It’s been quite a year. From triumphs like the nationwide legalization of gay marriage to tragedies like the Paris terrorist attacks, we’ve been through a lot. But, at least we could count on the celebrity set to distract us with their over-the-top antics, from the birth of Saint West to John Travolta getting handsy with Idina Menzel at The Academy Awards. There were also plenty of jaw-dropping Is this really real?! moments, including the Ashley Madison hack and the Josh Duggar sex scandal, that just got better and better with each new report (Admit it: You know just what we mean). And, there were plenty heartwarming moments (remember Shannon Abbott’s ‘Hallelujah’ cover?) and heartbreaking moments that made us more thankful than ever to be moms (well, most days at least).
And here’s the thing: Thanks to social media, we have the joy of reliving our favorite stories that went viral in 2015 over and over again. Here are the moments from this last year that we’ll never forget. Are there any more that you’d add to our list?
The Legalization of Gay Marriage
In a historic ruling, The Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide on June 26, 2015. “No longer may this liberty be denied,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority in the decision. “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”
Photo: Getty
Ahmed Mohammed's Homemade Clock
The Irving, Texas, 14-year-old was proud to bring a homemade clock he'd created into his public high school to show teachers. Things didn't go as planned: "I built a clock to impress my teacher but when I showed it to her, she thought it was a threat to her," the Muslim teen later told reporters. Police arrived on the scene and arrested Ahmed at school in front of his peers, on the charge of creating a fake bomb. The news sparked outrage, spreading fast and far, and prompting President Obama to invite Ahmed to visit the White House -- which he later did.
Photo: Getty
The Ashley Madison Hack
It felt like a shocking twist in a romantic thriller when the extramarital affair-promoting site, Ashley Madison, was hacked. Personal information for some 32 million users (including over 15,000 government officials) was revealed (an especially big problem for a site that claims on its homepage to be "the world's leading married dating service for discreet encounters"). When the data dump occurred, it was so surprise that innumerable marriages crumbled.
Photo: Ashley Madison
Josh Duggar's Sex Scandal
Speaking of jerks, uh, exposed on Ashley Madison, many people were shocked to discover that Josh Duggar has a history of sexual abuse. The eldest son of reality TV stars Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar (of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting fame), apparently fondled the breasts and genitals of several minors, including some of his sisters, on multiple occasions starting in 2002. The staunch conservative family had carefully created a spot-free public image based upon chastity, piety, and prayer. News of the abuse, and the ensuing cover-up by the parents, was shocking. By the time the Ashley Madison scandal broke and Josh was named as a site user, few were surprised to learn that he'd been cheating on wife Anna, with whom he has three young children.
Photo: Getty
John Travolta's Creepy Moment at the Oscars
John Travolta got totally touchy-feely with singer Idina Menzel at The Oscars this year. In 2014, he botched her name when introducing her for a performance of the hit, "Let it Go," from that year's animated flick Frozen, calling her "Adele Manzeen." His efforts to make nice with the starlet fell flat this year when he showered her with awkward compliments and felt her up onstage.
Photo: Getty
Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale's Divorce
Long revered as the Celebrity It Couple, Stefani and Rossdale had some turbulent times in recent years but it was an alleged affair with their children's nanny that reportedly ended their marriage for good. Not wasting any time on a bounce-back strategy, Gwen has since jumped into the arms of "The Voice" co-host Blake Shelton. He and wife Miranda Lambert, also a country singer, divorced this past year, too.
Photo: Getty
Shannon Abbott's 'Hallelujah' Cover
This brilliant "Hallelujah" cover had mothers everywhere laughing and crying at once. When stay-at-home mom and singer Shannon Abbott performed the creative rewrite on this popular song for a local talent show, it was clearly well-received. Later, she recorded it selfie-style in her kitchen with her young son by her side and the video went viral. Poignantly true, hilariously written, and sung in such a beautiful voice -- everything about it hit the perfect note.
