2013 - The Year Of...

As the New Year peaks upon us we start planning where we decide to end this year and make a new list of resolutions and goals for 2014, but let's rewind and take a look back at the things from 2013 that we learned, and shaped 2013 as a unique year.

2013, The Year Of The Hashtag

Mashable.com / Via mashable.com

The former "pound key" which originated it's social network use on Twitter began to branch out and became popular and after that hashtags began popping up everywhere...

Creatine Marketing Blog / Via blog.creatinemarketing.com

It was already popular on Instagram #hashtagoverload

The Celebrity Cafe / Via thecelebritycafe.com

Eventually Facebook, that's when the flood gates of hashtags were destroyed...

Via latenightjimmy.tumblr.com

Soon it was on posters and advertisements, needless to say once these two made this sketch it became acceptable to use it in conversation... Damn you Timberlake and Fallon

2013, The Year Instagram Renamed Our Calendar

buzzfeed.com

The power of hashtag influence made itself apparent when you logged onto any social network and week-after-week you saw different pictures with a common theme for the day from pictures of Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson (my woman crushes) #WomancrushWednesday to embarrassing photos from childhood #ThrowbackThursday keeping those who participated in them to brainstorm future uploads and those who didn't to have hatred (like any holiday).

Hopefully 2014 will give us a creative Saturday Instagram Holiday! #strangeryoujustmetsaturday

Giraffe Social Media / Via giraffesocialmedia.co.uk

Let's also not forget the short lived battle that the short videos of Vine had as king before Instagram took that over too

2013, The Year Of The Harlem Shake

Youtube / Via youtube.com

"It's so viral right now"

Like the craze of Gangnam Style in 2012, making Harlem Shake videos was a disease with a specific format: All it took was the opening sounds of the track, a single masked person to start dancing alone and then ONCE THE BASS DROPPED... all hell breaks loose for a total of 14 seconds

2013, The Year Of The American Man-Band Reunions

Via Hollywoodlife.com

With consistent One Direction ruling as one of the top bands in the world and the reunions of the Spice Girls at the 2012 London Olympics, it seems as though England was ruling supreme in the arena of Boy Bands and Girl Bands, a genre America once ruled in the 90s.

Via last.fm

That is until the Superbowl, Beyonce and TLC answer back...

POW!

Via Hollywoodreporter.com

Justin Timberlake and the boys... ahem... men are back at the 2013 VMA's

Via lifeadventuresofgenina.blogspot.com

What?! Backstreet's Back? Only through the heavenly request of Jay Baruchel in 2013's comedy This Is The End

Via andpop.com

Gonna have to MAN UP, England. Maybe 98 Degrees or O-Town will contribute to the fight.

2013, The Year Everybody Knew Who Heisenberg Was

Via washingtonpost.com

Breaking Bad's final season combined with Netflix having all the prior seasons caused everyone to become addicted... to a show about crystal meth.

Via lolsnaps.com

And I mean everyone... One of the top Halloween costumes of 2013, bitch!

2013, The Year Of What Animals REALLY Do

Animal Planet, a TV channel dedicated solely to lives of animals, shows us living animals but did they ever show us how they lived? Youtube is for knowledge... like eating habits.

How could you forget this?

But really...

Maybe we should've never asked about animals and the sounds they make but whatelse is Youtube for?

2013's Worst Unnatural Disaster

Earwolf / Via earwolf.com

...really enough said.

oh. IT'S A SHARK TORNADO.

— Cory Monteith (@CoryMonteith) July 12, 2013

Famous last words. RIP Cory 1982 - 2013

2013's Gotta Have Accessory

Glee Gifts / Via gleegifts.com

Like snap bracelets of the 90s, or Silly Bandz of 2012, the defining accessory of the women of 2013 was the Alex and Ani bracelet.

I still don't understand them but I think if get enough of these bad boys you can actually become Beyonce... If only.

Stuff That Also Happened In 2013:

Via williegif.com

If you stayed up in 2013 you were up all night to 'Get Lucky' at least according to Daft Punk

Via music.yahoo.com

Look more hashtags! Is that Pharrell again?

2013, The Year Of The Miley

Via mashable.com

Of course she made this list...

2013, The Year TV Show Hosts Taught Us Something

This great footage served as a great PSA to the dangers of "twerking" and after the reveal a PSA of what kind of footage we choose to share and make viral.

youtube.com

The internet is full of jerks. Celebrities are still people.

My beloved beliebers I'm officially retiring

— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) December 25, 2013

SEE WHAT YOU MADE HIM DO?!?

Via thehiphopchamber.blogspot.com

Ignore this one #badexample #justaphase

2013, The Year of Unexpected Heroes

2013 didn't provide us the heroes asked for but the heroes we needed. This past year we said hello and sadly said farewell to heroes which made us believe in love, push to accomplish our dreams and show us that anything was possible.

Nik Wallenda

Via storify.com

"Thank you, Jesus... Thank you, Discovery Channel" - The man who crossed the grand canyon on a piece of rope while wearing jeans!

Fred Stobaugh

The 96 year old man who's song "Oh Sweet Lorraine" showed that love is eternal even for those who we love that are no longer here...

Brenda Schmitz

The deceased wife who made sure she could still be there for her family for Christmas no matter what

Zach Sobriech

The teenager who showed us to be stay positive not only for ourselves but for the people around us despite the odds being against us

Talia Joy

The girl who showed us beauty is really of the soul and not the make up you apply

2013, The Year Of The BuzzFeed lists

Via buzzfeed.com

And of course...

So how did you define 2013? And what will 2014 be defined for?