This year, perhaps more so than others, has had major ups and downs. From the good to the bad to the ugly, let’s take a look back as we break down the 10 biggest moments from 2014 that stormed the headlines and seized the nation’s attention.
Michael Brown Case
On Aug. 9, in Ferguson, Mo., 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson. Earlier in the day at 11:54 a.m., Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson, according to reports, robbed a convenience store and were walking back to their homes before the shooting happened. At 12:01 p.m., Officer Wilson drove by the two young men and asked them to get off the street. The events that took place next are still under investigation.
Autopsies showed that the teen was shot at least six times. Some witnesses claim to have seen Brown’s hands in the air just as the final fatal shot was fired. Wilson insists that Brown tried to take his gun and punched him repeatedly, leaving open cuts on his face. During the weeks following Brown’s death, the protests ensued and later looting, resulting in night curfews. Michael Brown will never be able to tell us what really happened, but his name will never be forgotten. The grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson on Nov. 24 caused mass riots and peaceful protests around the country, but the case still has potential for a possible civic and federal action.
The Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
One of the biggest news stories in history, let alone this year, took place when the international passenger flight disappeared in the sky, while journeying from Malaysia to the People’s Republic of China on Saturday, March 8. According to reports, less than one hour after departure, the plane lost all of its connection and signal. It was last plotted by military radar at 02:15 over the Andaman Sea. The flight held a total of 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Â A search began immediately, with the focus on the southern parts of the Indian Ocean. The underwater search started on October 5th and will take place for one year, costing approximately $56 million (in US dollars). The most frightening part about this case is that nothing or nobody has been found; questions have not been answered. Where is Malaysia Airlines Flight 370? There is no record of a crash or any flight debris. The unexplained disappearance has sparked conspiracy theories, capturing the attention of the entire global community and causing many to form their own opinions on what happened. The flight is still missing today.
Nigerian Schoolgirls Kidnapping
On the night of April 16th, 230 schoolgirls were abducted allegedly by Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist organization in Nigeria. Of the original 230, 43 have escaped. Under their version of the Sharia law, it is believed that women should be at home with their children and husbands, not at school. Abubakar Shekau, head leader of the group, said the kidnappings were the latest part of a new bloody campaign and was retaliation for Nigerian security seizing the group’s wives and children. He said that the kidnapped girls would begin new lives as “servants.†The location of where the girls are being held hostage is unknown, but it is believed to be in a remote area surrounded by trees. The latest news of this horrific event took place on October 12th when four girls walked for three weeks in Nigeria to escape, telling officials they were being held in Cameroon in a camp, being sexually abused daily.
The Ebola Crisis
2014 was the most widespread epidemic of the deadly Ebola virus, one of the most feared diseases. Ebola has an extremely high mortality rate of about 70%. The plague began in Guinea, Africa in December 2013, quickly spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone, and later Senegal and Nigeria.
In the United States, there have been four reported cases, with one resulting in death. The virus was discovered in 1976, and has periodically spread throughout Africa, resulting in the death of thousands of people. There is no vaccine or cure yet, and the horrific symptoms has caused Ebola to be one of
the most feared diseased. While there are five different strains, the Zaire strain is involved in the latest outbreak, which is also the most lethal with a fatality rate of 90%. Containing and controlling Ebola in West Africa is crucial to prevent the spread and it is proving to be extremely difficult, due to the lack of hygiene available. The crisis has caused a panic throughout the globe, with thousands of people wearing masks and hiding in their homes in fear of catching the deadly disease.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Seizing Large Regions
ISIS is a Sunni and Jihadist extremist rebel group in Iraq and Syria. The United Nations along with the European Union, the UK, the U.S., Australia, Canada, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the UAE and Israel have all declared ISIS as a terrorist organization. The group’s actions have been criticized worldwide. ISIS originated as Al-Qaeda, changing the name to ISIS in April 2013. They have long posed a threat, but in 2008 they gained significant attention due to their methods of killing, including suicide attacks on civilians and holding prisoners hostage. They are also known for posting videos of their be-headings onto the Internet. This year the militant group expanded its territory, taking control over nine Syrian provinces, Egypt, and Libya, waging war with all of the governments in the region. The Wall Street Journal estimates the size of the areas under ISIS’ control amount to “an area the size of Belgium.”
