Let’s be honest here, 2017 was a little bit all over the place!
It was a big year for female empowerment with the #MeToo movement kicking off, The Women’s March going across the US, and the Wonder Woman movie raking in a monumental $100.5 million in its opening weekend!
Speaking of the movie industry, the infamous Oscar mix-up happened, leaving La La Land without a major reward and announcing Moonlight as the winner of Best Picture of the Year.
Let’s not forget when Beyoncé announced she was pregnant with twins, and her Instagram photo became the most-liked photo of the year, with more than 11 million likes.
But not everything was smooth sailing. Kendall Jenner, a famous model, starred in a Pepsi ad that caused quite a controversy. Many of her fans didn’t like it and expressed their negative reactions.
And lastly, let’s not forget the disaster that was the Fyre Festival. What a complete mess that turned out to be!
Continue reading to uncover the remarkable events, chart-topping music hits, inspiring quotes, and influential deaths that shaped the year 2017.
Events
Embark on a thrilling adventure through the year 2017 and uncover the extraordinary events that shaped our history.
Jan 17
The underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ended.
The plane fell off the radar on March 8, 2014, and was never found despite professionals searching 46,332 square miles for the wreckage. On this day, the passengers’ families were informed that the effort to find the plane had been suspended.
Jan 21
Over two million women worldwide marched against Trump’s anti-women and offensive slews.
Donald Trump had only been in his presidency for 24 hours!
Jan 28
Tennis sisters went head-to-head when Serena Williams beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 at the Australian Open Women’s Tennis.
Jan 30
Researchers identified the earliest known prehistoric ancestor of humans.
The microscopic, bag-like sea creature was discovered in fossils in China, which dates back 540 million years.
Feb 1
MP’s in the UK voted in favor of triggering the European Union Bill (Article 50), which gave the government the power to prepare to leave the European Union.
Feb 13
After a near collision with another aircraft at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, Star Wars actor Harrison Ford was almost killed.
Feb 17
A potential new continent was discovered in the South Pacific.
Zealandia is 94% underwater but is close to being recognized as its own continent that would include New Zealand.
Feb 22
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope discovered a star with seven Earth-sized planets orbiting it.
On this day, Nature Magazine announced that three of the planets were within a habitable zone.
Mar 3
Nintendo released Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the first fully open-world Zelda game.
Playable on the Nintendo Switch, Breath of the Wild was an instant hit among critics and players alike, who lauded it as the largest and the best Zelda game ever made.
Mar 22
Four people died, and at least twenty were injured in a terrorist attack near the Houses of Parliament in London.
The attacker crashed the car into a fence after driving into pedestrians. He then fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer. Shortly after, he was shot by an armed police officer and died at the scene.
Mar 28
The world’s largest dinosaur footprint was discovered.
The 5.5 foot (1.7 meter) gigantic dinosaur footprint was discovered in Kimberley, Western Australia. Paleontologists also found 21 different types of dinosaur prints on this day, making it the most diverse collection.
Apr 7
Donald Trump launched 59 missiles into Syria.
The attack came three days after a chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun.
Apr 16
A total of 662 Charlie Chaplin lookalikes gathered at the Chaplin Museum in Vevey, Switzerland.
Apr 26
The Handmaid’s Tale debuted on Hulu.
It starred Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, and Yvonne Strahovski and is based on the book by Margaret Atwood.
Apr 27
The first guests arrived at Fyre Festival, unaware that it was all a lie.
Attendees arrived at the festival expecting luxury, but instead found it to be a complete fraud. Headliners like Blink-182 had withdrawn, catering was limited to bread with cheese, and accommodations consisted of rain-soaked mattresses.
May 10
US Geological Survey issued a statement revealing that 39 Montana glaciers have reduced in size from 39 to 85 percent in the last 50 years.
May 18
Chris Cornell, American musician of Soundgarden and Audioslave, committed suicide at age 52 by hanging.
May 25
Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, premiered in Los Angeles. It was the first superhero film directed by a woman.
Jun 18
A large landslide triggered a Tsunami in Nuugaatsiaq, Greenland, damaging several villages.
Three adults and one child lost their lives in the disaster.
Jun 24
The Women’s International Soccer team played at a world record altitude of 18,999 ft at Kilimanjaro.
Jun 27
Colombia’s militant group FARC agreed to lay down their weapons after 52 years of guerilla warfare.
Jul 4
North Korea tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The missile named Hwasong-14 flew for 40 minutes and landed in the Sea of Japan.
Jul 30
Hackers stole sensitive “Game of Thrones” files from HBO.
On this day, a group of cybercriminals hacked into HBO and stole 1.5 terabytes of data.
Aug 9
An inflatable chicken that resembled US President Donald Trump was placed outside the US White House as part of a political protest.
Aug 18
The USS Indianapolis warship, which sank during World War II, was discovered in the Pacific Ocean 3.4 miles below the surface.
Aug 26
Hundreds of thousands of people marched peacefully through the streets of Barcelona due to a terrorist attack.
The attack happened on August 17, when a van smashed into nearby walkers. Thirteen people were killed, while over 100 were injured.
Aug 30
An incredibly powerful hurricane named Irma landed on Cape Verde off the western coast of Africa.
The storm was categorized as a level 5 hurricane with gusts up to 180 miles per hour. One hundred and thirty-four people lost their lives, which caused the equivalent of $77.16 billion in damage.
Sep 2
Peggy Whitson set a NASA record for spending the most cumulative days living and working in space at 665 days.
