2014: Year in Review – A strange year, in photos

TOPSHOTS Robots perform a pole dance at the booth of the Tobit Software company on the eve of the start of the 2014 CeBIT technology trade fair on March 9, 2014 in Hanover, central Germany. CeBIT will be pen March 10-14, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JOHN MACDOUGALLJOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images ORG XMIT: 1677 ORIG FILE ID: 527918474

HARBIN, CHINA - JANUARY 07: White whales and their trainers present a show for visitors at Harbin Pole Aquarium on January 7, 2014 in Harbin, China. Aquarium is one of the tourist highlights of Harbin, attract domestic and foreign tourists visit each year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 461447691 ORIG FILE ID: 461160739

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 24: A local youth takes a selfie photograph in front of Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to St George's indoor market on June 24, 2014 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Royal party are visiting Northern Ireland for three days. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid - Pool/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 499091443 ORIG FILE ID: 451138166

PHUKET, THAILAND - SEPTEMBER 29: A vegetarian festival devotee parades through the streets on September 29, 2014 in Phuket, Thailand. Ritual Vegetarianism in Phuket Island traces its roots back to the early 1800's. The annual festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days. Participants in the festival perform acts of body piercing as a means of shifting evil spirits from individuals onto themselves and bring the community good luck. The ritualized mutilation is performed at a local Buddhist shrine under a trance-like state and is careful supervised. (Photo by Borja Sanchez-Trillo/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 515677053 ORIG FILE ID: 456316066 *** BESTPIX *** ORG XMIT: 515677053 ORIG FILE ID: 456316066

FOR USE AS DESIRED, YEAR END PHOTOS - FILE - The body of boxer Christopher Rivera, who was shot to death on Sunday, is propped up in a fake boxing ring during his wake at the community recreation center within the public housing project where he lived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014. Elsie Rodriguez, vice president of the Marin funeral home, explained that Rivera had asked his family that if he died, he wanted his funeral to make reference to his boxing career. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo, File) ORG XMIT: NYYE343

In this Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 photo, a man competing for the longest ash is dizzied by the smoke of his cigar at the Cuba Cigar festival in Havana, Cuba. Cigar enthusiasts from around the world come to Cuba during the annual Cigar Festival to visit tobacco farms and factories and savor new cigar brands. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ORG XMIT: WTW310

Two body painted models talking while promoting the latest wallpapers at the international furnishings fair at Cologne, Germany, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) ORG XMIT: MME102

RNPS - REUTERS NEWS PICTURE SERVICE - PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 - ODDLY A cow is prepared for the Miss Milk Cow beauty contest in Moc Chau plateau, 200 km northwest of Hanoi in this October 15, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Kham/Files (VIETNAM - Tags: SOCIETY AGRICULTURE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY ANIMALS) ORG XMIT: POYODD607

A pickup truck tows a flat-bottom jon boat carrying the casket of Ronald "Manny" Bloss Sr., 78, to his burial plot in Manchester Union Cemetery in Manchester, Pa. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. Bloss died Saturday, Jan. 11, of terminal cancer. Per his wishes, the outdoorsman and Korean War veteran made his final journey via his jon boat _ in his casket _ from the Diehl Funeral Home & Cremation Center in Mount Wolf to his Manchester Union Cemetery burial plot. (AP Photo/York Daily Record, Chris Dunn) YORK DISPATCH OUT ORG XMIT: PAYOK101

epa04362453 A South African child explores an exhibit at the Cape Town Science Centre, in Cape Town, in South Africa, 21 August 2014. The centre bisects the learning and understanding of science within a playful interactive space for children and adults to explore. With more than 250 interactive science exhibits and puzzles the centre also offers science shows, science camps, science theatre, travelling exhibitions, hands-on experiments, robotics workshops, chess workshops, educator enrichment workshops, computer courses, and various mini-exhibitions on topical science events. EPA/NIC BOTHMA ORG XMIT: CAP101

Cast members Ryan Hansen (L), Kristen Bell, and Jason Dohring pose at the premiere of "Veronica Mars" in Hollywood, California on this March 12, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/Files (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ORG XMIT: POYENT309

