The most powerful news photos of the year

Talia LakritzJan 15, 2024, 12:27 IST

Austin, Texas.Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Getty Images compiled its best news photos of the year.
Photos show scenes from protests, war zones, and natural disasters.

This year, there was no shortage of headline-making events.

The best news photos of 2023, photographed and compiled by Getty Images photojournalists, feature a variety of historic moments, global conflicts, natural disasters, and other major news stories.

"Whether reporting on tragedy or triumph, heroism or humor, our photographers showed again and again the importance of visual journalism in helping us understand the world around us," Jay Davies, senior director of news photography at Getty Images, told Business Insider.

Here are 30 of the most powerful photos of the year.

Fireworks lit up the skyline in London, UK, just after midnight on January 1.

London, UK.Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

President Joe Biden walked to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on January 4.

Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

On January 6, Rep. Katie Porter made a statement with her choice of reading material during the fourth day of elections for Speaker of the House.

Washington, DC.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

US Navy officers recovered a high-altitude surveillance balloon on February 5 off the coast of South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson/US Navy via Getty Images

A woman walked on a street amid destroyed buildings after two earthquakes in Hatay, Turkey, in February.

Hatay, Turkey.Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Snow covered mountains behind the Hollywood sign after a snowstorm hit Los Angeles, California, on March 1.

Los Angeles, California.Mario Tama/Getty Images

Drag queen Brigitte Bandit gave testimony at the Texas State Capitol on March 23 as lawmakers considered a bill that would regulate drag performances.

Austin, Texas.Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Riot police clashed with protesters over the French government's reform of the pension system on March 23 in Paris.

Paris, France.Kiran Ridley/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump arrived for an arraignment hearing at the New York State Supreme Court on April 4.

New York, New York.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Indonesian Muslims celebrated Eid Al-Fitr on Parangkusumo Beach on April 21.

Yogyakarta, Indonesia.Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

In Kampala, Uganda, a member of the LGBTQ community prayed during an evangelical church service.

Kampala, Uganda.Luke Dray/Getty Images

On April 27, Biden celebrated Take Your Child To Work Day with children dressed as Secret Service agents.

Washington, DC.Win McNamee/Getty Images

The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place on May 6 in London.

London, UK.Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Robert Jackson comforted his mother, Cheryl Jackson, as they visit a memorial for a mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets mall on May 8 in Allen, Texas.

Allen, Texas.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Immigrant families were photographed crossing into the US from Mexico to seek asylum on May 8 in El Paso, Texas.

El Paso, Texas.John Moore/Getty Images

A man crossed the dry bed of the Koparli dam in Nashik, India, on May 26.

Nashik, Maharashtra, India.Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

Smoky haze from Canadian wildfires obscured the New York City skyline on June 7.

New York, New York.David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

A handout photo from the US Department of Justice showed boxes of documents in the bathroom of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Palm Beach, Florida.US Department of Justice via Getty Images

Empty sun loungers lined the beach at a resort in Lardos, Greece, on July 29.

Lardos, Rhodes, Greece.Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Sen. John Barrasso reached out to help Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after McConnell froze and stopped talking during a news conference on July 26.

Washington, DC.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

A man waded through floodwaters in Zhuozhou, China, on August 5.

Zhuozhou, China. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

A woman walked past South Korean soldiers participating in an anti-chemical and anti-terror exercise in Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul, South Korea.Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

A woman sat among the rubble of her village in Douzrou, Morocco, which was damaged by an earthquake on September 8.

Douzrou, Morocco.Carl Court/Getty Images

An aerial view of Bakhmut, Ukraine, showed the city destroyed from heavy fighting on September 27.

Bakhmut, Ukraine.Libkos/Getty Images

A photo showed the Lewis Glacier, Mount Kenya's largest glacier, on September 28.

Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya.Ed Ram/Getty Images

Striking SAG-AFTRA members picketed with Writers Guild of America members outside Paramount Studios on October 2 in Los Angeles, California.

