As the year comes to an end, it is time to look back and recognize the events and people that have shaped the year of 2019! Although this year has had many bumps and bruises, there have also been many highlights and achievements that deserve to be acknowledged.

First off, the month of January surpassed many records. From Dec. 22, 2018 to Jan. 25, 2019, the longest government shutdown to date was held. The 35-day government shutdown started off the year of 2019 on not quite the right foot. On a different note, another record set in 2019 was the most liked pictures on Instagram. On Jan. 14, 2019, the world record egg beat the previously held highest number of likes on Instagram from Kylie Jenner. The picture of an egg received over 18 million likes, which would now be known as the picture that had the most amount of likes on Instagram. January had a rocky start, but it helped build the foundation for a great year to come.  

The main highlight of February every year in everyone’s mind is most definitely the Super Bowl.  On Feb. 3, 2019, the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams faced off in Super Bowl 53. Super Bowl 53 went down in history as the lowest scoring Super Bowl game. Neither team scored in the first quarter which dragged out the game all together. The most memorable part of February is definitely the Super Bowl which went down in football history. 

Throughout the month of March many new songs came out and made it onto the charts. One of them being “Tempo” by Lizzo feat. Missy Elliot. Lizzo, a talented and fairly new artist, was recognized as #25 by Billboard on the list of the best artists of 2019. Her song “Tempo” which was released in March led to her successful year. 

In the month of April, a very tragic event took place as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire, severely damaging a large portion of the historic monument. While the structure is now being rebuilt, the month of April is remembered by many for this event taking place.

In May, a news breaking story was released as Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage. Taiwan set an extremely important precdent in 2019 for the other countries in the world that have not yet to legalize same-sex marriage. Taiwan became the first nation in Asia to do so, showing how strong the LGBTQ+ community is throughout the globe. 

Throughout June there were many rumors of Columbine High School shutting down and being rebuilt. Two months prior to June, on April 20, 2019, the small town of Columbine mourned the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.  Due to the tragic event, authorities proposed to shut down the school. Although that did not occur, it was a discussion that took place in June. 

July 2019’s heat wave made the month one of the hottest recorded to date. According to NBC News, the temperatures of July averaged out to be 74.6 degrees which is one degree above the 20th century average. By using July’s average temperature compared to past average temperature it clearly showed that global warming is affecting the earth.  July showed scientists what global warming has done to the temperatures throughout the summer. 

August took quite a turn for 2019. On Aug. 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, a well-known American financer and convicted sex offender who had a close relationship with President Trump, was found dead in his jail cell. While initially ruled a suicide, questions surrounding his death have initiated additional investigatons, shaping the discussions that took place in August.  

Most people think of September as the month that students all over the country officially get into the groove of school. However, in 2019 September is remembered for the Area 51 raid.  On Sept. 20, 2019, many people came out to a United States Air Force facility in Nevada hoping to prove aliens and living things in space exist. 

October came close to breaking the record of the warmest October ever 1880 still holds the highest temperature in October; however, this year’s October came very close to it as it was only .05 degrees celsius cooler. This furthered the discussion on the topic of global warming..     

The month of November is most notably remembered for the release of Frozen 2.  The sequel to Frozen, was released on Nov. 22, 2019, breaking various box office records.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Frozen 2 grossed an estimated $130 million in North America alone, and $228.2 million internationally.  The end of the year 2019 will be remembered for the release of Frozen 2.  

In December 2019 Time Magazine named its Person of the Year. Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old from Sweden, won due to her successful way of bringing the world’s attention to climate change. Her global movement has changed people’s focus to the underlying problem of climate change. Greta Thunberg definitely shaped December and the closing of the year 2019.

As 2019 comes to an end, it is important to look back on the achievements made, as well as, the failures that occurred on the way. Each month had its own ups and downs, but all together the year of 2019 will go in the books as a great year filled with memories, events, and people that helped to shape it.