RNPS - REUTERS NEWS PICTURE SERVICE - PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 - ODDLY A girl wearing a faeces-shaped hat prepares to slide down into a five-metre (16.4-ft) toilet at an exhibition titled "Toilet !? Human Waste and Earth's Future" at the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo in this July 3, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Issei Kato/Files (JAPAN - Tags: SOCIETY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ORG XMIT: POYODD603

Hair Artist and Master Barber Rob Ferrel (L), known as "Rob the Original" cuts the likeness of Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi on the head of customer Vincent Hernandez, ahead of tomorrow's World Cup match between Argentina and Switzerland at his barbershop in San Antonio, Texas June 30, 2014. REUTERS/Ashley Landis (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY SPORT SOCCER) ORG XMIT: AL01

-- AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 -- In this photograph taken on April 16, 2014, a veterinary staff member of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme center conducts medical examinations on a 14-year-old male orangutan found with air gun metal pellets embedded in his body in Sibolangit district in northern Sumatra island. The orangutan was rescued by Indonesia's ministry of forestry personnel and Orangutan Information Center on April 15, 2014 in nearby Langkat district in a small patch of forest and agricultural plantation. The center has cared for over 280 orangutans rescued from palm oil plantations, poachers and pet owners and over 200 have been reintroduced in the wilds. The critically-endangered primates population are dwindling rapidly due to poaching and rapid destruction of their forest habital that is being converted into palm oil plantation. AFP PHOTO / SUTANTA ADITYASUTANTA ADITYA/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 529039893

Indian soldiers perform on a moving motorcycle during Republic Day Parade rehearsals in New Delhi, India, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. Indian Republic Day is celebrated on Jan. 26 every year. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) ORG XMIT: DEL119

Brazilian Noemia Oliveira poses for a picture during the Tatoo Week Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 5, 2014. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBAYASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 525773710

epa04227994 A crash-test dummy on a motorcycle and a passenger car collide during a demonstration in†Muenster, Germany, 27 May 2014. The UDV (German Insurers Accident Research) presented the results of a field study on severe motorcycle accidents during a press conference. EPA/BERND THISSEN ORG XMIT: DOR107

RNPS - REUTERS NEWS PICTURE SERVICE - PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 - ODDLY A participant in costume eats a sandwich after a Halloween parade in Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, in this October 26, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Yuya Shino/Files (JAPAN - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ORG XMIT: POYODD609

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 25: General view of the movie theatre prior the 'Frank' screening during the Sundance London Film and Music Festival 2014 at 02 Arena on April 25, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Sundance) ORG XMIT: 486714769 ORIG FILE ID: 486681607

Handout picture released by the Military Police of the State of Sao Paulo showing a Brazilian farmer with a knife stuck in his head at a hospital in Bauru, some 345 km from Sao Paulo, on January 7, 2014. The police is still investigating the case. AFP PHOTO / Military Police of the state of Sao Paulo --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/Military Police of the state of Sao Paulo" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS--/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 525803201

PNI phx open young wednesday 012420141131pb --Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill tees off on the 6th hole with some support from his Dbacks teammates Patrick Corbin, Josh Collmenter and Charles Brewer on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014 during the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am in Scottsdale, AZ. (Rob Schuamcher/The Arizona Republic) (Via OlyDrop)

Identical twins Edgar (L) and Gabriel pose for photographs with two version of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers paintings at the National Gallery in London on January 24, 2014. Brought together for the first time in 65 years, the National Gallery's own "Sunflowers" (1888) is joined by the Van Gogh Museum's "Sunflowers" (1889) until April 27, 2014. AFP PHOTO / LEON NEALLEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 526355273

TOPSHOTS In this photograph taken on January 26, 2014, Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Dog Squad personnel take part in a march during Republic Day celebrations in Jammu. India celebrated its 65th Republic Day with a large military parade in the capital New Delhi and similar events across the country. (AFP/Alok Pathania)Alok Pathania/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 526449053

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Leo, aged 9 months, takes part in an experiment at the 'Birkbeck Babylab' Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, on March 3, 2014 in London, England. The experiment uses an electroencephalogram (EEG) to study brain activity whilst the baby examines different objects of varying complexity. Researchers at the Babylab, which is part of Birkbeck, University of London, study brain and cognitive development in infants from birth through childhood. The scientists use various experiments, often based on simple games, and test the babies' physical or cognitive responses with sensors including: eye-tracking, brain activation and motion capture. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 476762579 ORIG FILE ID: 476603473