Photo: Bestworthy.com
The World Meets Caitlyn Jenner
Tabloid rumors and pop culture chatter had insinuated for some time that former Olympian and current reality television star Bruce Jenner would be coming out publicly as transgender. But when she graced the cover of the June issue of Vanity Fair as Caitlyn Jenner, the stunning photos and candid interview finally got her story out -- on her terms. While Jenner certainly received plenty of backlash and criticism, the feature -- and subsequent spin-off E! reality show, "I Am Cait," have brought positive attention and awareness to not only her, but the trans community at large.
Photo: Getty
Amber Scorah Fight for Paid Parental Leave
An infant's senseless daycare death has brought new urgency to the nation's inadequate maternity leave policies. Brooklyn-based Amber Scorah and her husband left their 3-month-old son Karl at a trusted local facility on the morning of her first day back to work; when she returned to nurse him in that afternoon, he was dead. Scorah later penned a New York Times article asking why she had to leave her son at such a young, critical age. Her heartbreaking, harrowing tale is a difficult, but important, read.
Photo: Instagram/Amber Scorah
Instagram Sensation Baddie Winkle
The fashion world (and just about everyone with an Instagram account) fell madly in love with 87-year-old "Baddie Winkle," a grandmother who reinvented herself into an IG style sensation after losing her husband and feeling unsettled in her daily routine. Her heartwarming feed is bursting with stylish, silly, and stunning photos that capture her spunky personality, and her 1.7 million followers can't get enough.
Photo: Baddie Winkle/Instagram
The Death of Bobbi Kristina
The tragic death of former pop superstar Whitney Houston's daughter, singer Bobbi Kristina Brown, was the most Googled news item of 2015. Fans of the late star, who died from a drug overdose in 2012, were shocked and horrified to see her daughter suffer the same fate. Bobbi Kristina was found unresponsive in her bathtub in January. After spending the next six months in a coma, she died in hospice care in July, at the age of 22.
Photo: Getty
The Llama Drama in Arizona
We couldn't get enough of a pair of llamas who led police on a full-on chase through the streets of Sun City, Arizona this February. Millions watched in awe as news media broadcast the duo dodging cars and avoiding lassos for the better part of an hour. The four- and one-year-old llamas were eventually caught safely and returned to the facility where they live and are trained as therapy animals, acquiring a Twitter handle and multiple memes within just hours of the event.
Photo: CNN
Why Co-Sleeping Is Not Sleeping
A viral video entitled "Why Co-Sleeping is No-Sleeping" brought humor to the sleep deprivation that parents go through. The video, shot by blogger Esther Anderson has gotten almost 60 million views on Facebook alone, and was shared across multiple platforms. Her explanation was simple -- “Every morning my baby sleeps in my bed with me for a couple hours after she wakes up to eat. And every morning I ask myself why I didn’t just put her back in her crib...so this morning I grabbed my cellphone and recorded what my baby alarm clock looks like...” -- and the result was hilariously relatable.
Photo: Daily Motion
Heartbreaking Drunk Driving PSA on Facebook
The potential consequences of drunk driving got a poignant face in the form of this precious little girl dressing up in her deceased mother's things this fall. Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jamie Jursevics was struck and killed by a intoxicated driver in November, leaving her now 9-month-old daughter to grow up without a mom. The chilling Facebook photo was accompanied by the caption: "For anyone who is planning on just having a "few beers" and driving home after.. Is it worth it? #drunkdrivingkills..."
Photo: Fremont County Sheriff's Office/Facebook
The Bacteria Handprint
A totally beautiful bacteria handprint fascinated millions after microbiologist and mom Tasha Sturm, a professor at Cabrillo College, did a stunning experiment with her 8-year-old son. After active outdoor play, she pressed his hand onto a sterile petri dish to show the cultivation of common yeasts, fungi, and bacteria on our skin. "It's partly to show that there are microbes everywhere," Sturm explained, going on to say science experiments like this one are commonplace in the home.
Photo: Tasha Sturm
The End of Joey Feek's Cancer Battle
When Joey Feek of husband-and-wife country singing duo Joey + Rory was photographed embracing her 20-month-old daughter and teen stepdaughters at the end of her painful battle with cancer, hearts broke everywhere. Diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer in 2014, Joey's treatments were deemed ineffective in late October, at which point she chose to live out her final days at home with family.
