The Best Images That Shaped 2017
Sometimes, we lose our faith in humanity because we are surrounded by so much cruelty. Yet many times, that faith is restored.
From the silly and tragic to the happy and triumphant, we summarize this eventful year with the best images that shaped 2017.
The young Prince George and his little sister Princess Charlotte attended the wedding of Pippa Middleton, the sister of their mother, Catherine. George was a page boy in the wedding. Charlotte was a flower girl. The royal children were well-behaved, save for a few moments of George playing with other page boys. May 20 – UK Press Pool/Getty Images
Residents of the war-torn city of Douma, Syria, observed the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marked the end of their Ramadan fasting. Traditions include feasting together with the family. More than one billion Muslims around the world celebrated this holiday, marking the start of festive spirit after a month-long fast for Ramadan. June 18 – Hamza Al-Ajweh/AFP/Getty Images
Blood stained Pope Francis' cassock. The Pontiff was injured when he accidentally hit his head on his Popemobile while in Colombia. The picture is one of the most surreal ever taken of the Pope, who is known to break protocol and traditions in favor of casualness. September 10 – Alberto Pizzoli/Pool/AP
In this candid photo, Prince Harry laughed as he caught Hayley Henson’s daughter Emily stealing popcorn from him as they watched the Invictus Games. September 27 – Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation
In July, a team of conservationists from Sea Legacy arrived on Somerset Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. While there, they witnessed a heartbreaking sight: An emaciated polar bear looking for food. They wanted to help, but the nearest village was miles away, so they did the only thing they could do: take videos and pictures to raise awareness. They uploaded the video in December, and it immediately went viral. Cristina Mittermeier—SeaLegacy
In February, Beyonce posted a picture of herself baring her pregnant belly, while seated on a carpet of grass, surrounded by flowers. She wore a teal colored veil and bright red lipstick. The vibrant picture became the most liked picture on Instagram, with over 11 million likes.
Photos: the crowd at Donald Trump’s inauguration vs. Barack Obama’s https://t.co/zA3nRJeu0C pic.twitter.com/yu2KFZYv95
— Vox (@voxdotcom) January 20, 2017
In this combination photo, the crowd at former President Obama’s inauguration (Left) was compared to the crowd during President Trump’s inauguration (Right). January 20, 2009; January 20, 2017. Lucas Jackson (L) and Stelios Varias (R) for Reuters
The Creek Fire in Los Angeles, California, seen in this image, is one of the largest wildfire disasters in the history of the U.S. It's burned through more than 65 square kilometers or roughly the size of Makati and Manila combined. The California wildfires are some of the most devastating wildfires in history, displacing thousands of California residents. December 5 – Mario Tama / Getty Images
Just in case ash and lava-spewing volcanoes weren't terrifying enough on their own: https://t.co/ZZ02kOV4Wv pic.twitter.com/XuLS39Q1e3
— WIRED (@WIRED) July 29, 2016
Mount Sakurajima erupted in Tarumizu, Japan. September 29 – The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images
In this image, Katty Malang Mikunug, a Marawi resident, took a selfie in her wedding dress in the town of Saguiaran in Lanao del Sur. This was after President Duterte announced that the besieged city of Marawi was liberated after five months of
Prince Harry proposed to his girlfriend, Meghan Markle. The photo was taken at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement. November 27 – Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images
A crowd gathered outside the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles to watch the 2017 total solar eclipse whose umbra (central dark part of the shadow) passed directly over the U.S. August 21 – Richard Vogel—AP/Shutterstock
In this historic moment, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stood side by side with former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, just before the Obamas left the Capitol. Obama is regarded as one of the most popular U.S. presidents in history. January 20 – Dina Litovsky / Redux for TIME
GIANT PICNIC at the border today in Tecate ... around the eye of a dreamer ... we forgot the wall for a minute ... pic.twitter.com/ECpRmUNFLl
— JR (@JRart) October 8, 2017
In this aerial shot, Americans and Mexicans picnicked at the U.S.-Mexico border with a giant photograph of the eyes of a "Dreamer" (undocumented migrants who arrived in the U.S. as children). October 8 – JR-art.net
Villagers of Panbari in Gauhati, India offered an assortment of wildflowers to a dead elephant lying in a field. November 2 – Anupam Nath—AP/Shutterstock
In this photo taken in Essaouira, Morocco, goats climbed an Argan tree to feed on its leaves. Argan oil, which is a by-product of the tree’s fruit, is considered as liquid gold in Morocco and is a popular ingredient for skin health in the cosmetics industry. Dave Watts—Minden Pictures
A #cat peers through a backpack under the cherry #blossoms at Tongji University #Shanghai #China #cherryblossom ???? Aly Song @reuterspictures pic.twitter.com/kLMaFv2C9c
— SundayTimesPictures (@STPictures) April 4, 2017
A cat sat inside its human’s backpack for pets in this photo taken at Tongji University in Shanghai, China. April 4 – Aly Song for Reuters
An exhausted Rohingya woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat. They crossed the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. September 11 – Danish Siddiqui for Reuters
“The Happiest Place on Earth” is pictured here as wildfires raged in the background in Anaheim, California. October 9 – INSTAGRAM /@KENNYA.BOULTER/
More than 1,000 Santas brave the cold to run through streets of German town https://t.co/v4SwLF1dsy pic.twitter.com/KpTyo4CCXL
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) December 11, 2017
People in Santa Claus costumes ran a marathon through Michendorf, Germany. December - Axel Schmidt for Reuters
Cyclists dressed as Santa Clause rendezvoused at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. December - Tony Gentile for Reuters
