From Labubu’s global takeover to the TikTok “goodbye,” 2025 was a never-ending loop of shocking (sometimes peculiar) news and social media trends.
Remembering what happened yesterday, much less at the start of the year, could prove difficult. So, a recap might be in order.
In an effort to remind you of some of those big moments, we’ve rounded them up and recapped them. See some of the moments that perfectly capture the zeitgeist of 2025.
Before TikTok “went dark” for 12 hours in January, some of its American users had already prepared for the worst, issuing last goodbyes and posting heartfelt tributes in case they would never see the social media platform again.
The federal legislation that required ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest the app’s U.S. assets was designed to assuage national security concerns, as lawmakers feared that the Beijing-based company was sharing U.S. user data with China.
On Dec. 18, ByteDance announced it had signed an agreement relinquishing majority control of its U.S. operations to a group of investors. Before the deal was reached, President Donald Trump had issued five executive orders to delay the ban.
The financial terms of the deal remain unclear, with various new outlets reporting that the investors may hold less than 50% or as much as 80% of the joint venture’s ownership, according to The New York Times, Reuters and the Los Angeles Times. The good news, however, is that the agreement offers a glimmer of hope for users who want TikTok to stay for good.
Gulf of Mexico? More like Gulf of America, Trump decreed on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.
The name change went into effect on Feb. 10, a day after the president made Feb. 9 the “first-ever Gulf of America Day” while en route to Super Bowl 59. Companies Google and Apple moved quickly to honor Trump’s order after the Geographic Names Information System formally adopted the new name.
Trump’s executive order ruffled more than a few feathers, most notably Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who threatened legal action against Google and joked that she would start calling the United States “Mexican America” in retaliation.
Haters gonna hate. And Katy Perry, one of six notable women catapulted to the edge of space, got a lot of it.
The pop singer and her crewmates got the chance to take a quick trip beyond Earth’s atmosphere, complete with out-of-this-world views thanks to billionaire Jeff Bezos’s private space company Blue Origin.
The internet, including fellow celebrities Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski, was critical of the voyage, calling it “out of touch,” even a “bit gluttonous.” The hate train, mostly aimed at Perry, continued through the end of the mission, which took place on April 14.
Perry, for her part, did not comment on the controversy until weeks later, telling a fan who congratulated the “Dark Horse” singer on the opening of her tour that the online world tries to make her a “human Piñata.”
Instant replay: Katy Perry, Gayle King, 4 other women head to space on Blue Origin launch
Could 100 men defeat a gorilla in a fight? The hypothetical question sparked discourse (and inspired memes) across social media platforms for several days in late April.
We, like everyone else involved, were just as curious about the answer, so we asked an expert. Tara Stoinski, president and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, told us to think about the numbers.
Annabelle was minding her business when the internet turned on her.
The “haunted” Raggedy Ann doll, on a multi-city tour across the U.S., was accused of orchestrating the escape of 10 inmates from an Orleans Parish jail and a fire that decimated a plantation just south of Baton Rouge, events that coincided with her visit to Louisiana.
The coincidence amused some, while others were convinced that Annabelle had something to do with it.
Things became so hairy that Ghost City Tours, which hosted events featuring Annabelle, released a statement confirming that Annabelle had nothing to do with the fire.
In photos: Original ‘Annabelle’ doll of paranormal infamy visits Gettysburg orphanage
Things got a little uncomfortable for a couple attending a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in July. You know the one.
Two concertgoers were thrust into the spotlight after a “Kiss Cam” cameo. A man and a woman were seen leaping out of a close embrace and ducking out of view after they realized everyone at Gillette Stadium, including frontman Chris Martin, could see them on the Jumbotron.
Internet sleuths were on the case shortly after the clip went viral, eager to uncover the pair’s identities.
Both Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, resigned days later. Then, the company hired Martin’s ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow, as a “temporary spokesperson” to be the face of its newest advertisement.
