Labor Day marks the formal end to summer, as pools close, and school is back in full session. Here are some events, organized chronologically, that defined and made Summer 2014 memorable:

Late May: #YesAllWomen

In the aftermath of a shooting that occurred in Isla Vista, California, the hashtag “YesAllWomen” took off early this summer. The trend was used to tweet about various viewpoints and topics relating to misogyny and according to CNN, has been used over one million times on Twitter.

June 6: The salt in our tears

The Fault in Our Stars, a movie based on the titular novel by John Green was released this summer and produced a significant amount of tears – and revenue. The movie reportedly earned a whopping $48.2 million during its opening weekend*.

June 12- July 13: World Cup Fever

The US national team only won one game during 2014 FIFA World Cup, but that didn’t stop the massive influx of red, white and blue selfies on Instagram during each game. Memorable events from this quadrennial event include Luis Suarez biting another player and the decimation of the Brazilian national team by the German national team.

June 25: How to be Kim in a whim

Summer has the connotation of sunny days and pooltime, but the release of the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game meant hours in the air-conditioned comfort of our homes. The biggest problem? Running out of energy and running into Willow Pape.

June 30: Burwell v. Hobby Lobby

This 5-4 landmark decision made this summer by the Supreme Court exempts some for-profit businesses from paying for particular contraceptives. The decision is still a large topic of debate, with one side believing the ruling is a religious victory while another side believing the decision places the corporation above federal law.

July 5: AP scores bring about mixed emotions around the country

The annual release of AP scores brought about mixed emotions; for some of us, the prep book read the night before saved us hundreds of dollars, while for others of us, the year of hard work was not translated accurately on the 1-5 scale.

July 8: Escalation of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The Israeli – Palestinian conflict is one that has been occurring for several decades, but events escalated this year with the launch of Operation Protective Edge by the Israel Defense Forces. As of Aug. 31, both sides have agreed to an ‘open-ended’ cease-fire.

July 10: Finally something besides a ball of twine

Along with the world’s largest ball of twine, Kansas now has another world record to boast: the world’s tallest water slide. The slide, named Verrückt, opened in early July and is taller than Niagara Falls**.

July 17: Double trouble for Malaysian Airlines

The ambiguity of details concerning reasons behind the crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 has made it a large topic of discussion for both the media and pedestrians this summer. One thing is for certain, though: this crash, combined with the disappearance of Flight 370 earlier this year has made it a tragic year for Malaysian Airlines and its victims.

Mid July: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised awareness and took social media by storm through the summer. The challenge involves dumping a bucket of ice water and/or donating money to an ALS charity or awareness organization. From July 24 to Aug. 24, the challenge raised more than $70 million for The ALS Association**.

Outbreak of Ebola virus

Ebola virus disease,  more commonly referenced simply as “Ebola,” was first identified in 1976**. However, this year and particularly this summer witnessed an upsurge in the number cases of this disease. According to the World Health Organization, as of Aug. 28, 2014, 1552 people have died from this year’s outbreak.

Aug. 9: Shooting of Michael Brown and following conflicts

18-year old Michael Brown was unarmed when he was shot on August 9 by Officer Darren Wilson. What subsequently followed was both anger and grief, riots and memorials, as topics of racism and police force launched the small town of Ferguson, Mo. to national spotlight.

Aug. 19: ISIS beheads journalist James Foley, and releases a video of it too

On Aug. 19, ISIS released a gruesome video of James Foley, an American journalist, getting beheaded. The video quickly circulated over the internet and invoked discussions of the censorship of horrid atrocities.

Update: On Sept. 2, ISIS released another video of an execution, this time of American journalist Steven Sotloff.

With a plethora of social and political events, this summer was certainly one for the books. Now it’s time to hit the books, as the school year is coming up with full force.

*information taken from Forbes

**information taken from CNN