It's now New Year's Eve, during the last few hours of 2024, and 2025 will soon be upon us. As I've noticed year in and year out, the interesting times have kept on continuing, and each year says "hold my beer" to the previous one.
The most surprising and perhaps important event, in my opinion is the political comeback of former and future President Trump. He succeeded despite the lawfare against him and two assassination attempts. The first was during a campaign appearance in Butler, Pennsylvania and may have involved some security failures by the Secret Service. The would-be assassin's bullet narrowly missed Trump's skull and hit his ear. The second was at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service agent noticed the muzzle of a rifle protruding through shrubbery around the course and fired at it. The would-be assassin was arrested soon afterwards.
Incumbent President Biden dropped out of the campaign and was replaced as the Democratic nominee by Vice President Harris. She chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) as her vice presidential running mate. Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) defeated Harris and Walz in the Electoral College by a vote of 312-226. During the same election the Republicans narrowly kept the House of Representatives and took the Senate. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Trump will be the second U.S. president to serve in non-consecutive terms, the other being Grover Cleveland during the 1800s.
Among the significant events of 2024 were the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after being struck by a cargo ship, Mexico elected its first female president (something which Trump has now prevented twice for the U.S.), India held the largest election ever with 642 million people voting, art consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $6.2 million, President Biden pardoned his son Hunter, Russia used North Korean soldiers in its invasion of Ukraine, Israel continued its war in Gaza against Hamas, Iran fired missiles at Israel, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted and driven from the country, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua took over apartment buildings in Colorado, the formerly neutral country of Sweden joined NATO, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was freed from prison in the U.K. and returned to his native Australia. Toward the end of this year, drones started appearing above New Jersey and other places. For more on the year's events, go to Britannica, On This Day, The Fact Site, The Cipher Brief and Wikipedia.
Among the notable celebrities who passed away in 2024 were actors Linda Lavin, Shannen Doherty, Olivia Hussey, Teri Garr, James Earl Jones, Bob Newhart, David Soul, Chita Rivera, Carl Weathers, Donald Sutherland, Maggie Smith, Mitzi Gaynor, Shelley Duvall, M. Emmet Walsh, Dabney Coleman, John Amos and Louis Gossett Jr.; sports figures Rickey Henderson, Fernando Valenzuela, Pete Rose, Orlando Cepeda, Willie Mays, Jerry West, Bill Walton, Jim Otto, O.J. Simpson, Bud Harrelson, Dikembe Mutombo and Bobby Allison; sports announcer Greg Gumbel; musicians Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Kris Kristofferson, Tito Jackson (Jackson 5/Jacksons), John Mayall (Bluesbreakers), Richard Tandy (ELO), Duane Eddy, Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers Band), Toby Keith, Eric Carmen (Raspberries), Alfa Anderson (Chic), Colin Petersen (the original drummer for the Bee Gees), Paul Di'Anno (original lead singer for Iron Maiden), Cissy Houston, Sergio Mendes (Brasil '66 and Brasil '77), Richard Sherman and Mike Pinder (Moody Blues); musical producers Richard Perry and Quincy Jones; comedians Martin Mull and Joe Flaherty; satirist Richard "Kinky" Friedman; TV personalities Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Richard Simmons and Phil Donahue; congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX); political wife Ethel Kennedy; and President Jimmy Carter. For more information on all of these people and more, go to US, USA Today, KOMO News, People and CBS News.
This year was a difficult one for me health-wise, as I spent some time in the hospital. However, I was still able to travel to Florida, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. While in Indiana, I got to see the total solar eclipse on April 8th, the second one that I've seen in person.
Naturally, I expect the interesting times to continue in 2025, especially with the second Trump administration, and the opposition thereto. So as you hold your beer, or whatever beverage you choose to drink, may everyone who reads or stumbles upon this blog have a Happy New Year.
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