As history books close the chapter on 2023, Fox News Digital takes a look at the biggest news headlines of the year.
Another trip around the sun brought unprecedented political plays, a Hollywood holdout, war in the Middle East and an economic boom from a world-famous pop singer.
California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, was elected speaker of the House of Representatives in January after an unprecedented 15 floor votes. In negotiations to clear a path to victory, McCarthy agreed to allow a single lawmaker to make a motion to elect a new speaker, returning to the way the House ran for decades before that practice was eliminated under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
‘OUR GOVERNMENT IS A BUST’: AMERICANS WEIGH IN ON FIGHT TO ELECT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Geoffery Hinton, an artificial intelligence pioneer known as the "Godfather of AI," announced in May he had quit his job at Google to voice his concerns about the rapidly evolving technology. Hinton’s work serves as the foundation for AI models like ChatGPT.
"It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things," Hinton said in a statement to The New York Times.
Hollywood writers and actors went on strike for months in 2023, shutting down productions and delaying some blockbuster titles until 2025. AI and streaming were major factors in protracted negotiations with studios. The Writers Guild of America went back to work in September, and the Screen Actors Guild followed suit in November.
‘SPOILED’ HOLLYWOOD ACTORS SHOULD GET BACK TO WORK, SAYS ONE REP, AS CONGRESS WRANGLES AI CONCERNS
Record-high numbers of illegal immigrants crossed the southern border in 2023. There were 242,418 migrant encounters at the border in November, the highest number for a November on record and the third-highest month ever, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The world watched as a massive search and rescue operation launched to find a submarine that went missing during its descent toward the wreckage of the Titanic in June.
All five people onboard the sub — OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, billionaire Hamish Harding, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet and businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman — died June 18 when the vessel suffered a "catastrophic" implosion, officials said after the debris was found June 22.
Two of 2023’s blockbuster movies created an explosive meme blending "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." The movies, with a stark difference in theme and tone, were released the same weekend over the summer. A Reddit user used AI to splice together a mashup of the two that created "a pink mushroom cloud of viral content," according to Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.
Former President Donald Trump turned himself in at the Fulton County jail Aug. 24. Trump, who was required to have a mugshot taken, was booked on numerous charges from a probe into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. He is the first former president in United States history to face criminal charges.
DONALD TRUMP MUGSHOT RELEASED AFTER GEORGIA BOOKING, FIRST EVER FOR A FORMER US PRESIDENT
America’s love of sports raged in 2023, but nowhere more than in the nation’s title towns. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championship, defeating the Miami Heat.
The Texas Rangers also won their first championship, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games in the World Series. In hockey, the Las Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers in five games to hoist the Stanley Cup.
McCarthy was ousted Oct. 3, resulting in chaos on Capitol Hill with a three-week struggle to elect a new speaker. When the dust cleared, Rep. Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, held the gavel.
The son of a firefighter, Johnson was elected to Congress in 2016. McCarthy announced his resignation from his congressional seat in California two months after his historic ouster.
Terror attacks against Israel Oct. 7 triggered a war against the Hamas terrorists responsible. As many as 1,200 people were massacred, with some 240 hostages taken. In the weeks since, Israeli forces have bombarded the Gaza Strip with an air and ground offensive.
The war has killed over 13,300 Palestinians and Hamas terrorists, and much of northern Gaza is in ruin, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Taylor Swift shocked fans with the revelation she is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Now a frequent attendee at Chiefs games, the pop icon has made the NFL must-see television for Swiftie nation.
The world-renowned pop star was selected as Time magazine's 2023 Person of the Year in December after her hugely popular Eras Tour shut down Ticketmaster from an overwhelming number of fans trying to purchase tickets. The tour has already made over $1 billion, breaking records to become the highest-grossing tour of all time and helping Swift earn her billionaire status in October.
Click here for 2023 coverage from Fox News' Digital Originals.
