🤪2024 Timeline RECAP! The stories that BROKE THE INTERNET & everyone was talking about in 2024

Seriously guys, the sheer inundation of insanity that happened in 2024, I mean it just blew 2016 out of the water. So, here's a quick preview. I don't know about you, but for me, it sure feels like the start and the end of 2024 were like different decades, you know what I mean? So, I thought, you know, before we continue with the rest of 2025, we would go ahead and start with a yearly tradition of recapping the highlights and the lowlights of the year that's passed. Because it seems like every year has been more jam-packed and eventful than the last. Hey, I'm just glad we were able to make it to another year. And I'm looking forward to another year with you guys right here in our YouTube community. Now, if you haven't subscribed to the channel, now's your chance. I mean, we could do a whole video on Donald Trump's historic conviction and election to a non-consecutive second term, or maybe even Diddy's arrest, or even the Menendez brothers' fight for freedom. But these would just be a fraction of everything that's happened in 2024. So, I thought that we would go month by month for a full picture of the stories that everybody was talking about in the past year, starting with January, the Alaska Airlines door plug incident. So, 2024 kicked off with a high-stakes aviation scare. On January 5th, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, departing from Portland International Airport, turned into a moment of chaos just minutes after takeoff. A door plug blew out mid-flight, sending shockwaves throughout nearly the full Boeing 737 MAX 9. Now, luckily, the two seats behind the missing door plug were unoccupied, and the pilots managed a safe emergency landing. Miraculously, though, no serious injuries were reported. But how in the world did this freaking happen, right? A preliminary investigation by the NTSB revealed a jaw-dropping oversight. Four bolts meant to secure the door plug were missing. The root cause? A miscommunication between Boeing's production teams. Now, apparently, they needed to remove the plug to repair a damaged fuselage, but there was some incomplete paperwork that happened which left the next team unaware that the bolts needed reinstalling. I mean, what a start, right? The incident sparked intense scrutiny for Boeing that led to changes in the company, including a new CEO, the government mandating that Boeing slow down production and increase oversight of the company's safety and quality management systems. And that's just for our first month. Are you guys ready to dive into February? Biden's reelection efforts face questions about fitness. I guess this was supposed to be a high point for President Biden. He had just won the Democratic primary, and he was preparing for what seemed to be a historic rematch against Donald Trump in the 2024 election. But, February brought some intense public scrutiny of Biden's age and mental acuity. Everybody was talking about it for years already, but it reached a boiling point in that particular month. Because this is when special counsel Robert Herr announced his findings in the investigation, into Biden's alleged mishandling of classified documents during his vice presidency. Herr declined to recommend charges, but what was especially damaging was him describing Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory. So yeah, the president was safe from legal trouble, but it only reignited public debates about whether the 81-year-old was fit to continue leading the country in the first place. Too senile to be convicted, but yet somehow mentally fit enough to run the country? Doesn't make sense, does it? Yeah, nobody was buying that either. I mean, take your pick. There was that moment former President Barack Obama gently guiding Biden offstage at a fundraiser and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney redirecting him during the G7 summit after a wandering thumbs up to a parachutist. Each incident just added fuel to the fire and set the stage for what the public saw as an uphill battle for Biden just to prove himself against Trump in the coming months. February left the country questioning its leadership, with the presidential debate happening later in the year and just intensifying the spotlight on Biden's lack of mental acuity. And after January's chaos in aviation, February's political turbulence was just the beginning. Now, for March. You guys remember the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse? Yep, on March 26th, a container ship struck the bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse in one of the worst transportation disasters we've seen in years. Six construction workers who were just doing their jobs filling potholes lost their lives. Two others miraculously survived, but the tragedy shook the nation. Now, here's where things get even more complicated. The debris from the collapse didn't just take out the bridge, it completely blocked access to the port of Baltimore for weeks. Crews had to clear an eye-popping 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the water and the ship itself. This wasn't just a local problem, it disrupted shipping traffic and caused delays that rippled across the supply chain. By October, the vessel's operators agreed to pay $102 million to help cover the federal response, but rebuilding the bridge is going to cost somewhere between $1.7 and $1.9 billion. Yes, guys, that's a billion with a B. Wow. And this is just the first quarter of the year, guys. Things are just going to continue to get more intense as we continue on to the next month. So, April. School shooters' parents sentenced. April brought a groundbreaking moment in the ongoing conversation about gun violence in America. Jennifer and James Crombley, the parents of Michigan high school shooter Ethan Crombley, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. This marked one of the rare times where parents were actually held criminally liable for a school shooting carried out by their child. Let's rewind for context. So, Ethan Crombley, just 15 at the time, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the tragic 2021 shooting at Oxford High School where he killed four students. But prosecutors argued that Ethan didn't act alone. His parents played a pivotal role. They bought him the gun used in the shooting, ignored the glaring warning signs right in front of them, and then they failed to secure the weapon or limit their son's access to it. So, you can imagine the national debate that followed this. How much responsibility should parents really bear when their child commits a heinous crime like this? Well, it's a question that really doesn't have any easy answers, but the Crombleys' conviction should set a legal precedent for future cases. So, yes, another exciting month in 2024, but let's go ahead and move on to May, shall we? Campus protests erupt nationwide. May was a month of tension and turmoil as college campuses across the U.S. became battlegrounds for protests. President Joe Biden addressed the unrest in his most extensive remarks yet. His call to the people? Balancing the nation's commitment to free speech with the need for law and order. In his words, violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is. Also, destroying property is against the law. But of course, as you probably know, it didn't work. The protests only continued to escalate with clashes reported at universities coast to coast. At Portland State University, Portland police officers in riot gear were in a standoff with protesters outside the school's library as authorities worked to clear pro-Palestinian protesters from the premises. The Portland Police Bureau made at least two arrests at the time, at George Washington University dueling protests, a group of pro-Israel protesters and another of pro-Palestinian protesters. This took place about four blocks away from each other. At the University of California, Los Angeles cleanup began after police broke down a barricade and arrested over 100 protesters. CNN reported hearing flashbangs on the UCLA campus and said that the authorities appeared to be firing rubber bullets. At the University of Florida, the school said it plans on going ahead with commencement and its chancellor said protests will not be tolerated. At the University of New Hampshire, 12 people were arrested during these protests. At the University of Texas at Dallas, 17 people were arrested as police cleared an encampment. When asked if these protests would lead to a reevaluation of U.S. policies toward the Middle East, Biden gave a simple no. Biden also rejected calls for states to deploy the National Guard to campuses and said that local authorities should handle the unrest. So, you see how this is unfolding, right? May's events deepened the divisions across the country, and Americans experienced a nation that can only be described as grappling with how to balance free speech, public safety, and deeply entrenched global conflicts. And if you think May was intense, wait till we get to next month. June, the presidential debate sealed Biden's fate. When the big day arrived, Biden struggled, tripping over his responses, losing his train of thought, and missing key moments to land a hit on Trump. And it wasn't just conservatives piling on afterwards. Even some traditional Democrat allies were like, hey, maybe it's time to pass the torch to a younger generation. Meanwhile, Trump leaned into his usual charismatic style, hammering Joe Biden on inflation and border security while conveniently dodging questions about his own legal troubles. The audience? Polarized, as always. But one thing was pretty clear. This debate left Joe Biden's campaign reeling and put even more pressure on him to try and prove that he was up to the fight ahead. Well, this debate didn't just define June. It shook the entire race. And as we all know, the presidential election drama was only just starting. Now, we're just halfway through our 2024 recap, guys, but don't forget to show the video some love, hit the like button now, and drop us a quick yes in the comments down below. You guys' engagement is what keeps our channel going, so I just want to thank you all so much for the support. