Tech

The most important moments on Facebook and Twitter in 2015

Alex Heath

2015-12-09T21:18:00Z

2015 was a huge year for social media. #BlackLivesMatter, #LoveWins, One Direction, and Donald Trump, were just some of the most talked about topics and personalities this year.

Then there were the moments that social networks helped bring us together, like when Facebook enabled its safety check feature so people could tell their loved ones they're safe after the terrorist attacks in Paris and bombing in Nigeria.

Facebook and Twitter released the most popular topics on social media in 2015:

The 2016 presidential race dominated discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

Barack Obama was the most talked about politician on Facebook, followed by Donald Trump, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, and Hilary Clinton.

The top politics-related hashtag on Twitter was #TCOT, which stands for "top conservatives on Twitter."

Millions of people changed their profile pictures in support of the people of Paris after the deadly November 13 attacks.

Facebook

Hours after the tragic terrorist attacks occurred in Paris last month, millions of people started changing their Facebook profile pictures to show an overlay of the French flag.

Facebook also turned on its safety check feature so that people near the attacks could quickly tell their friends they weren't harmed.

The hashtag #PrayForParis and became a top global trend on Twitter, while Parisians used #PortOuverte to offer shelter in the city. People also shared the now-iconic #PeaceofParis symbol on Instagram to show support.

Peace for Paris

A photo posted by @jean_jullien on Nov 13, 2015 at 3:05pm PSTNov 13, 2015 at 3:05pm PST

The hashtag #JeSuisCharlie was used as a sign of solidarity and free speech after the deadly Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris.

#RefugeesWelcome was used by those asking for European countries to let in refugees from the Syria.

turkey syria refugees — Turkish soldiers stand guard as Syrian refugees wait for transportation after crossing into Turkey from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, near Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, June 10, 2015. Osman Orsal/Reuters

Facebook groups, events and pages were also used to "organize donation drives and offer support for refugees in their own communities," according to the social network.

People on Facebook raised millions of dollars to aid those affected by the Nepal earthquake.

Over 770,000 people on Facebook donated more than $15.5 million to the International Medical Corps’ relief efforts for April's earthquake in Nepal, which killed over 8,800 people.

#LoveWins became the rallying cry of the marriage equality movement.

Two landmark decisions in 2015 had their own globally trending hashtags: Ireland legalized same-sex marriage by popular vote, and the US Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

Over 26 million people on Facebook changed their profile photos using a rainbow filter to show their support for the LGBTQ community, and the hashtag #LoveWins celebrated the Superme Court decision.

#BlackLivesMatter started on Twitter.

Louise Brown walks in the "March for Black Lives" after passing by the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina June 20, 2015 three days after a mass shooting left nine dead during a bible study at the church. REUTERS/Brian Snyder — Louise Brown walks in the "March for Black Lives" after passing by the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston Thomson Reuters

#BlackLivesMatter was tweeted 9 million times in 2015. "It now serves as a unifying message for communities discussing events around #Ferguson, #Charleston, the #BaltimoreProtests, and individual incidents involving police and Black citizens," according to Twitter.

The top places people checked into on Facebook included Disney theme parks, Times Square, and the Eiffel Tower.

Facebook's full list of places can be found here.

The two most talked about athletes on Facebook were Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Ed Sheeran was the most talked about entertainer on Facebook, followed by Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

Boy band One Direction was the top trending topic in music on Twitter.

It's no surprise that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was the most talked about movie of the year on Facebook.

star wars the force awakens stormtroopers

HBO's "Game of Thrones" and AMC's "The Walking Dead" were the two most talked about shows on Facebook.

Lots of people tweeted about NASA's New Horizons probe flyby of Pluto's surface.

Twitter wasn't around as a social network when NASA's New Horizons probe left Earth in 2006 for Pluto, but when the unmanned spacecraft passed Pluto's surface this year, more than 1 million #PlutoFlyby tweets marked the historic occasion.

Caitlyn Jenner broke the record as the fastest Twitter account to reach 1 million followers.

@Caitlyn_Jenner amassed over 1 million followers in just four hours, breaking the previous record set by @POTUS.

The two most retweeted tweets of the year were from One Direction's Harry Styles and former bandmate Zayn Malik.

Singers Zayn Malik (L-R), Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne perform as One Direction on ABC's Good Morning America program inside Central Park in New York, November 26, 2013.

—Harry Styles. (@Harry_Styles) March 26, 2015

—zayn (@zaynmalik) August 1, 2015

Check out Facebook and Twitter's full year in review lists for more highlights.

- Facebook year in review
- Twitter year in review

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