2018 In Review: From Stephen Hawking, IWD To Nelson Mandela 100

2018 In Review: We take a look at the year that was, according to the biggest conversations on Facebook. From the deaths of Stephen Hawking and Aretha Franklin to our biggest IWD ever.

Here is how people made their voices heard about issues that really mattered:

• International Women’s Day: Three years ago, I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge on IWD with a group of amazing women. It was one of the very few things to celebrate the day and is a far cry from this year. Each year, we see huge interest in IWD and for the second year in a row, March 8 was the #1 most talked-about moment of the year. But this year the conversation was about more than the day itself. Women and men around the world discussed everything from ‘Me Too’ and huge a range of issues and causes related to women.

2018 In Review: International Women’s Day was bigger than ever

• March for Our Lives: Survivors of the violence in Parkland, Florida announced the March for Our Lives movement on February 18, which drove conversation and action around the world. Over the next month, more than 1 million people showed interest in attending a Facebook Event for March for Our Lives, and more than $2.5 million was raised through Facebook Fundraisers.
• Civic Engagement: The Brazilian Presidential Election on October 7 and the US Midterm Elections on November 6 were top moments for conversation about voting and elections.

We also saw communities join together in celebration of global moments in culture:

• World Cup: More than 383 million soccer fans from around the world took to Facebook to cheer on their favourite teams through 2.3 billion posts, comments, reactions and shares. France’s World Cup victory on July 15 and England’s Semi-Final match against Croatia on July 11 were two of the top most discussed moments of the year.
• Super Bowl 52: The Philadelphia Eagles secured their first Super Bowl win against the New England Patriots on February 4. More than 62 million people turned to Facebook following Tom Brady’s incomplete Hail Mary pass at the end of the game, and Justin Timberlake’s halftime performance paying tribute to Prince.
• The Royal Wedding: The much-anticipated nuptials between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19 connected 42 million people on Facebook who about posted about the ceremony, the newlyweds, and the pomp and circumstance.
• We also came together to honour people who had a huge impact on the world.
• Nelson Mandela 100: July 18 marked 100 years since Nelson Mandela was born, and millions of people came to Facebook to celebrate Mandela’s life of dedication to human rights and social justice.
• Keeping Legacies Alive: The world lost many influential and inspirational people in 2018. From musical icons Aretha Franklin, Avicii, and Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, to scientific visionaries like Stephen Hawking, influential storytellers like Anthony Bourdain and Hollywood stars like Burt Reynolds. People around the world shared millions of posts on Facebook to memorialise the global impact and work of these individuals.

Women Love Tech would love to hear your favourite moments of the year. Please write to us in the box below. And a big thank you from our team for your support throughout the year.