By Jonathan Goodison Orr ’18 and William Hayward ’18, Staff Writers

2013 was a year of dynamic change and exciting growth in both economics, politics and social traditions. We got a new Pope, the Harlem Shake and the newest addition to the British Royal Family. However, we must not forget the hardships endured during this past year, such as the Westgate mall attack and the bombings in Boston that shocked the world. Over the course of this article it is our hope that we can properly reflect on the events that shaped the year.

January:

January was turbulent month for the world that set the tone for the year of robust change. January 11 was the first major date of the year, marking the first day of the Northern Mali insurgency, where a radical Al-Qaeda like group of extremists attempted to drive Malian forces out of the Northern part of the country. Their goal was to found a separate nation as a haven for extremists like themselves. However, French forces aided the government of Mali and brought the plot to a swift end. January 16 brought two new stories to the Month, the first being that Boeing’s newest and highly anticipated airliner, the 787 had been grounded after reports circulated that the plane had problems with the fuel line. This event had severe ripples through the airline industry. The second was the peak of the Manti Teo Girlfriend hoax, which as you will all recall was where San Diego Footballer Manti Teo entered a cycle of Confirming and denying the existence of his girlfriend which garnered the attention of the pop culture for weeks on end. But, What’s a January without controversy? On January 17, Oprah aired an interview with former professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong, in which the cyclist ‘came clean’.  The interview was not at center-stage for long though.  January 21st marked the second inauguration of Barack Obama as well as new chapter in US history. Also, January 24th ushered in the beginning of the North Korean nuclear crisis, where many people feared that North Korea had successfully tested a nuclear-type weapon would try to launch an attack on South Korea and possibly even the United States.

February:

February 1 began with the death of the great American lawyer, politician, and mayor of New York, Ed Koch. Known for his work as mayor in New York, Koch brought the city from bankruptcy to economic boom during his three terms from 1978 to 1989.  On February 10 the musical craze the “Harlem Shake” reached its peak in its media attention as well as views on websites like Vimeo and Youtube. Even the most unlikely of dancers got into the Harlem Shake, (Myself included), and it remains the biggest dance phenomenon of the year. On February 14, Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who defied the odds and everyone’s expectations at the Olympics, was charged with the murder of his girlfriend in the early morning at his home in South Africa. He was later released on bail. On February 15 the now famous Chelyabinsk meteor landed on earth just outside the small Russian town of Chelyabinsk. This meteor is notable for its not for its large size but the fact that it is one of the few sizable meteor impacts that occurred near a population center and recorded by civilians. Following the impact, the meteor shattered windows and created and deafening sound for miles around. Luckily, even the town of Chelyabinsk was far enough away that the impact only led to minor injuries in the population. On February 28 pope Benedict XVI resigned, bringing in the last and biggest piece of news for the month of February. Pope Benedict was the first pope to Resign since 1415, and his resignation, much like his tenure, did not fail to garner headlines. The questions of “What does a retired pope do?” filled our minds for quite sometime following the announcement, and although his next steps are uncertain we at least hope he gets to keep the Popemobile.

March:

March’s first major news story came on the 5th, When Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez died of cancer at his home again in the early morning, and following his death, although their were some allegations of foul play, the story was generally ignored by many Western news outlets due to Chavez’s socialist policies and dictator-like status. Regardless, it cannot be denied that he had a profound effect in both his native Venezuela as well as the entire political landscape of Latin and South America. March 13 was the next major date of the month, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the progressive Archbishop of Buenos Aires and later cardinal was elected pope by the 2013 papal conclave following the retirement of his successor, Benedict. The world watched with baited breath as the white smoke rose from Saint Peters Basilica, to see who would be the new spiritual leader of 33% of the worlds population. Following his election, it was immediately clear that his time as Pope would be extremely different from that of his predecessors, going out of his way to comfort the poor, sick and generally disenfranchised whenever he can, reminding us the one fundamental tenant of what was taught to the ancient Jews all those years ago, that we have a responsibility to look out for the weakest among us, and that doing good deeds should not be conditional, but rather commonplace in society.

