2015 is almost arriving at a close, and to say the year has been a complicated one would be an understatement. The Syrian refugee crisis in Europe reached critical mass, unprovoked shootings happened across the globe, and Mother Nature made herself known through a series of powerful floods, fires, and quakes. It wasn’t all bad, though: Scientists made plenty of important discoveries, pop culture has never been more interesting, and above all, the human spirit has remained unbroken. Below are 40 of the most powerful photos of 2015: The good, the bad, and the absolutely mind-blowing. These were the moments that made up the year — and the moments we’ll carry with us into 2016.
