This 2014, people all over the world came in together in moments of celebration, joy, mourning and protest. Millions of people contributed to that moments and conversations through the use of social media. Each one contributes something special and now that the year is about to end, we need to reflect and remember all the triumphs and challenges and the moments that connect us. Here’s a look back on top stories that rocked our year.
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World Cup
The biggest story in sports in 2014, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil is no doubt the most talked event of the year. It dominated the social media world such as Twitter and Facebook where media, fans and players drove more conversations and contributed over 672 million tweets on its month-long tournament. Also players used these social media sites to post updates and photos, giving people behind-the-scenes access to their favorite teams, which in the end Germany won.
Ebola Virus Outbreak
World leaders, different organizations, medical aid workers and ordinary people worked hand-in-hand to stop the spread of the disease. Since March, Ebola outbreak is the most widespread disease in the history which claimed the lives of the thousands of people. Later this year, TIME magazine honored the four Ebola Fighters as Person of The Year for their persistence and dedication to help others stop this disease.
Ice Bucket Challenge
During the mid year, many people across the world participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge. This challenge is to raise awareness for ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease. From celebrities, athletes and even country leaders also had their own share of videos. The movement went around the world, but the United States, Australia and New Zealand were the top participating countries on the Ice Bucket Challenge. In fact, there’s also a wake up call campaign after it.
Malaysia Airlines
Last March, a Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 suddenly disappeared with 239 passengers on it, which resulted in one of the biggest mysteries in aviation history. Also, another Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 bound for Kuala Lumpur last July was crashed near the village of Grabove, Ukraine. Until now, an ongoing investigation produced sparse details on these two plane incidents. The Malaysian government is determined to continue its search for the answers.
Michael Brown / Ferguson
A police in Ferguson, Missouri shoot Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager, which led to heated debates and protests in the United States and abroad. After its three-month deliberation, the officer was not indicted by the grand jury, which even sparked more protests around the country. Even some notable people condemned what happened and prayed for Michael Brown’s death.a
Sochi Olympics
Last February, the 22nd Winter Olympic Games was held in Sochi, Russia. Athletes from around the world participated and made noise . The most talked-about athletes, especially on social media were ice hockey player TJ Oshie, snowboarders Shaun White and Jenny Jones and figure skater Yuna Kim. The latter lost her winning streak to Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova, which many people questioned the result’s credibility.
There are other major events that happened this year including the Hong Kong protest, conflict in Gaza, Robin William’s death, the Superbowl and others. These events have moments we shared which affected us all. They entertained, shocked and moved us, but what’s more important is they connected us.
I couldn’t resist commenting. Perfectly written!