Krupa Shah
Editor-in-chief
2018 was a wonderful year filled with highs and lows. Politically it was a historic year from the various summits, protests, and unprecedented wins. From natural disasters, political scandals, and deaths to major pop culture moments and political wins, 2018 was one of the most chaotic and tumultuous years. It was filled with cultural and and diverse unity amongst all members. While 2018 was a turbulent year, it was extremely rewarding for all of the hard-workers, the movers and shakers who strived to make the best out of the year. 2018 was amazing but 2019 will be even better.
January
· Federal government shutdown over DACA
· 2017-18 flu seasons results in dozens of deaths
· Tsunami alert is released for those in Alaska and the surrounding area after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake strikes the state
February
· 2018 Winter Olympics are held in Pyeongchang, South Korea
· Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida kills 17 and injures 17 others
· Rick Gates admits to conspiracy and lying to investigators a part of a plea deal
· Paul Manafort is indicted with five federal criminal charges including money laundering and lobbying violations
· “Black Panther” is released in theaters
· Philadelphia Eagles win their first Super-Bowl title
March
· Democrat Conor Lamb wins the special Congressional election in Pennsylvania’s 18th district.
· In response to the lack of gun violence legislation, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida organized a school walkout which triggered thousands more across the country
· In over 900 cities, including those internationally, millions of people participated in protests and demonstrations against gun violence and the recent slew of mass shootings, especially those in schools. The protests called for stronger gun laws and would eventually be called “The March for Our Lives.”
April
· “Avengers: Infinity War” is released in theaters.
· Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testifies before several US Senate committees in a joint session after it was revealed that private Facebook user data had been mishandled by tech company, Cambridge Analytica.
· Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo is confirmed as the next Secretary of State after former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was ousted.
· Kim Jong-un crosses into South Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in marking a historic visit.
· Beyonce makes history as the first black female artist to headline at Coachella.
· Former First Lady Barbara Bush passes away
May
· Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed at St. George’s Chapel in England officially becoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
· President Trump announces his desire to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement.
· Kilauea volcano erupts in Hawaii forcing many to evacuate
· School shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas claims the lives of ten individuals while ten others are injured.
· ABC TV cancels the reboot of “Roseanne” after lead actress Roseanne Barr tweets a racist comment that compared former Obama administration member, Valerie Jarrett, to an ape.
June
· North Korea and United States Summit is held in Singapore. This is the first summit between North Korean and American leaders.
· Anthony Bourdain passes away
· “Oceans 8”, “Incredibles 2”, and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” are released in theaters.
· Supreme Court rules on the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case in which a baker refused to bake a custom wedding cake for a gay couple. In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Colorado baker saying that his First Amendment rights had been infringed upon.
July
· The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century occurs.
· Scott Pruitt resigns as the Administrator of the EPA.
· President Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court
· President Trump attends the NATO Summit in Brussels.
· Mueller charges twelve Russian intelligence officers with hacking during the 2016 Presidential Election.
· President Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin for closed discussions in Helsinki, Finland.
· “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Mission: Impossible-Fallout” are released in theaters.
August
· Aretha Franklin passes away
· Ongoing wildfires in California are declared the largest in state history.
· Former Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleads guilty to eight charges including tax evasion, making false statements to a financial institution, willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and making an excessive campaign contribution at the request of a candidate or campaign.
· Former Senator John McCain passes away
September
· Christine Blasey Ford testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee after she and others alleged that Justice Brett Kavanaugh engaged in some sort of sexual misconduct.
· A 7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Sulawesi, Indonesia which caused a tsunami that killed at least 2,256 people and injured more than 10,679 others.
· India’s Supreme Court decriminalizes homosexuality.
· Hurricane Florence becomes the first major hurricane of the 2018 hurricane season.
October
· “Washington Post” journalist Jamal Khashoggi is murder inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
· Senate confirms Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court with a close vote of 50-48.
· Hurricane Michael makes landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida with winds of 155 mph making it the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States since Hurricane Camille in 1969.
· Nikki Haley, a senior Trump cabinet member and America’s ambassador to the UN, resigns.
· A bomb is found at George Soros's home with other suspected explosives being sent to former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Packages containing suspicious powder are addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. Other packages were found addressed to other high profile individuals. Later, another suspicious package was addressed to actor Robert De Niro while two others were addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden. A suspect was later detained by the FBI who is believed to have sent the packages.
· A mass shooting occurs at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which claims the lives of eleven. A 46-year-old suspect is arrested.
· 800 soldiers are deployed to the Mexico-US Border in order to reinforce protection as a result of the incoming migrant caravans.
November
· Midterm elections that changed the scope of politics where democrats gained a majority in the House but lost two seats in the Senate.
· Attorney General Jeff Sessions is ousted by President Trump.
· Camp Fire ignites in California becoming the state’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire.
· Michael Cohen pleads guilty to lying to Congress in relation to the Russia probe.
· Former President George H.W. Bush passes away
December
· The Yellow Vest protests in France unfold where it is evident that the nation is facing its worst period of civil unrest in decades
· The Dow Jones closes at 22,445.37 points, the worst week in history since 2008
· “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “Mary Poppins Returns,” and “Aquaman” are released in theaters
· The United States enters a partial government shut down after budget negotiations in Congress fail.
· Senator Elizabeth Warren announces her intention to run in the 2020 presidential election.
