6.Solar Eclipse on Aug 21,2017
For the first time first time in 99 years on August 21, a solar eclipse crossed the US from coast to coast, making for spectacular views of the celestial event of the century.
5. Bitcoin Price
Bitcoin's popularity has surged this year as its value continues to rise and the promise of cryptocurrency continues to inspire millions around the world to join the exciting, yet risky venture.
The excitement continued as Bitcoin futures went live on Cboe Global Markets, the Chicago-based exchange group. The virtual currency shot up more than $1,000 within the first 10 minutes of the new market to a price over $17,000.
4. Hurricane Irma
Intense winds of 185 mph made Hurricane Irma the strongest recorded storm to ever exist in the Atlantic, outside the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated their homes in the Caribbean and the southern US. More than 100 died.
The storm's intensity, the threat to the US mainland, and widespread destruction made it the year's top trending news story in search.
3.Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
On September 5, President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a controversial Obama-era policy that shields from deportation nearly 800,000 young immigrants living in the country illegally after being brought to the US as minors.
The move drew a backlash from Democrats and immigration activists but lauded by many Republicans and those who believe US immigration laws are too lax.
DACA recipients are still in limbo as Congress has not yet agreed on a permanent legislative solution. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham reintroduced the bipartisan Dream Act in September, but it hasn't gained much traction.The young immigrants are likely to lose their protected status by March if nothing is done.
2. North Korea
Trump's war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been one of the biggest stories of the year.
The rising tensions between the two foes, their threatening Cold War-esque rhetoric, and North Korea's continued development of its nuclear weapons program has many people on both sides of the Pacific fearing a nuclear war.
1. Las Vegas Shooting
On October 1, a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500 more at a country music concert. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
The attack renewed America's ongoing debate over gun control, with the particular interest in the use of bump stocks, which allowed the Vegas shooter to fire faster rounds.
