MORRY GASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
On January 20, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. He is the first president since the 1890s to be elected twice but not in back-to-back elections.
Song Jiaru/VCG via AP Images (Labubu); Europa Press via AP Images (Jane Goodall); Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (Eaton Fire); Shutterstock.com (all other images)
A Look Back at 2025
These were some of the biggest news stories of the year.
Four More Years
Hollywood Hit
Did someone say “chicken jockey”? Fans went wild when the baby zombie that rides a chicken appeared on-screen in A Minecraft Movie. The film was released in April. As of mid-November, it was the biggest movie of the year. It has earned about $424 million in the U.S.
BFA/Warner Bros/Alamy Stock Photo
Remembering Jane Goodall
Europa Press via AP Images
This year, the world said goodbye to Jane Goodall. The conservationist died on October 1. She was 91 years old. Goodall helped change our understanding of animals’ behavior. In 1960, she began studying chimps in Tanzania. That’s a country in Africa. There, she saw a chimp using a stick to catch insects. Before then, scientists had thought only humans made and used tools.
Over the next 65 years, Goodall worked to protect chimps. In 2021, she spoke with Scholastic News about her work.
Scholastic News: How did you become interested in studying chimps?
Jane Goodall: I was born loving animals. I owe so much to my mother, who supported this. And to my childhood dog, Rusty!
SN: What did you learn from living with chimps?
JG: All the chimps are different. They each have their own personality. So much of their behavior is like ours.
SN: How do you feel your work made an impact?
JG: [It taught us] that we are not the only beings with personality, mind, and emotion.
SN: Can kids help the environment?
JG: Yes. Every day you live on the planet, you make an impact, and you can choose what kind. There’s hope. But it depends on us taking action.
Note: The interview has been edited and shortened.
Dr. Jane Goodall: “We Must Take Action”
Hear Dr. Goodall tell the story of her life’s work.
Monster Madness
Song Jiaru/VCG via AP Images
What has big eyes, pointy teeth, and rabbit ears? Labubus! These grinning monsters caused a frenzy this year. People waited in long lines for hours to get one. Labubus were created by artist Kasing Lung. Chinese company Pop Mart began selling them in 2019. Today everyone from kids to pop stars has the popular toys clipped to their bags.
Dodgers Win!
The Los Angeles Dodgers (below) won their second World Series in a row on November 1. They beat the Toronto Blue Jays. Leading up to the World Series, Shohei Ohtani had one of the greatest games ever. He hit three home runs and struck out 10 batters.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Back to Earth
Ashley Landis/AP Images
Two American astronauts returned to Earth in March after an unexpected nine months in space. In June 2024, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore traveled to the International Space Station (ISS). The giant space lab circles Earth. The pair was supposed to spend just eight days there. But the spacecraft that should have taken them home was having problems. It couldn’t safely transport the pair back to Earth. So Williams and Wilmore had to stay on the ISS. Luckily, there was a lot to do. They did experiments and went on spacewalks. After 286 days, a different spacecraft arrived to take them home.
City on Fire
Jim McMahon/Mapman®
On January 7, two wildfires ignited in and around Los Angeles, California. The Palisades and Eaton Fires were among the most damaging in the state’s history. More than 16,000 homes and other buildings were destroyed. And 31 people were killed.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire.
Facing the Floods
Jim McMahon/Mapman®
Heavy rain fell in central Texas on July 4. That caused the Guadalupe River near San Antonio to rise about 26 feet in only 45 minutes. The floods swept away cars and destroyed homes. More than 135 people died.
Eric Vryn/Getty Images
A rescue team searches the Guadalupe River.
Wild Winds
Jim McMahon/Mapman®
Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica on October 28. The powerful storm flooded the island nation and nearby countries. Wind speeds reached 185 miles per hour. “Everybody’s roof is gone,” said Marvin Edwards. He lives in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images
Residents walk through a destroyed street in Jamaica.
1. What is one word you would use to describe Jane Goodall? Explain your choice.
2. What does the article mean when it says that Labubus “caused a frenzy” this year?
3. What problem did Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore face? How was their problem solved?
videos
(2)
videos
(2)
Skills Sheets
(2)
Skills Sheets
(2)
Games
(1)
TEACHER SUPPORT
(1)
Text-to-Speech