The best photos of the decade show some of the most tragic, courageous, and heartwarming moments of the 2010s

• This decade had its share of disaster, war, and unfortunate truths. But it was also filled with heartwarming moments and passionate people enacting change.
• Reuters recently compiled a list of its best photos from the 2010s, and the photo series captures people’s resilience during the dark times, some unforgettable world events, and the bright, heartfelt moments in between.
• Take a look at some of the best photos of the decade.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

This decade saw some devastating fires. In 2019, this tree in the Amazon jungle burned as farmers cleared parts of Brazil. Farmers start most of the fires in the Amazon to clear the area for crops and livestock, but in 2019 the rainforest burned at a record rate.

Source: Business Insider

In the same year, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, a symbol of Paris that dates back to the 13th century, burned as well. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.

Source: Reuters, Business Insider

Two years earlier, a fire started at a protest in Caracas, Venezuela. Here, a protester holds a national flag as a bank branch in a government building burns during a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Source: PRI

The Philippines saw disaster in 2011 too. Residents sifted through the ruins of their houses after a fire in Makati City. These low-income areas see many fires because homes are made of flammable materials.

Source: Reuters, Reuters

Tsunamis and typhoons destroyed coastlines this decade. In 2011, a tsunami in Japan killed almost 20,000 people.

Source: Reuters, Business Insider

And in 2013, this Philippine coastal town was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded.

Source: The Atlantic

In 2010, flood victims tried to escape disaster in Pakistan by grabbing the sidebars of a hovering Army helicopter distributing food supplies. The floods left 14 million people homeless.

Source: Britannica, Reuters

There were droughts this decade too. Here, a lone tree survived near a water trough in New South Wales, Australia, in 2018. Australia's agricultural production shrank because of the drought.

Source: Reuters

The world also faced hyperinflation this decade. This photo shows the price of a chicken at a mini-market in Caracas, Venezuela, in 2018: 14.6 million bolivars, or $2.22, a lot for residents of Caracas.

Source: The Guardian

There were wars this decade too. This Kurdistan Workers' Party fighter standing near a security position in Sinjar, Iraq, in 2015 was fighting the terrorist group ISIS.

Source: Reuters, BBC

This 2017 photo of a man crying as he carries his daughter to Iraqi special forces during a battle in Mosul was considered one of the most powerful Reuters images, taken during the Iraqi-led assault to remove ISIS from its stronghold.

Source: Reuters

Many people were displaced by conflict in the past 10 years. These people were fleeing violence in Sinjar, Iraq, in 2014.

Source: Reuters

While some were displaced by war, others were displaced by encroachment. Some indigenous tribes in the Amazon think that illegal logging has forced other tribes to move into their areas.

Source: Reuters

This man and child were fleeing poverty and violence in Honduras in 2018, en route to the US. They crossed through the Suchiate River into Mexico from Guatemala.

Source: Business Insider

Some people who were displaced this decade had nowhere to go. This Guatemalan migrant embracing her son was praying for a member of the Mexican National Guard to let them cross into the US.

Source: Reuters

Others were rescued by Proactiva Open Arms, a charity that helps migrants get from northern Africa to Europe. These migrants came from various countries, but most were from Sudan.

Source: Reuters, ABC News

While sexual harassment has always been an issue, people faced consequences this decade — especially celebrities. Here, the film producer Harvey Weinstein is taken to a court in New York in May 2018.

Source: Reuters

This decade wasn't all bad — it actually brought out the strength of some kids. Here, the environmental activist Greta Thunberg and others from the Youth for Climate Action movement attend the National Assembly in Paris in July 2019.

Source: Reuters

The activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for campaigning for girls' education, signed a copy of her memoir before a launch event in London in 2013.

Source: Time

This decade, people fought for their beliefs. Here, a demonstrator looks directly into the eyes of a riot police officer during a 2016 protest honoring victims of the dictator Augusto Pinochet in Santiago, Chile. This photo went viral after the protest.

Source: Business Insider, CNN

Two years earlier, as people in Hong Kong protested Beijing's restrictions on democracy, a protester raised his umbrellas in front of tear gas fired by riot police.

Source: Business Insider

This portrait of Kandy Freeman participating in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York in 2017 was considered one of the most beautiful photographs of the year.

Source: Insider, CNN

And in 2011, anti-government protesters celebrated Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation in Cairo. They gathered in Tahrir Square and had a carnival-like celebration.

Source: Reuters

In 2016, demonstrators protested to show London's solidarity with the European Union after the UK voted to leave the EU.

Source: Business Insider

Some of these photos depicted major world events. This photo of the national-security team in the Situation Room was taken during the mission to kill Osama bin Laden a decade after September 11, 2001.

Source: Business Insider

Other photos were just heartwarming. This photo of first lady Michelle Obama adjusting President Barack Obama's tie at the White House in 2015 was a delight.

Source: Business Insider

And this photo evoked a similar feeling in 2018 when Britain's Prince Harry married Meghan Markle.

Source: Business Insider

This photo of a smiling Usain Bolt at the men's 100-meter semifinals at the 2016 Rio Olympics showed us the fun side of intense competition.

Source: Business Insider

And this photo of France's men's soccer team celebrating winning the World Cup against Croatia in Moscow in 2018 was a happy human moment.

Source: Reuters

Finally, this image of two cowboys kissing at the International Gay Rodeo Association's 2015 "Rodeo in the Rock" party in Little Rock, Arkansas, gave us hope for equality.

Source: PBS