2014 Snapshot
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The Vibe
Pop Culture
Ice Bucket Challenge
Slang
"On Fleek"
Price Check
Gas: $3.36
Notable Deaths
Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, Maya Angelou
Music & Style
Tropical House
World Affairs
Crimea Annexed
ISIS Rise
Year's Summary
- Global Events: The Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Russia annexes Crimea. The 'Umbrella Revolution' protests in Hong Kong. Malala Yousafzai becomes the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner.
- Culture & Mood: The 'Ice Bucket Challenge' goes viral, raising millions for ALS. The Marvel Cinematic Universe becomes the dominant force in global entertainment.
- Fashion & Slang: Normcore (intentionally bland fashion) becomes a trend. 'On fleek' and 'Bae.'
- Fun Fact: 2014 was the year Amazon Alexa was first introduced, bringing smart-home voice assistants into the kitchen!
- 8 Feb 2014: Opening Ceremonies of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi – Russia hosted its first Winter Olympic Games in Sochi along the Black Sea coast. The Games featured record athletic performances, including Dutch dominance in speed skating, while facing international political scrutiny over costs, security, and human rights.
- 8 Mar 2014: Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, vanished over the South China Sea. The disappearance launched the largest and most expensive search operation in aviation history, remaining one of modern history's greatest unsolved aviation mysteries.
- 16 Mar 2014: Crimean Status Referendum and Subsequent Annexation by Russia – Following the Euromaidan protests and the ousted presidency of Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine, Russian forces occupied the Crimean Peninsula. A disputed referendum was held, leading to Russia's formal annexation of Crimea, which was condemned internationally and triggered Western economic sanctions.
- 16 Apr 2014: Sinking of the MV Sewol Ferry in South Korea – The South Korean ferry *Sewol* capsized and sank off the coast of Donggeochado, resulting in 304 fatalities, mostly high school students on a field trip. The catastrophe sparked widespread public anger and political fallout over maritime safety regulations and government emergency response protocols.
- 13 Jul 2014: Germany Wins Fourth FIFA World Cup Championship in Brazil – Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, with Mario Götze scoring the winning goal. Germany became the first European team to win a World Cup hosted in the Americas, following their memorable 7-1 semi-final victory over host nation Brazil.
- 18 Sep 2014: Scottish Independence Referendum Results in Vote to Remain in the UK – Citizens of Scotland voted on whether to become an independent country. With a historic turnout of 84.6%, the "No" campaign won with 55.3% of the vote, securing Scotland's continued place within the United Kingdom while leading to further devolved powers for the Scottish Parliament.