In 2015, "Uptown Funk!" topped the charts, Star Wars: The Force Awakens packed theaters, a stamp cost 49¢, the average home went for about $222,000.
🎵 Top songs of 2015
"Uptown Funk!" — Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
"Thinking Out Loud" — Ed Sheeran
"See You Again" — Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
🎬 In theaters
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Furious 7
Jurassic World
What things cost in 2015
$2.43
Gallon of gas
49¢
Postage stamp
$8.43
Movie ticket
$3.39
Gallon of milk
$222,000
Average home
$33,500
New car
$56,500
Household income
Even 2015's bargain $2.43 gas equals about $3.30 in today's dollars, and that $8.43 movie ticket works out to roughly $11.45 — a touch more than you'd pay now.
The biggest moments of 2015
Same-sex marriage became legal nationwide in the U.S.
New Horizons completed its Pluto flyby in July.
The Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in December.
American Pharoah won horse racing's first Triple Crown in 37 years.
The U.S. women's soccer team won the World Cup as Carli Lloyd scored a hat trick in the final.
"Left Shark," the delightfully offbeat dancer at the Super Bowl halftime show, stole the whole night.
Toys, TV & trends of 2015
Hoverboards were the must-have (and slightly wobbly) gadget of the year.
The whole internet argued over "The Dress" — was it blue and black or white and gold?
Everyone was doing the Whip and Nae Nae from Silentó's "Watch Me."
Pizza Rat dragged a slice down the subway stairs and into internet history.
The laughing-crying emoji was named Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year — the first emoji ever chosen.
Trivia Crack and Agar.io ruled phone screens at recess.
The music scene
Adele returned after four years with "Hello," and her album 25 sold a jaw-dropping 3.38 million copies in a single week — a record that still stands. Apple Music launched in June, cranking up the streaming wars. And Drake's "Hotline Bling" video, with its dad-dance moves in a glowing box, became an instant meme factory.
At the movies
Birdman claimed Best Picture at the Oscars. Pixar's Inside Out made whole families cry over an imaginary friend named Bing Bong. Jurassic World stomped the all-time opening-weekend record with $208.8 million — only to watch The Force Awakens beat it just six months later on its way to becoming the biggest movie in U.S. history.
Cartoons kids loved
Steven Universe
Adventure Time
Gravity Falls
We Bare Bears premiered in 2015, winning hearts with three bear brothers just trying to fit in. Streaming was quietly changing how kids watched — whole seasons on demand instead of one episode a week. Miraculous Ladybug also debuted that year, steadily building a worldwide fandom.
The world in 2015
World population: about 7.4 billion
U.S. President: Barack Obama
The Paris terror attacks took place in November
The U.S. and Cuba reopened embassies after more than 50 years.
A devastating earthquake struck Nepal in April, prompting a worldwide relief effort.
NASA announced evidence of liquid water flowing on present-day Mars.
2015 birthday questions
How old is someone born in 2015?
Someone born in 2015 turns 11 in 2026 (10 if their birthday has not come round yet).
What was the number one song in 2015?
"Uptown Funk!" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars was among the biggest hits of 2015.
What movie came out in 2015?
Star Wars: The Force Awakens was one of the films packing theaters in 2015.
How much did gas cost in 2015?
A gallon of gas ran about $2.43 in 2015, and a postage stamp cost 49¢.
How much did a house cost in 2015?
The average home went for roughly $222,000 in 2015, against a typical household income of about $56,500.