Trending Top 10: What went viral on Indian Express this year

As a phenomenon, it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that 2016 was the year when “viral” became viral. From photos and videos to Facebook-Instagram-Snapchat posts and tweets, the social media space has been cluttered with all sorts of information, news and opinions. This year, platforms such as Twitter and Facebook – which have been previously used by people to bring about revolutions (remember the Arab Spring?) – emerged not only as major news distribution spaces but also played a pivotal role in ‘creating news’.

For instance, the video of an innocent dog being thrown from the rooftop in Chennai went viral and caught the attention of animal activists in the city who filed a FIR and got the culprits arrested. Similarly, a Pune girl posted picture of a security guard who was almost in tears for losing his bicycle. The word spread as her picture went viral. People on her friends list and even strangers got together to buy him one and his happiness knew no bounds.

The concept of fake news loomed large as social media was partly held responsible for the outcome of the US presidential elections, leading to both Facebook and Google promising to work more seriously to make the distinction between fact and fiction.

In such a dynamic space, our readers seem to have been drawn to stories that were inspirational and/or eye-opening to the travails of the human mind. From the picture of Milind Soman’s mother running the marathon in a sari or girls recounting horror stories of being sexually harassed, and the way they fought through the trauma, here are the top 10 stories that made a lot of noise on indianexpress.com.

1) Watch: Milind Soman’s 76-yr-old mom run a marathon – in a sari and barefoot!

Milind Soman just refuses to grow old, at least when it comes to his adonis-like looks. And guess what, his mother is as full of energy as him. In a video that was uploaded on Facebook, his absolutely awesome 76-year-old mother Usha joined him for a marathon. Watch the full video here.

2) It’s not a baby, it’s my heart on the floor: Pune working mom’s Facebook post goes viral

Pune mom, Swati Chitalkar, shared a moving Facebook post narrating how her kid was unwell with fever but she brought him to work and took care of him there. Though she would have probably preferred to care for her child at home, but there were pressing matters at work and she just had to go. Many applauded the mother on balancing her duties as a mother and as a conscientious bank employee. Read her full story here.

3) CNN anchor breaks down during segment on haunting image of Syrian boy

Five-year-old Omran Daqneesh from Syria was rescued from the rubble of a building that fell down following an airstrike in the rebel-held neighborhood of Qaterji. The image of the stunned and weary-looking boy, sitting in an ambulance caked with dust and with blood on his face left people across the country in tears. A CNN television anchor Kate Bolduan, airing a report on the boy, turned emotional as she started to talk about him. Read the full story here.

4) An IAS officer got a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 10pm for this

In a post that has gone viral on Quora user Pushpak Chakraborty of Manipal University shared an episode narrating how an IAS officer posted in Tripura got a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 10 pm on July 21 asking for his help to repair National Highway 208. According to his post, one of the officials from Prime Minister’s Office called the officer whose name has not been revealed in the post and was asked if he could talk to the PM for a few minutes. Read the full story here.

5)  President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha was sexually harassed on Facebook by this pervert

President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee took to Facebook to expose her online harasser. In her post, she said the guy named Partha Mandal has been sending offensive messages to her on Facebook messenger. Read the full story here.

6) Is this new Rs2,000 banknote from RBI? Twitterati seems to think so

People across the country were shocked when recieved the news of demonetisation. Many couldn’t fathom what’s the way forward. Amid the chaos, pictures of the new Rs 2,000 note went viral. Read the full story here.

7)  Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant loses 108kg in 18 months; trends on Twitter

Reliance Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son Anant lost 108kg in just 18 months, and that too through a natural and safe process. Anant’s fitness regime included a 21km walk, yoga, weight training, functional training and high-intensity cardio exercises. He also followed a zero-sugar, low-carb diet, with adequate fat and protein. Read the full story here.

8) Google ‘namak haraam country’ and Indian flag will show; And here’s why we’re proud of it

If you google ‘Namak Haram country’, Google will pop up India’s name on top but the reason will make you proud. ‘Namak haraam’ is a popular 1973 Hindi film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna and Rekha. Now, if India doesn’t pop-up next to a very popular Indian film, we’d be quite upset. Read the full story here.

9) It’s PM Narendra Modi’s birthday today and Twitterati’s wishing him in their own way

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes honour to People during welcome function on the eve of his 67th birthday at Sardaar Vallabh Bhai International airport in Ahmedabad on Friday. PTI Photo (PTI9_16_2016_000389A)

It was Prime Minister Naredra Modi’s birthday on September 17 and while thousands of people wished him on social media, some of the wishes were absolutely hilarious. Read the full story here.

10) Delhi girl’s FB post says she was harassed by drunk man at PG and owner called him a ‘baccha’

The story of a Lady Sri Ram College student was shared on Facebook, which narrated her harrowing experience when she returned to her PG in Lajpat Nagar. The safe haven turned into a nightmare when one night she found a drunk man with unbuttoned pants standing behind her in the kitchen. Read the full story here.