The year is flying by! We are already over 185 days into it, and so much has happened. This year has been different from others, because a lot of the events that occurred in these past seven months are record breaking, future history book chapters, and incredibly rare. Over the course of this year, people from around the world have seen sights that were absolutely amazing to downright devastating. It’s quite amazing to go back and remember a handful of incredible events from January to July that the people in this world have witnessed. Some of them are so rare no one knows when the next one will happen.
If you can remember, seven months ago, on January 12, Ohio State performed a major upset against Oregon and won the BCS National Championship. OSU was ranked fourth in the AP Poll, and from all of the research that I have done, this is the first time a fourth ranked football team has won the National Championship; this was also the first time in 13 years that the Buckeyes took home the national title.
The next big sports championship that happens after the BCS game is the Super Bowl. This year, on February 1, the New England Patriots played against the Seattle Seahawks, who were there for the second year in a row. The last time that happened was in 2005. Anyways, the commercials were heartbreaking, a great foreshadow into the ending for Seattle fans. I’m sure you know how the game ended, but in case you don’t, at the end of the fourth quarter, Seattle fans thought they had it in the bag; then, a hand-off to Marshawn Lynch and its hello back-to-back champions. Except that was not the play call Pete Carroll told QB Russell Wilson. When Wilson threw the ball to Lockette, a Seattle WR, Malcolm Butler intercepted it, therefore ending all chances of a Seattle win and a new history for Carroll. His final call of the game has gone down as the “Worst Play Call in Super Bowl History.” Hopefully, the Seahawks get a chance to redeem themselves this coming season.
Although, we've had some great successes, these 190 plus days have definitely seen some rough hardships. On April 25, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck near the capital of Nepal and killed more than 9,000 people and injured at least 23,000. This was named the “worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since 1934.” Because the earthquake hit so close to the mountains, a handful of avalanches occurred, creating more and more casualties. There is still a lot to be done to help the victims of this terrible disaster. Luckily, the American Red Cross is still working with them. Here is a link to the donation page: https://www.redcross.org/donate/rsp0615?flow=oc1r&loggedIn=false
On May 2, Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge welcomed baby number two -- Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, fourth in line to the throne. She was christened on July 5, and is enjoying her new life as a princess. It’s going to be incredibly fun for the world to watch her and her older brother grow up.
June 2015 will forever be my most favorite month. This month began with millions of viewers witnessing a Triple Crown for the first time since 1978. American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza, his jockey, won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and took the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes on June 6. American Pharoah joins Secretariat, War Admiral and nine other winners after 37 years of waiting.
The next amazing event that happened in June was on the 25th. The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage! This is one of those events for which you will always remember where you were when it was announced. After the legalization of marriage, many couples rushed to courthouses and finally were able to get married. Enjoy your new lives together!
Last, but certainly not least, July 6 was the day for another exciting event to happen to this amazing country. The U.S. Women’s Soccer team defeated Japan 5-2 in an incredible fight to take home the gold in the FIFA Women's World Cup. This was the first World Cup win for the USA women since 1999, and it was definitely well deserved. The girls had the entire country behind them, and we are all so proud of our ladies. On July 8, they had a ticker tape victory parade in New York City's Canyon of Heroes, making it the first for a women’s sports team. Go, USA!
This is not even a full list of our accomplishments and yet it seems like so much, already. Though this year is now over halfway done, we have made amazing strides to being an even better country.Together we fall, and together we rise. We have another 174 days until we ring in 2016. Together, we will end this year just as amazing as it started!
