Wonka experience, Larry David and Elmo: 9 stories from 2024 you've probably already forgotten about

As we near the end of the year and everyone starts getting more reflective than usual, we can be caught off-guard by just how much went down in the last 12 months – not least when it comes to the news.

2024 was the year that Steamboat Willie – the original iteration of beloved Disney mascot Mickey Mouse – entered public domain, and prompted internet jokesters to push the boat out (sorry) when it came to how controversial and distasteful they can get with the now copyright-free animation.

It also saw developments in Elon Musk’s Neuralink technology, with 29-year-old brain implant recipient Noland Arbaugh able to send out a tweet on Twitter/X “just by thinking”.

And, if you want to be reminded of 10 more news stories which happened this year, to demonstrate just how quickly time flies and trigger an existential crisis, then you’ve come to the right place.

1. Larry David assaulting Elmo

If your 2024 wasn’t all that great, then spare a thought for beloved Sesame Street character, Elmo, who not only sparked a whole lot of trauma dumping when he asked the internet how everyone was feeling back in January, but when he appeared on NBC'sToday to talk about the viral tweet, he ended up getting attacked by Curb Your Enthusiasm star, Larry David.

After being told he had “gone too far this time” by presenter, Savannah Guthrie, David later apologised and said he was “really sorry”.

2. Glasgow’s disastrous ‘Willy Wonka Experience’

Yes, the farcical experience which charged £35 a ticket to explore a poorly-decorated warehouse, meet bemused Oompa Loompas, and be introduced to a completely new villain not in the books called ‘The Unknown’, actually went viral in February of this year.

Feel old yet?

3. University Challenge – of all things – getting a jungle remix

In music, a battle between students from Aberdeen and Sheffield resulted in a viral meme when host Amol Rajan asked for the name of the genre of dance music which “developed in the UK in the early 1990s … associated with acts such as A Guy Called Gerald and Goldie”.

When Aberdeen team captain Emily Osborne answered “drum and bass”, Rajan replied: “Can’t accept drum and bass. We need jungle, I’m afraid.”

And thus, an excellent sound to use just before a jungle beat drop was born…

4. MatPat retires from YouTube

At the start of the year, beloved YouTube content creator Matthew “MatPat” Patrick announced his retirement from the platform, receiving countless tributes after uploading a video titled “Goodbye Internet” to The Game Theorists’ channel – a spin on his iconic catchphrase, “hello internet, welcome to Game Theory”.

5. The year of the Stanley cup

No, we’re not talking about the ice hockey trophy, but rather the drinking cup, which really took off this year amid talk of its robustness as a receptacle. The craze came just a couple of months after a TikTok video went viral, for showing the product left almost completely unscathed following a car fire.

6. The Boeing 737-9 Max/Alaska airlines blowout

2024 was also the year of intense scrutiny over the safety of the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, following an Alaska Airlines flight in January which saw a plane door blow off the aircraft mid-flight.

Whistleblower, John Barnett, was found dead from a “self-inflicted wound” in March, the Federal Aviation Authority ordered an inspection of thousands of planes in July over oxygen mask failures, and it was only earlier this month that Boeing resumed production of the 737 Max following strikes.

7. Tucker Carlson’s humiliating interview with Vladimir Putin

The former Fox News host sat down for an interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin in February, during and after which the dictator mocked the conservative presenter by saying “we should thank God” the CIA didn’t let him join the agency, and complained about a lack of “sharp questions” in the interview.

The conversation also resulted in Hillary Clinton branding Carlson a “useful idiot” for Russia (ouch), and speculation around Putin’s health after appearing to stop his leg from shaking at one point in the chat.

8. The French prime minister showing dog photos in parliament

Also in February, then French PM Gabriel Attal angered fellow members of his country’s National Assembly when he chose to ignore remarks from leader of the Socialist group, Boris Vallaud, and instead show puppy photos to his colleagues.

There’s a time and a place for it, Gabriel…

9. The Hardest Geezer completing his trek of Africa

And finally, in some lighter news, ‘The Hardest Geezer’ (real name Russ Cook) successfully ran the whole length of Africa in April, completing a 352-day project and raising £944,000 for two charities.

Who knows what 2025 will bring…

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