The 2014 Midterm Elections
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Midterm Elections took place in the United States, which was the most expensive in the nation’s history, with the total spending for the races reaching $3.7 billion. The results included the Republican Party gaining control of Senate for the first time since January 2007, with 53 seats in the Senate, 246 in the House, 31 governorships and 67 state legislative chambers. In almost a century, these elections yielded the biggest Republican majority, with their largest majority in the House since 1946 and in Congress since 1928. The 2014 Midterm Elections were an extremely hot topic and the results are determining our political future and it is going to bring serious change to our government for the next two years.
The Ukraine Crisis
The Crimean crisis resulted in the aftermath of the Ukrainian Revolution. Crimea is a peninsula in the Black Sea, and considered to be a region of Ukraine under Russian occupation by most of the world. On Feb. 21, President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine abandoned Kiev, the capital. The following day, Parliament appointed a new President, Oleksandr Turchynov. The new government was accepted by the US and the European Union. However, Russia rejected it and deemed it illegal. Over the course of the next few days, pro-Russian protests were held in Crimean city of Sevastopol. On Feb. 26, pro-Russian forces began to strategize and take over various buildings in Ukraine, with the presence of military personnel and weapons. Citizens began to riot and voiced their desire to secede from Ukraine and re-join Russia. Parliament then voted and dismissed the Crimean government, along with replacing the Prime Minister.
On March 16, there was a referendum held on whether to join Russia, where an overwhelming number of Crimean’s voted for their region to become a part of Russia. The turnout yielded an affirmative vote with 96.77% from Crimea and 95.6% from Sevastopol, but it was condemned by the US, European Union, and Ukraine, as it seemed to violate Ukraine’s international law and constitution, as well as being illegal since it was held under Russian military occupation with reports of intimidation. The next day, the Crimean Parliament declared independence from Ukraine and on March 18 Russia issued a treaty accepting the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as a part of Russia. As of today, there aren’t any signs that Crimea will return to Ukraine. The European Union and US have both inflicted economic permits on Russia to show their disapproval.
The Soma Mine Disaster
On May 13 in Soma, Manisa, Turkey, the worst mine disaster in Turkey’s history took place, killing 301 people. The explosion resulted in an underground mine fire, lasting for two days.
The cause is still being investigated. The fire began during the mine’s shift change. There were 787 workers underground during the explosion. The fire was a major topic of controversy because miners had previously protested about the dangerous conditions during 2013 and their demands were rejected in the National Assembly of Turkey in the weeks before the disaster. The Turkish police detained 24 people, including the operations manager of the mine, Ramazan Dogru. Soma has since denied accusations of negligence.Sinking of the MV Sewol
Off the coast of South Korea, a very large ferry named the Sewol capsized on the morning of April 16. The Japanese-built ferry held 476 onboard, mostly high school students on a trip to a tourist island. 164 were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels, four were killed, leaving about 300 passengers unaccounted for. By nighttime, the ferry was upside down with only its bow being visible. On May 15, three crew members, the captain, and the owner who operated the Sewol, Yoo Byung-eun, had warrants out for their arrests. Despite a nationwide search, Yoo’s location was unknown until July 22 when police found his dead body, but the cause of his death remains unclear. The tragedy is extremely devastating, and many hold the captain and the crew, who were charged with murder, responsible for the disaster.
Rosetta‘s Landing on Comet
Rosetta is the robotic space probe created by the European Space Agency and was launched in 2004. Rosetta is performing a study of the comet 67P deep in space. After 10 years journeying to 67P, it reached its destination in August. Along the way, the probe has passed by two asteroids. For the first time in our history, the exciting first controlled touchdown on a comet occurred. Now, Rosetta will be accompanying the comet around the Sun until the end of its mission in Dec. 2015. The images of 67P captured in photos are absolutely unbelievable.