Remember Y2K – back in 1999 when everyone was afraid that computers would completely shut down and end civilization as we know it? Fast forward 15 years later and that fear actually became a reality — sort of.
Although computers didn’t get confused and stop working, 2014 has definitely been the year of the web crash. We can thank the woman with the ‘rear of the year,’ Kim Kardashian, for making the hashtag #BreakTheInternet so popular, but she isn’t the only one who got people to tweet, share, and post on Instagram for weeks and weeks at a time.
Check out our list of all the moments that #BrokeTheInternet in 2014:
The Ice Bucket challenge lit social media on fire and completely took over the summer. Everyone from Justin Timberlake and Oprah to Rihanna and Gwen Stefani got ice water dropped on their heads to promote awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
14. Aaliyah Movie
The Lifetime biopic caused a lot of Twitter hate thanks to the poor casting and writing. Even the film’s producer Wendy Williams responded, saying, “I see my movie broke the internet.”
13. Sony Leak
The massive hacking of Sony Pictures led to lots of controversy in the past few months. Not only is the company’s chair under fire for her racist comments about President Obama, but the premiere of their film The Interview was canceled due to bomb threats.
With the killings of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and more, 2014 has been an emotional year. The fact that they were killed by officers (who weren’t indicted) forced the country to come together and stand in solidarity with the victims’ families through protests.
11. Nick Jonas in Calvin Kleins
Nick Jonas turned 22 years old and showed us that he was not a little Jonas Brother anymore. We still can’t help but stare at this pic.
10. Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Allegations
The Bill Cosby scandal has definitely been a snowball effect – from one joke told by Hannibal Buress, to over twenty women coming forth about being sexually assaulted by the legendary comedian.
We’ve probably seen more naked bodies and leaks this year on the web than ever before in internet history.
8. Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose Divorce
The couple who probably single-handedly inspired the hashtag #RelationshipGoals split after one year of marriage. Amber has been out and about, while Wiz dyed his hair purple and is dating, well, a lot of women.
7. Nicki Minaj’s Ass-ets in the “Anaconda” Video
Nicki Minaj didn’t care what a hater had to say about her ass-ets. She flaunted every single curve on her body and we loved every moment of it. Just ask Drake.
6. Beyonce Performs Full Album on the VMAs and Blue Ivy Dances in the Audience
Every time Beyonce attends the VMAs, she slays. In 2014, she performed every song from her self-titled album (which she dropped with no promo) and the crowd sang along to every track. Social media went crazy when Blue Ivy got her dance on in the audience to “Flawless.” Adorable.
5. Jay Z and Solange Elevator-Gate
At one point in the year, Jay Z and Solange’s elevator fight after the Met Gala was all anyone could talk about. The only answer we ever really got as to why the rumble went down is that “of course sometimes shit goes down when it’s a billion dollars on an elevator!” Fair enough.
4. Oscar Selfie
Ellen DeGeneres may be the greatest Oscar host ever! Not only did she order pizza for all the stars in the audience, but she posed for the now infamous selfie featuring stars like Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, and more. The photo went down as the most liked picture in history. Until…
3. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian Tie the Knot and Kanye, Kim, and North West cover Vogue Magazine
KimYe’s nuptials may not have just been the biggest wedding of the year, but the wedding of the century. Every person with a phone and camera was following the couple and their guests throughout the weekend leading up to the big day. Fashion’s first family even graced the cover of Vogue magazine before they tied the knot. Little North has seen a lot in her 16 months of life.
Although the year started off a little rocky for Solange after elevator-gate, she turned it completely around at the end after she tied the knot with video director Alan Ferguson. The internet went cray after seeing the gorgeous bride in a non-traditional wedding pantsuit.
1. Kim Kardashian Covers PAPER Magazine
The queen of breaking the internet did just that this year when she released her PAPER magazine cover and bared it all. From back side to full frontal, Kim still has people talking about the month-old cover.
PHOTO CREDIT: PAPER, Instagram, Screenshot, Getty, Splash
