JAN 7 Charlie Hebdo shooting
Twelve people were killed when two masked gunmen stormed the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris – an attack said to be in retaliation of the magazine’s often controversial depictions of Muhammad.
Brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi – who identified themselves as belonging to the Islamist terrorist group Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen – were killed by police two days later, after a manhunt and eight-hour siege in which the men took hostages.
More than one and a half million people, led by numerous world leaders, took to the streets of the French capital on January 11 in a mass show of solidarity after the attacks.
JAN 25 Australian of the Year announced
Rosie Batty was named Australian of the Year after overcoming the tragedy of losing her son, Luke – who was murdered by his father in February 2014 – to campaign against family violence. Dedicating the award to Luke, Ms Batty said, “Family violence may happen behind closed doors but it needs to be brought out of the shadows and into broad daylight.”
After mounting public pressure, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in September announced a multimillion-dollar program to put a stop to domestic violence cases across the country. As of mid-November, 76 women had been killed by violence in Australia.
FEB 22 Patricia Arquette calls for equal pay for women during Oscars speech
Accepting her Best Supporting Actress gong, Patricia Arquette made an impassioned plea for equality. “To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights,” she said. “It’s time to have wage equality once and for all. And equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
Throughout the year, other big names in Hollywood – including Jennifer Lawrence, Reece Witherspoon and Toni Collette – added their voices to the cause.
APR 6 – MAY 9 Prince Harry Australian tour
His Royal Highness (or Hotness, according to his scores of female admirers) Prince Harry spent a month long Army sabbatical in Australia in April. Captain Harry Wales trained with Australia’s elite Special Forces, flew a black hawk in Sydney, politely rejected numerous marriage proposals and even wrestled a crocodile! Come back soon, Harry!
APR 25 ANZAC centenary
A record 120,000 people attended the dawn service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. Anzac Cove in Gallipoli also hosted over 8,000 Australians and 2,000 New Zealanders, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Prince Charles both delivered moving tributes. Lest we forget.
APR 29 Bali Nine executions
Despite numerous legal appeals, clemency pleas from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and a public outpouring of mercy cries, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed by firing squad ten years after they were arrested for trying to smuggle drugs out of Indonesia.
Shortly before their executions, Chan married his fiancée Febyanti Herewila in a prison ceremony, and Sukumaran painted several poignant artworks depicting his state of mind.
MAY 2 Princess Charlotte born
Did we not all smile in delight (and awe!) when Kate Middleton stepped out of hospital holding Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana a mere nine hours after giving birth? We did! And did we not smile even wider when, two months later, the beautiful bub was christened wearing her brother George’s gorgeous christening dress? We can’t wait to see more of you, little lady.
JUN 2 Bruce Jenner reveals new identity on cover of Vanity Fair
Like them or loathe them you have to admit, those Kardashian/Jenners sure do know how to grab a headline. One of the biggest of the year befell Vanity Fair, when Bruce Jenner unveiled Caitlyn Jenner – the woman the former Olympic champion had transitioned into – on the cover of their July issue.
Caitlyn has since used her platform to raise awareness for the transgender community, and was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at this year’s ESPY Awards.
JUN – AUG Celebrity breakups
Turns out summer is the season to call it quits on a Hollywood relationship. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their separation, as did Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, and Gwen Sefani and Gavin Rossdale (all three couples of three children apiece).
But perhaps the most devastating celeb spilt came in August, when Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy put an end to their passionate affair. “After careful thought, thoughtful consideration and considerable squabbling, Miss Piggy made the difficult decision to terminate our romantic relationship,” Kermit wrote on Twitter. “We will continue to work together… However, our personal lives are now distinct and separate, and we will be seeing other people, pigs, frogs, et al.”
JUN 27 Love wins!
Millions of Americans celebrated after the US Supreme Court declared same sex marriage legal across all 50 states of the country. On behalf of the court, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, “Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”
JUL 19 Mick Fanning narrowly avoids shark attack
Aussie surfing champion Mick Fanning had to swim for his life after he was knocked off his board by a large shark during the televised final of the J-Bay open in South Africa.
“I was just sitting there and I felt something just get stuck in my leg rope, and I was kicking trying to get it away,” Fanning said. “I just saw fins. I was waiting for the teeth.” Right, thanks Mick. Remind us to never swim again.
SEP 2 Syrian refugee crisis worsens
The Syrian refugee crisis has been an issue since 2011, when civil war erupted in the volatile country and millions of people started to flee to neighbouring countries Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. But it wasn’t until this year, when 700,000 refugees and other migrants risked their lives to travel to Europe, that the western world started taking notice.
In particular the death of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old boy who was pictured lifeless on a Turkish beach, shocked and saddened the world, and brought into focus just how dire this situation is. 11 million Syrians are displaced; 4 million are refugees. More needs to be done to help.
SEP 19 Goodes gone
After 18 years, two premierships and two Brownlow medals, Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes quietly announced his retirement from the game after the Swans’ loss to North Melbourne in their semi-final.
The 2014 Australian of the Year had a controversial lead up to his retirement, when booing from crowds after he performed an indigenous war dance were labelled racially motivated. After taking time off in July to deal with the scrutiny, Goodes – an anti-racism ambassador for the Australian Human Rights Commission – decided it was time to hang up his boots.
SEP 14 (Another) leadership spill
Malcolm Turnbull became Australia’s 29th prime minister after beating Tony Abbott in a leadership ballot 54-44. Tony Abbott had fallen out of public favour after a series of gaffes, and in the short time Turnbull has been PM, two-party preferred polls are up, proving perhaps that the “knifing” was a good idea.
NOV 3 Historic Melbourne Cup win
With odds of about 100-1, Michelle Payne became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup.
Riding horse, Prince of Penzance, Payne bolted to the finish line and into hearts around the nation. Speaking to the crowd at Flemington after the race, the 30-year-old said, “Those who say women aren’t strong enough, get stuffed.” Hear, hear!
NOV 13 Paris shootings
Heartbreak hit Paris once more, as a series of coordinated terrorist attacks across the city killed 130 people. ISIS calmed responsibility for the attacks, which included a shooting at the Bataclan theatre that killed 89.
A state of emergency was declared and temporary border checks were introduced. On November 15, France launched an airstrike that hit targets in Al-Raqqah in Syria. On November 18, the suspected mastermind behind the attacks was killed in a police raid in Saint-Denis, along with at least two other people.
NOV 24 Bindi Irwin wins Dancing with the Stars
After dedicating her final dance to her late father Steve Irwin, 17-year-old wildlife warrior Bindi Irwin won America’s Dancing with the Stars.
Bindi and her dancing partner Derek Hough finished with a perfect score of 30 and had been a huge hit with fans week after week.
“Thank you so much for everything. I can’t believe I’m here. Thank you for changing my life,” Bindi said.
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