2013 began as the year that was never thought to have existed; due to the lack lustre climax of the Mayan apocalypse last December…despite this unpredicted turn of events, 2013 proved to be a very influential year in terms of popular culture and global news stories. Below, we have included what we feel to be the top ten news stories of this past year, from Mandela to Ford, and from Blackberry to Miley.
1. The Death of Mandela: the death of this visionary proved to impact the entire world, as his messages of peace and equality was something which resonated across all communities and all walks of life. There is much to be learned from this amazing figure even in his death, as he truly shifted the question of race and will be missed by all.
2. The Blackberry crisis: Blackberry going under was certainly one of the biggest news stories to hit headlines this year, as one of the biggest cellular and PDA companies publicly acknowledged their financial instability. Sure that Apple finally adopting BBM didn’t help their situation much…
3. Rob Ford’s continuing downward spiral: Ford’s spiral from esteemed Torontonian mayor to drug induced slanderer was a huge story in the latter half of 2013, especially for Canadian politics. While his morals have been questionable since his election, only lately have his misconducts begun leaking virally across various social media outlets. We can be almost positive that he will continue making headlines into 2014, and keep everyone holding their breath to see what Ford will do next.
4. Everything Miley Cyrus: after her public breakup with Hemsworth, Cyrus began making more and more headlines about her alleged drug abuse and drastic weight loss. Her fate wasn’t sealed however until this year’s MTV Music Video Awards where her twerking alongside Robin Thicke permanently erased the Hannah Montana from the minds of viewers everywhere
5. OC Transpo-train collision: for individuals such as myself residing in Ottawa, the OC Transpo accident, which left dozens seriously injured and several killed, seriously impacted our city. For the individuals who regularly take these modes of transportation, their safety was brought into consideration, alongside the many lawsuits filed following. It was an incident that truly rattled our city, as well as all the families and friends of victims involved.
6. Syrian Civil War: Globally, the war in Syria held a massive impact in politics this past year holding headlines for much of 2013. Syrian protests have continued to develop into a serious civil war outbreak within the nation, one that has attracted attention and aid from various UN nations. This is a war that has had massive repercussions demographically, resulting in 2 million refugees and 120,000 others killed in a country of 21.1 million. Peace talks are anticipated to commence in January 2014, so we can be sure this is another story that will continue into the following year making headlines.
7. The birth of a Royal Heir: His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge brought extensive news coverage from all over the world. A possible new heir to the British throne was exciting news not only for the new parents but also for citizens globally.
8. George Zimmerman trial: after an extensive American history of attempting to abolish racism and discrimination, this was one trial that seemed to take a huge step back in terms of moral advances. Zimmerman’s acquittal of second-degree murder charges against Trayvon Martin arose significant controversy and question over the American stance towards race, crime, territorial defence and justice.
9. Boston Marathon Bombings: the devastation of the Boston bombings was something that resonated globally as people mourned for the victims and families involved. On Patriots’ Day earlier this year, more than 23,000 runners gathered to participate in the annual marathon, as two brothers then detonated a home made bomb close to the finish line. Through this, they killed three and injured 264 participants. While one brother was killed on site, the other was hunted down by Boston police within days, and will face trial in 2014.
10. Obamacare: Despite the fact that America prides itself on being one of the most advanced and industrialized nations world wide, health care accessibility is a continuing problem facing many Americans. While their health care system is incredibly well funded and therefore efficient, a limited number of citizens actually have access to these services because of their high costs. This issue is proliferated by the fact that millions of Americans are currently without any form of health care insurance. Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, has survived the initial Supreme Court challenge and a presidential election, however 2014 will be a deciding year in determining the many technicalities that may lead to its dissolution.
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