2019 was an exciting and eventful year for everyone around the globe. It had its fair share of surprises, sad moments, and political drama, just like any other year in the 21st century.
The whole world was concerned about the climate crisis, and thanks to Greta Thunberg, young students worldwide felt motivated to take action. They bravely marched on the streets, urging their governments to find solutions.
In the world of politics, things were quite intense. The United States made history by impeaching President Donald Trump. At the same time, the United Kingdom faced a difficult decision about whether they should leave the European Union or stay.
We also witnessed some heart-wrenching events, like the devastating fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in France. People from all over the world sent their thoughts and prayers to show their support.
But it wasn’t all gloomy news! Prince Harry and Meghan, welcomed their first child into the world… and let’s not forget the other famous babies that captured our hearts in 2019. We had the catchy Baby Shark song, and we were introduced to the adorable Baby Yoda from the Star Wars series.
Overall, 2019 was a year full of ups and downs, with memorable moments that will stay with us for a long time.
Continue reading to learn about the major events, memorable music releases, thought-provoking quotes, and notable deaths that defined 2019.
Events
Here you’ll find the remarkable milestones and game-changing moments that made 2019 a year to be remembered.
Jan 15
The World Economic Forum announced that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by as early as 2050.
Feb 2
Forty mummies were discovered and unearthed in Tuna el-Gebel, South Cairo, Egypt.
The mummies are believed to be from 323-30 BC.
Feb 19
US Democrat Senator Bernie Sanders announced his second attempt to run for President.
His previous bid for the Democrats in 2016 lost to Hilary Clinton primarily due to fears he was too much of a socialist.
Feb 27
The world’s smallest baby was finally released from the hospital months after being born.
The baby boy was born in Tokyo, Japan, at 24 weeks and weighed just 9.45 oz.
Mar 14
Google employee Emma Haruka Iwao broke a world record by calculating Pi right down to 31.4 trillion digits!
Mar 20
Disney purchased 21st Century Fox for $71 billion.
The purchase was made to grow Disney’s empire and take on Netflix in the world of online TV streaming.
Mar 21
A woman in Bangladesh gave birth to twins one month after giving birth previously.
It turned out that the mother had two uteruses.
Apr 10
The first photo of a black hole that was taken in 2017 was announced to the public.
The black hole is 6.5 billion times the size of Earth and is 55 million light-years away.
Apr 15
The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire, which destroyed the roof.
Before the fire was fully extinguished, the spire had collapsed.
Apr 21
Climate change activist Greta Thunberg gave a speech in London, leading to protests across the city for four days.
Almost a thousand people were arrested, with 42 charged.
Apr 28
HBO’s Game of Thrones aired the longest battle ever to be shown on screen.
The episode was called “The Long Night,” and the battle lasted for almost 80 minutes.
May 19
Lauv released his single “I Like Me Better,” which earned platinum recognition in seven countries, including the USA.
May 24
Theresa May announced her resignation as British Prime Minister.
With this, Theresa May also resigned from her position as the leader of the Conservative Party. May’s resignation largely came down to her boundless incompetence in handling the Brexit negotiations.
May 29
Boris Johnson was ordered to appear in court after claims that he lied to the public throughout Britain’s Brexit campaign.
Jun 4
More than 100,000 people attended a vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In 1989 a series of protests led to a brutal crackdown by the Chinese government, which saw hundreds of casualties. Hong Kong is the only Chinese territory where the crackdown is commemorated; the event is completely censored in mainland China.
Jun 15
Babe Ruth’s baseball jersey became the most expensive sports memorabilia when it sold for $5.6 million.
Jul 22
Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” became the most financially successful movie of all time.
On this day, the movie had grossed an incredible $2.79 billion!
Jul 28
Meghan Markle became the first-ever guest editor for UK Vogue.
Working on the September 2019 issue, Markle created a cover for Vogue that included the faces of fifteen women she admired. Some of the people included Jane Fonda and Greta Thunberg.
Jul 29
Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” single reached a new record for the longest time on the Billboard charts after spending 17 weeks at number one.
Aug 18
Ignoring the Chinese government, 1.7 million protesters set out on Hong Kong streets during heavy showers to fight for freedom.
Aug 26
The pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson was told to pay Oklahoma $572 million in damages for adding to an opioid crisis in the state.
The trial was the first successful one of its kind, and it is expected to set a precedent for further similar cases against big pharma companies.
Sep 11
NASA revealed that water vapor was discovered in the atmosphere of an Earth-size planet, the exoplanet K2-18b.
