2024 in pictures - BBC News (2025)

Extraordinary images from around the world

2024 in pictures - BBC News (1)

Extraordinary images from around the world

By the Visual Journalism team News

The devastating toll of war, the challenges of artificial intelligence and the joy of a baby hippo were among the many moments documented by news agency photographers in 2024.

These are some of the most striking photos of the year:

Image source, Anton Brink/EPA

2024 in pictures - BBC News (2)

Image source, Jerome Brouillet/AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (3)

The summer of 2024 was a celebration of sport as the world came to Paris for the Olympics and Paralympics.

Image source, Christian Hartmann/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (4)

Image source, Aytac Unal/Anadolu/Getty Images

2024 in pictures - BBC News (5)

Image source, Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (6)
2024 in pictures - BBC News (7)

Image source, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The solar eclipse is seen above the Washington Monument, 8 April 2024, image

People also found the time to look up and enjoy nature’s spectacles, like solar eclipses...

2024 in pictures - BBC News (8)

Image source, Agustin Marcarian/Reuters

Dana the dog wears glasses as people watch an annular solar eclipse, in Las Horquetas, Santa Cruz, Argentina, 2 October 2024., image

2024 in pictures - BBC News (9)

Image source, Josh Dury

A composite of 43 images taken over a period of time shows meteors "raining" down on the Stonehenge monument in England., image

and meteor showers and volcanoes.

2024 in pictures - BBC News (10)

Image source, Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images

Italy's Mount Etna put on a show by blowing near-perfect circles into the Sicilian sky. A new crater opened on the summit of Europe's largest active volcano leading to an unusual display of the so-called 'smoke rings'. The rings are made of gases and propelled by a circular vent in the volcano., image

2024 was a year of conflict for some, with civilians often caught in the middle.

Image source, Hatem Khaled/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (11)

Image source, Mohammed Salem/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (12)

Image source, Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (13)

Image source, Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

2024 in pictures - BBC News (14)

Image source, Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (15)

It's been a big year for democracy, with more than half of the world’s population, in over 80 countries, choosing new leaders.

Image source, Ihsaan Haffejee/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (16)

Image source, Henry Nicholls/AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (17)

Image source, Henry Nicholls/AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (18)

Image source, Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (19)

Image source, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

2024 in pictures - BBC News (20)

Protests, unrest and anger have shaken those in power and questioned social values.

Image source, Kim Hong-ji/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (21)

Image source, Omar Haj Kadour/AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (22)

Image source, Miguel Medina/AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (23)
2024 in pictures - BBC News (24)

Image source, Jonathan Drake/Reuters

A local resident helps free a car that became stranded in a stretch of flooding road as Tropical Storm Helene strikes, on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina, USA 27 September 2024. , image

Severe weather caused havoc around the world, including tropical storms in North Carolina and unprecedented floods in Spain.

2024 in pictures - BBC News (25)

Image source, Alberto Saiz/AP

A woman looks out from her balcony as vehicles are trapped in the street during flooding in Valencia, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024., image

2024 in pictures - BBC News (26)

Image source, Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

A woman pulls a trolley with recyclable material past veld fires occurring as winter approaches, in Lenasia in the south of Johannesburg, South Africa, April 22, 2024. , image

Wildfires ravaged South Africa and Greece.

2024 in pictures - BBC News (27)

Image source, Nick Paleologos/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trees burn during the East Attica wildfire near Stamata, northeast of Athens, Greece, on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024., image

Other disasters also made the headlines.

Image source, Reza Saifullah/AP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (28)

Image source, Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

2024 in pictures - BBC News (29)
2024 in pictures - BBC News (30)

Image source, Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

A face mould covered in human skin tissue at a laboratory in Tokyo, 12 July 2024. , image

Science has taken humanity one step closer to the future as artificial intelligence starts to integrate into more areas of everyday life. Human skin tissue has been used to cover face moulds as robots get ever more life-like.

2024 in pictures - BBC News (31)

Image source, Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

A robot using artificial intelligence is displayed at a stand during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, on May 30, 2024., image

Social media, at times, provided some light relief.

Image source, Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images

2024 in pictures - BBC News (32)

Image source, John G. Mabanglo/EPA

2024 in pictures - BBC News (33)

Elsewhere, old customs and annual events still bring people together each year.

Image source, Albert Gea/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (34)

Image source, Claudia Morales/Reuters

2024 in pictures - BBC News (35)

Image source, Toyin Adedokun/AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (36)

Image source, Dibyangshu Sarkar/ AFP

2024 in pictures - BBC News (37)

Produced and edited by Camilla Costa, Pilar Tomas, Tom Finn, Dominic Bailey and Oliver Bothwell. Development by Dan Smith and Giacomo Boscaini-Gilroy. Picture research by BBC picture desk.

More on this story

  • BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?
  • Best albums of 2024: Charli XCX, Beyonce, The Cure and more
  • Can you remember these 2024 culture moments?
2024 in pictures - BBC News (2025)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Maia Crooks Jr

Last Updated:

Views: 5495

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (63 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Maia Crooks Jr

Birthday: 1997-09-21

Address: 93119 Joseph Street, Peggyfurt, NC 11582

Phone: +2983088926881

Job: Principal Design Liaison

Hobby: Web surfing, Skiing, role-playing games, Sketching, Polo, Sewing, Genealogy

Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.