Just as we did in 2024, the Falcon Press staff decided to take a look at the stories and headlines that caught our attention and were seen throughout the news cycle this past year. Below is an incomplete collection of some of the most notable stories in world news, sports, entertainment, pop culture, and more from 2025.

January

• Jan. 1: A New Orleans truck attack during celebrations kills 14 
• Jan. 3: 17-year-old darts prodigy Luke Littler becomes the youngest-ever world champion
• Jan. 4: President Joe Biden awards the US Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people
• Jan. 6: The US records its first person to die from bird flu, in Southwest Louisiana
• Jan. 15 Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG, alleging that UMG promoted Lamar’s diss track against him. The lyrics were ruled non-actionable.

• Jan. 18: TikTok is banned in the United States for 14 hours.
• Jan. 20: Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term as President of the United States, this time with Vice President JD Vance. 

February

• Feb. 2: Beyonce wins Best Album of the Year at the Grammys for “Cowboy Carter”.

• Feb. 9: The Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 at Super Bowl LIX. Kendrick Lamar performs at the halftime show, teasing the audience before finally playing his hit single “Not Like Us.”
• Feb. 14: Pope Francis is admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. 
• Feb. 16: SNL hosts their 50-year celebration with SNL 50: The Anniversary Special.
• Feb.18: Acclaimed actor Gene Hackman passes away at the age of 95 after a 40-year career. 
• Feb. 28: Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky meet at the White House. 

March

• March 1: Charli XCX won five Brit Awards for her album “brat”, including artist and album of the year.
• March 4: President Donald Trump addresses Congress in the longest-ever speech by a president, surpassing 90 minutes.
• March 2: “Anora” wins best film at the 97th annual Academy Awards.
• March 5: A discovery of bone tools in Tanzania going back 1.5 million years suggests that ancient humans began the complex development of tools far earlier than originally thought. 
• March 9: Mike Carney is elected Prime Minister of Canada to replace Justin Trudeau.
• March 25: A 7.7-7.9 magnitude earthquake rocks Myanmar, the second largest in the nation’s history. 

April

• April 1: Sen. Corey Booker delivers the longest filibuster speech in history, breaking a record previously set by the late Strom Thurmond by speaking for over 25 hours.
• April 3: Hungary withdraws from the International Criminal Court
• April 4: Alex Ovechkin, a hockey player for the Washington Capitals, ties Wayne Gretzky for the most career goals in NHL history.
• April 5: About 8,000 people rallied against Trump and marched at the Colorado capital to protest for Medicaid, social security, fair elections, and LGBTQ+ rights, public lands, veterans services, etc.
• April 21: Pope Francis dies at the age of 88 following months of health issues.
• April 23: A terror attack in Kashmir kills 26 tourists, the largest of its kind since 2000.

May

• May 3: Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky breaks her own world record for the 6th time at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Florida.
• May 3: Lady Gaga holds a free concert in Rio de Janeiro, drawing a crowd of over two million people, the largest concert ever for a female artist. 
• May 8: Pope Leo XIV is elected pope, the first ever American to hold the title. 
• May 28: After months of controversial cuts and terminations while running DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), tech mogul Elon Musk departs the White House following contentious social media posts with President Trump.
• May 30: Taylor Swift buys back the rights to her first six studio albums.

June

• June 5: Nintendo Switch 2 releases with Mario Kart World.
• June 7: President Trump deploys 2000 US National Guard troops to California to halt protests. 
• June 12: Fatal Air India 171 plane crash kills 260 people and injures 68.
• June 14: “No Kings” protests held across the U.S towards President Trump’s policies.
• June 20: “KPop Demon Hunters” releases on Netflix, which goes on to become a surprise hit with children.
• June 22: The United States and Israel attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, though later reports contradict the efficiency of these attacks. 
• June 22: The Oklahoma Thunder defeat the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. 

July 

• July 5: Legendary frontman Ozzy Osbourne holds his final concert in Birmingham, England, both as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath. He is joined by dozens of other musicians from the worlds of rock and metal. 
• July 12: Iga Świątek defeats Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win the Wimbledon Women’s Singles Championship
• July 15: At a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot are filmed during a “Kiss Cam” segment. The two immediately try to hide from view, their affair soon becoming a popular social media meme.
• July 17: Late-night comedian Stephen Colbert announces his show is canceled by CBS and the Paramount company. The final episodes will air in May 2026.
• July 22: Weeks after his final performance, Ozzy Osbourne dies at his home surrounded by family. His passing is mourned by fans across multiple generations. 

