A look back at 2017: Summer edition
As we near the close of 2017 and reflect on everything it brought us, the summer months stand out as a time of exceptionally soaring highs and particularly cavernous lows.
Take August, for example. It saw a series of hurricanes, which wreaked both historic devastation on a number of areas throughout the United States and highlighted awe-inspiring acts of human kindness as Americans traveled miles to help their fellow citizens.
In the middle of that month, the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville left many Americans fearing the country was more divided than ever.
"These Alt-Right protestors, they're Nazis. They're Klansmen. And they're walking with tiki torches screaming, 'Jews will not replace us?'" recalls an incredulous Nicholas Thompson, Editor-in-Chief of Wired Magazine, in the CBSN year-end special, "2017 Unsubscribe."
"There are moments in America where you think, 'This is just a stage. This country is strong,'" he continues. "And then, there are moments where you think, 'What is happening?'"
A few weeks later, just as it seemed Democrats and Republicans would never stop fighting over the actions of the alt-right and President Trump's response to them, Americans on the left and right united over the purest and most unlikely of natural phenomena: the solar eclipse.
"You know, it's the rare pop culture moment where people are generally interested in learning about something," says Sopan Deb, a culture reporter for the New York Times.
"There's nothing to argue about the solar eclipse. It's cool," concurs Thompson. "Secondly, science! Actually caring about science and space? That's good. We haven't had that in a while."
The world had also not had a summer blockbuster with a female superhero at the helm for a long while. So, when "Wonder Woman" flew into theaters this June and became a smash hit, it left little girls and women alike feeling empowered and full of joy.
Take a look back at these events and more in the full CBSN special "2017 Unsubscribe" below.