Photo: Joey Feek/Facebook
Saint West Is Born
Ever since the world beheld a bikini-clad, pregnant Kim Kardashian West and daughter North (with husband Kanye West) in matching bikinis on the beach, fans have eagerly anticipated the birth of the newest member of the West clan, a son. Saint West, the couple's newest bundle of joy was born in early December. Kanye posted this precious hand-holding picture of himself and wife Kim on Instagram to announce Saint's arrival.
Photo: Instagram/KanyeWestWorld
Father-Son Video, Following the Paris Terrorist Attack
In the aftermath of November's devastating terrorist attack on Paris, one father-and-son video became a heartbreaking must-watch. Being interviewed for local TV, the young boy expresses fear and the concern that his family should move to get away from the guns. His dad tells him, "They might have guns but we have flowers." In a time when so many senseless, terrifying events are unfolding all over the world, an element of hope and child-driven beauty in the midst of it is powerful.
Photo: Le Petit Journal
Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan's Fertility Struggles
Mark Zuckerberg posted to Facebook in July about his and wife Priscilla Chan's fertility struggles, earning 1.8 million likes and tens of thousands of shares: "We've been trying to have a child for a couple of years and have had three miscarriages along the way... Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you -- as if you're defective or did something to cause this." The viral post achieved Zuckerberg's goal of sparking an important national conversation on miscarriage. The couple brought home a healthy baby girl, Max, this month.
Photo: Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook
Caiden Moran Heard for the First Time
Parents everywhere wept in only the manner a parent can when a video of a young deaf boy hearing for the first time hit the Interwebs. The priceless look of surprise and disbelief on his face is just precious. Five-year-old Caiden Moran was born profoundly deaf, missing cochleas, the inner part of the ear that sends sound to the brain. This year he became the first child to undergo the so-called "Bionic Ear" implantation. That first sound he heard was music to his parents' -- and the world's -- ears.
Photo: You Tube
Pope Francis' Visit to New York City
When Pope Francis prepared for his historic visit to New York City earlier this year, he was quoted as saying that he wished to go out and enjoy some New York pizza during his visit. Local pizzerias were inspired by the whim, creating some absolutely gorgeous (and downright hilarious) themed pies in the Pope's honor. While the pontif had been instructed by his doctor to eat healthfully, hopefully he got to try at least a slice of Manhattan's most prized dish.
Photo: Getty
The Birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
Britain -- and the world -- welcomed the newest Royal Baby, Princess Charlotte, with much fanfare. It seems every time official photos are released of the stylish 6-month-old, we all just want more. These beautiful recent shots, as well as the first set we saw when Charlotte was a newborn, were taken by her mother, Kate.
Photo: Her Majesty's Royal Palace
The 'Outing' of Rachel Dolezal
Rachel Dolezal, former president of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the N.A.A.C.P., was "outed" as white this summer. Having built her identity as a black American for the past several years, the caucasian-born activist and professor's parents spoke out about her actual roots in June. Soon thereafter, Dolezal stepped down from her position with the N.A.A.C.P. but continues to identify as black: "...If people feel misled or deceived, then sorry that they feel that way, but I believe that’s more due to their definition and construct of race in their own minds than it is to my integrity or honesty, because I wouldn’t say I’m African American, but I would say I’m black, and there’s a difference in those terms,” she told Vanity Fair in July.
Photo: Grandmother Africa
Rachel Hollis' Bikini Photo
We all stood up and cheered when this bikini picture of one mom was shared proudly, stretch marks and all. Looking happy, gorgeous, and care-free, Momtastic contributor and mother of three Rachel Hollis uploaded the snap to her Instagram account @mrsrachelhollis with the caption, "I have stretch marks, and I wear a bikini." Within weeks of the upload, her story had been read and shared over 10 million times and her boldness prompted women everywhere to post images of their own saggy, stretch mark-clad middles in celebration of their post-baby bodies.
