Queen Elizabeth II will describe 2019 as "quite bumpy" in her traditional Christmas Day message - and many will agree with her. 2019 had its share of ups and downs, of positives and negatives. As we inch closer to 2020, let's take a look at the "ups" of the year. There were plenty of positive news stories that made us smile in 2019. Stories of kindness and generosity, viral videos and happy news - all of these are part of this list that will send you into 2020 with a smile on your face.
Here are 19 positive things that happened in 2019:
1. Tamil Nadu granny gets government support
Salute the spirit and commitment of Kamalathal. Glad to having helped her through local OMC officers in getting LPG connection.
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) September 11, 2019
Society must empower such hard working people who defy all odds. https://t.co/ZBCsnPqdpA
A grandmother from Tamil Nadu, who cooks and sells idlis for just a rupee each, was issued an LPG connection by the government. Kamalathal, an 80-year-old from Coimbatore, received a ton of public goodwill along with government support after her story went viral in September.
2. Former child refugee tracks down man who gifted her a bike when she was a child
Mevan Babbakar, a former child refugee from Iraq, managed to find the man who bought her a bike when she was five-years-old. Ms Babbakar used the Internet's help in tracking down the man who, "out of the kindness of his heart", bought her a bike when she was living in a refugee camp.
3. Mumbai cab driver returns lost wallet
He then told me his family is waiting for him at home to cut a cake. What a day it was!!
— Sierra (@darthsierra) June 12, 2019
Here is a smiley picture of this good Samaritan at the end of a hard day at work & a loving family man! These are the people who make Bombay what it is! pic.twitter.com/zxNKHJQP2J
The story of a Mumbai cab driver's honesty went viral in June this year. Asif Iqbal Abdul Gaffar Pathan, an Ola driver, returned a passenger's lost wallet, winning hearts with his honesty.
4. Thailand supermarket says no to plastic
A supermarket in Thailand replaced plastic packaging with banana leaves, earning praise for their environment-friendly initiative.
5. NASA's all-women spacewalk makes history
NASA made history in October morning when astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir stepped outside the International Space Station to replace a faulty battery charger. The all-female spacewalk was the first of its kind "in human history".
6. CRPF jawan babysits toddler as mother votes
CUTENESS OVERLOAD: Well the EVMs will have to wait before this little kid casts vote. However, the kid is happily observing the process in safe hands.
— 🇮🇳CRPF🇮🇳 (@crpfindia) April 23, 2019
Kid enjoying the company of CRPF while the mother votes.@ECISVEEP#DeshKaMahaTyohar #MyVoteMatters #YourVoteMatters pic.twitter.com/UlS5BgrPQd
A heartwarming photograph of a CRPF jawan taking care of a toddler while his mother cast her vote during Phase 3 of the national elections went viral this year.
7. People form a human chain around Muslims offering namaz
People of different faiths formed a human chain around Muslims as they offered namaz in the national capital during Citizenship Act protests.
8. NASA study finds earth to be greener than it was 20 years ago
It was good news for the planet when a NASA study observed that the world is a greener place than it was 20 years ago, with India and China leading the global greening effort.
9. Nigeria school starts accepting plastic bottles in lieu of fees
The Recycle Pay project, implemented at a school in Nigeria, allows parents to use plastic waste as currency to pay their children's school fees. Families save money while reducing plastic pollution and cleaning up the city in the process.
10. Mizoram boy tries to save chicken, rushes it to hospital with his 'savings'
Derek C Lalchhanhima won millions of hearts with his innocence and empathy when he tried to help a chicken that he accidentally ran over with his bicycle. Derek rushed the chicken to a hospital with his savings of Rs 10.
11. Madhya Pradesh cop helps elderly woman
Police officer Shraddha Shukla of the Magron police station in Madhya Pradesh won hearts when she was seen on video gifting new clothes and slippers to an elderly woman.
12. "Doctor Sunaina" now goes to school
Hundreds donated generously to help Sunaina Rawat, a 12-year-old from Uttar Pradesh who is determined to become a doctor and help her village.
13. Pakistan cricketers treat Indian taxi driver to dinner
In November, five cricketers from Pakistan, including Yasir Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, met an Indian cab driver in Brisbane who refused to take fare from them. The cricketers ended up treating him to dinner, winning hearts with their gesture.
14. Planned for 6 months, ISRO's Mars Mission Mangalyaan completes 5 years
The Mangalyaan mission, which was initially meant to last six months, completed five years of orbiting Mars in September. The data from Mars Orbiter Mission has helped produced 23 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
15. Customers gift car to waitress who had to walk 22 km to work every day
In November, a waitress in Galveston, Texas, was gifted a car by two strangers she served at breakfast.
16. Man offers first-class ticket to 88-year-old
Jack Littlejohn offered his first-class seat on an overnight flight from New York to London to 88-year-old Violet Allison. Thousands of messages of support poured in to support the pair for the kindness and generosity on display.
17. Nurse "adopts" homeless man she just met so he could get a heart transplant
Nurse Lori Wood stunned her patient Jonathan Pinkard - a homeless man with no support system - when she offered to let him move in with her.
18. A 'wedding' for Gujarat man with special needs
The wedding ceremony for Ajay Barot, a 27-year-old with special needs, was held in Himmatnagar town of Gujarat in May. "My son was diagnosed with learning disability. He used to enjoy the wedding procession of other people and asked us about his wedding... I decided to arrange a wedding procession for him so he feels like his wedding is being held and his dream comes true," his father said.
19. Dog found alive under rubble a month after Hurricane Dorian
In a heartwarming story, a 1-year-old mixed-breed puppy was found alive under rubble on Great Abaco Island, one month after Hurricane Dorian.
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