As we're getting closer to the end of the year, here's a short list of the most influential events that happened around the world this year. 

1. Brazil's World Cup: For many people in the world, 2014 was a "World Cup year." Simple as that. Brazil hosted one of the most magnificent World Cups in history, where 171 goals were scored and where Germany won its fourth World Cup championship against Argentina by beating them 1-0. People will also remember this event as the one  where host, Brazil, got humiliated by the Germans 7-1 in the semifinals. 

2. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: Surely the population of ice cubes in the world decreased exponentially during this past summer as people raised awareness of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka ALS. Videos went viral and famous athletes, as well as television and movie stars, jumped on the train and joined the cause, raising about $115 million for ALS this summer. 

3. Robin Williams, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Maya Angelou and Gabriel Garcia Marquez passed away: Robin Williams will be remembered for his genius improvisation skills as Patch Adams and Mr. Hoffman for his magnificent acting skills in movies such as "Doubt," "Capote" and "The Master." Maya Angelou's efforts to fight for women's and African American rights will always be recognized in American history. And lastly, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won the Nobel price in literature in 1982, left this world on April 17, 1982, leaving behind his wonderful literature for the world to read. 

4. Derek Jeter retired: That's right ... and in what a way! The Yankee's jersey number 2 retired after 20 seasons with the NYY and over 250 home runs. His retirement from the Yankee Stadium couldn't have gone better, as he connected the winning hit against the Baltimore Orioles in a game that ended 6-5 in favour of the Yankees. 

5. Ebola outbreak shakes the world: The first case of Ebola occurred in the United States on October 23, 2014, causing a major outbreak in the nation. About 3 weeks after the case was diagnosed, the patient recovered and was discharged from the hospital on November 11.