🇺🇸United States · 10s
Ferguson and the Ice Bucket
Ferguson erupts, the Ice Bucket Challenge goes viral, and Russia annexes Crimea.
5 milestones of 2014
Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. Protests erupted. Tear gas filled the streets. #BlackLivesMatter went from hashtag to movement.
racial violence
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine after a disputed referendum. The US and EU imposed sanctions. The post-Cold War order was cracking. A European land war seemed unthinkable — until it wasn't.
Everyone from Bill Gates to your neighbor dumped ice water on their heads for ALS awareness. The campaign raised $115 million and funded a breakthrough gene discovery.
Eric Garner died after an NYPD officer put him in a chokehold during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes. His last words — 'I can't breathe' — became a protest rallying cry.
racial violence
The Islamic State captured Mosul and declared a caliphate. Horrific beheading videos shocked the world. Obama authorized airstrikes. A new chapter of the War on Terror began.
terrorism
70% local · 30% international
Boyhood
Richard Linklater — Filmed over 12 years. Watching a child grow up in real time. Nominated for Best Picture.
Birdman
Alejandro González Iñárritu — Won Best Picture. Michael Keaton as a washed-up superhero actor. Shot to look like one take.
Guardians of the Galaxy
James Gunn — A talking raccoon and a tree. Marvel proved it could make anything a hit.
Interstellar
Christopher Nolan — Matthew McConaughey traveled through a wormhole. Science and emotion collided.
Whiplash
Damien Chazelle — J.K. Simmons as the most terrifying music teacher ever. 'Not quite my tempo.'
True Detective
2014-present — McConaughey and Harrelson in Louisiana. 'Time is a flat circle.' Anthology crime drama.
Serial (podcast)
2014 — The podcast about Adnan Syed became a phenomenon. True crime podcasting was born.
Fargo
2014-present — The Coen Brothers' world as a TV series. Billy Bob Thornton was chilling.
Transparent
2014-2019 — Jeffrey Tambor as a trans woman. Streaming tackled identity in new ways.
The Flash
2014-2023 — Grant Gustin as Barry Allen. DC's TV universe expanded.
Currency: USD
Inflation: 1.6%
The recovery was real. Unemployment fell to 5.6%. Gas prices dropped sharply in the fall. The stock market hit records.
Inflation-adjusted values
Amazon Echo (Alexa)
Amazon put a smart speaker in your kitchen. 'Alexa, what's the weather?'
Apple Watch announced
Tim Cook revealed the Apple Watch. Wearables were about to go mainstream.
Facebook buys WhatsApp
$19 billion for a messaging app. The biggest tech acquisition in history.
Uber valued at $40 billion
The ride-sharing company was worth more than most airlines.
Net neutrality debate
Obama pushed for net neutrality rules. The FCC would vote in 2015.
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