WTF Was 2023: A Recap of the Year
Graphic by Gonzalo Puente
As 2023 comes to a close, take a look back on 23 of its most significant events.
1. The USDA Approved the First Vaccine for Bees
The vaccine, developed and distributed by Dalan Animal Health, was approved in January, according to the Guardian. It protects hive members from the highly contagious and devastating American Foulbrood disease, which destroys developing bee larvae.
2. A Chinese Spy Balloon Was Shot Down in U.S. Airspace
NBC News reported a surveillance balloon from China flying over the U.S. from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4. The U.S. military shot it down once it had moved over the Atlantic Ocean, despite China’s claims that it was a civilian weather balloon.
3. A Train Carrying Toxic Chemicals Derailed in Ohio
On Feb. 3, 50 cars full of hazardous materials, carried by a Norfolk Southern freight train, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Residents were forced to evacuate as responders conducted controlled releases of the chemicals. This led to the deaths of over 43,000 animals within five miles from the site, according to CBS News.
Although the EPA states there are no unsafe levels of toxic chemicals remaining in the area, The Guardian reports that independent studies contradict those statements. Residents still feel symptoms of chemical exposure.
4. Donald Trump was Indicted Four Times
He is the first former president to be indicted.
According to CNN, the first indictment in March charged him with 34 counts of falsifying business records, including hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The second indictment came in June, focused on classified documents kept at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. It included 32 counts of willful retention of national defense information.
The third and fourth indictments were filed in August. One addressed his attempts to obstruct the 2020 election certification. The other addressed his later attempts to overturn the results from the 2020 election.
5. King Charles III’s Coronation
In May, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s son, Charles III and his wife Camilla were crowned King and Queen. CNN says this officially designates him as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and leader of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries.
6. OceanGate’s Titan Submersible Imploded
The submersible was intended to tour the Titanic wreckage, but imploded during its expedition in June. It was carrying five passengers, including the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, said AP News.
7. The Grammys Announced New Rules About AI Use
The announcement from the Grammys CEO came in June, according to AP News. As of the next Grammys, creators that perform a song with lyrics and music tracks by AI will still be eligible for a Grammy in performance, just not in songwriting. Creators that use AI vocals to perform the song will be eligible for a songwriting Grammy but not a performance one. The bottom line is that creators must contribute in the area their song is competing in.
8. Lab-Grown Chicken Meat was Approved by the USDA
In June, Healthline reports the USDA approved the production of lab-cultivated chicken meat by Upside Food and Good Meat. The production process is too costly to produce at a large scale, so lab-grown chicken is available only at a few high-end restaurants across the U.S.
9. Affirmative Action was Struck Down
On June 29, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that race-based college and university admissions programs violate the Equal Protections Clause of the 14th Amendment.
NPR reports that, going forward, universities cannot consider race as a factor in deciding who is accepted, although race can still be discussed if it affected a person’s personal growth and achievements. This reversal does not apply to national military academies.
10. Texas was Sued Over its Floating Barriers in the Rio Grande
In June, Gov. Abbott ordered the construction of a 1,000-foot-long floating barrier in the middle of the Rio Grande. The barrier was made of buoys and saw blades as a deterrent against illegal immigration.
According to CBS News, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas in July, alleging that the barrier was constructed without required federal authorization. As of Dec. 1, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Texas must move the floating barrier to the shoreline.
11. Twitter Became X
On July 23, Elon Musk, who bought Twitter in 2022, renamed the messaging site to X. TechRadar notes that this is just one of many changes made under Musk throughout the year, including temporary rate limits and the ability to purchase verification checkmarks.
12. Taylor Swift Concerts Caused Seismic Activity
On July 22 and 23, Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” performances caused seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake in Seattle, Washington, BBC reports. While this is not a new phenomenon, the concerts set a new record in Seattle.
13. Wildfires Wreaked Devastation on Hawaii
On August 8 and 9, Maui faced aggressive wildfires fueled by drought conditions and high winds. The quick-spreading blazes destroyed over 2,200 buildings in the town of Lahaina and took over 100 lives.
14. Virgin Galactic Sent Tourists to the Edge of Space
As reported by AP News, the spacecraft company Virgin Galactic flew three tourists from Spaceport America, New Mexico, to the edge of space on Aug. 10. The tourists experienced several minutes of zero-gravity. With this flight, Virgin Galactic officially joins Blue Origin and SpaceX in offering commercial spaceflight tours.
15. India Landed on the Moon
On Aug. 23, India became the fourth country to land on the moon, after the U.S., the Soviet Union and China. AP News reported that its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed near the moon’s south pole and deployed a rover to search for frozen water reserves. India is the first to explore the moon’s south pole.
16. Sales Taxes Were Eliminated for Menstrual Products and Diapers in Texas
As of September 1, Texas removed sales taxes from menstrual products such as pads, tampons and cups. Sales taxes were also removed from diapers, baby wipes, bottles and maternity clothes.
17. A Building in Chicago Killed 961 Birds in one Night
The McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago is usually responsible for 1,000 to 2,000 bird deaths annually. Yet, during the early hours of Oct. 5, a record 961 migrating birds died by colliding with the building. Smithsonian Magazine says this was caused by Chicago’s high levels of light pollution and a storm which forced the birds to fly lower to the ground.
18. An Annular Solar Eclipse Passed over the United States
On Oct. 14, the moon passed between the earth and the sun, forming a “ring of fire” in the sky. This phenomenon was visible throughout Texas and will be the last annular eclipse visible from the United States until 2039, according to NASA.
19. Simone Biles Became the Most Decorated Gymnast in History
Texas-raised gymnast Simone Biles won gold in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in October, bringing her to a career total of 34 medals from both world championships and the Olympics, according to CNN.
20. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was Ousted by Both Democrats and Fellow Republicans
In October, McCarthy became the first Speaker to be voted out by the full House of Representatives in the middle of the congressional session, NBC News reports. He has since been replaced by Republican conservative Mike Johnson.
21. The United Auto Workers Strike Began and Ended
The UAW strike lasted from Sept. 15 – Oct. 25, according to AP News, and resulted in raises for factory employees. Kelley Blue Book notes that used and new car prices are already higher as a result.
22. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes Began and Ended
The Writers Guild of America strike went on from May to October.
According to AP News, the deal between WGA and Hollywood executives included wage increases for writers, larger writing teams, weeks of guaranteed employment and protections against AI replacement.
The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike went on from July to November.
According to CBS News, the deal between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood executives included wage increases for actors, larger required amounts of background actors, access to quarterly streaming statistics and protections against AI replacement.
23. The Israel-Hamas War Broke Out
According to The Guardian, on Oct. 7, Hamas militants invaded southern Israel, killing civilians and taking hostages. Israel retaliated with airstrikes on the Gaza strip, alongside a declaration of war.
As conditions worsened for the thousands of Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire, Israel and Hamas reached a temporary ceasefire deal in late November, with Israel allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza in exchange for the release of a portion of the hostages.
On Dec. 1, Israel resumed airstrikes, with each side claiming the other violated ceasefire terms, according to NPR.