2015 Review

While Bitcoin paved the way, 2015 marked the launch of the Ethereum blockchain. By introducing "smart contracts," Ethereum fundamentally changed the cryptocurrency landscape, laying the groundwork for decentralized applications (dApps) and NFTs. 🎬 Pop Culture and Media Sensations

Related search suggestions invoked.

: 2015 saw a massive influx of refugees into Europe, primarily fleeing conflict in Syria. This humanitarian crisis dominated global headlines and sparked intense debates over immigration policy and international responsibility.

: Breaking a 54-year diplomatic freeze, the United States and Cuba officially re-established full diplomatic relations in July 2015, reopening embassies in Washington, D.C., and Havana. 2. Legal Milestones and Civil Rights

: The Ethereum blockchain launched its first live mainnet, Genesis. This introduction of programmable smart contracts permanently expanded blockchain tech beyond basic digital currency into decentralized applications. Apple Watch Go to product viewer dialog for this item. While Bitcoin paved the way, 2015 marked the

In music, 2015 belonged to a few dominant acts. Adele returned after a four-year hiatus with 25 , an album led by the juggernaut single “Hello.” The song’s music video broke records on YouTube, and the album sold over 3.3 million copies in its first week in the U.S. alone—a feat virtually unheard of in the streaming era. Meanwhile, the “battle of the boy bands” saw One Direction’s Four competing with Justin Bieber’s Purpose , the latter marking a successful comeback for the troubled pop star. On the hip-hop front, Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly was released in March to universal critical acclaim, with its dense jazz-infused production and incisive commentary on race, fame, and self-worth earning it a Pulitzer Prize nomination (it would win the Pulitzer in 2018). The year’s biggest pop anthems included Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” featuring Bruno Mars, which spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.”

: Formally known as the JCPOA, this agreement sought to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions, representing a high-water mark for international diplomacy.

Oxford Dictionaries did something radical in 2015 . They chose a pictograph as the "Word of the Year": the "Face with Tears of Joy" emoji (😂). It was the official recognition that visual language had overtaken the alphabet. In 2015 , you didn't "LOL" anymore; you sent the crying-laughing face.

taught us that the future isn't new. The future is a remix of the past, played at a slightly faster speed, on a slightly smaller screen. And we are all still living in the long, strange, 2015 hangover. : 2015 saw a massive influx of refugees

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop musical opened on Broadway. It became a massive cultural phenomenon, sweeping awards and changing the landscape of American theater.

: Used in Pakistan (specifically Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) to guide district governments in preparing District Development Plans .

If you are literally putting together a physical paper or need help organizing your own words for a project:

: A groundbreaking investigative piece by Wired that demonstrated the vulnerabilities of connected cars. Also in 2015

Social movements achieved historic legal victories in 2015, fundamentally altering civil rights landscapes.

The breakthrough gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 was named the "Breakthrough of the Year" by Science magazine. It opened new, controversial possibilities for treating genetic diseases.

If 2015 was tumultuous in geopolitics, it was nothing short of revolutionary in science and technology. The year marked several milestones that have since become part of everyday life—and others that pointed toward a remarkable future.

Also in 2015 , a quirky indie game by Toby Fox called Undertale dropped. With its quirky graphics and pacifist mechanics, it reminded the industry that games could be about kindness, not just violence.