Sep 5
Hurricane Irma hit the Atlantic Basin area of the United States.
Gusts of winds were reported to have reached record speeds of 185 mph, and as a result, the region was devastated by the destruction caused. The category five hurricane was announced as the strongest hurricane on record to hit the area.
Sep 19
President Donald Trump threatened to “totally destroy North Korea.”
Although Trump made hostile comments about several countries, North Korea was the first in his speech at the UN general assembly.
Sep 21
A Jellyfish was discovered and became the first-known animal that sleeps and doesn’t have a brain.
Oct 1
O. J. Simpson was released from prison.
O. J. Simpson was an NFL player and was sentenced to 33 years for armed robbery and kidnapping.
Oct 8
Northern California’s wine country was devastated by sweeping wildfires.
The fires lasted through to October 15, killed 44 people, and 192 others were hospitalized.
Oct 16
Astronomers witnessed the first neutron star collision.
The collision proved how heavy elements such as gold could be created.
Oct 25
Scientists in India discovered a 152-million-year-old fossil of an extinct marine reptile called the ichthyosaur.
The fossil was found inside rocks from the Mesozoic Era, which ran between 252 and 66 million years ago, in the Kutch desert.
Nov 13
The first-ever Barbie wearing a hijab was revealed at Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year summit.
The hijab-wearing Barbie doll was designed after Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and was part of the “Shero” Barbie series.
Nov 18
Shawn Mendes claimed his third number 1 single on the Billboard list, making him the first person under the age of 20 to do so.
Nov 20
Asian technology company “Tencent” became the first in Asia to hit a market value of over USD 500 billion.
On this day, it reached a staggering $511 billion. Since the company was founded in 2004, its share prices have risen 11,251 percent!
Nov 27
Bangkok’s Fire and Rescue Department reported 31,801 calls from people asking for snake removal from their homes and businesses over the last year.
The capital city has a problem with snakes as the city is built along the Chao Phraya River, their native habitat.
Dec 6
Scientists discovered the most distant supermassive black hole.
It’s estimated to be 13 billion light-years away and 800 million times the mass of our Sun.
Dec 14
A British surgeon admitted to branding his initials on patients’ livers.
Simon Bramhall, an accomplished surgeon, confessed to using an argon beam to etch his initials onto the livers of two transplant receivers. Fortunately, this did not damage either liver; however, he was charged for assault and fined £10,000.
Famous Deaths
Here’s a glimpse at a few famous people who bid us farewell in 2017.
1927
2017
Roger Moore
English
Actor
1927
2017
Roger Moore
Roger Moore was an English actor born on October 14, 1927. He died on May 23, 2017, at age 89 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
1977
2017
Nelsan Ellis
American
Actor
1977
2017
Nelsan Ellis
Nelsan Ellis was an American actor born on November 30, 1977. He died on July 8, 2017, at age 39 in Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA.
Quotes
Here’s a roundup of the most memorable quotes people said in 2017.
Feb 26
Sorry, guys, hold on. There’s a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won best picture. This is not a joke.
Jordan Horowitz
American Film Producer
2017 In Music
2017 was a year filled with sensational tunes that had us singing along without a care in the world!
From the catchy beats of “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran to the soulful vibes of “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, these songs defined the year and had us dancing like nobody’s business!
Check out these music highlights from 2017.
Album of the Year
Adele’s soul-stirring album “25” took the Grammy stage by storm in 2017, captivating audiences with her powerhouse vocals and heartfelt lyrics.
Song of the Year
Adele’s heartfelt ballad “Hello” earned her the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2017, leaving audiences captivated.
Best New Artist
Chance the Rapper’s innovative approach to hip-hop and his impactful lyrics won him the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2017, marking a new era in rap music.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
In 2017, the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest transported us to Kyiv, Ukraine, where a spectacular array of artists showcased their talents.
Salvador Sobral, a soulful singer from Portugal, captured the hearts of the audience with his heartfelt ballad “Amar Pelos Dois,” earning Portugal its first-ever victory in Eurovision history.
2017 in Numbers
In Roman numerals, the number 2017 can be represented as MMXVII. The representation is formed by combining the Roman numerals for 2000 (MM), 10 (X), 5 (V), and 2 (II) to create MMXVII. When converted to binary, 2017 becomes 11111100001.
2017 is an extra special year too, as it’s a prime number! That means it can only be divided evenly by 1 and itself.
Chinese Zodiac 2017
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2017 marked The Year of the Rooster, which repeats once in a twelve-year cycle.
However, it’s fascinating to note that each zodiac animal is also connected to one of the five elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold (Metal), and Water. This actually makes 2017 the Year of the Fire Rooster, a cycle that repeats every sixty years.
The Chinese New Year doesn’t always fall on January 1st like in the Gregorian calendar. In fact, in 2017, Chinese New Year began on January 28th, due to the unique lunar cycle that guides the Chinese calendar.
People born in the Year of the Rooster are confident, hardworking, and punctual. They have a strong sense of responsibility and take pride in their appearance and achievements.
Among the distinguished individuals born in the Years of the Rooster, we find Jennifer Lopez and Jay-Z, both celebrated for their unique talents!
2017 Trivia
Did you know that in 2017, Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” became the most streamed song of all time?
Shape of You received more than 1.3 billion plays on Spotify! Ed Sheeran also became the most streamed artist of the year, reaching an absolutely insane 40 million monthly listeners.
