It Wasn't Boring: 2023's Most Unforgettable Pop Culture Moments!

While 2023 begins to wind down and we get ready for 2024's arrival, we can't forget all the interesting things that happened this year.

2023 was filled with pop culture moments - some good, some bad, and others just downright unbelievable.

As we wait for the hours to wind down and take us into a brand new year, we can't help but think of all that's happened this year.

Some of these big moments were fun while others just made us shake our heads and ask if this is real life.

This year saw not one, but two, big Hollywood strikes happen.

In May, the Writers Guild of America went on strike over labor disputes with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It was the largest interruption for TV and film production since the COVID-19 pandemic. In July, actors joined the writers, leaving the industry pretty dark. A resolution was reached in November and everyone went back to work.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined in the strike, making it the first time since 1960 that both unions joined together in a strike. This strike was the first time film and television performers have staged a strike since 1980.

Two big tours took over the music scene in 2023: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour.

Lots of fans spent time waiting in a queue on Ticketmaster for their chance to see Beyoncé's highest grossing tour to date. In addition to the obvious, amazing outfits, dance routines, and memorable experience, Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy also wowed fans with her dance performances alongside her famous mom!

And then there was Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, which became the first tour to ever surpass a billion dollars in revenue. The three-hour long concert sold out every arena it went to.

If you missed either tour, you're in luck! They can both be viewed on film!

And speaking of Swift and an epic 2023, this was the year she met and started dating Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. Since that story is still being written, check back next year to see how that plays out.

This story had the world locked in for days in June.

Five people, who paid $250,000 each to take the journey in a submersible to view the Titanic wreckage up close, had everyone confused and concerned when the Titan submersible went missing with a low oxygen supply.

After searching for the missing sub for days, it was found that the Titan imploded. Remains of the sub were later found on the North Atlantic Ocean floor.

During and after this tragedy, many news stories, from informational to showing the absurd side of the experience, including using an off-brand PlayStation controller to control the sub, and how the door closed from the outside and was sealed shut, filled everyone's days and social media feeds.

The summer of 2023 was filled with pink, feminism, and nostalgia. The Barbie movie took over the box office and everyone's conversations in 2023.

Not only did the movie start many thought-provoking conversations about men vs. women, it also made quite the impact in the box office by making more than $1 billion in ticket sales.

Whether you found yourself loving or hating the movie, no one can argue that it didn't earn its spot on the list of top 2023 pop culture moments.

The city of Las Vegas certainly had a stellar year in 2023. Not only did they introduce the world to the Earth's largest sphere that lights up in ways people thought they could only imagine, but the city also added another annual highlight - F1 racing in the streets of Las Vegas.

People have been flocking from near and far to catch a glimpse of the sphere whose exoskeleton is just as entertaining as whatever show or movie is happening on the inside. Located just one block off the Vegas strip, the sphere sits at 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide. It boasts the largest LED lights with more than 1 million lights the size of hockey pucks, and a venue that seats nearly 18,000 people.

F1 took over the whole city for months and when we say "take over" we mean it. Roads had to be repaved, pedestrian bridges built, barriers put up forcing people to buy tickets to watch the racecars fly up and down the Strip during the days-long event. While many locals weren't too happy with how everything played out, it seems that many are happy with the outcome. F1 will return to Vegas every November to repeat the fun for at least the next 9 years.

After 27 years of not having answers as to who was responsible for iconic rapper Tupac's murder in Las Vegas, a break finally happened this year. Tupac's 1996 murder, that happened just blocks off the Vegas Strip, went unsolved until 2023.

Over the summer, authorities in Nevada announced they made an arrest in the case. Duane "Keffe D" Davis, a former gang leader and one of the last surviving witnesses to the murder, was indicted for murder for allegedly planning the drive-by shooting.

Davis has been held in the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas without bail since his arrest. His trial is set to begin in early June 2024.

This year, we mourned the passing of many beloved celebrities, and welcomed many new babies into the world.

Celebrity deaths of 2023 included: Lisa Marie Presley, Matthew Perry, Tina Turner, Suzanne Sommers, Tony Bennett, Angus Cloud, Bob Barker, Jerry Springer, and Andre Braugher.

Celebrities who welcomed new babies into their families included: Meghan Trainor, Kaley Cuoco, Blake Lively, Rihanna, Chrissy Teigen, Kourtney Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Hilary Swank, Keke Palmer, and Lindsay Lohan.

While many TikTok creators shared their recaps of the year, one TikTok creator summed up the year in a hilarious and informative way.

Matt Mitchell, a TikToker who goes by @alostrich on the app, managed to keep things in his memory that many of us likely forgot about. His video, shared just a few days ago, has received more than 2.4 million views so far and lots of funny comments.

"How was all of this in one year?!??!?? And they forgot cop train lady," one person wrote in the comments. Another added, "Montgomery Boat Brawl was the best thing to come out of 2023."

Another person said what many are probably thinking, "Geez… why does 2023 feel like it was 5 years long??"

Another added, "Yeah, I didn’t realize how much of 2023 I had suppressed until I watched this."