From "Call me Caitlyn" to the Canadian news story of the year, 2015 saw no shortage of social media moments that we'll remember well into the new year. We've rounded up our top twelve stories that went viral on the Internet.
"Call me Caitlyn"
Quite possibly one of the biggest stories of 2015, Vanity Fair's July cover featured a photo of a transgender Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Olympic athlete and reality TV star, Bruce Jenner, whom we often saw on the popular TV show, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." With three simple words on the cover, “Call me Caitlyn,” many viewed Jenner as the most famous person to ever transition in public. The record breaking didn't stop there, however, because when Caitlyn joined Twitter, she broke the world record for hitting one million Twitter followers in just four hours!
Image Credit: Vanity Fair
#TheDress
This one had most of us questioning our own sanity. Many friendships were ended, family ties strained, and romantic relationships declared ruined over whether this dress was blue and black or white and gold. What started off as an innocent question resulted in a full-out social media frenzy after BuzzFeed's, Cates Holderness, posted a poll about The Dress. Following more than 38 million hits, the debate has been settled: The Dress is blue and black.
Image Credit: BuzzFeed
Zayn Malik only sees one direction: out
2015 was filled with tragedy, including Zayn Malik's departure from One Direction. In a Facebook post that shattered the lives of countless teens, Zayn explained: "I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight." Life will never be the same.
Image Credit: POPSUGAR
The adorable rodent that stole the hearts of millions
This one is as gross as it is endearing. If you're ever feeling down on your luck, just remember, a 15-second video of a rat dragging a slice of pizza down a flight of stairs has over 8.6 million views on YouTube.
The real life Lion King
Referred to as a "disgusting tragedy" by a choked up Jimmy Kimmel, Cecil the Lion's death caused outrage worldwide. The lion was a popular tourist attraction at the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, where he was being studied by the University of Oxford before he was killed by a 55-year-old dentist from Minnesota, Walter Palmer. Although Palmer maintained he didn't know that the lion he killed was Cecil, he'll have to fix a lot of cavities to make up for his mistake.
Image Credit: The Guardian
Drake's "Hotline Bling"
Drake's come a long way since his days on Degrassi. From the release of his surprise album, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, to his public feud with rapper Meek Mill, Drake wrapped up 2015 with the release of the video for his song, "Hotline Bling." His, shall we say, "unique" dance moves have since inspired countless memes, GIFs, and other such parodies.
GIF Credit: Sneak Hype
The Charlie Charlie Challenge
Meant to summon a Mexican demon, the #CharlieCharlieChallenge quickly took off across social media. The game is simple: write the words "yes" and "no" in four quadrants on a piece of paper and balance two pencils in the shape of a cross on top. Simply say "Charlie, Charlie are you here?", sit back, relax, and watch the demonic games unfold. Oh, and don't worry, Charlie doesn't have any particular pencil preference.
Image Credit: The Racket Report
Green peas in guacamole? Nope!
“Add green peas to your guacamole,” they said. "Trust us," they said. Well, people didn't trust The New York Times when it suggested people add peas to traditional guacamole. Outrage was heard all across the land. From being compared to ISIS, to being accused of a hate crime, to Barack Obama weighing in, the ruling was loud and clear: no peas in guacamole.
Image Credit: The New York Times
The City of Love during its darkest hour
Social media isn't always fun and games, as we saw when people worldwide showed their support for Paris following the terrorist attacks on the landmark city just last month. French designer Jean Jullien's Peace for Paris illustration quickly became a sign of unity and went viral across the Internet.
Image Credit: Jean Jullien
The force awakens
Star Wars has been absolutely everywhere the last little while, so it's no surprise that it smashed box office sales. With the biggest box office debut weekend globally, the movie totaled $529 million in ticket sales alone. For many this isn't just a movie, it's a lifestyle.
Image Credit: Huffington Post
Miss Universe 2015 fail
Not only did Steve Harvey announce the wrong winner at last weekend's Miss Universe 2015 pageant, but then, as if to add insult to injury, he went on to tweet an apology only to spell "Colombia" and "Philippines" incorrectly. This entire debacle was simply cringeworthy. Fails all around.
Image Credit: BGR
Image Credit: PR Daily
The Canadian news story of the year
Last but not least, the Syrian refugee crisis has been dubbed the Canadian news story of the year. The millions of people displaced by civil war in Syria since 2011 barely scratched the surface of the social media machine until the single, lifeless body of three-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on the shores of Turkey and made headlines around the world. When it later became known that the Kurdi family had sought refuge with relatives in British Columbia, the Syrian refugee crisis climbed to the forefront of Canadian politics.
Image Credit: The Guardian
