From political uprisings to billion-pound acquisitions, social media packed a bigger punch in 2013 than ever before. While that comes as no surprise considering social is still snaking its way into every nook and cranny of our lives, it was a pretty fascinating year viewed through the lens of online social networks that connect people the world over.
The death of Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis being elected , Typhoon Haiyan and the birth of the royal baby, were just some of the big social-media stories of the year. We also saw Snapchat emerge as one of the fastest growing social platforms, straight through to Marissa Mayer’s (Yahoo) acquisition of Tumblr (which is just outside of our top 15).
To recap 2013, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo and Google have put together the following 2013 synopses:
- Facebook: http://vimeo.com/81305866
- Twitter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcUHZb-E8Zs
- Yahoo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU9n8pgwkPE
- Google: http://www.google.com/trends/topcharts?zg=full
Here is our look back on the top 15 moments that dominated social media conversation in 2013:
1. January: Horsemeat scandal dents trust in food industry
Irish food inspectors announced in mid-January they had found horsemeat in frozen beef burgers made by firms in the Irish Republic and the UK, and sold by a number of UK supermarket chains, including Tesco, Iceland, Aldi and Lidl. The scandal exposed a major problem in the tracking of food shipments across the world. The latest UK sales data showed the effects of the scandal have been far reaching with a 43 per cent drop in frozen burgers and a 13 per cent fall in frozen ready meals one year on.
2. March: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from Argentina, is elected as the new Pope
The Roman Catholic Church’s leaders elected a new pope in March on a day that was rich in ritual but broke with tradition – placing the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics under the direction of a Jesuit from the New World, both firsts in Christianity’s 2,000-year history.
3. April: Kim Jong-un announces plans to expand North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, in defiance of UN warnings
North Korea began the month pledging to restart its Yongbyon nuclear complex, including a uranium enrichment plant and a reactor shut down under an agreement reached in October 2007 during talks between North Korea, the US and four other nations. US secretary of state John Kerry responded by warning it would not accept North Korea as a “nuclear state”. The UN responded with new financial restrictions that even China approved
4. April: Baroness Thatcher, prime minister from 1979 to 1990, dies aged 87
Known as the Iron Lady, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher died in April at the age of 87. A polarising figure, she was transformative in British politics during her 11 years in the top job. She was seen both as a saviour who laid the groundwork for an economic renaissance, but also as a ruthless tyrant. Unsurprisingly, groups both rejoiced and commemorated her death. Ms Thatcher died of a stroke at the Ritz hotel in London. She was given a full state funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral.
5. April: Two pressure cooker bombs are detonated near the finish line of the Boston marathon
On April 15th, two bombs built from explosive-packed pressure cookers went off near the Boston Marathon finish line. The blasts left more than 260 wounded and a nation terrified about what some at first thought was another international terrorist attack on US soil.
6. June: Leaked details of the NSA surveillance program are published
There was no bigger story in Silicon Valley or in Washington than Edward Snowden’s exposure of the National Security Agency’s vast surveillance program. In June, the Guardian and the Washington Post began publishing reports about classified documents that had been leaked to them by Snowden, a former NSA contractor who had also been a Central Intelligence Agency employee. The leaks prompted congressional hearings into the activities of the nation’s spy agency and fuelled debate over just how much privacy people give up when using social networks and internet services.
7. June: Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage hailed as historic victory
The US Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for gay rights in June by ruling that the federal government must provide equal treatment to same-sex spouses, striking down a law denying federal benefits to gay couples.
8. Murray becomes first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years
Andy Murray pulled off something that some thought might never happen, becoming the first British-born male player to win at Wimbledon since 1936. Murray defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to win his second Grand Slam in less than a year and his first ever Wimbledon.
9. July: Prince George of Cambridge is born to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to Prince George, who is third in line to the British throne, on July 22nd, ending weeks of feverish anticipation about the arrival of the royal baby.
10. August: Syrian chemical weapons attack
A three-week investigation by the United Nations after an attack in August confirmed chemical weapons had been used in the Syrian civil war, although investigators did not clarify whether they thought the Government or rebels were responsible. The August attack killed hundreds and prompted worldwide outrage. In September, the US and Russia announced a deal that would get rid of Syria’s weapons stockpiles by mid-2014. Destruction began in October under international guidance
11. November: Typhoon Haiyan hits causing the deadliest storm in modern Philippine history
Typhoon Haiyan was one of the most powerful tropical storms ever seen. It began on November 2nd and quickly intensified over several days. By November 6th, it had an eye more than nine miles wide and a storm spanning more than 500 miles. The sustained wind speeds reached a record 195 miles per hour, with bursts of more than 230 miles per hour. It was the deadliest storm in modern Philippine history and one of the strongest ever recorded.
12. November: Twitter stock soars in IPO
Not long (relatively speaking) after social media giant Facebook had its Initial Public Offering and flopped (Bloomberg called it the biggest IPO flop in a decade), Twitter decided to try its luck and go public this November. Twitter’s IPO went much better than Facebook’s, closing well above its initial IPO pricing after its first day.
13. November: Value of virtual currency Bitcoin skyrockets
Bitcoin is the currency of the internet – a distributed, worldwide, decentralised digital money. Following on from The Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission announcing that Bitcoins are legitimate financial instruments, the average price of Bitcoins jumped over $50, from $495 to $554, sprinting past the $500 milestone. Since then Bitcoin hasn’t stopped surging, but that’s only increased calls that the Bitcoin bubble is going to burst. Could this thing pop at any moment? Possibly. However, in spite of all of this, the price levels have persevered.
14. December: SnapChat turns down £3billion pound offer
The app, which lets users send each other pictures and videos that disappear seconds after they’re viewed, was one of the hottest start-ups going into 2013. In what could easily turn out to be the biggest mistake (moneywise) by a social media company ever, SnapChat rejected a $3 billion offer from Facebook early this November, followed by a $4-billion offer from Google. Analysts and economists around the world continue to be puzzled by this decision – as many believe the social media company will never be worth even close to this. But if nothing else, SnapChat’s denial of this monstrous offer is a sign that even today, no one is really sure how far social media companies can continue to push the valuation limit.
15. December: Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s ex-president, dies, aged 95
South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero passed away on December 5th after a long illness. Mandela was celebrated for his role in trying to end racial segregation in the country. He was imprisoned for more than 27 years on charges of sabotage and conspiracy and became the country’s first black president upon his release. The 95-year-old’s death was followed by 10 days of national mourning, during which his body lay in state before being buried in his hometown Qunu. Celebrities and political leaders from around the world attended his memorial.