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2024: Facts & Events That Happened in This Year

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2024: Facts & Historical Events That Happened in This Year

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It’s 2024, and like any other year, it’s definitely going to be one to remember!

We’re currently in week 40, celebrating the 280th day of the year. But there’s still so much to look forward to as we eagerly await what the future has in store for us!

We’re still working on 2024, but here are some highlights from the year so far! We’ll also delve into fascinating facts about the number 2024 and explore the captivating world of the Chinese zodiac for this year.

So, grab a comfy seat and join us as we dive into the incredible journey that is 2024!

Events

Here are some unforgettable events that have happened in the world in 2024 so far.

Jan 3

Jeffery Epstein’s associates were revealed in court documents from Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2015 trial.

The list of associates includes countless high-profile figures, including former US Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, Steven Hawking, Michael Jackson, and Prince Andrew of Britain.

Jan 11

The ruins of an ancient lost city were discovered in eastern Ecuador.

It’s estimated that the city, which lies in Ecuador’s Upano area, was built around 2,500 years ago. The extent of the city suggests the presence of a society as large, or larger than the Aztecs or Mayans.

Jan 18

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter took off for its 72nd and final flight on Mars.

OTD in 2024: NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter took off for its 72nd and final flight on Mars.

In January 2021, Ingenuity became the first aircraft to fly on another planet. Ingenuity far exceeded its expected life, as it was only ever supposed to be able to handle five flights and last about a month.

Jan 27

Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, embarked on its maiden voyage from Miami.

With 20 decks and the ability to hold 7,600 passengers, the new supersized cruise ship was quickly christened the “Human Lasagne” by social media. At 1,198 feet (365 meters) long, it’s longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall!

Feb 6

King Charles III of the United Kingdom was diagnosed with cancer.

Feb 15

Greece legalized same-sex marriage and adoption, becoming the first Orthodox Christian Country to do so.

Feb 22

Odysseus became the first private spacecraft to land on the Moon.

The Odysseus moon lander, operated by the US firm Intuitive Machines, was the first US-owned spacecraft to land on the Moon in over 50 years. The landing wasn’t a total success, though, as the lander ended up tipping on its side during the process.

Feb 25

Algeria officially inaugurated the Grand Mosque of Algiers, the world’s third-largest mosque.

OTD in 2024: Algeria officially inaugurated the Grand Mosque of Algiers

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune officially opened the new mosque. It can hold as many as 120,000 people and features an 869-foot (265-meter) minaret – the tallest in the world!

Mar 4

France became the first country in the world to include access to abortion in its constitution.

Mar 10

Christopher Nolan won Best Director, and his film “Oppenheimer” won Best Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

Cillian Murphy also won an Oscar for his lead role in “Oppenheimer,” Emma Stone won Best Actress in a Leading Role for “Poor Things,” and Miyazaki’s last film, “The Boy and the Heron” won Best Animated Feature Film.

Mar 17

Vladimir Putin won the Russian Presidential election again.

While Putin supposedly won 88% of the vote, major Western nations, including the US, UK, and Germany, claimed that the vote was neither free nor fair. One key part of this was the fact that all viable political opponents were either imprisoned or censored.

Mar 26

Baltimore’s iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship.

OTD in 2024: Baltimore’s iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship.

Fortunately, the event happened in the early hours of the morning rather than during peak hours. Although Dali, the cargo ship, was only going 9 mph (15 km/hr), its massive weight caused the entire span of the 1.6-mile (2.6-km) long bridge to collapse.

Apr 2

Taylor Swift became the world’s first musician to become a billionaire solely from songs and concerts.

Apr 7

New York and New Jersey were struck by the strongest earthquake in over one hundred years.

The 4.8 magnitude earthquake was felt across New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area, as well as parts of Virginia and Maine. The last quake of its size to hit New Jersey was in 1783.

Apr 13

Iran launched a drone and missile strike on Israel following an Israeli attack on its Damascus embassy.

Apr 17

Dua Lipa made the cover of the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people.

OTD in 2024: Dua Lipa made the cover of the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people.

Other notable people from the list include actor Taraji P. Henson, Russian opposition leader Yulia Navalnaya, and American football quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

May 4

Madonna ended her “Celebration” world tour with a free concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

OTD in 2024: Madonna ended her “Celebration” world tour with a free concert in Rio de Janeiro

1.6 million people attended the historic concert at Rio’s Copacabana beach, with some superfans waiting in place for days to get a good spot near the front.

May 13

OpenAI’s newest version of ChatGPT, GPT-4 Omni (GPT-4o), went live.

This latest iteration boasted unprecedented capabilities, including enhanced contextual understanding and multilingual proficiency, making it a significant milestone in AI development.

May 21

The International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants for Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes.

Warrants were requested for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three HAMAS leaders, for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza.

May 30

Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsified business records.

The former US president became the first current or former president to be convicted of criminal charges. He was found guilty of falsifying documents to cover up hush money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

Jun 1

642 million people voted in India’s general election, setting the record for the world’s largest election.

Jun 2

Mexico elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum, a climate scientist, was formerly the Mayor of Mexico City, the nation’s capital. Her election marked a first not just for Mexico but for all countries in North America!

Jun 8

While rescuing four captives in central Gaza, Israeli soldiers killed 247 Palestinians and injured 698.

The deadly daytime operation by the Israeli Defence Force was conducted to rescue Israeli hostages captured during Hamas’ October 7 attacks. The Israeli government states the death toll to be much lower, under 100. Hamas disagrees, calling the operation a “horrific massacre” of civilians.

Jun 24

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walked free after a 14-year legal battle.

OTD in 2024: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walked free after a 14-year legal battle.

