Mel JudsonList RulesVote up the people, places, things, ideas, memes, and other ~stuff~ that most defined 2018.
In 2018, news, culture, and people in general just moved a lot faster, turning days into whirlwinds of news updates, Instagram stories, and your high school friend's fifth consecutive motivational Facebook status of the day. To help catalog the year, here are 2018's trending topics, from the biggest news stories to the most popular trends. Some of them directly influenced 2019's most popular topics, but 2018 was truly a tale all its own.
The Royal Family had a baby and a wedding, while Facebook's previously unshakeable hold on the internet began to wane. More and more evidence came forward about election meddling by foreign powers, there was a historic summit with North Korea, and we all argued with our families about Yanny and Laurel. From important topics to notable memes, this is everything that went viral in 2018.
What were the biggest and most famous topics in 2018? What happened in 2018 that left a mark? Which of these things did your mom ask you to explain?
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1,332625Avengers: Infinity War is a 2018 American superhero film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo.... more on WikipediaThe Marvel film brought the Avengers and various other Marvel names together to fight Thanos.
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642333Wildfires In California
Throughout November, multiple wildfires burned in both northern and southern California. The Camp Fire was the deadliest US fire in 100 years, taking the lives of 85 people and burning over 150,000 acres in Butte County. The Woolsey Fire burned over 96,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and three people lost their lives.
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1,115643Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics character,... more on WikipediaThe 2018 film broke box office records.
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676401The Thai Boys Soccer Team
On June 23, a Thai boys soccer team hiking in a cave became trapped after seasonal flooding cut off their exit. Thai Navy SEALs ultimately freed all team members and their coach after 18 days and multiple rescue missions.
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On November 30, the 41st US president passed. He had suffered from a form of Parkinson's disease. His state funeral took place on December 5 and was attended by all living US presidents and numerous foreign dignitaries.
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North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia,... more on WikipediaNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump met in Singapore in June 2018.
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350206Spider-Man is a fictional superhero created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve... more on WikipediaBetween the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseand the Spider-Man PS4 game, Peter Parker's star shone brightly in 2018.
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522340Voting
2018 marked a midterm election year and saw celebrities and public figures across America encourage voting like never before.
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (born Rachel Meghan Markle; August 4, 1981), is an American-born... more on WikipediaThe biracial actor married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018.
10722521Child Immigrants Being Separated From Their Parents
The Trump administration's severe crackdown on immigration resulted in thousands of immigrant children being separated from their parents by the government.
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6885142018 FIFA World Cup
The international tournament took place in Russia between June 14 and July 15, 2018.
![Hurricane Florence]()
12356247Hurricane Florence
The Category 4 hurricane devastated the Carolinas and surrounding regions, with up to 35 inches of rain, severe flooding, and winds up to 140 mph. Many roads and highways remained flooded for weeks following the storm and at least 42 people lost their lives.
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The Queen of Soul passed on August 16 from advanced pancreatic cancer. Many notable people attended her funeral, held in Detroit, while others paid their respects during two days of public open casket visitations.
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465360March For Our Lives
The student-led demonstration in support of tighter gun control took place on March 24, 2018, in Washington, DC, following the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.
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1,108913Fortnite is a co-op sandbox survival game developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly, the... more on WikipediaThe 2017 co-op sandbox survival game gained further popularity and proved its staying power in 2018.
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5164072018 Winter Olympics
The Games, held in South Korea, made stars of Adam Rippon, Chloe Kim, and many other world-class athletes.
![Yanny Or Laurel]()
17595516Yanny Or Laurel
What did you hear? The audio clip caused rifts between friends, families, and coworkers.
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272227Red Dead Redemption 2 (stylized as Red Dead Redemption II) is a Western-themed... more on WikipediaThe latest installment in the series was widely praised by players and critics and spawned all manner of hilarious memes.
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335287thank u, next
Ariana Grande's hit single took the pop charts by storm on November 3. Naming four of her exes, including Pete Davidson, the song broke multiple records and debuted at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. On November 30, Grande released a music video for the track which pays homage to the films Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Bring It On, and 13 Going on 30.
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304261Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 27 about Dr. Ford's sexual assault allegations against Judge Kavanaugh.
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216179The Game of Thrones star broke out of Khal Drogo's ponytail and into household name territory with a star-turn as Aquaman and a slew of feel-good press.
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393362Moth Lamp
A new meme. Don't overthink it.
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460433Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (born September 25, 1983) is an American actor, comedian, writer,... more on WikipediaThe rapper performed the song "This Is America" on Saturday Night Live and debuted the accompanying video shortly beforehand to wide appeal.
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372348Smart Horror Movies
Including such releases as A Quiet Place, Hereditary, Suspiria, Little Stranger, They Remain, and Annihilation.
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Venom is a 2018 American superhero film directed by Ruben Fleischer, based on the Marvel... more on Wikipedia328315
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