2015 was a really exciting time with lots of positive things happening.
One of the major events was the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement by 195 countries. This agreement aimed to slow down global warming and protect our planet for future generations.
Among other good things that happened, a major decision was made by the Supreme Court, which finally allowed same-sex couples in the US to get married. President Obama also met with the Cuban leader Raúl Castro, marking the first time in over 50 years that the leaders of both countries met!
Also, remember the intense cliffhanger in Game of Thrones? We were all left wondering whether Jon Snow was dead or alive after season 5.
And who could forget the dress that divided the internet? Was it white and gold or black and blue?!
Continue reading to delve into 2015, where you’ll uncover historic events, major news stories, iconic music, notable quotes, and more.
Historical Events
Join us as we rewind to 2015 and relive the exhilarating moments that made it a year to remember.
January 2015
Jan 26
A drone crashed onto the White House lawn.
The pilot faced charges, which were later dropped due to it being an accident.
Jan 29
Missing Malaysian flight MH370 was announced to have been an accident with no survivors.
Jan 31
New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko became the youngest golfer to rank No. 1 in the world.
February 2015
Feb 4
Post Malone released his debut single, “White Iverson,” to Soundcloud.
The song was the American rapper's first true hit, gaining over a million plays in its first month and drawing interest from record companies. Later that year, "White Iverson" was re-released officially under Republic Records.
Feb 25
Madonna fell on stage while performing “Living For Love.”
During the act, she was wearing a tight Armani cape and fell backward down a flight of stairs. But Madonna being Madonna, dusted herself off and got on with the show!
March 2015
Mar 6
NASA’s Dawn probe became the first spacecraft to orbit a dwarf planet.
This also made the Dawn mission the first to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies, as it had already achieved orbit with the giant Vesta asteroid earlier in 2011. The dwarf planet that Dawn reached orbit around was none other than Ceres. Ceres has in the past been labeled both a planet and an asteroid.
Mar 10
Music copyright infringement from Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke led to a record payout of $7.3 million to the family of Marvin Gaye.
The duo copied Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit "Got to Give It Up."
Mar 26
King Richard III of England was reburied at Leicester Cathedral, England.
The remains of Richard III, the last English king killed in battle, were discovered underneath a car park at the former Grey Friars Priory in Leicester in 2012.
Apr 14
The children’s cooking show, Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch, premiered on CBBC in the UK.
Gordon Ramsay's daughter, Matilda, was just 14 years old when the first season aired. The young culinary enthusiast wrote and starred in her own series, which covered five series, with 75 episodes in total.
Apr 25
Kathmandu, Nepal, was devastated by a major earthquake.
The 7.8 magnitude quake broke out at 11:56 am. Nearly 9,000 people lost their lives, while 30,000 were injured. 3.5 million homes were destroyed, and the total damage was a staggering $10 billion.
May 2015
May 20
The US Air Force Space Command launched the Boeing X-37B spaceplane for a classified mission.
Mission USA-261 was the second launch of the second Boeing X-37B, a reusable robotic spacecraft that launched vertically atop a rocket and returned to earth horizontally as a spaceplane. In addition to flying a classified mission, the spacecraft carried a NASA payload of materials to test their exposure to space.
May 22
Hollywood superstar Dwayne Johnson set a Guinness World Record for the Most selfies taken in three minutes.
Dwayne captured 105 selfies on the red carpet at the world premiere of his new film San Andreas.
June 2015
Jun 3
A Texan doctor performed the world’s first successful partial skull and scalp transplant.
55-year-old Jim Boysen had suffered from significant head wounds after receiving cancer treatment. Dr. Michael Klebuc was the lead surgeon in the transplant, which was the solution to the previous damage caused.
Jun 23
NASA’s Mars Odyssey completed its 60,000th orbit around Mars.
Named after the best-selling novel, "2001: A Space Odyssey," the Mars Odyssey spacecraft originally entered orbit on October 23, 2001.
Jun 26
Same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 states.
It was a long time coming for many, and the Supreme Court voted 5-4 in favor of the change.
Jul 23
NASA announced they had found “Earth’s bigger, older cousin.”
The discovery was made by their Kepler mission, and the planet is believed to be 1,400 light-years away from Earth.
August 2015
Aug 12
Former President Jimmy Carter had a lesion removed from his liver.
He also announced that his cancer had spread to his brain.
Aug 30
Rapper Kanye West publicly announced his plans to run for president at the MTV Video Music Awards.
September 2015
Sep 10
Archaeologists and scientists discovered a new human-like species inside caves in South Africa.
