Happy New Year, 2016 is nearly here!

The New Year is nearly here! It’s time for everyone to plan your new beginnings, make those resolutions for 2016 and say goodbye to 2015. A lot can happen in the span of a year – some things exciting and some tragic. But make no mistake about it, 2015 was a year to remember. Let’s take a quick look back at some of the more memorable moments of 2015.

May 23 – Ireland votes to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.

June 10 – Jurassic World is released in over 60 countries. After a record-breaking opening weekend that had the film grossing more than $500 million worldwide, Jurassic World has generated over $1.6 billion in box office revenue, standing as the third-highest-grossing film of all time without inflation adjustment, as well as the highest-grossing film of 2015 and in the franchise.

June 26 – the US Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is a right protected by the US Constitution in all 50 states. Prior to their decision, same-sex marriage was already legal in 37 states and Washington DC, but was banned in the remaining 13.

July 14 – NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft performs a close flyby of Pluto, becoming the first spacecraft in history to visit the distant world. Zooming within 7,800 miles of its frigid surface, the close encounter has given researchers their first up-close looks at Pluto, which has remained mysterious since its 1930 discovery.

On the same day Iran agrees to long-term limits of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The deal binds Iran, the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China to a series of undertakings stretching over many years. Iran will dismantle much of its nuclear infrastructure, while the UN, US and EU will take down a wall of sanctions built around Iran over the past nine years.

September 18 – Automaker Volkswagen is alleged to have been involved in worldwide rigging of diesel emissions tests, affecting an estimated 11 million vehicles globally. the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to German automaker Volkswagen Group, after it was found that the car maker had intentionally programmed turbocharged direct injection (TDI) diesel engines to activate certain emissions controls only during laboratory emissions testing. The programming caused the vehicles’ nitrogen oxide (NOx) output to meet US standards during regulatory testing, but emit up to 40 times more NOx in real-world driving.

September 28 – NASA announces that liquid water has been found on Mars. Reporting conclusive evidence of hydrated brine flows on recurring slope lineae, based on spectrometer readings of the darkened areas of slopes. These observations provided confirmation of earlier hypotheses based on timing of formation and rate of growth that these dark streaks resulted from water flowing in the very shallow subsurface.

November 30 – The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) is held in Paris, attended by leaders from 147 nations. By December 12th, a global climate change pact is agreed at the COP 21 summit, committing all countries to reduce carbon emissions for the first time in world history.

December 18 – Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens is released more than 10 years after the release of the franchise’s last major installment, breaking many box office records, including the highest-grossing worldwide opening of all time and the fastest movie to reach $1 billion. As of December 27, 2015, it has generated a global box office gross of over $1.08 billion, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2015 and the fifteenth highest of all time. Episode VIII is scheduled for release on May 26, 2017, followed by the remaining film in the trilogy, Episode IX, in 2019.

Here’s to a prosperous and memorable 2016!! See you next year!