This year brought tragedy upon tragedy, with incomprehensible loss of lives: the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas; devastating earthquakes in Afghanistan, Morocco, Syria and Turkey; and here in the United States, a fast-moving and devastating wildfire on Maui and record-setting mass shootings around the country.
Time and time again, we have seen all-too-familiar scenes of pain and suffering: parents mourning children and children mourning parents — and piercingly worse, children mourning children.
Interwoven in these tragedies are news events from the US Capitol as this country continues to grapple with our fragile democracy. We witnessed the chaotic and dizzying installation of Kevin McCarthy as House speaker. Then months later, we saw that rise to power upended in a dramatic revolt from McCarthy’s own party, the first of its kind in this nation’s history.
Editor’s note: Some of these images are graphic. Viewer discretion is advised.
The year started with a historic stalemate in Washington, DC, as the US House of Representatives struggled to elect a new speaker. It was the first time in 100 years that the House speaker election went to multiple ballots.
After five days and 15 rounds of voting — and some dramatic scenes playing out on the House floor — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was finally elected. It was the longest speaker contest in 164 years.
Another major story in January was the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was beaten by police in Memphis, Tennessee, during a traffic stop and died from his injuries days later. Video footage of the deadly arrest was released weeks after his death. Five former police officers, who are also Black, were arraigned on charges that included second-degree murder. One of the five cut a plea deal with prosecutors in November. The other four have pleaded not guilty.
Russia’s war in Ukraine passed the one-year mark in February, and the fighting continues today.
Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the summer, but so far gains have been marginal and won at great cost. Troops from both sides have been bogged down in a slow-moving conflict with no clear end in sight. The current fighting is focused on Ukraine’s south and east, with Ukrainian forces struggling to break through defensive lines Russia had months to prepare.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to rally for Western support, urging other nations for more money and weapons to push back against the Russians.
California went from extreme drought to extreme flooding at the beginning of 2023.
The state was battered by a cascade of atmospheric rivers — long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that can carry moisture thousands of miles. Streets turned into rivers while trees were toppled, homes lost power, rivers swelled and major roadways were shuttered.
California is extremely vulnerable to flooding because much of the state has been scarred by historic drought or devastating wildfires. The land just can’t soak up much rainfall.
Scientists say climate change is amplifying the intensity of atmospheric rivers: A warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall when they make landfall.
Former US President Donald Trump appeared in federal court in April and pleaded not guilty to felony criminal charges of falsifying business records.
It was the first time in history that a current or former US president had been criminally charged.
Trump is now facing four criminal cases. In June, a federal grand jury charged him in a classified documents probe. In August, he was indicted in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. He was also indicted on state charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat in Georgia.
Trump, who is running for president again, has pleaded not guilty in all of the cases. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and accused Democrats of targeting him politically.
Britain’s King Charles III was officially crowned in May during a magnificent and deeply religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The coronation — a symbolic coming together of the monarchy, church and state — was attended by dignitaries from around the world, and thousands of people gathered in London to take in all the pageantry. It was Britain’s first coronation in 70 years.
Charles instantly became King in September 2022 when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at the age of 96. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
Canada saw its worst fire season on record this year, and smoke from the wildfires drifted south into the United States, affecting air quality for millions of people.
The conditions in some areas were so bad that officials urged people to limit their time outdoors and mask up for safety. Flights were delayed, and outdoor events were postponed or canceled.
Later in the month, an international search-and-rescue mission dominated the news as authorities tried to locate a missing submersible in the North Atlantic Ocean. The saga ended tragically when it was announced that the deep-sea vessel, carrying five people on board, suffered a "catastrophic implosion" on its way to explore the wreckage of the Titanic.
July was the planet’s hottest month on record by far, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The announcement came after a series of deadly heat waves and record-breaking temperatures for several continents, as well as unprecedented ocean heat around the globe. Human-caused climate change is the main driver of the extraordinary heat, said Samantha Burgess, deputy director at Copernicus.
On July 6, the world experienced its hottest day on record. The global average temperature rose to 17.08 degrees Celsius (62.74 Fahrenheit), according to Copernicus data, beating the previous temperature record of 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 Fahrenheit) set in August 2016.
Catastrophic wildfires killed dozens of people on the Hawaiian island of Maui, and the blaze that devastated the historic town of Lahaina is the deadliest US wildfire in over 100 years, officials said.
The wildfires ignited and spread on August 8, fanned in part by fierce winds from Hurricane Dora passing hundreds of miles to the south. The infernos jumped over freeways, barreled through neighborhoods and obliterated homes and businesses. Thousands of people were displaced. At least 100 were killed.
Another major story in August was the Women’s World Cup, which was won by Spain. The tournament was hosted by two countries for the first time, as matches were split over Australia and New Zealand.
It has been a wildly successful year for singer Taylor Swift, whose “Eras Tour” has been credited for boosting local economies and breaking attendance records. Her fans in Seattle caused seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3-magnitude earthquake, according to a seismologist, and she made headlines for giving the tour’s truck drivers $100,000 bonuses.
In September, her surprise appearance at an NFL football game also made headlines as it came after weeks of speculation that she was dating Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. The two have become one of the world’s biggest celebrity couples.
In early October, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a brutal assault on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and kidnapping about 240, according to Israeli authorities. It was the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history.
Israel's retaliation has been lethal, with an air and ground campaign on the densely populated enclave of Gaza, which Hamas has controlled since 2007. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would take “mighty vengeance” and was readying for “a long and difficult war.”
By late November, the siege of Gaza had killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian authorities. Gaza’s population is also gripped by a humanitarian crisis after Israel cut off access to food, water and electricity.
Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the US president’s spouse, died November 19 at the age of 96.
Her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, attended her private tribute ceremony in Atlanta along with guests that included President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and former first ladies Melania Trump, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush.
Also in November, there was a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas as part of a breakthrough deal that would see dozens of hostages released by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners — mainly women and minors — many of whom had been detained but never charged.
The truce agreement also allowed for more humanitarian aid, such as food, water and emergency medical supplies, to be allowed into Gaza.
George Santos became only the sixth lawmaker in history to be expelled from the US House of Representatives when he was voted out by lawmakers on December 1.
Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including allegations of fraud related to Covid-19 unemployment benefits, misusing campaign funds and lying about his personal finances on House disclosure reports. But the freshman congressman from New York was ousted after the House Ethics Committee released a report that concluded he had “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.” Santos denounced the investigation as “a disgusting politicized smear.”
Also at the beginning of the month, a seven-day truce ended between Israel and Hamas after negotiations reached an impasse and Israel accused Hamas of violating the agreement by firing at Israel. With the resumption of fighting came an expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which until that point had been concentrated in the north.