Goodbye 2018. Hello 2019!

A look back at 2018 ... a look ahead to 2019 ... the year's best photos ... play Total Recall ... Auld Lang Syne

view in browser update subscription preferences Sunday 12.30.18 Welcome to the last Sunday of 2018! Instead of our usual look ahead to the week, let's look back at the year that was (and look forward to 2019).  By Doug Criss 2018: The year that was   A lot of people say that 2018, to put it delicately, was something of a dumpster fire. Hey, it was a tough year, but we're not going that far. As a matter of fact, there were actually a lot of good things that happened this year. Consider: North and South Korea vowed to end decades of conflict between them and end the Korean War. For the first time, Muslim and Native American women were elected to the US Congress. Women in Saudi Arabia were finally given permission to drive. Scientists may have come up with a way to stop the world's glaciers from melting. NASA's InSight lander touched down on Mars, took a selfie and captured the first "sounds" of wind on the red planet. And let's not forget about all the wonderful people who inspired us this year, such as the man who mowed lawns for vets and the disabled in every state, or the principal who installed a laundromat in his school, or the 4-year-old "superhero" who feeds the homeless in Alabama. Yeah, looking back on it, 2018 doesn't seem so bad after all.   2019: The year ahead   If you're still not convinced that 2018 wasn't so bad, don't worry about it. It'll be over soon. Turn your attention to 2019. There are so many things to look forward to: After blessing us with a magical royal wedding this year, Prince Harry and Meghan are set to gift us with a royal baby sometime in the spring. 3D printers will really go mainstream, especially in the fields of medicine and manufacturing. You might even be able to score one for home. The FIFA Women's World Cup takes place in the summer in France, and Team USA -- the defending champs -- will be back to try to grab another title. Also happening during the summer: the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, which put the first two men on the moon. We'll say goodbye to Westeros as the final season of "Game of Thrones" airs, return to Gilead thanks to a new book from "Handmaid's Tale" author Margaret Atwood and sit through a whole slew of Disney movies. Advertisement 2018: The year in photos Lava from the Kilauea volcano encroaches a home in Pahoa, Hawaii, in May. Check out the most eye-popping images from a most unbelievable year. Quiz time   The rescue of 12 members of a youth soccer team and their coach from a cave riveted the world back during the summer. In which country were they rescued? A. Laos B. Thailand C. Vietnam D. Cambodia Play a special end-of-year edition of "Total Recall: The CNN news quiz" to see if you have the right answer. Should auld lyrics be forgot ... Let's get ready for New Year's Eve with this ethereal rendition of "Auld Lang Syne," sung by the Tenors. And here are the lyrics to the time-honored tune, so you won't have to pretend like you know them when the clock strikes 12. (Click here to listen.) Advertisement Share Tweet ALL CNN NEWSLETTERS update preferences or unsubscribe CNN Five Things shows up in your inbox at 6 a.m. ET every weekday and at 9 a.m. ET Sundays. Like what you see? Don't like what you see? Let us know. We're all about self-improvement. Did a friend forward you this newsletter? Sign yourself up! Sign up to get updates on your favorite CNN Original Series, special CNN news coverage and other newsletters. Copyright © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to CNN's 5 Things newsletter.