A recap of the year's most-talked about moments
Just like that, the year is coming to an end! But we can't start the new chapter without looking back at some iconic moments that happened in Malaysia and around the world.
Let's recap 2023!
1. India's historic moon landing
Indian lunar lander Chandrayaan-3 successfully touched down on the lunar surface on Aug 23, 2023, making India the fourth nation to successfully land on the Moon and the first to land in the south pole region. This historic accomplishment further cements India’s rise as a global space power at a time of heightened international competition in space.
2. Taylor Swift 'put Travis Kelce on the map' as Swifties say
Thanks to Taylor Swift, the National Football League (NFL) fanbase grew bigger due to her romance with football tight end Travis Kelce. Although Kelce was already considered top-tier in the NFL prior to his relationship with the Cruel Summer singer, Swifties claimed she put him "on the map", launching him to world famous status.
The debate over who made who famous triggered dedicated male sports fans. So much so that the aftermath of this led to a TikTok trend where Swifties prank the football lovers in their lives by saying she put him on the map - all while recording their reactions.
3. Hollywood celebrities voicing out for Palestine
This year the world witnessed a heart-wrenching ongoing genocide in Gaza and millions of people have been voicing out to call a ceasefire.
Compared to previous years, 2023 saw many celebrities standing up for Palestine.
Among the celebrities are Mark Ruffalo, Zayn Malik, Gigi Hadid, Angelina Jolie, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa, Adam Lambert and more who signed an open letter to US president Joe Biden, calling for a ceasefire.
Speaking up for Palestine came with a price for actresses like Susan Sarandon and Melissa Barrera as they were dropped by their agency and fired from ongoing film production, respectively.
4. No stop in Malaysia, but Singapore gets three days of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour
Malaysian fans were undoubtly disappointed when Malaysia was not announced as one of the stops in the Asian leg of her Eras tour. Instead she would be performing in Singapore for a total of six dates at the Singapore National Stadium.
However, fans got to have a taste of her Eras tour when the Eras Tour film was released in cinemas in November. Swifties showed up to the cinemas decked in outfits that represented different eras of her music career and turned the cinema into their own private concerts.
5. Polygamy trend
In the social media realm, some not so pleasant news conquered the headlines when popular social media personalities went public with their decision to be polygamous.
One name that trailblazed the polygamy trend was Mohammad Khaliltizam Yusri or "Abang Tesla" who went viral for posting a video of him consoling his first wife, hours before tying the knot with his second wife.
Recently, another content creator Alif Teega, known for his motivational content drew criticism after revealing that he had married for the second time. His second wife, is a staff of the company he started with his first wife, Aisyah Hijanah who is currently pregnant with their third child.
These public polygamous marriages stirred conversations across social media with Internet users divided over the issue of polygamy.
6. Siti Nurhaliza performed her first 'Tamil' song in AR Rahman concert
Malaysia's top songstress Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza received a standing ovation by 70,000 concertgoers praising her outstanding performance at the 'AR Rahman - Secret of Success: Live in Malaysia 2023' concert in National Stadium, Bukit Jalil.
The artist wowed Malaysian with a duet of a popular Tamil song Munbe Vaa.
7. Rihanna reveals baby bump while performing at Super Bowl 2023
Fans of popstar Rihanna went wild when she revealed a growing belly while performing at the Super Bowl 2023 halftime show. The Umbrella singer graced the stage for a 13-minute show, in an all-red custom jglossy bandueu.
The pregnancy was a second one for Rihanna, as she and rapper A$AP Rocky had already welcomed a son in May 2022.
8. The coronation of King Charless III
Millions of people around the globe gathered to mark the historic coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, in a ceremony rooted in England's traditions.
At 74, Charles is the oldest monarch to be crowned in British history.
9. Actor Hafidz Roshdi uses 'mental illness' amid allegations of domestic abuse
Celebrity Hafidz Roshdi made headlines for his marriage woes, after he allegedly punched his ex-wife, Nurul Shuhada Mat Shukri.
However, the actor pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate's Court to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt to his former wife and revealed that he was suffering from mental health issues like bipolar disorder for the past three years.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Qistini Qamarul Abrar told the court that the accused had sought psychiatric treatment, and requested that the actor be referred to Bahagia Hospital Tanjung Rambutan, Perak.
Hafidz's lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader agreed that his client suffered from bipolar disorder, but told the court that it was not a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia.
10. Barbenheimer fever
When two highly anticipated films were set to hit the cinemas at the same time, fans were divided on which to see first - Barbie or Oppenheimer! This resulted in the "Barbenheimer" fever.
As of Sept 2023, Barbie made a record-breaking $1.38 billion globally, while Oppenheimer clocked in a global haul of $853 million.