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate that. It really does help me out. Also, I highly recommend subscribing to the channel and tapping that notification bell, too. That way, you won't miss out on any of our future updates this year and beyond. Alright, so if you're all set, let's continue this discussion. Alright, so what month are we on again? Oh, yeah, that's right. July. The Trump assassination attempt that shook the election. Alright, so July took the election chaos to a terrifying new level. Picture this, guys. Trump is on stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Swing state, huge crowd, everything was going as planned. That was until some shots rang out. Confusion. Trump drops to the ground but quickly gets up, blood dripping from his ear and raises a fist shouting, fight, fight, fight. This is as Secret Service rushed him off stage. Absolute madness, guys. Tragically, one man, Cory Comperatore, died protecting his family, and two others were seriously injured. The attacker, a 20-year-old by the name of Thomas Matthew Crooks, was taken down by a Secret Service sniper. The attempted assassination shook voters and dominated headlines for months, adding even more intensity to what's already the most dramatic election in decades. This wasn't just a rally gone wrong, it was a defining moment in the race that had everybody asking, what's next? July wasn't just eventful, it was historic. Because in the same month as that first Trump assassination attempt, the president shocked the with a single tweet announcing that he was bowing out of the race. I mentioned Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance in June. From there, the scrutiny just kept ramping up. Critics claimed Biden was a shadow of his former self, and the pressure was just too much to ignore. And so here's where things got really wild. Vice President Kamala Harris was immediately, shall we say, I don't know, installed as the Democratic presidential nominee, despite not running in the primaries. And so Biden endorsed her in a follow-up post on X, calling her the best person to carry the torch. But not everybody was thrilled. Even within the party, some Democrats called the process undemocratic. Kamala Harris launched her last-minute campaign flanked by heavyweights from the Obama and Biden teams, but it was pretty clear that this move shook the foundation of the election. High-profile endorsements from the Obamas, Clintons, and even Nancy Pelosi helped stabilize the party, but the abrupt shift raised questions about transparency and fairness in the nomination process. With only about 100 days until November 5th, Kamala Harris faced an uphill battle to rally the party and the nation. July wasn't just a turning point, it completely changed the game. Then we go to August. Justice for Matthew Perry's Tragic Death August 2024 brought major developments in the investigation into Matthew Perry's shocking death. Five people were charged in connection with the Friends star's fatal overdose from ketamine. Two of them pleaded guilty, Eric Fleming, who admitted to distributing the lethal ketamine, and Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who administered it. Fleming faces up to 25 years in prison, while Iwamasa could get 15. Two doctors were also implicated, Dr. Mark Chavez admitting to supplying ketamine to Dr. Salvador Placia, knowing that it would end up with Perry. Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison. Meanwhile, Placia, who pleaded not guilty, is set for trial in 2025 and could face up to 20 years. Then there's Jasveen Sana, who people call the Ketamine Queen. Prosecutors allege she sold the batch that killed Perry. Sana also pleaded not guilty and could face life in prison if convicted. Needless to say, the case reignited debates about prescription drug abuse and accountability in Hollywood, while fans and loved ones are still mourning Perry's untimely passing. We're going to see the actual trials happen in 2025, but August marked a significant step toward holding those responsible accountable. And now we continue to September. Hurricane Helene Devastates the Southeast September brought one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. On September 26th, Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 monster, and it didn't stop there. This storm tore through Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee, leaving a devastating path of destruction. Entire neighborhoods were just wiped out. Roads? Gone. Power? Water? Phone service? Forget it. And the death toll? Nearly 250 people. It's now listed as the deadliest storm in North Carolina's history, with places like Asheville taking the hardest hit. And here's the kicker, guys. Just weeks later, Hurricane Milton showed up. This Category 3 storm hit Florida with tornadoes, flooding, and fierce winds, adding 23 more lives lost to the already staggering toll. Back-to-back disasters left the Southeast reeling, with communities struggling to pick up the pieces. It was a September that no one will forget anytime soon. And it didn't stop there. Also in September, Trump faced a second assassination attempt at his own golf club. September took another wild turn when on the 15th, Trump was the target of an assassination attempt while golfing at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. So here's the insane part. Suspect Ryan Ruth allegedly aimed a rifle at Trump from outside the club, but Trump was quickly escorted off the green and Ruth fled the scene. He didn't get far, though. He was caught on I-95 shortly thereafter. Turns out, Ruth had been waiting in bushes for 12 hours before making his move. Crazy, right? And so now Ruth is facing serious charges including attempted assassination and assaulting a federal officer. His defense? They're reportedly thinking about an insanity plea. Now, I wish I could say that this was the end of the eventful September, but no, because another thing that happened in September was Diddy getting arrested on shocking charges. In September, one of the biggest names in the music industry, Sean Diddy Combs, was arrested in New York City on some pretty seriously disturbing charges. In fact, the music mogul was hit with charges of trafficking by force, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that Sean Diddy Combs ran an enterprise using violence, threats, and coercion to force women into doing different things with male prostitutes, some of which lasted for days and were even recorded. From this, the term freak-offs became synonymous with Diddy. Diddy has pled not guilty to all charges, but the case has definitely rocked the entertainment world and Hollywood. His trial is set for May 2025, and on top of that, he's facing multiple civil lawsuits that's pretty much echoing these criminal claims. But man, guys, what a month, right? September definitely delivered some jaw-dropping headlines, and what a way to go into the last quarter of the year, right? And this brings us to our next month, October, the Menendez brothers fight for freedom. So the month brought new twists in the infamous Menendez brothers case. Eric and Lyle Menendez, convicted for the brutal 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty, have been serving life sentences without parole since the 1990s. But now, with a new Netflix series and documentary raising awareness, the brothers are making a major push to be released from prison. They've got three potential paths to freedom. First, the Los Angeles County District Attorney recommended re-sentencing them to 50 years to life instead of life without parole. Since they were under 26 at the time of the murders, that could make them eligible for parole right now. Second, they filed a habeas corpus petition to review new evidence that wasn't presented at trial, including a letter Eric wrote before the murders, claiming his father sexually abused him. Plus, a new victim has come forward with similar allegations. And finally, they submitted a clemency request to California Governor Gavin Newsom. Their next hearing is set for January 2025, and the case continues to stir up public debate. Could the Menendez brothers finally be freed after decades behind bars? I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one. But now, we move on to the historic month of November, Trump's stunning comeback victory. Now, guys, this month was huge for the nation, as Donald Trump pulled off one of the most dramatic political comebacks in recent history. Despite being found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels just ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump pressed on with his campaign. Election day was intense. Polls were tight, with both Trump and Kamala Harris focusing on their key battleground states, especially Pennsylvania. And just like 2020, results took a few days to roll in. But by late election night, Trump's victory was clear. Fox News projected Trump would win Pennsylvania along with Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina, pushing him to a decisive 312 electoral votes to Kamala Harris' 226. But not only did Trump secure the electoral college, he even won the popular vote with a resounding 77 million Americans backing him on election day. A comeback for the ages and November's election showdown is one for the history books. And that brings us to December, the shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO. So, December kicked off with a shocking and tragic event when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside of a midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4th just as he was heading to an investors' conference. Needless to say, the murder sent shockwaves throughout the American public, with some online even expressing anger toward the health insurance industry and even celebrating the act. The NYPD quickly launched a massive manhunt for the masked gunman and released surveillance images of the suspect. By December 9th, suspect Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Police discovered he had a ghost gun on him, which matched the shell casings found at the crime scene. Fingerprints on a water bottle and a Kind bar were left behind and also linked him to the murder. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate allegedly had detailed plans in a notebook, including disturbing entries like, What do you do? You whack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean counter convention. Mangione is now in custody facing both state and federal charges, and with the federal charges, he could face the death penalty. But people are asking all sorts of questions like why would he be carrying all this evidence with him days after the murder? Could Mangione be a scapegoat for someone else higher up in the food chain? These questions and a whole lot more we're going to put a pin in and we're going to revisit once we hear more developments in this story. I also want to hear from you guys. How was your 2024? Do you think I covered all the top stories of the past year for you? Or maybe you want me to do a follow-up video on other ones that I missed? Let me know down in the comments down below if you guys want me to do a follow-up 2024 recap for additional top stories for 2024 that I happened to miss in this one. And by the way, if you're interested in me doing a follow-up recap of 2024, let me know in the comments what you think some of the top stories of 2024 are that I missed that I should cover in the next one.