K2-18b is a super-Earth about 111 light-years away from our solar system. It was discovered in 2015 by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. Astronomers say it’s “the best candidate for habitability that we know right now.”
Sep 15
The UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson compared himself to The Hulk in his efforts to steer the country out of the European Union.
Sep 20
The climate change rally led by activist Greta Thunberg saw millions of protesters worldwide standing up for urgent action.
Oct 6
Protestors took to the streets in Hong Kong after the government announced a ban on face masks.
Oct 16
A camera in London Zoo became the first camera to take selfies powered by plants.
Pete the Fern provided the energy utilizing microbial energy production.
Oct 17
Lana Del Rey’s song “Video Games” was named song of the decade at the Q Awards in London.
Upon accepting the award, she said: “I’m so honored. This is unreal.”
Oct 18
The first all-female spacewalk took place.
On this day, astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir stepped foot in space to fix a device on the International Space station.
Nov 12
The Disney+ streaming service was launched.
The on-demand streaming video service gives viewers access to a wide range of Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Television, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic shows and movies.
Nov 21
Elon Musk revealed Tesla’s first electric cyber truck with shatterproof windows.
However, at the grand reveal, when the shatterproof windows were tested by being repeatedly hit by the design chief Franz von Holzhausen, the windows shattered. After a reassuring speech by Musk, the cyber truck did not live up to expectations, so Tesla’s share price plummeted by 6%.
Nov 24
Taylor Swift won six awards at the American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Artist of the Decade.
Dec 16
Mariah Carey’s single “All I Want for Christmas Is You” reached number one, 25 years after its release.
Dec 17
Australia recorded its hottest day ever with an average temperature of 105°F across the country.
Dec 18
The US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power (230 votes to 197) and obstruction of Congress (229 votes to 198).
Famous Deaths
Here’s a glimpse at a few famous people who bid us farewell in 2019.
1966
2019
Luke Perry
American
Actor
1966
2019
Luke Perry
Luke Perry was an American actor born on October 11, 1966. He died on March 4, 2019, at age 52 in Burbank, California, USA.
Died On:
Mar 4, 2019 (Age 52)
Died In:
California, USA
Quotes
Here’s a roundup of the most memorable quotes people said in 2019.
Apr 24
[Cats are] very dignified. They’re independent. They’re very capable of dealing with their own life, and if you fit into that on that day, they’ll make some time for you, maybe.
Jun 6
I didn’t set out to be a role model, I set out to be a supermodel. Can I get an amen up in here?
RuPaul
American Drag Queen
2019 In Music
2019 was a musical journey that took us on a wild ride with its chart-topping hits!
From the catchy beats of “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X to the empowering anthem “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish, these songs captured the essence of the year and had us dancing like nobody’s watching!
Here are some music highlights from 2019 that you should know.
Album of the Year
Kacey Musgraves took country music to new heights in 2019 with her captivating and heartfelt album “Golden Hour,” securing her a well-deserved Grammy for Album of the Year.
Song of the Year
Childish Gambino, the multitalented Donald Glover, won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2019 with his thought-provoking track “This Is America.”
Best New Artist
Dua Lipa’s captivating vocals and infectious pop hits won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2019, making her an international pop sensation.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, the 64th edition of this dazzling musical extravaganza, took place in Tel Aviv, Israel.
With catchy tunes, flashy performances, and a whole lot of sequins, it was the Netherlands that emerged as the winners, with Duncan Laurence’s mesmerizing ballad “Arcade” stealing the hearts of viewers around the world.
2019 in Numbers
Let’s explore the world of numbers! 2019 is written as MMXIX in Roman numerals and as 11111100011 in binary.
Chinese Zodiac 2019
There are twelve Chinese Zodiac signs, which cycle through and change every year. In the Chinese system, there are also five elements, with 2019 being the Year of the Earth Pig, which only occurs every 60 years.
Did you know that the Chinese zodiac operates on a lunar calendar? That means the Year of the Earth Pig actually kicked off on February 5th, and lasted until January 24, 2020.
The Pig symbolizes individuals who are kind-hearted, generous, and easygoing. They possess a love for life’s pleasures and have a nurturing and supportive nature, making them great friends and companions.
Notable names like Hillary Clinton, Logan Paul and Simon Cowell are all associated with the Year of the Pig.
2019 Trivia
Did you know that in 2019, a record-breaking egg became the most-liked post on Instagram?
It cracked the previous record held by Kylie Jenner’s baby announcement. This ordinary brown egg captured the hearts (and double-taps) of millions, proving that sometimes, the simplest things can make the biggest impact in the world of social media!
