A lot happened in 2024, the Olympics were held in Paris, the United States had a presidential election, and the Dodgers won the World Series.
In January, Disney’s Steamboat Willie entered the public domain and Harvard president Claudine Gay stepped down due to allegations of plagiarism in her early academic career. An emergency exit door flew loose on an Alaska Airlines flight, leading to widespread fears surrounding the safety of Boeing aircraft.
In February the 66th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Taylor Swift won Best Album of the Year for “Midnights” and Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” won Record of the Year. Three passengers from the disastrous Alaska Airlines flight filed a $1 billion lawsuit for negligence against Boeing. President Biden also canceled $1.2 billion in student loans, benefiting around 153,000 individuals. The Kansas City Chiefs won the Superbowl 25-22 against the San Francisco 49ers, for the second year in a row.
In March, Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA D1 scoring record, scoring 3,685 career points. The Supreme Court ruled that states could not exclude presidential candidates from the ballot in Trump v. Anderson, overturning a decision by the Colorado Supreme Court. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” received 13 nominations and seven awards at the 96th Academy Awards. NCAA men’s basketball finished their annual national tournament known as “March Madness,” Connecticut’s UConn Huskies won the championship, but NC’s own NC State Wolfpack finished in the #4 spot, making NC State History.
In April, a total solar eclipse traversed North America, and a series of tornadoes affected areas around Omaha, Nebraska, causing $1.2 billion in damages. A series of wide-scale protests over the Israel-Hamas war took place on American and Canadian University campuses calling for immediate ceasefires. The protests resulted in over 2,000 arrests in two weeks.
In May, former President Donald Trump was convicted of all 34 charges of falsifying company documents in a historic trial held in New York. The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby took place. 20.1 million people watched the race, and 157,000 attended in person at Churchill Downs.
In June, former President Trump and current President Biden had their first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle which helped to shape public perception of both candidates. The US Department Of Justice charged 193 people in a $2.75 billion healthcare fraud scheme. The Biden Administration implemented a new policy suspending asylum claims for most migrants entering the US illegally, intending to manage problems at the southern border.
In July, an assassination attempt was made on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, resulting in two deaths (including the perpetrator) and seven people injured, including Trump, who was shot through the ear. The attempt caused widespread scrutiny of the Secret Service’s performance due to the proximity of the shooter to the former president. A mass IT outage around the world affected airlines, media, and banks, shutting down critical systems. President Biden withdrew his bid for the 2024 election, leaving the Democratic party scrambling to back Kamala Harris as their unofficial presidential candidate. The 2024 Olympics opened in Paris, France.
In August, the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, where Kamala Harris was officially announced as the Democratic Presidential Candidate, with her running mate Tim Walz. The US government rejected a plea deal with suspected 9/11 plotters effectively reinstating the case as a death penalty case. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump for the Office of President of the United States. The 2024 Olympics were closed in Paris, France. The US led with the most medals (126), 40 of which were gold.
In September, Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump had their first debate in Philadelphia. Hunter Biden pled guilty to federal tax charges, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal criminal charges. Hurricane Helene made landfall in the southern US, decimating communities in Appalachia. A school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, caused outrage and calls for gun reform. A second assassination attempt was made on former President Donald Trump while he was playing golf at his golf course in Florida. The suspect pled not guilty and will stand trial in February 2025.
In October, the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump intensified as election day neared. Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida decimating the state, killing 32 and leaving 3.4 million without power. The hurricane spawned 44 tornadoes across the state. An E. Coli outbreak linked to McDonalds hamburgers affected 75 people, killing one. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees four games to one, taking the title for the eighth time.
In November, the 2024 election cycle concluded. Former President Donald Trump won both the popular vote and the Electoral College with 49.9% of the popular vote and 312 electoral votes. The Republican party won a majority in both the House and Senate with 220 and 53 seats respectively. Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour concluded its 632-day run. The final show ran at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and about 207,000 fans attended. Somalia and the US reached a debt agreement, with the US writing off over $1 billion of Somalia’s debt. The Russia-Ukraine war surpassed 1,000 days.
In December, President Biden pardoned his son’s federal tax charges. Biden also granted clemency to about 1,500 individuals in the largest single-day act of clemency in US history, and he pardoned 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes. The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was assassinated in New York City, and the suspect Luigi Mangione was arrested five days later. Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets, marking the largest sports deal in history. Drones were spotted flying over New Jersey, leading to widespread public concern.
A lot happened in 2024, including record-breaking athletic achievements in the Olympics, widespread political change worldwide, continuation of large-scale conflicts, an unprecedented number of assassination attempts on presidential candidates, and historic changes and advances in music and film. Although not everyone came out ahead by the end of 2024, we can all look forward to a better 2025.
