By Jada Lister
It seems like just yesterday, we were welcoming in 2015 and yet it’s already almost the New Year again. Before we say goodbye to 2015 though, let’s take one last look back at the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between that defined this year.
February 10: Jon Stewart announces he is stepping down from his role as the host of the Daily Show.
March 11: Two policemen are shot by an unknown gunman in front of the Ferguson Missouri Police Station.
April 25: A 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal.
June: Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, debuted her new name and image after coming out as a transgender woman in April.
June 16: Donald Trump, the TV reality star and real estate mogul, launched his presidential campaign. The announcement was made at the infamous Trump Tower in New York City, where Trump laid out his vision to “Make America Great Again.”
June 26: The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in favor of same sex marriage, making it legal in all 50 states.
July 1: President Barack Obama announces the re-establishment of diplomatic ties with Cuba, a first since 1961.
July 14: NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft gives researchers the first up close look at Pluto.
July 14: A deal is reached to limit Iran’s nuclear weapons program. In exchange, various international sanctions on Iran will be loosened.
July 14: The Center for Medical Progress releases the first of several undercover videos allegedly depicting Planned Parenthood employees discussing the sale of aborted fetal tissue.
August 5: The remains of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, which have been missing since March 2014, are found on Réunion Island.
September 22–27: Pope Francis visits Washington, D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia. While there he addressed the United Nations, attended the World Meeting of Families, and attended a session of the United States Congress.
September 28: NASA announces that they have found the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows on present-day Mars.
October 21: In the movie Back to the Future Part 2, Marty McFly travels forward in time to October 21st, 2015 to save his unborn children. Thousands celebrated Back to the Future Day by determining which Back to the Future predictions were hits or misses.
October 23: Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded makes landfall as a Category 5 storm over southwestern Mexico.
November 13: A series of bombings occurred throughout Paris on the evening of Friday, November 13th. The attacks included a bombing at a soccer stadium, two cafes, and the Bataclan concert hall. 130 civilians were killed and 368 were injured.
November 27: Three are killed, including a police officer, and nine are injured, after a gunman open fires at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs.
2016 is likely to be full of changes, as a result of the major developments this year, as well as the upcoming presidential election. Proposals and agreements made this year will be solidified and new discoveries will likely be made. At the very least we know 2016 will be anything but a dull year.
