March 19: Another species bites the dust
Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhinoceros dies in Kenya, making the subspecies functionally extinct. The 45-year-old was euthanised after suffering from “age-related complications”. He was moved to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy for a “Last Chance To Survive” breeding programme, along with three other northern white rhinoceroses. There, he was accompanied by an armed guard 24x7 to protect him from poachers.
April 27: Historic meet
Kim Jong-un creates history by becoming the first North Korean leader to cross the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) since its creation in 1953, into South Korea to meet his counterpart Moon Jae-in, for a summit on the nuclear crisis. The DMZ is a region on the Korean peninsula that demarcates North Korea from South Korea. The meeting is also only the third time that leaders of the two countries have met in the 65 years since the Korean War, which took place between 1950 and 1953.
June 3: Deadly eruption
A series of volcanic explosions and pyroclastic flows from the Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala leaves almost no time for evacuation of the surrounding communities, thus causing causes the death of nearly 200 people. The eruption includes lahars, pyroclastic flows, and clouds of volcanic ash. It is the deadliest eruption in Guatemala since 1929.
June 24: Freedom to drive
Saudi Arabia lifts a decades-old ban on women driving. Until this time, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world where women weren’t allowed to drive, and if they did, they risked being arrested and fined. The move is celebrated with many women taking to the streets to drive and posting pictures of themselves doing so.
July 27: In celestial shadow
The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century occurs, giving sky-watchers a beautiful glimpse of a blood-red moon. The total eclipse lasts 1 hour, 42 minutes and 57 seconds, and the moon spends a total of nearly four hours in earth’s umbral shadow. A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon are perfectly aligned.
August 10–20: State under water
Unusually high rainfall — 75% more than usual — causes severe floods in Kerala, making it the worst flood to hit the state in a century. The rains cause flooding, landslide, and loss of properties worth over R 19,000 crore. It leaves over 7.25 lakh people homeless. While the flooding is largely because of a monsoon spell that is 75% more than usual, experts also blame man-made factors like excessive mining and quarrying. During this period, 35 of the 54 dams in Kerala are opened — a first in the state’s history.
October 02: Woman laureate
Canadian physicist Donna Strickland becomes the third woman in history to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and the first in 55 years. She is awarded the 2018 prize jointly with France’s Gérard Mourou for their work on generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses. They share the award with 96-year-old Arthur Ashkin who becomes the oldest Nobel Laureate.
October 23: Longest bridge
The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, the world’s longest sea crossing bridge, is opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The 55-kilometre long system consists of a series of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel, and four artificial islands. It connects Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai, all three located on the Pearl River Delta. This bridge is also the longest fixed link on earth.