A model is displayed in a vacuum pack for the Iris Van Herpen 2014/2015 Autumn/Winter ready-to-wear collection fashion show, on March 4, 2014 in Paris. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIKPATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images ORG XMIT: 2934 ORIG FILE ID: 527758545

In this Tuesday, March 18, 2014 photo, Michael Smith, left, stands beside a Somerset County Sheriff deputy outside his home in Norridgewock, Maine. Officers armed with assault rifles descended on Smith's home after members of a tree removal crew he'd told to clear off his property reported that he had a gun. The "gun" the tree crew had seen on Smith actually was a life-sized tattoo of a handgun on his stomach. (AP Photo/Morning Sentinel, David Leaming) ORG XMIT: MEWAT101

epa04140293 Volker Kraft fixes the last eggs at his world-famous 'easter egg tree' in Saalfeld, Germany, 25 March 2014. More than 10,000 painted eggs hang at the apple tree and draw thousands of visitors. EPA/MICHAEL REICHEL ORG XMIT: erf405

A woman lies in a coffin at a funeral fair in the Grand Generation's Collection 2014 produced by Japanese retailer Aeon in Makuhari on April 11, 2014. The three-day collection will be held until April 13. AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGIKAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 528860960

epa04183302 Thai Star Wars fans dressed as Darth Vader (L) and Stormtroopers lay on beds for their blood donation to celebrate the upcoming Star Wars Day with good deeds, at the Thai Red Cross in Bangkok, Thailand, 28 April 2014. The '501st Legion', the Star Wars fan club in Thailand, came dressed as Stormtroopers to donate blood to the Thai Red Cross as part of their charity project aimed to raise funds for an orphanage house to celebrate their annually Star Wars Day on the Fourth of May. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT ORG XMIT: RUNx

TOPSHOTS Indian Muslim devotees watch as Mastan Hasanali Rafai performs with a sword during a procession in memory of Sufi saint Hazrat Pir Mehmood Shah Bukhari in Ahmedabad on May 5, 2014. The procession will reach Bhadiyad town, some 120 kms from Ahmedabad on May 9, marking the first day of the annual Urs of the saint. The Shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Pir Mehmood Shah Bukhari is situated at Bhadiyad and both Muslims and Hindu devotees pay their respects. AFP PHOTO / Sam PANTHAKYSAM PANTHAKY/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 529500990

BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 06: Scorpions are suspended in lollipops at the booth of a retailer selling edible insects for human consumption at the 2014 re:publica conferences on digital society on May 6, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Advocates seeking to promote insects as food for people see insects as a major and cheap source of protein and a necessary means to fight global hunger. The conference brings together bloggers, developers, human rights activists and others to discuss the course of the digital future. Re:publica will run until May 8. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 488769381 ORIG FILE ID: 488542289

A woman visits the exhibition "Au Pantheon" by French photographer JR displayed on the ground of the Pantheon in Paris, a secular temple which contains the remains of distinguished French citizens, on July 3, 2014. The Centre des Monuments Nationaux has chosen to commission contemporary artist JR to create a participatory work inspired by his INSIDE OUT project. AFP PHOTO MARTIN BUREAU RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE, MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION, TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTIONMARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 530348778

This photo released by the Kern County Fire Department shows a puppy that somehow got his head stuck in the middle of a wheel rim and was brought to a Kern County fire station on Friday, June 20, 2014. Fire Department spokesman Brandon Hill says two firefighters used vegetable oil to ease the dogÌs head out of the hole. The little pooch, named Junior, has returned to live with its owner and seven siblings. (AP Photo/James C. Dowell ) ORG XMIT: LA102

TOPSHOTS Photo taken on September 10, 2014 shows a Kyrgyz stuntman performing during the first World Nomad Games in the Kyrchin (Semenovskoe) gorge, some 300 km from Bishkek. Teams of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan take part in the games. AFP PHOTO / VYACHESLAV OSELEDKOVYACHESLAV OSELEDKO/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 533296087