Photo: Rachel Hollis/Instagram
Richard Johnson's Thank You Note
Single dad Richard Johnson posted an introduction and thank-you on Facebook page Life of Dad, putting a new face and perspective to the challenges of single parenting. According to his post, Johnson became a single dad when daughter Persephone's mother left shortly after her birth, possibly due to postpartum depression. He wrote about fear of parenting in general coupled with the stresses of playing both mother and father roles for his daughter -- and affirmed that the online community of dads made him feel inspired and not so alone -- something many parents can relate to.
Photo: Facebook/Life of Dad
'Same Love' Wedding at The Grammy Awards
Macklemore and Madonna made history during their Grammy performance of "Same Love." Thirty-three couples, both gay and straight, walked onstage to seal their commitment to each other at the same time. "This song is not a love song for some of us but for all of us," explained announcer Queen Latifah as she introduced what would become one of the most watched and shared segments of the night.
Photo: Getty
Sandra Bland's Death
Sandra Bland, 28, was pulled over for a minor traffic violation in Waller County, Texas, on July 10 and was found hanged to death in a jail cell three days later. The shady circumstance of her death (officially dubbed a suicide) added one more name to a growing list of police brutality instances against black Americans. It also prompted the chilling Twitter #ifidieinpolicecustody movement, wherein black American citizens affirm that if they perish in police custody, they did not commit suicide.
Photo: Facebook/Sandra Bland
SNL's Thanksgiving Skit Featuring Adele's 'Hello'
After taking a three-year break (partially due to new motherhood), pop diva Adele came back strong with her latest album, 25. Selling 4.49 million copies in the first two weeks alone, she's made music history again with the new record already. Just as they nailed it with a brilliant skit surrounding her last album, the Saturday Night Live team had America laughing with this year's version. A family divided sits around the Thanksgiving dinner table unable to agree on anything but Adele's new song, "Hello," which they all began dramatically lip-syncing together. If the universal appeal of this skit is any indicator, 25 is bound to land Adele back on the awards stage next season, many times over.
Photo: SNL/You Tube
Starbucks Red Holiday Cups
When Starbucks released this year's holiday cups, they broke with the tradition of snowflakes and and other graphics, putting out a plain red style. There was ridiculous backlash as people across the country expressed outrage that the cups did not feature a more Christmasy design. In an effort to outsmart the brand and get their desired holiday greeting on the cup, many uploaded photos on social media displaying that they'd told the baristas their names were, "Merry Christmas." The hashtag "it's just a cup" was trending.
Photo: Courtesy of Starbucks
The Dress: Black & Blue or White & Gold?
Scottish singer Caitlin McNeill uploaded a picture of a dress to Tumblr after a curious debate among friends about its color. Soon the country was split -- was the dress black and blue, or white and gold? Personally, I'm #teamwhiteandgold -- and went so far in my sleep-deprived, new-mom haze as to become convinced there was a real conspiracy going on. But scientists explained that it was a "brain thing" -- and The New York Times later published a study going into more depth about how we see color and why the dress tricked so many.
Photo: Tumblr
Conrad the Racoon
"Conrad," the so-dubbed raccoon who lay dead on a Toronto sidewalk sparked sympathy and even a makeshift memorial when his body was not removed by Animal Services several hours after the report. Flowers, cards, a framed photo of a raccoon, and even a collection box were left at the scene, and a Twitter sensation was born. City councillor Norm Kelly later Tweeted, "My condolences to the family...“In lieu of flowers, family of Conrad the #DeadRaccoonTO asks for donations to @TWC_Wildlife to help orphaned critters.”
Photo: Twitter/DeadRaccoonTo
The Veteran's BBC News Welcome
A touching story came out of England in October when a 95-year-old veteran called into a popular BBC Radio morning show saying that he was lonely and missed his wife, who had suffered a bad fall and was living at a nursing home. It seemed the man had no one else to talk to. The radio team surprised him by ordering a taxi and welcoming him in where scores of listeners called in to say hello.
Photo: BBC/Twitter
More Buzz from 2015:
Meet the Celebrity Babies Born in 2015
2015 Celebrity Bump Watch: See Who Is Pregnant
Mom Confessions: Moms Reveal Their Biggest Secrets
The post Unforgettable, Hilarious & Heartbreaking Stories That Went Viral in 2015 appeared first on Momtastic.