A look back at 70 important events of 2024

King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave the London Clinic on January 29 in London, England. The King received treatment for an enlarged prostate. He spent three nights at the London Clinic and was visited daily by his wife, Queen Camilla.

Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Super Bowl LVIII game on February 11. The Chiefs defended their title in spectacular fashion, beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in what was only the second Super Bowl to go to overtime. They are the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls since New England in 2005. Mahomes was named MVP of the game, for the third time in the last five years.

The late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was buried on March 1, 2024 in a Moscow cemetery where thousands had gathered, two weeks after his death in an Arctic prison. The death of Mr. Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most formidable opponent, prompted condemnation from world leaders and accusations from his aides that he had been assassinated. The Kremlin denied any involvement in his death. Mr. Navalny was 47 years old.

Russian President Vladimir Putin waves to the crowd on March 18 as Russian citizens gather in Red Square. President Putin won the Russian elections by an overwhelming majority. With this victory, he has extended his reign until at least 2030.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands in front of the coffin of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney during his state funeral at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, March 23. Mr. Mulroney, who made his mark on the political scene in the 1980s by signing an innovative free trade agreement with the United States, which was later extended to Mexico, died on February 29, 2024. He was 84 years old.

On March 24, Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery earlier this year and revealed that cancer had subsequently been discovered. She said she was receiving preventive chemotherapy and asked that her privacy and that of her family be respected.

Aerial view of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ home during a federal law enforcement raid on March 25 in Los Angeles, California. Authorities searched two of Combs’ homes because he is the target of a federal investigation that deals with crimes related to human trafficking. The investigation stems from a large number of sexual assault allegations made in several civil lawsuits against Combs. Combs’ attorney said “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every day to clear his name.”

The cargo ship Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26 in Baltimore, Maryland. According to reports, a work crew was repairing potholes on the bridge, which is used by around 30,000 people every day, when the ship struck the bridge at around 1:30am. The accident led to the temporary closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the largest and busiest on the US East Coast.

The Moon passes in front of the Sun during a total solar eclipse in North America on April 8. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun.

An Israeli military spokesman poses next to an Iranian ballistic missile that fell in Israel during a visit to the Julis military base near the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Malachi. Iran carried out an unprecedented direct attack against Israel on the night of April 13-14, using more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, in retaliation for the deadly April 1 airstrike against the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

Switzerland’s Nemo celebrates his trophy as winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 final on May 12 in the Malmö arena. Nemo won over the crowds with a stunning rendition of “The Code”, a multi-faceted anthem about their journey towards acceptance of their non-binary identity.

This image taken from video footage obtained by AFPTV shows security personnel carrying Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to a vehicle after he was shot in Handlova on May 15. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot five times. Police have charged a man with attempted murder.

Former President Donald Trump walks away after speaking at a press conference in the lobby of Trump Tower, the day after he was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York, NY, on May 31. Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a serious felony, as a New York jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by paying bribes to a pornographic actor who claimed the two had had sex.

The Real Madrid team celebrates after winning the Champions League final on Saturday June 1. Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to win their record 15th European Cup.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft mounted on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41 during NASA’s Boeing Crew Test Flight at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 5. The mission is to send two astronauts to the International Space Station. The mission was scheduled to last eight days. But astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will spend almost six months in orbit after defects were identified on the space capsule.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets his supporters on June 4 in New Delhi, India. The National Democratic Alliance is poised to return to power after managing to win or lead in 292 seats, despite a fierce fight from the Congress-led INDIA bloc.

Confetti falls after the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on June 17. The Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games to claim their 18th title, a league record.

In this photo released by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after a signing ceremony following their bilateral talks at the Kumsusan state residence in Pyongyang, June 19, 2024. Russia and North Korea took their ties to a “new level”, pledging to help each other in the event of an attack by either country.

The 2024 Stanley Cup champions are the Florida Panthers after their 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24 in Sunrise, Florida.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (C) waves as he arrives at Canberra airport on June 26, 2024, after pleading guilty in a US court in Saipan to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate information relating to the national defense of the United States. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returned home to Australia to begin his life as a free man for the first time in 12 years, after admitting to revealing US defense secrets in a deal that unlocked the door to his London jail cell.

U.S. President Joe Biden and former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump take part in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN’s Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. Mr. Biden seemed to have difficulty expressing himself several times during the debate. He repeatedly cleared his throat or coughed. This performance by President Biden sounded the beginning of the end for his re-election.

People clear the rubble from the building of one of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospitals, “Okhmatdyt”, partially destroyed by a Russian missile strike on July 8 in Kiev, Ukraine. In the morning, the Russian army carried out a massive missile forward attack on the Ukrainian cities of Kiev, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, using more than 40 missiles of various types. In Kiev, residential buildings, infrastructure and the “Okhmatdyt” children’s hospital were damaged. Rescuers continue to search for people under the rubble.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is applauded as he emerges from 10 Downing Street to greet newly elected Scottish MPs in London on July 9, following the weekly cabinet meeting. Mr. Starmer became First Minister following the center-left Labour Party’s landslide victory in the general election, which ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

American actor Alec Baldwin hugs his lawyer Alex Spiro at the end of his manslaughter trial in Santa Fe County District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 12. Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial was dismissed by a judge who ruled that critical evidence concerning a fatal shooting on the set of “Rust” had not been disclosed to the defense.

Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, is removed from the stage at a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter was killed by the Secret Service, the agency said. The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, and authorities said he was on the roof of a building just outside the rally site. One rally participant, Corey Comperatore, was killed and two others were seriously wounded.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi lifts the trophy after the Copa America final match between Colombia and Argentina on Sunday, July 14, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Argentina has now won the Copa America a record 16 times.

On July 15 in Berlin, Spain defeated England to win Euro 2024. Spain’s Rodri celebrates with his teammates. This is Spain’s fourth Euro title, following those of 1964, 2008 and 2012, while England, beaten by Italy on penalties at Euro 2020, are unlikely to win their second European Championship in a row.

General view of Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, on July 19 as passengers gather and wait due to the worldwide communications outage caused by CrowdStrike, which provides cybersecurity services to US technology company Microsoft. Worldwide, technological disruptions have affected airlines, banks, businesses, schools and administrations, as well as some health and emergency services.

On July 19, Evan Gershkovich, the first American journalist to be arrested for spying in Russia since the Cold War, listens to his verdict in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia. He was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The US government, his newspaper and his supporters denounced the case as a sham.

The winner of the 111th Tour de France, Tadej Pogačar, celebrates his success in Nice, France, on July 21. The Slovenian dominated the race from start to finish, achieving feats not seen in over a quarter of a century.

On July 21 and 22, 2024, two landslides buried two villages in Ethiopia’s southern regional state. Search and rescue operations continue in the Gofa region. Devastating landslides have killed more than 257 people, according to the United Nations.

U.S. President Joe Biden, 81, delivers a speech in the Oval Office on July 24 to explain his historic decision not to seek re-election in 2024 and to pass the torch to Kamala Harris, with the White House denying any cover-up regarding his health.

On July 26, France hosted the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. It was the first time in the history of the Summer Olympics that the opening ceremony took place outside a stadium. Here, a view of the Eiffel Tower in the Trocadero stadium.

Iranians attend the funeral procession of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on August 1. Hamas said its political leader had been killed in an Israeli strike in Iran on July 31. Haniyeh was killed by an explosive device that had been hidden in the guest house where he was staying.

Evan Gershkovich is greeted by his family on August 1 as he returned home after the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) completed a seven-nation prisoner swap at Prince George’s County Airport, Maryland, USA. Mr. Gershkovich was among those released as part of a historic prisoner exchange with Russia.

Team USA athlete Simone Biles shows off her gold medal after winning the women’s artistic gymnastics all-around final at the Paris 2024 Olympics on August 1. Many consider Biles to be the greatest gymnast of all time. She has won more Olympic medals than any other American gymnast in history.

Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in the Russian border region of Kursk on August 6, 2024, capturing more than two dozen towns and villages in the largest cross-border attack on Russian soil since the Second World War. Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrsky told President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video posted on August 12, 2024, that his troops now controlled around 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory and were continuing “offensive operations”.

Brazil’s Marta da Silva thanks fans minutes after the end of the women’s gold medal match between Brazil and the United States at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at the Parc des Princes on August 10 in Paris, France. It was the football legend’s last major appearance for his country. The Americans won 1-0.

On August 12, Greek civil protection authorities ordered the evacuation of several towns in the north-eastern suburbs of Athens, threatened by a violent fire that broke out the day before and is spreading. This photograph shows the Parthenon temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in a cloud of smoke from the forest fire.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the epicenter of a smallpox epidemic declared a global health emergency on August 16 by the World Health Organization. African countries could start vaccinating against smallpox in the coming days, according to the continent’s leading public health agency.

This photo taken in Rome shows the blue Super Moon rising above the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on August 19. A blue Super Moon is a rare cosmic combination of a Super Moon and a blue moon. The last time this lunar event occurred was in August 2023.

View of the main stage during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games took place from August 28 to September 8. Some 4,400 athletes took part in 549 medal events in 22 sports.

American actress Sigourney Weaver receives the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in Italy on August 28.

A health worker administers the polio vaccine to a Palestinian child in Zawayda, in the central Gaza Strip, on September 1, in the context of the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. The World Health Organization said Israel had agreed to at least three days of “humanitarian pause” in parts of the Gaza Strip, from August 31, to facilitate a vaccination campaign after the territory recorded its first case of polio in a quarter of a century.

Gisèle Pélicot, escorted by her lawyer and one of her sons, speaks to the media on September 5 as she leaves the courthouse during the trial of her husband accused of drugging her for almost ten years and inviting strangers to rape her at their home in Mazan, a small town in the south of France, in Avignon. The case involves 50 co-defendants. The defendants, 18 of whom are on remand, are men aged between 21 and 68 at the time of the events.

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (R) shakes hands with former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10. It was the first meeting between the two politicians.

