01of 201. William and Kate Ushered in a New Royal EraPrince William and Kate Middleton.Chris Jackson/GettyThe April 29, 2011, wedding of the future King of England andKate Middleton, a businessman’s daughter, fulfilled the public’s hunger for a House of Windsor reboot. Let Charles, never really beloved and a bit eccentric in his pursuits, find contentment with Camilla after his tempestuous, tragic history with Diana: Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were young, well-behaved and conscientious about performing their endless duties. True love had been crowned with a true royal sensibility.

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1. William and Kate Ushered in a New Royal Era

Prince William and Kate Middleton.Chris Jackson/Getty

William and Kate wedding

The April 29, 2011, wedding of the future King of England andKate Middleton, a businessman’s daughter, fulfilled the public’s hunger for a House of Windsor reboot. Let Charles, never really beloved and a bit eccentric in his pursuits, find contentment with Camilla after his tempestuous, tragic history with Diana: Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were young, well-behaved and conscientious about performing their endless duties. True love had been crowned with a true royal sensibility.

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2. An Heir Was Born

ASON BELL/CAMERA PRESS/REDUX

prince george christening

03of 203.FrozenDebutedDisneyThe 2013 animated feature reinvented the Disney princess for the age of girl power — what’s more magical than being your own person? — and launched the ultimate earworm anthem, “Let It Go.” The sequel grossed $750 million in less than a month.

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3.FrozenDebuted

Disney

frozen

The 2013 animated feature reinvented the Disney princess for the age of girl power — what’s more magical than being your own person? — and launched the ultimate earworm anthem, “Let It Go.” The sequel grossed $750 million in less than a month.

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4. Divas Reigned in Music

PictureGroup/REX/Shutterstock

beyonce

05of 205. True Crime Hit It BigDan Powers/The Post-Crescent/APFrom Netflix’sMaking a Murdererto podcasts likeDirty John, investigative tales of grisly wrongdoing were devoured like gruesome snacks.

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5. True Crime Hit It Big

Dan Powers/The Post-Crescent/AP

Books-Making a Murderer Attorney

From Netflix’sMaking a Murdererto podcasts likeDirty John, investigative tales of grisly wrongdoing were devoured like gruesome snacks.

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Scott Yamano/Netflix; Netflix

Murder Mystery / Stranger Things

Introducing streaming in 2007, it created an audience of binge-watchers.

07of 207. #MeToo RoaredBringing years of sexual harassment and assault to defiant light, the movement toppled the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer.

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7. #MeToo Roared

times up pin

Bringing years of sexual harassment and assault to defiant light, the movement toppled the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer.

08of 208.Fifty ShadesHeated UpE.L. James’s novels about a woman discovering the ecstasy of S&M brought bondage into the mainstream.

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8.Fifty ShadesHeated Up

fifty-shades

E.L. James’s novels about a woman discovering the ecstasy of S&M brought bondage into the mainstream.

09of 209. George Clooney Settled DownDomenico Stinellis/APWhile the actor was never exactly a playboy — he was too socially and politically enlightened for that — he was for years Hollywood’s most famous bachelor. That came to an end Sept. 27, 2014, when the then 53-year-old star wed Amal Alamuddin, then 36, a human-rights lawyer. (They now have 2-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander.) The sighs of dashed romantic fantasies can be heard to this day.

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9. George Clooney Settled Down

Domenico Stinellis/AP

amal-clooney-d

While the actor was never exactly a playboy — he was too socially and politically enlightened for that — he was for years Hollywood’s most famous bachelor. That came to an end Sept. 27, 2014, when the then 53-year-old star wed Amal Alamuddin, then 36, a human-rights lawyer. (They now have 2-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander.) The sighs of dashed romantic fantasies can be heard to this day.

10of 2010. Donald Trump Was Elected PresidentAlex Wong/GettyThe former reality host, who upended politics with his divisive style and blunt use of Twitter, faces impeachment as the decade ends.

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10. Donald Trump Was Elected President

Alex Wong/Getty

donald trump

The former reality host, who upended politics with his divisive style and blunt use of Twitter, faces impeachment as the decade ends.

11of 2011. The Superhero Universe Expanded2012’s The Avengers.Marvel Enterprises/Kobal/REX/ShutterstockTina Turner was wrong: We do need another hero. Lots and lots of heroes. Comic-book mythology has been around for decades — Superman was introduced to readers in 1938 — but in the 2010s superheroes seemed to conquer the world. The whoppingly successful Marvel-based movies filled our heads with the stirring, exciting adventures of Thor, Black Panther, Ant-Man and more.Star Wars’sMillennium Falconrose from the dust for a new trilogy. It wasn’t a bad time to be a supervillain, either: 2019’s dark, revisionistJokerwas an enormous hit.

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11. The Superhero Universe Expanded

2012’s The Avengers.Marvel Enterprises/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

avengers

Tina Turner was wrong: We do need another hero. Lots and lots of heroes. Comic-book mythology has been around for decades — Superman was introduced to readers in 1938 — but in the 2010s superheroes seemed to conquer the world. The whoppingly successful Marvel-based movies filled our heads with the stirring, exciting adventures of Thor, Black Panther, Ant-Man and more.Star Wars’sMillennium Falconrose from the dust for a new trilogy. It wasn’t a bad time to be a supervillain, either: 2019’s dark, revisionistJokerwas an enormous hit.

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12. Melissa McCarthy Ruled

Jake Chessum

melissa mccarthy

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chip and joanna gaines

14of 2014. Influencers Shaped TasteDave J Hogan/Getty ImagesYouTube and Instagram were the breeding grounds of a casual new brand of salesperson: the influencer. The best-known was PewDiePie, with 120 million followers across social media.

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14. Influencers Shaped Taste

Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

pewdiepie

YouTube and Instagram were the breeding grounds of a casual new brand of salesperson: the influencer. The best-known was PewDiePie, with 120 million followers across social media.

15of 2015. Women Stormed Capitol Hill’The Squad': Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley.J Scott Applewhite/AP/ShutterstockThe 2018 midterms brought a record 117 women legislators to Washington, D.C.

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15. Women Stormed Capitol Hill

‘The Squad’: Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley.J Scott Applewhite/AP/Shutterstock

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks as, from left, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass

The 2018 midterms brought a record 117 women legislators to Washington, D.C.

16of 2016. Late Night ChangedRandy Holmes/ABCThese stars rose as the new generation of late-night hosts: Jimmy Kimmel (ABC), Stephen Colbert (CBS) and Jimmy Fallon (ABC).

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16. Late Night Changed

Randy Holmes/ABC

ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” - Season 15

These stars rose as the new generation of late-night hosts: Jimmy Kimmel (ABC), Stephen Colbert (CBS) and Jimmy Fallon (ABC).

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17. Harry and Meghan Wed

Aaron Chown/Gety

meghan and harry

18of 2018.HamiltonCombined History and Hip-HopNicholas Hunt/Getty ImagesIn an age of long-running musicals likeLes Misérables,Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop smash about Alexander Hamilton struck like lightning and rejuvenated American theater.

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18.HamiltonCombined History and Hip-Hop

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Final Performance In “Hamilton” On Broadway

In an age of long-running musicals likeLes Misérables,Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop smash about Alexander Hamilton struck like lightning and rejuvenated American theater.

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19. U.S. Women’s Soccer Won Big

Marc Atkins/Getty

usa womens soccer

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20. The Kardashians Became a Brand

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Kardashian family

source: people.com