By Daniel Wine and James Grant
A lot happened in 2023, from wars to wildfires to mass shootings. But not all of the headlines were bad. We had big moments in music, movies and sports to provide a little levity and much-needed distraction. What do you remember from the year that was?
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Chaos reigned in the US House of Representatives, which elected Kevin McCarthy as speaker after 15 rounds of voting and then ousted him nine months later. Who is the new speaker of the House?
US Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, was chosen as House speaker in October.
Cryptocurrency guru Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted of fraud and conspiracy in a scandal that rocked the financial industry. What was the name of his company?
Bankman-Fried founded the crypto exchange FTX.
Gun violence continued to plague communities across the US. Which state suffered the deadliest mass shooting in 2023?
A US Army reservist killed 18 people during a shooting rampage in October in Lewiston, Maine.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with the 38,388th point of his career in February. Whose record did he break?
Six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who also played for the Lakers, held the record before James.
In one of the year’s highest-profile criminal trials, former attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife and son. Which state is Murdaugh from?
A jury in South Carolina deliberated for less than three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty.
Which country has acted as a mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict that began this year?
The small Persian Gulf state of Qatar played a key role in efforts to mediate deals to free hostages taken by Hamas, as well as evacuate foreign nationals from Gaza.
After premiering in July, “Barbie” became the highest-grossing movie at the US box office this year. Who directed this pink-hued blockbuster about the iconic doll?
Greta Gerwig directed “Barbie,” which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and raked in more than $1.4 billion worldwide.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine raged, a mercenary group attempted an insurrection against President Vladimir Putin. The Wagner Group’s leader later died in a plane crash. What was his name?
Yevgeny Prigozhin was among 10 people killed in a plane crash several weeks after the Wagner Group’s uprising.
Hollywood actors and writers went on strike, bringing most film and TV productions to a standstill for several months before they agreed on new contracts. Who leads SAG-AFTRA, the union for actors?
Fran Drescher is president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
US Rep. George Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives after a scathing report from the Ethics Committee. Which state is Santos from?
Santos, a Republican from New York, was accused of spending campaign money on personal expenses such as Botox and leisure travel.
This year’s Super Bowl marked the first time that two brothers faced off against each other in the big game. Which NFL teams do Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce play for?
Travis Kelce plays tight end for the Chiefs and Jason Kelce is a center for the Eagles. Kansas City beat Philadelphia 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII.
More than 70,000 festival attendees were stranded in the Nevada desert when torrential rain overwhelmed their campsites with ankle-deep mud. What was the name of the festival?
Tens of thousands of Burning Man attendees had to wait a few days for things to dry out before the roads reopened and they were able to leave.
Which movie cleaned up at the Oscars by winning seven awards, including Best Picture?
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” an eccentric science-fiction tale, was a hit with critics and moviegoers. Michelle Yeoh won an Oscar for Best Actress.
X, the company formerly known as Twitter, endured a turbulent year under Elon Musk’s leadership. He laid off thousands of employees and implemented a slew of controversial changes. Amid the chaos, rival Meta introduced a new social media app. What is it called?
Meta launched Threads as X struggled to keep users and advertisers from abandoning the platform.
Donald Trump was indicted on criminal charges in four separate cases: hush money paid to an adult film star in New York, the classified documents probe in Florida, his attempt to overturn the 2020 election that led to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, and his efforts to reverse his electoral defeat in Georgia. How many total charges does Trump face?
Trump faces 91 criminal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them and accused Democrats of targeting him politically.
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé dominated the entertainment headlines, thanks to their blockbuster worldwide tours and concert films released in theaters. Beyoncé also set a record for the most Grammy Awards. How many has she won?
Beyoncé has collected 32 Grammy Awards, and she made history thanks to her “Renaissance” album.
The deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years devastated Hawaii in August. Which island popular with tourists suffered catastrophic damage?
The wildfire left parts of Maui in ruins and killed more than 100 people.
Which country’s soccer team claimed the Women’s World Cup, hosted jointly this year by Australia and New Zealand?
Spain won its first Women’s World Cup, beating England 1-0 thanks to a goal from Olga Carmona.
A deep-sea submersible captured international attention when it went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean. Days later, authorities said the sub had suffered a “catastrophic implosion” and all five people onboard were killed. What was the sub’s name?
The Titan sub was on an excursion to explore the wreckage of the Titanic.
King Charles III ascended to the throne in England after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. His coronation ceremony was held at London’s Westminster Abbey. Who is next in line after King Charles?
King Charles III’s oldest son, Prince William, is the heir to the throne.
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