While America slept and Asia worked, the shape of Europe changed.
UK voters decided they wanted out of the European Union, triggering international shock and concern. World markets switched to crisis mode, with the Dow plunging more than 600 points Friday and the value of the pound falling to a 30-year-low.
Here’s the rundown:
UK voted to get out of the EU: The final vote came to 51.89% for LEAVE and 48.11% for REMAIN.
How the heck did that happen? The final results map highlights a telling split between London and the rest of England and Wales. Here’s how each region voted.
British Prime Minister David Cameron resigned: He campaigned for the British to stay in the EU. Obviously that didn’t work. So he announced that a new leader should be in charge by early October. His speech here
So who’s going to lead Britain now? Although nothing is set in stone, former London Mayor Boris Johnson is a serious contender to succeed Cameron.
Brexit vote results create turmoil in Britain: Four senior opposition Labour Party members of Parliament resigned from Labour’s shadow Cabinet and a fifth was sacked in the wake of Thursday’s referendum and they’re calling for new leadership but party leader Jeremy Corbyn won’t resign.
World leaders are divided on the news: British officials have expressed concern over the uncertainty that’s sure to follow the decision. Across the pond, presumptive U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump called Brexit “great.” Other European leaders were relatively silent preceding the vote.
Petition calling for second EU vote: More than 3 million people signed an online petition calling for a second referendum on whether Britain should leave the EU. Coincidentally, its creator has sought to distance himself from the petition because he is a Leave voter.
Public figures and regular people alike are reacting passionately: There seem to be a lot of British celebrities who are upset about the news, but there will always be differing opinions.
Markets are hemorrhaging: Stocks across the globe got hammered amid the panic. Both the pound (now at its lowest level since 1985) and the euro have plunged.
Here’s why it matters: The UK is the world’s fifth biggest economy and any slowdown will hurt the anemic global growth.
It’s going to take about two years for the divorce proceedings: The UK is so intricately entwined with the EU, it could even take longer than that.
What happens then? Much like a real divorce, it depends on whether the parties decide to split amicably, or through strife and diplomatic conflict.
What does the Brexit mean for you? That depends on who you are.
What does the decision mean for Europe? The UK is the first to leave the European Union, and experts say its exit will be sorely felt by the rest of the EU.