After creating WikiLeaks in 2010 and releasing classified US military documents, Assange faced 14 years of legal challenges and imprisonment. He spent the last five years in a high-profile London prison and was ultimately released after pleading guilty in a US court.

Jul 13

Former US President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt while at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Jul 21

US President Joe Biden withdrew from his re-election campaign and endorsed Kamala Harris as his preferred successor.

OTD in 2024: US President Joe Biden withdrew from his re-election campaign and endorsed Kamala Harris as his preferred successor.

Jul 24

“Inside Out 2” became the highest-grossing animated film ever, earning $1.462 billion worldwide and surpassing “Frozen II,” which previously held the record with $1.453 billion.

Jul 26

The Summer Olympic Games opening ceremony was held outdoors for the first time ever.

In a spectacular event, 6,800 athletes paraded in 85 boats along the Seine River in Paris, heading towards the Eiffel Tower. There, the Olympic flame was launched into the sky from a cauldron attached to a hot air balloon.

Aug 5

British graffiti artist Banksy created the first in a series of animal artworks in London.

OTD in 2024: British graffiti artist Banksy created the first in a series of animal artworks in London.

Banksy’s first piece was the silhouette of a goat near Kew Bridge, followed by a new piece each day for seven days. All the works in the series were of animals, including monkeys, a cat, and piranhas on a police box.

Aug 6

Kamala Harris chose Tim Waltz as her running mate for the 2024 US presidential election.

Aug 11

Regions around Athens, Greece, were evacuated due to wildfires after the hottest June and July on record.

Aug 24

Pavel Durov, founder of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France for alleged involvement in organized crime.

After his release, he was placed under formal investigation over Telegram’s use in criminal activities and banned from leaving the country during the investigation.

Famous Deaths

Unfortunately, 2024 has also been a year we’ve had to say some goodbyes…

1934

2024

Maggie Smith

English

Actress

Maggie Smith

1934

2024

Maggie Smith

Maggie Smith was an English actress born on December 28, 1934. She died on September 27, 2024, at age 89 in London, England, UK.

Died On:

Sep 27, 2024 (Age 89)

Died In:

England, UK

1961

2024

Toby Keith

American

Singer-Songwriter

Toby Keith

1961

2024

Toby Keith

Toby Keith was an American singer-songwriter born on July 8, 1961. He died on February 5, 2024, at age 62 in Oklahoma, USA.

Died On:

Feb 5, 2024 (Age 62)

Died In:

Oklahoma, USA

1948

2024

Carl Weathers

American

Actor

Carl Weathers

1948

2024

Carl Weathers

Carl Weathers was an American actor born on January 14, 1948. He died on February 1, 2024, at age 76 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Died On:

Feb 1, 2024 (Age 76)

Died In:

California, USA

1949

2024

Shelley Duvall

American

Actress

Shelley Duvall

1949

2024

Shelley Duvall

Shelley Duvall was an American actress born on July 7, 1949. She died on July 11, 2024, at age 75 in Blanco, Texas, USA.

Died On:

Jul 11, 2024 (Age 75)

Died In:

Texas, USA

Quotes

Who said what now? Here are some memorable things people have said in 2024.

Sep 24

I call again for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the sausages… the hostages.

Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer

British Politician

2024 In Music

Looking for some new songs for your 2024 playlist?

Well, here’s the official Billboard Hot 100 playlist, featuring this week’s most popular songs!

Album of the Year

Taylor Swift’s introspective and poetic album “Midnights” captivated the music world in 2024, earning her the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and showcasing her evolution as a formidable singer-songwriter.

Song of the Year

Billie Eilish captivated the music world in 2024, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year with her poignant and reflective track “What Was I Made For?” from the “Barbie” movie soundtrack.

Best New Artist

Victoria Monét’s soulful voice and heartfelt R&B tracks won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2024, marking her emergence as a significant new talent in the music industry.

Eurovision Song Contest Winner

The 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Malmö, Sweden, in 2024.

Switzerland emerged victorious with the song “The Code,” performed by Nemo, who became the first non-binary winner in the contest’s history.

2024 in Numbers

Let’s dive into some interesting number facts!

If you’ve ever wondered how to write the year 2024 in Roman numerals, it’s MMXXIV. And, if you ever find yourself needing to know what 2024 looks like in binary, it’s 11111101000.

Leap Year

2024 is a leap year, meaning we get an extra day in February. This extra day corrects for the gradual misalignment between our calendar and the Earth’s journey around the sun.

Harshad Number

2024 is a Harshad number, which is a number that can be evenly divided by the sum of its digits. It’s like a special math rule for some numbers.

To explain in more detail, we add up the digits (2 + 0 + 2 + 4), which equals 8. And now we see if 2024 can be divided evenly by 8, which it can! 2024 ÷ 8 = 253. So this makes 2024 a Harshad number.

Abundant Number

Also, 2024 is known as an abundant number. An abundant number is a number where if you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into it, the total sum is greater than the number itself.

So, when you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into 2024 (1, 2, 4, 8, 11, 22, 23, 44, 46, 88, 92, 184, 253, 506, 1012), they add up to 2296, which is greater than 2024.

Chinese Zodiac 2024

Chinese Zodiac 2024: Year of the Wood Dragon

According to the Chinese calendar, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, which occurs every twelve years.

But did you know that the Chinese zodiac cycle also incorporates the five elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold (Metal), and Water? So 2024 is actually the Year of the Wood Dragon, which only occurs every sixty years!

Because the Chinese calendar works from the lunar cycle, the Chinese New Year for 2024 didn’t start on January 1st. Instead, it runs from February 10th to February 28, 2025.

Individuals born in the Year of the Dragon are known for their strong leadership qualities, ambition, and confidence. They possess a charismatic and magnetic personality.

Famous people born in Years of the Dragon include Jhené Aiko and Lizzo!

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