December 2023 News Quiz: Who’s Time’s Person of the Year?

Taylor Swift was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023, announced on Dec. 6, 2023. This accolade was given in recognition of her significant influence and achievements throughout the year, including her record-breaking Eras Tour and re-recording of her album “1989.” Her selection stands out among a diverse group of past recipients, which include Volodymyr Zelensky (2022), Elon Musk (2021), Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Harris (2020), Greta Thunberg (2019), and others.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour rocked the record books by becoming the first-ever concert tour to gross over $1 billion, as reported by Pollstar on Dec. 8, 2023. Kicking off on Mar. 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and captivating audiences across 60 dates, Swift not only sang her way to the top but also danced past the competition in merchandise sales, raking in a cool $200 million. The tour’s success didn’t stop at the concert venues; it extended to the silver screen, with its film adaptation grossing around $250 million, making it one of the highest-grossing concert films ever. Swift’s 2023 was further illuminated by her reign as Spotify’s most-streamed artist, with over 26.1 billion streams. And if that’s not enough to ‘Shake It Off,’ Pollstar forecasts another billion-dollar encore for the Eras Tour in 2024.

Jon Rahm, the Spanish golf sensation, became the highest-paid athlete in 2023 following his headline-grabbing move to LIV Golf. This seismic shift occurred on Dec. 6, 2023, when Rahm confirmed his switch from the PGA Tour to Saudi-funded LIV Golf. The deal, reportedly worth over $300 million, catapulted Rahm into an earnings stratosphere few athletes have ever reached. This is especially true at the young age of 29. Rahm’s decision was influenced by the PGA Tour’s secret merger talks with the PIF and a sense of betrayal among players.

“Rizz” emerged from the word “charisma” and gained viral popularity in 2023, particularly after actor Tom Holland’s mention of having “limited rizz.” Its widespread use on social media platforms like TikTok led to billions of views of the hashtag “rizz.” Recognizing its impact and popularity, Oxford University Press named “rizz” as the word of the year for 2023.

Myanmar has taken the lead in the global opium production race. It surpassed Afghanistan in 2023, thanks to a dramatic 95% drop in Afghanistan’s opium production following the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation in 2022. Myanmar produced a whopping 1,080 metric tonnes of opium, primarily due to economic and political chaos following the military coup in February 2021. This upheaval turned many Myanmar farmers towards lucrative, albeit illegal, poppy farming.

When asked during a Congressional hearing on Dec. 5, 2023, whether calling for the genocide of Jews constituted a violation of their schools’ conduct codes, the trio of university presidents – Liz Magill of Penn, Claudine Gay of Harvard, and Sally Kornbluth of MIT – opted for a lawyerly shimmy rather than a straightforward answer. Magill’s response, echoed by her peers, suggested that such a declaration could be considered harassment, but it’s a “context-dependent decision.” This nuanced stance sparked a firestorm of controversy, leading to Magill’s resignation on Dec. 9, 2023, amid rising tensions over antisemitism on college campuses.

The EU’s AI Act is a groundbreaking legislative framework. It’s all about setting comprehensive rules to regulate artificial intelligence within the European Union. This historic agreement, reached after what must have felt like an eternity of 37-hour negotiations, marks the EU’s leap into uncharted territory as the first major world power to enact such laws. The Act focuses on high-risk AI applications, particularly in areas like law enforcement and essential public services, ensuring that our future robot overlords are kept in check. The deal, which was clinched in late 2023, takes effect in 2025.

This futuristic vehicle, which looks like it rolled straight out of a sci-fi movie set, is Tesla’s bold foray into the electric pickup truck market. Announced in 2019 with a promised price tag of around $40,000, the Cybertruck’s production and delivery faced a two-year delay. Finally, in 2023, Tesla began delivering this shiny, stainless steel beast with a starting price of $60,990. The design was partly inspired by a car-turned-submarine from the 1977 James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Despite its delayed start and higher-than-expected price, the Cybertruck has garnered significant interest, with over a million reservation holders putting down $100 deposits.

