The news that went viral in 2014
JANUARY.
Colorado became the first US state to legalize cannabis. The state’s tax returns confirm that it was an excellent idea. Let Snoop convey the mood.
FEBRUARY
Pharell Williams’ Happy became the feelgood hit of the year. Except it didn’t make us feel very good at all.
Jimmy Fallon replaced Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. There are already a whole load of unforgettable moments.
MARCH
The Oscars got the show-stopping selfie they deserve.
There was chaos at SXSW. Chaos and pizza.
APRIL
A white Australian female rapper dominated the Billboard charts. Sounds strange, but Iggy Azalea totally did it.
Crimea gets annexed. The new Attorney General, Natalia Poklonskaya, draws the attention of the Japanese internet. They think she’s kawaii.
MAY
Google changed their logo. Kind of.
The Eurovision Song Contest was won by a bearded lady, Conchita Wurst.
Gangnam Style became the first video to reach 2 billion views on YouTube. Meanwhile, people started making PSY appear in all sorts of interesting places.
JUNE
Relations between Russia and the US had been even shakier than usual after
the annexation of Crimea. When Obama and Putin finally had to meet at the D-Day commemoration, things were, yeah, a little tense.
JULY
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was just about inescapable. If you did escape being challenged, it’s probably because you live in a cave and have no friends. Fresh versions of the challenge appeared daily, with some huge names: Bill Gates, Dave Grohl, Patrick Stewart, and so many more. But Kermit was our favorite.
Airbnb changed their logo, and, well, it didn’t go so well for them. This guy sums it up with a catchy chorus:
AUGUST
A 4chan user leaked private nudes of some A-list celebrities. Enthusiasts quickly called the leak The Fappening. For many, it was a serious breach of privacy. For others, it was just another opportunity to laugh at celebrities.
SEPTEMBER
There were some doubts about the durability of the new iPhone. Turned out to be a false alarm. But for a while the internet was all abuzz with Bendgate. This Matrix reaction video is priceless.
OCTOBER
America had an unexpected and unpleasant visitor: Ebola. Thankfully it didn’t cause too many casualties. Below is an animated 3D model of the cute little fella.
NOVEMBER
Kim Kardashian’s ass broke the internet.
DECEMBER
The Russian Ruble went down, down, down.
