Day No. 365 of the year 2013 is approaching. Somewhere between the commutes, the 9-5s, the homework and the lessons, a year passed. While Heraclitus argued, “the only thing constant is change,” it is comforting to know that every year will have bad songs, embarrassing politicians and toilet paper stuck to your foot on a first date.

That is not to say that the pre-Socratic philosopher was wrong. We may never stop reading the back of the cereal box at breakfast or talking to the TV, but somehow, we change. The world changes – hopefully for the better, but sometimes for the worst. As the philosophy of Rent’s Broadway casts asks, “How do you measure a year in the life?”

The Squabbles: 2013 was not a lucky year for government approval. On Oct. 1, the government shut down. As a result, 800,000 of the government’s 3.3 million workers were furloughed without pay. National parks closed The Library of Congress closed. Even the National Zoo closed. According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll, 81 percent of Americans disapproved of the shutdown, which was due primarily to Democratic and Republican disputes over Obamacare.

The Broken: Speaking of Obamacare, the land of the free choked during the website’s roll out. Reuters writes, “Obama, who had promised up to the launch of the website that it would make shopping for (medical insurance) plans as easy as buying televisions on Amazon.” Unfortunately, when 250,000 users visited the site, it crashed, leaving Americans with even more medical hassles.  

The Equalizer: Despite our government and our healthcare falling apart, the Supreme Court managed to bring people together. This year, the 17-year-old Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage between a man and woman, was struck down in a 5-4 SCOTUS vote. Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court’s notorious swing vote, wrote the majority opinion stating, “DOMA undermines both the public and private significance of state-sanctioned same-sex marriages; for it tells those couples, and all the world, that their wise valid marriages are unworthy of federal recognition.”

The Fighter: Another group fighting to be recognized in 2013 was women, and Texas state senator Wendy Davis was on the front lines. In her pink sneakers, she filibustered for 11 hours to stop a bill banning post-20-week abortion and the closure of the majority of Texas abortion clinics. The bill successfully passed during a special session called by Republican Governor Rick Perry, but the hashtag #standwithwendy drew 400,000 Twitter users. With Perry’s choice to not seek re-election, the media rumored Davis’s run for governor in 2014.

The Controversial: To some, Edward Joseph Snowden is the modern Benedict Arnold. To others, he is the bringer of truth. Revealing highly classified U.S. secrets, Americans and the world alike learned of the National Security Agency’s compilation of telephone records to fight terrorism. Snowden’s leak outraged U.S. allies like German Chancellor Angela Merkel when she discovered her phone was being tapped. Russian/U.S. ties split after President Vladimir Putin granted Snowden one year’s amnesty when he arrived to the country with help from Internet freedom organization WikiLeaks. Snowden’s place in history is yet to be defined; however, he was a shoo-in for this year’s best Halloween costume.

The Strong: Even the world’s best athletes are humbled by the 26.2 miles of a marathon. But the runners and participants of the Boston Marathon, which took place on April 15, had to overcome more than just strenuous exercise and the will to finish. Two bombs exploded near the finish line of the race, claiming the lives of Krystle Campbell, 29; Lu Lingzi, 23; and eight-year-old Martin Richard and wounding 264 people. But among the devastation, there was kindness and hope. Runners ran to the hospital to donate blood. Strangers helped strangers. Public tips and tweets led to the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, one of the two brothers accused of the Boston Marathon bombings. His brother, Tamerlan, 26, died shortly after his younger brother ran over his body while trying to escape the authorities.

The Shocker: After Trayvon Martin’s death, President Obama said, “Trayvon Martin could’ve been me 35 years ago.” It was a trial that captured a nation, especially after George Zimmerman was found not guilty by six women who believed Zimmerman’s actions complied with the “stand your ground” law. Martin was shot Feb. 26, 2012, while walking home from a convenience store.

The Devastation: Syrian President Bashar Assad and his army are fighting a civil war. The 2.5 years of fighting has led to more than 100,000 military and civilian causalities. While it may be a “civil” war, the world’s concerns grew after Assad’s regime used chemical weapons. Eventually, Syria’s ally, Russia, mediated with Assad to have his chemical weapons placed under U.N. control and destroyed.

The Educator:  Sixteen-year-old Malala Yousafzi was shot by Taliban fighters while riding a school bus, but a bullet did not stop her. She has addressed the United Nations, fighting for women’s rights and education. Her story led to Pakistan’s first education bill, and she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Risk-Preventer: Angelina Jolie inspired women of all ages when she announced on May 14 that she had had a double mastectomy after learning that she had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer. 

The Victorious: Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup for the fifth time! The Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl, the Red Sox win the World Series and the Louisville Cardinals win the NCAA tournament.

The Scandalous: Baseball players Alex Rodriguez, more commonly known as A-Rod, of the New York Yankees and the Brewers’ Ryan Braun were charged with steroid use and suspended from baseball in 2013. A total of 13 players were accused of violating the Major League Baseball’s drug policy.

The Cinematic:  “Iron Man 3″ topped the box office. The technology in “Gravity” stunned audiences. “The Great Gatsby” artistically incorporated the soundtracks of today with the feel of the ’20s. Who knows, maybe “Pirates of the Caribbean 5” will figure out how to be entertaining.

The Flop:  While reviewers called the “Lone Ranger” a bust, Forbes at least credits the movie with bringing in $260 million, at least turning a profit on the $215 million budget. Other movies, such as the WikiLeaks inspired “Fifth Estate,” were not so lucky. It made only $6 million and had a budget of $28 million.

Welcome

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, as well of the rest of the world who stared for hours at a closed hospital door, welcomed His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge on July 22. The little bundle of joy is now third in line to the British throne.

The New York skyline rises again – by 104 stories, to be exact. This year, One World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, was completed and is set to open in 2014.

Hassan Rouhani is Iran’s new president. He was the election’s only moderate candidate and  wants to open the door for conversations with the Western World.

On March 13, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis.  Known for his modesty and kind acts such as washing the feet of the incarcerated, the first ever South American Pope has gained tremendous popularity in 2013.

Farewell

Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of Great Britain, died April 8 after a stroke. Some hated her; some loved her. Her force of will probably would not bend to either opinion. 

On Dec. 5, the world said goodbye to South Africa’s savior, Nelson Mandela. “It always seems impossible until it’s done,” Mandela once said.   

For over half the year, Twinkies left our shelves. On July 15, however, the snack we never thought could go bad was resurrected to be preserved for many years to come. 

“Breaking Bad” aired its final episode of a five-season run this year.

#2013

Twerking: The burned image of Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s MTV Video Music Awards will forever stain 2013. 

Selfie: Even the Oxford Dictionary incorporates social media with “selfie” as its 2013 word of the year, but how does a dictionary make a duck face?

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had stomach reduction surgery in 2013 and now claims to be “the healthiest fat guy you’ve ever seen.”

Dennis Rodman visiting North Korea.

Sheryl Sandberg encourages women to “lean in” urging women to step up in the career world and close the gender gap.

The Boy Scouts are now accepting gay youngsters as members. However, homosexuality is still banned for its Scout leaders.

Paula Deen’s racial slurs