This past decade had some years to remember. To help you reflect, we’ve curated a list of the top ten. While there were the surefire inclusions, some of the years that made the cut will definitely surprise you!

10. 2018

Two words: Winter. Olympics. If anything defined the year and dominated the news cycle, it was the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic games. This display of international cooperation and respect for fair play set the stage for a year where human commonality overshadowed differences in race, nationality, and political orientation.

9. 2009

The turn of the millennium accessory that got humanity through Y2K, double-O New Years Eve glasses were a spectacle to behold. Above all else, 2009 is hailed as the last year that these novelty specs made a shred of sense. While the NYE glasses tradition live on, everything since screams compromise.

8. 2017

Everyone knows that 2017 is a prime number, but it is so much more! The prime number after 2017 is 2027 which equals 2017+(2+0+1+7). The prime number before 2017 is 2011 which equals 2017+(2-0-1-7). And 2017 itself is of course equal to 2017+(2×0×1×7). The 2017 Year of the Year winner, 2017 unquestionably earns its number eight slot.

7. 2016

Do you remember how for maybe 3 months in the fall there were suddenly dozens of creepy clown sightings? Just dudes in clown suits standing under lamp posts at night at stuff. Let’s never address that.

6. 2015

I had a tough breakup this year, but having had time to reflect, there’s no doubt I learned a lot. Both about what I need from a partner and how to be a better partner myself. No, I’m not quite ready to be friends, but that doesn’t mean I’m not fully over it. I totally am. It’s just that… well, we weren’t really friends before so there’s no friendship to go back to - it’d pretty much be starting from nothing. That’s not inherently bad but, if I’m starting a friendship from nothing, I might as well invest that time and effort in someone where there isn’t an underlying risk of emotional baggage. Am I making sense here? Solid number six on the list.

5. 2012

The year inspired by the eponymous John Cusack film, “2012”. This 365 day tribute to his cinematic masterwork is the only reason Americans have heard of the Mayans.

4. 2011

Not 100%, but this seems like about the time vaping started becoming a thing. You know that weird renaissance where all the “Ca$h for Gold” places turned into vape shops pretty much overnight? If I had to guess which year the first major news outlet ran a story about some beau-nasty spilling dank cherry-flavoured clouds on a plane it would be 2011, handsdown.

3. 2010

Justice is served! This is the year that the New York Post sponsored the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. After the wild success of the “Got Him!” newspaper cover, the New York Post made the artistically bold move to spin off a full scale US military operation that would bring the Al-Qaeda leader’s death to life. Talk about “Extra! Extra!”.

The cover that left America Zero Dark Thirsty for more!

2. 2013

Peak year for export value of organic broccoli from the US. No joke, little bump right there. Boop. Check it out.

Get’s you thinking right? Was the US exporting more organic broccoli so they made more money? Or was there less broccoli internationally so the price went up? Did all broccoli see this boost or were folks just swapping to the organic stuff?

We live in a beautiful mystery.

1. 2014

The Ebola outbreak was this year. You forgot about this one too, didn’t you. For months, you were wetting trow’ about some 28 Days Later action and just like that you forgot.

These were our top 10 favourites! We’ll be the first to admit that, combing through the past decade, there were lots of gems to choose from. We couldn’t pick them all! Which of your faves would you add to the list?

Dec 28 Top 10 Years of the Past Decade of 2018