A look back at 2025: Wildfires, aviation disasters, historic firsts shape the year
From catastrophic wildfires to a historic papal appointment, 2025 was a year marked by tragedy, political drama and major world events. Videos compiled by Straight Arrow News chronicle a year’s worth of major news stories bound to be taught in history classes for generations.
California wildfires claim dozens of lives
Wildfires dominated the headlines in January as blazes tore through the Los Angeles area, ravaging large portions of Pacific Palisades and becoming some of the most destructive fires in the Los Angeles metropolitan area’s history.
Investigators said the Palisades Fire, which began Jan. 7, was a “holdover” from the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1, smoldering undetected in vegetation roots before strong winds reignited it. The disaster claimed 12 lives and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures. The same day, the Eaton Fire broke out, killing 19 people and leveling more than 9,000 buildings. Authorities in October announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht for allegedly igniting the blaze.
Trump sworn in as 47th president
On Jan. 20, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. Due to freezing temperatures, the ceremony was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda. The president signed a flurry of executive orders in the first days of his second term, including rescinding 78 executive actions implemented under the Biden administration, ordering construction to resume on a wall along the nation’s border with Mexico and another requiring all federal workers to return to work in person full-time.
Aviation tragedies take heavy toll
Aviation incidents also brought sorrow throughout the year. On Jan. 29, a mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., resulted in the deaths of all 67 people on board. In June, an Air India plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 passengers; one individual survived after being thrown from the aircraft.
November saw further tragedy when a UPS cargo plane caught fire and exploded after takeoff in Kentucky, killing 14 and injuring more than a dozen. Meanwhile, air traffic controllers endured 43 days without pay during a government shutdown, leading to delays and staff shortages.
Oval Office tensions over Ukraine
A heated exchange in the Oval Office over a rare minerals deal in Ukraine went viral on Feb. 28. Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed publicly, with President Trump intervening and warning of the stakes involved. Zelenskyy signed the deal in late April.
First American pope named
May 8 marked a historic moment as Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, became the first American pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV following the death of Pope Francis.
Immigration protests erupt nationwide
Large-scale immigration enforcement raids in June sparked nationwide protests, resulting in multiple arrests and the deployment of the National Guard. The protests and raids continued through the end of the year.
Deadly flooding in Texas
Flash flooding along the Guadalupe River turned deadly on July 4 in Kerr County, Texas, claiming the lives of 135 people, including 20 young girls at a summer camp.
Charlie Kirk assassinated
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson later surrendered to authorities.
US strikes narco-terrorist vessels off Venezuela
In September, U.S. forces launched strikes on suspected narco-terrorist vessels off Venezuela’s coast. One strike drew scrutiny amid allegations of a second hit on a boat carrying survivors. Officials say 95 people have died on drug-trafficking boats since September.
Louvre museum heist stuns Paris
On Oct. 13, thieves disguised as construction workers broke into Paris’ Louvre Museum using a cherry picker. The group used disc cutters to access a display case, stealing eight pieces of jewelry valued at $102 million, including a royal sapphire tiara and an emerald necklace gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to his second wife.
Epstein files released
Under a congressional deadline, the first batch of Epstein files was released Dec. 19. Since then, roughly 4,000 documents and photographs have been made public.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
