In a year that saw everything from museum thieves to whale encounters, 2025 delivered moments that brightened headlines worldwide.
Art and Intrigue
The world’s most visited museum was the scene of a brazen heist in November, when thieves snatched the French crown jewels from the Louvre. An AP photographer captured a sharply-dressed young man, later dubbed “Fedora Man,” striding past police hours after the theft. Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux, a 15-year-old who favors elegant clothing inspired by history and fictional detectives, told AP a week later, “I didn’t want to say immediately it was me. With this photo, there is a mystery, so you have to make it last.”
In September, science solved another art mystery when chemists confirmed the source of the blue pigment in Jackson Pollock’s iconic “Number 1A, 1948.” While the reds and yellows were well known, the rich turquoise was proven to be manganese blue.
Meanwhile in New Zealand, a cat named Leonardo da Pinchy stole more than just attention. The felonious feline spent a year pilfering laundry from clotheslines before his embarrassed owner posted photos of his hauls on Facebook. Helen North, the owner, said, “He only wants stuff he shouldn’t have.”
Animals Behaving Badly
A humpback whale off Chilean Patagonia briefly swallowed a kayaker in February. “I thought I was dead,” Adrián Simancas recounted. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.” His father captured the moment on video while encouraging him to remain calm, and both returned to shore uninjured.
In Delaware, an abandoned postal service truck held roughly 7,000 baby chickens and other birds that perished in May. A separate group of 5,000 chicks survived three days without food and water; a local animal shelter rescued them, cared for them for weeks, and found new homes. Some adopters took hundreds, hoping for egg-laying hens, while others kept them as pets.
On the West Coast, elephants at a San Diego zoo showcased their protective instincts during a 5.2-magnitude earthquake in April. Video from their enclosure showed three older, female elephants scrambling to encircle and shield two 7-year-old elephants, Zuli and Mkhaya. Mindy Albright, curator of mammals at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, remarked, “It’s so great to see them doing the thing we all should be doing – that any parent does, which is protect their children.”
Celebrating Girls, Goddesses, and Milestones
In Nepal, child-rearing sometimes involves competing to have daughters selected as living goddesses. In October, 2-year-old Aryatara Shakya was celebrated as the new Kumari, or “virgin Goddess,” a position she will hold until puberty. Her father, Ananta Shakya, said, “She was just my daughter yesterday, but today she is a goddess.”
Across the border, 2,000 people gathered in August for 15-year-old Isela Anahí Santiago Morales’ quinceañera in Axtla de Terrazas, Mexico. After a few guests arrived, her father posted about leftover food on Facebook. The outpouring of support led to a redo in August with a dozen music groups performing on two stages. Wearing a sparkly tiara and glittering pink ballgown, Isela asked attendees to donate toys for vulnerable children instead of bringing gifts.
In the fashion world, some women turned away from glamorous looks and ditched makeup altogether in 2025, perhaps inspired by actor Pamela Anderson’s bare-faced appearance at fashion shows and film premieres. “I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room,” Anderson told Vogue during Paris Fashion Week. “I feel like it’s just freedom. It’s like a relief.”
Wisdom from the Oldest
While experts in September offered tips for going makeup-free, the world’s oldest living person gave more universal advice in the spring. Ethel Caterham, 116, became the world’s oldest living person earlier this year. From her nursing home in Surrey, southwest of London, she described her method for longevity: “Never arguing with anyone,” she said. “I listen, and I do what I like.”
Key Takeaways
- The Louvre heist in November sparked global intrigue, with a mysterious “Fedora Man” photographed by AP.
- Scientists confirmed manganese blue in Pollock’s 1948 painting, solving a long-standing art mystery.
- A humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker, but both emerged uninjured.
- 7,000 baby chickens died in Delaware, while 5,000 were rescued and adopted.
- San Diego zoo elephants protected younger ones during a 5.2-magnitude earthquake.
- Nepal’s new Kumari, Aryatara Shakya, and Mexico’s quinceañera, Isela Santiago Morales, highlighted cultural celebrations of girlhood.
- Pamela Anderson and Ethel Caterham offered personal takes on beauty and longevity.
2025 may have been filled with challenges, but these stories remind us that moments of wonder, resilience, and joy continue to shine through the headlines.
Closing
From museum heists to whale encounters, from art science to cultural milestones, 2025’s news painted a mosaic of human curiosity, animal bravery, and the enduring spirit of celebration. These stories, shared across continents, remind us that even in a world of uncertainty, moments of brightness persist.
