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The 50 most unforgettable photos of 2015

Melia Robinson
2015-12-28T16:44:00Z
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Philippe Wojazer/Reuters

2015 overflowed with tears, laughter, tragedy, and joy.

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While natural disasters, terrorism, and the migrant crisis shattered millions of lives, love also prevailed. This year, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, support poured in to help those in need, and the world rallied around saving the planet.

Before we ring in the new year, let's take a look back at some of the most memorable photographs taken around the globe in 2015.

 

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Jan 8: Syrian refugee girl braved the cold after a storm.

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A Syrian refugee girl stands behind a door at a makeshift settlement in the village of Ketermaya, south of Beirut. Reuters

Jan 11: 3.7 million people marched in France to defy terrorism.

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A man holds a giant pencil as he takes part in a solidarity march in the streets of Paris after the Charlie Hebdo shootings. Stephane Mahe/Reuters
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Jan 11: Global leaders joined hands in solidarity.

French President Francois Hollande, heads of state european leaders
French President Francois Hollande is surrounded by head of states including Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Donald Tusk, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as they attend the solidarity march in the streets of Paris. Philippe Wojazer/Reuters

Jan 26: Snow blanketed New York City.

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A man stands in falling snow on West 42nd street in Times Square in New York. Mike Segar/Reuters
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Jan 30: A ceasefire failed to hold in Ukraine.

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Men remove a broken window near the body of a victim of shelling at a site hit by shelling in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

Feb 1: The Patriots won the Super Bowl amid the "Deflategate" controversy.

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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hugs wide receiver Julian Edelman after defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
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Feb 12: Dynasties collided on the runway.

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Kim Kardashian attempts to calm her daughter, North, while sitting next to Sean Combs, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Anna Wintour as they watch a presentation of Kanye West's Fall/Winter 2015 partnership with Adidas at New York Fashion Week. Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Feb 16: Liberian schoolchildren went back to school following the Ebola crisis.

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Thousands of Liberian children in pristine uniforms flocked back to school as classrooms opened their doors for the first time after a six-month hiatus designed to stem the spread of the worst Ebola outbreak in history. James Giahyue/Reuters
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Feb 17: Residents fled Myanmar to escape persecution.

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Moe Kyaw Than, 45, a volunteer with the Myanmar Red Cross Society reacts after he was wounded when the convoy he was in, was fired upon by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), according to the Myanmar army, between the capital of Kokang, Laukkai, and Chinshwehaw. Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters

Feb 21: Muslims formed a human shield outside an Oslo synagogue.

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More than 1000 Muslims formed a human shield, dubbed a ring of peace, around Oslo's synagogue, offering symbolic protection for the city's Jewish community and condemning an attack on a synagogue in neighboring Denmark the prior weekend. Hakon Mosvold Larsen/Reuters
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Feb 22: Zendaya flaunted a stunning new 'do — and started a conversation about African-American hair.

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Actress Zendaya attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California. Christopher Polk/Getty

Feb 26: Two runaway llamas captivated a nation.

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In this image taken from video and provided by abc15.com, two quick-footed llamas dash in and out of traffic in a Phoenix-area retirement community before they were captured in Sun City, Arizona. abc15.com/AP
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Feb 26: Students across Spain protested for education reform.

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Students shout slogans as they march during the second day of a student's strike in Madrid, Spain. Andres Kudacki/AP

Mar 13: Female Kurdistan Workers Party fighters took action.

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A female Kurdistan Workers Party fighter stands near a security position in Sinjar, Iraw. Asmaa Waguih/Reuters
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April 22: A volcano erupted in southern Chile for the first time in five decades.

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Smoke and ash rise from the Calbuco volcano as seen from the city of Puerto Montt. STRINGER Chile/Reuters

April 24: Contestants embrace at a same-sex rodeo held in the Bible Belt.

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Gordon Satterly, 61, from Michigan, kisses his husband Richard Brand, 53, from Texas, at the International Gay Rodeo Association's Rodeo In the Rock party in Little Rock, Arkansas. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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April 27: The Queen of the Netherlands made a splash.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King's Day in Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands takes part in the King's Day in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. Phil Nijhuis/Reuters

May 13: While some Syrian migrants fled a war-torn nation, other refugees returned home.

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Residents, with their belongings, return to their villages on a pickup truck after Kurdish People's Protection Units fighters said that they retook control of the area from Islamic State in the southern countryside of Ras al-Ain. Reuters/Rodi Said
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May 25: Kendall Jenner had the most-liked photo on Instagram.

 

May 29: One World Trade Center opened doors to its observation deck.

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One World Trade Center stands in Lower Manhattan, on April 21, 2015, in New York. Mark Lennihan/AP
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June 3: A child played in the street after heavy rains flooded Brazil.

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A child jokes in a street flooded by the rising Rio Solimoes, one of the two main branches of the Amazon River, in Anama, Brazil. Bruno Kelly /Reuters

June 8: German Chancellor Angela Merkel conversed with US President Barack Obama at the G8 summit.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks with US President Barack Obama during the G8 summit outside the Elmau castle in Kruen near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Michael Kappeler/Reuters
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June 24: Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano awakened.

Ramadinah Milala, mount sinabung, indonesia, volcano
Ramadinah Milala, 8, and her family drive away from their home, as ash spews from Mount Sinabung volcano at Tiga Serangkai village in Karo Regency, North Sumatra province, Indonesia. Reuters/Beawiharta

June 28: Love won.

