The people of 2015

Helmut Schmidt seemed immortal, but in November, he died at the age of 96. He was an institution, and is considered to be Germany’s most significant chancellor. He explained the world to Germans, and Germany to the world. He embodied the role of elder statesman like no other German before him. Tributes from those inspired by Schmidt poured in following his death in his home city of Hamburg.

It remains to be seen whether Angela Merkel will achieve the same kind of popularity as Helmut Schmidt after her chancellorship. Her ratings in Germany fell this year, with many Germans questioning the wisdom of her open-door policy on refugees. Yet that’s exactly what has earned her tremendous respect internationally. "Time" magazine even named Merkel 2015’s Person of the Year.

Even before the refugee crisis, Merkel was criticized after trying to comfort a Palestinian girl whose family was facing possible deportation. Reem Sahwil told Merkel what it was like to live with that fear. "Politics can be very hard sometimes," Merkel said, after which Sahwil began crying. But Sahwil defended Merkel: "She listened to me, then gave her opinion, and I’m fine with that."

Thousands of men, women and children have died this year while fleeing from terrorism, war and poverty. But this photo of three-year-old Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, who drowned while attempting to reach Europe in early September, sparked worldwide outrage about their plight. Three months later, drownings of refugees remain a weekly occurrence in Europe’s coastal waters.

Stéphane Charbonnier, or Charb, was the editorial director and head cartoonist of "Charlie Hebdo." He was, in a way, the face of the satirical magazine. Here, demonstrators in Paris honor Charb and the people who died with him. In mid-January, Islamic terrorists killed 17 people in attacks on the magazine’s office, as well as a Jewish supermarket.

Just 10 months after the attacks, Paris was again the target of Islamic terrorists, who killed 130 people in multiple attacks across the city. The man on the stretcher survived one of the bombings and shootings, which hit a stadium, a concert hall, and several cafes and restaurants. At a memorial at Les Invalides, President Hollande vowed to do all in his power to "destroy" those responsible.

And among others, he meant this man: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the "Islamic State." He uses beheadings and hostage-takings to build his reign of terror – for which he always has theological reasons. Rumors of his death have circulated repeatedly, but as yet they’ve always remained unconfirmed.

The comparison with a godfather came from Sepp Blatter himself. He considers himself football’s main fan, but others can’t help but think of Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia boss. After all, Blatter is accused of involvement in huge corruption. In June, Blatter resigned as FIFA president, just days after being re-elected to the post. In October, an ethics committee banned him for eight years.

No other British monarch has worn the crown as long: soon, Elizabeth II will mark 64 years on the throne. At the time of her coronation, Britain’s prime minister was Winston Churchill. Elizabeth granted him a weekly audience, as with all 11 of his successors. In 2015, the Queen also celebrated the birth of her fifth great-grandchild, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

In the mid-1980s, he ruled Nigeria as a military dictator; now he wants to reform the country as a democratically elected leader. In April, Muhammadu Buhari was elected president. He plans to combat corruption in the oil-rich state and defeat the terrorist group Boko Haram. The Nigerian people expect much from Buhari, but there has so far been little evidence of the promised transformation.

He’s dominating the headlines and the opinion polls. Could Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s racist, anti-Muslim candidate, possibly become US president? No one in Europe can quite imagine it. Yet here, too, many are fascinated by the billionaire and his hair. Since he announced his candidacy, Google has received more search requests for his name than Hillary Clinton’s. Stay tuned in 2016.