2019 wasn’t ALL bad. Here are all the good things that happened
We know you want 2019 canceled, reported and blocked. You think it was awful, depressing and went on far too long. But — and hear us out here — it wasn’t ALL that bad. To end things on a great note, here’s a list of some of the good things that happened this year.
The world
The Indian Navy welcomed its first-ever woman pilot • People around the world united to save a 2-year-old’s life • Austria named its first female chancellor • The European Commission elected its first female President • Women now lead five of the major parties in Finland’s parliament • For the first time, all major pageants were won by women of color • Macedonia was renamed, bringing an end to a decades-long dispute with Greece • President Donald Trump made history as the first sitting US leader to set foot in North Korea • Pope Francis became the first pontiff to visit an Arab Gulf state
The US
The 116th Congress became the most diverse in US history • Chicago elected its first African-American female mayor • Animal cruelty is officially a federal felony • California is now the first state to offer health insurance to some undocumented immigrants • Montgomery, Alabama, elected its first black mayor in 200 years • New York banned the so-called gay and trans “panic” defense • The largest mass commutation in US history took place • The White House honored a military dog for raid on ISIS leader • The Little Shell Tribe became the newest Native American tribe to receive federal recognition
Human rights
Indonesia raised minimum age for brides to end child marriage • Saudi Arabian women are finally allowed to travel independently • Taiwan became the first place in Asia to pass a same-sex marriage legislation • Botswana ruled to decriminalize consensual same-sex relations • Northern Ireland legalized same-sex marriage • Ecuador joined neighboring countries in legalizing same-sex marriage • Iranian women were officially allowed to attend a soccer match for the first time in 40 years
The environment
Iguanas were reintroduced to Galápagos island after 184 years • More places are banning single-use plastics • Humpback whales recovered from near-extinction in the South Atlantic • A tortoise believed to be extinct was found after 100 years • NASA said the planet is greener today than it was 20 years ago • A rare black leopard was spotted for the first time in nearly 100 years • An albino panda was photographed in the wild, for the first time • Scientists discovered 71 new species this year • Veterinarians harvested eggs from the world’s last two northern white rhinos to help save the species • Canada passed a bill banning whale and dolphin captivity
Health and science
Scientists may be able to spot Alzheimer’s 16 years before symptoms begin • The World Health Organization stopped classifying transgender people as mentally ill • Malaria was eliminated from Algeria and Argentina • Two men may have been cured of HIV • A woman with two wombs gave birth twice in less than a month • A woman became the first living HIV-positive kidney donor in the world • A new species related to humans was discovered • Africa marked a significant milestone in the quest to eradicate polio • Karen Uhlenbeck became the first woman to win mathematics‘ most prestigious prize • Emma Haruka Iwao broke the world record for calculating pi
Space
We got to see the world’s first close-range image of the far side of the moon • The Antarctic ozone hole was the smallest on record since its discovery • NASA completed its first all-female astronaut spacewalk • We captured the first-ever photo of a black hole • Water was detected for first time on planet outside our solar system
Sports
The Toronto Raptors delivered Canada its first NBA title • The Washington Nationals finally won a World Series title • NCAA athletes are now allowed to profit from their name, image and likeness • Li Na became the first Asian player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame • LeBron James topped Michael Jordan on the NBA all-time scoring list • The US women’s soccer team claimed its fourth Women’s World Cup title • Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast in history • Halima Aden became the first model to wear a hijab and a burkini in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue • Eliud Kipchoge became the first athlete to run a marathon in less than two hours • Drew Brees broke the NFL record for all-time passing touchdowns • James Harden is now the first player in NBA history to record back-to-back 50-point games with more than 10 three-pointers
Entertainment
Aretha Franklin became the first woman to win a Pulitzer special award and citation • More than 50,000 books, films, songs and other artwork from 1923 became public domain • “Sesame Street” announced the launch of a new show to help refugee children • Missy Elliott became the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame • “This Is America” became the first rap song to win Grammys for song and record of the year • Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II published her first post on Instagram • BTS became the first K-Pop band to address the UN • The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their first child
