Not all bad: 15 positive news stories from 2024

2024 was not a great year. Wars escalated, violence erupted, and we were constantly shaken by bad news. However, it was not all bad. Here is the news to prove it.

In January, Japan became the fifth country to reach the moon. They did so uniquely. The rover was designed to land on its side, but a failure placed it upside down. Mission control was able to land correctly in this adverse situation.

In March, a team of surgeons from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston transplanted a genetic-edited pig kidney to a man. It was the first successful operation of that kind.

The award season was also in March, featuring a historic achievement: Lily Gladstone became the first Native American woman nominated for an Oscar and the first to win a Golden Globe.

In May, thousands came together to watch a one-of-a-kind solar eclipse in North America. The astronomical event also allowed for unique studies in animal behavior.

In May, a new study reported evidence that a lost arm of the Nile once cut through the stretch of desert where Egypt's famous pyramids lie. It answered the mystery of how they moved the rocks there.

In June, the US Federal Reserve announced that it would stop raising interest rates for the first time since 2022. This proved that they managed to curb inflation while avoiding a much-feared recession.

In July, the results of a successful women clinical trial concluded that a novel shot against HIV prevented infections in 100% of the cases with two yearly dozes. The clinical trial included 2,000 participants.

In August, the US and its allies performed the most significant prisoner swap with Russia since the Cold War. The deal freed many, including Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich.

In September, the UK became the first G7 country to phase out coal. On the 30th, the nation closed its last coal power plant and relied on renewable energies.

Claudia Sheinbaum became the first female president in North American history in October. The Mexican leader’s inaugural address highlighted all the women who made the triumph possible.

The national male soccer team of San Marino had a sad record: it had the most consecutive losses in FIFA history. It had never won a game until it won two after September this year.

That same month, SpaceX successfully launched and retrieved part of its Starship rocket, taking a step toward developing a reusable rocket that could forever change space exploration.

Also in October, a report by RMI concluded that the Global South (Latin America, Africa, South and Southeast Asia) is transitioning to renewables much faster than developed countries.

In November, Antonia, a black-footed ferret, had three kits, becoming the first cloned specimen of an endangered species to have offspring. The achievement could open a new path for biodiversity conservation.

Aruba, Curaçao, Liechtenstein, and Thailand legalized same-sex marriages. The latter became the first in Southeast Asia to recognize them.

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