August

• August 3: An estimated 300,000 protestors march across the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Australia, in support of Palestine, calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
• August 11: fictional girl group HUNTR/X from Netflix movie “Kpop Demon Hunters” reaches number one n billboard hot 100, the first all-woman group to do so in 24 years (the last being Destiny’s Child in 2001)
• August 15: President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia meet in Alaska to discuss peace plans.
• August 20: The U.S. deploys forces to combat alleged drug boats emanating from Venezuela. The attacks will last throughout the remainder of the year.
• August 26: Taylor Swift announces her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

September

• Sept. 1: 6.0 magnitude earthquake centered in the mountains near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, kills at least 2,000
• Sept. 5: US President Donald Trump deploys ten F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to take part in military action against drug cartels in the Caribbean region.
• Sept. 6: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sets the fastest Formula 1 one-lap in history with 1:18.792
• Sept. 10: Conservative pundit and commentator Charlie Kirk is killed at a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in front of his audience. 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson is arrested on charges of murder.
• Sept. 13: Rihanna announces her third child, Rocki Irish Mayers 
• Sept. 17: Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel is suspended by ABC after making a joke at President Trump’s expense in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. He was reinstated days later on Sept. 23. 
• Sept. 23: Democratic representative Adelita Grivalja wins a special election in Arizona to replace her deceased father. However, following Speaker Mike Johnson citing previous precedent and the government shutdown, she will not be sworn in until November. 

October

• Oct. 1: Following failed negotiations between Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the United States government shuts down at midnight. 
• Oct. 3: Sean “Diddy” Combs is sentenced to more than four years in prison in a federal sex trafficking trial. 
• Oct. 19: Eight pieces of art are stolen from the Louvre art museum in Paris, France, by thieves dressed as construction workers.
• Oct. 20: The East Wing of the White House undergoes demolition as President Trump plans for the addition of a grand ballroom. 
• Oct. 26: Buddhist monks started to do “Walk for Peace” across the U.S 
• Oct. 30: Prince Andrew of Wales is stripped of his title and royal rights by Buckingham Palace, followed by continued accusations regarding his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. 

November 

• Nov. 1: The Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in extra innings to earn their second consecutive World Series title.
• Nov. 4: Zohran Mamdani is elected as the second youngest and first Muslim mayor of New York City, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo.
• Nov. 4: In an off-year election, the Democratic Party enjoys multiple victories, shifting trends from the 2024 general election.
• Nov. 12: After 43 days of the United States government being shut down, it reopens.
• Nov. 16: Valve announced new hardware for Steam.
• Nov. 26: Netflix releases the first volume of Volume 5 for the hit series “Stranger Things.” The platform crashes due to high streaming traffic. 

December

• Dec. 5: Netflix makes $82.7 billion offer to buy Warner Bros.
• Dec. 7: Lando Norris wins his first Formula One World Championship.
• Dec. 11: Game Awards 2025, “Clair Obscure: Expedition 33” wins 9 awards and wins game of the year.
• Dec. 14: Famed director Rob Reiner is killed in his Hollywood home along with his wife, Michele. Their son Nick is arrested and charged with the murders days later. 
• Dec. 17: Fifteen people are killed in a shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia, many of whom were attending an event to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah. The Australian government resolves to pass stricter gun control laws. 
• Dec. 18: Trump announces “The Patriot Games” in honor of America’s 250th birthday, in which athletes will compete in mini-competitions at the nation’s capital. A tentative UFC fight card has also been mentioned. .
• Dec. 19: The Epstein Files are released with most of the pages either mostly redacted or fully blacked out.
• Dec. 19: Anthony Joshua knocks out social media personality Jake Paul in the sixth round of a fight aired on Netflix, breaking Paul’s jaw in the process.
• Dec. 20-23: DOJ released documents and photos, additional evidence photos from FBI searches.
• Dec. 25: Volume 2 of “Stranger Things” Season 5 comes out, yielding the series worst Rotten Tomatoes score to date.
• Dec. 31: The final episode of “Stranger Things” airs, leading to mixed reception from fans and critics, along with a slew of conspiracy theories about hidden meaning and a secret ninth episode.