This image, taken from a SpaceX video, shows Jared Isaacman leading a private spacewalk during the Polaris Dawn mission on September 11. Jared Isaacman was part of the four-person civilian crew that was the first group of non-governmental astronauts to perform a spacewalk. They have traveled further into space than any human since the end of NASA’s Apollo program over 50 years ago. Two crew members, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, have traveled farther from Earth than any other women in history.

Ambulances are surrounded by people at the entrance to the American University Medical Center in Beirut, on September 17. Hundreds of people were injured when Hezbollah members’ paging devices exploded simultaneously across Lebanon. Israel was behind the forward, which was a joint operation by the intelligence services and the Israeli army. The Israeli army, which has engaged in reciprocal strikes with Hezbollah since the start of the war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza last year, declined to comment publicly on the explosions. The following day, dozens of walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon, killing more than 20 people and injuring more than 600, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, which said the devices concerned belonged to members of Hamas.

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers becomes, on September 19 in Miami, Florida, the first player in Major League Baseball history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

On October 1, Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, received the baton of command from the 70 indigenous and Afro-American peoples after the presidential inauguration in the main plaza of the Zocalo.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, talk to members of the emergency services during a visit to the Southport Community Center on October 10 in Southport, England. This was Catherine’s first public appearance since completing her chemotherapy treatment.

Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the 2024 Chicago Marathon and set a new world record with a time of 2:09:56, nearly two minutes better than the previous record, on October 13 in Chicago, Illinois.

Model Tyra Banks walks the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 in Brooklyn, New York, on October 15. The show returned after a six-year hiatus.

Meredith Gaudreau, wife of former Columbus Blue Jackets player Johnny Gaudreau, with her children at a memorial service for Johnny and his brother Matthew before the start of the game between the Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers at Nationwide Arena on October 15 in Columbus, Ohio. Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed when they were struck by a suspected drunk driver on August 29.

SpaceX successfully launched Starship’s final (5th) test flight on October 13, 2024. For the first time, this demonstration mission succeeded in catching the 232-foot-high (71-meter) rocket booster in mid-air at the Starbase site near Boca Chica Beach in Texas, USA, using a pair of massive metal clamps, which SpaceX calls “wands”.

Members of the New York Liberty pose after defeating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime to win the championship in Game Five of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 20, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. This is the franchise’s first WNBA title.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for a photo with students at the Sydney Opera House on October 22, 2024. Charles is making his first major trip abroad since being diagnosed with cancer.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and his son Bronny play briefly together during the team’s season opener on Tuesday, October 22. They are the first father-son duo to appear together in an NBA game.

The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees in Game Five to win the World Series on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 in New York. This is the eighth title in franchise history and the first since 2020.

Flood-damaged houses line the river in Chiva, in the Valencia region of eastern Spain, after the catastrophic floods. The catastrophic floods at the end of October left at least 226 people dead, according to the authorities. Deadly flash floods hit southern and eastern Spain. Some areas received up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours.

Republican presidential nominee former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters with former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump at an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Republican candidate, who served from 2017 to 2021, defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to complete a historic political comeback. He is only the second president in history to win a non-consecutive term.

American tennis sensation Coco Gauff lifts the Billie Jean King trophy after winning the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday November 9. Gauff, 20, beat China’s Qinwen Zheng in the singles final. She is the youngest player since 2004 to win the prestigious tournament, reserved for the world’s best players.

President Joe Biden shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. The two men shook hands in front of the press, and Mr. Biden congratulated Mr. Trump and promised him a “smooth transition”. Mr. Trump said that while “politics is hard”, the world is “nice today”.

Taylor Swift performs on stage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at the Rogers Centre on November 14, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. This is the only Canadian city visited by the American star. The tour, which began on March 17, 2023, is by far the highest-grossing in music history, with earnings of US$2 billion.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, right, takes on youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul during their fight in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, November 15. Paul, 27, defeated Tyson, 58, by unanimous decision. Netflix announced that a record 60 million households had watched it.

Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, is crowned Miss Universe 2024 on November 16, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico, at the 73rd Miss Universe Competition. She is the first Dane to win the pageant.

On November 19, at his home in Malaga, Spain, tennis great Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after playing the last match of his career. Nadal lost in the Davis Cup quarter-finals to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. Rafael Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles in his career, the second most of any male player. Fourteen of these titles were won at Roland Garros, a record that earned him the nickname “King of Clay”.

1,000 days of war in Ukraine. On November 19, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine passed the 1,000-day mark. Since February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin’s troops have crossed their neighbor’s border, sowing death and desolation. November also marks the American authorization for Ukraine to use long-range missiles on Russian territory. People walk past the “Wall of Remembrance of the Dead for Ukraine” in Kiev.

Former One Direction member Harry Styles leaves after the funeral for singer Liam Payne, former member of One Direction, on November 20, 2024 in Amersham, UK. The private funeral attracted celebrities and fans wishing to pay their last respects. The singer died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16.

Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country to Moscow on December 8, bringing to an end his 14-year struggle to maintain control of a country fragmented by a brutal civil war. Assad’s overthrow came after opposition forces entered the Syrian capital of Damascus, ending half a century of his family’s rule.