The species named Homo Naledi closely resemble modern-day humans and are thought to live in Africa three million years ago.
Sep 14
14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested at school after bringing in a homemade clock, which was mistaken for a bomb.
Mohamed's English teacher at a school in Irving, Texas, reported the clock to the principal after suspecting it to be a bomb. Police were called, and Mohamed was arrested. The clock incident caused an uproar about racial profiling and Islamophobia in Texas.
Sep 28
NASA announced that they found running water on Mars.
The discovery was made by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
October 2015
Oct 23
English singer-songwriter Adele achieved the record of the first song to get over 1 million downloads in a week with her third studio album “Hello.”
Oct 29
China increased its one-child policy to two children per family.
Communist officials cited an aging population and the need to "balance social demographics" as the main reasons for relaxing the regulation.
Oct 31
The Russian Metrojet Flight 9268 was destroyed by a bomb.
The disaster happened over North Sinai, Egypt, and all 224 onboard lost their lives.
November 2015
Nov 9
In San Diego, California, SeaWorld announced that it would phase out its orca shows following protests.
SeaWorld announced that it would instead show the whales more naturally. This decision was made following the release of the documentary Blackfish, which showed how whales are mistreated in captivity. The documentary sparked protesters to fight for animal rights and better living standards for whales in captivity.
Nov 27
The San Jose, which sank in 1708, was found near Columbia.
Dubbed the "Holy Grail of shipwrecks," the ship and its contents were estimated to be worth a staggering $17 billion!
December 2015
Dec 14
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams, had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
Dec 16
The mayor of Flint, Michigan, declared a state of emergency over contaminated water.
The city, which the mayor declared was "experiencing a man-made disaster," changed water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The thing is, the Flint River had been avoided as a water source since the 1960s, as it was full of industrial pollutants.
Dec 29
The Ebola epidemic in Guinea was declared by The World Health Organization.
Two thousand five hundred people died over the course of two years.
Famous Deaths
Here's a look at a few unforgettable people who passed away in 2015.
1922 — 2015
Christopher Lee
1938 — 2015
Ben E. King
American Singer Ben E. King was born on September 28, 1938. He died on April 30, 2015, at age 76 in New Jersey, USA.
Quotes
These quotes help paint a picture of what 2015 was like.
2015 in Music
2015 was a musical whirlwind that had us grooving and singing along all year long!
From the upbeat anthem “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars to the empowering melody of “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, these songs brought joy and inspiration to our ears, making 2015 a year to remember.
Don’t overlook these music highlights from 2015 that are worth mentioning.
Album of the Year
Beck’s mesmerizing alternative album “Morning Phase” struck a chord with listeners in 2015, earning him the prestigious Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Song of the Year
Sam Smith touched souls with their emotional track “Stay With Me” and won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2015.
Best New Artist
Sam Smith’s soulful voice and heartfelt ballads won them the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2015, establishing them as a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
Vienna, Austria, played host to the 60th Eurovision Song Contest in 2015, marking a milestone in the competition’s history.
Måns Zelmerlöw, a charismatic singer from Sweden, lit up the stage with his captivating performance of “Heroes,” a catchy and empowering anthem that ultimately earned him the top spot.
2015 In Numbers
Numerologists claimed that 2015 would be a year of financial gain and prosperity. It might have been true for some but not for the Chinese stock market that dramatically crashed this year.
When expressed in Roman numerals, 2015 becomes MMXV, and in binary, it translates to 11111011111.
Deficient Number
2015 is recognized as a deficient number, which means that if you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into it, the sum will be less than the number itself.
So, when you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into 2015 (1, 5, 13, 31, 65, 155, 403), they add up to 673, which is less than 2015.
Chinese Zodiac 2015
According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2015 was the Year of the Goat, which occurs every twelve years.
However, it’s fascinating to note that each zodiac animal is also connected to one of the five elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. So 2015 was actually the Year of the Wood Goat, which only occurs every sixty years!
Due to the unique nature of the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Wood Goat began on February 19th, aligning with their lunar cycle, and continued until February 7, 2016.
Those born in the Year of the Goat are gentle, kind-hearted, and creative. They have a strong appreciation for beauty, possess an artistic flair, and are often known for their nurturing and compassionate nature.
Notable names like Kourtney Kardashian, Tyler, the Creator and Kevin Hart are all associated with the Year of the Goat.
2004 Trivia
Did you know that in 2015, the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year was the “face with tears of joy” emoji?
This is the first time since the tradition began in 2004 that a pictograph was chosen as a Word of the Year.
There were lots of other great options, but was the one that won the title.
