memes, it came out of nowhere: Snapchat videos of a kid being saluted as a stylemaker with the phrase "Damn, Daniel!" It's hilarious, but damn if we know why.

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By Tom Gilatto