The scandal also became a sort of spectacle, spawning reenactments and prompting musical artists to issue warnings ahead of shows. The pair did not issue a public statement after the scandal broke, but Cabot shared her side of the story with The New York Times on Dec. 18.
Labubus are 2025’s fashion accessory of choice.
The toy, part of the “The Monsters” line, took center stage at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Designed a decade ago by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, the monster plushies were so popular this year that they spawned a knockoff.
But the craze seemingly began months after Lisa of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK mentioned her “secret obsession” with Pop Mart collectibles in a December 2024 interview with Vanity Fair.
Labubus have become a hot commodity since then, as consumers worldwide fight to nab originals for themselves. Those who have been lucky enough to snag one are likely plotting their next Labubu purchase or buying outfits for the ones they already own.
American Eagle sought to promote its jeans through a campaign starring Sydney Sweeney, but the campaign instead became the subject of online controversy.
Critics were quick to slam the ad, arguing that the wordplay was a subtle attempt at endorsing eugenics. By glorifying the actor’s white genetics as “good,” many argued the ad promoted the belief that some genetic features are superior to others.
Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung rushed to the ad’s defense, saying that the backlash came from the “crazy Left.”
Months after the fallout, Sweeney told GQ that the reaction to the commercial came as a “surprise,” and seeing the president and vice president commenting on her ad was “surreal.”
On Aug. 19, Cracker Barrel unveiled a new, simplified logo with the launch of a fall menu campaign that didn’t quite get the reaction it was hoping for. The new logo still featured the company’s classic gold and brown color palette, but appeared without a man seated next to a wooden barrel.
In the days that followed the launch, the nationwide restaurant chain and country store faced a wave of backlash with some conservatives implying that the change may have been motivated by diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Hours after Donald Trump said it “should go back to the old logo” on Aug. 26, Cracker Barrel announced that it was ditching the new logo and that the “‘Old Timer’ will remain.”
Pleased by the reversal, Trump shared an edited video of himself busting a move with the chain’s beloved mascot, an “overalls-clad old timer” leaning against a barrel to the tune of “YMCA.” Cracker Barrel is still working on rebuilding the brand and customers’ trust after the logo fiasco.
Philadelphia Phillies fans were eager to nab Harrison Bader’s home run ball, which catapulted into the stands in the fourth inning stretch.
After a scramble in the stands, it was a man who emerged victorious with the ball and gifted it to his 10-year-old son. However, the special moment between the father and son immediately took a turn.
Cameras captured the moment when another nearby spectator, a woman the internet dubbed “Phillies Karen,” confronted the man in what seemed to be a tense exchange. In the end, the man who originally retrieved the ball gave it up to the woman.
The outrage grew so fierce after a clip of the interaction went viral that the man, who was later identified as Drew Feltwell, urged the public to leave the woman alone.
Anyone who is anyone has likely heard the phrase “6-7.” First the kiddos, then the educators and now “6-7” has bled into mainstream vocabulary.
Named Word of the Year by Dictionary.com, “6-7” (also “six-seven” or “67”) is slang popularized by Gen Alpha. Since the meaning of “6-7” is context-specific, it can technically mean whatever you want it to in that moment. While some interpret the phrase to mean “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that,” it is also used as an exclamation.
Between the clips and the food deals, let’s just say the world was wholly unprepared for how the lexicon would tilt in favor of “6-7” in the last few months.
An inebriated raccoon (Rocky) was definitely famous for more than 15 minutes after his bender at a Virginia liquor store over Thanksgiving weekend.
His antics, deemed “so relatable” by netizens and “Saturday Night Live,” even spawned a line of merchandise. Rocky broke into the Virginia ABC store in Ashland, about 16 miles north of Richmond, during the early morning hours of Nov. 29.
Before authorities found Rocky passed out in the bathroom, he was living it up, ransacking shelves and consuming what he could get his paws on.
Officials gave Rocky a “ride home,” transporting him to a local shelter, where he caught up on some sleep, before he was safely released back to the wild.