2015 in history
Here are some light-hearted facts about 2015, designed to serve as a prep sheet for a radio feature on 2015.
I created this page because when I needed some notes to create a few talking points about 2015 in Ireland I couldn't find any suitable sources, so I thought I'd share what I did find. It applies to 2015 in Britain too.
You can also look at years other than 2015:
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2015
England introduced a 5p charge for plastic bags, which was a big change for people.
£14 million was stolen from the safe at Hatton Gardens.
Theresa Manion went viral after reporting live from Storm Desmond, in which she pleaded with people "don't make unnecessary journeys".
The "Do you know who I am? I'm Ronnie Pickering" road rage video went viral.
Poundland merged with the 99p Store.
Madonna fell while performing at the Brits.
Zayn Malik announced he was leaving One Direction.
A photo of a dress went viral as people couldn't decide if it was blue and black or if it was white and gold.
Caitlyn Jenner appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair, as probably the most high-profile person to transition.
A general election was held in Britain, in which David Cameron won a majority. One notable moment was Ed Miliband unveiling the 'EdStone' with his pledges.
'Frostbit Boy' Ruairi McSorley went viral after his schoolboy interview in the middle of a massive snowstorm and cold snap.
Ireland accidentally made Class A drugs legal for a day, due to a loophole in the new Misuse of Drugs Act.
Stephen Fry criticised God in an interview on RTÉ's The Meaning of Life. It later emerged that Stephen Fry had been reported for breaking Ireland's blasphemy laws, but no action could be taken because nobody had said they were offended. The suggestion was the law had been rewritten to make it unenforceable, and that the complaint only wanted to highlight that, which Stephen Fry himself said was called a "wonderfully Irish solution".
Ireland became the first country in the world to vote to legalise same-sex marriage.
2015 Launches
Drake's song Hotline Bing was released, and became an internet meme.
Mobile bank Revolut launched.
The first Apple Watch was sold.
Michael Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshott published 'Call Me Dave', which gave various unflattering descriptions of the Prime Minister, including the now-infamous and completely unfounded claim that he once performed a sex act on a pig. The claim, which came from somebody who had been donating to Cameron's party and hadn't received a job, has stuck.
2015 in Film
Jurassic World was the biggest film of the year.
Other big films include Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Inside Out, Furious 7, American Sniper, Minions, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, The Martian, Cinderella, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Pitch Perfect 2, Ant-Man, Hotel Transylvania 2 and Fifty Shades of Grey.
2015 in TV
Big TV shows of the year (not premiers): The Great British Bake Off, Strictly Come Dancing, Britain's Got Talent, I'm A Celebrity, Call The Midwife, Downton Abbey and Broadchurch.
Love Island was relaunched without the celebrities.
Peirs Morgan became a regular host of Good Morning Britain.
Jeremy Clarkson was suspended from Top Gear after what the BBC called "a fracas". All three presenters eventually left the show. Protesters drove a tank to the BBC to object to the situation.
The Late Late Show with James Corden began. The first Carpool Karaoke guest was Mariah Carey.
Taskmaster launched on the channel 'Dave'.
Mad Men came to an end.
Better Call Saul began streaming.
While these facts about 2015 have been checked against third-party sources (and have been used on air before!), they are provided in good faith to inspire your research and no guarantee is made about their accuracy or their uniqueness. You can use the facts however you wish: most people just take a couple of points they remember and talk around then.
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