A presidential election like no other before it in U.S. history provided several of the images selected by Associated Press photo editors as the best of 2016.

AP photographers documented the emotional reactions brought out by the campaign. The bitter divide between the candidates and their supporters is evident in a photo of Republican Donald Trump sternly pointing a finger at Democrat Hillary Clinton during a presidential debate. Clashes involving Trump supporters and protesters were also captured by photographers on the campaign trail. Some of the less-contentious parts of the campaign are also represented, including an image of Clinton sharing a warm embrace with President Barack Obama and a shot of Trump attempting to give his running mate Mike Pence a peck on the cheek at the Republican National Convention in July.

Ongoing crises in the Middle East were illustrated through photos of some of their youngest victims. A photo of a 5-year-old boy caked in debris while seated in an ambulance in Aleppo, Syria, was heavily shared as was an image of a dead migrant boy on a beach after his boat to Greece hit rocks and sank off the coast of Turkey. A haunting image of a malnourished infant tells the story of famine in Yemen amid conflict in that country.

It was also a year of high-profile deaths. In November, Cuba marked the death of Fidel Castro, the revolutionary who brought the island nation under communist rule and kept a tight grip on power for nearly a half century. Former Israeli President Shimon Peres' funeral in September drew leaders from across the globe. Muhammad Ali's death in June prompted thousands to pay tribute to the boxer and global icon during his funeral in Louisville, Kentucky. Two of the music world's most admired voices were silenced with the deaths of David Bowie and Prince. The AP captured images of moving fan tributes to both stars.