REASONS WHY 2023 WAS NOT ALL TERRIBLE

Here are some positive memories of 2023 as we close another trip around the sun.

› Egg prices are back to $2 a dozen. Remember egg-mania, when prices soared over $4? Well, inflation cooled, and the avian flu receded, and eggs are affordable again.

› The gender pay gap hit an all-time low.

American women working full time still earn just 84 cents for every $1 men earn, but that is up from 78 cents a decade ago.

› The hole in the ozone layer is shrinking.

It’s on track to recover to 1980s levels by the middle of this century, according to a United Nations report.

› The U.S. government did not shut down.

It sure got close, but Congress reached a compromise on the debt ceiling and the 2024 budget that avoided a partial government shutdown (for now).

› The pandemic officially ended on May 5.

That was the day the World Health Organization said it no longer classifies the coronavirus as a global public health emergency. Phew.

› CRISPR gene editing treatments are here.

In December, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first commercially available treatment in the United States based on this promising gene-editing technique. This one will be used to treat sickle cell disease, but researchers will likely use CRISPR to fight a plethora of illnesses.

› The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the “independent state legislature” theory.

The case could have given state lawmakers unchecked power to set rules for federal elections and draw congressional maps to their own parties’ advantage.

› Kelvin Kiptum ran a 2-hour marathon.

The Kenyan runner set a new official record — just 2 hours and 35 seconds — at the Chicago marathon in October.

› President Biden & Xi Jinping met face to face.

It was the handshake seen around the world. Leaders of the world’s two biggest powers met in San Francisco in November — and made small breakthroughs. They won’t be friends, but they looked like colleagues.

› Many looted antiquities were returned.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is returning ancient art to Cambodia, Thailand, Turkey and Greece. The Museum of the Bible and Cornell University together sent 17,000 items to Iraq. A California man gave 30 looted relics back to Italy. And the Smithsonian is finally doing the right thing and returning its “racial brain collection” to families of the deceased.

› Ukraine is an independent country; Finland joined NATO.

It’s been a grim year for Ukraine, but it remains independent. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin suffered another blow as Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (Sweden is almost there.)

› The United States experienced an economic soft landing.

Experts overwhelmingly predicted a recession in 2023. Instead, growth picked up, inflation cooled dramatically and the United States added over 2.5 million jobs.

› Gymnast Simone Biles is back and better than ever.

Often considered the GOAT (greatest of all time), Ms. Biles dominated the 2023 world championships, became the most decorated gymnast ever, and even got a new vault named after her (“The Biles II”) that is so hard almost no one else — male or female — can do it.

› The California drought is over. Thanks to lots of snow and a tropical storm, the state’s water reservoirs are full again. It marks the first time California is drought-free in years.

› Americans are traveling again. The year saw the number of air passengers — both domestically and worldwide — top pre-pandemic levels. And this holiday season is on track to be the second-highest for travel ever. Let the adventures begin.