On Nov. 2 the entire East Coast suffered heavy winds and rain during the night that would keep any sane person indoors and tucked in bed. Yet, on that day, not one Chicagoan stayed inside and not one American shut off the lights. The Chicago Cubs had finally won the World Series Title. The aftermath of the historic event put Chicago in full celebratory mood as one of America’s most beloved sports teams achieved what fans thought to be impossible.

Entering this season, the Cubs hadn’t won a World Series in 108 years. Granted, this year’s team was stacked. The “Cubbies” were favorites to win their National League Central and the team had seven players named to the All Star team. During the 2016 campaign, the team won an impressive 64 percent of its games. During the divisional playoff, the team vanquished the San Francisco Giants, a perennial National League power and the 2014 World Series champs.

In the World Series, the Cubs faced a tough American League foe in the Cleveland Indians, who were led by shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Corey Kluber. The Cubs came back from a two-game deficit and won game seven to take the crown. The team was bolstered by stellar pitching from Jake Arrieta and clutch batting from Ben Zobrist, the World Series MVP, who drove in the winning run in Game 7. The winning moment was in Cleveland but the real celebration was back in Chicago.

The long-hoped-for World Series victory captivated the nation and left the Windy City in a state of joyous disbelief. For long-suffering Cub fans it was no longer “wait ‘til next year.” That’s because 2016 turned out to be the Year of the Cubs.