You may have just about digested your Christmas dinner by now, but have you found a moment to absorb what you — and the rest of the world — have been through in 2024?
A natural disaster on January 1 — remember that earthquake in Japan? — kick-started the annual news cycle, during which a lot of familiarly depressing stories rolled into view, not least those involving conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East. And, like any year, as the days passed, so did many people who have left an indelible mark on the world, among them the record producer Quincy Jones, the actress Maggie Smith and the politician and sometime amateur boxer John Prescott. A few world leaders fell by the wayside too.
But let’s not dwell on the serious stuff. For there was also plenty to celebrate, in sport — from grand feats of athleticism at the Paris Olympics to England’s stuttering and ultimately unsuccessful tilt at Euro 2024 — and the arts, including Coldplay ruling Glastonbury (again) and Taylor Swift dominating pretty much the rest of the globe. And of course, there were many eyebrow-raising moments involving famous people that, while frankly inconsequential, brought some much needed levity to our lives (maybe it involved a milkshake for you, or a DJing set in Ibiza).
TikTok trends came and went, memes spread across social media, language evolved. Gaffes were made, apologies were proffered, hatchets were buried. So who better to test your memory of the less serious moments of the past 12 months than a man whose biggest claims to fame in 2024 were writing a book about his attempt to go bald with dignity and receiving not one but two Christmas coconut cakes from Tom Cruise. Yes, it’s time for Stuart Heritage’s Big Boxing Day Quiz.