A rabbit jumps during the Kaninhop (rabbit-jumping) competition in Weissenbrunn vorm Wald, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. Competitors take part in three different categories, with an obstacle height ranging between 25 and 40 centimeters. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) ORG XMIT: JME105

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Underwear and laundry hang from a washing line below Edinburgh Castle supporting a Yes vote during the scottish referendum on September 18, 2014 in Edinburgh, Scotland. After many months of campaigning the people of Scotland today head to the polls to decide the fate of their country. The referendum is too close to call but a Yes vote would see the break-up of the United Kingdom and Scotland would stand as an independent country for the first time since the formation of the Union. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 513434403 ORIG FILE ID: 455655360

This photo taken Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oxford, Ohio, by police officer Matt Hatfield and provided by the Oxford police department, shows a skunk with it's head stuck in a beer can near a fraternity house at Miami (Ohio) University. An animal control officer was able to free and release the skunk without being sprayed. (AP Photo/Oxford Police Department, Matt Hatfield) ORG XMIT: CS101

Holding an Argentine soccer jersey, Denis Andre Oliveira, 33, of Brazil, is searched by police after being detained for entering the Cidade do Galo sports complex where the Argentine soccer team trains in Vespasiano, near Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Oliveira said he wanted to get an autograph of Argentina's Lionel Messi. On June 11, Oliveira shone Messi's cleats after invading the training of Argentina at Independencia Stadium. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) ORG XMIT: VC121

epa04428531 First-time model Jon Leonardo blends into the skyline of downtown Atlanta after being camouflage body painted by Italian artist Johannes Stoetter in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 02 October 2014. The demonstration of the art technique Trompe-l'oeil was part of the Living Art America's North American Bodypainting Championships, being held in Atlanta on 04 October. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER ORG XMIT: ELX03

epa04466923 A woman gives a demonstration of an ambulance drone with built in defibrillator at the campus of the Delft Technical University in Delft, The Netherlands, 28 October 2014. The small aircraft, designed by Alec Momont of the Delft Technical University, weighs some four kg and can fly at speed of 100 km and can quickly deliver a defibrillator to patients suffering a cardiac arrest. EPA/BAS CZERWINSKI ORG XMIT: 29783502

RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE / MANDATORY CREDIT: "AFP PHOTO / KANTON POLIZEI BASEL-LANDSCHAFT", NO MARKETING / NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS / DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS This picture released on November 3, 2014 by the Cantonal police of Basel-Landschaft shows a donkey that fell into a manhole in Pratteln near Basel, northern Switzerland on early November 1, 2014. Only slightly injured, the animal was recued from its awkward position by the local fire brigade. AFP PHOTO / KANTON POLIZEI BASEL-LANDSCHAFTHandout/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 535003249

A model presents a creation by Ronaldo Fraga during the 2015 Winter collection of the Sao Paulo Fashion Week, in Sao Paulo, Brazil on November 5, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Miguel SCHINCARIOLMiguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 535072361

epa04485271 Revelers wearing colorful costumes celebrate the start of the carnival season in Mainz,†Germany, 11 November 2014. The carnival season traditionally beginns on 11 November at 11:11 am CET every year. EPA/FREDRIK VON ERICHSEN ORG XMIT: fve036

Dec 3, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Runners drink beer during the womens race in the Flotrack World Beer Mile championships at Circuit of The Americas. Elizabeth Herndon (center) won in 6:17.76. Corey Gallagher won the mens race in 5:00.23 . Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports USP ORG XMIT: USATSI-212956 ORIG FILE ID: 20141203_mje_al2_890.jpg

French artist Abraham Poincheval climbs into a fake bear, on March 31, 2014, in Paris, the day before starting an artistic performance in which he will spend thirteen days in the bear's skin, at the Hunting and Wildlife Museum ('Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature'). AFP PHOTO / THOMAS SAMSON == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE, MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION, TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION ==THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images ORG XMIT: 3137 ORIG FILE ID: 528535616

A visitor poses for a photograph alongside "Casa Tomada", a work by Colombian artist Rafael Gomezbarros, during a press preview of Pangaea: New Art from Africa and Latin America at the Saatchi Gallery in London on April 1, 2014. The exhibition runs through August 31, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE, MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST, TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTIONADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 528561452