U.S. Secret Service agents surround Donald Trump after a failed assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Photo by AP
Trump was grazed by a bullet near his ear while delivering a campaign speech. Instead of retreating in fear, Trump, his face covered in blood, regained his composure, stared directly at the crowd, raised his fist, and repeatedly punched the air—a moment that became historic.
Nearly four months later, Trump was elected president of the U.S. He is set to return to the White House in January 2025, becoming the first U.S. president in a century to serve two non-consecutive terms. Time magazine also named him the 2024 "Person of the Year."
Medical workers treat a victim after a Russian missile attack heavily damaged residential buildings in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 23. Photo by Reuters
The conflict in Ukraine has dragged on for nearly three years. In 2024, Ukraine faced considerable challenges on the battlefield, while Russian forces seized additional strategic areas.
Ukraine sought alternative strategies to disrupt Russian operations, such as its August offensive in the western Russian province of Kursk. However, these efforts did not yield the expected results, as Russia maintained its advances in Donbas.
Two years since the world started, Ukraine has recaptured 54% of occupied territory, while Russia still occupies 18% of the country.
Since the start of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 11,973 civilians, including 622 children, have been killed, the United Nation’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a press release on Oct. 21.
Israeli munitions hit southern Lebanon on Sept. 30, as Israeli ground troops crossed the border to attack positions of the Hezbollah militia. Photo by AP
Almost a year after the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023 ignited a devastating war in the Gaza Strip—during which Israel and Hezbollah have also traded fire nearly daily—Israel turned its focus to the Iranian proxy force, sparking fears of a widening war.
The Hamas-Israel war in Gaza in 2024 triggered a series of crises in the Middle East, plunging the region into one of its most perilous moments since the Arab-Israeli War of 1967.
The armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon intensified attacks on Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Under mounting pressure, Israel opened a northern front, launching airstrikes that killed nearly 4,000 people and displaced over one million.
Tensions eased somewhat after a 60-day ceasefire agreement was reached on Nov. 27.
A child looks through a broken window in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Feb. 21. An estimated 1.5 million Palestinians displaced by the war took refuge in Rafah, as Israeli forces moved through the Strip in the war against Hamas. Photo by AP
Gaza's health authority reported on Dec. 10 that Israeli military operations had killed over 44,700 people and injured approximately 106,200, most of them women and children. Israel suffered over 600 military casualties.
In Gaza, nine out of ten residents lost their homes, enduring severe shortages of food, medical supplies, and essential services. Aid deliveries to Gaza were frequently looted.
Melting ice in West Antarctica, Feb. 10. Photo by Jasper Doest
In 2024, the El Niño phenomenon intensified warm ocean currents near West Antarctica, accelerating the melting of ice shelves and raising the global risk of sea-level rise.
A man helps free a car that became stranded in a stretch of flooding road as Tropical Storm Helene strikes, on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina, on Sept. 27. Photo by Reuters
The year 2024 witnessed unusually powerful hurricanes causing far greater damage than the 10-year average.
Hurricane Helene hit the U.S. in late September, bringing record-breaking rainfall and floods that killed over 230 people. Helene caused an estimated US$56 billion in damages.
Floodwaters engulf palm trees in the Sahara Desert, Morocco, on Oct. 24. Photo by Reuters
In September, regions of the Sahara Desert—one of the driest places on Earth—experienced two days of unprecedented rainfall not seen in half a century, leading to widespread flooding and the formation of temporary lakes.
Satellite images captured stunning visuals of water flowing through desert dunes.
A woman looks out from her balcony at vehicles trapped in the street by flooding in Valencia, Spain, on Oct. 30. Photo by AP
A flash flood caused by heavy rains on Oct. 29 in Valencia became one of Spain's most devastating natural disasters in decades, killing over 200 people and destroying significant infrastructure.
The rainfall was caused by the "gota fría" phenomenon, where cold air moves over warm Mediterranean waters, quickly forming storm clouds and unleashing torrential downpours across eastern Spain.
Singer Taylor Swift kisses her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, to celebrate the team’s victory over the San Francisco 49ers in NFL Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas, on Feb. 11. Photo by Shutterstock
Earlier this month, Taylor Swift concluded her record-breaking "The Eras Tour," which featured 149 concerts and grossed over $2 billion in ticket sales alone, setting a new benchmark in the global entertainment industry.
According to Forbes, the tour’s earnings propelled Taylor Swift past Rihanna to become the world’s wealthiest female singer, with a net worth of $1.6 billion.
Brazilian athlete Gabriel Medina celebrates during the men’s surfing competition in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, held in Teahupo’o, on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, on July 29. Photo by AFP
Medina scored 9.9 points, setting an Olympic record in the third round.
In a viral image, the 30-year-old athlete appears suspended mid-air alongside his surfboard, prompting many to think the photo was digitally altered. This moment became the highlight of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Baby hippo Moo Deng eats with her mother as people take photos of them at Khao Kheow Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand, Sept. 16. Photo by Reuters
A pygmy hippo, born on July 10, Moo Deng quickly became a global sensation after her caretaker shared daily videos of her life online.
Zoo director Narungwit Chodchoy reported a surge in visitors eager to see Moo Deng, including many international tourists.
Lava crosses the main road to Grindavík and flows on the road leading to the Blue Lagoon, in Grindavík, Iceland, Feb. 8. Photo by AP
A volcano in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the third time since December and sent jets of lava into the sky. The eruption triggered the evacuation the Blue Lagoon spa which is one of the island nation's biggest tourist attractions.
