In order to put the coming year into perspective — and to understand why so many are eager to flee the last one — peering back over the shoulder at the social, political, cultural, and general malarkey (to borrow a phrase) and wreckage over the 2023 calendar can be an engaging and sobering enterprise.

For fun, let us climb back through the first six months and recall those newsworthy distractions, the political curiosities, and the meandering media offerings. (The second half of the year shall follow.) We will look at those items that delivered important events, trenchant mockery, and distractions away from gravely serious events we were supposed to care about deeply and cling to the press for continued outrage. Let’s recall some of the mayhem.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE