This feature is part of a series called Turning Points, in which writers explore what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead. You can read more by visiting the Turning Points series page.
The Louvre presents its first fashion exhibition.
For the first time in its 232-year history, the Louvre presented a fashion exhibition in Paris, a city long considered a global fashion center. “Louvre Couture,” which opened at the world’s most visited museum on Jan. 24, featured clothing and accessories from more than 45 designers representing well-known fashion houses. The exhibition admitted more than a million visitors during its seven-month run, making it the Louvre’s second-most visited exhibition of all time.
A song from a blockbuster movie is the first K-pop hit with female lead vocalists to top the Billboard Hot 100 list.
“Golden,” a song by the fictional group Huntrix from the Netflix animated movie “KPop Demon Hunters,” is the first K-pop song by female lead vocalists to top the Billboard Hot 100. EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna are the real-life vocalists behind the characters Rumi, Zoey and Mira. The movie and its catchy songs turned into a cultural phenomenon during the summer, becoming Netflix’s most-watched title and stoking such a frenzy among fans that theaters in select cities screened special singalong viewings.
Thailand recognizes same-sex marriage.
On Jan. 23, hundreds of couples in Bangkok tied the knot in a mass wedding ceremony after a 2024 bill recognizing same-sex marriage went into effect in Thailand. The country, which is home to more than 71 million people, is the first in Southeast Asia, and one of only three Asian countries, to legalize same-sex marriage.
A colossal squid is observed in its natural habitat.
In March, scientists on a research vessel off the South Sandwich Islands filmed a juvenile Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni deep in the South Atlantic Ocean. The squid, which can reach about half a ton in weight, is the world’s largest known invertebrate. Although 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of its formal identification, not much is known about the elusive cephalopod’s habits or life cycle. Before this expedition, scientists primarily encountered the colossal squid through its remains.
An American is named pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
Robert Francis Prevost was chosen as the 267th bishop of Rome in May, marking the first time a United States-born citizen became the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The election of Prevost, who chose the papal name “Leo XIV,” upended a commonly held belief that the papal conclave would not elect a pope who came from a country that already had significant global influence.
A baby with a rare genetic disorder is the first patient treated with a custom gene-editing therapy.
Though KJ Muldoon’s initial prognosis was grim, doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia successfully treated his CPS1 deficiency with a custom gene-editing infusion, according to a paper published in May in The New England Journal of Medicine. In addition to its broader implications for treating genetic disorders, what makes this treatment remarkable is that it was mostly made possible by decades of federally funded research that has recently faced significant cuts and scrutiny under the Trump administration.
A private spacecraft successfully lands on the moon.
In a major milestone for the private space race, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost became the first commercial lander to achieve a fully successful, completely functional soft landing on the moon. Space is becoming increasingly crowded as private companies, often seeded with billionaire funding, vie for dominance in both commercial tourism and the extraction of lunar resources.
Americans stream more TV through dedicated services than via cable and broadcast networks.
Nielsen reported that May was the first full month in which Americans watched more television via streaming services than they did through cable and broadcast networks. While younger viewers have long embraced streaming, baby boomers are now onboard, drawn by free, ad-supported services that require no subscription. Nielsen predicts streaming will eventually surpass traditional TV viewership in the future.
Humans orbit both poles of Earth, yet another first in space tourism.
The Fram2 mission, a SpaceX flight financed and commanded by Chun Wang, a Chinese-born Maltese crypto entrepreneur, became the first to send humans into orbit over both of Earth’s poles. The four-person crew conducted 22 experiments during the approximately three-and-a-half-day mission, including taking the first X-ray of a human in space. However, some critics question the mission’s scientific value, citing its short duration and the fact that mapping and weather satellites already monitor the polar regions.
The first millennial saint is canonized.
Carlo Acutis, a British-born Italian teenager who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006, was declared a saint on Sept. 7. Carlo, nicknamed “God’s influencer,” used technology to set up a website listing Eucharistic miracles. Carlo was beatified — the final step toward sainthood — in 2020. Though it was Pope Leo who canonized Carlo, his sainthood was championed by Pope Francis, who believed that a young, relatable saint would help connect the church to a younger generation of Catholics.
Humanoid robots compete in Beijing.
More than 500 humanoid robots from 16 countries competed in the world’s inaugural Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing in August. The robots completed obstacle courses and played soccer. But in some instances, they tripped, fell and even knocked into their human helpers. The competition highlighted both the advancements and the limitations of today’s robotics technology.
Mexico holds its first judicial election.
In an attempt to overhaul its court system, Mexico held its first-ever judicial election, stirring controversy among critics who say the move could undermine judicial independence. Voter turnout was low, with approximately 13 percent of the country’s 100 million voters showing up at the polls to cast ballots. In contrast, turnout for last year’s presidential election was nearly 60 percent. This was partly because of the overwhelming number of candidates: more than 7,700 vying for more than 2,600 positions across federal and state elections.
China announces a detailed target for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions.
China, the world’s largest source of greenhouse emissions, has announced specific targets to reduce greenhouse gases by 2035. Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to cut the country’s emissions by 7 to 10 percent and to increase alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind and hydropower. Xi’s pledge, a first for his country, is in stark contrast with President Donald Trump’s allegations that climate change is a “con job,” and that renewable energy sources are more expensive than fossil fuel options. Still, critics state that China’s promises will not keep pace with global climate goals.
Children with obesity globally outnumber those who are underweight.
A UNICEF report found that obese children outnumber those who are underweight across the world for the first time, sparking concerns among doctors and health experts who say that obesity is tied to poorer health outcomes such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The report specifically emphasizes the growing ubiquity of ultraprocessed foods that are cheap and high in calories across low- and high-income areas.
Surgeons perform a human bladder transplant.
Doctors in the United States performed the first human bladder transplant on Oscar Larrainzar, a 41-year-old man who had lost most of his bladder following treatment for a rare form of bladder cancer. Before this surgery, the first of five planned in a trial, doctors had not attempted bladder transplants because of the complicated vascular infrastructure of the pelvic area and the difficulty of the surgery itself. Although it will take time to determine the procedure’s long-term success, doctors are optimistic about its potential for treating debilitating bladder conditions.
A Latvian film wins the Oscar for best animated feature.
“Flow” became not only the first independent film to win best animated feature at the Academy Awards but also the first Latvian production to receive an Oscar. Directed by Gints Zilbalodis and made in open-source software, the wordless film features a cat surviving in a postapocalyptic world. It cost approximately $3.7 million to make. In contrast, Disney’s “Inside Out 2,” also a 2025 nominee, cost approximately $200 million. “Flow” also took home the Golden Globe for best animated film.
A woman is appointed archbishop of Canterbury.
For the first time, a woman was named the archbishop of Canterbury. Responsible for leading the world’s 85 million Anglicans, Sarah Mullally, who is also the first woman to be bishop of London, must confront the challenges of a church divided over the role of women and its L.G.B.T.Q. members.
A show using generative A.I. debuts on Netflix.
Netflix used generative A.I. for the first time onscreen to make a building collapse in the Argentine production “The Eternaut,” a show that follows the aftermath of a toxic snowfall. The move underscores the steady march of A.I. technology in the arts and media. Showrunners lauded the speedy turnaround and significant cost savings, while industry watchers worried about looming job cuts in special effects and postproduction.
The first-ever 32-team FIFA Club World Cup is held.
The inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup was held in the United States from June to July. FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, hoping to grow the sport’s popularity, revamped its soccer tournament from a smaller-scale annual version to a 32-team tournament held every four years that mixes regional champions along with others selected based on regional rankings. Ticket sales were not as high as anticipated, with prices for the semifinal game between Chelsea and Fluminense plummeting from $473.90 to just $13.40 within 72 hours. Critics say the revamped tournament crowds an already oversaturated competition calendar.
Japan elects a female prime minister.
On Oct. 21, Japan elected its first female prime minister, an extraordinary feat for a country with deeply embedded patriarchal traditions. Sanae Takaichi, like her close ally Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister who was assassinated in 2022, is expected to shift the country further to the right. She ran on a platform that promised to take a harder line against China and institute tougher restrictions on immigration and tourism. Takaichi also must contend with domestic issues like rising prices and economic instability in addition to looming uncertainties about Japan’s longstanding alliance with the United States.
Mosquitoes are found in Iceland.
Mosquitoes have been discovered in the wild in Iceland for the first time, which mosquito experts say is a consequence of climate change and the island nation’s growing popularity as a tourist destination. The country once had a climate that made it too cold for mosquitoes to inhabit. Insect populations correspond with increasing temperatures, experts say, and Iceland has experienced record heat this year. Now, scientists must determine whether these insects were just hitching a ride to Iceland’s geothermal spas or if they are in the process of colonizing the country.
Palestine is represented at the Miss Universe pageant.
Nadeen Ayoub, who was born in Ramallah in the West Bank but later moved to the United States and then Canada, joined contestants representing more than 100 countries in the beauty contest in November. Fátima Bosch, the contestant from Mexico, was crowned the winner at the pageant, which took place in Bangkok.
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