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A group of Apple employees march in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, California. The 2015 pride parade comes two days after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Max Whittaker/Getty Images
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July 1: Lightning struck twice.

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Mass lightning bolts light up night skies by the Daggett airport from monsoon storms passing over the high deserts early Wednesday, north of Barstow, California. Gene Blevins/Reuters

July 5: Prince George got a new baby sister.

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Britain's Prince George looks into the pram of his sister Princess Charlotte after her christening at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, Britain. Matt Dunham/Reuters
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July 10: Taylor Swift's star-studded "1989" tour grossed more than $240 million.

 

July 14: Humanity reached Pluto for the first time.

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NASA became the first organization to reach Pluto and its moons via the New Horizons spacecraft. NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI
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July 15: Caitlyn Jenner sparked a watershed moment in transgender visibility.

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Caitlyn Jenner accepts the Arthur Ashe Courage Award onstage during The 2015 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty

July 20: San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon led her team to victory — and blazed a trail for women in sports.

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San Antonio Spurs coach Becky Hammon celebrates with her team after they defeated the Phoenix Suns in an NBA summer league championship basketball game in Las Vegas. John Locher/AP
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July 29: The killing of Cecil the Lion sparked outrage against sport hunting.

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Piper Hoppe, 10, from Minnetonka, Minnesota, holds a sign at the doorway of River Bluff Dental clinic in protest against the killing of a famous lion in Zimbabwe, in Bloomington, Minnesota. Eric Miller/Reuters

Aug 12: A man rejuvenated under the hot Egyptian sun.

Weirdest Reuters Photos 2015
In the searing heat of summer in western Egypt, at the hottest time of the day, sufferers of rheumatism, joint pain, infertility, or impotence lie buried neck-deep in the sand of Siwa near Dakrour Mountain. Locals say taking a sand bath is a natural therapy with powers to cure many medical conditions. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
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Aug 21: Fires consumed California forests during the state's worst drought in 1,200 years.

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Los Padres National Forest firefighter Jameson Springer watches a controlled burn on the so-called "Rough Fire" in the Sequoia National Forest, California. Max Whittaker/Reuters

Aug 27: Pope Francis emerged as a religious rockstar.

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A sign painter outlines the Pope's nose on the side of a New York City office building. Mark Lennihan/AP
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Sep 9: Queen Elizabeth snagged the title of Britain's longest reining monarch.

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth boards her carriage as she travels on the new Scottish Borders railway line, in Scotland. Andrew Milligan/Reuters

Sep 10: Researchers discovered an ancient species, Homo naledi, related to humans.

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Fossils of a newly discovered ancient species, named "Homo naledi", are pictured during their unveiling outside Johannesburg. Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

What scientists found deep inside a cave changes what we know about human evolution »

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Sep 20: Viola Davis made Emmy history as the first African-American to win best actress in a drama.

viola davis, emmy award 2015
Actress Viola Davis holds the award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her role in ABC's "How To Get Away With Murder" during the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California. Mike Blake/Reuters

Sep 28: Scientists confirmed water on Mars.

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Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks on Mars inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water are seen in an image produced by NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the University of Arizona. NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/Handout

NASA's 'major' Mars news is a distraction from something much more exciting »

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Sep 28: The moon turned a deep red color during the incredibly rare "supermoon" event.

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A lunar eclipse coincides with a so-called "supermoon" in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. REUTERS/Rebecca Naden

18 stunning supermoon eclipse photos from around the world »

Oct 1: People gathered in candle lit vigils to mourn the victims of gun violence.

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People take part in candle light vigil following a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Steve Dipaola/Reuters
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Oct 22: The many faces of Hillary Clinton went viral during a congressional hearing.

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Oct 28: A boat carrying hundreds of refugees from Turkey sunk while crossing the Aegean Sea.

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Volunteer doctors and paramedics try to revive a baby after a boat carrying more than 200 refugees and migrants sunk while crossing part of the Aegean sea from Turkey, on the Greek island of Lesbos. Giorgos Moutafis/Reuters
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Nov 5: Justin Trudeau took Canada by the horns.

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Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau adjusts his microphones before speaking during a Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. Chris Wattie/Reuters

Nov 13: An attack on Paris by the Islamic State militant group left 130 people dead and hundreds more injured.

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French fire brigade members aid an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall following fatal shootings in Paris, France. Christian Hartmann/Reuters
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Nov 17: A baby female giant panda rained cuteness on the world.

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A 3-month old female giant panda cub is photographed at the Giant Panda Conservation Center at the National Zoo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Joshua Paul/AP

Nov 21: The Kansas City Royals won its first World Series in three decades.

kansas city royals winning world series
Kansas City Royals players celebrate on the field after defeating the New York Mets in game five of the World Series at Citi Field. Reuters
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Dec 6: 95 countries agreed to lower carbon emissions.

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Hundreds of environmentalists arrange their bodies to form a message of hope and peace in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Benoit Tessier/REUTERS

Dec 13: The world united in solidarity with Paris.

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The Sydney Opera House lit up in the colors of the French flag. Reuters
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Dec 20: Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines suffered through an awkward error.

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Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach waits with Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez onstage, shortly after Miss Colombia was initially crowned Miss Universe during the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steve Marcus/Reuters

Dec 21: SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 lifted and landed without a hitch.

spacex, falcon 9 lift off, long exposure
A long exposure photograph shows the SpaceX Falcon 9 lifting off (L) from its launch pad and then returning to a landing zone (R) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, on the launcher's first mission since a June failure, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Mike Brown/Reuters

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