A great friend of mine got married over the weekend. Whereas in some circles that might not sound like such a big deal; if you knew this guy the way that I do, you’d know that this momentous day was nothing short of a miracle. As recently as January, dude was as single as a dollar bill and now, barely 12months later, he was literally on the verge of walking down the aisle!
While we drove over to his family home on Saturday morning to get him suited up for the big occasion (just the two of us in the car), we joked about it; cos I still couldn’t believe it really was him about to make that delicate life-altering decision—the decision to share his bed with another human for the rest of his life! To my mind, it kind of felt like I was driving to the Vatican with the Pope, and the Pope was about to say the vows!
Such has been the year 2024: marked by great individual milestones, advancements in technology, mind-bending engineering feats, political upheavals and phenomenal comebacks, and other occurrences, in-between, that generally reshaped many landscapes. As the year comes to a screeching stop, we review a few of the most significant events that defined the past 12months.
One of the most staggering events was the United States presidential election in November, that was nothing short of historic. Donald Trump made a remarkable comeback, securing a second non-consecutive term by severely mauling Kamala Harris, who stepped in as the Democratic nominee following Joe Biden’s questionable withdrawal from the race. The election cycle was punctuated by intense political discourse and two attempts on Trump’s life, highlighting the polarized nature of politics in America.
Speaking of which, the American space exploration company, SpaceX, pulled off perhaps the most courageous engineering undertaking in the history of mankind by successfully catching a humongous rocket mid-air, back in October—and, yes, on first attempt! If you thought sending a 40-stories-tall, 5million kilogram structure into space is insane enough, think of the level of madness it takes to remotely consider catching anything near that size as it plummets towards the earth!
Also, the earth shook, buildings crumbled and lives ceased, under the wrath of Israel’s brutal military assault, which has seen the Middle East war enter its second year. Israel’s military operation escalated, sucking its neighbors—Lebanon, Syria, and Iran—into the conflict. The result was the elimination of several high-ranking political and military figures in the region which, on one hand, has significantly disrupted the leadership structures and operational capabilities of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, but on the other hand, may have invigorated the vicious cycle of retaliatory attacks on Israel.
Over here, in what some perceived as a crafty retaliatory move by the authorities to undercut the local traders for passionately disagreeing with the Ugandan President over tax policies earlier in the year, the Chinese retail store, China Town, swung its doors open to the local market in August. And right about that time when rumor hit the airwaves that the cheapest stuff in the history of cheap stuff was now available at China Town, a multitude of thrilled shoppers from across the country thronged the store resulting in overcrowding and eventual temporary closure of the store. All that excitement soon died—in case you’re wondering!
On the sporting front, the 2024 Paris Olympics were a beacon of joy and unity. Or at least they were supposed to be, and then the script somehow changed at the last minute! Celebrating the 100th anniversary since Paris last hosted the Games, the July event introduced new sports like break dancing, skateboarding, gay parading, and mockery of the LORD’s supper! If you didn’t notice drag queens dangling their genitals on live TV, you’re officially blind. The Paris Olympics also saw the emergence of an unexpected sporting event: “who gets to sweat the least”, as the athletes suffered the effects of a faulty air conditioning system at the Olympics sporting village.
Speaking of suffering, after 13 years of civil war, it was a sad day (pun unintended!) in December for Syrian ex-president, Dr. Bashar Assad, as he suffered defeat after opposition forces took control of the country’s capital, Damascus. As a professional ophthalmologist, himself, it’s a bit shocking he didn’t see this coming! Nonetheless, the capture of Damascus resulted in Assad taking flight like he was fleeing a crime scene—well, which’s sort of accurate actually, cos reports indicate that more than half-a-million people lost their lives under his heavy-handed leadership. Or maybe–just maybe–having been at the helm for twenty-four years, he got bored of the dictator gig and decided to take an indefinite vacation in Moscow.
Assad’s humiliating ousting is testament that even the roughest of patches can and will come to an end. As the curtains close on a triumphant or chaotic 2024—depending on your vantage point—raise your glasses to a year that proved that if you think you’ve seen it all, the world will gladly prove you wrong. Here’s to a glorious 2025 filled with the unexpected! Happy New Year!
Related story: 2024 in the making.
