2015 -

2015 was the "Year of the Dress" and the "Talking Ginger."

The Dress (February) On a sleepy Tumblr, a user posted a photo of a frayed blue-and-black dress. Within hours, the internet broke. Was it white and gold? Or blue and black? NASA scientists weighed in. Celebrities fought. Divorces were almost caused. The Dress was arguably the moment the modern social media algorithm realized that "engagement" could be manufactured by confusion. It was stupid, harmless, and the most viral moment of the year.

The Left Shark During Katy Perry’s Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, a dancer in a shark costume performed choreography that was... off. "Left Shark" became a symbol of doing your best even when you have no idea what you’re doing. It was a wholesome meme before memes turned toxic.

In sports, 2015 gave us the "Phantom Point" in the Cricket World Cup, the rise of the Golden State Warriors (winning the NBA Finals and beginning the "small ball" revolution), and the Rugby World Cup victory for New Zealand's All Blacks. Music (The Summer of "See You Again"):

But 2015 was also a year of mourning. In November, the world watched in horror as terrorists coordinated attacks across Paris, including the Bataclan theatre massacre. The attacks killed 130 people and led to a massive shift in European security and refugee policy.

When we look back at the tapestry of the 21st century, certain years act as hinges—points where the door to the past closes and the window to the future blasts open. The year 2015 is arguably the most significant of those hinges. It was not merely a date on the calendar; it was a cultural and technological singularity.

In 2015, we stopped living in the world of the early 2010s (think skinny jeans, Gagnam Style, and the lingering hangover of the Financial Crisis) and sprinted headfirst into the confusing, curated, chaotic reality we inhabit today. From the rise of streaming overlords to the birth of the "woke" lexicon, 2015 was the year the modern world clicked into focus. TV Binging:

Here is the definitive retrospective on the year that changed everything.

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2015

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Landmarks: ✦ Paris Agreement Signed ✦ Marriage Equality ✦ Pluto Flyby (New Horizons)

Culture: ✦ Star Wars Returns ✦ The Year of the Hoverboard ✦ Left Shark becomes a legend 2015 was the "Year of the Dress" and the "Talking Ginger

If you look at your smartphone today, the core features were either born or normalized in 2015. This was the year technology stopped being "cool" and started being "invisible."