The Best Pictures of the Year
MARKING A NEW ERA
After a contentious race against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump was elected the 45th President and inaugurated in the nation's capital on Jan. 20.
THE WOMEN'S MARCH
On Jan. 21, the day after Donald Trump took office, thousands marched in peaceful protests on the nation's capital and in hundreds of cities around the world. Many demonstrators wore pink pussyhats in support of protecting women's rights.
RESCUED FROM HARVEY
Houston Police SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carried Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after Tropical Storm Harvey left them stranded by devastating floods on Aug. 27.
HISTORIC VICTORY
Members of the Houston Astros celebrated after winning the franchise's first-ever World Series championship in 56 seasons in L.A. on Nov. 1. The win — over the Los Angeles Dodgers — served as a major boost for the city, which was battered by Hurricane Harvey just three months earlier.
OSCAR FLUB
Moments after the cast and crew of La La Land took to the stage to accept the award for Best Picture, presenter Warren Beatty revealed that Moonlight had actually won the top prize at the Feb. 26 Academy Awards. Beatty and his copresenter Faye Dunaway had been handed the wrong envelope, which announced Emma Stone's win for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
TURNING DAY INTO NIGHT
A solar eclipse traveled from Lincoln Beach, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina, on Aug. 21.
REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF A MASSACRE
Crosses stood in memory of 26 worshippers — including the pastor's teenage daughter — who were shot and killed at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5 by a gunman from neighboring Comal County.
RAGING FIRES
A series of wildfires swept Northern California in October, including one near vineyards in Wooden Valley. The disaster left more than 40 dead and an estimated $3 billion in damages.
GIRL POWER
The 48-in. bronze sculpture of a defiant girl by artist Kristen Visbal was installed on Wall Street opposite the iconic bronze "Charging Bull" and has long outlasted its original permit to stay for just a few days. It generated more than $7 million in free advertising for State Street Global Advisors, the financial firm that commissioned it—and it also sent an inspiring message. Said N.Y.C. public advocate Letitia James: "'Fearless Girl' stands as a powerful beacon, showing women—young and old—that no dream is too big and no ceiling is too high".
SWEET DISPLAY
After a successful run in New York City, the Museum of Ice Cream headed to L.A., where stars such as Drew Barrymore, Beyoncé and Kylie Jenner came to frolic among oversize treats and play in a swimming pool filled with sprinkles. Thanks to sold-out stints in both cities, the Instagramable exhibit expanded to San Francisco and Miami.
AN ISLAND'S DEVESTATION
A young boy watched as Hurricane Maria slammed into Juncos, P.R., on Sept. 20. The nearly category 5 hurricane — the strongest to make landfall on the island in 85 years — killed dozens and caused widespread damage to the U.S. territory, which is still struggling to recover.
KNEELING FOR A CAUSE
The San Francisco 49ers knelt during the national anthem on Oct. 1 before their game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium. NFL players throughout the league have taken a knee as a sign of solidarity with those protesting police brutality and racial inequality.
VIOLENCE IN THE HEARTLAND
White supremacists and neo-Nazis took part in a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 11 to object to the removal of a Confederate monument. Later, violent clashes with counter protestors resulted in the death of a local resident, Heather Heyer, who was mowed down when a car plowed into the crowd. Nineteen others were injured in the melee.
TRAGEDY SHAKES A NATION
Search-and-rescue teams looked for survivors in the rubble after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake hit the capital as well as Puebla and Morelos, Mexico, on Sept. 19. At least 360 people were killed.
A BID FOR FREEDOM
O.J. Simpson, 70, attended a parole hearing in Nevada in July after serving nine years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery in Las Vegas. The former NFL star was released from the Lovelock Correctional Center on Oct. 1.
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STUMBLE ON THE RUNWAY
Hometown model Ming Xi lost her balance but maintained her smile on Nov. 20 during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, held in China for the first time. Xi, who was making her fifth appearance in the annual event, called the misstep "one of the hardest moments I have ever had to go through in my career."
IRMA'S TERROR
A resident of Cudjoe Key inspected the remains of his home five days after it was hit by Hurricane Irma on Sept. 10. Millions of Florida residents were ordered to evacuate, and those who stayed behind faced 130 mph winds. Dozens were killed, and nearly two-thirds of the state was left without power for days.
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PLATINUM STATUS
On Nov. 18 the Palace released this portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip — taken in the White Drawing Room at their Windsor Castle home earlier that month — to commemorate the couple's 70th wedding anniversary. The Duke of Edinburgh, 96, officially retired from royal duties on Aug. 2 following 65 years of service.
A FORMAL GREETING
Princess Kate and Prince William stepped out onto the Buckingham Palace balcony with kids George and Charlotte following the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony to mark Queen Elizabeth's official birthday on June 17.
A TOUR OF THE COMMONWEALTH
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, capped off an 11-day tour of India and Southeast Asia on Nov. 9 with a stop at the India Gate War Memorial, where they paid their respects to fallen soldiers. The couple also visited Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia on their trip.
THE LITTLE PRINCESS
The Palace released this official portrait — by royal photographer Kate Middleton! — in honor of Charlotte's second birthday May 2. Her $23 John Lewis yellow cardigan sold out immediately.
ALL GROWN UP!
Prince George, 4, put on a smile as he headed off for his first day of school at Thomas's Battersea on Sept. 7. His dad, Prince William, took him to meet his new teacher while mom stayed at home with morning sickness.
A PREGNANT PRINCESS
Princess Kate, 35, who is expecting her third child with Prince William in April, held a bouquet of flowers over her growing baby bump as she visited the Foundling Museum on Nov. 28. The royal mom met families and children who have benefited from the museum's education and outreach programs.
Best Pictures of 2017, Year in Photos