As 2015 comes to a close, we reflect on the iconic images that defined the year. Here is 2015 in 20 pictures.

Warning: Some images are confronting.

1. The ‘Je Suis Charlie’ movement

7 January: Freedom of speech supporters adopted the slogan ‘Je Suis Charlie’ during widespread demonstrations of support following a massacre at the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hedbo, which killed eight editorial staffers. The controversial post-attack cover also took up the theme, with the prophet Mohammed crying and holding a sign with the words “Tout Est Pardonné” (“All Is Forgiven”).

2. THAT dress

26 February: It started as a mother-daughter disagreement and got the world talking. Was it black and blue or white and gold?

3. Weasel rides a woodpecker

2 March: Amateur photographer Martin Le-May managed to snap a weasel hitching a ride on the back of a woodpecker (OK, well possibly attacking the pretty bird) at London’s Honchurch Country Park. The image went viral and inspired many fabulous ‘weaselpecker’ memes.

Image by Martin Le-May.

 4. Germanwings crash

24 March: Germanwings pilot deliberately crashes plane into French Alps, killing the 150 passengers and crew on board.

 5. Earthquake in Nepal

25 April: Nepal earthquake killed more than 9000 people.   

6. Myuran Sukumaran paints haunting self-portrait before execution

29 April: Australian drug traffickers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were executed by firing squad in Indonesia, despite pleas for clemency by local celebrities, human rights organisations, legal experts and government officials. In the lead up to his death, Sukumaran prolifically painted and produced this haunting picture of himself with a hole in his heart.

7. Birth of Princess Charlotte

2 May: Prince William and Kate Middleton welcome their second child, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and show her off to the public less than 10 hours after she was born.

8. Taylor Swift’s world tour

5 May: Taylor Swift kicks off her 1989 world tour, which featured some of the world’s most famous faces as surprise guests and earned the 26-year-old more than $250 million.

 9. Ireland votes for marriage equality

23 May: Ireland votes in favour of same-sex marriage in a referendum, making the largely Catholic country the world’s first to make the change based on popular vote.

10. Caitlyn Jenner introduced to the world

2 June: Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner (previously known as Bruce Jenner) reveals her new identity as a transgender woman on the cover of Vanity Fair.

11. Donald Trump runs for POTUS

16 June: Real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump announces he is running for President of the United States in the 2016 election.

12. First images of Pluto sent to Earth

14 July: After a 10-year journey, the New Horizons space probe passes Pluto, obtaining the first photos of the active geology of Pluto. https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/621133763385425920

13. Mick Fanning attacked by shark

19 July: Millions watch on live TV as Australian surf champion Mick Fanning fights off a shark attack during a competition at South Africa’s Jeffreys Bay.

14. Virginian television news crew attacked live on air

26 August: Journalist Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward are murdered during a broadcast in Virginia by a former WDBJ-TV employee, who was later shot dead by police.

This footage, moments before the attack, was recorded by their killer.

15. Alan Kurdi, 3, drowns while seeking refuge

2 September: Drowned three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan (originally reported as Aylan) Kurdi washes up on a Turkish beach, drawing global attention to the European refugee crisis.

Image by Nilufer Demir via Flickr.

16. Malcolm Turnbull wins spill to become PM

14 September: Malcolm Turnbull ousts Tony Abbott in a Liberal party-room spill and officially becomes Australia’s 29

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Prime Minister (and the country’s fifth in five years) the following day.

17. Female jockey wins Melbourne Cup for first time

3 November: Michelle Payne becomes the first female jockey to ever win the Melbourne Cup and tells chauvinists in the sport to “get stuffed”.

18. Woman hangs from balcony during Paris terror attacks

13 November: A series of terrorist attacks in Paris – including at a soccer stadium, cafes, restaurants and a music venue – killed 130 people and injured hundreds more. A pregnant woman hanging from a balcony as gunmen roamed the Bataclan Theatre became a symbol of the tragedy. She begged people below to catch her before a man saved her by pulling her back inside.

Le Monde photographer Daniel Psenny shot this footage of a pregnant woman hanging from a window outside the Bataclan Theatre in Paris during terror attacks. He was also shot in the arm.

19. Amy Schumer in the Pirelli calendar

1 December: Funny lady Amy Schumer has been kicking goals this year and had us cheering when she shared her photo from the 2016 Pirelli calendar.

20. Kim and Kanye announce their Saint

8 December: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West reveal the name of their second child – Saint, an older brother to their daughter, North West – with emojis.

It’s been a big year.

What other images would you include?