From an emotional Theresa May announcing her resignation as Prime Minister to devastating damage caused by Storm Dorian in the Bahamas and haunting images of the civil war in Syria, AFP has published a selection of its best and most poignant photos of the year.
The spectacular images capture the historic events that shaped 2019 and set the stage for 2020.
The year saw an explosion of demonstrations across the world as people demanded an overhaul of entrenched political systems and action on climate change.
Incredible images show a leopard attacking an Indian man in Lamba Pind area in Jalandhar and rapper Cardi B arriving for the 2019 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Mass anti-government protests broke out from Lebanon and Iraq to Hong Kong and Colombia as people stood up to their governments.
Young climate activist Greta Thunberg made waves on a global scale and helped to drag the climate emergency into the mainstream, helping to establish ‘Fridays for Future’ marches which saw school students skip school to march for the future of the planet and bring city centres to a standstill.
Other photos express the events that unfolded in the US political sphere, during a year in which Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
Images show the damages wrought by climate disasters including Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas which killed at least 54 people, while Cyclone Idai smashed into the coast of central Mozambique and also wrought damage in Zimbabwe and Malawi in March, unleashing hurricane-force winds and rains and claiming 750 lives.
