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Election
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Here is a sampling of the defining movements, decisions, policies and tragedies

that made headlines—and history—this year. This article, along with others
dedicated to the unforgettable moments of 2015, is included in Newsweek's Special
Edition, The Year in Review.

Attack on Charlie Hebdo: Attackers killed 12 people on January 7 when they stormed
the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The gunmen, who
claimed links to Al-Qaeda's Yemen faction, killed 10 staff and two police officers.
They reportedly said the attack was to avenge the Prophet Muhammad, as the magazine
had printed cartoon depictions of him, an act considered blasphemous in Islam.

Two of the suspected attackers, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, led police on a
chase for two days, while a third suspect, Mourad Hamyd, turned himself in. Amid a
huge outpouring of support under the slogan and hastag #jesuischarlie, Charlie
Hebdo continued printing, with one million copies set for the following week.

Related: Ralph Steadman on Charlie Hebdo, the Right to Offend and Changing the
World
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the New Hampshire
Democratic Party's Jefferson Jackson dinner in Manchester November 29. /Mary
Schwalm/Reuters

Hillary Clinton's Email: On March 4, Hillary Clinton had the State Department
release her personal emails, in response to last year's investigation of the
Benghazi attacks revealing she used her personal email as secretary of state.
Clinton released 30,490 messages she deemed work related-after deleting 31,830
messages and wiping her server's memory.

Related: How The New York Times Bungled the Hillary Clinton Emails Story
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SUBRATA DE/NBC

Brian Williams Loses His Desk: On January 30, Brian Williams told a story about
riding a Chinook helicopter with troops that had been shot at near Kuwait in 2003.
Veterans quickly revealed he was mistaken and that another aircraft had been shot
down instead. The resulting scandal led to Williams's firing from NBC Nightly News
in February.
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Volunteers clear the debris left behind in Durbar Square following the 7.8
magnitude earthquake in Nepal. SHUTTERSTOCK

Nepal Earthquake: On April 25, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Kathmandu, killing

more than 8,000 people, as well as triggering an avalanche on nearby Mount Everest,
with 18 people dying on the mountain as a result.

Related: Bringing Up the Bodies in Kathmandu

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Members of the 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade hold up signs brandishing
the phrase “Black Lives Matter” on January 19, 2015 in Los Angeles. SHUTTERSTOCK

Black Lives Matter: The phrase became a common trending hashtag on Twitter
throughout the year, following events such as the death of 25-year-old black man
Freddie Gray while in police custody. The death shone yet another light on the
continued challenges facing the black community in the U.S.

Related: New Documentary Slams 'Stand Your Ground' Law

1110_Fourth GOP Republican Debate
Former Governor Jeb Bush, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, businessman Donald Trump, Dr.
Ben Carson, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina and U.S. Rep. Rand
Paul participate in the debate held by Fox Business Network for the top 2016 U.S.
Republican presidential candidates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 10. Darren
Hauck/Reuters

Gearing Up for the 2016 Elections: In a three-minute video, Democrat Hillary

Clinton announced her highly anticipated second run for president. With a
Democratic frontrunner in place, the race for the Republican nomination became a
political free-for-all. Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, President George W.
Bush's brother, declared his candidacy along with 15 others.

Business magnate Donald Trump revealed he intended to run on the Republican ticket
in June. From then on, the contender has been stirring up the Republican race with
fiery personality. But the 2020 presidential election might be more unpredictable-
outspoken rapper Kanye West proclaimed he would be running.
Celebrating_a_new_America_-lovewins_58242_(18588276403)
Ted Eytan

Marriage Equality: On June 26, the White House showed its support for the Supreme
Court decision with a colorful light display. "In my second inaugural address, I
said that if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one
another must be equal as well," President Barack Obama said in a press release. "It
is gratifying to see that principle enshrined into law by this decision."

Related: How Corporate America Propelled Same-Sex Marriage

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SHUTTERSTOCK

The Greek Debt Crisis: The financial turmoil that began in 2009 centered this year
around new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Tsipras accepted the austerity demands
from the European Central Bank and the IMF in August in exchange for 86 billion
euros to reopen Greece's banks and avoid a default