[View the story "Top social media moments of 2013" on Storify ]Top social media moments of 2013 The Stream shares some of this year's most memorable social media stories. Storified by AJAMStream · Mon, Dec 30 2013 15:26:34
Power out? No problem. http://pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgCOreo Cookie
Astronaut Chris Hadfield inspires from space. More than one million Twitter followers saw the universe through the Canadian
commander 's eyes during his time on the International Space Station. He returned to Earth on May 13.
Spaceflight finale: To some this may look like a sunset. But it's a new dawn. pic.twitter.com/iVgyUihqENChris Hadfield
The Boston Marathon bombing. In the aftermath of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing, people went online in an effort to find the perpetrators. Many were
wrongly implicated , and some called it
vigilantism . However, law enforcement did benefit from hundreds of spectator photos and other tips brought in through social media. The incident served as a catalyst to
question the role of social media in journalism.
Picture outside my sister-in-laws place earlier this morning. #7news pic.twitter.com/Yj9NNnc79LChris Lambert
#StandWithWendy. During a night-long
filibuster on June 25 by Texas Senator Wendy Davis in support of abortion access, Twitter recorded
8,718 tweets per minute discussing her action (and her pink running shoes).
wired.com
“@Brian_Sweany: Yes, through all this, @WendyDavisTexas is still standing. http://t.co/UPZfvgAfn9” The pink shoes make me smile.Robert Schaeffer
Breakthrough in American-Iranian Twitter diplomacy. President Hassan Rouhani shared his conversation with President Obama on Twitter, then later deleted the tweets and
replaced them with a more traditional message. It was the first direct contact between presidents of the two countries since 1979.
buzzfeed.com
An NPR host shares his mother's last moments. Scott Simon, host of Weekend Edition Saturday , made many on Twitter pause to reflect as he recounted his mother's wit, strength, and resilience during the days before her death in July.
Mother: "I don't know why this is going on so long. I'm late for everything I guess."Scott Simon
Nights are the hardest. But that's why I'm here. I wish I could lift my mother's pain & fears from her bones into mine.Scott Simon
@nprscottsimon I haven't held my mother's hand in a long time, thank you for reminding me that time is fleeting and that i need to do this.Steve McLaughlin
An infamous tweeter is revealed. In October, an anonymous Twitter account that had been sharing the inner workings of US national security went quiet after more than two years of controversial tweeting. The man behind @natsecwonk, Jofi Joseph, was
uncovered and subsequently fired, but his controversial tweets have been saved for Internet posterity:
More people should be asking why John Kerry installed two former aides, both with ZERO foreign policy experience, into top posts at State.favstar.fm
"Funny how @jrubinblogger can't admit she screwed up on her Norway-Al Qaeda hypothesis. As stupid as she is ugly? Guess so …"nymag.com
A misstep for British Gas. After a major price hike, angry customers took control of a company initiative on October 17 to answer questions on Twitter. The hashtag
#AskBG became a
rallying point for criticism of the company.
Our Customer Services Director Bert Pijls will be taking part in a Q&A about our price rise at 1-2pm. Tweet your questions using #AskBG!British Gas
How do I decide who has hypothermia this winter? The wife or kids? #AskBGBenjamin Aylott
#AskJPM backfires, too. An online chat organized by JP Morgan aimed to offer career advice, but led to online users slamming the bank with thousands of tweets.
When you locked people out of their homes & ruined their lives, did you still send them credit card invitations just to rub it in?#AskJPMSchoun
Do you think maybe this whole #ASKJPM idea was not well thought out?Rudolf E. Havenstein
Batkid captures our hearts. With a little help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, five-year-old leukemia survivor Miles Scott
saved San Francisco from the Riddler as millions followed his heroics.
Here he comes!!!! #SFBatkid http://t.co/PhF85F4Mw3Make-A-Wish Bay Area
The end of racism? A tweet by the Republican National Committee meant to commemorate Rosa Parks mentioned "her role in ending racism," evoking online outrage.
Today we remember Rosa Parks’ bold stand and her role in ending racism. http://t.co/uxIj1QmtkURNC
The death of Nelson Mandela. Twitter mentions of the former South African leader reached a
peak of 95,000 tweets per minute, and Facebook counted more than 80 million interactions related to his death.
What did Nelson Mandela's life mean to you?View the story "What did Nelson Mandela's life mean to you?" on Storify] The former South African president was the 'father of the nation...
africa.com
The AIDS tweet heard 'round the world. When PR executive Justine Sacco shot off the tweet below before boarding a flight, she had no idea that by the time she landed she would attract the ire of
thousands for her misguided attempt at a joke.
Guim
Notable additions to Twitter. Several big names joined the Twittersphere in 2013, including the Pope, former presidents and a former First Lady with presidential aspirations. Below are the first tweets of several new Tweeps:
Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me. Pope Francis.Pope Francis
Warren is in the house.Warren Buffett
Just spent amazing time with Colbert!Is he sane? He is cool! #cgiuBill Clinton
Thanks for the inspiration @ASmith83 & @Sllambe - I'll take it from here... #tweetsfromhillaryHillary Clinton
First of 3 female SecState's - last to join Twitter. Better late than never! http://twitter.com/madeleine/status/382127856593035264/photo/1Madeleine Albright
Barbara and I wish we could have joined the U.S. delegation honoring President Mandela today. He, and his countrymen, are in our prayers.George Bush
#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen when being a white mother of 19 is applauded, but being a brown mother at 19 is denigrated.Mikki Kendall
#blackpowerisforblackmen because sisters will march, organize, fight, die, cry for injustice twds our men and boys, but get dust in return.Jamilah Lemieux
#NotYourAsianSidekick because I'm tired of the patriarchy in Asian American spaces and sick of the racism in white feminism.Suey Park
College students used hashtags such as
#BBUM (Being Black at University of Michigan),
#BBGU (Being Black at Georgetown University) and
#BLGU (Being Latino/a at Georgetown University) to shed light on their experiences at predominately white institutions.
Understanding that your own blackness can be a problem, advantage, liability, benefit, gift, and curse all at the same time #BBGURashawn Davis
Still going #shutdownice #not1moredaylaborernetwork
Beyonce breaks the Internet. The artist surprised fans with the unannounced release of an entire album, complete with music videos. What ensued was Internet pandemonium, with millions streaming her new tracks online and sharing the news via social media. The feminist messages of her songs also inspired the hashtag
#BlackFemMusic , discussing black artists' contributions to feminist anthems.
.@ashe_phoenix A lot of "This isn't feminist enough" from white people who know nothing about black women or our feminism. #BlackFemMusicMikki Kendall
What were your favorite social media moments of 2013? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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