As 2016 draws to a close, we wanted to share our most popular articles published this year.
1. The Worst Presidential Election in U.S. History
Read the Post’s response to the presidential election of 1876, which was ultimately decided in a secret, closed session among members of both parties just days before the inauguration.
2. People and Places: Garrison Keillor
Jeanne Wolf interviews Garrison Keillor on stepping down from A Prairie Home Companion and what comes next.
3. Truman and Trump: Explaining the Unexpected Winner
Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election bears similarities to Harry S. Truman’s election in 1948, not only in the unexpected outcome but also in the analysis of how and why it happened.
4. Rachel Allen’s Irish Apple Cake
This delicious cake makes a wonderful alternative to more traditional holiday desserts, but it’s a treat any time of year.
5. The Funny Papers
Newspapers may be in trouble, but the comic strip is alive and well — and flourishing online.
6. The New Marilyn Monroe
In 1956, Post editor Pete Martin wrote a surprisingly candid report on the Hollywood icon. He reveals things about the phenomenal blonde that even Marilyn herself didn’t know.
7. Crude Language on the Campaign Trail
Think this year’s presidential campaign has been crass, coarse, and contentious? Campaigns in America have often been rough, with name-calling taking precedence over, and frequently obscuring, the issues of the day.
8. The Drug Epidemic That Is Killing Our Children
Parents who’ve lost children to opioid addiction are taking action, channeling their grief into getting the word out.
9. What Do Birds Do For Us?
Birds are pretty, sure, but increasing scientific evidence reveals that life would be pretty tough without them.
10. When The Chicago Cubs Fought Gods, Goats, and the Front Office
The Cubs waited 108 years between World Series wins. Was it because of a disinterested owner, an angry goat, or bad World Series karma? The article, “The Decline and Fall of the Cubs,” from the September 11, 1943 issue, raises similar questions.
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