This Year's Biggest News Stories, From Wars to the Election to AI, as Told by WSJ -- Journal Report

Dow Jones12-18

Walt Disney says it will name Chief Executive Bob Iger's replacement in early 2026 and that former Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman will become chairman -- the first time the company has formally given a time frame for when it aims to name Iger's successor.

Oct. 26: Israel Attacks Iran

Israel strikes back at Iran, delivering a much-threatened response for the early-October missile attack and further expanding the hostilities that have spiraled out of the war in Gaza.

Oct. 31: Dodgers Win World Series

Los Angeles clinches its eighth title in franchise history after rallying to beat the New York Yankees in Game 5.

Nov. 1: Nvidia Joins the Dow

The AI-chip darling Nvidia replaces Intel in the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average as of Nov. 8 trading -- a swap that reflects the two companies' reversal of fortunes. Sherwin-Williams also replaces Dow Inc.

Nov. 5: Trump Elected Again, Defeating Harris

Donald Trump defeats Kamala Harris to win the White House, becoming the first past president in over a century to win a second nonconsecutive term. The Republicans seize control of the Senate and hold on to the House. Analysts say the Harris campaign misread an electorate that was more wound up about inflation and immigration than about the focus on Trump's character.

Nov. 7: Fed Cuts Rates Again

The central bank reduces its target rate by one-quarter point. At a news conference after the meeting, Chair Jerome Powell reaffirms his intention to stay at the Fed until his four-year term as chair expires in May 2026.

Nov. 8: Stocks Rally Postelection

Stocks post their best weekly gains of the year after Trump's decisive victory and the Fed rate cut, including a $1.62 trillion rise in U.S. stocks' capitalization on the day after the election.

Nov. 9: Iran's Assassination Plan

The Justice Department says that the FBI thwarted an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump before he was re-elected.

Nov. 9-17: Spain's Flood Aftermath

After catastrophic flash floods in southeastern Spain kill more than 200 people, the country assesses the damage and tries to clean up.

Nov. 15: T-Mobile Hacked by Chinese

T-Mobile's network is among the systems hacked in a damaging Chinese cyber-espionage operation that successfully gains entry into U.S. and international telecom companies, according to people familiar with the matter.

Nov. 17: U.S. Approves Long-Range Weapons in Russia

President Biden for the first time authorizes Ukrainian forces to use Western-made long-range weapons to strike inside Russia.

Nov. 18: Spirit Airlines' Bankruptcy Move

Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy protection after merger talks with Frontier Airlines break down.

Nov. 20: Comcast to Spin Off Networks

Comcast will go forward with plans to spin off its NBCUniversal cable TV networks -- including MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, E!, Syfy and Golf Channel -- in recognition that it will be better off without a business that was once its crown jewel.

Nov. 26: Israel-Lebanon Cease-Fire

Israel approves a cease-fire with Lebanon that is intended to bring a halt to more than a year of fighting with the Hezbollah militia and could help defuse a broader regional crisis.

Nov. 29: Stocks Rally

U.S. stocks in November post their biggest monthly gains of 2024, on the backs of chip stocks. The Dow and S&P finish at records.

Nov. 30: A Stunning Defeat for Syria

A surprise rebel offensive recaptures the city of Aleppo in just a few days. It had taken the Syrian regime and its backers -- Iran, Russia and Hezbollah -- more than four years to dislodge rebel forces from there.

Dec. 1: A Proven Bestseller: The Bible

Publishers attribute a 22% jump in Bible sales this year to rising anxiety, a search for hope, or highly focused marketing and designs.

Dec. 2: Hunter Biden Gets a Pardon, After All

President Biden pardons his son Hunter, wiping away criminal convictions on tax and gun charges despite previously saying that he wouldn't. The pardon is criticized by leaders of both parties.

Dec. 3: South Korea Dragged Into Martial Law and Back

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, under fire politically, takes a desperate measure. But it takes just six hours for martial law to be declared, enacted, nullified and lifted. Lawmakers impeach him.

Dec. 4: UnitedHealthcare CEO Is Killed

Brian Thompson is shot dead on a New York City street, outside a hotel that was to host the UnitedHealth Group annual meeting, in what police say is a targeted attack. A week later, New York prosecutors charge Luigi Mangione with murder.

Dec. 7: Notre Dame Cathedral Reopens

The restoration of Notre Dame in Paris comes five years after a fire swept across the masterpiece of Gothic architecture, nearly destroying it.

Dec. 8: Assad Falls in Syria

Bashar al-Assad's regime is toppled -- ending 50 years of his family's rule -- as Syrian rebels take Damascus. Assad flees to Russia. In the Middle East realignment, Turkey gains and Russia and Iran lose.

Dec. 8: Catch Your Breath, Taylor Swift

The biggest concert tour of the 21st century -- Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour -- finally comes to a close with a show in Vancouver. The tour spanned five continents, sold roughly 10 million tickets and brought in revenue that could be around $2 billion.

Dec. 11: Mysterious Drones

Dozens of mysterious drones have been appearing in the skies over New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York in recent weeks, including over military installations -- perplexing state and federal officials and agitating residents. The Biden administration says the drones don't pose a national security threat.

Dec. 12: Nominations & Commutations

As the year draws to a close, Donald Trump's cabinet nominations are under scrutiny, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, President Biden announces he is commuting the sentences of around 1,500 people and pardoning 39 others -- the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.

Dec. 16: Wisconsin School Shooting

A teacher and a teenage student are killed and several others are injured in a shooting at a private K-12 school in Madison, Wis. The suspected shooter is a 15-year-old female student who died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Dec. 17: An Audacious Attack in Moscow

Ukraine says it killed a senior Russian general in Moscow, with a bomb planted in a scooter. Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov is the most senior commander to be killed in the heart of the Russian capital since the start of the war.

--Charts by Luis Santiago and

Erik Brynildsen

.

William Power is deputy editor of Journal Reports. Johnny Simon and Joe Fornabaio are photo editors for The Wall Street Journal. They can be reached at reports@wsj.com.

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 17, 2024 21:00 ET (02:00 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Comments

We need your insight to fill this gap
Leave a comment