April:

Aprils first major event transpired on the 8th, with the death of “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher. One cannot have a discussion about great politicians or great leaders without mentioning her. Margaret Thatcher’s achievements include being England’s first female Prime Minister, The first Female Prime Minister in the West, the Longest Serving English Prime Minister of the 20th Century, Completely transforming English Politics and economics and is second only to Reagan and Gorbachev in ending the Cold War. After a successful 20 years with the Conservative party in Parliament, Thatcher became leader of the opposition and ultimately Prime Minister after winning the 1979 general election. Upon moving into 10 Downing Street, Thatcher introduced a series of political and economic initiatives intended to reverse high unemployment and Britain’s struggles in the wake of the Winter of Discontent and an ongoing recession. Thatcher’s popularity during her first years in office waned amid recession and high unemployment until the 1982 Falklands War brought a resurgence of support, resulting in her re-election in 1983. Thatcher was re-elected for a third term in 1987, where she maintained many of the policies of her first and second terms along with maintaining key strategic talks with U.S President Ronald Reagan which tremendously helped bring the Cold War to a decisive end by the time her tenure as Prime Minister came to an end. Margaret Thatcher, even in her later days, continued and her legacy still continues to be a true force to be reckoned with. However, April still had quite a few more unwelcome surprises for us. On April 15, at the conclusion of a relatively quiet and upbeat annual Boston Marathon, 2 explosives detonated at the finish line, leaving 3 people dead and another 264 wounded, one of the dead was an eight year old boy, Martin Richard, who was killed by the second bomb. 3 days later, the primary suspects, the Tsarnaev brothers, shot and killed an MIT security officer and stole his car in an attempt to escape the Boston area. The police were able to track their movements by the cellphone they had stolen of the dead officer’s body. The next day, a shootout in the Suburb of Watertown saw another police officer dead, but, Dzhokhar was finally taken into custody (The other brother, Tamerlan, was killed in the firefight) and unsurprisingly was sentenced to death after trial. Although nothing can fill the void left by dead family members and friends, Boston is a city that is more resilient than most, and much like New York following 9/11, I have a feeling that they will emerge stronger than ever.  April 24th brought the last major piece of April News to our attention, in the form the Bangladesh Building Collapse, which left 1,129 dead and is regarded as the deadliest structural failure in history. This tragedy can largely be attributed to the ignorance of building inspectors, and the Savar Building which contained clothing factories, a bank, apartments and several shops collapsed, generating worldwide attention and sorrow for the affected families.

May:

May was a month of great growth as well as great destruction.  The month began with the shocking news on May 7th that the first 3D printed gun had been successfully test fired.  The gun was deemed a serious safety hazard by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms because of the fact that metal detectors cannot uncover this weapon. Additionally, the 3D files for this gun and many others are available to anyone that wants them, and this allows all those with a 3D printer or access to one, the ability to possess a gun.  The potential destruction that can be done by these weapons is alarming. The completion of one World Trade Center on May 10th followed, putting the destruction of the 9/11 attacks behind our nation.  The building with the iconic height of 1,776 feet became not only the tallest building in the western hemisphere, but the third tallest in the world.  On this day ironworkers hoisted the final piece of the 408 foot spire into place. May 26 brought unwelcome news though,  as a series of incredibly devastating tornadoes tore through middle America, hitting the states of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas particularly hard. In light of the terrible Joplin, Missouri tornado in 2012, aid was quick to arrive in the affected areas, and reconstruction soon followed. Although nothing can truly repair lives and property lost, at least this tragedy was quickly visibly erased from the areas it struck.

June:

June was a month of highs and lows, whose news began on June 3rd, with the death of legendary Congressman Frank Lautenberg. Lautenberg, who took office in 1982 as Democratic Senator From New Jersey, served an immensely successful 19 years in Congress, worked wonders for his home state, which at the time he was elected was in dire trouble. With a massive and steadily growing debt issue, widespread corruption and a steep rise in crime and poverty, many had given up on the state. But not Frank Lautenberg, who stepped up and reminded us that our problems were not beyond solving and slowly but surely, he made not only a lasting positive impact on his home state, but also the nation. After 10 years of Lautenberg on the Senate, New Jersey saw one of its most prosperous periods in history with unemployment and crime down and median household incomes up. After a brief hiatus beginning in 2001, Lautenberg came back to the Senate again 2003, to once again combat the same issues he faced when he first stepped in the ring, such as crime and poverty. And although these are problems that may never truly disappear, we owe it to Frank for making our state one of the shining examples of what hard work and determination can create. Lautenberg served until his death on the 3rd, his legacy holds strong. And he would be pleased to know that his successor, Newark mayor Cory Booker, shares many of the same values that he did, and that his seat and his seat are in more than good hands. June 6th was a day that changed the world in more ways than one, because June 6th was the day that NSA Analyst Edward Snowden, shortly after flying to Hong Kong, leaked thousands of classified documents to British Newspaper The Guardian, where it was discovered that the U.S government, particularly the NSA, had been tapping into millions of emails and cell phones without warrants, as well as the communications of foreign leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel. This sparked major controversy in both the U.S and around the world, some praising him a hero, some proclaiming him a traitor. Regardless, reforms came in January of this this year, limiting some of the NSA’s power although some say it’s still not enough. He has since taken asylum in Russia. In the end, the issue is still hotly debated throughout the country, and I have a feeling that this will continue for quite a while.