Well 2018, it’s been real. We had our good times and our bad times — and our strange times in between. We can’t say you were our favorite, but we’d be ungrateful if we didn’t give props to the good things you brought.
THE WORLD
North and South Korea vowed to formally end the Korean War • Cuba announced anew president,ending the 59-year Castro leadership • Iraq had its first parliamentary elections sincethe defeat of ISIS in the country •Canada became the second nation in the world, after Uruguay, tolegalize marijuana• Mexico is selling its $218.7 million presidential plane to use funds for poor communities • South Korea closed its largest dog meat slaughterhouse • Meghan Markle became the first woman of color to join theBritish royal family
THE US
The unemployment rate is thelowest since 1969 • The firstMuslimand Native American women were elected into Congress • Texas elected the firstopenly LGBTQ African-American woman judge • Colorado elected thefirst openly gaygovernor in the US • Congress passed a long-awaited criminal justice overhaul bill • The Trump administration officially banned bump stocks for guns • Nevada became the first state witha majority female legislature • For the first time in Marine Corps history, a woman was in charge of an infantry platoon • New York and Virginia became the first two states to require mental health education in schools • A city in Georgia became the first to have its criminal justice systemled entirely by black women
HUMAN RIGHTS
In Saudi Arabia, women arefinallyable to drive • Ireland voted and repealed its abortion ban • India‘s Supreme Court decriminalizedconsensual gay sex • Scotland became the first country to back teachingLGBTI issues in schools • The “Year of the Woman” went global • Africa saw a huge and significant decline in female genital mutilation • For the first time in Iran, women were allowed to attend men’s sporting events
HEALTH AND SCIENCE
A woman gave birth to a baby after she received auterus transplant from a dead person• The UK has exceeded UN targets for HIV diagnosis and treatment, proving efforts to control the epidemic can work • Researchers developed a10-minute cancer test • A new Ebola treatment trialbegan • A new peanut allergy drug has provided fresh hope • A study found dogs can be a powerful tool in diagnosing malaria • Researchers found a way to loweryour cancer risk • We learned new tips to help uslive a decade longer
ENVIRONMENT
We discovered 157 new speciesin Southeast Asia • New Zealand may have killed its oil industry tocombat climate change• Major fashion brands united against climate change • A growing number of Americans now believeclimate change is happening • Scientists came up with an idea to stop glaciers from melting • British fashion house Burberry says it’ll stop destroyingunsold goods and using fur • Scientists developed a plastic-eating enzyme
SPORTS
North and South Korea marched under one flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics • The Philadelphia Eaglesfinally won a Super Bowl • USA women’s gymnastics won the team title at the world championshipsin Doha, Qatar • For the first time, a woman interviewed for an NBA head coaching position • A recordnumber of minority and openly gay athletescompeted in the Olympics • It took them over 40 years, but theWashington Capitalswon the Stanley Cup • Atlanta celebrated its first title in 23 years
SPACE
SpaceX broke records by launching 64 satellitesinto orbit • NASA’s InSighttouched down,and captured thefirst sounds of wind on Mars • For the second time in history, a human-made object reached interstellar space • A“Ghost particle”that traveled 3.7 billion light-years was found on Earth • For the first time, we were able to hear the sounds the sun makes • NASA’s Mars lander used its robotic arm to take a selfie • Virgin Galactic‘s supersonic space plane soared into the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere — meaning the company isn’t far off from sending tourists to space
ELSEWHERE
African-American films showed up strong in Golden Globe nominations • “Crazy Rich Asians“ and “Black Panther“ led the way in diversity and inclusion at the box office • Princess Charlotte made history because her line of succession to the British throne won’t change based on her gender • In case you were not keeping up, the Kardashian/Jennerclan grew bythree • Boeing launched a business jet capable of completing the world’s longest flight