Google’s Gemini, unveiled on Dec. 6, 2023, is a multimodal AI model. It can understand and process various information forms, including text, audio, and visuals. This AI model comes in three versions – Nano, Pro, and Ultra – each designed for different levels of complexity and tasks. The Pro version has already been integrated into Google’s AI assistant Bard, while the Nano version is set for mobile devices. The most powerful, Ultra, is expected to debut in 2024. Gemini’s development was part of Google’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT success.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced on Nov. 27, 2023, that she was quitting X, formerly known as Twitter. She criticized the platform for devolving into a source of disinformation, hatred, anti-Semitism, and racism, heightening tensions and conflicts in society. Or, as she put it, a ‘global sewer’ destroying democracies. Several major advertisers paused their campaigns on X due to similar concerns about the platform. Hidalgo’s stance may be rooted in the criticism she received for a partially taxpayer-funded trip to Tahiti. This trip was intended to view a 2024 Olympics surfing site, but it was also noted that she visited her daughter, who lives there.

Henry Kissinger, a towering figure in 20th-century diplomacy, died at age 100 on Nov. 29, 2023. Born on May 27, 1923, in Fürth, Bavaria, Germany, Kissinger’s life was a century-spanning saga that saw him flee Nazi persecution as a teenager, serve in the US Army during World War II, and rise to become one of the most influential – and polarizing – diplomats in American history. His tenure as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under Presidents Nixon and Ford was marked by significant achievements: The détente policy with the Soviet Union, opening relations with China, and controversies like the Vietnam War and the Cambodia bombing.

Billie Eilish expressed her frustration with Variety for focusing on her sexuality during a red-carpet interview at the Variety Hitmakers event on Dec. 2, 2023. Despite her casual response during the interview, where she mentioned she liked both men and women but did not believe in the concept of “coming out,” she later criticized the magazine in an Instagram post. Eilish’s post highlighted her annoyance at the magazine for “outing” her on the red carpet instead of discussing more significant topics.

Tom Hanks’s “Moonwalkers” is an “immersive documentary experience” that takes viewers on a journey to the moon, narrated by Hanks himself. This project leverages cutting-edge technology to recreate the awe and wonder of the Apollo missions, allowing audiences to feel like they are right there alongside the astronauts. The “experience” opened on Dec. 6, 2023, in London’s Lightroom. It combines NASA footage, images from Andy Saunders’ “Apollo Remastered,” and an original orchestral score.

In a twist that might have surprised even Ken, “Barbie” led the 2024 Golden Globe nominations with nine. This fantastical comedy, directed by Greta Gerwig, proved that life in plastic is indeed fantastic. With much fanfare, the nominations were announced on Dec. 11, 2023, placing “Barbie” at the pinnacle of Hollywood’s awards season buzz.

HBO’s “Succession” dominated the TV categories at the 2024 Golden Globes, announced on Dec. 11, 2023, scooping up nine nominations and setting a new record for a TV show. This drama about a dysfunctional media family’s power struggles proved a critical darling in its final season, surpassing LA Law’s eight nominations in 1990.

Get ready for a thrilling encounter as Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami takes on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr on Feb. 1, 2024, in the Riyadh Season Cup. This isn’t just any match; it’s a reunion of two soccer legends who have faced off 35 times before, with Messi leading the personal duel at 16:10 (with 9 draws). This match is part of Inter Miami’s first international tour, including El Salvador and Hong Kong stops.

The image is from LEGO Fortnite, a unique blend of LEGO’s iconic building blocks with Fortnite’s adventurous survival elements. This game, launched on Dec. 7, 2023, is the brainchild of a collaboration between Epic Games, Fortnite creators, and the LEGO Group. It’s not just any LEGO game; it’s an open-world crafting survival sim that merges LEGO and Fortnite aesthetics. Players can explore, build, and combat various creatures in a procedurally generated world reminiscent of Minecraft but with a distinct LEGO twist. As of its release, LEGO Fortnite has already captivated players, with over two million gamers diving into its colorful world.