The following is part of The Lasso’s annual end-of-year tradition, in which we look back on the major news headlines and international events that have taken place and changed our world. Be sure to check out our other Top 13 pieces!
- Israel-Hamas Conflict
On Oct. 7, 2023, the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to one of the most significant military escalations in decades. As the retaliating aerial bombardment campaigns continue on both sides, death tolls continue to rise. The conflict also left nearly 2 million Palestinians and around 500,000 Israelis internally displaced. As the conflict rages on nearing the end of its third month, negotiations remain challenging to find a resolution.
- Oceangate
June 18 marked the world-followed implosion of an Oceangate submarine named the “Tital,” which resulted in the death of five people. Some of the passengers aboard included Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French diver, as well as Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son. The crew was embarking on a mission to visit the famous Titanic wreckage but the submarine lost contact with its mothership about 105 minutes into the trip and imploded as a result of a fractured pressure hall due to extreme water pressure above them. The incident captivated media attention all over the world, running on the news for a while.
- Turkey-Syria earthquake
On February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook south and central Turkey and parts of northern Syria, the strongest recorded earthquake in the country’s history since 1939. The initial earthquake was followed by another 7.5 magnitude quake, totaling a death toll of 50,783, with double that amount suffering from injuries. Countries across the world sprung to help, providing financial aid and deploying rescue teams to treat those affected by the earthquake.
- The Coronation of King Charles
While Charles III ascended the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in late 2022, his coronation took place in early summer of this year. The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen consort of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, occurred on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey. The event marked a new era of British leadership after 70 years.
- Affirmative Action Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court decided on June 29 to suspend Affirmative Action, ruling that the program was unconstitutional on the basis that it violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Students for Fair Admissions corporation sued Harvard University and UNC, claiming that their consideration of race when admitting students to their universities infringed on earlier constitutional premises that prohibited racial discrimination in education. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Students for Fair Admissions, deeming that race-based admissions systems were unconstitutional.
- Forest Fires and Air Quality
In early June, many of us woke up to a hazy, orange-tinted sky, wondering if some mysterious natural disaster had happened overnight. In reality, the haze was caused by hundreds of wildfires originating from eastern Canada, blanketing regions of the U.S. East Coast and triggering air quality alerts. Later that month, Canada officially marked 2023 as their worst wildfire season on record, with fires burning more than 20 million acres.
- Barbenheimer
July 21 marked the release date of two of the biggest blockbusters of the year, both Barbie and Oppenheimer. The phenomenon was dubbed ‘Barbenheimer’ by movie fans and generated a ton of hype around both films. People would come in wearing outfits inspired by either movie and the peaked interest in the event created by social media made for a huge weekend at the box office.
- Eras Tour
Announced following the release of the song ‘Midnights’ in late 2022, Taylor Swift began her sixth world tour on March 15 in Glendale, Arizona. Swift is set to perform 151 shows across five continents over the year-and-a-half tour. Her show, dubbed the ‘Eras Tour,’ is designed to illustrate a journey through all of Swift’s musical eras. 10 months since the tour’s start, the show has become the first to gross over $1 billion.
- Murdaugh trial
The highly publicized trial of former lawyer Alex Murdaugh for the murder of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their 22-year-old son, Paul Murdaugh, served as a source of great interest for many the first three months of 2023. The intrigue in the trial grew with the release of the Netflix documentary series ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,’ which aired in September 2023.
- Death of Yevgeny Prigozhin
After leading a military coup with the Wagner group in June against President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin and some of his associates were involved in a fatal plane accident not far from Moscow. Many alleged that the crash was no accident and speculated that the current Russian president may have had something to do with it.
- McCarthy as Speaker of the House
In January 2023, following the 2022 midterm elections, the Republican party gained control of the House of Representatives. Representative Kevin McCarthy began his campaign for the Speaker of the House position. McCarthy required 15 ballots to be elected speaker. However, he held the position for only 9 months before becoming the first-ever representative to be impeached as Speaker.
- Rise of AI
Following the release of ChatGT in late November of last year, an AI craze engulfed the nation. Many started downloading the app and began using it in a variety of ways. To adapt to the technology many schools started changing their curriculum to better accommodate this new age of learning. However, some share their worries that this technology may be a detriment to our society.
- Trump Trials
Throughout 2023, former President Donald Trump has faced a total of 91 charges in the four criminal cases lodged against him. These are comprised of 44 federal charges and 47 state charges, all of which Trump has denied. The four cases are related to his alleged involvement in attempts to undemocratically overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Legal proceedings continue into 2024 with many questioning the 2024 presidential candidate’s future.
