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From Hillary Clinton's deleted emails, private server, and potential litigation, to Donald Trump insulting soldiers' families, calling on Russia to hack the US, and racking up 11 accusations of sexual assault, the 2016 campaign for the US presidency has been ugly.

A new poll shows a majority of Americans (62%) are now less proud of their country because of this year's election — only 7% said it actually made them more proud. Diplomat and Secretary of State, John Kerry, even called the election "embarassing" when he visited London on 31 October.

But even as the campaigns began gearing up to confront each other in May, polling showed that both candidates were viewed unfavourably by a majority of voters. That view has remained steady throughout the past six months. Last week, polling also showed Americans living in Israel have a dim view of both Trump and Clinton, and Britain — often called America's closest ally — felt the same.

Why have Americans and the world been so unimpressed with Trump and Clinton's campaigns? Below is a collection of key events over the past six months that show how the 2016 race to become the president of the United States unfolded.