January: In the United States, the Affordable Care Act went into effect. ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) took control of Falluja, Iraq.
February: The Winter Olympics took place in Sochi, Russia. The Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa began, an epidemic which has infected over 18,000 people because of the cultural stigma associated with Ebola and lack of cures; the death rates continue to skyrocket.
March: Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared mid flight. Russia dispatched troops to Crimea. Violent protests erupted in Venezuela. North Korea held legislative elections, with 100% voter turnout reported (which is probably not true).
April: Donald Sterling, owner of the LA Clippers, was banned for life by the NBA for making racist remarks; he sold the team for $2 billion dollars. Boko Haram, a militant terrorist group, kidnapped more than 250 school girls in Chibok, Nigeria. A South Korean ferry capsized, killing approximately 300 people.
May: In the largest recorded election of all time, Narendra Modi was voted prime minister of India. Tensions increased between China and Vietnam because Chinese ships hit Vietnamese vessels. General Prayuth Chan-ocha staged a military coup in Thailand.
June: Mosul and Tikrit, both large cities in Iraq, were taken over by ISIS. The Palestinian Government announced a “Government of National Unity.” The Taliban attacked Pakistan’s largest airport, Jinnah International Airport.
July: Eric Garner, an unarmed, black Staten Island man, was killed by police via a chokehold, which the medical investigator ruled a homicide. The World Cup took place in Brazil; Germany won.
August: Michael Brown, an unarmed, black teenager, was killed by police in Missouri, igniting protests. ISIS beheaded American journalist James Foley.
September: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un disappeared for over a month, resulting in huge speculation and nationwide panic. Pakistani protesters clashed with the police in Islamabad, resulting in schools shutting down in Islamabad. Scotland voted to remain united with the United Kingdom.
October: Ex-president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, resigned after 27 years in office following widespread riots through the country, led by both citizens and high ranking government officials. President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, bombed Kurdish rebels.
November: The Republican Party received a majority of the seats in the midterm election in the House and the Senate. Former Iguala mayor Jose Luis Abarca was charged in the disappearance of 43 Mexican students.
December: The Senate Intelligence Committee released a report of the CIA’s torture techniques. A hostage situation erupted in Australia, and continues as of this newspaper’s press date.
Keep in mind that the media reports on the negative; I’ve yet to see a news story about kind dogs. This year seems to be turbulent in comparison, but there is still a lot of good that has taken place.