Los Angeles, California.Mario Tama/Getty Images

On October 9, a recovery vehicle drove past burned neighborhoods two months after wildfires devastated Lahaina, Hawaii.

Lahaina, Hawaii.Mario Tama/Getty Images

On October 30, Kibbutz Nir Oz resident Hadas Kalderon broke down in tears in the burned home of her mother, who was killed in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

Nir Oz, Israel.Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

On October 30, Kibbutz Nir Oz resident Hadas Kalderon broke down in tears in the burned home of her mother, who was killed in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

Palestinian citizens evacuated their homes damaged by Israeli airstrikes on October 10.

Gaza City, Gaza.Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

The Ukrainian military fired RPGs on the frontline of the Russian-Ukrainian war on November 3.

Bakhmut region, Ukraine.Kostya Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Fiery photos show US soldiers getting hit with Molotov cocktails as they train to tackle even the most intense riots

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The most powerful news photos of the year

Fireworks lit up the skyline in London, UK, just after midnight on January 1.

President Joe Biden walked to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on January 4.

On January 6, Rep. Katie Porter made a statement with her choice of reading material during the fourth day of elections for Speaker of the House.

US Navy officers recovered a high-altitude surveillance balloon on February 5 off the coast of South Carolina.

A woman walked on a street amid destroyed buildings after two earthquakes in Hatay, Turkey, in February.

Snow covered mountains behind the Hollywood sign after a snowstorm hit Los Angeles, California, on March 1.

Drag queen Brigitte Bandit gave testimony at the Texas State Capitol on March 23 as lawmakers considered a bill that would regulate drag performances.

Riot police clashed with protesters over the French government's reform of the pension system on March 23 in Paris.

Former President Donald Trump arrived for an arraignment hearing at the New York State Supreme Court on April 4.

Indonesian Muslims celebrated Eid Al-Fitr on Parangkusumo Beach on April 21.

In Kampala, Uganda, a member of the LGBTQ community prayed during an evangelical church service.

On April 27, Biden celebrated Take Your Child To Work Day with children dressed as Secret Service agents.

The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place on May 6 in London.

Robert Jackson comforted his mother, Cheryl Jackson, as they visit a memorial for a mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets mall on May 8 in Allen, Texas.

Immigrant families were photographed crossing into the US from Mexico to seek asylum on May 8 in El Paso, Texas.

A man crossed the dry bed of the Koparli dam in Nashik, India, on May 26.

Smoky haze from Canadian wildfires obscured the New York City skyline on June 7.

A handout photo from the US Department of Justice showed boxes of documents in the bathroom of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Empty sun loungers lined the beach at a resort in Lardos, Greece, on July 29.

Sen. John Barrasso reached out to help Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after McConnell froze and stopped talking during a news conference on July 26.

A man waded through floodwaters in Zhuozhou, China, on August 5.

A woman walked past South Korean soldiers participating in an anti-chemical and anti-terror exercise in Seoul, South Korea.

A woman sat among the rubble of her village in Douzrou, Morocco, which was damaged by an earthquake on September 8.

An aerial view of Bakhmut, Ukraine, showed the city destroyed from heavy fighting on September 27.

A photo showed the Lewis Glacier, Mount Kenya's largest glacier, on September 28.

Striking SAG-AFTRA members picketed with Writers Guild of America members outside Paramount Studios on October 2 in Los Angeles, California.

On October 9, a recovery vehicle drove past burned neighborhoods two months after wildfires devastated Lahaina, Hawaii.

On October 30, Kibbutz Nir Oz resident Hadas Kalderon broke down in tears in the burned home of her mother, who was killed in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

Palestinian citizens evacuated their homes damaged by Israeli airstrikes on October 10.

The Ukrainian military fired RPGs on the frontline of the Russian-Ukrainian war on November 3.