What Happened in 2018?
2018 was a year as dramatic as any other – politically speaking, both the UK and the US saw major shifts on either side of the Atlantic. However, 2018 was also a year where we all learned a little more about the importance of data safety, and big changes swept Ukraine, Cuba, and South Africa.
We’ve brought together some of the most memorable and important events of 2018 for you to peruse below – how many do you remember? Stick around for the end of the guide, too, where we remember a few of the famous faces we lost this year.
In this year
January
The Ebola virus shook the world. In January 2018, the World Health Organisation officially confirmed an outbreak of the deadly and contagious Ebola virus over in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It continues to be a major concern to this day.
February
After nine years in charge, South African President Jacob Zuma would resign from the top job – he would be succeeded by Cyril Ramaphosa, who acted as his deputy in the government.
March
The Cambridge Analytica scandal broke. The scandal revealed the gross misuse of Facebook data for political purposes – and it helped to reveal the extent of social media data leakage for nefarious purposes across the world. This moment, for many people, helped to cement their decisions to quit social media for good.
April
Raul Castro stepped down as Cuba’s president. In so doing, he ended nearly six decades of the Castro family rule in the nation – he’d taken over from his brother Fidel, who had ascended to the Presidency via coup decades ago.
May
Ireland voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment. In doing so, they legalized abortion in the nation. The progressive move sparked debate both home and away, though it wouldn’t be until 2022 when the US would make their own changes to abortion policy – by repealing Roe v Wade.
June
President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, met up for a historic summit. The two met in Singapore – and, for the most part, the meeting seemed to take place fairly amicably. It made for an incredible photo moment at the very least!
July
If you looked up at the Moon on July 27th, 2018, you might have witnessed the longest lunar eclipse we’ll see this century. The eclipse lasted for a staggering 102 minutes and 57 seconds. It’s thought we won’t see an eclipse of this duration until at least 2264. Plenty of time to buy a telescope, then!
August
Apple added yet another record to its impressive collection on August 2nd, 2018. The company announced a market cap of $1 trillion – becoming the first public company in history to achieve such a staggering total.
September
The United States of America and Canada finally reached a deal to replace NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The agreement was replaced with the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement).
October
October saw serious threats made to public figures within the US – as a series of pipe bombs were mailed to prominent political figures. The same bombs were also mailed to the news channel CNN. The perpetrator, Cesar Sayoc, eventually pled guilty to 65 different felonies relating to the attempted attacks.
November
In Ukraine, martial law was introduced by presidential decree in ten regions of the country for a maximum of 30 days. The goal was to strengthen Ukraine's defense due to the increasing tension with Russia. Only a few years later, the two would officially be at war.
December
Japan controversially announced its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission. In doing so, the country resumed its commercial whaling activities – sparking backlash from people all over the world. Japan, along with Norway and Iceland, are the last three big nations to continue with large-scale whaling.
2018 was the year of the…
...dog!
Like 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, and 2006, 2018 was a year to celebrate the canine, according to the Chinese Zodiac. People born in dog years are considered to be honest, kind, responsible, considerate, understanding, and very hard-working. They love helping others – and nothing matters more to them than the people they love. The next dog year won't be until 2030.
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This page was last modified on December 31, 2023. Suggest an edit
Celebrity Births in 2018
Stormi Webster (Born February 1st, parents Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott)
Louis Arthur Charles (Born April 23rd, parents Prince William and Kate Middleton)
Miles Theodore Stephens (Born May 16th, parents Chrissy Teigen and John Legend )
Kulture Kiari Cephus (Born July 10th, parents Cardi B and Offset)
Arthur Michael William Matthews (Born October, parents Pippa Middleton and James Matthews )
Famous People We Lost in 2018
Aretha Franklin, American singer, died aged 76
Stan Lee, American cartoon creator, died aged 95
Anthony Bourdain, American chef, died aged 61
Burt Reynolds, American actor, died aged 82
Stephen Hawking, British physicist and author, died aged 76
